MULTIMODE COLOR TUNABLE LIGHT SOURCE AND DAYLIGHTING SYSTEM

• US 20120306380A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Adler, Helmar
• Application Number:
  US13/152,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306380A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/152
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 11/00 Non-electric lighting devices or systems using daylight roofs with sky-light opening E04D13/03; sun blinds for windows with means for redirecting light onto ceiling of a room E06B9/00; hybrid lighting devices combining artificial and natural light F21S19/00; solar heat collectors F24S; solar cells or solar cell modules H01L31/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 19/005 Combining sunlight and electric light sources for indoor illumination
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/00 Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Described herein are day lighting systems that utilize a combination of at least one natural light source with at least one multimode artificial light source. Also disclosed are methods for designing and operating such systems.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising:

at least one solar tube comprising at least one inlet for receiving light from a natural light source, at least one diffuser, and at least one optical conduit coupled to said at least one inlet and said at least one diffuser, the at least one solar tube being configured to deliver said natural light from a first location to a second location via said at least one inlet, said at least one optical conduit, and said at least one diffuser;

at least one multimode artificial light source; and

at least one control unit coupled to said at least one artificial light source, and configured to output at least one control signal to said at least one artificial light source;

wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source is configured to output light of varying color and color temperature in response to said at least one control signal.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

3. The lighting system of claim 2, wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source comprises at least one red, green, and blue LED.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDS), wherein each of said plurality of LEDS is individually addressable and controllable by said at least one control unit.

5. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a mixing chamber configured to receive light from said natural light source and light from said at least one multimode artificial light source.

6. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source is disposed within said at least one solar tube.

7. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor coupled to said at least one control unit, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to detect at least one environmental characteristic, and output an environmental signal to said at least one control unit, based on said environmental characteristic.

8. The lighting system of claim 7, wherein said at least one environmental characteristic is optical information chosen from light intensity, color, color temperature, spectral variation, and combinations thereof.

9. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising at least one single mode artificial light source.

10. The lighting system of claim 9, wherein said single mode artificial light source is chosen from single mode incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, high intensity discharge lamps, halogen lamps, and combinations thereof.

11. The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the at least one single mode artificial light source comprises at least one first fluorescent lamp having a first color temperature and at least one second fluorescent lamp having a second color temperature, wherein the first color temperature differs from the second color temperature.

12. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein said at least one solar tube further comprises at least one shutter.

13. A lighting method, comprising:

providing a lighting system, comprising;

at least one solar tube comprising at least one inlet for receiving natural light, at least one diffuser, and at least one optical conduit coupled to said at least one inlet and said at least one diffuser, the at least one solar tube being configured to deliver said natural light from a first location to a second location via said at least one inlet, said at least one optical conduit, and said at least one diffuser;

at least one multimode artificial light source;

at least one control unit coupled to said at least one multimode artificial light source; and

at least one sensor coupled to said at least one control unit;

measuring at least one environmental characteristic with said at least one sensor;

generating at least one environmental signal based on said at least one environmental characteristic;

outputting said at least one environmental signal from said at least one sensor to said at least one control unit;

determining, based on said at least one environmental signal, at least one control signal with said at least one control unit;

outputting said at least one control signal to said at least one multimode artificial light source; and

outputting light of varying color and color temperature from said at least one multimode artificial light source in response to said at least one control signal.

14. The lighting method of claim 13, wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source comprises red, green, and blue light emitting diodes (LEDS).

15. The lighting method of claim 13, wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source comprises a plurality of individual LEDS, such that each of said plurality of LEDS is individually responsive to said at least one control signal.

16. The lighting method of claim 13, wherein said lighting system further comprises a mixing chamber configured to receive said natural light and light from said at least one multimode artificial light source.

17. The lighting method of claim 13, wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source is disposed within said at least one solar tube.

18. The lighting method of claim 13, wherein said at least one environmental signal comprises spectral data measured from said at least one environment.

19. The lighting method of claim 13, wherein:

said control unit further comprises a memory;

said least one environmental signal comprises spectral data; and

said determining comprises identifying, with said control unit, variances in said spectral data from at least one first lighting profile stored in machine readable format in said memory.

20. The lighting method of claim 19, wherein said at least one multimode artificial light source outputs, in response to said at least one control signal, light of a color and color temperature sufficient, independently of or in combination with said natural light, to output light of a second lighting profile in said second location, said second lighting profile being the same or different from said first lighting profile.