Vehicle LED Reading Light Grouping System and Method

• US 20120307487A1
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Eckel, David P.
• Application Number:
  US13/486,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20120307487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/231
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/44 Spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2011/0053 Cabin passenger reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/90 Methods of manufacture
• 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: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

A method is provided for preparing a plurality of groupings of light-emitting diode (LED) lights, where each grouping comprises a plurality of LEDs that fall within a specified color range from respective target x, y color points, comprising: receiving a source group of LEDs from a supplier, the source group having a specified color range; measuring a color value for each LED in the source group with a color sensor; storing the measured color value along with a unique LED identifier; creating a first grouping of LEDs within the specified color range from a first target x, y color point by identifying a plurality of LEDs from the stored color values that fall within the specified color range and doing the same for a second grouping of LEDs. Lighting assemblies are constructed based on the group associations.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a plurality of groupings of light-emitting diode (LED) lights, where each grouping comprises a plurality of LEDs that fall within a specified color range from respective target x, y color points, the method comprising:

receiving a source group of LEDs from a supplier, the source group having a specified color range;

measuring a color value for each LED in the source group with a color sensor;

storing the measured color value for each LED in the source group along with a unique LED identifier;

creating a first grouping of LEDs within the specified color range from a first target x, y color point by identifying a plurality of LEDs from the stored color values that fall within the specified color range;

creating a second grouping of LEDs within the specified color range from a second target x, y color point that is different from the first target x, y color point by identifying a plurality of LEDs from the stored color values that fall within the specified color range; and

applying a physical or virtual said unique identifier related a first LED falling within the first grouping of LEDs to the first LED or a housing holding the first LED; and

applying a physical or virtual said unique identifier related a second LED falling within the second grouping of LEDs to the second LED or a housing holding the second LED.

2. A method for preparing a plurality of groupings of light-emitting diode (LED) lights, where each grouping comprises a plurality of LEDs that fall within a specified color range from respective target x, y color points, the method comprising:

receiving a source group of LEDs from a supplier, the source group having a specified color range;

measuring a color value for each LED in the source group with a color sensor;

storing the measured color value for each LED in the source group along with a unique LED identifier;

creating a first grouping of LEDs within the specified color range from a first target x, y color point by identifying a plurality of LEDs from the stored color values that fall within the specified color range;

creating a second grouping of LEDs within the specified color range from a second target x, y color point that is different from the first target x, y color point by identifying a plurality of LEDs from the stored color values that fall within the specified color range; and

assembling a first lighting assembly utilizing the first grouping of LEDs; and

assembling a second lighting assembly utilizing the second grouping of LEDs.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

applying a physical or virtual said unique identifier related a first LED falling within the first grouping of LEDs to the first LED or a housing holding the first LED; and

applying a physical or virtual said unique identifier related a second LED falling within the second grouping of LEDs to the second LED or a housing holding the second LED.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the applying is applying a machine-readable label to the housings.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the storing is done in a memory of the LED lights.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

defining a second specified color range that is greater than the specified color range, and within which the first grouping of LEDs and the second grouping of LEDs must fall within.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first lighting assembly is a single unit with elements sharing a common panel, and the second lighting assembly is a single unit with elements sharing a common panel, the second lighting assembly being physically separate from the first lighting assembly.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the first and second lighting assemblies comprises either two, three, or four LED lights.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the color points are points on the CIE 1931 Chromaticity Diagram.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the specified color range is less than at least one of:

a) three standard deviations of color matching (SDCM); and

b) 1.5 MacAdams Ellipse (ME) diameters.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a color filter for at least one of the first lighting assembly or the second lighting assembly.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the measuring of a color value for each LED in the source group includes measuring with the color filter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the stored measured color value is the measured color value with the filter.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising additionally storing the measured color value measured with the filter.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the specified color range from the first target x, y color point and the specified color range from the second target x, y color point overlap, and a particular LED falls within an overlapping area, the particular LED being associated with the first grouping of LEDs and the second grouping of LEDs.

16. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

utilizing, during the measuring of the color value, an additional standardized illumination source.

17. A light-emitting diode (LED) system, comprising:

a first LED lighting panel; and

a second LED lighting panel;

wherein each of the first and second LED lighting panels comprise;

a plurality of LED lights, each having an LED and a unique identifier that is associated with a measured color value;

wherein the plurality of LED lights for the first LED lighting panel comprise a first grouping of LEDs within a specified color range from a first target x, y color point, and the plurality of LED lights for the second LED lighting panel comprise a second grouping of LEDs within a specified color range from a second target x, y color point that is different from a first target x, y color point.