CONTROL DEVICE, WEARABLE DEVICE AND LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR LIGHT THERAPY PURPOSES

• US 20120330387A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Geurts, Lucas Jacobus Franciscus, Djajadiningrat, Johan Partomo, Ferraz Rigo, Christina
• Granted Patent: US 9,579,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0642 Irradiating part of the body at a certain distance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0662 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The control device (10) for controlling a therapy light source (30, 30b) comprises an input (13) for receiving information on an intensity and/or amount of light a person has been exposed to from a wearable device (20) that can connect to the control device via the input (13). The control device (10) further comprises an output (14, 14b) for controlling at least one therapy light source (30, 30b) that can be connected to the control device (10). A control unit (12) of the control device (10) is designed to control a connected therapy light source (30, 30b) dependent on the information on the intensity and/or amount of light the person has been exposed to. A wearable device (20) that is suited to operate in combination with the control device (10) comprises a light sensor (23) for detecting an intensity of received light. It further comprises a storage unit (25) connected to the light sensor (23) for storing at least one value related to the measured intensity of the received light. The invention further relates to a lighting system that comprises at least one therapy light source (30, 30b), a control device (10) and a wearable device (20) as described above.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a light source, comprising

an input for receiving information on an intensity and/or amount of light a person has been exposed to from a wearable device, operably connected to the control device;

an output for controlling at least one therapy light source, operably connected to the control device; and

a control unit for controlling a connected therapy light source dependent on the information on the intensity and/or amount of light the person has been exposed to received from the connected wearable device.

2. The control device as set forth in claim 1, additionally comprising a further output for controlling at least one white light source, operably connected to the control device.

3. A control device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a power control unit for controlling and varying the brightness of light sources connected to the output.

4. A control device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the output comprises a wireless transmitter for wirelessly transmitting control signals to light sources that are equipped with an internal power controller.

5. A control device as set forth in claim 1, adapted to control the intensity and/or the operating time of the connected therapy light source (30, 30b).

10. A lighting system for light therapy purposes, comprising

at least one therapy light source;

a control device as set forth in claim 1 connected to the blue light source; and

a wearable device connected to the control device.

11. The lighting system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising at least one white light source.

12. The lighting system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the connection between the light sources and the control device and/or the connections between the control device and the wearable device are wireless connections.

13. The lighting system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the therapy light source and the white light source are combined in one common housing as a combined therapy/white light source.

14. The lighting system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the therapy light source is a blue color light source, emitting light in the wavelength range between 445 and 480 nm.

6. A wearable device, comprising

a light sensor for detecting an intensity of received light;

and

a storage unit connected to the light sensor for storing at least one value related to the measured intensity of the received light.

7. The wearable device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the light sensor is sensitive to light in the blue color wavelength, and in particular to light in the wavelength range between 445 and 480 nm.

8. The wearable device as set forth in claim 6, adapted to store a sequence of intensity values determined by the light sensor at regular time intervals.

9. The wearable device as set forth in claim 6, adapted to store at least one value for an accumulated amount of light, calculated from a plurality of intensity values determined by the light sensor.

15. A method for controlling a therapy light source, comprising the steps of

determining an accumulated amount of light in the wavelength range of the therapy light source that a person received during a predetermined period of time;

and

controlling the intensity of the therapy light source (30b, 30) according to the accumulated amount of light received.