INTERACTIVE LIGHT FIXTURE, ILLUMINATION SYSTEM AND KITCHEN APPLIANCE

• US 20150168821A1
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AB Electrolux
• Original Assignee: AB Electrolux
• Inventors: Negretti, Peter, Tisselli, Filippo, Zanetti, Filippo, Pejenaute Beorlegi, Julen
• Granted Patent: US 10,416,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/206 Control of light source other than position or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Interactive light fixture (1) comprising a plurality of light sources and a projector unit for illuminating a defined surface area and at least one sensor for sensing objects within the surface area, and comprising a controller unit cooperating with the light sources, projector and sensor, wherein the controller unit in a first operational mode is configured to drive the light sources and/or projector unit in dependency of at least one characteristic object feature of at least one sensed object in order to generate an object-specific illumination design pattern or design figure on the surface area.

Claims

1. Interactive light fixture (1) comprising a plurality of light sources (9) and a projector unit (7a) for illuminating a defined surface area (16) and at least one sensor (7) for sensing objects (17, 18, 19, 25) within the surface area (16), and comprising a controller unit cooperating with the light sources (9), projector (7a) and sensor (7), wherein the controller unit in a first operational mode is configured to drive the light sources (9) and/or projector (7a) unit in dependency of at least one characteristic object feature of at least one sensed object (17, 18, 19, 25) in order to generate an object-specific illumination design pattern or design figure on the surface area.

2. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic feature of the sensed object (17, 18, 19, 25) is one of an object category, object class, object shape, object size, object color, object position within the surface, object position relative to at least one further object within the surface area (16), and object movement within the surface area (16).

3. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 1, wherein the controller unit is adapted to execute an illumination scenario comprising at least one successive illumination scenes of design patterns or figures, wherein the activation of the illumination scenes is respectively triggered by at least one of the at least one characteristic object feature.

4. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 1, wherein the controller unit is adapted and configured to generate, by operating the light sources (9) and/or projector unit (7a) and sensor (7), a virtual user interface (21) on the surface area (16), and wherein the controller unit is adapted to record and store an illumination scenario, in particular single scenes thereof, via interactive user inputs on the virtual user interface (21).

5. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one object is a food product (25), and wherein the controller unit in a second operational mode is operable to drive the light sources (9) and/or projector unit (7a), in dependency of at least one characteristic feature of the food product (25) sensed via the sensor (7), in order to generate an illumination design pattern or illumination design figure on the surface, which pattern or figure is specific for the at least one food product (25) and representative of a recipe (26) related to the food product (25).

6. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 5, wherein the controller unit is adapted to compare ingredients of the recipe (26) with food products (25) which are placed in the surface area (16) and identified via the sensor (7), and, based on the comparison, to generate a list of missing ingredients, and to notify the list of missing ingredients to the user (22).

7. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 5, wherein the controller unit is adapted to drive the light sources (9) and/or projector unit (7) to generate a sequence of illumination patterns on the surface area (16) wherein each illumination pattern is representative of at least one preparation step for implementing a selected recipe (26).

8. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 1, wherein in a third operational mode of the controller unit, the surface area (16) defines the object, and the controller unit is adapted to drive the light sources (9) to illuminate the surface area (16) in dependence of at least one surface area characteristic.

9. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 1, wherein the light fixture (1) has a sandwichlike design, in which the light sources (9), projector unit (7a) and the at least one sensor (7), and optionally at least one of a light diffuser (8), a light reflector, electronic components, in particular the controller unit, are sandwiched between a top cover (4) and lower cover (5).

10. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one sensor (7) and projector (7a) are mounted to a rotatable base.

11. Interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 10, wherein a rotational axis of the rotatable base is tilted against the main optical radiation axis of the light fixture (1).

12. Interactive light fixture (1) according to of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of light sources (9) is implemented as a spot light, implemented to be rotatable around a further rotational axis, preferably tilted against the main optical radiation axis of the light fixture (1).

13. Kitchen appliance, comprising an interactive light fixture (1) according to claim 1.

14. Illumination system (1) comprising at least one interactive light fixture (1) according to claims 1.

15. Kitchen arrangement comprising an illumination system (1) according to claim 14.