System for creating naturalistic illumination cycles

• US 5,589,741 A
• Filed: 04/19/1994
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medic-Light Incorporated, Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Medic-Light Incorporated, Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene Incorporated
• Inventors: Hughes, Phlip, Fairhurst, Stephen, Levitt, Joel, Terman, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHINGLETON, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US08/229,533
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 315/153, 315/360, 315/307, 315/292, 315/158, 315/156, 315/159
• US Class Current: 315/360
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A naturalistic illumination system for a user at a location having a light source for providing illumination of variable intensity above a non-zero value to the user location. A computer produces a variable signal to control a cycle of variable intensity illumination level output of the light source to correspond to the progressive variation in light level intensity above a non-zero value over a selected time of day period at a geographical location as selected from a computer input device. The variable signal is produced on a daily basis to produce the variable intensity illumination cycle for the same period of time in a manner to progressively shift the time of the start of the production of the variable intensity illumination cycle for the period of time each day over a period of successive days relative to the normal time of start of the production of the variable intensity illumination cycle during the period of successive days at the selected geographical location. The variable signal also can be produced to shift the time of start of the variable intensity illumination cycle for each day and to cause a dawn to dusk or dusk to dawn transition of the illumination cycle transition.

Claims

1. A naturalistic illumination system for a user at a location comprising:

a light source for providing illumination of variable intensity above a non-zero value to said user location;

means including a computer having an input device for producing a variable signal to control a cycle of variable intensity illumination level output of said light source to correspond to the progressive variation in light level intensity above a non-zero value over a selected time of day period at a selected geographical location as selected from said input device,

said signal producing means operating on a daily basis to produce the variable intensity illumination cycle for the same period of time and including means for progressively shifting the time of the start of the production of the variable intensity illumination cycle for said period of time each day over a period of successive days relative to the normal time of start of the production of the variable intensity illumination cycle during said period of successive days at said selected geographical location.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said variable signal producing means controls the time and ending of the period of the variable intensity illumination cycle to be the same for a first group of days and thereafter is advanced for a second group of days.

3. A naturalistic illumination system for a user at a location comprising:

a light source for providing illumination of a variable intensity output above a non-zero level to said user location;

a computer including an input device for producing a variable signal to control the illumination level output intensity of said light source on a progressive basis corresponding to a sleep cycle of a transition from daylight to dusk, a night period during which sleep is to occur, and a transition from night to dawn corresponding to a geographic reference and time as set by said input device; and

said computer including means for selectively changing the illumination level output intensity of said light source during only at least one of the periods of daylight to dusk transition and night to dawn transition of the sleep cycle.

4. A system as in claim 3 wherein said means for selectively changing operates said variable signal producing means to prevent the production of a control signal for the daylight to dusk transition portion of the sleep cycle.

5. A system as in claim 3 wherein said means for selectively changing operates said variable signal producing means to prevent the production of a control signal for the night to dawn transition portion of the sleep cycle.

8. A naturalistic illumination system as in claim 3 wherein said means for selectively changing attenuates the illumination level output of said light source.

9. A naturalistic illumination system as in claim 3 wherein said means for selectively changing compresses the normal time of at least one of the periods of daylight to dusk and night to dawn transitions.

6. A naturalistic illumination system for a user at a location comprising:

a light source for providing illumination of a variable intensity output level above a non-zero value to said user location;

a computer having an input device for producing a variable signal to control and progressively change the variable intensity illumination level output of said light source to correspond to a sleep cycle as selected from said input device of a transition from daylight to dusk, a night period during which sleep is to occur, and a transition from night to dawn,

said computer input device including means for selecting a desired night period of the sleep cycle and time of onset of said night period, said computer setting and operating said variable signal producing means to produce a variable signal for the sleep cycle at a geographical location and time of year that corresponds to the selected night period and time of night period onset of the sleep cycle.

7. A naturalistic illumination system as in claim 6 further comprising alarm means for indicating the onset of at least one of the daylight to dusk and night to dawn transitions of the sleep cycle.

10. A naturalistic illumination system for a user at a location comprising:

a light source for providing illumination of a variable intensity output level to said user location;

a computer for producing a variable signal to control the illumination level output of said light source corresponding to a sleep cycle of a transition from daylight to dusk, a night period during which sleep is to occur, and a transition from night to dawn at a geographical reference location over a sequence of successive days to produce a normal daily progression of changing starting times of the sleep cycle for said geographical reference location; and

said computer including means to operate said variable control means to skip one or more days of the sequence to accelerate the change in sleep cycle starting time from the normal daily progression.

11. A naturalistic illumination system comprising:

a light source for providing illumination of a variable intensity output level above a non-zero value;

a computer having an input device for producing a variable signal to control the illumination level output intensity of said light source corresponding to a sleep cycle of a transition from daylight to dusk, a night period during which sleep is to occur, and a transition from night to dawn at different geographical reference locations located between first and second geographical locations as selected from said input device; and

said computer over a predetermined sequence of successive days in relation to said selected first and second geographical locations producing a normal daily progression of variable signals to control the variable level illumination output intensity of said light source for changing sleep cycles corresponding to different geographical locations between said selected first and second predetermined geographical locations over said predetermined sequence of successive days.

12. An illumination system for a user at a location comprising:

a light source for providing a variable intensity illumination output above a non-zero level to said user location;

means including a computer having an input device for producing a variable signal to control the variable intensity illumination level output of said light source to correspond to a selected time of day at a selected geographical location,

said computer input device utilized by the user to select two different geographical locations and a predetermined time period for travelling between said two different geographical locations and in response thereto said computer progressively changing said variable output signal to produce a variable intensity illumination level from said light source that corresponds to the changing illumination level over the travel path between said two selected different geographical locations over said predetermined time period.

13. A naturalistic illumination system for a user at a location comprising:

a light source for providing illumination of a variable intensity output level above a non-zero value to said user location;

a computer including an input device for producing a variable signal to control the illumination level output intensity of said light source corresponding to a sleep cycle of a transition from daylight to dusk, a night period during which sleep is to occur, and a transition from night to dawn corresponding to a selected geographic reference location and time set through said input device, the cycle changing over successive days; and

said computer including means to repeat on successive days said daylight to dusk and night to dawn transitions for the selected geographical reference location.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said computer further includes means to selectively adjust the duration of the night period relative to the daylight to dusk and night to dawn transitions.

15. A naturalistic illumination system for a user at a location comprising:

a light source for providing illumination of a variable intensity output level above a non-zero value to said user location;

a computer including an input device for producing a variable signal to control the illumination level output intensity of said light source corresponding to a cycle over a duration of time that includes a transition from daylight to dusk, a night period during which sleep is to occur, a transition from night to dawn and a normal daylight period at a geographical reference location over a sequence of successive days as selected through said input device to produce a normal daily progression of changing sleep cycles; and

said computer including means to selectively vary said different periods of said cycle.

16. A naturalistic illumination system for a user at a location comprising:

a light source for providing illumination of a variable intensity above a non-zero value to said user location;

computer means including an input device for producing a variable signal to control the illumination level output of said light source to correspond with a selected time period of a day at a selected geographical reference as selected from said input device,

wherein said light source comprises a plurality of lights,

means responsive to said variable signal for controlling the output illumination of said plurality of lights including a master control unit for receiving said variable signal and a slave unit for each light which is connected to be controlled by said master unit to vary the output intensity of the light associated with a slave unit.

17. A system as in claim 16 wherein said means for controlling operates in response to said variable signal to produce a plurality of values in steps which are digitally related to the value of the variable control signal.

18. A system as in claim 17 wherein said controlling means further comprises means to control the amount of current supplied to a lamp at a slave unit to control its output illumination intensity.