Guiding light system and lighting strip

• US 5,815,068 A
• Filed: 06/05/1996
• Issued: 09/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Consilium Marine AB
• Original Assignee: Consilium Marine AB
• Inventors: Vadseth, Jan Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffrey A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US08/652,435
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 340/332, 340/286.05, 340/628, 340/532, 340/691, 340/692, 340/693, 340/815.61, 340/815.4, 362/249, 362/153, 362/227
• US Class Current: 340/332
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 3/00 Devices or single parts for facilitating escape from buildings or the like, e.g. protection shields, protection screens; Portable devices for preventing smoke penetrating into distinct parts of buildings A62B1/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2019/225 Fire evacuation route indicating means

Abstract

A light system comprising controllable light sources (35) positioned along alternative routes of movement to serve a s optical means for influencing persons to follow an indicated route of movement to one selected of a plurality of target areas, the system having control means (1,2) for turning light sources on and off to generate along the route indicated a moving light effect traveling in the direction of target area selected. At least one display unit (13) is provided for presenting a general view of alternative routes of movement along which the light sources are located. In response to an assignment command entered through input means (11) included in the system, processing and communication means (12, 14, 21, 22) activate the traveling light along each route assigned. In the system, a modular light-rail (3) adapted for directing persons by means of said traveling light effect in one selected of two opposite directions along the rail, is provided with low power light sources (35, 36), preferably of the type having light emitting diodes, disposed as to illuminate a reflecting field.

Claims

1. A guiding light system comprising controllable light sources which can be used as optical means for influencing persons to follow an assigned route of movement to one selected of a plurality of target areas, wherein:

said light sources are disposed along alternative routes of movement, and

the system further comprising operation control means for turning light sources on and off in such a way that light sources located along the assigned route, indicate movement in the direction of the target area selected, in the form of traveling light,

and wherein a centrally located part (1) of said operation control means (1,2) comprises;

display means (13) to show one or more general views selected from a collection of such general views of alternative routes of movement along which said light sources (35,

     36) are located,

input means (11) to designate manually, at any time, one or more of the routes of movement shown and, at any time, establish new routes of movement, or amend present routes of movement to be shown in said general view presented by the display means (13), and

processing and communication means (12, 14, 21,

     22) being provided to activate upon command entered through said input means (11), said traveling light from light sources (35,

     36) which correspond to the respective designated route, or routes, of movement.

2. A system according claim 1, characterized in that said input means (11) is arranged to receive a signal from devices provided in the area of said routes of movement to designate one or more possible routes of movement as a function of the location of the device.

3. A system according claim 1, characterized in that said processing and communication means (12, 14, 21, 22) is arranged to automatically and/or upon command entered through said input means (11) deactivate travelling light from light sources (35, 36) which are not located along designated routes of movement.

4. A system according claim 1, characterized in that said operation control means (1, 2) is arranged to set said travelling light in accordance with a predetermined sequence of turning the light sources (35, 36) on and off, whereby this sequence can be established such that in a series of consecutively numbered light sources, the light sources along the assigned route of movement are caused to illuminate and go out in consecutively rising or falling numerical order, or with switching between light sources of odd and even numbers, respectively, in the series of light sources, possibly with switching between groups of light sources, but always such that said travelling light as a whole is perceived to indicate movement in the direction of the target area selected, preferably with a velocity of at least 2 m per second.

5. A system according claim 4, characterized in that said operation control means (1, 2) in addition is arranged to set, when needed, one or more light sources (35, 36) to emit steady light, such that these light sources may serve as stationary emergency illumination.

6. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of lighting strip modules (34), each of which comprising an elongated casing (33) for the internal disposion of a number of light sources (35, 36), one after the other, said casing at least at each light source being light permeable, and capable of being joined to further such lighting strip modules to form a continuous lighting strip section (31).

7. A system according to claim 6, characterized in that the operation control means (1, 2) is arranged to control one or more continuous light strip sections (31) separately or collectively in one or more groups of lighting strip sections, said operation control means comprising a central control unit (1) arranged to control groups consisting of one or more lighting strip sections (31) by means of a plurality of local control units (2), each of which being associated with a respective lighting strip section (31), said local control units being adapted to receive control signals from the central control unit (1), preferably by way of wireless signal transmission (14, 21).

8. A system according to claim 7, characterized in that said local control unit (2) is arranged to set the rate and sequence by which the light sources (35) of its lighting strip section are caused to illuminate and go out, in accordance with corresponding instructions given by a control signal received from the central control unit (1), or in accordance with fixed instructions set in the local control unit.

9. A system according to claim 8, characterized in that said local control unit (2) is arranged to set the rate by which each light source of its lighting strip section is caused to illuminate and go out, in such a way that light sources (35) located one after the other in the lighting strip section (31) are caused to illuminate and go out at a constantly increasing or constantly decreasing rate in accordance with their position in the longitudinal direction of lighting strip section, thereby giving the travelling light an accelerated or decelerated movement in the direction of movement selected, and thus constitute an indication as to the distance to the target area.

10. A system according to claim 6, characterized in that said lighting strip modules (32) are designed so as to emit coloured light in the region of at least one of their light sources (35), by the provision that:

one or more of the light sources (35) provided in the casing being designed to emit light of a specific colour,

one or more of the light sources (35) provided in the casing being capable of being controlled so as to emit light of a specific one of a selection of colours, or

in the casing (33), further light sources are provided, each having a different colour, or the same colour when arranged in groups, whereby;

the casing (33), at least in said region, being colourless or provided with a predetermined colour to give the light emitted from the casing the desired combined colour, and

said light sources being coupled so as to be illuminated and go out separately, in groups or as one single group, under the control of the operation control means (1,

     2), such that the light sources of an assembled lighting strip (3) can be caused to emit light having different colours, the colour of light from the light sources being used as an indication as to the distance to the target area.

11. A system according to claim 7, characterized in that said local control unit (2) includes a separate power supply (23) connected to a mains power network and having a charging circuit for an accumulator, the capacity of which being adapted to a number of light sources of the associated light strip section (31) such that, in the case of a failure of the supply from the mains power network, these light sources are maintained active at least a predetermined period of time, by being connected to said accumulator.

12. A system according to claim 11, characterized in that said local control unit (2) is arranged to automatically connect a number of light sources (35, 36) of its light strip section (31) to said accumulator, thereby causing emission of steady light from said number of light sources, in the case of the occurance of a malfunction in the local control unit.

13. A system according to claim 7, characterized in that said local control unit (2) includes means to detect an error condition in the lighting strip section (31) associated therewith, and/or, via a connection, being associated with external means to detect a change of state in the environment of the local control means, to convey such detection to the local control unit, which, in turn, notifies the central control unit accordingly.

14. A system according to claim 6, characterized in that:

said display means (13) is arranged to indicate in its general view of alternative routes of movement being shown, the groups of lighting strip sections (31) which at any point in time have been activated, as well as the present moving direction and velocity of the travelling light within each such group,

said input means (11) is arranged to indicate possible routes of movement by way of addressing corresponding lighting strip sections (31) together with an on-off sequence for the light sources and/or moving direction and velocity, and possibly colour, for the travelling light within the group concerned, and

said processing and communication means (12) is arranged to bring the local control units (2) in question to activate their associated lighting strip sections (31) in agreement with the designated route, or routes, of movement, preferably by sending control signals to each designated local control unit (2) via a communications link (14,

     21), the control signals specifying said moving direction and velocity, and/or on-off sequence, and possibly colour, for the light from the lighting strip section (31) concerned.

18. A lighting strip according to claim 6, characterized in that said lighting strip module (32) is designed so that it can be joined to further such lighting strip modules to form a continuous lighting strip section (31).

19. A lighting strip according to claim 18, characterized in that said continuous lighting strip section (31) can be joined to other corresponding continuous lighting strip sections to form a consecutive lighting strip (3) without voids along each of the routes of movement.

20. A lighting strip according to claim 18, characterized in that said lighting strip section (31) is linked to said operation control means (1, 2) to be controlled individually therefrom, preferably by way of wireless signal transmission (14, 21).

21. A lighting strip according to claim 19, characterized in that each of said joinable lighting strip modules (31) includes four evenly distributed light sources (35) and has a length of about 1 m, preferably 113,1 cm, or includes eight such light sources (35) and has a length of about 2 m, preferably 226,3 cm, and that said casing externally has a height of about 6 to 10 mm, preferably 8 mm, and a width of 20 to 25 mm, preferably 23 mm.

15. A lighting strip adapted to be used as optical means for influencing persons to follow one designated of two opposite directions of movement along the lighting strip, and intended for use in a guiding light system of the type comprising operation control means to control the light function of the lighting strip in such a manner that light sources located in the lighting strip indicate light transfer in the form of a traveling light in the direction of movement designated, said lighting strip comprising at least one lighting strip module (32) comprising an elongated casing (33) for the internal disposion of a number of said light sources (35), one after the other, wherein said light sources (35) are low power light sources, preferably of a type comprising light emitting diodes, emitting scattered light of high light intensity, said casing having on one side face a light permeable portion provided with optics (37), preferably formed mainly on the inside of the casing, to gather the scattered light from the light sources (35) disposed within the casing, in bundles of light for emission substantially slanting relative to a plane extending in the longitudinal direction of the casing and being perpendicular to the light permeable portion of the casing, by an angle of between 10 and 30 degrees, preferably 20 degrees, with respect to said plane, in such a way that said bundles of light appear as points of light on a reflecting field external to the lighting strip.

16. A lighting strip according to claim 15, characterized in that the middle point distance a between adjacent light sources (35) is fixed, and preferable lies in the range from 25 to 32 cm, most preferable equals 28,3 cm.

17. A lighting strip according to claim 15, characterized in that the middle point distance between adjacent light sources (35) gradually diminishes or increases in a longitudinal direction of the lighting strip (3).

22. A lighting strip according to claim 15, characterized in that on at least one longitudinal side of said casing (33), preferably on the side opposite said light permeable portion, the casing is provided with attachment means, preferably of the self adhesive type, for fixing thereof directly onto a foundation (4).

23. A lighting strip according to claim 15, wherein said light sources (35) emit evenly distributed scattered light producing an average luminance of more than 100 cd/m².

24. A guiding light system for providing visual guidance along a plurality of routes comprising:

a central controller;

a display device electrically connected to the central controller for displaying views of alternate routes of movement along the guiding light system;

a manual input device electrically connected to the central controller for receiving manual control commands from an operator;

a plurality of modular light strips disposed along the alternate routes of movement, each of the modular light strips including a plurality of light sources and a processor for controlling the plurality of lights in the modular light strip;

a communication link formed between the central controller and each of the processors of the modular light strips for providing control signals from the central controller to the plurality of modular light strips; and

wherein the plurality of modular light strips are controlled to create visual guidance along a path corresponding to a selected route of movement based on input from manual input device.

25. A method of providing visual guidance along a plurality of routes of movement comprising the steps of:

providing a central controller;

providing a manual input device electrically connected to the central controller;

placing a plurality of modular light strips along alternate routes of movement, each of the modular light strips having a plurality of light sources;

providing a communication link between each of the plurality of modular light strips and the central controller;

using the manual input device to manually select a route of movement from the plurality of routes of movement; and

controlling a number of the modular light strips based on the selected route of movement to provide visual guidance along the selected route of movement.