Multicolored LED lighting method and apparatus

• US 6,806,659 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Color Kinetics Incorporated (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Lys, Ihor, Mueller, George G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US09/669,121
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/292, 315/295, 315/300, 315/302, 315/308, 315/315, 315/360, 315/362, 315/76, 315/324
• US Class Current: 315/295
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/06 Passive matrix structure, i.e. with direct application of both column and row voltages to the light emitting or modulating elements, other than LCD or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0272 Details of drivers for data electrodes, the drivers communicating data to the pixels by means of a current
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/14 Semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2014 by modulation of the duration of a single pulse during which the logic level remains constant
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3283 in which the data driver supplies a variable data current for setting the current through, or the voltage across, the light-emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

Illumination apparatus and networks of the same including a number of different embodiments. In one embodiment, the illumination apparatus comprises a plurality of LEDs including at least two different colors; a switching device, interposed between the LEDs and a common potential reference, including at least two switches corresponding to current paths of the two different color LEDs; a controller that opens and closes the switches according to a predetermined duty cycle; and a hand-held housing with a compartment for containing a power source and the common reference potential, as well as a lens assembly for reflecting light from the LEDs. Another embodiment is directed to a lighting network including a controller and a plurality of uniquely-addressable illumination units, each including two different color LEDs. Each illumination unit includes a network interface that receives from the controller data comprising LED intensity values, a memory that stores the intensity values, a controller that generates pulse width modulated signals having duty cycles corresponding to the intensity values and a switch that directs current to the LEDs based on the pulse width modulated signals.

Claims

1. Light apparatus comprising:

a power terminal;

at least one LED coupled to the power terminal;

a switch coupled to the at least one LED, the switch comprising an input responsive to an activation signal to enable flow of current through the switch;

an addressable controller having an alterable address, the controller coupled to the input and the controller generating the activation signal for a portion of a timing cycle;

the addressable controller further comprising a network interface that receives data corresponding to the alterable address, the portion of the timing cycle responsive to the received data;

a second LED coupled to the power terminal and the switch;

the switch comprising a second input corresponding to the second LED and responsive to a second activation signal; and

the addressable controller generating the second activation signal for a second portion of the timing cycle, and further receiving data from the network interface corresponding to the alterable address, the second portion of the timing cycle responsive to the received data.

2. The light apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one LED and the second LED comprise different colors.

3. The light apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion and the second portion represent respective duty cycles of PWM signals and the timing cycles are PWM periods.

4. A lighting network comprising a controller and a plurality of uniquely addressable illumination units, each unit comprising a first color LED and a second color LED, and each unit further comprising:

a network interface that receives from the controller network data comprising LED intensity values addressed to one of the uniquely addressable illumination units and corresponding to respective ones of the first color and the second color LED;

a memory that stores intensity values within the network data corresponding to the first color LED and to the second color LED;

a controller that generates a first pulse width modulated signal and a second pulse width modulated signal, both first and second signals having a duty cycle corresponding to the respective intensity values, whereby each of the first and second pulse width modulated signals is alternately in high voltage or a low voltage state;

a switch that directs current to the first color LED when the first pulse width modulated signal is in one of either the high voltage or the low voltage state, and that directs current to the second color LED when the second pulse width modulated signal is in one of either the high voltage or the low voltage state.

5. The network of claim 4 wherein each unit includes a plurality of first color LEDs and a plurality of second color LEDs.

6. The network of claim 5 wherein the first color LED and the second color LED are respectively a first primary color LED and a second primary color LED.

7. The network of claim 5 wherein each unit includes a third color LED, the intensity values addressed to an individual illumination unit further correspond to the third color LED, the controller further generates a third pulse width modulated signal having a duty cycle corresponding to the third color LED intensity value, whereby the third pulse width modulated signal is alternately in a high voltage or a low voltage state, and the switch further directs current to the third color LED when the third pulse width modulated signal is in one of either the high voltage or the low voltage state.

8. The network of claim 7 wherein the first color, the second color and the third color are different primary colors.

9. The network of claim 5 wherein the lighting network further comprises a repeater adapted to electrically interconnect each unit to at least two other units to form a path for the network data.

10. The network of claim 9 wherein the repeater is adapted to electrically interconnect each unit to one network data input and to two network data outputs.

11. An illumination apparatus comprising:

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to a power source and to a common potential reference;

a switching device interposed between the plurality of LEDs and the common potential reference, the switching device comprising at least two switches corresponding to respective current paths of the at least two different color LEDs;

a controller that opens and closes the at least two switches according to a predetermined duty cycle;

a hand-held housing comprising a compartment for containing the power source and common reference potential, and further comprising a lens assembly for reflecting the light emitted from the plurality of LEDs, which housing substantially encloses the plurality of LEDs, the switching device, and the controller; and

an adjustment device that receives user input, the adjustment device coupled to the controller and providing to the controller, in response to the user input, information to program respective duty cycles, for each color of the at least two different color LEDs, wherein the duty cycle ranges from a minimum to a maximum, and the adjustment device is adapted to generate a range of duty cycles between the minimum and the maximum.

12. An illumination apparatus comprising:

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors;

a switch coupled to the plurality of LEDs, the switch including an input corresponding to each one of the plurality of LEDs, the switch controllably coupling each of the plurality of LEDs between a DC power source and a common potential reference in response to an activation signal applied to the input;

a controller that generates the activation signal for the input corresponding to each one of the plurality of LEDs;

a housing comprising a compartment for containing the DC power source and the common reference potential, and the housing substantially enclosing the plurality of LEDs, the switch, and the controller; and

an adjustment device that receives user input, the adjustment device coupled to the controller and providing to the controller, in response to the user input, signals to program the activation signal for the input corresponding to each one of the plurality of LEDs.

13. An illumination apparatus comprising:

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to a power source and to a common potential reference;

a switching device interposed between the plurality of LEDs and the common potential reference, the switching device comprising at least two switches corresponding to respective current paths of the at least two different color LEDs;

a controller that opens and closes the at least two switches according to a predetermined duty cycle; and

a hand-held housing comprising a compartment for containing the power source and common reference potential, and further comprising a lens assembly for reflecting the light emitted from the plurality of LEDs, which housing substantially encloses the plurality of LEDs, the switching device, and the controller.

14. An illumination apparatus comprising:

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to a power source and to a common potential reference;

a switching device interposed between the plurality of LEDs and the power source, the switching device comprising at least two switches corresponding to respective current paths of the at least two different color LEDs;

a controller that opens and closes the at least two switches according to a predetermined duty cycle; and

a hand-held housing comprising a compartment for containing the power source and common reference potential, and further comprising a lens assembly for reflecting the light emitted from the plurality of LEDs, which housing substantially encloses the plurality of LEDs, the switching device, and the controller.

15. A light apparatus comprising:

a power terminal;

at least one LED coupled to the power terminal;

a switch coupled to the at least one LED, the switch comprising an input responsive to an activation signal that enables flow of current through the at least one LED; and

a controller having an alterable address, the controller coupled to the input and having a timer that generates the activation signal for a predefined portion of a timing cycle, the controller further including a network interface that receives data corresponding to the alterable address and indicative of the predefined portion of the timing cycle.

16. The light apparatus of claim 15 wherein the predefined portion represents the duty cycle of a PWM signal and the timing cycle is the PWM period.

17. An illumination apparatus comprising:

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to a power source and to a common potential reference;

a switching device interposed between the plurality of LEDs and the common potential reference, the switching device comprising at least two switches corresponding to respective current paths of the at least two different color LEDs;

a controller that opens and closes the at least two switches and that generates one or more duty cycles thereby; and

a user input coupled to the controller that programs the controller to generate the one or more duty cycles.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein one of the one or more duty cycle ranges from a minimum to a maximum, and the user input is adapted to generate a substantially continuous range of duty cycles between the minimum and the maximum.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the user input includes a potentiometer for each color of the at least two different color LEDs, each potentiometer having an independently adjustable setting, and the user input includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting each independently adjustable setting into a numerical value indicative of one of the one or more duty cycles.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a housing that substantially encloses the plurality of LEDs, the switching device, the controller, and the user input.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the housing is hand-held.

22. A light apparatus comprising:

a voltage regulator that converts an AC potential into a DC power source;

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to the DC power source and to a common potential reference;

a light-transmitting enclosure surrounding the plurality of LEDs;

a current sink interposed between the plurality of LEDs and the common potential reference, the current sink comprising at least two switches corresponding to respective current paths of the at least two different color LEDs;

a controller that opens and closes the at least two switches and generates a duty cycle thereby.

23. The light apparatus of claim 22 wherein the duty cycle is predefined and uniform, whereby the light apparatus permanently generates a single unalterable color of light.

24. A light apparatus comprising:

a voltage regulator that converts an AC potential into a DC power source;

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to the DC power source and to a common potential reference;

a light-transmitting enclosure surrounding the plurality of LEDs;

a switching device in series with the plurality of LEDs and between the common potential reference and the DC power source, the switching device including at least two switches corresponding to respective current paths of the at least two different color LEDs; and

a controller that opens and closes the at least two switches according to a duty cycle.

25. A light apparatus comprising:

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to a power source and to a common potential reference;

a switching device interposed between the plurality of LEDs and the common potential reference, the switching device comprising at least two switches corresponding to respective current paths of the at least two different color LEDs;

a controller that opens and closes the at least two switches according to a predetermined duty cycle; and

a housing adapted for use as an underwater light, the housing comprising a compartment for containing the power source and common reference potential, and further comprising a lens assembly for reflecting the light emitted from the plurality of LEDs, which housing substantially encloses the plurality of LEDs, the switching device, and the controller.

26. A light apparatus comprising:

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to a power source and to a common potential reference;

a switching device interposed between the plurality of LEDs and the power source, the switching device including at least two switches corresponding to respective current paths of the at least two different color LEDs;

a controller that opens and closes the at least two switches according to a predetermined duty cycle; and

a housing adapted for use as an underwater light, the housing comprising a compartment for containing the power source and common reference potential, and further comprising a lens assembly for reflecting the light emitted from the plurality of LEDs, which housing substantially encloses the plurality of LEDs, the switching device, and the controller.