Lighting device and lighting method

• US 7,213,940 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc. (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Negley, Gerald H., Van De Ven, Antony Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar; Stephen F
• Application Number:
  US11/566,440
• Time in Patent Office: 155 Days
• Field of Search: 257/89, 257/98, 313/483, 313/485, 313/487, 362/84, 362/231, 362/260, 362/545, 362/612, 362/800, 315/185.S, 315/200.A, 315322-324, 315/291, 315/312, 315/307, 345/82, 345/83, 345/102
• US Class Current: 362/231
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/62 using mixing chambers, e.g. housings with reflective walls
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45147 Copper (Cu) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01032 Germanium [Ge]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15747 Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines

Abstract

A lighting device comprising first and second groups of solid state light emitters, which emit light having dominant wavelength in ranges of from 430 nm to 480 nm and from 600 nm to 630 nm, respectively, and a first group of lumiphors which emit light having dominant wavelength in the range of from 555 nm to 585 nm. If current is supplied to a power line, a combination of (1) light exiting the lighting device which was emitted by the first group of emitters, and (2) light exiting the lighting device which was emitted by the first group of lumiphors would, in an absence of any additional light, produce a sub-mixture of light having x, y color coordinates within an area on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram defined by points having coordinates (0.32, 0.40), (0.36, 0.48), (0.43, 0.45), (0.42, 0.42), (0.36, 0.38). Also provided is a method of lighting.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a first group of solid state light emitters, said first group of solid state light emitters including at least one solid state light emitter;

a first group of lumiphors, said first group of lumiphors including at least one lumiphor;

a second group of solid state light emitters, said second group of solid state light emitters including at least one solid state light emitter; and

at least a first power line, each of said first group of solid state light emitters and each of said second group of solid state light emitters being electrically connected to said first power line,

wherein;

each of said first group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from 430 nm to 480 nm;

each of said first group of lumiphors, if excited, would emit light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from about 555 nm to about 585 nm;

each of said second group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from 600 nm to 630 nm;

if current is supplied to said first power line;

a combination of (1) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said first group of solid state light emitters, (2) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said first group of lumiphors, and (3) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said second group of solid state light emitters would, in an absence of any additional light, produce a mixture of light having x, y coordinates on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram which define a point which is within ten MacAdam ellipses of at least one point on the blackbody locus on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram, and

a combination of (1) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said first group of solid state light emitters, and (2) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said first group of lumiphors would, in an absence of any additional light, produce a sub-mixture of light having x, y color coordinates which define a point which is within an area on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram enclosed by first, second, third, fourth and fifth line segments, said first line segment connecting a first point to a second point, said second line segment connecting said second point to a third point, said third line segment connecting said third point to a fourth point, said fourth line segment connecting said fourth point to a fifth point, and said fifth line segment connecting said fifth point to said first point, said first point having x, y coordinates of 0.32, 0.40, said second point having x, y coordinates of 0.36, 0.48, said third point having x, y coordinates of 0.43, 0.45, said fourth point having x, y coordinates of 0.42, 0.42, and said fifth point having x, y coordinates of 0.36, 0.38.

2. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said first group of solid state light emitters comprises a plurality of first LEDs; and

said second group of solid state light emitters comprises a plurality of second LEDs.

3. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one switch electrically connected to said first power line, said switch selectively switching on and off current to said first power line.

4. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said sub-mixture illumination has x, y color coordinates which define a point which is within an area on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram enclosed by first, second, third and fourth line segments, said first line segment connecting a first point to a second point, said second line segment connecting said second point to a third point, said third line segment connecting said third point to a fourth point, said fourth line segment connecting said fourth point to said first point, said first point having x, y coordinates of 0.32, 0.40, said second point having x, y coordinates of 0.36, 0.48, said third point having x, y coordinates of 0.41, 0.455, and said fourth point having x, y coordinates of 0.36, 0.38.

5. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said first group of solid state light emitters comprises at least five light emitting diodes; and

said first group of lumiphors comprises at least five lumiphors.

6. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein if all of said solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters are illuminated, at least one of said lumiphors in said first group of lumiphors would be excited by light emitted from said first group of solid state light emitters.

7. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein if all of said solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters are illuminated, all of said lumiphors in said first group of lumiphors would be excited by light emitted from said first group of solid state light emitters.

8. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters is embedded within an encapsulant element in which at least one of said first group of lumiphors is also embedded.

9. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said mixture of light would have a CRI of at least 80.

10. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein said lighting device has an efficacy of at least 25 lumens per watt.

11. An enclosure, comprising an enclosed space and at least one lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein if current is supplied to said first power line, said lighting device would illuminate at least a portion of said enclosed space.

12. A structure comprising a surface and at least one lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein if current is supplied to said first power line, said lighting device would illuminate at least a portion of said surface.

13. An area, comprising at least one item selected from among the group consisting of a swimming pool, a room, a warehouse, an indicator, a road, a vehicle, a road sign, a billboard, a ship, a boat, an aircraft, a stadium, a tree, a window, and a lamppost, having mounted therein or thereon at least one lighting device as recited in claim 1.

14. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said lighting device comprises at least a first set of parallel LED strings, said first set of parallel LED strings comprising at least a first LED string and a second LED string, said first set of parallel LED strings being arranged in series relative to said first power line,

a first ratio differs from a second ratio,

said first ratio being equal to (1) a number of LEDs in said second group of solid state light emitters and in said first LED string, divided by (2) a number of LEDs in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said first LED string;

said second ratio being equal to (3) a number of LEDs in said second group of solid state light emitters and in said second LED string, divided by (4) a number of LEDs in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said second LED string.

15. A lighting device as recited in claim 14, further comprising at least one current adjuster directly or switchably electrically connected to one of said first and second LED strings, said current adjuster, if adjusted, adjusting the current supplied to said one of said first and second LED strings.

16. A lighting device as recited in claim 15, wherein said current adjuster is automatically adjusted to maintain said mixture of light within ten MacAdam ellipses of at least one point on the blackbody locus on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram.

17. A lighting device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

each of said first group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from 440 nm to 480 nm;

each of said first group of lumiphors, if excited, would emit light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from about 560 nm to about 580 nm; and

each of said second group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from 605 nm to 630 nm.

18. A method of lighting comprising:

illuminating a first group of solid state light emitters, said first group of solid state light emitters including at least a first solid state light emitter, such that each of said first group of solid state light emitters emits light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from 430 nm to 480 nm;

illuminating a second group of solid state light emitters, said second group of solid state light emitters including at least one solid state light emitter, such that each of said second group of solid state light emitters emits light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from 600 nm to 630 nm

exciting a first group of lumiphors, said first group of lumiphors including at least one lumiphor, such that each of said first group of lumiphors emits light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from about 555 nm to about 585 nm;

wherein;

a combination of (1) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said first group of solid state light emitters, (2) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said first group of lumiphors, and (3) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said second group of solid state light emitters produces a mixture of light having x, y coordinates on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram which define a point which is within ten MacAdam ellipses of at least one point on the blackbody locus on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram, and

a combination of (1) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said first group of solid state light emitters, and (2) light exiting said lighting device which was emitted by said first group of lumiphors would, in an absence of any additional light, produce a sub-mixture of light having x, y color coordinates which define a point which is within an area on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram enclosed by first, second, third, fourth and fifth line segments, said first line segment connecting a first point to a second point, said second line segment connecting said second point to a third point, said third line segment connecting said third point to a fourth point, said fourth line segment connecting said fourth point to a fifth point, and said fifth line segment connecting said fifth point to said first point, said first point having x, y coordinates of 0.32, 0.40, said second point having x, y coordinates of 0.36, 0.48, said third point having x, y coordinates of 0.43, 0.45, said fourth point having x, y coordinates of 0.42, 0.42, and said fifth point having x, y coordinates of 0.36, 0.38.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein:

said first group of solid state light emitters and said second group of solid state light emitters are electrically connected to a first power line; and

said first group of solid state light emitters and said second group of solid state light emitters are illuminated by supplying current to said first power line.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said first group of lumiphors are excited by light emitted by said first group of solid state light emitters.