Method for controlling lighting parameters, controlling device, lighting system

• US 7,444,187 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Diederiks, Elmo Marcus Attila, Eggen, Josephus Hubertus, Van Kuijk, Jasper Ivo
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Sunray R
• Application Number:
  US10/545,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20060139922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 355 69- 70, 345/706, 359/227, 359/230, 361/173, 361/197, 404/42, 404/63
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0354 with detection of 2D relative movements between the device, or an operating part thereof, and a plane or surface, e.g. 2D mice, trackballs, pens or pucks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/088 by wireless means, e.g. infrared transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]

Abstract

A controlling device for controlling lighting parameters is connected to a number of lamps and includes a controlling member which is placed on a contact surface by a user. Lighting parameters of each lamp are determined based on the position of the controlling member on the contact surface. This enables the user to control the lighting parameters simply by controlling the position of the controlling member.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one parameter related to lighting, the method comprising the acts of:

removably positioning at least one controlling member on a contact surface so that the at least one controlling member contacts the contact surface and is not fixedly attached to the contact surface for movement on the contact surface,

determining a position of the controlling member on the contact surface,

removably positioning a further controlling member on the contact surface, and

calculating an average position based on positions of the at least one controlling member and the further controlling member on the contact surface to determine the at least one parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of using a table in order to determine the at least one parameter based on the position of the controlling member with respect to the reference plane, the table comprising combinations of values representing said position and values representing said parameter.

3. A controlling device for controlling at least one parameter related to lighting, comprising:

a contact surface;

first and second controlling members configured to be removably positioned on the contact surface so that the first and second controlling members contact the contact surface;

sensing means for sensing positions of the first and second controlling members on the contact surface; and

a processor configured for calculating an average position based on the sensed positions of the first and second controlling members on the contact surface for determining the at least one parameter.

4. The controlling device according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured for determining the at least one parameter based on an input signal generated by the sensing means, and wherein the input signal represents a position of at least one of the first and second controlling members on the contact surface.

5. The controlling device according to claim 4, wherein the processor comprises:

a storage medium in which a table comprising combinations of values representing the position and values representing the at least one parameter are stored, and

a table reader for looking up in the table which value representing the at least one parameter is associated with a given value representing the position.

6. The controlling device according to claim 5, wherein the storage medium is programmable, and further comprising a programming device for adjusting the table.

7. The controlling device according to claim 4, wherein the processor comprises an arithmetic unit in which a relation is laid down for determining a value representing the at least one parameter based on a given value representing the position.

8. The controlling device according to claim 7, wherein the arithmetic unit is programmable, and further comprising a programming device for adjusting the relation laid down in the arithmetic unit.

9. The controlling device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one controlling member is shaped as a ball.

10. The controlling device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second controlling members is shaped as a pebble, and wherein the contact surface for supporting the first and second controlling members is part of a disc.

11. The controlling device according to claim 3, wherein the sensing means comprise a matrix sensor.

12. The controlling device according to claim 3, wherein the sensing means comprise an optical sensor.

13. A lighting system, comprising a controlling device according to claim 3, and at least one lamp connected to said controlling device.

14. The lighting system according to claim 13, wherein a connection between the at least one lamp and the controlling device is wireless, and wherein the controlling device comprises a transmitter, and the lamp comprises a receiver.

15. A light controller for controlling a light source emitting a light comprising:

a first controlling member;

a second controlling member;

a surface configured to removably receive the first controlling member and the second controlling member;

wherein positions of the first controlling member and the second controlling member on the surface are used for determining at least one parameter of the light by a processor configured for calculating an average position based on the positions of the first controlling member and the second controlling member on the contact surface.

16. The light controller of claim 15, wherein a position of the first controlling member on the surface determines color and intensity of the light.

17. The light controller of claim 15, further comprising a sensor configured to detect the positions of the first controlling member and the second controlling member on the surface.

18. The light controller of claim 15, wherein changing a position of the first controlling member simultaneously controls two parameters of the light.

19. The light controller of claim 15, wherein a distance from a center of the surface is associated with intensity of the light so that changing the distance changes the intensity, and wherein an angular displacement of a radial line between the center and the position of the first controlling member is associated with color of the light so that changing the angular displacement changes the color, wherein changing the distance and the angular displacement simultaneously changes the intensity and the color.

20. The light controller of claim 15, wherein a distance from a reference point on the surface is associated with a first parameter of the light, and an angular displacement of a radial line between the reference point and a position of the first controlling member is associated with a second parameter of the light.