Light control system

• US 7,914,172 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagara, Wes A., Bucciarelli, Robert Bruno, Wingrove, Theodore Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US12/253,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20100097817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 362/464, 362/253, 362/234, 362/231, 362/800, 362/249.05, 362/249.12, 315/312, 315/362
• US Class Current: 362/231
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

A unified lighting system including a plurality of light emitting devices, wherein each light emitting device generates a color output in response to a plurality of light settings and a modification to the light settings of one light emitting device is automatically propagated to the other light emitting devices, thereby providing a substantially uniform color output of the lighting system.

Claims

1. A unified lighting system comprising:

a plurality of light emitting devices, wherein each of the light emitting devices generates a color output in response to a plurality of light settings;

a plurality of light control modules in communication with each other, wherein each of the light control modules is adapted to receive a control signal, adjust the light settings of at least one of the light emitting devices in response to the control signal, and propagate the control signal to others of the light control modules and;

a user interface in signal communication with at least one of the light control modules to transmit the control signal to the at least one of the light control modules, wherein the user interface emits an interface color output, and wherein the light settings of the light emitting devices are adjusted so the color output of each of the light emitting devices substantially matches the interface color output.

2. The unified lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the light settings represent the mixing of emitted color light to generate the color output having a particular color appearance.

3. The unified lighting system according to claim 1, wherein each of the light control modules adjusts the light settings of the at least one of the light emitting devices to produce substantially the same color output generated by each of the light emitting devices.

4. The unified lighting system according to claim 1, wherein each of the light control modules includes a processor for analyzing the control signal.

5. The unified lighting system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the light control modules includes a storage system for storing data and information.

6. The unified lighting system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the light control modules includes a programmable component providing user-controlled management of the unified lighting system.

7. A unified lighting system for a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of light emitting devices integrated with the vehicle, wherein each of the light emitting devices emits a first color output based on an associated first light setting;

a plurality of light control modules, each of the light control modules in communication with each other and at least one of the light emitting devices, to control each of the first light settings of the first color output emitted by each of the light emitting devices; and

a secondary input device emitting a second color output based on an associated second light setting, the secondary input device in signal communication with at least one of the light control modules for transmitting a control signal representing the second light setting to the at least one of the light control modules, wherein the at least one of the light control modules receives the control signal, adjusts the associated first light setting of the at least one of the light emitting devices in response to the control signal, and propagates the control signal to others of the light control modules to adjust the associated first light setting of each of the light emitting devices in response to the control signal, and wherein the first light setting of the first light output emitted by each of the light emitting devices is adjusted to substantially match the second light setting of the secondary input device.

8. The unified lighting system according to claim 7, wherein the first light settings represent the mixing of emitted color light to generate the color output having a particular color appearance.

9. The unified lighting system according to claim 7, wherein each of the light control modules adjusts the first light setting of the associated light emitting device to produce substantially the same first color output emitted from each of the light emitting devices.

10. The unified lighting system according to claim 7, wherein each of the light control modules includes a processor for analyzing the control signal.

11. The unified lighting system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the light control modules includes a storage system for storing data and information.

12. The unified lighting system according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the light control modules includes a programmable component providing user-controlled management of the unified lighting system.

13. A unified lighting system for a vehicle comprising:

a plurality of light emitting devices adapted to emit a first color output in response to a plurality of first light settings, wherein the first light settings represent the mixing of emitted color light to generate the first color output having a particular color appearance;

a plurality of light control modules, each of the light control modules in communication with each other and at least one of the light emitting devices to control each of the first light settings of the first color output emitted by each of the light emitting devices;

a secondary input device emitting a second color output based on an associated second light setting, the secondary input device in signal communication with at least one of the light control modules; and

a user interface emitting an interface color output, the user interface in signal communication with at least one of the light control modules, wherein at least one of the secondary input device and the user interface transmits a control signal to the at least one of the light control modules, the at least one of the light control modules adjusting the associated first light setting of the at least one of the light emitting devices in response to the control signal and propagating the control signal to others of the light control modules to adjust the associated first light setting of each of the light emitting devices in response to the control signal, and wherein the first color output of each of the light emitting devices is adjusted to substantially match at least one of the second color output and the interface color output.

14. The unified lighting system according to claim 13, wherein each of the light control modules adjusts the light settings of the associated light emitting devices to produce substantially the same color output emitted from each of the light emitting devices.

15. The unified lighting system according to claim 13, wherein each of the light control modules includes a processor for analyzing the control signal.

16. The unified lighting system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the light control modules includes a storage system for storing data and information.

17. The unified lighting system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the light control modules includes a programmable component providing user-controlled management of the unified lighting system.