LED system for producing light

• US 8,164,277 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Modilis Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Modilis Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Stevn, Palle
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US12/343,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 315/312, 315/307, 315/308, 315149-159, 315112-120, 315/291, 315/224, 315/318, 315/294, 315/297, 315/300, 315/302, 315/309, 362/612, 362/613, 362/800
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

The invention relates to a system comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, LEDs. The LEDs may be controlled in various in various manners in order to obtain any of one or more objects of the system. Thus, LEDs may be controlled for by controlling at least two of the following parameters: the luminous intensity of each of the LEDs, the luminous flux of each of the LEDs, the colour spectrum of the light being emitted from each of the LEDs, the spatial radiation pattern of the light being emitted from each of the LEDs, the spatial radiation pattern of the system, the junction temperature of each of the LEDs, the temperature of the surroundings to the LED, the amperage of the electrical power being supplied each or sections of the LEDs, the voltage of the electrical power being applied the LEDs and pulsing applied to the electrical power being applied each or sections of the LEDs.

Claims

1. A method for controlling light being emitted from a light-emitting system comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), said method comprising controlling at least the following parameters:

the temperature of the surroundings of each of the LEDs, a luminous flux of each of the LEDs, and an electrical power being supplied to each of the LEDs, and where controlling the surrounding temperature controls a luminous intensity being emitted from the system, thus controlling the luminous flux of the LEDs, and controlling the electrical power does not decrease the lifetime of the LEDs by the current of the electrical power not being increased during the lifetime of the LEDs.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein luminous intensity of the system is controlled by adjusting the one or more of the parameters amperage, voltage or duty factor of the electrical power supplied.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein luminous intensity of the system is controlled by said power supply by introducing a pulse width from the electrical power supplied to the LEDs.

4. An LED system comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for producing light, wherein each or sections of the LEDs are emitting light at different wavelengths;

a cooling element to control a temperature surrounding one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs; and

an electrical and electronic element to control an electrical power being supplied to one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs;

wherein controlling the electrical power does not increase the current, of the electrical power during the lifetime of the LEDs for thereby not decreasing the lifetime of the LEDs; and

wherein the controlling of the temperature by the cooling element and the controlling of the electrical power by the electrical and electronic element are effective to control the luminous flux of one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs.

5. An LED system according to claim 4, where at least some of the LEDs are emitting light at different wavelengths, the wavelengths including a first wavelength in the range of 430 nm to 490 nm, a second wavelength in the range of 530 nm to 565 nm, and a third wavelength in the range of 605 nm to 630 nm.

6. An LED system according to claim 4, wherein at least some of the LEDs are emitting light at different wavelengths, and said system further comprising:

a thermal detector for measuring the junction temperature of one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs and for sending a temperature signal;

and wherein the cooling element further controls the junction temperature of said LEDs with use of the temperature signal.

7. An LED system according to claim 6, where at least some of the LEDs are emitting light at different wavelengths, the wavelengths including a first wavelength in the range of 430 nm to 490 nm, a second wavelength in the range of 530 nm to 565 nm, and a third wavelength in the range of 605 nm to 630 nm.

8. An LED system according to claim 4, wherein at least some of the LEDs are emitting light at different wavelengths, and said electrical and electronic element is further to measure the electrical power applied to the LEDs, and wherein the electrical and electronic element is to control the electrical power being applied by applying a current as a square wave current.

9. An LED system according to claim 8, where at least some of the LEDs are emitting light at different wavelengths, the wavelengths including a first wavelength in the range of 430 nm to 490 nm, a second wavelength in the range of 530 nm to 565 nm, and a third wavelength in the range of 605 nm to 630 nm.

10. An LED system according to claim 4, where a cool side of the cooling element is facing an interior of a housing containing one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs, and where a hot side of the cooling element is facing exterior surroundings of the housing.

11. An LED system according to claim 4, where the hot side of the cooling element includes heat transfer means to increase the heat transfer between the cooling element and surroundings of the hot side.

12. An LED system according to claim 4, where the cooling element comprises a Peltier element, a heat exchanger of a compressed gas cooling system, or a flow of fluid or gas.

13. An LED system according to claim 4, wherein said system further comprises a vacuum unit for controlling the gas pressure within a housing containing one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs.

14. An LED system according to claim 4, wherein said system further comprises a gas unit for controlling the amount of gas contained within a housing containing one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs.

15. An LED system according to claim 4, wherein said system further comprises a gas unit for controlling the composition of the gas contained within a housing containing one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs.

16. An LED system according to claim 4, wherein the controlling of the temperature by the cooling element and the controlling of the electrical power by the electrical and electronic element is effective to control the luminous flux of the overall system.

17. An LED system according to claim 4, wherein the electrical and electronic element is to control the electrical power being applied by applying a current as a square wave current that establishes overlap between a current being applied initially to one LED of the plurality of LEDs and a current being applied subsequently to another LED of the plurality of LEDs.