Ambience lighting system for a display device and a method of operating such ambience lighting system

• US 8,222,837 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Top Victory Investments Limited (TPV Technology Co., Ltd. (f/k/a Nanjing Huadong Electronics Information & Technology))
• Original Assignee: TP Vision Holding BV (TPV Technology Co., Ltd. (f/k/a Nanjing Huadong Electronics Information & Technology))
• Inventors: Galeazzi, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILOGENE, HAISSA
• Application Number:
  US12/600,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20100213877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 348/500, 348/511, 348/515, 348/557, 348/563, 348/602, 348/603, 348/708, 348/739, 315/312, 315/318, 315/319, 315/294, 315/299, 315/307, 315/308, 362/97.1, 345/214
• US Class Current: 315/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3164 using multiple light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/73 Colour balance circuits, e.g. white balance circuits or colour temperature control camera processing pipelines for colour balance H04N23/88
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines

Abstract

This invention relates to an ambience lighting system for use in conjunction with a display device including an image display region. A central control receives an incoming audio video stream (AVS) and to determines color information at the periphery of the image to be displayed. Light sources are disposed in a pre-fixed arrangement in relation to the periphery of the image display region, and local control units are coupled to open or more light sources selected from the multiple light sources for locally operating the at least one coupled light source. The central control unit is adapted to transmit the determined color information as a stream to each respective local control unit, which use a portion of the received color information to operate the at least one coupled light source, the portion being determined based on the position of the at least one coupled light source within the pre-fixed arrangement.

Claims

1. An ambience lighting system (100) for use in conjunction with a display device (109) including an image display region (108), comprising:

a central control unit (102) adapted to receive an incoming audio video stream (AVS) (101) and to determine color information at the periphery of the image to be displayed in the image display region,

multiple light sources (110-121) disposed in a pre-fixed arrangement in relation to the periphery of the image display region (108),

local control units (104-107) each being adapted to be coupled to at least one light source (220-121) selected from the multiple light sources for locally operating the at least one coupled light source,

wherein the central control unit (102) transmits the determined color information as a stream (103) to each respective local control unit (104-107), each respective local control unit being adapted to use a portion of the received color information to operate the at least one coupled light source, the portion being determined based on the position of the at least one coupled light source within the pre-fixed arrangement.

2. An ambience lighting system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the local control units (104-107) operate the at least one coupled light source (110-121) further based on light source related operation parameter.

3. An ambience lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the central control unit (102) adjusts the colors to be emitted to user'"'"'s preferences or on automated base for all local control units.

4. An ambience lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the light sources include an array of sub-light sources, the pre-determined areas being those areas to which the sub-lights sources are associated to.

5. An ambience lighting system according to claim 4, wherein the sub-light sources are Light Emitting Diodes (LED'"'"'s).

6. An ambience lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the multiple local control units (104-107) are connected in parallel, or in series, or combination thereof.

7. A display device (109) comprising an ambience lighting system as claimed in claim 1.

8. A frame structure for a display device comprising the lighting system as claimed in claim 1 integrated therein.

9. A frame structure according to claim 8, wherein the frame structure further comprises a synthetic plate or a glass, the emitted light from the light sources being conducted into or within the synthetic plate or the glass.

10. A method of operating an ambience lighting system when used in conjunction with a display device including an image display region, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming audio video stream (AVS) (901) and determining color information (902) at the periphery of the image to be displayed in the image display range,

disposing (903) multiple light sources in a pre-fixed arrangement in relation to the periphery of the image display region,

transmitting the determined color information (904) as a stream to local control units, each respective control unit being coupled to at least one light source selected from the multiple light sources,

wherein a portion of the received color information is used (905) by each respective local control unit to operate the at least one coupled light source, the portion being determined based on the position of the at least one coupled light source within the pre-fixed arrangement.

11. A computer program product for instructing a processing unit to execute the method step of claim 10 when the product is run on a computer.