Distributed illumination system
First Claim
1. A ceiling lighting system comprising:
- a ceiling tile having one or more recesses extending at least partially through ceiling tile, the ceiling tile having an aperture opening;
a light distributing engine including a light emitter, a heat sink, and light distributing optics, the light distributing optics collecting the light from the light emitter and redirecting the light into a directional beam of output illumination, wherein an output aperture of the light distributing engine is aligned with the aperture opening of the ceiling tile so that the directional beam of output illumination is substantially transmitted to the space below the ceiling tile;
an electronic circuit configured to transmit and control electrical currents passing to and from the light distributing engine, the electronic circuit including a voltage regulation circuit, an electric current control circuit, and a control signaling circuit, the electric voltage regulation circuit providing regulated DC voltage levels for the electric current control circuit and the control signaling circuit, the control signaling circuit including a control signal receiver circuit arranged to receive and process control signals broadcast by a master controller outputting control instructions to the electric current control circuit, and the control signaling circuit further including a control signal transmitter circuit arranged to broadcast informational signals at regular time intervals to the master controller corresponding to first electrical signals;
one or more on-tile power transfer elements associated with the electronic circuit,wherein the light distributing engine, and the electronic circuit are substantially disposed within the ceiling tile, thereby requiring little or no plenum space above the ceiling tile,and wherein the one or more power transfer elements are at least partially embedded into the one or more recesses of the ceiling tile and in electrical contact with one or more electrical power access terminals on the electronic circuit and on the light distributing engine; and
one or more affixation elements, the one or more affixation elements used to affix the electronic circuit, the one or more on-tile power transfer elements, the one or more electrical power access terminals, and the light distributing engine to each other and/or to the one or more recesses of the ceiling tile.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention introduces a new class of lightweight tile-based illumination systems for uses wherein thin directionally-illuminating light distributing engines are embedded into the body of otherwise standard building materials like conventional ceiling tiles along with associated means of electrical control and electrical power interconnection. As a new class of composite light emitting ceiling materials, the present invention enables a lighter weight more flexibly distributed overhead lighting system alternatives for commercial office buildings and residential housing without changing the existing materials. One or more spot lighting, task lighting, flood lighting and wall washing elements having cross-sectional thickness matched to that of the building material or tile into which they are embedded, are contained and interconnected within the material body'"'"'s cross-section. Embedded power control devices interconnected to each lighting element in the distributed system communicate with a central switching center that thereby controls each light-emitting element in the system.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A ceiling lighting system comprising:
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a ceiling tile having one or more recesses extending at least partially through ceiling tile, the ceiling tile having an aperture opening; a light distributing engine including a light emitter, a heat sink, and light distributing optics, the light distributing optics collecting the light from the light emitter and redirecting the light into a directional beam of output illumination, wherein an output aperture of the light distributing engine is aligned with the aperture opening of the ceiling tile so that the directional beam of output illumination is substantially transmitted to the space below the ceiling tile; an electronic circuit configured to transmit and control electrical currents passing to and from the light distributing engine, the electronic circuit including a voltage regulation circuit, an electric current control circuit, and a control signaling circuit, the electric voltage regulation circuit providing regulated DC voltage levels for the electric current control circuit and the control signaling circuit, the control signaling circuit including a control signal receiver circuit arranged to receive and process control signals broadcast by a master controller outputting control instructions to the electric current control circuit, and the control signaling circuit further including a control signal transmitter circuit arranged to broadcast informational signals at regular time intervals to the master controller corresponding to first electrical signals; one or more on-tile power transfer elements associated with the electronic circuit, wherein the light distributing engine, and the electronic circuit are substantially disposed within the ceiling tile, thereby requiring little or no plenum space above the ceiling tile, and wherein the one or more power transfer elements are at least partially embedded into the one or more recesses of the ceiling tile and in electrical contact with one or more electrical power access terminals on the electronic circuit and on the light distributing engine; and one or more affixation elements, the one or more affixation elements used to affix the electronic circuit, the one or more on-tile power transfer elements, the one or more electrical power access terminals, and the light distributing engine to each other and/or to the one or more recesses of the ceiling tile. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A ceiling lighting system comprising:
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a drywall sheet having one or more recesses extending at least partially through the drywall sheet; a light distributing engine including a light emitter and light distributing optics, the light distributing optics collecting light from the light emitter and directing the light into a directional light distribution such that an output aperture of the light distributing engine is aligned with one of the one or more recesses so that the directional light distribution is substantially transmitted to a space below the drywall sheet; an electronic circuit; one or more electrical power connection elements, wherein the light distributing engine, the electronic circuit, and the one or more electrical power connection elements are substantially disposed within the drywall sheet, thereby requiring little or no plenum space above the drywall sheet; one or more affixation elements, the one or more affixation elements used to affix the light distributing engine, the electronic circuit, and the one or more electrical power connection elements directly or indirectly to the drywall sheet; supply-to-sheet power transmitting elements which transmit power from a low voltage DC power supply to on-sheet power input elements embedded in the drywall sheet, on-sheet power transmitting elements transferring power from the on-sheet power input elements to on-sheet embedded electronic circuits and the on-sheet embedded light distributing engine; and a master controller, comprising one or more user input devices, further comprising receivers that collect broadcasted signals and information from sensor circuits and electronic control circuits embedded in the drywall sheets, one or more computer implemented methods to interpret user inputs as well as the broadcasted signals and information, and a means of broadcasting lighting commands, the lighting commands instructing embedded integrated control circuits regarding power distribution to the light distributing engine on the drywall sheet. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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Specification