Lighting devices including transparent organic light emitting device light panels and having independent control of direct to indirect light

• US 8,979,291 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
• Inventors: Hack, Michael, Ma, Ruiqing, Jackson, Duncan, Billings, Eoin
• Primary Examiner(s): DZIERZYNSKI, EVAN P
• Application Number:
  US13/888,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20140334146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 362/97.1, 362/84, 362/235, 362/616
• US Class Current: 362/97.1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/003 by interposition of elements with electrically controlled variable light transmissivity, e.g. liquid crystal elements or electrochromic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/3031 Two-side emission, e.g. transparent OLEDs [TOLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2102/311 Flexible OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/90 Assemblies of multiple devices comprising at least one organic light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A lighting device for emitting direct light and indirect light, includes a first transparent light panel comprising at least one organic light emitting device, the first transparent light panel emitting direct light and indirect light during operation thereof; and at least a second transparent light panel comprising at least one organic light emitting device, the second transparent light panel emitting direct light and indirect light during operation thereof, the second transparent light panel being positioned so that at least a portion of indirect light emitted from the first transparent light is transmitted through the second transparent light panel and at least a portion of direct light emitted from the second transparent light panel is transmitted through the first transparent light panel, wherein the first transparent light panel is controllable independently from the second transparent light panel to control a ratio of direct light to indirect light emitted by the lighting device. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A lighting device for emitting direct light and indirect light, comprising:

a first transparent light panel comprising at least one organic light emitting device, the first transparent light panel emitting direct light and indirect light during operation thereof; and

at least a second transparent light panel comprising at least one organic light emitting device, the second transparent light panel emitting direct light and indirect light during operation thereof, the second transparent light panel being positioned so that at least a portion of indirect light emitted from the first transparent light is transmitted through the second transparent light panel and at least a portion of direct light emitted from the second transparent light panel is transmitted through the first transparent light panel, wherein the first transparent light panel is controllable independently from the second transparent light panel to control a ratio of direct light to indirect light emitted by the lighting device.

2. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the at least one organic light emitting device of the first transparent light panel is transparent and the at least one organic light emitting device of the second transparent light panel is transparent.

3. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein the first transparent light panel emits direct light and indirect light unequally, and the second transparent light panel emits direct light and indirect light unequally.

4. The lighting device of claim 3 wherein a first ratio of direct light emitted by the first transparent light panel to indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel is greater than 1, and wherein a second ratio of direct light emitted by the second transparent light panel to indirect light emitted by the second transparent light panel is less than 1.

5. The lighting device of claim 4 wherein the first ratio is approximately equal to the second ratio.

6. The lighting device of claim 3 wherein a first ratio of direct light emitted by the first transparent light panel to indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel is less than 1, and wherein a second ratio of direct light emitted by the second transparent light panel to indirect light emitted by the second transparent light panel is greater than 1.

7. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein the first transparent light panel comprises a plurality of transparent organic light emitting devices and a color temperature of light emitted therefrom is adjustable.

8. The lighting device of claim 7 wherein the second transparent light panel comprises a plurality of transparent organic light emitting devices and a color temperature of light emitted therefrom is adjustable.

9. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein the first transparent light panel comprises a plurality of transparent organic light emitting devices and a color of light emitted therefrom is adjustable.

10. The lighting device of claim 9 wherein the second transparent light panel comprises a plurality of transparent organic light emitting devices and a color of light emitted therefrom is adjustable.

11. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein the first transparent light panel has a different color or a different color temperature than the second transparent light panel.

12. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein direct light emitted from the lighting device has a peak luminance less than 5,000 cd/m².

13. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein the lighting device emits greater than 50 lumens of light at maximum illumination.

14. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein the lighting device emits greater than 100 lumens of light at maximum illumination.

15. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein the lighting device emits greater than 150 lumens of light at maximum illumination.

16. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein direct light emitted by the lighting device includes no greater than 1% light having a peak wavelength less than 440 nm.

17. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein at least one of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel is flexible.

18. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein each of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel has a transmittance of at least 10%.

19. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein each of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel has a transmittance of at least 50%.

20. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein each of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel has a transmittance of at least 75%.

21. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein each of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel independently has a transmittance in the range of 10% to 90%.

22. The lighting device of claim 2 further comprising a control system, and the intensity of light emitted by the first transparent light panel is controllable independently from intensity of light from the second transparent light panel via the control system to control the ratio of direct light to indirect light emitted by the lighting device.

23. The lighting device of claim 2 further comprising a control system, and the intensity of light emitted by the first transparent light panel is controllable independently from intensity of light from the second transparent light panel via the control system while the ratio of direct light to indirect light emitted by the lighting device is maintained substantially constant.

24. The lighting device of claim 2 further comprising a control system, and the intensity of light emitted by the first transparent light panel is controllable independently from intensity of light from the second transparent light panel by the control system to achieve the ratio of direct light to indirect light emitted by the lighting device input to the control system.

25. The lighting device of claim 2 where the first transparent lighting panel and the at least second transparent lighting panel are optically coupled together.

26. The lighting device of claim 25 wherein the first transparent lighting panel and the at least second transparent lighting panel are optically coupled together by a transparent adhesive.

27. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel emits direct light and indirect light unequally.

28. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the lighting device is adapted to achieve an imbalance in the ratio of directly light to indirect light of at least 33%.

29. A method of providing direct light and indirect light, comprising:

providing a first transparent light panel comprising at least one organic light emitting device, the first transparent light panel emitting direct light and indirect light during operation thereof; and

providing at least a second transparent light panel comprising at least one organic light emitting device, the second transparent light panel emitting direct light and indirect light during operation thereof, the second transparent light panel being positioned so that at least a portion of indirect light emitted from the first transparent light is transmitted through the second transparent light panel and at least a portion of direct light emitted from the second transparent light panel is transmitted through the first transparent light panel, and

controlling the first transparent light panel independently from the second transparent light panel to control a ratio of overall direct light to overall indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the at least one organic light emitting device of the first transparent light panel is transparent and the at least one organic light emitting device of the second transparent light panel is transparent.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein at least one of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel emits direct light and indirect light unequally.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel are adapted to achieve an imbalance in the ratio of at least 33%.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the first transparent light panel emits direct light and indirect light unequally, and the second transparent light panel emits direct light and indirect light unequally.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein a first ratio of direct light emitted by the first transparent light panel to indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel is greater than 1, and wherein a second ratio of direct light emitted by the second transparent light panel to indirect light emitted by the second transparent light panel is less than 1.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the first ratio is approximately equal to the second ratio.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein a first ratio of direct light emitted by the first transparent light panel to indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel is less than 1, and wherein a second ratio of direct light emitted by the second transparent light panel to indirect light emitted by the second transparent light panel is greater than 1.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein the first transparent light panel comprises a plurality of transparent organic light emitting devices and a color temperature of light emitted therefrom is adjustable.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the second transparent light panel comprises a plurality of transparent organic light emitting devices and a color temperature of light emitted therefrom is adjustable.

39. The method of claim 30 wherein the first transparent light panel comprises a plurality of transparent organic light emitting devices and a color of light emitted therefrom is adjustable.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the second transparent light panel comprises a plurality of transparent organic light emitting devices and a color of light emitted therefrom is adjustable.

41. The method of claim 30 wherein the first transparent light panel has a different color or a different color temperature than the second transparent light panel.

42. The method of claim 30 wherein overall direct light emitted from the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel has a peak luminance less than 5,000 cd/m².

43. The method of claim 30 wherein the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel emit greater than 50 lumens of overall light at maximum illumination.

44. The method of claim 30 wherein the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel emit greater than 100 lumens of overall direct light at maximum illumination.

45. The method of claim 30 wherein the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel emits greater than 150 lumens of overall light at maximum illumination.

46. The method of claim 30 wherein overall direct light emitted by the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel includes no greater than 1% light having a peak wavelength less than 440 nm.

47. The method of claim 30 wherein at least one of the first transparent light panel and the second light emitting panel is flexible.

48. The method of claim 30 wherein the intensity of light emitted by the first transparent light panel is controlled independently from intensity of light from the second transparent light panel via a control system to control the ratio of overall direct light to overall indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel.

49. The method of claim 30 wherein the intensity of light emitted by the first transparent light panel is controllable independently from intensity of light from the second transparent light panel via a control system to achieve the ratio of overall direct light to overall indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel input to the control system.

50. The method of claim 30 wherein the intensity of light emitted by the first transparent light panel is controllable independently from intensity of light from the second transparent light panel via a control system while the ratio of overall direct light to overall indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel is maintained substantially constant.

51. The method of claim 30 wherein each of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel has a transmittance of at least 10%.

52. The method of claim 30 wherein each of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel has a transmittance of at least 50%.

53. The method of claim 30 wherein each of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel has a transmittance of at least 75%.

54. The method of claim 30 wherein each of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel independently has a transmittance in the range of 10% to 90%.

55. The method of claim 30 where the first transparent lighting panel and the at least second transparent lighting panel are optically coupled together.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the first transparent lighting panel and the at least second transparent lighting panel are optically coupled together by a transparent adhesive.

57. A method of fabricating a lighting device for emitting direct light and indirect light, comprising:

providing a first transparent light panel comprising at least one organic light emitting device, the first transparent light panel emitting direct light and indirect light during operation thereof; and

providing at least a second transparent light panel comprising at least one organic light emitting device, the second transparent light panel emitting direct light and indirect light during operation thereof, the second transparent light panel being positioned so that at least a portion of direct light emitted from the first transparent light is transmitted through the second transparent light panel and at least a portion of indirect light emitted from the second transparent light panel is transmitted through the first transparent light panel, and

providing a control system in operative connection with the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel, wherein the control system controls the first transparent light panel independently from the second transparent light panel to control a ratio of overall direct light to overall indirect light emitted by the first transparent light panel and the at least a second transparent light panel.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the at least one organic light emitting device of the first transparent light panel is transparent and the at least one organic light emitting device of the second transparent light panel is transparent.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein at least one of the first transparent light panel and the second transparent light panel emits direct light and indirect light unequally.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein the lighting device can emit a minimum imbalance in the ratio of 0.6:

0.4.