Primary light converter for converting primary light into secondary light

• US 9,062,856 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Van Bommel, Ties, Hikmet, Rifat Ata Mustafa, Ni, Yongfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): PYO, KEVIN K
• Application Number:
  US13/508,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20120228471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 250/205, 250/206, 250/214.R, 250/214.D, 250/214.SG, 250/214.C, 250/214.RC, 136/205, 136/243, 136/248, 136/252, 136/263, 315/86, 315/169.3, 126/572
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors

Abstract

The invention relates to a primary light converter (1) for converting primary light (3) into secondary light (4). An electrical light conversion unit (2) converts at least a part of the primary light (3) into the secondary light (4), and an energy converter (5) converts at least a part of the primary light (3) into electrical energy, wherein the electrical light conversion unit (2) is adapted to be driven by the electrical energy from the energy converter (5). The invention relates further to a lighting apparatus comprising one or several of the primary light converters. It is not necessary to electrically connect the one or several primary light converters via a wire to an external power supply. This reduces the space required for the primary light converter and the lighting apparatus and increases the variability of possible arrangements of the one or several primary light converters and lighting systems comprising such primary light converters.

Claims

1. A primary light converter for converting primary light into secondary light, the primary light converter comprising:

an electrical light conversion unit for converting at least a part of the primary light into the secondary light,

an energy converter for converting at least a part of the primary light into electrical energy, wherein the electrical light conversion unit is adapted to be driven by the electrical energy from the energy converter.

2. The primary light converter as defined in claim 1, further comprising a beam splitter for splitting the primary light into a first part for being directed to the light conversion unit for being converted into the secondary light and into a second part for being directed to the energy converter for being converted into the electrical energy for driving the light conversion unit.

3. The primary light converter as defined in claim 1, further comprising a mechanical coupler for coupling the primary light converter to a light source.

4. The primary light converter as defined in claim 1, further comprising an electrical energy storing unit for storing the electrical energy from the energy converter and for providing the stored electrical energy to the light conversion unit.

5. The primary light converter as defined in claim 4, further comprising a beam splitter for splitting the primary light into a first part for being directed to the light conversion unit for being converted into the secondary light and into a second part for being directed to the electrical energy converter for being converted into the electrical energy for being stored in the electrical energy storing unit, wherein the electrical storing unit is connected to the beam splitter for driving the beam splitter by at least a part of the stored electrical energy, wherein the beam splitter is adapted to increase the intensity of the second part of the split primary light, if the stored electrical energy decreases.

6. The primary light converter as defined in claim 1, wherein the primary light converter comprises a further electrically drivable unit connected with the energy converter for driving the further electrically drivable unit with the electrical energy from the energy converter, wherein the further electrically drivable unit is at least one of a cooling unit for cooling the primary light converter and a sensor for sensing at least one of a presence and a movement of an object.

7. The primary light converter as defined in claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling at least one of the electrical light conversion unit and the energy converter, wherein the control unit is driven by the electrical energy from the energy converter.

8. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a light source for emitting primary light, and

a plurality of the primary light converters as defined in claim 1 for converting the primary light into secondary light, wherein the primary light emitted by the light source is being directed to the plurality of primary light converters.

9. The lighting apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a controller for controlling the directing of the primary light to the plurality of primary light converters.

10. The lighting apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein a first primary light converter of the plurality of primary light converters comprises a beam splitter for splitting the primary light into a first part for being directed to the light conversion unit for being converted into the secondary light, into a second part for being directed to the energy converter for being converted into the electrical energy for driving the light conversion unit, and into a third part for being directed to a second primary light converter of the plurality of primary light converters as primary light of the second primary light converter.

11. The lighting apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein a first primary light converter of the plurality of primary light converters is adapted to convert the primary light into secondary light such that the secondary light is directed to a second primary light converter of the plurality of primary light converters as primary light of the second primary light converter.

12. The lighting apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the light source comprises a first lighting unit for providing a first part of the primary light and a second lighting unit for providing a second part of the primary light, wherein the lighting apparatus is adapted to direct the first part to the light conversion unit of the primary light converter and to direct the second part to the energy converter of the primary light converter.

13. A lighting method comprising following steps:

emitting primary light for being directed to a primary light converter by a light source,

converting at least a part of the primary light into electrical energy by an energy converter,

converting at least a part of the primary light into secondary light by an electrical light conversion unit,

wherein the electrical light conversion unit is driven by the electrical energy from the energy converter.

14. A primary light converter for converting primary light into secondary light, the primary light converter comprising:

an electrical light conversion unit, the electrical light conversion unit converting at least a part of the primary light into the secondary light,

an energy converter, the energy converter operable to convert at least a part of the primary light into electrical energy;

wherein the electrical light conversion unit is electrically powered by electrical energy generated by the energy converter.