Lighting device

• US 9,084,311 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saito, Takashi, Mori, Toshihide, Tsukitani, Ayako, Yamazoe, Kensuke, Karasawa, Yoshinori, Hamano, Hiroshi, Takashima, Akira, Wada, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): HOUSTON, ADAM D
• Application Number:
  US13/939,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20140015444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/297, 315/180, 315/280
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting device includes a first light source having a first S/P ratio, a second light source having a second S/P ratio that is higher than the first S/P ratio, and a controller configured to performing dimming control of light output from the first and second light sources. The controller performs the dimming control separately on the first and second light sources at least under a snow covered condition.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a first light source having a first S/P ratio;

a second light source having a second S/P ratio that is higher than the first S/P ratio; and

a controller configured to perform dimming control of light output of the first light source and the second light source, wherein the controller performs the dimming control of light output of the second light source independently of the first light source at least under a snow covered condition.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein under a non-snow covered condition, the controller controls the light output of the second light source to be greater than that of the first light source.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein under the non-snow covered condition, the controller controls the light output of the second light source to be in a range from 1.1 to 2.6 times greater than the light output of the first light source.

4. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein under the non-snow covered condition, the controller controls the light output of the second light source to be in a range from 2.4 to 2.6 times greater than the light output of the first light source when an illumination target of the lighting device includes at least an asphalt road surface.

5. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein under the non-snow covered condition, the controller controls the light output of the second light source to be in a range from 1.1 to 1.3 times greater than the light output of the first light source when an illumination target of the lighting device includes at least a concrete road surface.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first light source and the second light source form combined light having an S/P ratio of 2.0 or greater.

7. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising a snow detector configured to detect whether or not snow cover is present, wherein the controller controls the output light of the second light source to be dim when the snow detector detects the presence of the snow cover.

8. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising a snow detector configured to detect whether or not snow cover is present, wherein the controller controls the output light of the second light source to turn off when the snow detector detects the presence of the snow cover.

9. The lighting device according to claim 7, wherein

the snow detector detects an amount of the snow cover, and

the controller dims the output light of the second light source as the amount of the snow cover, detected by the snow detector, increases.

10. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation switch that is operable by a user, wherein the controller controls the output light of the second light source to turn off when the operation switch is operated.

11. The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation switch that is operable by a user, wherein the controller controls the output light of the second light source to be dim when the operation switch is operated.

12. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first light source has a correlated color temperature of 4150 K or less.