Wavelength sensing lighting system and associated methods

• US 9,125,275 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Environmental Light Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Environmental Light Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Maxik, Fredric S., Bretschneider, Eric, Medelius, Pedro, Bartine, David E., Soler, Robert R., Flickinger, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US14/333,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20150022097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 398/172, 398/118, 398/119, 398/128, 398/130, 398/135, 398/33, 398/34, 398/169, 398/170, 398/183, 398/202, 398/208, 398/209, 398/136, 398/25, 398/103, 398/115, 398/189, 315/291, 315/294, 315/307, 315/152, 315/312, 315/153, 315/292, 315/308, 315/313, 315/185.R, 315/185.S, 315/224, 362/231, 362/545, 362/555, 362/234, 362/253
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/07 Arrangements for monitoring or testing transmission systems; Arrangements for fault measurement of transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/43 using a single component as both light source and receiver, e.g. using a photoemitter as a photoreceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/24 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting system includes a light source included in an array of light sources to emit illuminating light, a sensor Included in the array to sense environmental light from an environment, and a controller operatively connected to the sensor and the light source to analyze the environmental light sensed by the sensor to at least one of detect and generate data relating to a condition of the environment. The data is transmittable in a data light defined by a data wavelength defined relative to the illuminating light. The controller receives the data included in the data light using the sensor and analyzes the data included in the data light and to control the transmission of the data light from the light source. The plurality of light sources emit the illuminating light in a plurality of directions. The sensor receives the environmental light from a plurality of directions.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a light source included in an array to emit illuminating light, the array including a plurality of light sources;

a sensor included in the array configured to sense environmental light from an environment; and

a controller operatively connected to each of the sensor and the light source and configured to analyze the environmental light sensed by the sensor to at least one of detect and generate data relating to a condition of the environment, the data being transmittable in a data light defined by a data wavelength, the data wavelength being defined relative to the illuminating light;

wherein the controller is configured to receive the data included in the data light using the sensor;

wherein the controller is configured to analyze the data included in the data light and to control the transmission of the data light from the light source;

wherein the plurality of light sources are configured to selectively emit the illuminating light in a plurality of directions; and

wherein the sensor is configured to receive the environmental light from a plurality of directions.

2. The lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the light source and the sensor are included as a light emitting semiconductor device.

3. The lighting system according to claim 2 wherein the light emitting semiconductor device is selectively operable between a sensing operation and an emitting operation, the sensing operation being defined by the light source sensing the environmental light, and the emitting operation being defined by the light source emitting the illuminating light.

4. The lighting system according to claim 3 wherein the array includes a plurality of light emitting semiconductor devices;

and wherein each of the plurality of light emitting semiconductor devices in the array is selectively operable between the sensing operation and the emitting operation.

5. The lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the sensor is configured to sense the environmental light substantially simultaneously with the light source emitting the Illuminating light.

6. The lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to analyze the environmental light by measuring a drive voltage of the light source, determining a difference between a measured voltage across the light source and the drive voltage, and performing time-domain matching of the measured voltage and the environmental light using cross-correlation.

7. The lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the light source includes a light emitting diode (LED) to emit the illuminating light;

and wherein the sensor includes a photodiode to sense the environmental light.

8. The lighting system according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of light sources are sequentially enabled.

9. The lighting system according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of light sources are one of monochromatic LEDs, white LEDs, or infrared (IR) LEDs.

10. The lighting system according to claim 1 further comprising a network comprised of nodes;

wherein each node includes the light source, the sensor, and the controller; and

wherein the nodes are configured to intercommunicate by transmitting and receiving the data light.

11. The lighting system according to claim 10 wherein the data light includes at least one addressing bit to address the node intended to receive the data.

12. The lighting system according to claim 10 wherein the nodes are proximately aware of additional nodes.

13. The lighting system according to claim 10 wherein the controller of each node included in the network of the nodes is configured to receive feedback regarding an analysis performed by the controller to be stored in memory;

and wherein the controller of the node controls transmitting the feedback to the additional nodes.

14. The lighting system according to claim 13 wherein the controller is configured to use at least one of machine learning and a neural network to analyze the feedback from the analysis.

15. The lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the data included in the data light includes at least one error detection bit.

16. The lighting system according to claim 1 further comprising a wavelength conversion material positioned between the light source and the environment to absorb at least part of a source light and emit a converted light having a converted wavelength range, the source light being received and absorbed by the wavelength conversion material.

17. The lighting system according to claim 16 wherein the converted wavelength range of the converted light varies depending on the condition in the environment.

18. The lighting system according to claim 16 wherein the source light is at least one of the illuminating light and the environmental light.

19. The lighting system according to claim 1 wherein a sample rate at which data is transmitted in the data light is dynamically adjustable by the controller.

20. A lighting system comprising:

a network of nodes, each node comprising;

a light source included in an array to emit illuminating light, the array including a plurality of light sources,

a sensor included in the array configured to sense environmental light from an environment, and

a controller operatively connected to each of the sensor and the light source;

wherein each of the nodes in the network are configured to be aware of additional nodes in the network;

wherein each of the nodes are configured to intercommunicate by transmitting and receiving data light;

wherein the controller of each node is configured to analyze the environmental light sensed by the sensor to at least one of detect and generate data relating to a condition of the environment, the data being transmittable in a data light defined by at a data wavelength, the data wavelength being defined relative to the illuminating light;

wherein the controller is configured to receive data included in the data light using the sensor;

wherein the controller is configured to analyze the data included in the data light;

wherein the controller is configured to control the transmission of the data light from the light source;

wherein the plurality of light sources are configured to selectively emit the illuminating light in a plurality of directions; and

wherein the sensor is configured to receive the environmental light from the plurality of directions.

21. A method for using a lighting system comprising a light source included in an array to emit illuminating light, the array including a plurality of light sources, a sensor Included in the array configured to sense environmental light from an environment, and a controller operatively connected to each of the sensor and the light source, the method comprising:

analyzing the environmental light sensed by the sensor to at least one of detect and generate data relating to a condition of the environment;

transmitting the data in a data light defined by a data wavelength;

receiving data related to a condition of the environment in a data light;

selectively operating the plurality of light sources substantially simultaneously;

selectively emitting the illuminating light in a plurality of directions and selectively receiving the environmental light from a plurality of directions; and

selectively operating each of the plurality of light sources in the array between a sensing operation and an emitting operation, the sensing operation being defined by the light source sensing the environmental light, and the emitting operation being defined by the light source emitting the illuminating light.