Illumination and grow light system and associated methods

• US 9,137,874 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BioLogical Illumination, LLC
• Original Assignee: BioLogical Illumination, LLC
• Inventors: Maxik, Fredric S., Soler, Robert R., Bartine, David E., Grove, Eliza Katar, Yorio, Neil, Crawford, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Parsley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US13/681,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20130139437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 47/17, 47/201, 47/291, 47/581.R, 47/581.LS
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

An illumination and grow light system and associated methods are provided to produce an emission spectrum which may be optimized for plant response curve, as well as provide high quality light with respect to the human response curve. Embodiments of the present invention may include highly efficient tunable lamps and associated modulation controls that allow specific radiation wavelength bands to be manipulated, the emission direction and intensity to be varied, and the output power to be coordinated to create high fluxes of photosynthetic active radiation while maintaining a desirable color temperature and high color rendering index.

Claims

1. A lighting system with selectable emission characteristics comprising:

a controller; and

a plurality of light sources operatively coupled to the controller;

wherein each of the plurality of light sources is individually operable to emit a combined light comprising a first light having a wavelength within the range of about 650 nanometers to about 700 nanometers, a second light having a wavelength within the range of about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers, and a third light having a wavelength within the range of about 430 nanometers to about 470 nanometers;

wherein the controller controls emission characteristics of the plurality of light sources to alter the combined light;

wherein the second light is characterized by a relative human photopic response of greater than 0.0 and less than 0.4 throughout the range from about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers;

wherein the combined light has a color temperature greater than about 3000 Kelvin, a Color Rendering Index of greater than about 65, and a photosynthetic efficiency of greater than about 1 micromole Yield Photon Flux per Watt.

2. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the second light is characterized by a relative action of greater than 0.0 and less than 0.2.

3. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the combined light has a color temperature of greater than about 3800 Kelvin and a Color Rendering Index of greater than about 70.

4. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to modulate the emissions of the plurality of light sources in a pulsed fashion.

5. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to modulate the emissions of the plurality of light sources using at least one of pulse-width modulation, pulse-interval modulation, and pulse-amplitude modulation.

6. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to modulate the emissions of the plurality of light sources in a pulsed pattern that minimizes light saturation in flora upon which the combined light emitted by the plurality of light sources is incident.

7. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of light sources includes a first light source configured to emit light in a first wavelength range and a second light source configured to emit light in a second wavelength range;

wherein the controller is configured to modulate the emissions of the first light source in a first pulsed pattern; and

wherein the controller is configured to modulate the emissions of the second light source in a second pulsed pattern.

8. A lighting system according to claim 1 further comprising a sensor having a field of view;

wherein the sensor is operatively coupled to the controller and is configured to measure light saturation in flora within the field of view of the sensor;

wherein the controller receives an indication of light saturation in flora from the sensor and is configured to control emission characteristics for the plurality of light sources responsive to the indication of light saturation in flora from the sensor.

9. A lighting system according to claim 8 wherein the sensor is a fluorometer, and wherein the indication of light saturation comprises a measurement of a fluorescence being emitted from the flora.

10. A lighting system according to claim 8 wherein the sensor is a spectrometer, and wherein the indication of light saturation comprises a measurement of a wavelength of light being reflected from the flora.

11. A lighting system according to claim 10 wherein the indication of light saturation includes the measurement of the wavelength of light being emitted from the flora that is within a range of one of about 650 nanometers to about 700 nanometers, about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers, and about 430 nanometers to about 470 nanometers.

12. A lighting system according to claim 8 wherein the sensor is an infrared sensor, and wherein the indication of light saturation in flora comprises a measurement of an infrared radiation being emitted from the flora.

13. A lighting system according to claim 8 further comprising a housing;

wherein the housing is operably coupled to the controller and configured to be adjustable to allow for at least one of directional control and intensity control of the combined light emitted by the plurality of light sources;

wherein the controller is configured to receive an indication of light saturation in flora from the sensor and to adjust the housing to distribute the combined light in a direction and at an intensity that optimizes light saturation in flora upon which the combined light emitted by the plurality of light sources is incident.

14. A lighting system according to claim 1 further comprising a housing, wherein the housing is configured to be adjustable to allow for at least one of directional control and intensity control of the combined light emitted by the plurality of light sources.

15. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the lighting system emits a combined light that has a photosynthetic efficiency of greater than about 1.2 micromole Yield Photon Flux per Watt.

16. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of light sources is a light-emitting diode.

17. A lighting system according to claim 16 further comprising one or more optics, wherein each of the one or more optics is paired with and disposed adjacent to the light-emitting diode such that light emitted from the light-emitting diode is incident upon the each of the one or more optics.

18. A lighting system according to claim 17 wherein each of the one or more optics is paired with at least two light-emitting diodes.

19. A lighting system according to claim 17 wherein each of the one or more optics further comprises at least one of a diffusive coating, a diffusive plastic, diffusive particles, and a color filter.

20. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of light sources includes a hyper-red light-emitting diode, an amber light-emitting diode, and a blue-white light-emitting diode.

21. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of light sources has a ratio of hyper-red light-emitting diodes to amber light-emitting diodes to blue-white light-emitting diodes of about 6:

1;

5.

22. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of light sources includes hyper-red light-emitting diodes and mint light-emitting diodes.

23. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of light sources has a ratio of hyper-red light-emitting diodes to mint light-emitting diodes of about 2:

1.

24. A lighting system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one power supply operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to regulate current from the at least one power supply to control emission characteristics for the plurality of light sources to emit the combined light.

25. A lighting system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of light sources is a laser.

26. A lighting system with selectable emission characteristics comprising:

a plurality of light-emitting lamps, each lamp comprising a plurality of light sources, configured to emit a first light having a wavelength within the range of about 650 nanometers to about 700 nanometers, a second light having a wavelength within the range of about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers and having a relative human photopic response of greater than 0.0 and less than 0.4 throughout the range from about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers, and a third light having a wavelength within the range of about 430 nanometers to about 470 nanometers; and

a controller operable to control the output of light from the plurality of light-emitting lamps;

wherein at least one of the plurality of light-emitting lamps emits light having a color temperature greater than about 3000 k and a photosynthetic efficiency of greater than about 1 micromole Yield Photon Flux per Watt.

27. A lighting system according to claim 26 wherein the second light has a relative action of greater than 0.0 and less than 0.2.

28. A lighting system according to claim 26 further comprising a sensor configured to electronically communicate with the controller;

wherein the sensor transmits data to the controller; and

wherein the controller operates the plurality of light-emitting lamps responsive to the data transmitted from the sensor.

29. A lighting system according to claim 28 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a timer, a fluorometer, and a spectrometer.

30. A lighting system according to claim 26 wherein at least one of a position and an orientation of the plurality of light-emitting lamps is configured for at least one of manual adjustment and automatic adjustment.

31. A lighting system comprising:

a body member on which a plurality of light-emitting diodes are mounted; and

a controller disposed on or near the body member and configured to electrically couple to a power source and to the plurality of light emitting diodes;

wherein at least two of the plurality of the light-emitting diodes are electrically activated by the controller;

wherein the lighting system emits a combined light comprising a first light having a wavelength within the range of about 650 nanometers to about 700 nanometers, a second light having a wavelength within the range of about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers and having a relative human photopic response of greater than 0.0 and less than 0.4 throughout the range from about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers, and a third light having a wavelength within the range of about 430 nanometers to about 470 nanometers;

wherein the combined light has a photosynthetic efficiency of greater than about 1 micromole yield photon flux per watt and a Color Rendering Index of greater than about 65.

32. A lighting system according to claim 31 wherein the second light has a relative action of greater than 0.0 and less than 0.2.

33. A lighting system according to claim 31 wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes a red light-emitting diode, an amber light-emitting diode, and a blue-white light-emitting diode.

34. A lighting system according to claim 31 wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes has a ratio of red light-emitting diodes to amber light-emitting diodes to blue-white light-emitting diodes of about 17:

4;

15.

35. A lighting system according to claim 31 wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes a red light-emitting diode and a mint light-emitting diode.

36. A lighting system according to claim 31 wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes has a ratio of red light-emitting diodes to mint light-emitting diodes of about 2:

1.

37. A lighting system according to claim 31 further comprising a user interface configured to electronically communicate with the controller;

and wherein the controller operates the plurality of light-emitting lamps responsive to the instructions transmitted from the user interface.

38. A method of illuminating flora using a lighting system comprising a controller and a plurality of light sources operatively coupled to the controller, wherein each of the plurality of light sources is individually operable to emit a combined light comprising a first light having a wavelength within the range of about 650 nanometers to about 700 nanometers, a second light having a wavelength within the range of about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers, and a third light having a wavelength within the range of about 430 nanometers to about 470 nanometers, wherein the controller controls emission characteristics of the plurality of light sources to alter the combined light, wherein the second light is characterized by a relative human photopic response of greater than 0.0 and less than 0.4 throughout the range from about 500 nanometers to about 570 nanometers, and wherein the combined light has a color temperature greater than about 2700 Kelvin, a Color Rendering Index of greater than about 60, and a photosynthetic efficiency of greater than about 1 micromole Yield Photon Flux per Watt;

the method comprising directing the combined light on flora.

39. The method according to claim 38 wherein directing the combined light on flora further comprises modulating the combined light in a pulsed fashion.

40. The method according to claim 39 wherein modulating the combined light further comprises employing at least one of pulsewidth modulation, pulse-interval modulation, and pulse-amplitude modulation.

41. The method according to claim 38 wherein directing the combined light on flora further comprises altering the combined light based on an indication of light saturation in flora.

42. The method according to of claim 41 wherein altering the combined light further comprises measuring light saturation in flora within the field of view of a sensor.

43. The method according to of claim 38 wherein directing the combined light on flora further comprises changing an illuminated area on flora.

44. The method according to of claim 43 wherein changing the illuminated area on flora further comprises adjusting a housing that is configured to allow for at least one of directional control and intensity control of the combined light.

45. The method according to of claim 43 wherein changing the illuminated area on flora further comprises adjusting an optic that is configured to allow for at least one of directional control and intensity control of the combined light.