Lighting devices with variable gamut

• US 9,192,013 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: van de Ven, Antony Paul, Jacobson, Benjamin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hines, Anne
• Application Number:
  US14/298,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20150359050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/60 Optical arrangements integrated in the light source, e.g. for improving the colour rendering index or the light extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators

Abstract

Lighting devices include multiple emitters (e.g., LEDs, optionally in combination with one or more lumiphors) arranged to be operated in multiple operating states arranged to produce different gamut area index (GAI) or relative gamut (Q_g) values, preferably in conjunction with a small or imperceptible change in luminous flux and/or color point. A first emitter or emitter group and a second emitter or emitter group may be separately arranged to produce white light with different gamut areas. Adjustment of operation of emitters may be responsive to a user input element or sensor.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a first electrically activated emitter;

a second electrically activated emitter; and

a control circuit configured to adjust operation of the first and second electrically activated emitter to move between at least two operating states;

wherein a first operating state of the at least two operating states generates a combination of light exiting the lighting device that was emitted by the first electrically activated emitter and the second electrically activated emitter that produces, in the absence of any additional light, first operating state aggregated light emissions having a first gamut area index (GAI) value;

wherein a second operating state of the at least two operating states generates a combination of light exiting the lighting device that was emitted by the first electrically activated emitter and the second electrically activated emitter that produces, in the absence of any additional light, second operating state aggregated light emissions having a second GAI value;

wherein the second GAI value differs from the first GAI value by at least 10%; and

wherein the first operating state aggregated light emissions produce, in the absence of any additional light, emissions including a first color point, and the second operating state aggregated light emissions produce, in the absence of any additional light, emissions including a second color point, and

wherein, when plotted on a CIE 1976 u′

-v′

chromaticity diagram, the first color point and the second color point differ from one another by a Delta u′

v′

value of no greater than 0.01.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein each of the first electrically activated emitter and the second electrically activated emitter comprises a solid state light emitter.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrically activated emitter and the second electrically activated emitter comprises at least one light emitting diode and at least one lumiphor arranged to receive and be stimulated by at least a portion of emissions of the at least one light emitting diode and responsively emit lumiphor emissions.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, comprising at least one of the following features (i) and (ii):

(i) the first color point and the second color point differ in correlated color temperature by an amount of no greater than 2% relative to one another, and (ii) the first operating state aggregated light emissions and the second operating state aggregated light emissions differ in luminous flux by an amount of no greater than 2%.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the second GAI value differs from the first GAI value by at least 15%.

6. The lighting device of claim 1, further comprising a notch filtering material arranged to receive emissions from at least one of the first and the second electrically activated emitter, wherein the notch filtering material is arranged to receive and filter at least a portion of the emissions of any of the first electrically activated emitter and the second electrically activated emitter to exhibit a spectral notch.

7. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electrically activated emitter and the second electrically activated emitter comprises at least one primary electrically activated light emitter and at least one supplemental electrically activated light emitter, wherein the at least one supplemental electrically activated light emitter comprises a dominant wavelength that differs from the at least one primary electrically activated light emitter by at least 40 nm.

8. The lighting device of claim 1, comprising at least one of the following features:

a single leadframe arranged to conduct electrical power to the first electrically activated light emitter and the second electrically activated light emitter;

a single reflector arranged to reflect at least a portion of light emanating from each of the first electrically activated light emitter and the second electrically activated light emitter;

a single submount or mounting element supporting the first electrically activated light emitter and the second electrically activated light emitter;

a single lens arranged to transmit at least a portion of light emanating from each of the first electrically activated light emitter and the second electrically activated light emitter; and

a single diffuser arranged to diffuse at least a portion of light emanating from each of the first electrically activated light emitter and the second electrically activated light emitter.

9. The lighting device of claim 1, being devoid of any electrically activated light emitter arranged to generate emissions (i) having dominant wavelength in a range of from 430 nm to 480 nm and (ii) exiting the lighting device without passage through a layer or region comprising a lumiphoric material.

10. The lighting device of claim 1, comprising at least one of the following features (i) and (ii):

at least one of the first operating state aggregated light emissions and the second operating state aggregated light emissions comprises a luminous efficacy of at least 60 lumens per watt, and (ii) each of the first operating state aggregated light emissions and the second operating state aggregated light emissions comprises a luminous flux of at least 500 lumens.

11. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first color point and the second color point has (x, y) coordinates on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram that define a point on or within 7 MacAdam ellipses of a white body locus embodying a line including segments defined by the following x, y coordinates on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram:

(0.3114, 0.3386) to (0.3462, 0.3631), (0.3462, 0.3631) to (0.3777, 0.3790), (0.3777, 0.3790) to (0.3977, 0.3707), (0.3977, 0.3707) to (0.4211, 0.3713), and (0.4211, 0.3713) to (0.4437, 0.3808).

12. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein one of the first color point and the second color point is on or within 7 MacAdam ellipses of a Planckian locus definable on a CIE 1976 u′

-v′

chromaticity diagram.

13. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the first color point comprises a color rendering index (CRI Ra) value of at least 50.

14. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the first color point comprises a GAI value of at least 80.

15. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the first color point comprises a CRI Ra value of at least 80 and a GAI value in a range of from 80 to 100.

16. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein each of the first color point and the second color point comprises a correlated color temperature (CCT) value in a range of from 2,500K to 5,000K.

17. A solid state lighting device comprising a plurality of electrically activated solid state emitters and a control circuit configured to adjust operation of the plurality of electrically activated solid state emitters to move between at least two operating states, wherein:

a first operating state produces first operating state aggregated light emissions including a first gamut area index (GAI) value;

a second first operating state produces second operating state aggregated light emissions including a second gamut area index (GAI) value;

the second GAI value differs from the first GAI value by at least 10%; and

a first color point generated by the first operating state aggregated light emissions differs from a second color point generated by the second operating state aggregated light emissions by no more than seven MacAdam ellipses on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram.

18. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein at least one electrically activated solid state emitter of the plurality of electrically activated solid state emitters comprises at least one light emitting diode and at least one lumiphor arranged to receive and be stimulated by at least a portion of emissions of the at least one light emitting diode and responsively emit lumiphor emissions.

19. The lighting device of claim 17, comprising at least one of the following features (i) and (ii):

(i) the first color point and the second color point differ in correlated color temperature by an amount of no greater than 2% relative to one another, and (ii) the first operating state aggregated light emissions and the second operating state aggregated light emissions differ in luminous flux by an amount of no greater than 2%.

20. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein the second GAI value differs from the first GAI value by at least 15%.

21. The lighting device of claim 17, further comprising a notch filtering material arranged to receive emissions from at least one electrically activated solid state emitter of the plurality of electrically activated solid state emitters, wherein the notch filtering material is arranged to receive and filter at least a portion of the emissions of the at least one first electrically activated solid state emitter to exhibit a spectral notch.

22. The lighting device according to claim 17, comprising at least one of the following features:

a single leadframe arranged to conduct electrical power to each electrically activated solid state light emitter of the plurality of electrically activated solid state light emitters;

a single reflector arranged to reflect at least a portion of light emanating from each electrically activated solid state light emitter of the plurality of electrically activated solid state light emitters;

a single submount or mounting element supporting the plurality of electrically activated solid state light emitters;

a single lens arranged to transmit at least a portion of light emanating from each electrically activated solid state light emitter of the plurality of electrically activated solid state light emitters; and

a single diffuser arranged to diffuse at least a portion of light emanating from each electrically activated solid state light emitter of the plurality of electrically activated solid state light emitters.

23. The lighting device of claim 17, being devoid of any electrically activated solid state light emitter arranged to generate emissions (i) having dominant wavelength in a range of from 430 nm to 480 nm and (ii) exiting the lighting device without passage through a layer or region comprising a lumiphoric material.

24. The lighting device of claim 17, comprising at least one of the following features (i) and (ii):

at least one of the first operating state aggregated light emissions and the second operating state aggregated light emissions comprises a luminous efficacy of at least 60 lumens per watt, and (ii) each of the first operating state aggregated light emissions and the second operating state aggregated light emissions comprises a luminous flux of at least 500 lumens.

25. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first color point and the second color point has (x, y) coordinates on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram that define a point on or within 7 MacAdam ellipses of a white body locus embodying a line including segments defined by the following x, y coordinates on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram:

(0.3114, 0.3386) to (0.3462, 0.3631), (0.3462, 0.3631) to (0.3777, 0.3790), (0.3777, 0.3790) to (0.3977, 0.3707), (0.3977, 0.3707) to (0.4211, 0.3713), and (0.4211, 0.3713) to (0.4437, 0.3808).

26. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein one of the first color point and the second color point is on or within 7 MacAdam ellipses of a Planckian locus definable on a CIE 1976 u′

-v′

chromaticity diagram.

27. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein the first color point comprises a color rendering index (CRI Ra) value of at least 50.

28. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein the first color point comprises a GAI value of at least 80.

29. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein the first color point comprises a CRI Ra value of at least 80 and a GAI value in a range of from 80 to 100.

30. The lighting device of claim 17, wherein each of the first color point and the second color point comprises a correlated color temperature (CCT) value in a range of from 2,500K to 5,000K.