Selectable, zone-based control for high intensity LED illumination system

• US 9,736,904 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Ephesus Lighting, Inc. (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Casper, Joseph R., Nolan, Christopher D., Witkowski, Joseph J., Shuster, Jeff R., Wilson, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van
• Application Number:
  US14/942,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0633 by amplitude modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• 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 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting system includes a group of light emitting diode (LED) illumination devices. A controller may identify a set of the illumination devices that correspond to a zone, and to generate commands to cause the device drivers for each of the identified illumination devices to control its corresponding illumination device so that a specified color temperature, illuminance level, or both of light will be received at a location in the zone. A method for calibrating such a system is also disclosed. A user interface allows a user to select a scene after the calibration is complete.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) illumination devices, each of which comprises;

a first group of LEDs of a first color temperature,

a second group of LEDs of a second color temperature, and

a device driver;

a user interface comprising one or more user input structures;

a sensor positioned in a zone of an environment, wherein the sensor is comprises a color temperature sensor or a light intensity sensor; and

a controller comprising a processor, a non-transitory memory containing programming that is configured to cause the processor to;

perform a calibration event for the zone in which the sensor is located by;

receiving information from the sensor,

comparing the received information to a reference level,

determining a change to drive current or pulse width modulation (PWM) for one or more LEDs of one or more of the LED illumination devices associated with the zone,

commanding the device drivers for one or more of the LED illumination devices associated with the zone to implement the change, and

when the sensor detects the reference level, storing the change to a data set.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising additional programming that is configured to cause the processor to:

receive, from the user interface, a selection of a scene, wherein the scene corresponds to a requirement to direct light of a specified color temperature or illuminance level to a location in the environment;

identify a set of the illumination devices that correspond to the scene;

use the data set to generate commands to cause the device drivers for each of the identified illumination devices to control their corresponding illumination devices so that the specified color temperature or illuminance level of light will be received at the location; and

transmit the commands to the device drivers for the illumination devices that correspond to the scene.

3. The lighting system of claim 2, wherein:

the reference level comprises a color temperature level; and

the commands that cause the device drivers to control their corresponding illumination devices comprise instructions to increase drive current delivered to the first group of LEDs and decrease drive current delivered to the second group of LEDs in the one or more illumination devices associated with the zone so that the reference level will be received at the location.

4. The lighting system of claim 2, wherein:

the reference level comprises an illuminance level; and

the commands that cause the device drivers to control the one or more illumination devices associated with the zone so that the reference level will be received at the location by;

automatically reducing the brightness of one of the groups of LEDs in each illumination device by decreasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or increasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs; and

automatically increasing the brightness of the other group of LEDs in each illumination device by increasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or decreasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs.

5. The lighting system of claim 2, wherein the instructions to identify the set of LED illumination devices that correspond to the scene comprise instructions to:

access a data storage facility comprising sets of scene data;

retrieve a set of scene data that corresponds to the scene; and

extract an identification of the group of LED devices that correspond to the scene from the retrieved scene data.

6. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising:

the sensor comprises a light intensity sensor; and

the programming that is configured to cause the controller to perform the calibration comprises programming that is configured to cause the processor to;

receive light intensity data from the light intensity sensor,

compare the received light intensity data to a reference intensity level,

command the device drivers for the one or more LED illumination devices associated with the zone to use PWM to alter brightness of light produced by LEDs in each of the one or more illumination devices until the light intensity sensor detects the reference intensity level in the zone, and

when the light intensity sensor detects the reference intensity level, store PWM settings that are then in effect to the data set as the change.

7. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising:

the sensor comprises a color temperature sensor; and

the programming that is configured to cause the controller to perform the calibration comprises programming that is configured to cause the processor to;

receive color temperature data from the color temperature sensor,

compare the received color temperature data to a reference color temperature level,

command the device drivers for the one or more LED illumination devices associated with the zone to increase drive current delivered to the first group of LEDs and decrease drive current delivered to the second group of LEDs in their corresponding illumination devices until the color temperature sensor detects the reference color temperature in the zone, and

when the light intensity sensor detects the reference color temperature, store drive currents that are then in effect to the data set as the change.

8. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is attached to a robotic transport device.

9. A method of controlling a lighting system, comprising:

operating a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) illumination devices in an environment, wherein each illumination device comprises a device driver;

by a controller;

performing a calibration event for a zone of the environment in which a sensor that comprises a color temperature sensor or a light intensity sensor is located by;

receiving data from the sensor,

comparing the received data to a reference level,

determining a change to drive current or pulse width modulation (PWM) for one or more LEDs of one or more LED illumination devices associated with the zone,

commanding one or more device drivers for the one or more illumination devices associated with the zone to implement the change, and

when the sensor detects the reference level, storing the change to a data set.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, by the controller:

receiving a selection of a scene, wherein the scene corresponds to a requirement to direct light of a specified color temperature or illuminance level to a location in the environment;

identifying a set of the illumination devices that correspond to the scene;

using the data set to generate commands to cause the device drivers for each of the identified illumination devices to control their corresponding illumination devices so that the specified color temperature or illuminance level of light will be received at the location; and

sending the commands to the device drivers for the illumination devices that correspond to the scene.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the reference level comprises a color temperature level;

each illumination device comprises a first group of LEDs of a first color temperature and a second plurality of LEDs of a second color temperature; and

the commands that cause the device drivers to control their corresponding illumination devices comprise instructions to increase the drive current delivered to the first group of LEDs in each corresponding device and decrease the drive current delivered to the second group of LEDs in each corresponding device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the reference level comprises an illuminance level; and

the commands that cause the device drivers to control their corresponding illumination devices s comprise commands to;

automatically reduce the brightness of one of the groups of LEDs by decreasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or increasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs, and

automatically increase the brightness of the other group of LEDs by increasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or decreasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs,

so that the specified illuminance level will be received at the location.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying the group of LED illumination devices that correspond to the scene comprises:

accessing a data storage facility comprising sets of scene data;

retrieving a set of scene data that corresponds to the scene; and

extracting an identification of the group of LED devices that correspond to the scene from the retrieved set of scene data.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the sensor comprises a light intensity sensor; and

the method further comprises, by the controller, performing the calibration event for the zone by;

receiving light intensity data from the light intensity sensor,

comparing the received light intensity data to a reference intensity level,

commanding one or more device drivers for one or more of the illumination devices associated with the zone to use PWM to alter brightness of light produced by LEDs in each illumination device until the sensor detects the desired intensity level in the zone, and

when the light intensity sensor detects the reference intensity level, storing PWM settings that are then in effect to the data set.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the sensor comprises a color temperature sensor; and

the method further comprises, by the controller, performing the calibration event for the zone by;

receiving color temperature data from the color temperature sensor,

comparing the received color temperature data to a reference color temperature level,

commanding one or more device drivers for one or more of the illumination devices associated with the zone to increase drive current delivered to the first group of LEDs and decrease drive current delivered to the second group of LEDs in their corresponding illumination devices until the color temperature sensor detects the reference color temperature in the zone, and

when the color temperature sensor detects the reference color temperature level, storing PWM settings that are then in effect to the data set.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor is attached to a robotic transport device, and the method further comprises causing the robotic transport device to move to multiple zones in the environment and performing the calibration event in each of the zones.

17. A method of controlling a lighting system, comprising:

operating a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) illumination devices in an environment, wherein each illumination device comprises a device driver;

positioning in a zone of the environment a light intensity sensor that is configured to measure an illuminance level of light; and

by a controller, performing a calibration event for the zone of the environment in which the light intensity sensor is located by;

receiving a measured illuminance level from the light intensity sensor,

comparing the measured illuminance level to a reference value,

commanding one or more device drivers for one or more illumination devices associated with the zone to alter a color temperature, intensity level, or both of light directed to the zone, and

when the light intensity sensor detects the reference value, storing settings for the one or more illumination devices that are then in effect to a data set for a scene.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein commanding the one or more device drivers comprises commanding the device drivers for the one or more illumination devices to, until the light intensity sensor detects a reference level in the zone:

automatically reduce the brightness of a first group of LEDs in the one or more illumination devices by decreasing a width of voltage pulses applied to the first group of LEDs or increasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to the first group of LEDs, and

automatically increase the brightness of a second group of LEDs in the one or more illumination devices by increasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or decreasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to the second group of LEDs.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein positioning the light intensity sensor in the zone comprises operating a robotic transport device to which the light intensity sensor is attached so that the robotic transport device positions the light intensity sensor in the zone and moves the light intensity sensor to measure the illuminance level from a plurality of angles.