Light assembly for providing substantially uniform illumination
First Claim
1. A method of illuminating visual media content on a billboard display surface using a first lighting unit and a second lighting unit that each include a circuit board, a plurality of LEDs arranged on the circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements of the first and second lighting units overlies a respective one of the LEDs of the first and second lighting units, and wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements of the first and second lighting units is configured to redirect light from the respective one of the LEDs, the method comprising the steps of:
- directing light from the first lighting unit toward a portion of the billboard display surface that extends from an edge of the billboard display surface, wherein the light from the first lighting unit is directed across the entire portion of the billboard display surface and wherein if one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the first lighting unit fails, remaining LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the first lighting unit still illuminate the entire portion of the billboard so that all of the visual media content on the portion of the billboard display surface is visible without any additional light; and
at the same time, directing light from the second lighting unit toward the portion of the billboard display surface such that the light from the second lighting unit is directed across the entire portion of the billboard display surface, wherein if one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the second lighting unit fails, remaining LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the second lighting unit still illuminate the entire portion of the billboard so that all of the visual media content on the portion of the billboard display surface is visible without any additional light;
wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements comprises;
a first outer boundary, a second outer boundary opposite the first outer boundary, a third outer boundary connecting the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary, a fourth outer boundary opposite the third outer boundary, and a central region halfway between the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary;
a first element with a convex outer surface extending from the first outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the first outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the first element being vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a first distance;
a second element with a convex outer surface extending from the second outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the second outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the second element being vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a second distance, wherein a portion of the convex outer surface of the first element intersects with a portion of the convex outer surface of the second element at an angle in a region between the first element and the second element;
a third element disposed between the third outer boundary and a region halfway between the third outer boundary and the fourth outer boundary, wherein the third element has a peak that is vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a third distance that is greater than the first distance and is greater than the second distance; and
a fourth element positioned proximate the respective LED, wherein the first, second and third elements are positioned above the fourth element, the fourth element having a first boundary enclosing a first surface adjacent the respective LED and a second boundary enclosing a second surface adjacent the first, second and third elements, the first boundary being smaller than the second boundary.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lighting assembly can be used for illuminating a predetermined area. The assembly includes a number of LEDs directed toward the predetermined area and a number of lenses. Each lens is disposed over only one associated LED and is configured to direct light from that LED toward the predetermined area, such that the light from each lens is directed across the entire predetermined area. The light intensity from each lens is substantially uniform across the entire predetermined area.
218 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of illuminating visual media content on a billboard display surface using a first lighting unit and a second lighting unit that each include a circuit board, a plurality of LEDs arranged on the circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements of the first and second lighting units overlies a respective one of the LEDs of the first and second lighting units, and wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements of the first and second lighting units is configured to redirect light from the respective one of the LEDs, the method comprising the steps of:
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directing light from the first lighting unit toward a portion of the billboard display surface that extends from an edge of the billboard display surface, wherein the light from the first lighting unit is directed across the entire portion of the billboard display surface and wherein if one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the first lighting unit fails, remaining LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the first lighting unit still illuminate the entire portion of the billboard so that all of the visual media content on the portion of the billboard display surface is visible without any additional light; and at the same time, directing light from the second lighting unit toward the portion of the billboard display surface such that the light from the second lighting unit is directed across the entire portion of the billboard display surface, wherein if one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the second lighting unit fails, remaining LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the second lighting unit still illuminate the entire portion of the billboard so that all of the visual media content on the portion of the billboard display surface is visible without any additional light; wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements comprises; a first outer boundary, a second outer boundary opposite the first outer boundary, a third outer boundary connecting the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary, a fourth outer boundary opposite the third outer boundary, and a central region halfway between the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary; a first element with a convex outer surface extending from the first outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the first outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the first element being vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a first distance; a second element with a convex outer surface extending from the second outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the second outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the second element being vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a second distance, wherein a portion of the convex outer surface of the first element intersects with a portion of the convex outer surface of the second element at an angle in a region between the first element and the second element; a third element disposed between the third outer boundary and a region halfway between the third outer boundary and the fourth outer boundary, wherein the third element has a peak that is vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a third distance that is greater than the first distance and is greater than the second distance; and a fourth element positioned proximate the respective LED, wherein the first, second and third elements are positioned above the fourth element, the fourth element having a first boundary enclosing a first surface adjacent the respective LED and a second boundary enclosing a second surface adjacent the first, second and third elements, the first boundary being smaller than the second boundary. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of illuminating a billboard display surface using a first lighting assembly and a second lighting assembly that each include a plurality of LEDs and a plurality of optical elements, each optical element overlying a respective one of the LEDs, the billboard display surface being divided into only a first portion and a non-overlapping second portion, the method comprising the steps of:
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directing light from the first lighting assembly toward the first portion of the billboard display surface such that the light from the first lighting assembly is directed across the entire first portion of the billboard display surface; and at the same time, directing light from the second lighting assembly toward the second portion of the billboard display surface such that the light from the second lighting assembly is directed across the entire second portion of the billboard display surface; wherein when all LEDs of the first lighting assembly are operating, the entire first portion of the billboard display surface is illuminated with an illumination level and a uniformity, and wherein failure of one or more LEDs of the first lighting assembly will cause the illumination level of light impinging the first portion of the billboard display surface to decrease while the uniformity of light impinging the first portion of the billboard display surface remains substantially the same; and wherein when all LEDs of the second lighting assembly are operating, the entire second portion of the billboard display surface is illuminated with an illumination level and a uniformity, and wherein failure of one or more LEDs of the second lighting assembly will cause the illumination level of light impinging the second portion of the billboard display surface to decrease while the uniformity of light impinging the second portion of the billboard display surface remains substantially the same wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements comprises; a first outer boundary, a second outer boundary opposite the first outer boundary, a third outer boundary connecting the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary, a fourth outer boundary opposite the third outer boundary, and a central region halfway between the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary; a first element with a convex outer surface extending from the first outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the first outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the first element being vertically spaced from a circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a first distance; a second element with a convex outer surface extending from the second outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the second outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the second element being vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a second distance, wherein a portion of the convex outer surface of the first element intersects with a portion of the convex outer surface of the second element at an angle in a region between the first element and the second element; a third element disposed between the third outer boundary and a region halfway between the third outer boundary and the fourth outer boundary, wherein the third element has a peak that is vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a third distance that is greater than the first distance and is greater than the second distance; and a fourth element positioned proximate the respective LED, wherein the first, second and third elements are positioned above the fourth element, the fourth element having a first boundary enclosing a first surface adjacent the respective LED and a second boundary enclosing a second surface adjacent the first, second and third elements, the first boundary being smaller than the second boundary. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of illuminating a billboard, the method comprising the steps of:
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illuminating a first portion of a display surface of the billboard using a first lighting assembly, the display surface having a width of forty-eight feet, the first lighting assembly including a plurality of LEDs and a plurality of optical elements proximate the plurality of LEDs so as to direct light across the first portion of the display surface; and illuminating a second portion of the display surface of the billboard using a second lighting assembly, the second lighting assembly including a second plurality of LEDs and a second plurality of optical elements proximate the second plurality of LEDs so as to direct light across the second portion of the display surface; wherein the first portion and the second portion comprise all of the display surface of the billboard; wherein the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly are laterally spaced along a single edge of the display surface; wherein all of the display surface is illuminated using only the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly without any additional lighting assembly; wherein when all LEDs of the first lighting assembly are operating, the entire first portion of the billboard display surface is illuminated with an illumination level and a uniformity, and wherein failure of one or more LEDs of the first lighting assembly will cause the illumination level of light impinging the first portion of the billboard display surface to decrease while the uniformity of light impinging the first portion of the billboard display surface remains substantially the same; and wherein when all LEDs of the second lighting assembly are operating, the entire second portion of the billboard display surface is illuminated with an illumination level and a uniformity, and wherein failure of one or more LEDs of the second lighting assembly will cause the illumination level of light impinging the second portion of the billboard display surface to decrease while the uniformity of light impinging the second portion of the billboard display surface remains substantially the same wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements comprises; a first outer boundary, a second outer boundary opposite the first outer boundary, a third outer boundary connecting the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary, a fourth outer boundary opposite the third outer boundary, and a central region halfway between the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary; a first element with a convex outer surface extending from the first outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the first outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the first element being vertically spaced from a circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a first distance; a second element with a convex outer surface extending from the second outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the second outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the second element being vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a second distance, wherein a portion of the convex outer surface of the first element intersects with a portion of the convex outer surface of the second element at an angle in a region between the first element and the second element; a third element disposed between the third outer boundary and a region halfway between the third outer boundary and the fourth outer boundary, wherein the third element has a peak that is vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a third distance that is greater than the first distance and is greater than the second distance; and a fourth element positioned proximate the respective LED, wherein the first, second and third elements are positioned above the fourth element, the fourth element having a first boundary enclosing a first surface adjacent the respective LED and a second boundary enclosing a second surface adjacent the first, second and third elements, the first boundary being smaller than the second boundary. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification