Lighting system

• US 9,822,950 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Meerbeek, Berent Willem, Lenssen, Kars-Michiel Hubert, Seuntiens, Petrus Johannes Hendrikus, Baaijens, Johannes Petrus Wilhelmus, Van Gheluwe, Jochen Renaat, Kroon, Bart, Van Loenen, Evert Jan, Newton, Philip Steven, Clout, Ramon Antoine Wiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US15/109,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20160320023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/003 by interposition of elements with electrically controlled variable light transmissivity, e.g. liquid crystal elements or electrochromic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/003 the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/02 for simulating daylight F21V9/04, F21V9/06 take precedence
• 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: F21Y 2115/15 Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light

Abstract

A lighting system comprises a light source having an exit window and an electrically controllable light processing arrangement, in the form of a grid of cells lying in a plane parallel to the exit window. Each cell has a cell wall formed as electrically switchable element which is switchable between at least two processing modes. The cell wall surrounds an opening, such that light emitted in a normal direction from the light source exit window is not processed, and light passing at an angle to the normal direction greater than a threshold angle is processed by the cell wall for color and/or intensity control.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a light source having an exit window; and

an electrically controllable light processing arrangement,

wherein the electrically controllable processing arrangement comprises a grid of cells lying in a plane parallel to the exit window, each cell having a cell wall formed as electrically switchable element which is switchable between at least two processing modes, wherein the cell wall surrounds an opening, such that light emitted in a normal direction from the light source exit window is not processed, and light passing at an angle to the normal direction greater than a threshold angle is processed by the cell wall.

2. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light processing arrangement comprises an electrically controllable filter or reflector.

3. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two modes comprise modes which provide different color light output for light passing at an angle to the normal direction greater than the threshold angle.

4. A lighting system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least two modes comprise a first mode which provides a filtered output with a first blue component and a second mode which provides a filtered output with a different second blue component.

5. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two modes comprise modes which provide different light intensity output for light passing at an angle to the normal direction greater than the threshold angle.

6. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cells contain electrically charged particles which perform a filtering function, and the particles are adapted to move within the cell wall between an in-view area and a reservoir area.

7. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each cell comprises a single color filter.

8. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each cell comprises a multiple color filter.

9. A lighting system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each cell comprises at least two different types of charged color particle which are independently movable between the in-view area and the reservoir area.

10. A lighting system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each cell comprises a set of sub-walls side-by-side in the plane parallel to the exit window, wherein each sub-wall comprises an electrically switchable filter for a different color.

11. A lighting system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each cell comprises a set of sub-walls stacked in the direction normal to the exit window, wherein each sub-wall comprises an electrically switchable filter for a different color.

12. A lighting system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the set of sub-walls comprises a first sub-wall with a yellow color subtractive filter, a second sub-wall with a magenta color subtractive filter and a third sub-wall with a cyan color subtractive filter.

13. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grid of cells comprises independently controllable regions.

14. A lighting system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the grid of cells comprises a first type of cell providing a first color filtering function and a second type of cell providing a second color filtering function, and wherein the light source has independently controllable regions associated with the different types of cell.

15. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, comprising an artificial daylight luminaire.