Illumination components

• US 6,340,868 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Color Kinetics Incorporated (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Morgan, Frederick Marshall, Lys, Ihor, Mueller, George G., Blackwell, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, CHUC
• Application Number:
  US09/626,905
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 315/185.S, 315/86, 315/324, 315/312, 315/192, 315/77, 315/311, 315/291, 315/292, 315/362, 315/178, 362/234, 362/253, 362/184, 362/154
• US Class Current: 315/185.00S
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological treatment
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/28 rigid, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/004 Sanitary equipment, e.g. mirrors, showers, toilet seats or paper dispensers
• 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: F21W 2111/027 for indicating kerbs, steps or stairs
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/08 for handles or handrails
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/06 Passive matrix structure, i.e. with direct application of both column and row voltages to the light emitting or modulating elements, other than LCD or OLED
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/14 Semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2014 by modulation of the duration of a single pulse during which the logic level remains constant
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3283 in which the data driver supplies a variable data current for setting the current through, or the voltage across, the light-emitting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/28 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 : using buck topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 : using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 : Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 : having LEDs disposed in parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 : Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 : following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 : via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 : Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a current control for a lighting assembly, which may be an LED lighting assembly, which may be a pulse width modulated (“PWM”) current control or other form of current control where each current-controlled unit is uniquely addressable and capable of receiving illumination color information on a computer lighting network. In an embodiment, the invention includes a binary tree network configuration of lighting units (nodes). In another embodiment, the present invention comprises a heat dissipating housing, made out of a heat-conductive material, for housing the lighting assembly. The heat dissipating housing contains two stacked circuit boards holding respectively the power module and the light module. The light module is adapted to be conveniently interchanged with other light modules.

Claims

1. An illumination unit comprising:

a light module having a plurality of light emitting diodes for generating light of a range of colors within a color spectrum,

a processor for controlling the amount of electrical current supplied to each light emitting diode such that a particular amount of current supplied to the light module generates a corresponding color within the color spectrum, and

a power module for providing electrical current from a power source to the light module, the power module including a connector for removably and replacably connecting the power module to the light module.

2. The illumination unit of claim 1, wherein the light module includes a receiver for receiving a data signal from an external device, the receiver being coupled to the processor to provide the data signal to the processor.

3. The illumination unit of claim 1, wherein the light module includes a transmitter for transmitting a data signal to an external device, the transmitter being coupled to the processor to receive a data signal from the processor.

4. The illumination unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is coupled to the light module.

5. The illumination unit of claim 1, wherein the processor is coupled to the power module.

6. An illumination unit comprising

a light module having a plurality of light emitting diodes for generating light of a range of colors within a color spectrum,

a processor for controlling the amount of electrical current supplied to each light emitting diode such that a particular amount of current supplied to the light module generates a corresponding color within the color spectrum, and

a modular platform coupled to the light module, the modular platform having a coupling mechanism permitting the modular platform to be mechanically interconnected to at least one other modular platform to thereby form a modular illumination unit.

7. The illumination unit of claim 6, wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes in the light module is arranged linearly in series within a strip.

8. The illumination unit of claim 6, wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes in the light module is arranged within a two-dimensional geometrical panel.

9. The illumination unit of claim 6, wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes in the light module is arranged to form a three-dimensional structure.

10. The illumination unit of claim 6, wherein the coupling mechanism provides for electrical coupling between the light module and at least one other light module.