Methods and apparatus for controlling a color temperature of lighting conditions
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum;
at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum;
at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; and
at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein;
the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal;
the sample radiation includes at least one ambient illumination condition; and
the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus based at least in part on the at least one ambient illumination condition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus in which at least one first LED generates first radiation having a first spectrum, and at least one second LED generates second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum. One or more controllers control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation. In one example, one or more sensors monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide one or more sensor signals to the one or more controllers, which in turn control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal. In various implementations, the sample radiation may be ambient illumination (e.g., natural-light and/or light from other light sources), may be the visible radiation itself (e.g., to provide feedback to the one or more controllers), or generally any desired lighting condition to simulate.
436 Citations
105 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; and at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein; the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal; the sample radiation includes at least one ambient illumination condition; and the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus based at least in part on the at least one ambient illumination condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; and at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein; the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal; the sample radiation includes at least one desired lighting condition; and the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus so as to essentially simulate the at least one desired lighting condition. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
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35. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; and at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein; the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal; and wherein the sample radiation includes at least some of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus, such that the at least one sensor signal provides at least one feedback signal to the at least one controller; wherein the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus based on a comparison of the at least one feedback signal provided by the at least one sensor and at least one desired lighting condition; and wherein the at least one desired lighting condition corresponds essentially to at least one lighting condition provided by at least one of an incandescent light source, a fluorescent light source and a halogen light source.
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36. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; and at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein; the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal; and wherein the sample radiation includes at least some of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus, such that the at least one sensor signal provides at least one feedback signal to the at least one controller; and wherein the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus based on a comparison of the at least one feedback signal provided by the at least one sensor and at least one desired lighting condition, the apparatus further including at least one user interface coupled to the at least one controller to permit a user to define or select the at least one desired lighting condition. - View Dependent Claims (37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105)
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38. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; and at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein; the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal; and wherein the sample radiation includes at least some of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus, such that the at least one sensor signal provides at least one feedback signal to the at least one controller; wherein the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus based on a comparison of the at least one feedback signal provided by the at least one sensor and at least one desired lighting condition; and wherein; the at least one controller includes a processor and a memory; a representation of the at least one desired lighting condition is stored in the memory; and the processor is programmed to compare the at least one feedback signal and the representation of the at least one desired lighting condition so as to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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44. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal; and at least one housing to support at least the at least one first LED and the at least one second LED, wherein the at least one housing is configured to resemble a conventional light bulb, and wherein the housing comprises at least one connector that is adapted to engage mechanically and electrically with a conventional light socket arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. A method, comprising acts of:
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A) energizing at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; B) energizing at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; C) controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation; and D) monitoring at least one characteristic of sample radiation, wherein the act C) includes an act of controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation based on the act D), wherein the sample radiation includes at least one ambient illumination condition, and wherein the act C) comprises an act of; C1) controlling at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one ambient illumination condition. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method, comprising acts of:
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A) energizing at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; B) energizing at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; C) controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation; and D) monitoring at least one characteristic of sample radiation, wherein the act C) includes an act of controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation based on the act D), wherein the sample radiation includes at least one desired lighting condition, and wherein the act C) comprises an act of; C1) controlling at least the color temperature of the visible radiation so as to essentially simulate the at least one desired lighting condition. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method, comprising acts of:
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A) energizing at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; B) energizing at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; C) controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation; and D) monitoring at least one characteristic of sample radiation, wherein the act C) includes an act of controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation based on the act D), wherein the sample radiation includes at least some of the visible radiation, and wherein the method further comprises an act of; generating at least one feedback signal based on the act D), wherein the act C) comprises an act of; C1) controlling at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based on a comparison of the at least one feedback signal and at least one desired lighting condition; and wherein the at least one desired lighting condition corresponds essentially to at least one lighting condition provided by at least one of an incandescent light source, a fluorescent light source, and a halogen light source.
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69. A method, comprising acts of:
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A) energizing at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; B) energizing at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; C) controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation; and D) monitoring at least one characteristic of sample radiation, wherein the act C) includes an act of controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation based on the act D), wherein the sample radiation includes at least some of the visible radiation, and wherein the method further comprises an act of; generating at least one feedback signal based on the act D), wherein the act C) comprises an act of; C1) controlling at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based on a comparison of the at least one feedback signal and at least one desired lighting condition, the method further comprising an act of defining or selecting the at least one desired lighting condition via at least one user interface. - View Dependent Claims (70, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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71. A method, comprising acts of:
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A) energizing at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; B) energizing at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; C) controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation; and D) monitoring at least one characteristic of sample radiation, wherein the act C) includes an act of controlling at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation based on the act D), wherein the sample radiation includes at least some of the visible radiation, and wherein the method further comprises an act of; generating at least one feedback signal based on the act D), wherein the act C) comprises an act of; C1) controlling at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based on a comparison of the at least one feedback signal and at least one desired lighting condition, the method further comprising acts of; storing a representation of the at least one desired lighting condition in memory; and comparing the at least one feedback signal and the representation of the at least one desired lighting condition so as to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation. - View Dependent Claims (72)
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77. A system, comprising:
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a first apparatus comprising; at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; and at least one first controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a first color temperature of first visible radiation emanating from the first apparatus; a second apparatus comprising; at least one third LED to generate third radiation having a third spectrum; at least one fourth LED to generate fourth radiation having a fourth spectrum different than the third spectrum; and at least one second controller to control at least one of the third radiation and the fourth radiation so as to control at least a second color temperature of second visible radiation emanating from the second apparatus; and at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one first controller and the at least one second controller, wherein the at least one first controller is configured to control at least the first color temperature of the first visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal, and wherein the at least one second controller is configured to control at least the second color temperature of the second visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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95. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; and at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein; the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal; wherein the sample radiation includes at least some of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus, such that the at least one sensor signal provides at least one feedback signal to the at least one controller; and wherein the at least one first LED includes at least one first white LED, the apparatus further comprising at least one user interface coupled to the at least one controller to permit a user to control the visible radiation. - View Dependent Claims (96)
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97. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one first LED to generate first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one second LED to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; at least one controller to control at least one of the first radiation and the second radiation so as to control at least a color temperature of visible radiation emanating from the apparatus; and at least one sensor to monitor at least one characteristic of sample radiation and provide at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller, wherein; the at least one controller is configured to control at least the color temperature of the visible radiation based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal; wherein the sample radiation includes at least some of the visible radiation emanating from the apparatus, such that the at least one sensor signal provides at least one feedback signal to the at least one controller; and wherein the at least one sensor is configured to wirelessly communicate the at least one sensor signal to the at least one controller.
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Specification