Apparatus and methods for combining light emitters

• US 8,350,461 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CREE Led Incorporated (Smart Global Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: You, Chenhua, Roberts, John
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, DAVID HUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/057,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20090246895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 362/230, 362/231, 362/234, 362/236, 362/235, 362/237, 362/253, 315/291, 315/294, 315/312, 313/498, 313/501, 313/502, 313/503
• US Class Current: 313/498
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/20 Dichroic filters, i.e. devices operating on the principle of wave interference to pass specific ranges of wavelengths while cancelling others
• 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 2340/06 Colour space transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light

Abstract

Provided are methods and apparatus for combining light emitters and devices including the same. Embodiments include methods of selecting combinations of multiple light emitters that are grouped into multiple bins. The multiple bins correspond to multiple emitter group regions in a multiple axis color space and multiple luminosity ranges. Such methods may include prioritizing multiple combinations of light emitters from at least two of the bins, each of the combinations including chromaticity values corresponding to a desired color region and a luminosity value corresponding to a specified luminosity range.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a plurality of light emitters, a portion of which are grouped responsive to a combined chromaticity of a portion of a plurality of bins that are defined corresponding to a plurality of emitter group regions in a multiple axis color space and a plurality of luminosity ranges,

wherein the plurality of bins are prioritized corresponding to chromaticity values.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bins comprises a center point corresponding to chromaticity and luminosity values.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the combined chromaticity comprises chromaticity values estimated from a first chromaticity and a first luminosity corresponding to a first bin of the plurality of bins and a second chromaticity and a second luminosity corresponding to a second bin of the plurality of bins.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the combined chromaticity comprises chromaticity values that are within a desired color region in the multiple axis color space.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bins are prioritized by proximity to a desired color region in the multiple axis color space.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein a first emitter group region that corresponds to a first bin of the plurality of bins is more proximate the desired color region than a second emitter group region that corresponds to a second bin of the plurality of bins, and wherein the second bin includes a high priority relative to the first bin.

7. The device of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of light emitters are selected from a batch of light emitters that are grouped into the plurality of bins, and

wherein each of the plurality of bins includes a center point comprising center point chromaticity values and center point luminosity values.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the combined chromaticity comprises an additive mixing of center point chromaticity values and center point luminosity values corresponding to at least two of the plurality of bins.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the combined chromaticity comprises chromaticity values that correspond to a desired color region.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of combination center points corresponding to at least two of the plurality of bins are prioritized based on a target chromaticity point in a desired color region.

11. The device of claim 10,

wherein the plurality of light emitters are selected from an inventory of light emitters that are grouped into the plurality of bins, and

wherein the plurality of combination center points are prioritized corresponding to a plurality of substantially concentric regions centered at the target chromaticity point, the regions including an aspect ratio substantially similar to an aspect ratio of a bounded area corresponding to distribution data of the inventory of light emitters.

12. The device of claim 10,

wherein the plurality of light emitters are selected from an inventory of light emitters that are grouped into the plurality of bins, and

wherein the target chromaticity point comprises an inventory chromaticity center point corresponding to an aggregate chromaticity and luminosity of the inventory of light emitters.