System for generating non-homogenous light and associated methods

• US 9,595,118 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Healthe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lighting Science Group Corporation (Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P.)
• Inventors: Maxik, Fredric S., Soler, Robert R., Bartine, David E., Widjaja, Addy S., Regan, Matthew, Grove, Eliza Katar
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Wei
• Application Number:
  US14/272,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20140239845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 315/294, 315/291, 315/307, 315/327, 315/175, 315/224, 315/299, 362/293, 362/267, 362/231, 362/276, 362/800, 362/805, 362/2, 362/311, 362/33, 362/85, 362/89, 362/227, 362/230, 362235-236, 362/257, 362/802, 362/804
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• 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 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting apparatus comprising a plurality of luminaires, each luminaire comprising a controller configured to operate the luminaire and positioned in communication with a computerized device. Each luminaire may be selectively operable to emit source light characterized by a dominant source light wavelength within a range from 390 nanometers to 750 nanometers. Additionally, at least two of the plurality of luminaires may be operable to emit source lights with different dominant source light wavelengths, and such that one or more source lights emitted by the plurality of luminaires may combine to form a combined light at a distance from the plurality of luminaires defined as a combining distance. Furthermore, the dominant source light wavelength of at least some of the luminaires of the plurality of luminaires may be variable with time.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a plurality of luminaires, each luminaire comprising a controller configured to operate the luminaire and positioned in communication with a computerized device;

wherein each luminaire is selectively operable to emit source light, the source light being characterized by a dominant source light wavelength within a range from 390 nanometers to 750 nanometers;

wherein at least two of the plurality of luminaires are operable to emit source lights with different dominant source light wavelengths, and such that two or more source lights emitted by the plurality of luminaires combine to form a combined light at a distance from the plurality of luminaires defined as a combining distance;

wherein the dominant source light wavelength of at least some of the luminaires of the plurality of luminaires are variable with time; and

wherein controllers of each of the plurality of luminaires operate the plurality of luminaires such that a color temperature of the combined light does not vary more than 5% across the length and width of the area of illumination while the dominant source wavelength of at least one of the luminaires of the plurality of luminaires varies with time.

2. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each luminaire of the plurality of luminaires comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

3. The lighting apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the driver circuit is configured to drive the plurality of LEDs with a ripple current at frequencies greater than 200 Hz.

4. The lighting apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a spectral power distribution of the plurality of luminaires has an associated maximum intensity at each wavelength;

wherein the plurality of luminaires are operable to emit 45% of the maximum intensity at a wavelength of 440 nm, 53% of the maximum intensity at a wavelength of 460 nm, 75% of the maximum intensity at a wavelength of 480 nm, 77% of the maximum intensity at a wavelength of 560 nm, 74% of the maximum intensity at a wavelength of 580 nm, and 71% of the maximum intensity at a wavelength of 600 nm.

5. The lighting apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the driver circuit is configured to control the intensity of light emitted by the respective luminaire through pulse-width modulation.

6. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the combined light has a color temperature within the range from 2,700 K to 3,500 K.

7. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a spectral power distribution of each luminaire of the plurality of luminaires is alterable responsive to a time indicated by a time-keeping device in communication with the computerized device.

8. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the combined light is a white light.

9. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the combined light comprises a plurality of wavelengths that is variable with time.

10. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controllers are operable to operate the associated luminaires such that a selected wavelength is persistently included in the plurality of wavelengths.

11. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a luminaire of the plurality of luminaires is operable to emit a source light comprising two wavelengths;

and wherein the source light has a non-white color associated therewith.

12. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the combined light at the combining distance has an area of illumination having a length and a width;

and wherein the plurality of luminaires are operable so as to control the variation of at least one characteristic of the combined light along at least one of the length and the width of the area of illumination.

13. The lighting apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the at least one characteristic of the combined light that is controlled is selected from the group consisting of color temperature, color rendering index, chromaticity, and luminous intensity.

14. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each luminaire of the plurality of luminaires is positioned at an offset distance from each other adjacent luminaire;

and wherein the combining distance is determined by the offset distance.

15. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a computerized device; and

a plurality of luminaires, each luminaire comprising a controller configured to operate the luminaire and positioned in communication with the computerized device;

wherein each luminaire is selectively operable to emit source light, each source light having a dominant source light wavelength within a range from 390 nanometers to 750 nanometers;

wherein the plurality of luminaires are arrangeable so as to form an array;

wherein the computerized device is programmable to operate at least some of the plurality of luminaires such that at least two of the plurality of luminaires emit source lights with different dominant source light wavelengths, and such that two or more source lights combine to form a combined light at a distance from the plurality of luminaires defined as a combining distance; and

wherein the computerized device is configurable to vary the dominant source light wavelength of at least some luminaires of the plurality of luminaires with time; and

wherein the computerized device is configured to operate the plurality of luminaires such that a color temperature of the combined light dos not vary more than 5% across the length and width of the area of illumination while the dominant source wavelength of at least one of the luminaires of the plurality of luminaires varies with time.

16. The lighting apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the computerized device is programmable to determine a relative location of each luminaire of the plurality of luminaires with respect to an adjacent at least one luminaire of the plurality of luminaires and each other luminaire of the plurality of luminaires.

17. The lighting apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the computerized device is configured to receive a lighting scenario from a remote computerized device placed in electronic communication with the computerized device;

and wherein the computerized device is programmable to operate the plurality of luminaires responsive to the lighting scenario received from the remote computerized device.

18. The lighting apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the computerized device is positioned in electronic communication with a network;

and wherein the computerized device is configured to receive the lighting scenario from the remote computerized device across the network.

19. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a plurality of luminaires, each luminaire comprising a controller configured to operate the respective luminaire and that is positioned in communication with a computerized device;

wherein each luminaire is selectively operable to emit source light, the source light being characterized by a dominant source light wavelength within a range from 390 nanometers to 750 nanometers;

wherein at least two of the plurality of luminaires are operable to emit source lights with different dominant source light wavelengths, and such that two or more source lights emitted by the plurality of luminaires combine to form a combined light at a distance from the plurality of luminaires defined as a combining distance;

wherein the dominant source light wavelength of at least some of the luminaires are variable with time;

wherein each controller is configured to receive a lighting scenario from a computerized device placed in electronic communication with the controller;

wherein each controller is programmable to operate the plurality of luminaires responsive to the lighting scenario received from the remote computerized device; and

wherein each controller is configured to receive instructions from the remote computerized device so as to operate the plurality of luminaires such that a color temperature of the combined light does not vary more than 5% across the length and width of the area of illumination while the dominant source wavelength of at least one of the luminaires of the plurality of luminaires varies with time.