FR2640512A1 - Method, devices and installations for illumination with psycho-physiological effects in particular for combating stress - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the method of the invention, coloured-light stimuli are hidden within illumination radiation, for example of white colour, and illuminate an environment in which people move. The stimuli are intended to influence the perception of the environment in a favourable sense and act by awakening subliminal colour sensations. A preferred embodiment of an illumination device according to the invention comprises a radiation assembly ER with three fluorescent lamps LR, LV, LB producing three light radiation components with respectively red, green and blue colours. The colours of the stimuli and of the illumination radiation are obtained by adjusting the intensities and mixing of the radiation components. Stimuli of various colours can thus be produced. In an illumination installation according to the invention, the various illumination devices are interconnected by a synchronisation line LS and operate synchronously according to the same stimulation cycle.

Description

PROCESS, DEVICES AND INSTALLATIONS 1>'LIGHTING
WITH PSYCHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS ESPECIALLY AGAINST STRESS
The present invention relates generally to the problems associated with the adaptation of people to their environment. More particularly, the invention relates to a lighting method, devices and installations designed to emit subliminal light stimuli intended to awaken subliminal sensations of color and thus to promote determined psycho-physiological effects in people subjected to said stimuli.

 The deterioration of environments, particularly in urban cities, is a current concern and has been reported by the international medical community as one of the main causes of chronic stress and of the various illnesses and psycho-somatic disorders which result from it. The problem of the relationship between a person and his environment is a crucial problem in the context of modern life. Whether in his work environment or in the urban environment, the person is subject to complex and multiple constraints and solicitations to which his body must adapt and provide appropriate responses. using reactions of the neuro-hormonal system including certain perceptible effects such as increased heart rate, respiratory rate, sweating and skin heat are well known to all. These reactions, called neuro-vegetative, depend on a general adaptation syndrome and aim to mobilize the organism's capacities in order to face a new situation. When prolonged and repeated excessively, neuro-vegetative reactions keep the body in a state of chronic tension that is harmful to it and is the source of many functional and organic diseases.

The perception of environments and the meanings attributed to different environments have been the subject of studies. The authors A. MEEPABIAN 'and JA RUSSEL in their article "The Basic
Emotional Impact of Environnents ", Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1974, n 38, pp. 283-301, as well as JA RUSSEL and G. PRATT in" A Description of the Affective Quality Attributed to Environments ",
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1980, na 2, pp. 311322 present the results of their research in this area.

These authors have shown that the meaning attributed to any environment is decomposable into a cognitive perceptual component and an emotional component, the emotional component having two dimensions, a dimension of pleasure and a dimension of activation. Thus, for example, anxiety is characterized by a low score according to the dimension of pleasure and a high score according to the dimension of activation. This research shows that a process capable of exerting an influence according to these two dimensions, of pleasure and activation, is likely to facilitate the birth of different rotions and to act on the meaning attributed to an environment.

 In general, a person's response to an environment is linked to the meaning that this environment has for the person concerned. Modifying the meaning of the environment in a favorable, that is to say non-aggressive, pleasant, sense is a way of modifying the person's response and of promoting a state of harmony suitable for facilitating adaptation without excessive reactions. of stress.

Lighting, in addition to its important and varied effects on animal and plant life, is an essential determinant of a person's perception of an environment. The intensity, the spectral composition of a lighting are elements on which it is pos
sible to intervene in order to modify the visual perception in particular of the colors of the environment and thus to arouse various emotions. Varying the color of a light is a well-known way by ambient lighting designers to foster in places of entertainment and celebration emotions of pleasure and gaiety. Blue, red, green and yellow lightings corresponding to statistical color preferences are
widely used for this purpose.

 The psycho-physiological effects of colors have given rise to numerous researches, the results of which are applied in very distinct fields such as for example advertising, decoration and the pharmaceutical industry (placebo effect of colors).

 This research has shown the repercussions of the colors of an environment, in particular on the cardiac and respiratory rhythms, and on the significance attributed to the environment. So, for example, the warm colors predominantly red have an energizing, exciting effect; the cold colors predominantly blue have a calming, relaxing effect. The psychophysiological repercussions of colors in a given person strongly depend on his own affective resonances. However in general and despite the particular affective resonances, the vision of the same color by different people facilitates in these people a transition to the same emotional state. In addition, colors are affected by important symbolic charges which are not unrelated to their psychophysiological repercussions.

 Subliminal perception in humans is a known phenomenon which refers to the recording and processing of visual, auditory and other stimuli below the threshold of consciousness. The stimuli are most often subliminal due to an intensity or duration insufficient to allow a conscious representation, whether in an absolute or relative way compared to other stimuli. Subliminal perception results from an intermediate perception space between a physiological recording threshold linked to a sensitivity of the sense organs and a conscious recognition threshold. N. DIXON's book "PRECONSCIOUS PROCESSING", J. Whiley and Sons, Chichester, 1981, gives an exhaustive account of current knowledge in terms of subliminal perception and preconscious processing.

Briefly, it has been shown that subliminal stimuli are recorded and analyzed in their meanings by the human nervous system and have an influence on the behaviors and responses of people who are subject to them.

The patents of the United States of America US-3060795 and US-3278676 and the French patent FR-B-2549990 describe stimulation devices for producing subliminal visual and auditory stimuli.

These stimulation devices are applicable in the fields of cinema, television, and the fight against theft in stores and proceed by projection of images and emission of sound messages.

Furthermore, it is commercially available, in the form of an audit cassette, a relaxation method entitled: "Subliminal relaxation"(~; arque Déposée) and developed by F. ORGEAT and
L. TRAWLING. Save it. sound of this cassette consists of a background of relaxing music and subminimal messages formulated in application of the so-called "SCHELTZ" relaxation method. This relaxation method by subliminal auditory stimuli, the effectiveness of which has been massively tested by radio, constitutes a first application of the phenomenon of subliminal perception in the prevention by relaxation of stress-related disorders.

 The main object of the present invention is to provide a lighting method designed to promote! psychophysiological effects determined in people in particular to facilitate their adaptation to environments deemed stressful.

 To this end, the method according to the invention is characterized in that subliminal light stimuli are emitted according to a stimulation cycle and are mixed with illuminating light radiation, said stimuli and radiation having different spectral compositions and the stimuli being determined to awaken in people subliminal sensations of color capable of arousing the desired psycho-physiological effects.

 According to the invention, said lighting light radiation consists of artificial radiation and / or natural light.

 According to a first variant, subliminal light stimuli having different spectral compositions are emitted during the stimulation cycle in order to respectively awaken different subliminal sensations of color.

 According to a second variant, the subliminal light stimuli are emitted during the stimulation cycle according to at least one average frequency of repetition of stimuli included in the range of cerebral rhythms and also determined as a function of the psycho-physiological effects sought.

 Several considerations are involved in the choice of stimulus colors. A color is for example chosen because of its general effect and its meaning which are known. Thus the color blue is a color known to be relaxing and is advantageously chosen when a deactivation effect is sought.

When an increase in the pleasure dimension of the emotion is desirable, statistical and individual color preferences can guide the choice of stimulus colors.

 In addition, by the choice of stimulus repetition frequencies, it is possible to exert an additional influence on the activation dimension of the emotion.

 Thus repetition frequencies corresponding to the cerebral rhythms theta and alpha are for example chosen when deactivation and activation effects are respectively sought.

 The method according to the invention is more particularly intended for the field of lighting. However, it is of course applicable to other fields such as for example light signaling and in general to any field in which light radiation is used.

 Furthermore, it should be noted that due to the low energy of the stimuli, their emission at repetition frequencies corresponding to the cerebral rhythms is harmless and is not of a nature to elicit epileptic manifestations as has been observed with strobe devices emitting light pulses of high energy.

 Another objective of the invention is to provide lighting devices and installations for implementing the method according to the invention.

To this end, a lighting device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises
first light emission means for emitting subliminal light stimuli,
second light emitting means for emitting the illuminating light radiation, and
means for supplying and controlling the light emission means in order to produce the subliminal light stimuli mixed with the lighting radiation.

 Preferably, the light emitting means comprise means for emitting at least two light radiation components having different spectral compositions and means for mixing the light radiation components, and the means for supplying and controlling comprise means for controlling the means for emitting and determining intensities corresponding to the components of afir light radiation. to produce sublimlnal light stimuli and lighting light radiation by mixing said components.

 A lighting installation according to the inv.ticn is characterized in that it comprises at least two lighting devices in accordance with the invention and programmed for the same stimulation cycle, and means for synchronizing the various devices for lighting in operation so that these operate in parallel and emit subliminal light stimuli equivalent to each instant of stimulus emission of the stimulation cycle.

 The invention is easily applicable in all areas of artificial lighting, for collective and individual lighting, in work and rest environments. The invention can also be implemented in certain cases for security purposes in order to facilitate an activation and vigilance state of one or more people. Thus, the application of the invention for the lighting, for example of dashboards of public transport vehicles, is a means of combating the risk of accident due to lack of vigilance and drowsiness of the driver.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of several preferred embodiments of the lighting devices and installations according to the invention with reference to the corresponding appended drawings, in which
- Figs. 1A and 1B respectively show two types of lighting devices according to the invention represented in schematic forms of principle
- Fig. 2 shows two different waveforms of a stimulus signal controlling the emission of subliminal light stimuli
- Fig. 3 schematically represents a cross-sectional view of a set of radiation having a mixture of light included in lighting devices according to the invention
- Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a first preferred embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention
- Fig. 5 shows waveforms of signals produced in the lighting device of FIG. 4
- Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a first preferred embodiment of a lighting installation according to the invention comprising a plurality of lighting devices
- Fig. 7 is a block diagram of a second preferred embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention which is more particularly designed to be used in the installation of the Fle. 6
- Fig. 8 shows an example of the stimulation cycle carried out by the lighting device of FIG. 7; ;
- Fig. 9 is a block diagram of a programmable control circuit included in the lighting device of FIG. 7
- Fig. 10 shows the content of a first REPRON memory included in the programmable control circuit of FIG. 9
- Fig. 11 shows first and second different waveforms of lamp control signals produced by the lighting device of FIG. 7 and corresponding respectively to the production of first and second subliminal light stimuli having different spectral cojsitions
- Fig. 12 shows the contents of a second REPRON memory included in the programmable control circuit of FIG. 9
- Figs. 13A and 13B show first and second operating timing diagrams relating to the synchronization of the lighting devices constituting the installation of FIG. 6 and corresponding respectively to first and second cases of different operating figures of the installation; and
- Fig. 14 shows a second preferred embodiment of a lighting installation according to the invention equipped with a current loop synchronization line.

 In the following description of lighting devices and installations according to the invention, color qualifiers are given to the subliminal light stimuli. These color qualifiers should not be interpreted in a restrictive sense and essentially relate to the respective color sensations awakened by said stimuli, color sensations which, depending on the case, correspond or do not correspond to the actual color temperatures of stimulus light radiation. For example, a stimulus light radiation may have a visible color close to white, but its spectral composition is determined so as to bring out certain color components of an environment with metamer colors.

 With reference to Figs. Ik, 1B and 2, two types of lighting devices according to the invention are described in schematic form.

 A first type of device shown in FIG. 1A comprises an illumination lamp LE for emitting white illuminating light radiation, a stimulation lamp LS for emitting colored stimulation light radiation, a switch C1, and a control pulse generator G1.

 The lamps LE and LS are supplied by a voltage VA through the switch Cl. The switch Cl is controlled by switching by a stimulus signal SI delivered by the pulse generator G1.

 First and second different waveforms of the stimulus signal SI are shown in the first and second lines, respectively, of FIG. 2.

The signal SI shown in the first line of FIG. 2 is composed of a sequence of IP pulses in logic state "1" delivered periodically by the generator C1 with a repetition frequency Fs = 1 / Ts. The frequency Fs is preferably between 4 and 15 Hz,
s that is to say in. a frequency band corresponding to cerebral rhythms. The IP pulses have a duration AT typically between 0.3 ms and 1 ms so that colored light stimuli emitted by the stimulation lamp LS in response to the IP pulses are subliminal.

The signal SI shown in the second line of FIG. 2 is composed of a sequence of IF pulses in state "1" delivered pseudo-randomly by the generator G1. The duration of a time interval between two successive pulses IF is pseudo-randomly distributed between two extreme values T1 and T2, around a value
ssm seine Ts = 1iFs = (T15 + T25) '2. The signal SI thus corresponds to an average repetition frequency Fs = 2 / (T1s + T2s). This second form
Signal wave sss SI has the advantage of increasing the difficulty of a subject in recognizing the colored light stimuli which are thus secured in a subliminal perception zone.

 With reference to FIG. 1A, the switch C1 is represented diagrammatically in the form of two contacts S1 and S2 respectively of the "work" and "rest" types. The contacts S1 and S2 are controlled simultaneously in switching mode by the stimulus signal SI.

When the signal SI is in the inactive state "0", the contacts S1 and S2 are respectively open and closed and only the lighting lamp LE is supplied and illuminates the environment with white light. An IF pulse in active state "1" of the stimulus signal
IF controls the closing and opening of the contacts respectively
SI and S2. The LS stimulation lamp is then supplied and emits a subliminal stimulus of duration #T.

 According to a variant, the contact S2 is replaced by a shortcIrcuit CC and the lighting lamp LE is permanently supplied.

The stimuli delivered by the stimulation lamp LS in response to the pulses IF of the stimulus signal SI are then superimposed on the white light radiation produced by the lighting lamp LE in order to produce a sensation of color.

According to this first type of device, the lighting lamp
LE provides substantially all of the lighting power while the LS stimulation lamp is largely underused. This results in particular, for lamps with the same characteristics, rapid wear of the lighting lamp LE compared to the stimulation lamp LS.

 Furthermore, the lighting devices according to the invention preferably use discharge lamps. This type of lamp to work er. impulse control at very low frequency, like possibly the LS stimulation lamp, requires a supply delivering a high voltage, for example of a value substantially equal to the starting voltage of the lamp in the case where the pulse repetition frequency is such that the gas in the lamp is deionized between two successive pulses. It is necessary to equip the lighting device with switching means operating at high voltage and the cost of the device is significantly increased. In addition, the continuous presence of a high voltage in the lighting device significantly reduces the safety of use.

 A second type of lighting device according to the invention has the advantage of not having the above drawbacks.

 The second type of lighting device comprises a set of radiation with mixed light ER, a switch C2, and a generator of control pulses G1.

 The ER radiation assembly includes first and second complementary lamps LB and LO of the fluorescent discharge lamp type. The LB and LO lamps are said to be complementary in that they respectively emit first and second light radiations of complementary colors such that their mixture results in a light radiation of white color. Thus, for example, the first LB lamp emits light radiation of blue color and the second LO lamp emits light radiation of orange color.

 An embodiment of the ER radiation assembly is shown in FIG. 3.

 The ER radiation assembly is shown in cross section. It essentially includes the LB and LO lamps, a CE box frame, first and second reflectors R1 and R2, and a DI diffusion grid.

The CE box frame is preferably a bent and spot welded sheet metal element. It is designed to receive the various functional elements of the lighting device, that is to say the reflectors Ri and R2 and the lamps LB and LO, as well as the circuits necessary to supply and control the lamps. Housing
LC intended for circuit audits is provided in the CE box frame.

 The LB and LO lamps are preferably tubular fluorescent lamps, for example neon lamps, having tubular glass envelopes coated internally with phosphorescent powders emitting when excited light rays of defined spectral bandwidths. The first LE lamp is coated with a first phosphorescent powder emitting when excited blue light radiation. The second LO lamp is coated with a second phosphorescent powder emitting when an orange-colored radiation is excited.

 The LE and LC lamps are arranged at the focal points of the first reflector R1. A concave face of the reflector R1 is preferably coated with a matt white paint in order to diffuse the light emitted by the lamps towards the second reflector R2. The second reflector R2 is designed and is arranged so as to receive the light emitted and reflected by the lamps and the reflector R1 to diffuse it towards an opening of the box-frame CE in which the diffusion grid DI is housed. To this end, the second reflector R2 comprises a concave face directed towards the opening of the box-frame GB and also preferably coated with a matt white diffusing paint.

 The DI diffusion grid consists of a plurality of lamellae, for example made of opal plastic, arranged in a grid and oriented so as to promote optimum mixing of the light and uniformity of the lighting in a given area.

 With reference to FIG. lE, the first LB lamp is permanently supplied by the voltage VA. The second LO lamp is supplied through the switch C2 shown diagrammatically in the form of a "rest" type contact. The switch C2 is controlled by the stimulus signal SI delivered by the generator C1 and including two different waveforms are shown in Fig. 2.

 When the stimulus signal SI is in the inactive state "O", the switch C2 is closed. The two lamps LB and LO are then supplied and the radiation assembly ER emits light radiation of white color. A pulse IF in the active state "1" of the stimulus signal SI controls the opening of the switch C2. The LE lamp is then the only lamp powered and emits a blue colored stimulus of duration #T.

 With reference to FIG. 4, a first preferred embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention of the type with light mixture shown in FIG. 1E comprises a continuous supply AI, first and second high frequency oscillators OS1 and OS2, a control circuit CDI, and a set of radiation with a mixture of light ER.

 The power supply AI is connected to an electrical distribution network and receives an alternating voltage VR, for example equal to 220 V. The power supply Ai comprises a step-down transformer and rectifying diodes and supplies a direct supply voltage as output. VAl. The voltage VA1 typically has an amplitude of the order of 12 Volts and supplies the oscillators OS1 and OS2 as well as the control circuit CD.

The oscillators OS1 and OS2 respectively deliver first and second pulse signals SA1 and SA2 whose waveforms are shown in FIG. 5. The pulses of the signals SAI and SA2 are produced at a repetition frequency of the order of 20 KHz. The signals SAI and SA2 supply, through voltage step-up transformers T1 and T2, respectively, fluorescent lamps LE and LO of the radiation assembly ER. When the lighting device is switched on, the lamps LE and LO being extinguished, the oscillators OS1 and OS2 operate at no load and supply signals SA1 and SA2 of maximum amplitudes. Voltage levels
supplied to the LE and LO lamps are then higher than the voltage of
start of the lamps and control their lighting. The output impedances of the oscillators OS1 and OS2, reduced to the output of the trans
trainers T1 and T2, charge the LE and LO lamps and determine operating points on their respective charge curves.

The function of the control circuit CD1 is to produce the stimulus signal SI defining instants of stimulus emission as well as the duration #T of the stimuli delivered by the radiation unit ER. The IF signal waveform is also shown at
Fig. 5 together with the waveforms of the signals SA1 and SA2. The signal SI is produced by the control circuit CD1 from the alternating voltage VR supplied by the network.

 The control circuit CD1 essentially comprises a zero detector DZ, a frequency divider DF, and a pulse calibrator CI.

The DZ zero detector is made up of an operational amplifier. The amplifier includes direct and reverse inputs * and - between which the alternating voltage VR is applied, through resistors R. Two protection diodes
D head-to-tail assemblies are arranged between the + and - inputs of the amplifier. The DZ detector outputs a square signal
S50 with a frequency equal to 50 Hz. The signal S50 is applied to an input of the frequency divider DF.

 The frequency divider DF conventionally consists of a binary counter whose number of stages is determined to produce a square signal SF of frequency F = 1 / T from the signal S50.

sss
Signal SF is supplied to an input of the pulse calibrator
s
THIS.

The CI pulse calibrator consists for example of a monostable multivibrator producing the pulses of the stimulus signal SI in response to the edges of the signal SF. The CI calibrator
s includes an adjustable resistor RAT to adjust the duration -'T of the pulses of the signal SI.

With reference to FIG. 6, a preferred embodiment of an ins
lighting installation according to the invention consists of a plurality E of lighting devices DE1 to DE N supplied by the network and
individually controlled on / off respectively by means
from N switches IN to I:. #. Resources spread across the N dis
lighting positive DE1 to DE N are provided to ensure syn
chronization, that is to say so that the different devices
= 'lighting in operation simultaneously deliver stimuli
bright colored and that any lighting device DEn of
the system locks when it is put into operation on
synchronization of devices already in operation.

The N lighting devices DE1 to DE N are interconnected to a
two-wire LS synchronization line.

As shown in Fig. 7, the DE com lighting device
not
essentially takes a set of radiation with mixture of
ER light, continuous supply .. A9, starting circuit
lamp CA, a programmable control circuit CD2, and various
TRI, TR2, TVi, Tel2, TBI, TE2 and TC1, TC2 transistors to control
the lamps of the ER radiation assembly.

The DE lighting device is designed to emit stimuli
not
reads of any metamer color obtained by mixing three
light rays of different colors emitted respectively
by three lamps from the ER radiation set. The whole radius
ER includes 3 fluorescent lamps LR, LV and LE emitting res
pectively when they are excited by light rays
red, green, and blue. When a stimulus is emitted, the respective intensities of the light rays supplied by the LR, LV and LB lamps are determined in order to produce a determined color. Likewise, the luminous radiation of white color lighting is easily obtained by an adequate control of the lamps. Such a lighting device allows a very great flexibility in the choice of the color temperatures and makes it possible to obtain a good rendering of the colors. .

With reference to FIG. 8, the lighting device DE is
n for example programmed to produce during a stimulation cycle of period T three types of stimulus respectively of blue, green and orange color. Blue, green and orange stimuli are produced respectively during the first, second and third
cycle sub-periods Tb, Tv and To. The sr E-period of cycle Tb, Tv and To have for example the same duration typically of: order of a few seconds. The cycle period T is for example c dre ten seconds.

Between two periods of cycle T is also provided a time synchronization interval SC during which no stimulus is emitted. Three different average repeat frequencies
Fb, Fv and Fo are possibly attributed to stimuli respectively during the three cycle sub-periods Tb, Tv and To.

 Referring again to FIG. 7, the LR, LV and LB lamps include KR, YN and KE cathodes connected in parallel. First and second terminals of the cathodes KR, L 'and KB are connected respectively to a reference ground and to a collector of the transistor TC2. Anodes AR, AV and AE of the lamps LR, LV and LE are connected to collectors of the transistors TR2, TV2 and TB2 respectively.

 The continuous supply A2 produces two continuous supply voltages VC1 and VC2 from the alternating voltage VF supplied by the network. The voltage VCl supplies the radiation assembly ER through the various control transistors as well as the lamp starting circuit CA. Voltage C2 supplies the control circuit CD2.

The AC lamp starting circuit is of known type with thyristor, capacitor and voltage transformer. The circuit AC supplies at least one high voltage pulse IV when the lighting device is put into operation. This pulse IV is supplied through a transformer TF and is added to the supply voltage VCl in order to temporarily raise the voltage applied between the anodes and cathodes of the lamps LR, LV and LE to a value at least equal to that of the starting voltage of said lamps. The circuit AC produces the high voltage pulse IV in response to a starting command pulse AL transmitted by the control circuit.
CD2 when the lighting device DE is put into operation
The programmable control circuit CD2 is connected to the synchronization line LS, and to the electricity distribution network to receive the alternating voltage VR. The control circuit
CD2 has the function of producing lamp control signals
CR, CV, CE and CH and synchronize the operation of the DE device with that of the other lighting devices in the installation.

not
CR, CV and CE signals control the lamps respectively
LR, LV and LE. The signals CR, CV and CE are pulse type signals having pulses whose durations are determined as a function of the average intensity of the supply currents to be supplied to the lamps LR, LV and LE.

The signal CH is active only when the device DE is put into operation and controls the transistors TCl and TC2 for pro
n draw an IC current intended for preheating the KR, KV and KB cathodes in order to facilitate the starting of the lamps.

 The transistors TRI, TVi, FI, TCl and TR2, TV2, TE2, TC2 are bipolar transistors of NPN and PNP type respectively.

The control signals CR, C ′: and CE are applied through resistors R1 to the bases of transistors TR1, respectively.
TVl and TB1 whose transmitters are connected to ground. Collectors of the transistors TRi, r: i and TB1- are respectively connected to the bases of the transistors TR2, TV2 and TB2 through resistors F2, emitters of the transistors TR2, TV2 and TV2 are connected to a connection terminal BC through resistors R3. The connection terminal BC is brought to the supply voltage VC1 through the transformer TF of the lamp start circuit CA. Zener diodes ZR, ZV and ZB are placed between the bases of the transistors TR2, TV2 and TB2 respectively and the connection terminal BC. Anodes and cathodes of the Zener diodes ZR, ZV and ZB are connected respectively to the bases of the transistors TR2, TV2 and TB2 and to the connection terminal BC. The transistors TR2, TV2 and TB2 are in conduction and supply the lamps LR, LV and LE in response to pulses in the "1" state respectively of the control signals CR,
CV and CE. The transistors TR2, TV2 and TB2 are blocked and consequently the lamps LR, LV and LB are not supplied in response to "O" states of the control signals CR, CV and CE respectively.

The transistors TR2, TV2 and TB2 are mounted as current generators in order to precisely impose determined operating points on the lamps and thus guarantee their operating stability. The operating points of the LR, LV and LE lamps are individually adjustable as a function of the avalanche voltages of the ZR, ZV and ZB diodes and of the values assigned to the resistors R3. It is thus possible to use lamps of different wattages and to adjust the lamp currents in order, for example, to compensate for disparities in response in brightness.
TR2, TV2 and TB2 limit the maximum amplitudes of the lamp currents to the adjusted values even when the lighting device is switched on, when the high voltage pulse IV is applied to the lamps by the lamp starting circuit CA.

The average lifetime of a lamp is thus appreciably increased compared to a conventional discharge lamp lighting device in which the current passing through the lamp at start-up generally reaches an intensity substantially higher than the intensity dj nominal lamp current, resulting in a limitation of the lamp life which depends on the frequency of the starts made.

The preheating control signal CH is applied to a base of the transistor TC1 through a resistor R4. An emitter of transistor TC1 is connected to ground. A collector from
transistor TCl is connected to a base of transistor TC2 through
resistance R5. A resistor R6 is placed between the base of the transistor TC2 and the connection terminal BC. An emitter of transistor TC2 is connected to the connection terminal BC through a
resistance R7.

When the lighting device DE is put into operation, the preheating control signal CH is in the active state "I" and the transistor TCI saturates. The transistor TC2 is then polarized by the voltage divider bridge formed by the resistors R6 and R5 and delivers by its collector the catho preheating current of IC. The intensity of the preheating current IC is adjusted by means of the respective values assigned to the resistors R5, R6 and R7. After a predetermined preheating time TP the signal
CH comes to an inactive state "0", as shown in the first and second lines of Figs. 13A and 13B, and the transistor TC2 is blocked.

 After switching the signal CH to the inactive state q, the control circuit CD2 delivers the pulse AL to the state "1" which controls the production by the lamp starting circuit CA of the high voltage pulse IV and consecutively starting the lamps.

With reference to FIG. 9, the programmable control circuit
CD2 essentially comprises a low frequency clock circuit 1, a first memory read counter 2, a cycle subperiod counter 3, a first memory 4, a pulse calibrator 5, a high frequency oscillator 6, a second memory reading counter 7, a second memory 8, a multiplexer 9, a walk detector 10, and a synchronization circuit 11.

The function of clock circuit 1 is to produce a clock signal H50 of frequency F5O = 50Hz from the alternating voltage VR of the network. From the clock signal H50, a stimulus signal 512 is produced by cyclic reading of the memory 4 and calibration of the pulses of a signal SI1 delivered by said memory. The clock circuit 1 essentially comprises a zero detector with an operational amplifier analogous to the zero detector
DZ shown in Fig. 4.The production of the H50 clock signals of the different lighting devices DE1 to DE from the same
n signal, in this case the AC mains voltage VR, makes it possible to obtain frequency synchronization of the various stimulus signals 512 corresponding to the devices DE1 to DEN
The counter 2 is a binary module counter M1 = 32. The counter 2 is controlled by the clock signal H50 produced by the clock circuit 1. The counter 2 outputs memory read addresses LI varying cyclically from O to 31. The addresses L .:: l are applied to the least significant addressing inputs of the memory 4. A most significant output of the counter 2 delivers a clock signal H1 5 of frequency F1 5 = F50 / M1 = 1.56 Hz. The clock signal H1.5 controls the cycle 3 sub-period counter.

 The cycle sub-period counter 3 is a binary modulo M2 = 16 counter. Two low-order outputs of counter 3 are not used. Two most significant outputs of the counter 3 deliver addresses of memory area AZ and are respectively connected to first and second inputs of an AND gate with two inputs 30, and to first and second most significant addressing inputs of the memories 4 and 8. The memory zone addresses AZ = "00", AZ = "01", AZ = "10" and AZ = "11" are supplied by the counter 3 respectively during the first cycle sub-periods Tb , the second cycle sub-periods Tv, the third cycle sub-periods To, and the cycle synchronization intervals SC.

The addresses AZ = "00", AZ = "01" and AZ = "10" respectively select first, second and third zones Zb4, Zv4 and Zo4 from memory 4 and first, second and third zones
Zb8 s Zv8 and Zog from memory 8. Zb4 and Zb8, Zv4 and Zx8 zones
Zo4 and Zo of memories 4 and 8 are selected respectively during the first, seconds and third cycle sub-periods
Tb, Tv and To. During cycle synchronization intervals
SC, the address AZ = "11" selects in memories 4 and 8 respectively the fourth zones Zi4 and Zi8.

 Memory 4 is a read-only memory, preferably of the REDRO reprogrammabile type. Memory 4 has a capacity equal to 4 x Nî = 128 bits. The memory 4 delivers an SI signal as an output, determining the instants of production of the subliminal stimuli. The signal SI1 is calibrated by the pulse calibrator 5 in order to produce the stimulus signal SI whose duration AT of the pulses is adjusted using a variable resistor 50 of the calibrator 5. The pulse calibrator 5 likewise that the CI calibrator shown in Fig. 4 is for example made up of a monostable multivibrator.

In Fig. 10 are shown the contents of zones Zb4, Zv4, Zr4 and Zi4 of memory 4 in order to produce for example a stimulus signal SI having mean frequencies of repetition of stimuli Fb, Fv and Fo respectively equal to 4 x 1.56 = 4.68 Hz, 6 x 1.56 = 9.36 Hz and 8 x 1.56 = 12.48 Hz. The memory areas Zb4,
Zv4, Zo4 and Zi4 have lengths each equal to Ml = 32 memory cells of 1 bit. The zones Zb4, Zv4 and Zo4 respectively comprise 4, 6 and 8 cells written in the state "1". The remaining cells of the three zones Zb4, Zv4 and Zo4 are all written in the "O" state. In the memory zone Zi4 all the memory cells are written in the "O" state. Reading cells written in state "1" of zones Zb4, Zv4 and Zo4 produces in the signal SI1 pulses corresponding to state "1" of duration equal to 1 / H50 = 20 ms.

These pulses in the "1" state of the SIL signal are calibrated by calibrator 5 in order to produce the stimulus signal SI2. As shown in Fig. 10, the cells written in state "1" are distributed regularly in the memory areas Zb4, Zv4 and Zo4 in order to produce, during the cycle sub-periods, pulses delivered in a substantially periodic manner. According to another embodiment, the cells written in state "1" are distributed non-regularly in the zones and the pulses are delivered in a non-periodic manner.

The high frequency oscillator 6 delivers a clock signal
HO of frequency equal to FQ = 640 KHz. Signal H is applied to a clock input of counter 7.

 The counter 7 is a binary modulo counter M3 = 32. It delivers as output memory reading addresses L2 varying cyclically from O to 31, the addresses L2 are applied to low-order addressing inputs of the second memory 8. The memory zone addresses AZ supplied by the cycle sub-period counter 3 are applied to the most significant addressing inputs of memory 8.

 The memory 8 is a read-only memory preferably of the reprogrammable REPROM type. Memory 8 has a capacity of 4 x M3 = 128 words of 6 bits each. The memory 8 has the function of producing three pairs of signals CRb, CRs, CVb, CVs and CBb, CBs from which the three lamp control signals CR, CV and CE are produced by switching respectively. In Fig. 11 are shown waveforms of the signals CRb to CBs and of the lamp control signals CR, CV and CB during the cycle sub-periods Tb and To corresponding to the production of stimuli respectively of blue color and orange color.

 The signals CRb to CBs which are active, that is to say which comprise pulses in the "1" state, are square pulse signals whose cyclic relationships between time intervals in the "1" state and time intervals in the "O" state are determined in order to adjust the average supply currents which are respectively supplied to the LR, LV and LE lamps. The duty cycles of the signals CRb, CVb and CBb are determined in order to produce a luminous light radiation of white color and do not vary according to the TE, Tv or To cycle sub-period. The duty cycles of the signals CRs, CVs and CBs vary according to the current cycle sub-period Tb, Tv or To and are determined to produce the desired stimulus color. Thus in order to produce stimuli of blue, green and orange color respectively during the cycle sub-periods Tb, Tv and To, only the signals CBs and CVs are active during the cycle sub-periods Tb and Tv, respectively, and during the cycle sub-period To the three signals CRs, CVs and CBs are active and their duty cycles are determined so to produce the orange-colored stimuli.

With reference to FIG. 12, the memory 8 is organized into 4 zones Zb8, Zv8, Zo and Zi8 selected by the addresses AZ = "00",
AZ = "(I", AZ = "10" and AZ = '.11 "and corresponding to the cycle sub-periods Tb, Tv, To and to the synchronization time intervals
SC. Each of the zones of the memory 8 is composed of 32 6-bit cells addressed respectively by the M3 = 32 addresses LM2 = "00000" to LM2 = "11111" supplied cyclically by the counter 7.

 First, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth bits of words contained in the cells of the memory 8 correspond respectively to the signals CRb, CRs, CVb, CVs, CBb and CBs. Reading the 32 cells of a memory area under the control of the counter 7 has the effect of producing a period of duration M3, FQ = 50 seen from the signals CRb to CBs. Signals CRb to active CEs thus have a pulse repetition frequency equal to FQ / M3 = 20 KHz. The time intervals in state "1" and in state "0" of the signals CRb to active CBs correspond to series of bits in state "1" and in state "0" whose lengths are determined to obtain the desired duty cycles.

With reference to Figs. 9 and 11, the signals CRb, CVb and CBb are applied respectively to three first inputs of the multiplexer 9. The signals CRs, CVs and CBs are applied respectively to three second inputs of the muliplexer 9. the stimulus signal
SI2 is applied to a switching control input of the multiplexer 9. The control signals of ampe CR, CV and CE are delivered respectively by three outputs of the multiplexer 9.

 The stimulus signal SI2 in state "0" controls the connection of the first three inputs with the three outputs of the multiplexer 9 and the said outputs then deliver the lamp control signals CF = CRb, CV = CVb and CE = CBb. The stimulus signal SI2 in state "1" controls the connection of the three second inputs with the three outputs of the multiplexer 9 and said outputs then deliver the lamp control signals CR = CRs, CV = CVs and CE = CEs.

 Preferably, the duty cycles of the signals CRs, CVs and CEs are determined in such a way that the colored stimuli have a light intensity which is appreciably equivalent for the human eye to the luminous intensity of the illuminating light radiation. white in color. The purpose of this arrangement is to promote a uniform feeling of intensity in order to make it more difficult to detect stimuli.

The walk detector 10 is intended to detect the activation of the lighting device DE and to deliver in response
n at this detection the preheating control signal CH and the start control pulse AL. The establishment of the supply voltage VCl informs the detector 10 of the operation of the lighting device DE. The detector 10 includes
n means with time constants in order to determine the duration of preheating TP of the lamps and the instant of starting of the lamps after their preheating, duration and instant defined respectively by the
CH signal and AL pulse (Figs. 13A and 13B).

 The synchronization circuit it is now described with reference to Figs. 9, 13A and 13B.

 As shown in Fig. 9, the synchronization circuit 11 comprises two flip-flops 110 and 111, a logic inverter 112, an OR gate with two inputs 113, and a transistor 114.

The flip-flops 110 and 111 are of type D. The flip-flop 110 comprises a data input D and a clock input CK to which are applied respectively a synchronization signal Wy conveyed by a first wire LS1 of the synchronization line LS and a signal complementary clock H1 5 produced by the inverter 113 from the clock signal H1 5 delivered by the counter 2. An inverse output Q of the flip-flop 110 provides a counter initialization signal INI which is applied through the OR gate, 113, to reset inputs RESET of counters 2 and 3. The initiation signal INI is also applied to a clock input CK of the flip-flop 111. A data input D of the flip-flop 111 is brought to a state "1". An output Q of flip-flop 111 delivers a signal Sl which is applied to an input for enabling the pulse calibrator 5. When the lighting device DE is put into operation, the internal states of flip-flops 110 and 111 are initialized
n respectively to "1" and "O" by the preheating control signal
CH. To this end, the signa: CH is applied to an input S for setting to state "1" of the flip-flop LiC and to an input R for putting into state "O" of the flip-flop 111. at the reset inputs of counters 2 and 3 through the OR gate, 113, in order to initialize these counters to zero when the lighting device DE is put into operation
not
Transistor 114 is a bipolar NPN transistor.

A collector of transistor 114 is connected to the first wire LS1 of the synchronization line LS and receives the supply voltage VCl through a resistor 115. An emitter of transistor 114 is connected to ground and to a second wire LS2 of the line LS synchronization. A base of transistor 114 is connected to an output of the AND gate. 30, and receives a signal FC supplied by the gate 30 and indicating in state "1" a synchronization interval SC.

The resistor 115 has a value determined so as to saturate the transistor 114 when the latter turns on in response to the signal FC = "1".

not
The mounting of the transistors 114 of the various lighting devices DE1 to DE N on the synchronization line LS is of the type known as "OR cable" and authorizes the production of a synchronization signal SY defined by logical equality
SY = FC1 + FC2 + + FC + .... + FC
With reference to FIG. 13A, it is considered that the lighting device DE is put into operation while the other dis
n positive lighting of the installation is stopped.

During the TP warm-up period during which the signal
CH is in state "1", the RESET inputs of counters 2 and 3 are activated and consecutively counters 2 and 3 are blocked and deliver addresses L; 1 = "00000" and AZ = "00". The flip-flops 110 and 111 are initialized respectively to the states "1" and "O" and the validation signal SI = "0" closes the input of the calibrator 5.

The stimulus signal SI2 is in state "0" and the control circuit
C32 deliver the lamp control signals CR = CRb, CV = CVb and CE = CVb.

At the end of the TP preheating time, the AL pulse commands the start of the LR, LV and LE lamps, the reset input of counters 2 and 3 comes to the "O" state and counters 2 and 3 are released
and are incremented at the rhythms of the clock signals R50 and H1 5 respectively. The signal SV remains in the "0" state and prohibits the production of stimuli. At the end of a cycle period T, the counter 3 delivers, on a rising edge of the clock signal H1 5
AZ = "11" corresponding to a synchronization time interval SC and the signal FC comes to state "1". The signal FC = "1" commands
nn the saturation of transistor 114 and the synchronization signal
SY transmitted on the synchronization line LS comes consecutively to the state "0". On a next falling edge of the clock signal H1.5, the state "0" of the synchronization signal SE is written in the flip-flop 110 and the initialization signal INI comes to the state "1". The signal INI = "1" controls the resetting of counters 2 and 3 on a rising edge following the clock signal H1 5. The switching of the initialization signal INI to the state "1" is memorized by the writing of a state "1" in flip-flop 111. Following the reset of counter 3, the signals FC and SY switch
n respectively in the state "0" and in the state "1", and the initialization signal INI then returns to the state "O" on a falling edge of the clock signal H1 5. The writing d 'a state "1" in flip-flop 111 commanded the switching of the validation signal SV to the state "1". The signal SV = "1" opens the input of the calibrator 5 to the signal SI1 and consecutively authorizes the production of calibrated pulses in the stimulus signal SI2. The DE lighting device is
2 n in an effective operating state and emits colored light stimuli. In the synchronization signal SY conveyed by the line
LS of the synchronization pulses IS corresponding to the synchronization time intervals SC are repeated at the frequency 1, '(T + T 5) = 0 + 12 Hz. The lighting devices which are put into operation 1.5 subsequently use the IS pulses in order synchronize their operation with that of the DE device
not
With reference to FIG. 13E, it is considered that the lighting device DE is put into operation when one or more
n other lighting devices in the installation are already in operation.

In this case, the operation of the DE device
n differs from that described above with reference to FIG. 13A in that a time t less than the cycle period T after the end of the preheating time TP, there appears on line LS a first synchronization pulse IS which forces the counters 2 and 3 to be reset to zero. first pulse IS is produced on the line LS by the lighting devices already in operation and it synchronizes the operation of the device DE by resetting
n at zero of counters 2 and 3. Subsequent to the first synchronization pulse IS, the validation signal SV switches to state "1" and authorizes the emission of stimuli in synchronism with the stimuli emitted by the other Afterwards, after synchronization, the DE device also contributes
n to the production of the synchronization pulses IS in the line LS, by the saturation of the transistor 114 in response to the signal FC = "1"
n occurring during the SC synchronization time intervals.

 For lighting installations according to the invention comprising a large number of lighting devices and in which the synchronization line LS reaches a significant length, a synchronization line LSa in current loop, shown in FIG. 14, advantageously replaces the LS line.

 With reference to FIG. 14, a direct loop current Ib is injected into the line LSa by a current generator GI equipping the lighting device DE1, and line interfaces 116 are provided in the synchronization circuits 11 (FIG. 9) in replacement of the transistors 114 and resistors 115 in the various lighting devices DE1 to DEN.

The interfaces 116 of the dlsposltif & DE1 to DEN include current input and output terminals BE and ES and are interconnected in series by the line LSa. The input terminal BE of the interface 116 of the device DE is connected by the line LSa to the terminal
n ES output of the interface 116 of an upstream DE device.

The output terminal BS of the interface 116 of the device DE is connected
n at the input terminal EE of the interface 116 of a DE device
n 1 downstream. The input terminal BE of the interface 116 of the device DE1 is connected to a current output terminal of the current generator
GI. The output terminal ES of the interface 116 of the device DE N is connected to a current input terminal of the generator GI.

The line interface 116 of the DE lighting device is
n shown in detail in FIG. 14. The interface 116 essentially comprises two optocouplers 1160 and -1161, a bipolar transistor 1162 of the NFN type, and a logic inverter 1163. The optocouplers 1160 and 1161 and the transistor 1162 operate in switching mode.

 The optocouplers 1160 and 1161 consist respectively of photo-transistors TO and T1 of the NFN type and of light-emitting diodes DO and D1. Collectors and emitters of the transistor TO are respectively connected to the input terminal BE of the interface and to an anode of the diode D1, a cathode of which is connected to the output terminal BS of the interface. Cathode and anode of the diode DO are respectively connected to ground and to a first end of a resistor 1164, a second end of which is connected to a collector of the transistor 1162 and to the supply voltage VC2 through a resistor 1165. An emitter of transistor 1162 is connected to ground. A base of transistor 1162 receives the synchronization interval signal FCn (Fig. 9).

The signal FC Elllll controls the saturation of transistor 1162
n and consecutively the DO diode is no longer supplied, the transistor
TO is blocked and the current Ib is interrupted. The signal FC = "O"
n authorizes the passage of the loop current Ib through the transistor
TO. Emitters and collector of transistor T1 are respectively connected to ground and to an input of the inverter 1163 connected to the supply voltage VC2 through a resistor 1166. The inverter 1163 outputs the synchronization signal SE.

The diode Dl detects the passage of the loop current Ib and in response to this detection the synchronization signal Wï is in state 1. When at least one of the signals FC1 to FCN is in the state "1", the loop current flow lb is interrupted and the signal is consecutively in state "0". The synchronization signal
SY is always expressed by the equality SY = FC1 + FC2 t .... F n + .... FC
n N
The operation of the installation relative to the synchronization of the lighting devices therefore remains identical to the operation described with reference to FIGS. 13A and 13B.

The embodiments of the invention described above should be considered only as examples. Several variants are achievable by those skilled in the art in order to adapt the invention to different uses and remain within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, for example, radiation assemblies for lighting devices can be produced using two-color type light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and two-color and three-color fluorescent lamps as described in the patent application.
FR-A-2549640. In addition, the radiation assemblies are optionally equipped with photodiodes in order to act as a feedback on the control of the lamps and thus ensure better stability of the color temperatures. A lighting installation according to the invention simpler design than those described with reference to Figs. 6 to 14 includes a single control circuit analogous to the CD2 circuit (Fig. 9) for producing lamp control signals and supplying them in parallel to the various lighting devices in the installation. According to another variant, the lighting installation comprises modulation means and demodulation means, the synchronization line LS or LSa is eliminated and the synchronization pulses modulate the alternating voltage VR and are conveyed to the lighting through the electricity distribution wires. In addition, the lamp control signals in some embodiments are of the amplitude-adjusted continuous signal type rather than the pulse-type pulse width-adjusted duration type.

 Furthermore, in the appended claims, it should be noted that the terminology "subliminal light stimuli refers not only to stimuli" sir..ples "of duration too short to be recognized consciously as described above, but also to stimuli "composites" comprising masking pulses in application of the known method of metacontrast.

Claims (10)

 1 - Lighting method to facilitate predetermined psychophysiological effects in people, characterized in that subliminal light stimuli are emitted according to a stimulation cycle and are mixed with light lighting radiation, said stimuli and lighting radiation having different spectral compositions and the stimuli being determined to awaken in people subliminal sensations of color capable of arousing the desired psycho-physiological effects.  2 - Process according to claim 1, characterized in that subliminal light stimuli having different spectral compositions are emitted during the stimulation cycle in order to respectively awaken different subliminal color sensations.  3 - Process according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the subliminal light stimuli are emitted during the stimulation cycle according to at least one average frequency of repetition of stimuli (F5, Fb, Fv, Fo) included in the range of cerebral rhythms and also determined according to the desired psychophysiological effects.  4 - Process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the subliminal light stimuli are emitted periodically and / or pseudo-randomly.  5 - Lighting device for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises  first light emission means (LS, ER) for emitting subliminal light stimuli,  second light emitting means (LE, ER) for emitting the lighting light radiation, and  means (A2, CD2, TR, TV, TE, TC) for supplying and controlling the light emission means (ER) in order to produce the subliminal light stimuli mixed with the lighting light radiation.  6 - Lighting device according to claim 5,  characterized in that the light emitting means comprise  means (LB, LO; LR, LV, LB) for transmitting at least two components  light radiation health having different spectral compositions and means (ER, Fig. 3) for mixing the light radiation components, and in that the means for supplying and controlling comprise means (CD2) for controlling the means for emitting ( LR, LV, LB) and determine the intensities corresponding to the components of light radiation in order to produce the subliminal light stimuli and the light radiation of illumination by mixing said components.  7 - Lighting device according to claim 6, characterized in that the means for controlling and determining (CD2) comprise means (6 to 9) for controlling the supply of the light emitting means by pulse currents having first duty cycles (CRb, CVb, CBb) to produce the lighting light radiation and second duty cycles (CRs, CVs, CBs) to produce the subliminal light stimuli.  8 - Lighting device according to claim 6 or "characterized in that the means for controlling and determining  (CD2) include programmed means such as REPRON type memory to produce different control signals (CR, CV, CB) corresponding to the stimulation cycle and supplied to the means for transmitting (LR, LV, LB).  9 - Lighting device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the light emission means comprise at least one lamp of the discharge type supplied by a pulse current at high repetition frequency of pulse (20 KHz).  10 - Lighting installation characterized in that it comprises at least two lighting devices in accordance with any one of claims 5 to 10 and programmed for the same stimulation cycle, and means (LS, 11) for synchronizing the various devices in operation so that they operate in parallel and emit subliminal light stimuli equivalent to each instant of stimulus emission of the stimulation cycle.