Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
  • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
  • H05B47/105—Controlling the light source in response to determined parameters
  • H05B47/115—Controlling the light source in response to determined parameters by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
  • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
  • H05B47/105—Controlling the light source in response to determined parameters
  • H05B47/11—Controlling the light source in response to determined parameters by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
  • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
  • H05B47/175—Controlling the light source by remote control
  • H05B47/19—Controlling the light source by remote control via wireless transmission
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
  • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
  • H05B47/175—Controlling the light source by remote control
  • H05B47/196—Controlling the light source by remote control characterised by user interface arrangements
  • H05B47/1965—Controlling the light source by remote control characterised by user interface arrangements using handheld communication devices
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
  • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
  • H05B47/175—Controlling the light source by remote control
  • H05B47/198—Grouping of control procedures or address assignation to light sources
  • H05B47/199—Commissioning of light sources
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
  • Y02B20/00—Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
  • Y02B20/40—Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Definitions

• the invention focuses on a mobile computing device that includes the following: one or more processors; a light sensor operably coupled with the one or more processors; and memory operably coupled with the one or more processors and storing a lighting property criterion and instructions that, in response to execution of the instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: obtain data indicative of light reflected from a surface and sensed by the light sensor, wherein the reflected light is created from light emitted by a lighting unit; determine, based on the data representing one or more properties of the reflected light, that a property of the reflected light fails to satisfy the lighting property criterion; and cause calibration of light emitted by the lighting unit so that the reflected light satisfies the lighting property criterion.
• the memory further stores instructions that, in response to execution of the instructions by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to obtain the data indicative of light reflected from the surface in response to a determination that the mobile computing device is within a predetermined proximity of the lighting unit.
• light source should be understood to refer to any one or more of a variety of radiation sources, including, but not limited to, LED-based sources (including one or more LEDs as defined above).
• illumination source is a light source that is particularly configured to generate radiation having a sufficient intensity to effectively illuminate an interior or exterior space.
• sufficient intensity refers to sufficient radiant power in the visible spectrum generated in the space or environment (the unit “lumens” often is employed to represent the total light output from a light source in all directions, in terms of radiant power or "luminous flux”) to provide ambient illumination (i.e., light that may be perceived indirectly and that may be, for example, reflected off of one or more of a variety of intervening surfaces before being perceived in whole or in part).
• color is used interchangeably with the term “spectrum.”
• the term “color” generally is used to refer primarily to a property of radiation that is perceivable by an observer (although this usage is not intended to limit the scope of this term). Accordingly, the terms “different colors” implicitly refer to multiple spectra having different wavelength components and/or bandwidths. It also should be appreciated that the term “color” may be used in connection with both white and non-white light.
• color temperature generally is used herein in connection with white light, although this usage is not intended to limit the scope of this term.
• Color temperature essentially refers to a particular color content or shade (e.g., reddish, bluish) of white light.
• the color temperature of a given radiation sample conventionally is characterized according to the temperature in degrees Kelvin (K) of a black body radiator that radiates essentially the same spectrum as the radiation sample in question.
• Black body radiator color temperatures generally fall within a range from approximately 700 degrees K (typically considered the first visible to the human eye) to over 10,000 degrees K; white light generally is perceived at color temperatures above 1500-2000 degrees K.
• lighting fixture is used herein to refer to an implementation or
• controller is used herein generally to describe various apparatus relating to the operation of one or more light sources.
• a controller can be implemented in numerous ways (e.g., such as with dedicated hardware) to perform various functions discussed herein.
• a "processor” is one example of a controller which employs one or more microprocessors that may be programmed using software (e.g., microcode) to perform various functions discussed herein.
• a controller may be implemented with or without employing a processor, and also may be implemented as a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry) to perform other functions. Examples of controller components that may be employed in various embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, conventional
• user interface refers to an interface between a human user or operator and one or more devices that enables communication between the user and the device(s).
• user interfaces that may be employed in various implementations of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to, switches, potentiometers, buttons, dials, sliders, a mouse, keyboard, keypad, various types of game controllers (e.g., joysticks), track balls, display screens, various types of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), touch screens, microphones and other types of sensors that may receive some form of human-generated stimulus and generate a signal in response thereto.
• game controllers e.g., joysticks
• GUIs graphical user interfaces
• Fig. 1 illustrates one example of how various components may perform selected aspects of the present disclosure, in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 2 depicts an example lighting control method, in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIGs. 3 and 4 depict examples of how disclosed techniques may be used to control lighting, in accordance with various embodiments.
• FIG. 5 depicts example components of lighting units and mobile computing devices described herein, in accordance with various embodiments.
• a user may interact with lighting unit 102 itself, e.g., using one or more buttons or knobs on lighting unit 102, or by operating a mobile computing device such as a tablet computer 104 or smart phone to communicate wirelessly with lighting unit 102.
• a mobile computing device such as a tablet computer 104 or smart phone to communicate wirelessly with lighting unit 102.
• Various wireless technologies may be employed, such as ZigBee, WiFi (e.g., WiFi Direct), BlueTooth, coded light, NFC, and so forth.
• a user may interact with lighting unit 102 indirectly.
• a user may operate a mobile computing device such as tablet 104 to communicate with a lighting system bridge 106, which in turn may provide lighting control instructions to lighting unit 102, e.g., using ZigBee, coded light, WiFi, wired communications, etc.
• a lighting system bridge 106 which in turn may provide lighting control instructions to lighting unit 102, e.g., using ZigBee, coded light, WiFi, wired communications, etc.
• mobile computing devices configured with selected aspects of the present disclosure may come in various other forms, including but not limited to laptop computers, wearable devices (e.g., watches, glasses, armbands), and so forth.
• lighting unit 102 may emit light onto a surface 108. That light may in turn be reflected off the surface such that it forms a visible lighting effect. If lighting unit 102 is configured to provide shaped lighting effects, e.g., a spotlight, then that lighting effect/reflected light may be in the desired shape. In other embodiments, the lighting effect/reflected light may simply be ambient light. The terms “lighting effect” and “reflected light” may be used interchangeably herein. While surface 108 is depicted as being relatively flat, that is not meant to be limiting. "Surface” as used herein may refer to a surface of any shape, size, consistency, texture, and so forth.
• a painted wall is one type of surface
• the surface of an object such as a statue is another type of surface.
• surface need not necessarily refer to an outermost surface.
• a mobile computing device such as tablet computer 104 may capture the reflected light, e.g., using a light sensor such as camera 110 (e.g., front- or rear-facing).
• the captured data which in some embodiments may be stored as a digital image, may represent one or more properties of the reflected light.
• This data may be analyzed to determine whether a property of the reflected light satisfies a lighting property criterion. If not, light emitted by lighting unit 102 may be calibrated so that the resulting reflected light satisfies the lighting property criterion.
• the mobile computing device may analyze the captured data itself.
• tablet computer 104 may analyze the data captured by camera 110 to determine whether one or more lighting properties of the reflected light satisfies a lighting property criterion.
• the lighting property criterion may be matching, as closely as is practicable, one or more properties of reflected light defined by a user and/or captured from another surface. In the latter case, the reflected light captured from the other surface may be stored in a digital image. If the lighting property criterion is not satisfied, then tablet computer 104 may cause calibration of light emitted by lighting unit 102 so that the reflected light satisfies the lighting property criterion.
• tablet computer 104 may generate, or may cause lighting system bridge 106 to generate, one or more lighting
• Lighting unit 102 may implement the lighting instructions it receives from tablet computer 104 or bridge 106, or those it generates itself, to alter one or more properties of light it emits in an attempt to satisfy the lighting property criterion. For instance, assume the lighting property criterion is that the reflected light should have a certain intensity. Assume also that the intensity of the light reflected from surface 108 and captured by camera 110 of tablet computer 104 does not match that desired intensity, e.g., because surface 108 is a different color or texture than another surface (not depicted) from which the desired intensity was captured. Lighting unit 102 may adjust one or more properties of light it emits so that after that light is reflected from surface 108, it has the desired intensity, or at least is within an acceptable range of the desired intensity.
• lighting unit 102 may simply adjust one or more properties of light it emits to bring the downstream reflected light as close as possible to matching the criterion.
• test data indicative of light reflected from a test surface may be obtained, e.g., by camera 110 of tablet computer 104.
• tablet computer 104 may cause camera 110 to take a picture or video of the test surface.
• the mobile computing device may additionally or alternatively create white light while obtaining the test data, e.g., using a flash. This additional data may be used to obtain a reference color of the surface.
• FIG. 4 depicts an environment 420 in which disclosed techniques may be
• the user may bring smart phone 404 into proximity with the respective lighting effect (432 or 438) and/or the respective lighting unit (402a or 402b), and camera 410 may capture test data.
• This test data may be analyzed, e.g., by smart phone 404 or a remote computing device, against the lighting property criterion defined by the user. In some cases, boundaries of the respective object (444 or 446) may be detected in the data. If the analysis reveals that the lighting property criterion is not satisfied, smart phone 404 may cause the respective lighting unit to be calibrated such that light it emits is altered to bring the respective lighting effect into conformance with the lighting property criterion. For example, one or more LEDs of a plurality of LEDs on a lighting unit may be selectively energized to grow or shrink the size of the spot. In this respect, the size of the lighting effect may depend in part on the size of the object.
• the phrase "at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements.
• This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Circuit Arrangement For Electric Light Sources In General (AREA)

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Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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• 2015
  • 2015-01-08 WO PCT/IB2015/050136 patent/WO2015107436A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2015-01-08 JP JP2016546029A patent/JP6571668B2/ja active Active
  • 2015-01-08 US US15/111,652 patent/US9763308B2/en active Active
  • 2015-01-08 EP EP15706293.6A patent/EP3095303B1/en active Active
  • 2015-01-08 CN CN201580004587.6A patent/CN106165543B/zh active Active

Patent Citations (3)

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