Wake-up light with adjustable LCD display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10845766-B2
Application number	US-201816632563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 25, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

According to an aspect, there is provided a light apparatus, the light apparatus comprising an outer housing comprising a translucent portion; a main light source positioned inside the outer housing for generating light, wherein light generated by the main light source is incident on the translucent portion; and a display light source positioned inside the outer housing for projecting information onto a part of the translucent portion on which light is incident from the main light source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light apparatus, the light apparatus comprising:
an outer housing comprising a translucent portion;
a main light source positioned inside the outer housing configured to generate light, wherein light generated by the main light source is incident on the translucent portion;
a display light source configured to project information that comprises one or more alphanumeric characters and/or symbols onto a part of the translucent portion on which light is incident from the main light source; and
one or more reflectors inside the outer housing that are configured to reflect some of the light generated by the main light source toward the part of the translucent housing on which the display light source projects the information.

2. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display light source is a light emitting diode (LED) based light source.

3. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display light source is configured to generate collimated light to project the information on the part of the translucent portion.

4. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display light source is configured to generate light having a different color than the light generated by the main light source.

5. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display light source is configured to generate light having a higher luminance or brightness than the light generated by the main light source.

6. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display light source is configured to generate light having a higher luminance or brightness at the translucent portion than the light generated by the main light source.

7. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the translucent portion is configured to diffuse the light generated by the main light source that is incident thereon.

8. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light generated by the main light source is diffuse when it is incident onto the translucent portion.

9. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a part of the inner surface of the translucent portion is configured to be partially reflecting such that some of the light generated by the main light and incident thereon is reflected.

10. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display light source is part of a display module that is spaced from the translucent portion to enable light from the main light source to be incident on the part of the translucent portion on which the display light source projects the information.

11. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the display module further comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, and herein the information is projected by the display light source to illuminate segments or pixels of the LCD panel.

12. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the LCD panel comprises a one-way mirror foil arranged such that light generated by the main light source that is incident on the LCD panel is reflected by the one-way mirror foil.

13. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the display light source is positioned inside the outer housing.

14. The light apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a light sensor positioned near to the display light source or the part of the translucent portion on which the information is projected, wherein the light sensor is for measuring the level or intensity of light from the environment and the main light source.

15. A method comprising:
generating light, with a main light source positioned inside an outer housing comprising a translucent portion, wherein light generated by the main light source is incident on the translucent portion;
projecting, with a display light source, information that comprises one or more alphanumeric characters and/or symbols onto a part of the translucent portion on which light is incident from the main light source; and
reflecting, with one or more reflectors inside the outer housing, some of the light generated by the main light source toward the part of the translucent housing on which the display light source projects the information.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
generating, with the display light source, collimated light to project the information on the part of the translucent portion.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
generating, with the display light source, light having a different color than the light generated by the main light source.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
generating, with the display light source, light having a higher luminance or brightness than the light generated by the main light source.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
diffusing, with the translucent portion, the light generated by the main light source that is incident thereon.

20. An apparatus comprising:
means for generating light, with a main light source positioned inside an outer housing comprising a translucent portion, wherein light generated by the main light source is incident on the translucent portion;
means for projecting, with a display light source, information that comprises one or more alphanumeric characters and/or symbols onto a part of the translucent portion on which light is incident from the main light source; and
means for reflecting, with one or more reflectors inside the outer housing, some of the light generated by the main light source toward the part of the translucent housing on which the display light source projects the information.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Taekema Harko Jan
• Zeinstra Michiel Hans
• Beutick Jeroen
• Heersema Michiel

Classifications

• F21Y2113/17

  forming a single encapsulated light source · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• G04G15/00

  Time-pieces comprising means to be operated at preselected times or after preselected time intervals (G04G11/00, G04G13/00 take precedence; {electronic timers G04F1/005}; pulse delay circuits H03K5/13; electronic time-delay switches H03K17/28; electronic time-programme switches which automatically terminate their operation after the programme is completed H03K17/296) · CPC title

• G03B29/00

  Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects (combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03) · CPC title

• G09G3/3406

  Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336) · CPC title