Light output system and design method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12563649-B2
Application number	US-202218288061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2022
Priority date	Apr 30, 2021
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

The invention provides a light output system for delivering light to a region of interest, for providing at least a minimum light intensity to all of the region of interest. The system has more light sources of a particular kind than are needed to reach the minimum light intensity (to all of the region of interest), and they are operated with a duty cycle. The duty cycle ratio is reduced by a factor which is greater than the factor by which the number of light sources in increased above the minimum number, so that energy savings are obtained as well as an increased lifetime of the system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A light output system for delivering light to a region of interest, for providing at least a minimum light intensity to all of the region of interest, characterized in that the system comprises:
a first number of light sources each delivering a respective operational light output flux, wherein a second number of said light sources, less than the first number of light sources, operated at said operational light output flux and at 100% duty cycle, would be sufficient to provide said minimum light intensity to all of the region of interest, and the first number is a multiple α of the second number; and a controller for operating each one of the first number of light sources with a duty cycle during a light output period, thereby to reduce a lowest light intensity provided within the region of interest towards the minimum light intensity, wherein the duty cycle ratio β is less than 1/α.

2 . The light output system of claim 1 , wherein the first number of light sources are distributed across an area or throughout a volume, such that the lowest light intensity within the region of interest arises at one or more locations corresponding to a space between light sources.

3 . The light output system of claim 1 comprising an industrial light output system.

4 . The light output system of claim 1 , wherein:
the duty cycle ratio is less than 1/2α or less than 1/5α or less than 1/10α; and/or the multiple α is in the range 1.1 to 2.

5 . The light output system of claim 1 , for delivering anti biofouling light to a surface of interest submerged in water.

6 . The light output system of claim 5 , wherein the duty cycle period is in the range of 1 second to 1 week.

7 . The light output system of claim 1 , for providing visible lighting to an area of interest, wherein the light output system comprises a street light output system.

8 . The light output system of claim 7 , wherein the duty cycle period is below 10 ms.

9 . A method of delivering light to a region of interest, for providing at least a minimum light intensity to all of the region of interest, characterized in that the method comprises:
operating a first number of light sources, each delivering a respective operational light output flux, wherein a second number of said light sources, less than the first number of light sources, operated at said operational light output flux and at 100% duty cycle would be sufficient to provide said minimum light intensity to all of the region of interest, and the first number is a multiple α of the second number, wherein the method comprises operating each one of the first number of light sources with a duty cycle during a light output period, thereby to reduce a lowest light intensity provided within the region of interest towards the minimum light intensity, wherein the duty cycle ratio β is less than 1/α.

10 . A computer-implemented method of designing a light output system for providing light to a region of interest, characterized in that the method comprises:
setting a minimum light intensity to reach all of the region of interest; for light sources delivering an operational light output flux, determining a minimum number of said light sources when operated at said operational light output flux and at 100% duty cycle which would be sufficient to provide said minimum light intensity to all of the region of interest, selecting a first number of light sources, each delivering said respective operational light output flux, wherein the first number is a multiple α greater than 1 of the minimum number; and selecting a duty cycle for the operation of said first number of light sources, thereby to reduce a lowest light intensity provided within the region of interest towards the minimum light intensity, wherein the duty cycle ratio β is less than 1/α.

11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising setting a target lifetime for the light output system, wherein selecting the first number of light sources and the duty cycle takes account of the target lifetime.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the duty cycle results in the light sources having a lifetime which is equal to or exceeds the target lifetime.

13 . The method of claim 11 , comprising determining an installation cost for the light output system, an energy cost for running the light output system and a servicing cost for servicing the light output system over the target lifetime, wherein selecting the first number of light sources and the duty cycle is based on the installation, energy and servicing costs.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the method comprises selecting the first number of light sources and the duty cycle to optimize a total cost.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv
• Koninklijke Phillips N V

Inventors

• Salters Bart Andre
• Hietbrink Roelant Boudewijn
• Niessen Eduard Matheus Johannes
• Martens Peter

Classifications

• G06Q10/06313

  Resource planning in a project environment · CPC title

• H05B47/155 Primary

  Coordinated control of two or more light sources · CPC title

• H05B45/325

  Pulse-width modulation [PWM] · CPC title

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• H05B47/20

  Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection · CPC title