Systems and methods for controlling color temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538603-B2
Application number	US-201414255845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2014
Priority date	Apr 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

Controlling the color temperature of a composite light source including at least one discrete-spectrum light source is disclosed. For example, the color temperature of a composite light source including at least one discrete-spectrum light source may be determined and/or adjusted based on one or more of the ambient color temperature of a space, the actual temperature of the space, the relative brightness of the space, the occupancy of the space, a time clock, a demand response command (e.g., from an electrical utility), the absolute location of the composite light source, the location of the composite light source relative to other light sources, inputs from a camera or other external devices, the operation of appliances or other machines in the vicinity of the composite light source, media content being utilized in the vicinity of the composite light source, and/or other sensor inputs.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for automated control of color temperature, the method comprising:
receiving information that comprises data related to a power source;
determining a color temperature value for a controllable-color-temperature lighting load (CCTLL) of a plurality of CCTLLs based on the information that comprises the data related to the power source, wherein the data related to the power source indicates whether the CCTLL is powered by an emergency power source; and
controlling the CCTLL in order to operate the CCTLL at the color temperature value, wherein the CCTLL is controlled to a higher color temperature value if the CCTLL is determined to be powered by the emergency power source and a lower color temperature value if the CCTLL is determined to be powered by a power source other than the emergency power source.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the information comprises sensor information from one or more sensors, wherein the sensor information received from the one or more sensors is associated with daylight measured by at least one sensor of the one or more sensors.

3. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the CCTLL of the plurality of CCTLLs comprises a first discrete-spectrum light source and a second discrete-spectrum light source, wherein the first discrete-spectrum light source and the second discrete-spectrum light source emit light at different color temperature values, and wherein the CCTLL of the plurality of CCTLLs adjusts a composite color temperature of the emitted light by varying a first intensity level of the first discrete-spectrum light source and varying a second intensity level of the second discrete-spectrum light source.

4. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the first discrete-spectrum light source emits the light with a substantially red color temperature, and the second discrete-spectrum light source emits the light with a substantially blue color temperature value.

5. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the first discrete-spectrum light source comprises a first light emitting diode (LED) light source, wherein the first LED light source comprises an LED driver and an LED light engine, wherein the LED driver is configured to adjust an intensity level of the LED light source using phase control signals.

6. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the second discrete-spectrum light source comprises a compact fluorescent lamp, and wherein the compact fluorescent lamp is controlled by an electronic ballast.

7. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the composite color temperature of the emitted light is varied by adjusting the first intensity level and the second intensity level while maintaining a specified ratio between the first intensity level and the second intensity level.

8. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of an occupancy sensor, a daylight sensor, a color temperature sensor, a temperature sensor, a shadow sensor, or a camera.

9. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the sensor information comprises information related to a use of a room including the plurality of CCTLLs, and wherein determining the color temperature value for the CCTLL comprises:
determining an inferred use of the room including the plurality of CCTLLs based on the information related to the use of the room; and
determining the color temperature value for the CCTLL based on the inferred use of the room.

10. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the sensor information comprises occupancy information and the color temperature value for the CCTLL comprises a first color temperature value if the occupancy information indicates that a room including the plurality of CCTLLs is occupied or a second color temperature value if the occupancy information indicates that the room including the plurality of CCTLLs is unoccupied.

11. The method as in claim 10 , wherein the first color temperature value is less than the second color temperature value.

12. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the plurality of the CCTLLs are controlled to operate each CCTLL of the plurality of the CCTLLs at a respective color temperature, wherein controlling the plurality of CCTLLs comprises:
sending a first signal to a first CCTLL, the first signal comprising an indication to operate at a first color temperature value;
sending a second signal to a second CCTLL, the second signal comprising an indication to operate at a second color temperature value; and
sending a third signal to a third CCTLL, the third signal comprising an indication to operate at a third color temperature value.

13. The method as in claim 12 , wherein the first color temperature value, the second color temperature value, and the third color temperature value are approximately a same color temperature value.

14. The method as in claim 13 , the method further comprising:
determining, based on the sensor information, a color temperature value of the daylight measured by the at least one sensor, wherein the first color temperature value, the second color temperature value, and the third color temperature value are selected to be approximately a same color temperature value as the color temperature value of the daylight.

15. The method as in claim 12 , the method further comprising:
determining, based on the sensor information, a color temperature value of the daylight measured by the at least one sensor, wherein the first color temperature value is approximately a same color temperature value as the color temperature value of the daylight, the second color temperature value is lower than the first color temperature value, and the third color temperature value is lower than the second color temperature value.

16. The method as in claims 15 , wherein the first CCTLL is closer to a source of the daylight than the second CCTLL, and the second CCTLL is closer to the source of the daylight than the third CCTLL.

17. The method as in claim 12 , the method further comprising:
determining, based on the sensor information, a color temperature value of the daylight measured by the at least one sensor, wherein the first color temperature value is approximately a same color temperature value as the color temperature value of the daylight, the second color temperature value is higher than the first color temperature value, and the third color temperature value is higher than the second color temperature value.

18. The method as in claim 12 , wherein each of the first color temperature value, the second color temperature value, and the third color temperature value is selected based on a respective distance from a source of the daylight and a relative location of each of the first CCTLL, the second CCTLL, and the third CCTLL with respect to the source of the daylight.

19. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the information comprises sensor information received from one or more sensor, wherein the sensor information received from the one or more sensors is associated with daylight measured by at least one sensor, and the method further comprises:
determining, based on the sensor information, a color temperature of the daylight measured by the at least one sensor, wherein the color temperature value for the CCTLL of the plurality of CCTLLs is determined relative to the color temperature of the daylight.

20. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the color temperature value for the CCTLL is determined based on a distance of the CCTLL from a source of daylight, and the method further comprises controlling the plurality of CCTLLs to produce a gradient of color tempe

Assignees

• Lutron Electronics Co

Inventors

• Shearer Thomas M
• Abraham Arya
• Biery Ethan Charles
• Gredler Timothy P
• Hakkarainen Juha Mikko

Classifications

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• H05B45/22 Primary

  using optical feedback · CPC title

• H05B47/105

  in response to determined parameters · CPC title

• H05B33/0869 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0872

  Electricity · mapped topic