Light assembly for providing substantially uniform illumination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9812043-B2
Application number	US-201514630500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2015
Priority date	Jul 30, 2012
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A lighting assembly can be used for illuminating a predetermined area. The assembly includes a number of LEDs directed toward the predetermined area and a number of lenses. Each lens is disposed over only one associated LED and is configured to direct light from that LED toward the predetermined area, such that the light from each lens is directed across the entire predetermined area. The light intensity from each lens is substantially uniform across the entire predetermined area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of illuminating visual media content on a billboard display surface using a first lighting unit and a second lighting unit that each include a circuit board, a plurality of LEDs arranged on the circuit board, and a plurality of optical elements, wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements of the first and second lighting units overlies a respective one of the LEDs of the first and second lighting units, and wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements of the first and second lighting units is configured to redirect light from the respective one of the LEDs, the method comprising the steps of:
directing light from the first lighting unit toward a portion of the billboard display surface that extends from an edge of the billboard display surface, wherein the light from the first lighting unit is directed across the entire portion of the billboard display surface and wherein if one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the first lighting unit fails, remaining LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the first lighting unit still illuminate the entire portion of the billboard so that all of the visual media content on the portion of the billboard display surface is visible without any additional light; and
at the same time, directing light from the second lighting unit toward the portion of the billboard display surface such that the light from the second lighting unit is directed across the entire portion of the billboard display surface, wherein if one or more LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the second lighting unit fails, remaining LEDs of the plurality of LEDs of the second lighting unit still illuminate the entire portion of the billboard so that all of the visual media content on the portion of the billboard display surface is visible without any additional light;
wherein each optical element of the plurality of optical elements comprises:
a first outer boundary, a second outer boundary opposite the first outer boundary, a third outer boundary connecting the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary, a fourth outer boundary opposite the third outer boundary, and a central region halfway between the first outer boundary and the second outer boundary;
a first element with a convex outer surface extending from the first outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the first outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the first element being vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a first distance;
a second element with a convex outer surface extending from the second outer boundary toward the central region and having a peak located between the central region and the second outer boundary, the peak being spaced from the central region, the peak of the second element being vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a second distance, wherein a portion of the convex outer surface of the first element intersects with a portion of the convex outer surface of the second element at an angle in a region between the first element and the second element;
a third element disposed between the third outer boundary and a region halfway between the third outer boundary and the fourth outer boundary, wherein the third element has a peak that is vertically spaced from the circuit board on which the respective LED is arranged by a third distance that is greater than the first distance and is greater than the second distance; and
a fourth element positioned proximate the respective LED, wherein the first, second and third elements are positioned above the fourth element, the fourth element having a first boundary enclosing a first surface adjacent the respective LED and a second boundary enclosing a second surface adjacent the first, second and third elements, the first boundary being smaller than the second boundary.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the billboard display surface extends from a left edge of the billboard display surface to a right edge of the billboard display surface so that all of the billboard display surface is illuminated by only the first and second lighting units without any additional lighting unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of illuminating the billboard display surface using a third lighting unit and a fourth lighting unit that each include a circuit board, a plurality of LEDs arranged on the circuit board of the third and fourth lighting units, and a plurality of optical elements, each optical element of the plurality of optical elements of the third and fourth lighting units overlying a respective one of the LEDs of the third and fourth lighting units, wherein each optical element comprises a first element, a second element and a third element that are configured to redirect light from the respective one of the LEDs, the method further comprising the steps of:
at the same time as directing the light from the first and second lighting units, directing light from the third lighting unit toward a second portion of the billboard display surface such that the light from the third lighting unit is directed across the entire second portion of the billboard display surface; and
at the same time, directing light from the fourth lighting unit toward the second portion of the billboard display surface such that the light from the fourth lighting unit is directed across the entire second portion of the billboard display surface, wherein visual media content on the second portion of the display surface is visible without any additional light.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the billboard display surface and the second portion of the billboard display surface extend from a left edge of the billboard display surface to a right edge of the billboard display surface so that all of the billboard display surface is illuminated using only light from the first, second, third and fourth lighting units.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of illuminating the billboard display surface using a third lighting unit, a fourth lighting unit, a fifth lighting unit, and a sixth lighting unit, each of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth lighting units including a circuit board, a plurality of LEDs arranged on the circuit board of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth lighting units, and a plurality of optical elements, each optical element of the plurality of optical elements of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth lighting units overlying a respective one of the LEDs of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth lighting units, wherein each optical element comprises a first element, a second element and a third element that are configured to redirect light from the respective one of the LEDs, the method comprising:
at the same time as directing the light from the first and second lighting units, directing light from the third lighting unit toward the billboard display surface;
at the same time, directing light from the fourth lighting unit toward the billboard display surface;
at the same time, directing light from the fifth lighting unit toward the billboard display surface; and
at the same time, directing light from the sixth lighting unit toward the billboard display surface; and
wherein all of the billboard display surface is illuminated only from the light from the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth lighting units.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of illuminating the billboard display surface using a third lighting unit that includes a circuit board, a plurality of LEDs arranged on the circuit board of the third li

Assignees

• Ultravision Tech Llc

Inventors

• Auyeung David Siucheong
• Hall William Y
• Magarill Simon

Classifications

• F21Y2105/12

  characterised by the geometrical disposition of the light-generating elements, e.g. arranging light-generating elements in differing patterns or densities · CPC title

• F21K9/60

  Optical arrangements integrated in the light source, e.g. for improving the colour rendering index or the light extraction · CPC title

• F21Y2105/10

  comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array of point-like light-generating elements · CPC title

• F21V29/70

  characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks · CPC title

• F21V33/00

  Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for · CPC title