Luminaire with transmissive filter and adjustable illumination pattern

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9961731-B2
Application number	US-201615369559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2016
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

Illumination systems with selectively adjustable illumination patterns which reduce the need for a utility or luminaire distributer to stock luminaires with different illumination patterns and reduce the need for pre-planning installations. Implementations may allow scheduled dimming of luminaires, dimming in defined physical directions and scheduled adjustment of light patterns. The efficiency and/or color contrast of a luminaire may be improved by using wavelength shifting material, such as a phosphor, to absorb less desired wavelengths and transmit more desired wavelengths. A transmissive filter may reflect desired wavelengths such as red and green, while passing less desired wavelengths (e.g., blue) toward the wavelength shifting material which emits such as light of more desirable wavelengths.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A luminaire, comprising:
an active light source which emits light across a plurality of wavelengths;
at least one transmissive filter positioned in a first portion of an optical path of the active light source between the active light source and an optical exit of the luminaire to receive an incident portion of the emitted light, the at least one transmissive filter positioned outside of a second portion of the optical path such that a non-incident portion of the emitted light in the second portion of the optical path exits the optical exit of the luminaire without striking the at least one transmissive filter, the at least one transmissive filter transmits light of the incident portion having a wavelength in a first set of wavelengths in the plurality of wavelengths and reflects light of the incident portion having a wavelength in a second set of wavelengths in the plurality of wavelengths; and
a wavelength shifter positioned and oriented to receive the transmitted portion of the incident portion and in response emit light at a shifted wavelength toward the optical exit of the luminaire.

2. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the wavelength shifter comprises molded plastic loaded with phosphor.

3. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the wavelength shifter comprises a layer of coating disposed on at least one exterior-facing surface of the at least one transmissive filter.

4. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the at least one transmissive filter comprises a substrate having a dielectric coating thereon.

5. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the at least one transmissive filter comprises a layer of coating disposed on at least one light source-facing surface of the wavelength shifter.

6. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the active light source comprises at least one solid state light source.

7. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the active light source comprises at least one light emitting diode.

8. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the wavelength shifter comprises at least one phosphor material.

9. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the at least one transmissive filter comprises an optical element and a number of layers of at least one of a dichroic coating or a dielectric mirror material carried by the optical element.

10. The luminaire of claim 9 wherein the optical element is at least part of the optical exit of the luminaire.

11. The luminaire of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens positioned and oriented to receive the shifted emitted light from the wavelength shifter and in response emit light which is at least one of refracted or diffracted toward the optical exit of the luminaire.

12. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the first set of wavelengths includes wavelengths below approximately 480 nanometers and the second set of wavelengths includes wavelengths above approximately 480 nanometers, and the wavelength shifter emits light at wavelengths above approximately 480 nanometers.

13. The luminaire of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one circuit board;
wherein the active light source comprises:
a number N of solid-state light emitter arrays carried on the at least one circuit board, the number N greater than or equal to two, each of the N solid-state light emitter arrays including a plurality of solid-state light emitters, at least some of the plurality of solid-state light emitters of one of the N solid-state light emitter arrays positioned at a different angle from at least some of the solid-state light emitters of at least one of the other N solid-state light emitter arrays;
a solid-state light emitter driver including N independently controllable driver channels, each of the N driver channels electrically coupled to a different one of the N solid-state light emitter arrays;
at least one luminaire processor operatively coupled to the solid-state light emitter driver to control the operation thereof;
at least one luminaire transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one luminaire processor and to at least one data communications channel; and
at least one luminaire nontransitory processor-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the at least one luminaire processor and which stores at least one of data or instructions which, when executed by the at least one luminaire processor, cause the at least one luminaire processor to:
receive, via the at least one luminaire transceiver, illumination pattern information from a remotely located external processor-based system over the at least one data communications channel, the illumination pattern information indicative of an illumination pattern to be produced by the N solid-state light emitter arrays;
store the received illumination pattern information in the at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium; and

control the operation of the solid-state light emitter driver based at least in part on the illumination pattern information.

14. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the received illumination pattern information specifies an instruction to control the solid-state light emitter driver to drive at least one of the N independently controllable driver channels differently from the other of the N independently controllable driver channels.

15. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the received illumination pattern information specifies an instruction to control the solid-state light emitter driver to drive each of the N independently controllable driver channels so that the plurality of solid-state light emitters of the N solid-state light emitter arrays produce at least one of a plurality of determined standardized illumination patterns.

16. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the received illumination pattern information specifies an instruction to control the solid-state light emitter driver to drive each of the N independently controllable driver channels so that the plurality of solid-state light emitters of the N solid-state light emitter arrays produce at least one of a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) illumination pattern or an Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) illumination pattern.

17. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the received illumination pattern information specifies an instruction to control the solid-state light emitter driver to drive each of the N independently controllable driver channels so that each of the plurality of solid-state light emitters of at least one of the N solid-state light emitter arrays are at least one of disabled or dimmed.

18. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the at least one circuit board is a flexible printed circuit board.

19. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the at least one luminaire transceiver receives the illumination pattern information from the external processor-based system over at least one radio or microwave frequency channel.

20. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the at least one luminaire transceiver receives the illumination pattern information from the external processor-based system over at least one of a short-range wireless channel or a wired communications channel.

21. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the at least one luminaire transceiver receives the illumination pattern information from the external processor-based system through at least one power-line power distribution system.

22. The luminaire of claim 13 wherein the at least one luminaire transceiver receives the illumination pattern information from at least one of a smartphone, a tablet computer,

Assignees

• Express Imaging Systems Llc

Inventors

• Reed William G

Classifications

• F21V9/45

  by adjustment of photoluminescent elements · CPC title

• F21V9/08

  for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light (with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40) · CPC title

• F21V9/30

  Elements containing photoluminescent material distinct from or spaced from the light source (shades F21V1/17; globes, bowls or cover glasses F21V3/08, F21V3/12; refractors F21V5/10; reflectors F21V7/26, F21V7/30; elements with provision for controlling the spectral properties or intensity F21V9/40) · CPC title

• H05B45/46

  having LEDs disposed in parallel lines · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title