Apparatus, method, and system for providing tunable circadian lighting at constant perceived brightness and color

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The newly discovered retinal ganglion cell photoreceptor melanopsin absent in the central fovea of the eye but distributed throughout the remaining human retinal body provides both non-visual biological / physiological input inducing circadian entrainment, and visual input affecting perceived brightness; this perceived brightness is not the object brightness commonly associated with luminance and perceived color of an object in central view, but the perception of brightness of a whole space or task background. Discussed are improvements to circadian lighting systems based on melanopsin stimulation whereby ambient and / or device background lighting may be temporally tuned over a range of prescribed color temperatures from a first subset of lighting having a higher melanopic content to a second subset of lighting having a lower melanopic content or vice versa in accordance with a desired circadian cycle, and in a manner where net light output is of a constant perceived brightness and color throughout temporal tuning.

Description

[0001] Cross references to related patent applications [0002] This application claims the benefit of and priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 and / or 120 to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 345,559, filed June 3, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Background technique [0003] The present invention generally relates to adjusting lighting source output according to desired circadian stimulation to provide a biological / physiological benefit to a user. More specifically, the present invention relates to improvements in so-called circadian lighting (also known as "biological lighting" or "photobiology" or "phototherapy") such that the manipulated variables in light source output produce said biological / physiological benefit - that is, a dynamic shift in the melanopic content of light that affects alertness, etc., and also (i) does not result in a perceived different color to ambient or background light during operation, and ( ii) A constant brightness or...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0008] A problem was raised earlier: Existing circadian lighting systems rely on adding blue light for "wake" mode and transitioning to reducing blue light and adding redder light for "sleep" mode; even systems employing "white" sources typically include Many RGB LEDs with red or blue weight ratio

Therefore, using current technology, it is not possible to produce a circadian lighting system with perceptually constant brightness and color

Images