Adaptive Lighting System Matching Environmental Color

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current lighting devices lack the ability to adapt to their environments, resulting in inefficient energy use due to light absorption rather than reflection, and fail to optimize for changing environments, necessitating the need for adaptive lighting systems that can tailor light emissions to match environmental colors.

Innovation Solution

An adaptive light system comprising a color matching engine, controller, and light sources, including LEDs, which uses a color capture device to determine the dominant wavelength of a selected color and adjusts the light sources to emit a combined wavelength that matches the selected color, minimizing power consumption and heat production.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If current lighting devices emit fixed spectrum light, then device structure is simple, but energy efficiency is poor due to light absorption by environment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device dynamically adjusts its spectral output by selectively activating different LED chips (e.g., blue LED with yellow phosphor, green LED, red LED) based on environmental conditions detected by the color sensor. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize energy efficiency by emitting light spectra that reflect off surfaces rather than being absorbed, while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure through integrated control circuitry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates a color sensor that continuously monitors the environmental color and provides feedback to the control circuit. The controller processes this feedback and adjusts the intensity and spectral composition of different LED chips accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables real-time optimization of energy efficiency without requiring complex mechanical adjustments, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and high energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If lighting device uses multiple LED chips with different wavelengths, then adaptability to environment improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental adaptabilityVSAvoidnumber of light sources
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device achieves environmental adaptability by integrating multiple LED chips (blue, green, red) with different phosphor materials into a single multifunctional unit. The control circuit selectively activates specific LED-chip combinations based on the detected environmental color, allowing one device to perform multiple spectral functions. This approach provides high adaptability while avoiding the complexity of having separate lighting devices for different environments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges multiple LED chips with distinct wavelength characteristics and phosphor materials into a single integrated lighting module. The control circuit combines the output of these different light sources in varying proportions to match environmental colors. This merging strategy achieves high environmental adaptability while maintaining a compact, unified device structure rather than requiring multiple separate lighting devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Illumination intensity

If lighting device emits high intensity light to overcome absorption, then brightness is sufficient, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperceived brightnessVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the spectral parameters of the emitted light by selectively activating different LED chips and adjusting their intensity ratios. Instead of uniformly increasing the intensity of all LEDs to overcome absorption, the control circuit optimizes the spectral composition to match the environmental reflectance characteristics. This parameter optimization achieves sufficient perceived brightness while minimizing power consumption by emitting only the necessary wavelengths at appropriate intensities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system enhances energy efficiency by reducing light absorption, increasing perceived brightness, and allowing for adaptive lighting without the need for multiple devices, as it can adjust to different environmental conditions by tailoring light emissions to match the environment's color.

Implementation Method 1

Each of the plurality of light sources may be provided by a light emitting diode (LED)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emitting diode: Light Emitting Diode

Implementation Method 2

DE2020110007U1 discloses an example of an LED device for generating white light from the output of LEDs of different color outputs. US2011/199005 A1 discloses an LED device with multiple LEDs and a reflector carrying phosphors to modify the output

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoluminescence: Photoluminescence

Data Source

PatentEP2848090B1Tunable light system having an adaptable light source and associated methods
Publication Date: 2020.02.05 LIGHTING SCIENCE GROUP CORP
  • EP2848090B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2848090B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2848090B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

An adaptive light system including a color matching engine, a controller, and a plurality of light sources each configured to emit a source light. The color matching engine determines a dominant wavelength of a selected color, and a combination of the light sources that the controller may operate to emit a combined wavelength that approximately matches the dominant wavelength of the selected color. A color capture device transmits a source color signal designating the selected color. Methods of tuning a luminaire having first, second, and third light sources, wherein each light source produces differing colors of light, including receiving a selected warmth and determining whether the light emitted by the first light source matches the amount of light needed from the first light source to match the selected warmth. Determining whether the first and second light sources emit sufficient light, and adjusting each to emit light having the selected warmth.