Ground-Level Lighting Device With Slanted Sidewalls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional roadway lighting systems, particularly overhead lights, are inefficient as they absorb a significant amount of light, leading to inadequate illumination of surfaces and the need for larger or more LEDs, and existing reflectors are not designed to illuminate thoroughfares without directing light into oncoming traffic.

Innovation Solution

A compact LED-based lighting device with a housing that includes slanted sidewalls and prismatic optics to direct light outward and away from the surface, reducing absorption and ensuring illumination of thoroughfares without blinding oncoming traffic, powered by a photovoltaic system and equipped with a microcontroller and traffic sensor.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If overhead lighting devices are used to illuminate roadways, then the roadways can be illuminated, but the majority of light emitted is absorbed by the roadway and fails to efficiently illuminate the intended objects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveillumination efficiencyVSAvoidlight absorption

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of positioning lights overhead and allowing light to travel downward (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by positioning light sources at ground level and directing light upward and outward at low angles. This inversion fundamentally changes the light propagation path, reducing absorption by the roadway surface while improving illumination efficiency of vertical surfaces like curbs and sidewalks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from vertical illumination (overhead lights shining downward) to horizontal/low-angle illumination (ground-level lights shining outward at approximately 10-30 degrees). This dimensional change in light emission direction reduces the amount of light absorbed by the roadway surface and directs it toward vertically oriented surfaces that need illumination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Illumination intensity

If larger LEDs or an increased amount of LEDs are used to provide sufficient illumination, then adequate lighting can be achieved, but the device complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelighting qualityVSAvoidnumber of LEDs

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the light emission direction from overhead to ground-level low-angle illumination, the patent achieves effective illumination with fewer and smaller LEDs. The low-angle emission pattern naturally distributes light more efficiently across the intended surfaces, reducing the total LED count required compared to conventional overhead lighting systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Illumination intensity

If roadway reflectors are designed to illuminate surfaces, then illumination can be provided, but light may be emitted into oncoming traffic blinding drivers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface illuminationVSAvoidlight blinding oncoming traffic

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs optical components (lenses or reflectors) that create directional light emission patterns. The optical system is designed to concentrate light in specific directions (upward and outward at low angles) while blocking light from traveling horizontally toward oncoming traffic. This local quality control of light emission ensures surfaces are illuminated without creating harmful glare for oncoming drivers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces optical intermediaries (lenses or reflectors) between the light source and the environment. These optical components act as mediators that shape and direct the light emission, allowing the light source to illuminate surfaces effectively while the optical intermediary prevents light from reaching oncoming traffic. The optical system serves as a filter that selects desired illumination directions and blocks unwanted directions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 solution provides efficient and targeted illumination of thoroughfares with reduced light absorption, allowing for smaller LEDs and lower energy consumption, while ensuring safety by directing light away from oncoming traffic.

Implementation Method 1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotovoltaic effect: Photovoltaic Effect

Implementation Method 2

prismatic optics to direct light outward and away from the surface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRefraction: Refraction

Data Source

PatentUS8899776B2Low-angle thoroughfare surface lighting device

Publication Date: 2014.12.02 LIGHTING SCIENCE GROUP CORP

AI summary

A lighting device may include a housing configured to be attached to a thoroughfare surface. The housing may include a top surface, a proximal face, a distal face, and first and second sidewalls extending between the proximal face and the distal face. Circuitry may be carried by the housing. A first primary optic may be carried by the housing adjacent the first sidewall to define a first optical chamber, and a first light source may be positioned within the first optical chamber and carried by the housing adjacent the first sidewall. The first sidewall may have a first slanted section, and an axis of the first slanted section may skew to a longitudinal axis of the lighting device.