LED Lighting Control via Human Visual Perception Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting technologies face challenges in achieving energy-efficient LED lighting that maintains perceived brightness without flicker, as circuit delays and human visual perception characteristics are not adequately addressed, leading to inefficiencies in power usage and perceived light intensity.
Innovation Solution
The design employs a method and apparatus that utilize an intensity waveform with specific time intervals based on human visual perception characteristics, ensuring the LED is on for longer than the response time and off for less than the retention time, with a duty cycle that balances energy savings and perceived brightness, using a control circuit to manage the power supply and minimize circuit delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the LED is powered continuously to maintain perceived brightness, then the perceived brightness is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic pulsing action to the LED, turning it on and off at specific intervals. The LED is pulsed on for a duration longer than the human visual response time (1-3 ms) but shorter than the retention time (30-50 ms), creating a periodic pattern that the human eye perceives as continuous illumination while actually consuming energy only during the on periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the duty cycle of the LED based on human visual perception characteristics. By making the LED intensity dynamic (pulsing rather than static), the system exploits the temporal integration properties of human vision to maintain perceived brightness while reducing actual energy consumption through controlled on/off cycling.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the duty cycle is reduced to save energy, then energy consumption decreases, but the perceived brightness may be affected by flicker
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic pulsing with carefully controlled timing to eliminate flicker. By pulsing the LED at a frequency and duration that aligns with human visual response characteristics (on time > response time, off time < retention time), the periodic action creates a perception of steady light without actual flicker, even at reduced duty cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temporal parameters of LED operation (pulse width, frequency, duty cycle) to match human visual perception thresholds. By adjusting these parameters so that the on duration exceeds visual response time and off duration remains below retention time, the system transforms the visual perception from flickering to steady while maintaining energy efficiency.
3Productivity
If fast transitions are used to exploit human visual response time, then energy efficiency improves, but circuit delays may affect the switching performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent accounts for circuit delays by designing the pulse width to be longer than the sum of human visual response time and circuit delay time. This preliminary action compensates for the inevitable delay in circuit response, ensuring that the LED actually reaches full brightness within the visual response window despite the circuit delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts the pulse width parameter to account for circuit delays. By increasing the on-duration beyond the minimum visual response time to include a margin for circuit delay, the system maintains fast transitions and energy efficiency while compensating for the time loss inherent in real-world circuit behavior.
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
This approach achieves energy-efficient LED lighting with the same perceived brightness as continuous lighting while reducing energy consumption, by optimizing the on and off times of the LED according to human visual response and retention times, and minimizing the impact of circuit delays.
Implementation Method 1
The invention relates to efficient lighting, including design of energy-saving LED lighting
Implementation Method 2
Some types of light sources are able to provide fast transitions to a full brightness level
Data Source
AI summary
A method for efficient lighting includes supplying power to a light source to control the intensity of light emitted from the light source according to an intensity waveform. The amplitude of the waveform over one period is at a high level for a first time interval and at or below a low level for a second time interval. The method includes selecting durations of the first time interval according to a first characteristic of human visual perception and selecting the second time interval according to a second characteristic of human visual perception.