Luminaire Optical Element with Segmented LED Structures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional LED lighting systems with point light sources often experience high contrasts and luminance levels outside glare limitation ranges, leading to discomfort for viewers, and existing solutions to mitigate this through additional luminance surfaces increase manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

A lamp assembly with a primary and secondary LED structure having different emission spectra and/or separately controllable power supplies, utilizing lateral light guides to decouple and distribute light for contrast reduction, allowing for precise adjustment of luminance areas to match physiological needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If optical systems with high quality are used to precisely direct light, then light distribution precision is improved, but high contrasts and luminance levels occur outside glare limitation ranges causing viewer discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight distribution precisionVSAvoidhigh contrasts and luminance levels
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The LED arrangement is segmented into a primary LED structure for directed illumination and a secondary LED structure for ambient luminance. This segmentation allows independent control of the illuminating luminous flux and the contrast-reducing luminance, enabling precise light distribution while maintaining comfortable viewing conditions by separating the functions of precision lighting and glare reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the lighting device are assigned different optical qualities: the primary LED structure provides high-intensity directed light for precise illumination, while the secondary LED structure provides diffuse ambient light for contrast reduction. This local differentiation of optical properties allows the system to achieve both precision and comfort simultaneously in different spatial zones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If additional luminance surfaces are added to reduce contrast, then viewer comfort is improved, but manufacturing effort and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrast reductionVSAvoidmanufacturing effort and costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the contrast-reducing luminance function with the existing LED light sources by adding a secondary LED structure that shares the same mounting substrate and optical housing as the primary structure. This integration eliminates the need for separate backlighting systems or additional manufacturing processes, reducing both manufacturing effort and costs while achieving contrast reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The secondary LED structure serves multiple functions: it provides ambient luminance for contrast reduction, can be independently controlled for dimming or color temperature adjustment, and integrates with the existing optical system. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate contrast-reduction mechanisms, simplifying the overall device design and reducing manufacturing complexity.

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

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple lamp areas are provided in one lamp, then lighting can be adjusted to physiological needs, but structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting adjustment to physiological needsVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The primary and secondary LED structures are equipped with separately controllable power supplies, enabling dynamic adjustment of the ambient luminance relative to the directed illumination. This allows the lighting device to adapt to different physiological needs (e.g., circadian rhythm regulation) by independently controlling the intensity and color temperature of each LED structure, achieving versatility without complex mechanical reconfiguration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 a compact, cost-effective design that reduces contrast and adapts lighting to human physiology, enabling efficient use of high-energy sources like LEDs, with adjustable luminance areas that simulate day-night rhythms and reduce glare.

Implementation Method 1

The decoupling area can also be designed for conducting or guiding the light, in particular in the lateral direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight guidance: Waveguide (optics)

Implementation Method 2

optical systems can be designed which have a comparatively small, glare-free light exit surface due to the punctiform nature of the illuminant, for example provided using lenses, micro-grids or reflectors

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight direction and distribution: Refraction

Data Source

PatentEP3015761B1Lighting module with optical element
Publication Date: 2019.04.24 ITZ INNOVATIONS UND TECHZENT
  • EP3015761B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3015761B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3015761B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a luminaire assembly comprising a one-piece optical element with laterally successive light guiding and light steering sections, a central section comprising a refractive structuring for light input and output coupling for providing a directed luminous flux, a lateral section with an output coupling area for emitting contrast-reducing fill light, and a light source arrangement aligned to the optical element and in the beam direction in front of the optical element, comprising a circuit board with a plurality of light sources.The assembly according to the invention is characterized in that the lateral section further comprises a light guide area and the optical coupling elements arranged laterally to this on a surface for coupling out the contrast-reducing brightening light laterally to the directed luminous flux, wherein the light source arrangement has a primary light source structure and a secondary light source structure, wherein light sources of the primary light source structure and light sources of the secondary light source structure have different emission spectra and/or separately controllable power supplies.