Light-emitting apparatus with pulsed blue light and continuous white source

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional light-emitting apparatuses that influence biological rhythms by emitting blue light are perceived as glaringly bright, making it difficult to maintain effective biological activation while avoiding discomfort.

Innovation Solution

A light-emitting apparatus with a blue light source and a white light source, controlled by a controller that maintains the white light source continuously on and alternates the blue light source between on and off states, ensuring the combined irradiation intensity meets a biological effect threshold while reducing perceived brightness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If blue light source is continuously turned on to influence biological rhythm, then biological activation effect is improved, but perceived brightness becomes glaringly bright causing discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebiological activation effectVSAvoidperceived brightness discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The blue light source is controlled to periodically turn on and off rather than operating continuously. The controller alternates the blue light source between on and off states, creating a pulsed illumination pattern that maintains biological activation effectiveness while reducing the perception of glaring brightness during off periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the blue light source with a white light source that operates continuously. The white light source compensates for the intermittent nature of the blue light source, ensuring that the combined illumination maintains sufficient brightness and biological activation effect while the blue light source's periodic operation reduces its glaring perception.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If brightness of emitted light is decreased to reduce glaring perception, then perceived brightness discomfort is improved, but ability to influence biological rhythm deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperceived brightness discomfortVSAvoidbiological activation effect

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By using periodic on-off cycles of the blue light source, the average brightness is reduced lowering perceived discomfort, while the peak intensity during on periods and the timing of pulses maintain the biological activation effect. The periodic action allows the system to deliver sufficient biological stimulus without maintaining continuously high brightness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The controller adjusts the irradiation intensity of the blue light source dynamically, changing parameters such as duty cycle, pulse width, and intensity levels to optimize both perceived brightness and biological activation effect. By varying these parameters, the system achieves comfortable brightness levels while maintaining effective biological rhythm influence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If blue light source is operated at high intensity to ensure biological effect threshold, then biological activation effect is improved, but perceived brightness becomes glaringly bright

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebiological effect threshold achievementVSAvoidperceived brightness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The blue light source operates in periodic pulses rather than continuous high intensity. The controller manages the timing and duration of on-periods, allowing the light to reach high intensity during pulses to meet biological effect threshold, while the off-periods provide relief from glaring brightness, achieving both goals through temporal separation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The white light source operates continuously to provide sustained illumination and maintain overall brightness levels, while the blue light source provides periodic high-intensity bursts. This combination ensures continuous useful action for general illumination while the intermittent blue light delivers the necessary biological activation without continuous glaring exposure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS10661047B2Light-emitting apparatus

Publication Date: 2020.05.26 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

A light-irradiating apparatus which emits light for activating a body is provided. The light-irradiating apparatus includes a blue light source, a white light source, and a controller. The controller controls the white light source and the blue light source, and adjusts irradiation intensities of light emitted by the blue light source and the white light source. The controller causes the white light source to continuously maintain an on state and causes the blue light source to repeat an on state and an off state. The controller causes a sum of the irradiation intensity of the light which is emitted by the white light source and the irradiation intensity of the light which is emitted by the blue light source to be greater than or equal to a biological effect threshold at which light produces an effect of activating the body.