Detector controlled illuminating system

Abstract

An illuminating device coupled with sensors or an image acquisition device and a logical controller allows illumination intensity and spectrum to be varied according to changing user needs. The system provides illumination to areas according to the principles of correct lighting practice for the optimal performance of visual tasks in the most efficient, cost effective manner. Aspects of the invention include: lighting fixtures which adapt to ambient lighting, movement, visual tasks being performed, and environmental and personal conditions affecting illumination requirements at any given instant. Lighting fixtures have spatial distribution of spectrum and intensity, providing both “background” room lighting, and “task” lighting.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A processor controlled illuminating system for illuminating an area, said illuminating system comprising:
 a) a light fixture comprising at least one light source having at least one of controllable light intensity and spectral light distribution;   b) at least one detector adapted to sense information related to the instantaneous lighting conditions of entities present within said area and to pass the sensed information to a processor;   c) a processor adapted to use any of algorithms and look-up tables to process said sensed information and to determine the instantaneous lighting requirements for said area; and   d) a controller that is integral to said light fixture and is adapted to adjust at least one of the light intensity and the spectral light distribution of said at least one light source to provide said lighting requirements determined by said processor;   
       wherein, said processor is adapted to determine said instantaneous lighting requirements for said area by balancing tradeoffs between human factors and economic considerations related to visual task efficacy and to supplying said changing lighting requirements. 
     
     
         2 . The illuminating system of  claim 1  for use in any of residential, office, commercial, roadway, industrial, outdoor and indoor lighting, wherein the instantaneous lighting requirements for said area include the optimal values of at least one of: illuminance, luminance, the appearance of surface colors, and the accuracy of surface colors. 
     
     
         3 . The illuminating system of  claim 1 , wherein the human factors include: aiding the visual acuity, visual comfort, direction of the light placement on objects to be seen, the pleasing aspects and physiological effects of the light on persons in said area. 
     
     
         4 . The illuminating system of  claim 1 , wherein said light fixture includes a multiplicity of directional light sources having a differentiated light delivery. 
     
     
         5 . The illuminating system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one detector is integral to said light fixture. 
     
     
         6 . The illuminating system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one detector is adapted to sense at least one of texture, reflectance, color, and location of surfaces; the identity and location of objects; and the identity, the location, and the orientation relative to said light fixture of people within the area to be illuminated. 
     
     
         7 . The illuminating system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to determine the lighting requirements of the surfaces, objects, and persons within the area to be illuminated by using at least one of artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, and video analytics. 
     
     
         8 . The illuminating system of  claim 1  where the detector comprises at least one of (i) a camera being a photo sensor array coupled with an optical lens, (ii) one or more photo sensors, (iii) an ultrasound transducer and sensor, (iv) microwave transducer and sensor, and (v) pyroelectric detectors. 
     
     
         9 . The illuminating system of  claim 4 , wherein the illuminated area is indoors and the system further comprises a detector for detecting variable illumination from daylight and/or sunlight entering indoors, wherein the controller takes into consideration the area now illuminated by the daylight and/or sunlight and adjusts the light intensity of the directional light sources to meet the varied illumination requirement. 
     
     
         10 . The illuminating system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more detectors detects information regarding one or more individuals within the illuminated area, said information is at least one of (i) age, (ii) sex, and (iii) recognition of an individual for matching with stored data about that individual's needs and wherein the controller adjusts the light intensity and/or spectrum of the illumination provided to the one or more individuals based on illumination requirements from at least one of (i) best practices looked up and calculated from stored data, (ii) age and/or sex of the individual, (iii) personal preferences input to the controller and stored in memory, and (iv) commands received by the controller from an input device. 
     
     
         11 . The illuminating system of  claim 1  adapted for optimally displaying food, wherein the one or more detectors detect an identity of one or more foods and wherein the controller adjusts the light intensity and/or spectrum of the illumination on the one or more foods based on illumination requirements received from the processor. 
     
     
         12 . The illuminating system of  claim 1  comprising electronic circuitry apparatus for the controlled powering of the light source and other illuminating device elements; wherein the controller is in communication with the light source controlling power circuitry. 
     
     
         13 . The illuminating system of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more detectors are configured to sense a presence of glare on a person's eyes in the illuminated area, and wherein the controller is programmed to adjust an intensity of the directional light sources to reduce the glare. 
     
     
         14 . The illuminating system of  claim 4 , wherein: (a) the light fixture has a movable structure for aiming the directional light sources mounted thereon in a defined direction; (b) the detector is a camera for obtaining images, said camera functioning as a detector for at least one of (i) a light detector (ii) a spectrum detector, (iii) a motion detector, (iv) a measuring detector for sensing a geometry of the illuminated area, and (v) a detector for sensing at least one of work surfaces and objects and at least one of vehicles and beings; (c) the controller is adapted to adjust a light intensity and a direction of any of the directional light sources; and (d) the processor comprises stored algorithms and data for identifying at least one of (i) tasks being carried out by people, (ii) location of people, (iii) frequency of area usage by people, (iv) traffic density in the illuminated area, (v) work surfaces, (vi) objects, people and/or vehicles, and (vii) roadway surface luminance. 
     
     
         15 . The illuminating system of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is adapted to satisfy the illumination requirement that different parts of the illuminated area are to be illuminated at a different intensity and/or at a different spectrum than another part of the illuminated area. 
     
     
         16 . The illuminating system of  claim 14 , adapted to be adjustable by an installer based on room geometry and/or usage, wherein the detector and processor combination provides feedback to said installer so as to aim the light sources such that the illumination requirements can be met by the re-adjusted light source aimings. 
     
     
         17 . The illuminating system of  claim 4 , wherein the controller receives real time information from the camera and wherein the processor, using image recognition capability, directs the controller to adjust at least one of (i) the intensity, (ii) the spectral light distribution and, (iii) the direction of the light sources based on at least one of (i) where people requiring illumination are located, (ii) what object the person is viewing and (iii) what visual task the person needs to perform. 
     
     
         18 . The illuminating system of  claim 14 , further wherein the movement of the light source direction of at least one of the directional light sources mounted on the movable structure is automatically controlled by the controller. 
     
     
         19 . The illuminating system of  claim 18  adapted to provide a different illumination to a sub-area based on usage, wherein the controller, interpreting images from the camera, adjusts the moveable light sources such that they provide the required illumination in a sub-area proximate to individuals as they move around in the illuminated area. 
     
     
         20 . The illuminating system of  claim 4 , wherein the illuminated area is a road and the entities include road signs. 
     
     
         21 . The illuminating system of  claim 14 , further comprising at least one directional light source on an automatic swivel joint, said at least one light source adapted to provide a spot light of limited beam angle for task lighting while other light sources provide general illumination to the illuminated area. 
     
     
         22 . The illuminating system of  claim 1 , wherein the detector is a camera integral to the light fixture and the controller comprises communication capability to other devices; wherein the camera in a first location obtains information and the controller process said information and communicates said camera obtained information to a second device. 
     
     
         23 . The illuminating system of  claim 22 , wherein the illuminated area is a road and the second device to which the camera obtained information is communicated is a lighting fixture. 
     
     
         24 . The illuminating system of  claim 23 , wherein the processor uses information obtained from the cameras and exchanged between the first and second fixtures for identifying traffic requirements in the illuminated area and, from the locations and geometry of vehicles in said illuminated area, determining the illumination requirements of the illumination area; thereby directing the controller to adjust the directional light sources to meet said illumination requirements. 
     
     
         25 . The illuminating system of  claim 24 , wherein the controller is programmed to adjust at least one of (i) increase illumination with an approach of a vehicle, and (ii) change beam cut-off levels as the vehicle advances toward the lighting fixture to eliminate glare. 
     
     
         26 . The illuminating system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one light sources emits non-visible radiation in a sub-area proximate to individuals in the area, wherein: (a) the at least one light sources that emits non-visible radiation is a directional radiation source that emits the radiation is in a defined direction; (b) the at least one detector is adapted to sense a location of individuals in the area; and (c) the controller is adapted to adjust at least one of (i) a radiation intensity, and (ii) a direction of the irradiation based on sensed location. 
     
     
         27 . The illuminating system of  claim 26 , wherein: (a) the non-visible radiation is infra-red radiation intended to provide a desired heating to one or more individuals in an area; (b) the light fixture comprises at least two directional heat radiation sources pointing in different directions; (c) the detector is a camera with capability for sensing at least one of (i) a presence of one or more individuals in the heated area, (ii) the identity of the individuals, and (iii) a body temperature of individuals present in the heated area; and the processor further has processing capability for determining the heating requirements of the individuals in the area from at least one of (i) algorithms to calculate radiation parameters, (ii) stored data of heating practices, (iii) image recognition algorithms for identifying the individual based on the camera information, and (iv) an identified individual's personal preferences. 
     
     
         28 . The illuminating system of  claim 26 , wherein: (a) the at least one directional radiation source is capable of being moved so as to direct radiation in a defined direction; (b) the at least one detector is capable of providing information on the present location of individuals in the area; and (c) the processor is programmed to process the detector information and to direct the controller to move the radiating sources so as to follow the one or more individuals. 
     
     
         29 . The illuminating system of  claim 27 , wherein: (a) the camera is capable of providing images of different parts of the body of individuals to the processor for image processing; (b) the radiation sources are adapted to direct radiation to different parts of the body; and (c) the processor further programmed to run the image recognition algorithms to identify different parts of the body, to compute the desired radiation level to the different parts of the body and direct the controller to adjust the radiation from sources directed at the different parts of the body. 
     
     
         30 . The illuminating system of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is adapted to control the irradiation in time and intensity on the individual to maintain comfortable heating based on at least one of: (i) best practices, (ii) feedback from the heat detector configured to detect body temperature of different parts of a body, (iii) personal preferences input to the controller and stored in memory and (iv) commands input from an input device. 
     
     
         31 . The illuminating system of  claim 27 , wherein: (a) the light sources emit radiation for therapeutic purposes; (b) the radiation may be any of (i) UV radiation, (ii) red light therapy in the 620-660 nm range, and (iii) light therapy for SAD and other disorders; and (c) the processor and controller aim the radiation sources to the location where the individual is located and control the time and intensity of the radiation. 
     
     
         32 . The illuminating system of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the light sources emits visible light and at least one of the light sources is designed to substantially radiate heat, whereby the system is capable of providing both a desired light and heat radiation to the individuals. 
     
     
         33 . The illuminating system of  claim 22  where the detector system serves in a home, building or area and the second device to which the camera obtained information is communicated for services including any of appliances, surveillance, gas or fire detection, energy delivery devices, sunlight control entertainment fragrance and other services. 
     
     
         34 . The illuminating system of  claim 22  where the detector system serves in a home, building or area and the second device to which the camera obtained information is communicated to electric power supplying entities and the two way communications to the controller interfaces with electricity power supply network for load modifications. 
     
     
         35 . The illuminating system of  claim 9 , wherein the illuminated area is indoors and the system has been adapted to receive and distribute sunlight in the area, wherein the controller takes into consideration the area now illuminated by the daylight and/or sunlight and adjusts the light intensity of the directional light sources to meet the varied illumination requirement.