# US 10,441,742 B2 · Light emission control device, electronic device, and control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,742 B2 - Document ID: US10441742B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/904,326 - Filed: 2018-02-24 - Published: 2018-09-06 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-01 - Assignees: Panasonic Corporation; Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Corporation; Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hiroshi Kido; Shigeru Ido; Hisao Kataoka; Naohiro Toda; Kazuhiro Hatta; Sadayoshi Hattori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441742B2 ## CPC - H05B 45/38: using boost topology - A61B 5/4812: {Detecting sleep stages or cycles} - A61M 21/00: Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis - G04G 13/02: at preselected times, e.g. alarm clocks - H05B 45/20: Controlling the colour of the light - H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings - H05B 47/16: by timing means - A61M 2021/0027: {by the hearing sense} - A61M 2021/0044: {by the sight sense} - A61M 2021/0083: {especially for waking up} - A61M 2209/01: Remote controllers for specific apparatus - A61M 2230/04: Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation - A61M 2230/10: Electroencephalographic signals - A61M 2230/14: Electro-oculogram [EOG] - A61M 2230/60: Muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user - A61M 2230/63: Motion, e.g. physical activity - A61N 2005/0663: {Coloured light} - G04G 11/00: Producing optical signals at preselected times - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - G04G: ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A light emission control device includes a light emission controller which controls a light emitter and performs normal control and wake-up control, the normal control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light having a color temperature and luminance according to an instruction of a user, the wake-up control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light at increasing luminance over time to wake up the user who is sleeping. The maximum luminance of light emitted by the light emitter in the wake-up control is greater than the maximum luminance of light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A light emission control device comprising: a light emission controller which controls a light emitter and performs normal control and wake-up control, the normal control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light having a color temperature and luminance according to an instruction of a user, the wake-up control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light at increasing luminance over time to wake up the user who is sleeping, wherein maximum luminance of light emitted by the light emitter in the wake-up control is greater than maximum luminance of light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control, the light emitter includes a first light source and a second light source which emits light having a color temperature higher than a color temperature of light emitted by the first light source, the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control is equivalent to maximum luminance of light which the user is allowed to cause the first light source to emit, and in the wake-up control, the light emission controller causes the light emitter to emit light having luminance greater than the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control, by causing, out of the first light source and the second light source, the second light source to emit light. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The light emission control device according to claim 1, wherein in the wake-up control, the light emission controller causes the light emitter to emit light having luminance greater than the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control, by causing the second light source to emit brighter light than the first light source does. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The light emission control device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitted by the first light source has a color temperature of at most 3000 K, and the light emitted by the second light source has a color temperature of at least 5000 K. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The light emission control device according to claim 1, wherein in the wake-up control, when the light emission controller causes the light emitter to emit light at increasing luminance over time according to a predetermined brightening pattern, the light emission controller further performs boost control, the boost control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light at more steeply increasing luminance than in the predetermined brightening pattern. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The light emission control device according to claim 4, further comprising: a processor which determines a sleep state of the user, wherein the light emission controller starts the boost control at a time when the user is determined to be in a state other than a rapid eye movement (REM) sleep state. ### Claim 6 A light emission control device comprising: a light emission controller which controls a light emitter and performs normal control and wake-up control, the normal control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light having a color temperature and luminance according to an instruction of a user, the wake-up control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light at increasing luminance over time to wake up the user who is sleeping, wherein maximum luminance of light emitted by the light emitter in the wake-up control is greater than maximum luminance of light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control, in the wake-up control, when the light emission controller causes the light emitter to emit light at increasing luminance over time according to a predetermined brightening pattern, the light emission controller further performs boost control, the boost control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light at more steeply increasing luminance than in the predetermined brightening pattern, and the light emission controller starts the boost control at a time when the user is determined to be in any one of a wakeful state, a hypnagogic state, and a light sleep state, the light emitter includes a first light source and a second light source which emits light having a color temperature higher than a color temperature of light emitted by the first light source, the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control is equivalent to maximum luminance of light which the user is allowed to cause the first light source to emit, and in the wake-up control, the light emission controller causes the light emitter to emit light having luminance greater than the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control, by causing, out of the first light source and the second light source, the second light source to emit light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The light emission control device according to claim 4, further comprising: a processor which predicts a sleep cycle of the user, wherein the light emission controller starts the boost control at a time included in one sleep cycle which is predicted by the processor and ends at a scheduled wake-up time of the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The light emission control device according to claim 7, wherein the processor further determines a sleep state of the user, wherein the light emission controller starts the boost control at a time which is included in the one sleep cycle predicted by the processor and at which the user is determined to be in a boundary state between a rapid eye movement (REM) sleep state and a sleep state deeper than the REM sleep state. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The light emission control device according to claim 7, wherein the processor further determines a sleep state of the user, wherein the light emission controller starts the boost control at a time which is included in the one sleep cycle predicted by the processor and which is determined to be included in a period in which the sleep state gets shallower in the one sleep cycle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An electronic device comprising: the light emission control device according to claim 1; and a case which houses the light emission control device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electronic device according to claim 10, the electronic device being a luminaire further including the light emitter. ### Claim 12 A method for controlling a light emitter, the method comprising: performing normal control and wake-up control, the normal control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light having a color temperature and luminance according to an instruction of a user, the wake-up control being control for causing the light emitter to emit light at increasing luminance over time to wake up the user who is sleeping, wherein maximum luminance of light emitted by the light emitter in the wake-up control is greater than maximum luminance of light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control, the light emitter includes a first light source and a second light source which emits light having a color temperature higher than a color temperature of light emitted by the first light source, and the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control is equivalent to maximum luminance of light which the user is allowed to cause the first light source to emit, and in the wake-up control, light emitted by the light emitter has luminance greater than the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light emitter in the normal control, by causing, out of the first light source and the second light source, the second light source to emit light. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for use in a computer, the recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for causing the computer to execute the method according to claim 12. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The light emission control device according to claim 1, wherein in the normal control, maximum luminance of light having any color temperature emitted by the light emitter is equivalent to maximum luminance of light which the user is allowed to cause the first light source to emit.