# US 10,485,066 B2 · Lamp with variable-beam output by discretely activating LED light sources

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- Number: US 10,485,066 B2
- Document ID: US10485066B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/903,209
- Filed: 2014-07-09
- Published: 2016-12-29
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2014-07-09
- Assignees: Ledvance GmbH
- Applicants: Ledvance LLC
- Inventors: Anthony W. Catalano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10485066B2

## CPC

- F21S 10/00: Lighting devices or systems producing a varying lighting effect
- F21V 7/0091: {using total internal reflection}
- F21V 7/048: {with facets structure}
- F21V 7/06: with parabolic curvature
- F21V 7/09: with a combination of different curvatures
- F21V 23/003: {the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array}
- F21V 23/04: the elements being switches (safety devices F21V25/00)
- F21V 23/06: the elements being coupling devices {, e.g. connectors}
- G03B 21/208: {Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light}
- H05B 45/00: Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
- H10H 20/062: {Light-emitting semiconductor devices having field effect type light-emitting regions, e.g. light-emitting High-Electron Mobility Transistors}
- H10H 20/831: characterised by their shape
- H10H 20/8506: {Containers}
- H10H 20/857: Interconnections, e.g. lead-frames, bond wires or solder balls
- H10W 70/60: Insulating or insulated package substrates; Interposers; Redistribution layers (leadframes H10W70/40)
- H10W 72/851: {Dispositions of multiple connectors or interconnections}
- H10W 90/00: Package configurations
- F21Y 2105/10: comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array of point-like light-generating elements
- F21Y 2105/12: characterised by the geometrical disposition of the light-generating elements, e.g. arranging light-generating elements in differing patterns or densities
- F21Y 2113/13: comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- H05B 45/10: Controlling the intensity of the light
- H05B 45/325: Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
- H10H 20/032: {of electrodes}
- H10H 20/0364: {of interconnections}
- H10W 72/536: {the connected ends being ball-shaped}
- H10W 72/5522: {comprising gold [Au]}
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

Lamp including an array of LEDs disposed at or near the focus of a reflecting optic having multiple segments with different aiming angles (i.e. the angle corresponding to a reflected beam output direction), and a driver circuit for discretely activating some of the LEDs in the array. The angular distribution of the output light beam (e.g., the beam divergence) is adjusted by selectively changing the currents supplied to the LEDs.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light source producing a beam of variable divergence, comprising:
a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane that includes a first set of light emitting devices positioned around a second set of light emitting devices;
a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry traveling through the second set of light emitting diodes, and comprising a plurality of segments for reflecting at least a portion of light emitted by the light-emitting devices and reflected by the optic forming a light beam, the segments having an aiming angle which increases gradually with increasing distance from the plane of the plurality of light emitting devices for increasing light divergence of the light beam; and
driver circuitry for controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices such that a maximum divergence of the light beam is produced by said driver circuitry powering outermost light emitting devices of the first set of light emitting devices, and a gradually decreasing divergence of the light beam is produced by said driver circuitry decreasing a number of powered outermost light emitting devices of the first set of light emitting devices while selectively powering a combination of the inner light emitting devices of the first set of light emitting devices and the second set of light emitting devices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the reflecting optic comprises two regions, segments in a first region having relatively large aiming angles with respect to the axis of symmetry for providing divergence of the light beam and segments in a second region having relatively small aiming angles with respect to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the segments are parabolic and the light-emitting devices are disposed substantially at a focus of the parabolic segments.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting devices are arranged in a pattern having a center, the driver circuitry being configured to control the drive currents to the light-emitting devices based on their distances from the center.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the driver circuitry is configured to selectively drive a subset of the light-emitting devices so as to generate a pattern.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the driver circuitry is programmable.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein an area density of the light-emitting devices is uniform.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the driver circuitry is configured to control the drive currents based on at least one of sizes or positions of respective light-emitting devices.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting devices are arranged in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region, light-emitting devices located in the center region being higher-power devices than light-emitting devices located in the outer region.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the aiming angle of each segment with respect to the axis of symmetry increases gradually as the distance between the segment and the plane of the light-emitting devices decreases.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The light source of claim 10, wherein the reflecting optic comprises first and second edge segments having a shortest distance and a longest distance, respectively, from the plane of the light-emitting devices, the first edge segment having a first aiming angle approximately equal to a desired divergence angle of the light beam and the second edge segment having a second aiming angle approximately parallel to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting devices are arranged symmetrically.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The light source of claim 12, wherein the arrangement of the light-emitting devices is circularly symmetric or radially symmetric.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The light source of claim 12, wherein the light-emitting devices are arranged in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region such that none of the light-emitting devices is located in the center region.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The light source of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting devices comprise LEDs.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The light source of claim 15, wherein the LEDs are disposed on a single substrate having a plurality of electrical contacts.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The light source of claim 16, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor material.

### Claim 18

A method of varying a divergence of a light source comprising (i) a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged on a plane and in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region, (ii) a concave reflecting optic having an axis of symmetry and a plurality of segments, each segment having an aiming angle with respect to the axis of symmetry for redirecting light emitted thereon, the concave reflecting optic including a portion of the plurality of segments having a gradually increasing aiming angle with increasing distance from the plane of the plurality of light emitting diodes for increasing light divergence, and (iii) a driver circuitry for selectively controlling a drive current supplied to the light emitting devices, the method comprising:
driving the light-emitting devices to create a light beam emerging from the reflecting optic; and
controlling the divergence of an output beam of the light source by the driver circuitry controlling drive currents to the light-emitting devices based on distances of the devices from the axis of symmetry, wherein a maximum divergence of the output beam is produced by supplying a drive current to the light emitting devices outermost from the axis of symmetry, and an output beam with a gradually decreasing divergence is produced by selectively supplying a drive current for decreasing a number of powered outermost light emitting devices while powering light emitting devices closer to the axis of symmetry.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the reflecting optic comprises two regions, segments in a first region having relatively large aiming angles with respect to the axis of symmetry for providing divergence of the light beam and segments in a second region having relatively small aiming angles with respect to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the segments are parabolic and the light-emitting devices are disposed substantially at a focus of the parabolic segments.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein an area density of the light-emitting devices is uniform.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the drive currents comprises decreasing the drive currents to the light-emitting devices in an outer region thereof to thereby narrow the beam.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising simultaneously and uniformly varying the drive currents to all light emitting devices to thereby vary the beam brightness.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the aiming angle of each segment with respect to the axis of symmetry increases gradually as the distance between the segment and the plane of the light-emitting devices decreases.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the reflecting optic comprises first and second edge segments having a shortest distance and a longest distance, respectively, from the plane of the light-emitting devices, the first edge segment having a first aiming angle approximately equal to a desired divergence angle of the light beam and the second edge segment having a second aiming angle approximately parallel to the axis of symmetry for collimating the light beam.

### Claim 26 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the light-emitting devices are arranged symmetrically.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein the arrangement of the light-emitting devices is circularly symmetric or radially symmetric.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein the light-emitting devices are arranged in a pattern having a center region and an outer region outside the center region such that none of the light-emitting devices is located in the center region.

### Claim 29 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the light-emitting devices comprise LEDs.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein the LEDs are disposed on a single substrate having a plurality of electrical contacts.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor material.