# US 10,872,923 B2 · Light engines with dynamically controllable light distribution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,923 B2 - Document ID: US10872923B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/403,485 - Filed: 2019-05-03 - Published: 2019-11-07 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-04 - Assignees: Lumileds LLC - Applicants: Lumileds Holding B.V. - Inventors: Frederic Stephane Diana; Yifeng Qiu; Michael Wasilko; Nazila Soleimani; Jeroen Den Breejen; Alan Andrew McReynolds; Gregory Donald Guth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872923B2 ## CPC - F21S 8/043: {mounted by means of a rigid support, e.g. bracket or arm} - F21K 9/61: using light guides - F21K 9/65: specially adapted for changing the characteristics or the distribution of the light, e.g. by adjustment of parts - G02B 6/0021: {for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses} - G02B 6/0083: {Details of electrical connections of light sources to drivers, circuit boards, or the like} - H05B 45/20: Controlling the colour of the light - H05B 47/11: by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light - H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings - H05B 47/19: via wireless transmission - H05K 1/118: {specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions} - H05K 1/189: characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits - H10H 29/14: comprising multiple light-emitting semiconductor components - F21Y 2103/33: annular - F21Y 2107/30: on the outer surface of cylindrical surfaces, e.g. rod-shaped supports having a circular or a polygonal cross section - F21Y 2107/70: on flexible or deformable supports or substrates, e.g. for changing the light source into a desired form - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - G02B 6/0046: {Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide} - G02B 6/0068: {Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources} - H05B 47/1965: {using handheld communication devices} - H05B 47/198: {Grouping of control procedures or address assignation to light sources} - H05K 1/147: {at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit (H05K1/148 takes precedence)} - H05K 2201/053: Tails - H05K 2201/10106: Light emitting diode [LED] - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS - 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 - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A light engine and system are disclosed in which the light engine contains a core comprising an opening extending through opposing surfaces and a flexible printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB includes a flexible body disposed on an outside of the core and having independently addressable sets of illumination sources mounted thereto, and flexible legs extending from the body and through the opening. The legs are bent such that a terminal portion of each leg is substantially parallel to the opposing surfaces of the core. Independent control of the sets of illumination sources is provided via the legs. The body is separated into segments, each on a different section of the outside and containing body contacts electrically independent of the body contacts of each other segment. Each leg is associated with a different segment, and contains leg contacts on the terminal portion in electrical contact with the associated body contacts. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus of a light engine, the apparatus comprising: a core comprising an opening extending through opposing surfaces; and a flexible printed circuit board comprising: a flexible body disposed on an outside of the core and having independently addressable sets of illumination sources mounted thereto, and a plurality of flexible legs extending from the flexible body and through the opening, the flexible legs bent such that a terminal portion of each of the flexible legs is substantially parallel to the opposing surfaces of the core, independent control of the sets of illumination sources provided via the flexible legs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the body of the flexible printed circuit board is separated into a plurality of segments, each segment: disposed on a different section of the outside, and comprising a plurality of body contacts electrically independent of the plurality of body contacts of each other segment, each leg is associated with a different segment, and each leg comprises a plurality of leg contacts disposed on the terminal portion of the leg, the plurality of leg contacts in electrical contact with the plurality of body contacts associated with the leg. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a printed circuit board disposed substantially parallel to the opposing surfaces of the core, the printed circuit board comprising an opening extending through opposing surfaces of the printed circuit board that are parallel with the opposing surfaces of the core and through which the plurality of legs extend, wherein the plurality of leg contacts of each of the flexible legs are connected to different contacts on the printed circuit board. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: each segment comprises a set of illumination sources of the plurality of illumination sources that are independently addressable from the set of illumination sources of each other segment via the printed circuit board. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein in each segment: the illumination sources are the same color. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: the set of illumination sources of at least one segment is a different color from the set of illumination sources of at least one other segment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: at least one illumination source of the set of illumination sources of at least one segment is a different color from at least one illumination source of the set of illumination sources of at least one other segment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: the set of illumination sources of all segments are the same color. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein in each segment: a first illumination source of the set of illumination sources of the segment is a different color from a second illumination source of the set of illumination sources of the segment, each illumination source of the set of illumination sources of the segment having a different color is electrically connected to a different set of leg contacts of the leg associated with the segment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: at least one segment is devoid of any illumination source. ### Claim 11 An apparatus of a light engine, the apparatus comprising: a core comprising: an external surface formed by a plurality of sections, and an inner surface defining an opening that extends completely through a center of the core; and a flexible printed circuit board comprising: a flexible body attached to the external surface and to which a plurality of illumination sources is mounted, and at least one flexible leg extending from the body, along the core, and into the opening; at least some of the illumination sources being independently addressable via the at least one leg. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the body is separated into a plurality of segments, and the segments are attached to different sections of the external surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: the at least one leg comprises a plurality of legs, and each leg is associated with a different segment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a printed circuit board disposed substantially perpendicular to a direction of extension of the opening, the printed circuit board comprising an opening through which the at least one leg extends, the at least one leg electrically connected to an electrical contact on a side of the printed circuit board opposite to a side of the printed circuit board opposing the core. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a printed circuit board disposed substantially perpendicular to a direction of extension of the opening, the printed circuit board comprising an opening through which the plurality of legs extends, each the plurality of legs electrically connected to a different electrical contact on a side of the printed circuit board opposite to a side of the printed circuit board opposing the core. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein: each of a set of the segments comprises a set of illumination sources that are independently addressable from the set of illumination sources of each other segment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein one of: each set of illumination sources includes multiple illumination sources, or the set of the segments includes fewer than all segments of the body. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein: the set of illumination sources of at least one segment of the set of the segments are different colors from the set of illumination sources of at least one other segment of the set of the segments. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein: the set of illumination sources of all segments of the set of the segments are the same color. ### Claim 20 An apparatus of a light engine, the apparatus comprising: a core comprising: an outer surface formed by a plurality of sections, and an inner surface defining an opening that extends completely through a center of the core; and a flexible printed circuit board comprising: a flexible body attached to one of the inner or outer surface and to which a plurality of illumination sources is mounted, and a plurality of flexible legs extending from the body, along the core, and traverse and adjacent to the other of the inner or outer surface; and the apparatus arranged such that sets of the illumination sources correspond to different legs, each of the sets of illumination sources addressable via the associated flexible leg independent of control of other sets of illumination sources controlled via other flexible legs. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein: the plurality of flexible legs extends through the opening. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, wherein: at one section of the external surface is devoid of the illumination sources.