Methods and apparatus for controlling illumination of a multiple light source lighting unit

A lighting control method, comprising:

• associating a memory with a controller, said memory comprising a lookup table that maps ranges of possible values of electric signal characteristics to a plurality of predetermined configurations of one or more optical elements and lighting distributions, wherein, in said lookup table, a first value of said possible values is mapped to a first light output ultimately contributed by a given LED at said first value in a first configuration of said plurality of predetermined configurations and a second value of said possible values is mapped to a second light output ultimately contributed by the given LED, which is different from said first light output, at said second value in a second configuration of said plurality of predetermined configurations;
• detecting, by said controller, an electric signal associated with a dimmer switch;
• determining, by the controller, a value of a characteristic of the detected electric signal within a range of possible values;
• and
• performing at least one of:
• a) energizing, by the controller, a predetermined distribution of a plurality of LEDs, including said given LED, in response to selecting the predetermined distribution from a plurality of predetermined distributions of the plurality of LEDs based on the value of the characteristic;
• or
• b) configuring, by the controller, one or more optical elements to achieve a lighting effect selected from a plurality of predetermined lighting effects based on the value of the characteristic.

A lighting unit, comprising:

• a plurality of light sources comprising a given light source;
• one or more optical elements;
• and
• a controller operably coupled with the plurality of light sources and the optical elements, the controller associated with a memory comprising a lookup table that maps ranges of possible values of electric signal characteristics to a plurality of predetermined configurations of said one or more optical elements and lighting distributions, wherein, in said lookup table, a first value of said possible values is mapped to a first light output ultimately contributed by a given light source at said first value in a first configuration of said plurality of predetermined configurations and a second value of said possible values is mapped to a second light output ultimately contributed by the given light source, which is different from said first light output, at said second value in a second configuration of said plurality of predetermined configurations, the controller configured to perform, based on a value of a root mean square of a detected electric signal from a dimmer switch, at least one of:
• energizing a predetermined distribution of the plurality of light sources in response to selecting said predetermined distribution from a plurality of predetermined distributions of the plurality of light sources;
• or
• configuring the one or more optical elements to achieve a lighting effect selected from a plurality of predetermined lighting effects.