# US 12,215,841 B2 · Apparatus for mimicking the light and sky-conditions at the horizon

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- Number: US 12,215,841 B2
- Document ID: US12215841B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/919,269
- Filed: 2021-04-15
- Published: 2023-06-01
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-16
- Applicants: Abhay Wadhwa
- Inventors: Abhay Wadhwa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215841B2

## CPC

- F21S 8/036: {by means of a rigid support, e.g. bracket or arm}
- F21V 13/04: the elements being reflectors and refractors {(for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40)}
- F21S 4/28: rigid, e.g. LED bars
- F21S 6/008: {with a combination of direct and indirect lighting}
- F21V 5/008: {Combination of two or more successive refractors along an optical axis}
- F21V 7/06: with parabolic curvature
- F21V 9/02: for simulating daylight (F21V9/04, F21V9/06 take precedence)
- F21V 9/20: Dichroic filters, i.e. devices operating on the principle of wave interference to pass specific ranges of wavelengths while cancelling others
- F21V 23/003: {the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array}
- H05B 45/20: Controlling the colour of the light
- F21W 2121/008: {for simulation of a starry sky or firmament}
- F21Y 2103/10: comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- 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
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- 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

of the Invention Disclosed herein an apparatus for mimicking the light and sky-conditions at the horizon comprises a light assembly (2) provided with at least two angularly disposed horizontal strips (9a and 9b) of light source, a composite lens (5) fixedly placed above the light assembly (2) and configured to selectively reflect and transmit the light incident on it, a reflecting dome (3) centrally and partially disposed over the composite lens (5) and light assembly module (2) and provided with an LED spotlight (12) under it, a mounting bracket (4) adapted to receive the light assembly and the composite lens; and a controller (11) configured to control and monitor one or more predetermined parameters of the light source (9), wherein the characteristic of the composite lens (5) is translated depending on the desired geographical location. A corresponding method for mimicking the light and sky-conditions at the horizon is also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for mimicking the light and sky-conditions at the horizon comprises:
a light assembly (2) provided with at least two horizontal strips (9a and 9b) of light sources, wherein each said strip (9) comprises of a plurality of LED lights (9) arranged in series;
a composite lens (5) fixedly placed above the light assembly (2) and configured to selectively reflect and transmit the light incident on it;
a reflecting dome (3) centrally and partially disposed over the composite lens (5) and light assembly (2) and provided with an LED spotlight (12) under it;
a mounting bracket (4) adapted to receive the light assembly and the composite lens; and
a controller (11) configured to control and monitor one or more predetermined parameters of the light sources (9); and
wherein said horizontal strips (9a and 9b) are angularly disposed relative to each other in order to enable the light emitted from the horizontal strips (9a and 9b) to strike the composite lens (5) at various angles of incidence with the horizontal for reflecting, transmitting and interfering/diffusing to form a composite light corresponding to lights of a set of desired light and sky-conditions at a specific time of a predetermined geographic location; and
wherein another set of desired light and sky-conditions at another specific time of another predetermined geographic location is obtained by optimizing the angle between the LEDs (9) of the strips (9a and 9b) and light intensity from the strips (9a and 9b) of the light sources and alternating the relative placements and characteristics of optical layers of the composite lens (5) and a selected combination of the optical layers of the composite lens (5).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location corresponding to said composite light is visualized on a front surface (6) of the composite lens (5).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite lens (5) is formed from a combination of a plurality of optical layers stacked upon one another to selectively filter the wavelengths emitted from the horizontal strips (9a and 9b) of light sources as per the desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the combination of a plurality of optical layers stacked upon one another effectively forms the composite lens (5), wherein the characteristic of the composite lens is formulated by translating the light and sky conditions of the desired geographical location into mimicking the same, wherein the composite lens is selected and employed in the apparatus based on the light and sky conditions of the desired geographical location.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite lens (5) is formed from a combination of at least three optical layers (6, 7 and 8) stacked upon one another to selectively filter the wavelengths emitted from the horizontal strips (9a and 9b) of the light sources as per the desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said optical layers, altogether combining to form the composite lens, are selected from a dichroic lens (7), a ribbed lens (6), a prismatic lens (6), and a mirror (8), wherein the characteristics of said composite lens are variably modified depending on the predetermined geographic location and are used in different combinations of the ribbed lens (6), the prismatic lens (6) and the mirror (8).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus employs the controller (11) for indicating the passage of time corresponding to the desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location by optimizing the angle between the LEDs (9) of the strips (9a and 9b) and the light intensity from the strips (9a and 9b) of the light sources.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said various angles of incidence with the horizontal of light emitted from the strips (9a and 9b) and with the composite lens (5) are equal to or more than 0 degrees but always less than 90 degrees.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite light contains spectral wavelengths corresponding to the lights of the desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location, wherein said spectral wavelengths are distributed as per the actual light conditions of different coordinates of the desired light and sky-conditions at the horizon.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the LED spotlight (12) is either on or off depending on the desired moments of light and sky condition of the predetermined geographic location, wherein, when the LED spotlight (12) is on, light emitted from the LED spotlight (12) is incident on to the dome to mimic the sun at or above the horizon on the front surface (6) of the composite lens (5).

### Claim 11

A method for mimicking the light and sky-conditions at the horizon comprising:
receiving instructions by a controller for mimicking a desired light and sky-conditions at a specific time of a predetermined geographic location;
emitting lights in a predetermined range of spectral wavelength from a plurality of angularly disposed light sources and from another light source;
striking the emitted lights angularly at various angles of incidence with the horizontal onto a combination of a plurality of optical layers (6,7 and 8) for reflecting and transmitting the lights;
diffusing the reflected and transmitted lights from and through the combination of a plurality of optical layers (6,7 and 8) to form a composite light corresponding to the desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location followed by visualizing the mimicked desired light and sky-conditions; and
wherein the method comprises of reflecting and transmitting the lights angularly and selectively from and through the combination of the plurality of optical layers (6,7 and 8) for filtering out the emitted lights to form the composite light as per the instruction for a set of the desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location; and
wherein the method comprises of obtaining another set of desired light and sky-conditions at another specific time of another predetermined geographic location by controlling and optimizing the angles of incidences with the horizontal, light intensities, and alternating the relative placements and characteristics of the optical layers (5) and the selected combination of the optical layers (5).

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said optical layers, altogether combining to form a composite lens, are selected from a dichroic lens (7), a ribbed lens (6), a prismatic lens (6), and a mirror (8), wherein the characteristics of said composite lens (7) are variably modified depending on the predetermined geographic location and are used in different combinations of the ribbed lens (6), the prismatic lens (6) and the mirror (8).

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the method comprises of controlling and transitioning the passage of time corresponding to the desired light and sky-conditions by optimizing the angles of incidences with the horizontal and light intensities of the plurality of light sources.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said plurality of optical layers are at least three (6, 7 and 8) in number and are stacked upon one another to selectively filter the wavelengths emitted from the plurality of light sources as per the desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the combination of a plurality of optical layers stacked upon one another effectively forms [the] a composite lens (5), wherein the characteristic of the composite lens is formulated by translating the light and sky conditions of the desired geographical location into mimicking the same, wherein the composite lens is selected and employed in the apparatus based on the light and sky conditions of the desired geographical location.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said various angles of incidence with the horizontal of light emitted from the plurality of light sources are equal to or more than 0 degree but always less than 90 degrees.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said composite light contains spectral wavelengths corresponding to the lights of the desired light and sky-conditions at the specific time of the predetermined geographic location, wherein said spectral wavelengths are distributed as per the actual light conditions of different coordinates of the desired light and sky-conditions at the horizon.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the light emitted from the plurality of light sources is in visible range of spectral wavelength.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the light filtered out from and through the plurality of optical layers to form the composite light contains spectral wavelength in the range of 470 nm to 640 nm.