# US 2014/0197757 A1 · Lighting device and method for operating the lighting device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0197757 A1
- Document ID: US20140197757A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/154,435
- Filed: 2014-01-14
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15
- Assignees: Hella KGaA Hueck & Co.
- Applicants: HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co.
- Inventors: Jürgen HEINRICH
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197757A1

## CPC

- H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
- H05B 47/18: via data-bus transmission
- H05B 47/1975: {Gesture control}
- H03K 17/962: {Capacitive touch switches}
- 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
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device having a first number of light-emitting elements and having a second number of control elements, operating contactlessly, for controlling the light-emitting elements such as especially for switching the light-emitting elements on or off and/or for controlling their brightness, the second number being less than or equal to the first number, the light-emitting elements being controlled contactlessly by a movement of at least one hand of a user over two or more control elements. The invention also relates to a relevant method.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Lighting device having a first number of light-emitting elements and having a second number of control elements, operating contactlessly, for controlling the light-emitting elements such as especially for switching the light-emitting elements on or off and/or for controlling the brightness of the light-emitting elements, the second number being less than or equal to the first number, the light-emitting elements being controlled contactlessly by a movement of at least one hand of a user, especially over two or more control elements.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements are two-dimensional light-emitting elements such as especially two-dimensional light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or two-dimensional organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) or LED- or OLED-illuminated two-dimensional optical waveguides.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements are arranged in a first geometric arrangement with respect to one another, such as arranged especially in at least one row next to one another.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the control elements operating contactlessly are capacitive sensor elements, each capacitive sensor element having at least one detection antenna.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the detection antennas of at least two sensor elements are arranged in a second geometric arrangement with respect to one another, such as especially in one row next to one another.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the control elements are allocated to the light-emitting elements.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first geometric arrangement essentially corresponds to the second geometric arrangement.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first geometric arrangement is at least one first row and the second geometric arrangement is at least one second row, the at least one first row being arranged in parallel with the at least one second row.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements and the control elements are in signal communication with a control unit and the control unit receives signals from the control elements and performs a request detection in a detection unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit, after the request detection, generates at least one signal which is processed by an interpretation unit and generates at least one drive signal which is implemented in a drive unit for driving the light-emitting elements.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

Lighting device according to claim 10, wherein the detection unit, the interpretation unit and the drive unit are part of the control unit and are implemented as electronic interconnection and/or program control.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements and/or the control elements are accommodated in a housing.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

Lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements and/or the control elements are accommodated under a cover.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

Lighting device according to claim 13, wherein the control elements are covered by a cover strip and/or an operating web.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

Method for operating a lighting device especially according to claim 1, having a first number of light-emitting elements and having a second number of control elements operating contactlessly for controlling the light-emitting elements such as, especially, for switching the light-emitting elements on or off and/or for controlling their brightness, the control elements being allocated to the light-emitting elements, wherein the light-emitting elements are controlled contactlessly by a movement of at least one hand of a user, especially over two or more control elements.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein with an approach of a hand toward a control element or toward a first light-emitting element having an associated control element, the first light-emitting element brightens up or lights up if it was previously not lit or not lit maximally.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein when the hand moves from a first control element or from a first light-emitting element having an associated control element to an adjacent second control element or to a second light-emitting element having an associated control element, the first light-emitting element darkens or is extinguished and the second light-emitting element brightens or lights up.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein when a hand moves away from a control element or from a light-emitting element with an associated control element, the light-emitting element remains in its current status.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein when a hand approaches a control element or a first light-emitting element having an associated control element, the first light-emitting element darkens or is extinguished if it has previously not been lit or not lit maximally.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein an approach of a hand is an approach or touching of a cover or of an operating web by the hand.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein moving of a hand from a first light-emitting element to an adjacent second light-emitting element is a lateral moving of the hand along a cover or an operating web.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15 wherein a removal of a hand is a removal of the hand from a cover or an operating web.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein with a fast movement of the hand from a first light-emitting element over an adjacent second light-emitting element to a further adjacent third light-emitting element, the first light-emitting element darkens or is extinguished and the second light-emitting element brightens or lights up and subsequently the second light-emitting element darkens or is extinguished and the third light-emitting element brightens or lights up.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

Method according to claim 23, wherein, starting from the first light-emitting element in the direction of movement of the hand, N light-emitting elements are provided, the third light-emitting element also darkens or is extinguished and the subsequent light-emitting element brightens or lights up, this process being repeated until the (N−1)th light-emitting element darkens or is extinguished and the Nth light-emitting element brightens or lights up.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

Method according to claim 23, wherein fast moving is moving which does not exceed a predeterminable period of time.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

Method according to claim 23, wherein the transition from one light-emitting element to the adjacent light-emitting element for brightening up or lighting up the respectively adjacent light-emitting element occurs with uniform or decreasing speed.

### Claim 27 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein with a movement of two hands in opposite directions along the control elements or the light-emitting elements with associated control elements, the light-emitting elements are all switched on or off or increase or decrease in their brightness so that they brighten up or light up or darken or are extinguished.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

Method according to claim 27, wherein the movement of two hands in opposite directions is a movement of the hands toward each other or away from each other.

### Claim 29 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein with a direction-changing movement of one hand in the opposite direction along control elements or light-emitting elements with associated control elements, the light-emitting elements are switched on or off or increase or decrease in their brightness so that they brighten up or light up or darken or are extinguished.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

Method according to claim 29, wherein the direction-changing movement occurs at least during a predeterminable period of time.

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein with an approach of the hand toward a control element or toward a first light-emitting element with an associated control element, the light-emitting element brightens or lights up if the distance of the hand has already reached or dropped below a first threshold value for the distance but has not yet reached a second, smaller threshold value, the light-emitting element being lit maximally when the second threshold value is reached or undershot.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

Method according to claim 31, wherein darkening or extinction of the light-emitting element takes place when the distance of the hand increases again after reaching or dropping below the first threshold value.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

Method according to claim 31, wherein brightening or lighting-up of the light-emitting element takes place or is maintained when the distance of the hand increases again after reaching or dropping below the second threshold value.

### Claim 34 (depends on 31)

Method according to claim 31, wherein the brightness of the light-emitting means is driven in dependence on the distance of the hand between the first and second threshold values.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

Method according to claim 34, wherein the brightness of the light-emitting means is driven linearly as a function of the distance of the hand between the first and second threshold values, the brightness being controlled to increase or decrease on approaching the second threshold value.

### Claim 36 (depends on 31)

Method according to claim 31, wherein the brightness of the light-emitting means is driven in dependence on the period of time of the position of the hand in the distance between the first and second threshold values.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

Method according to claim 36, wherein the brightness of the light-emitting means is driven to become brighter or darker or cyclically brighter and thereafter darker again with an increasing period of time.

### Claim 38 (depends on 1)

Method according to claim 1, wherein the procedure can also be performed several times.

### Claim 39 (depends on 15)

Method according to claim 15, wherein the brightening or lighting-up and/or the darkening or extinction of light-emitting elements occurs incrementally or continuously or abruptly completely.