Methods and apparatus for illumination of liquids
AssigneeColor Kinetics Incorporated
InventorsGeorge G. Mueller, Frederick M. Morgan, Ihor A. Lys, Kevin J. Dowling
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for illumination of liquids in a variety of environments. In one example, multi-color LED-based light sources are employed to achieve a wide range of enhanced lighting effects in liquids. In another example, a pool or spa is illuminated by one or more multi-color light sources that may be employed as individually and independently controllable devices, or coupled together to form a networked lighting system to provide a variety of programmable and/or coordinated color illumination effects in the pool or spa environment.
Claims49
An apparatus, comprising:
- one of a pool and a spa to contain a liquid;
- at least one light source supported by the one of the pool and the spa to illuminate the liquid;
- and
- at least one microprocessor-based controller, coupled to the at least one light source, to control radiation output by the at least one light source.
An apparatus, comprising:
- one of a pool and a spa to contain a liquid;
- at least one light source supported by the one of the pool and the spa to illuminate the liquid;
- at least one controller coupled to the at least one light source to control radiation output by the at least one light source;
- and
- at least one storage device, coupled to the at least one controller, to store at least one illumination program,
- wherein the at least one controller is adapted to execute the at least one illumination program so as to control the radiation output by the at least one light source.
A method for illuminating a liquid, comprising an act of illuminating the liquid with radiation output simultaneously by at least two differently colored microprocessor-controlled LEDs.
A method for illuminating a liquid in one of a pool and a spa, comprising an act of illuminating the liquid with radiation output by at least two independently controllable microprocessor-controlled light sources disposed together in a housing coupled to the one of the pool and the spa.
A method for illuminating a liquid, comprising an act of illuminating the liquid with radiation output by at least one microprocessor-controlled light source, wherein the at least one microprocessor-controlled light source is adapted to generate radiation of different colors without requiring the use of a color filter.
A method for illuminating a liquid, comprising an act of illuminating the liquid with substantially unguided radiation output by at least one microprocessor-controlled light source.
A method for illuminating a liquid, comprising an act of executing at least one illumination program to control substantially unguided radiation output by at least one microprocessor-controlled light source that illuminates the liquid.
A method for illuminating a liquid, comprising an act of illuminating the liquid with radiation output by at least two independently addressable light sources coupled together to form a networked lighting system.
An apparatus, comprising:
- at least one light source adapted to be supported by one of a pool and a spa so as to illuminate with variable color radiation a liquid contained in the one of the pool and the spa;
- and
- at least one controller, coupled to the at least one light source, to control at least one other device associated with the one of the pool and the spa based on the variable color radiation.
A method, comprising acts of:
- a) illuminating a liquid contained in at least one of a pool and a spa with variable color radiation;
- and
- b) controlling at least one device associated with the one of the pool and the spa based on the variable color radiation.
In a variable color illumination system capable of generating radiation having at least one hue in a non-liquid medium, the at least one hue including at least a first amount of red and a second amount of one other color in combination, a method for generating at least one liquid hue to illuminate a liquid, the at least one liquid hue, when viewed in the liquid, approximating the at least one hue in the non-liquid medium, the method comprising an act of:
- including a third amount of red in the at least one liquid hue, the third amount of red being greater than the first amount of red included in the at least one hue.
A method for generating at least one dynamic variable color illumination effect to illuminate a liquid, comprising an act of:
- omitting a red color from the at least one dynamic variable color illumination effect.
An apparatus, comprising:
- one of a pool and a spa to contain a liquid;
- at least one housing supported by the one of the pool and the spa;
- at least two independently controllable light sources, disposed in a single housing of the at least one housing, to illuminate the liquid;
- and
- at least one microprocessor-based controller, coupled to at least one of the at least two independently controllable light sources, to control radiation output by the at least one of the at least two independently controllable light sources.
An apparatus, comprising:
- one of a pool and a spa to contain a liquid;
- at least one light source, supported by the one of the pool and the spa, to illuminate the liquid, wherein the at least one light source is adapted to generate radiation of different colors without requiring the use of a color filter;
- and
- at least one microprocessor-based controller, coupled to the at least one light source, to control radiation output by the at least one light source.
An apparatus, comprising:
- one of a pool and a spa to contain a liquid;
- and
- a networked lighting system coupled to the one of the pool and the spa to illuminate the liquid, the networked lighting system comprising:
- a first independently controllable light source supported by the one of the pool and the spa;
- a first independently addressable controller coupled to the first independently controllable light source;
- at least one other independently controllable light source supported by the one of the pool and the spa;
- and
- at least one other independently addressable controller coupled to the at least one other independently controllable light source and the first independently addressable controller.
A method for illuminating a liquid in one of a pool and a spa, comprising an act of illuminating the liquid in the one of the pool and the spa with radiation output by at least one microprocessor-controlled LED.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.