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US 7,300,192 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for illuminating environments
AssigneeColor Kinetics Incorporated
InventorsGeorge G. Mueller, Kevin J. Dowling, Ihor A. Lys, Charles H. Cella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided herein are methods and systems for preparing signs and displays. The methods and systems include using a light engine for generating light of a plurality of colors to illuminate the body of a flexible conduit that receives light from the light engine. The conduit can be used as a sign, display, or similar lighting facility in many applications that traditionally used neon signs and displays.
Claims221
A light system, comprising:
- a plurality of conduits each having an at least partially transparent outer surface and each being configured to be connected together in a modular fashion to form an assembly, and
- a plurality of light engines spaced apart from each other within the assembly, wherein at least one light engine of the plurality of light engines is configured to generate light within and along a length of at least one conduit of the assembly, such that at least some of the light passes through the outer surface of the at least one conduit along the length of and around a perimeter of the at least one conduit;
- wherein the light system includes at least one light source and at least one controller to control the at least one light source, such that the light has at least one controllable characteristic.
A lighting system, comprising:
- an elastomeric conduit having an at least partially transparent outer surface, a first end, and a second end;
- and
- at least one light engine having a light source and a controller and being disposed proximate to at least one of the first end and the second end of the conduit, and the at least one light engine being configured to generate light within and along a length of the conduit, such that at least some of the light passes though the outer surface along the length of and around a perimeter of the conduit;
- wherein the light source comprises LEDs selected from the group consisting of red, green, blue, amber, white, orange, and UV LEDs;
- wherein the light engine is an addressable light engine.
2 more elements
A lighting system, comprising:
- an elastomeric conduit having an at least partially transparent outer surface, a first end, and a second end;
- at least one light engine having a light source and a controller and being disposed proximate to at least one of the first end and the second end of the conduit, and the at least one light engine being configured to generate light within and along a length of the conduit, such that at least some of the light passes though the outer surface along the length of and around a perimeter of the conduit;
- wherein the light source comprises LEDs selected from the group consisting of red, green, blue, amber, white, orange, and UV LEDs;
- and
- an interface for delivering a control signal to the controller.
2 more elements
A lighting system, comprising:
- an elastomeric conduit having an at least partially transparent outer surface, a first end, and a second end;
- and
- at least one light engine having a light source and a controller and being disposed proximate to at least one of the first end and the second end of the conduit, and the at least one light engine being configured to generate light within and along a length of the conduit, such that at least some of the light passes through the outer surface along the length of and around a perimeter of the conduit;
- wherein the light source comprises LEDs selected from the group consisting of red, green, blue, amber, white, orange, and UV LEDs;
- wherein the controller includes a data facility for storing data for the light engine.
2 more elements
A lighting system comprising:
- at least one conduit lit by a firt color-changing illumination from a first light engine having a first controller and at least on first LED;
- and
- at least one element lit by a second color-changing illumination from a second light engine having a second controller and at least one second LED;
- wherein the at least one conduit is placed in viewing proximity to the at least one element so as to produce coordinated layered illumination effects that represent the combination of the at least one conduit and the least one element.
1 more element
A method of lighting an assembly comprised of a plurality of conduits each having an at least partially transparent outer surface and each being configured to be connected together in a modular fashion to form the assembly, the method comprising:
- generating light by a plurality of light engines spaced apart from each other within the assembly so that the generated light travels within and along a length of at least one conduit of the assembly;
- and
- passing at least some of the generated light from light system of the plurality of light engines though the outer surface of the at least one conduit along the length of and around a perimeter of the at least one conduit;
- wherein the light system includes at least one light source and at least one controller to control the at least one light source, such that the generated light has at least one controllable characteristic.
1 more element
A method of lighting an elastomeric conduit having an at least partially transparent outer surface, a first end, and a second end, the method comprising:
- generating light by light system having a controller and a light source and being disposed proximate to at least one of the first end and the second end of the conduit, wherein the light system is configured such that the generated light travels within and along a length of the conduit;
- and
- passing at least some of the generated light through the outer surface of the conduit along the length of and around a perimeter of the conduit;
- wherein the light source comprises LEDs selected from the group consisting of red, green, blue, amber, white, orange, and UV LEDs;
- wherein the light engine is an addressable light engine.
2 more elements
A method of lighting an elastomeric conduit having an at least partially transparent outer surface, a first end, and a second end, the method comprising:
- generating light by at least one light engine having a controller and a light source and being disposed proximate to at least one of the first end and the second end of the conduit, wherein the at least one light engine is configured such that the generated light travels within and along a length of the conduit;
- and
- passing at least some of the generated light through the outer surface of the conduit along the length of and around a perimeter of the conduit;
- wherein the light source comprises LEDs selected from the group consisting of red, green, blue, amber, white, orange, and UV LEDs;
- and
- using an interface to deliver a control signal to the controller.
3 more elements
A method of lighting a system, the method comprising:
- lighting at least one conduit by a first color-changing illumination from a first light engine having a first controller and at least one first LED;
- and
- lighting at least one element by a second color-changing illumination from a second light engine having a second controller and at least one second LED, wherein the at least one conduit is placed in viewing proximity to at least one element so as to produce coordinated layered illumination effects that represent the combination of the at least one conduit and the at least one element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.