Optical integrating chamber lighting using one or more additional color sources to adjust white light

A lighting apparatus, for a white light illuminating type application, to illuminate or to provide task or object illumination in a region or area intended to be occupied by a person, the apparatus comprising:

• a chamber having at least one diffusely reflective interior surface for combining at least some light by diffuse reflection within the chamber and having an optical passage for allowing emission of combined light from the chamber in a direction to facilitate said white light illuminating type application;
• a first source for producing substantially white light, the first source being coupled to supply the substantially white light to the interior of the chamber;
• a second source for producing light of a defined wavelength, the second source being coupled to supply the light of the defined wavelength to the interior of the chamber, so that the emission of combined light from the chamber is white light of a spectral characteristic determined by a combination of the substantially white light and the light of the defined wavelength;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the sources for establishing output intensity of light of each of the sources to set contributions of the substantially white light and the light of the defined wavelength to the combined light and thus set the spectral characteristic of the combined white light emitted through the optical passage of the chamber.

A downlight for a white lighting application, the downlight comprising:

• a chamber having at least one diffusely reflective interior surface for combining at least some light by diffuse reflection within the chamber and having an optical passage for allowing emission of combined light from the chamber in a downward direction to facilitate said white light application for the downlight;
• at least one white light emitting diode (LED) coupled directly to the chamber, for producing substantially white light;
• at least one single-colored light emitting diode (LED) coupled directly to the chamber, for producing a single color of light, so that the emission of combined light from the optical passage of the chamber is white light of a spectral characteristic determined by a combination of the substantially white light and the single color of light;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to the LEDs for establishing output intensity of light of each of the LEDs to set contributions of the substantially white light and the light of the single color to the combined light and thus set the spectral characteristic of the combined white light emitted through the optical passage of the chamber for said white lighting application for the downlight.