Artificial illumination device comprising light-emitter/collimator pair array

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein the diffused-light generator is configured so that the bluish background is uniform with respect to spatial coordinates so as to cause a difficulty for the observer to estimate a distance between the observer and the second emitting surface and the direct-light source is of low divergence such that the eyes of the observer are forced to converge at infinity and the plane from which the diffused light is perceived to be originated is dragged to infinity as well, and the bluish background supports the observer' eyes' converging at infinity because of an aerial perspective visual cue.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• and
• an absorber made of light-absorbing material positioned downstream the first light-emitting device and upstream the first emitting surface and configured to substantially absorb light rays which cross the first emitting surface in an upstream direction and which, in the absence of the absorber would not be directed toward the first light-emitting device;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein direct-light source is configured to produce the direct light such that the direct light exits the first emitting surface with a luminance profile which comprises a narrow peak in the angular distribution around the direct-light direction the narrow peak being subtended by a solid angle smaller than 0.2 sr.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein the plurality of pairs is positioned in juxtaposition with the collimators of the pairs abutting each other so that the collimators form a joint surface.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein the artificial illumination device further comprises a coffered ceiling structure positioned downstream the outer emitting surface, wherein the coffered ceiling structure comprises a first periodicity being an integer multiple or unit fraction of a second periodicity at which the pairs of the plurality of pairs are arranged along the outer emitting surface.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• and
• a freeform concentrator or freeform lens configured to flatten an illuminance distribution of the primary light onto the collimator;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein a freeform lens is positioned between the first light-emitting device and the collimator, the freeform lens being configured to flatten an illuminance distribution of the primary light onto the collimator.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein the first light-emitting device comprises a circular aperture.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein the direct-light source further comprises a micro-optics beam-homogenizer layer positioned downstream the pairs' collimators, wherein the micro-optics beam-homogenizer layer is configured to reduce a stray light component of light pre-collimated by the pairs' collimators.

An artificial illumination device for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, the artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein the direct-light source comprises an angularly selective filter configured to absorb light divergent relative to the direct-light direction by more than a predetermined threshold.

A system made-up by a juxtaposition of a plurality of the artificial illumination devices for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky with making an observer experience a visual infinite depth perception of a sky and sun image when an observer directly looks at said artificial illumination device, each artificial illumination device comprising:

• a direct-light source comprising a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction;
• and
• a diffused-light generator configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface;
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface of the artificial illumination device;
• wherein the artificial illumination device is configured such that the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relatively to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein the direct light direction is equal for the plurality of the artificial illumination devices.

A method for generating natural light similar to that from the sun and the sky, using a direct-light source;

• and a diffused-light generator,
• wherein the direct-light source comprises a first emitting surface and configured to produce, from a primary light, a direct light that exits the first emitting surface into a direct-light direction at low divergence, the direct-light source comprising a plurality of pairs of a first light-emitting device positioned upstream the first emitting surface and configured to emit the primary light and a collimator configured to collimate the primary light emitted by the first light-emitting device along the direct-light direction,
• wherein the diffused-light generator is configured to cause diffused light at a second emitting surface,
• wherein one of the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface is positioned downstream with respect to the other and forms an outer emitting surface or both the first emitting surface and the second emitting surface coincide to form the outer emitting surface,
• wherein the direct-light source and the diffused-light generator co-operate to form outer light at the outer emitting surface which comprises a first light component which propagates within a low divergence cone along the direct light direction and a second light component which propagates along directions outside the low divergence cone wherein the first light component comprises a correlated color temperature which is lower than a CCT of the second light component so that an observer sees, when looking towards the first emitting surface, a bright spot surrounded by a bluish background which mimics the sky, the bright spot comprising lower CCT, corresponding to the sun and moving, when the observer moves relative to the first emitting surface, relative to the first emitting surface as if the bright spot stemmed from an object positioned at infinity;
• wherein an absorber is arranged upstream the first emitting surface and made of light-absorbing material so that the first emitting surface comprises a total reflectance factor ηr≦0.4.