U.S. patent application number 14/189887 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-26 for color control of dynamic lighting.
The applicant listed for this patent is Christian Krause. Invention is credited to Christian Krause.
Application Number | 20140176010 14/189887 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37714376 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140176010 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Krause; Christian |
June 26, 2014 |
COLOR CONTROL OF DYNAMIC LIGHTING
Abstract
This invention relates to a method of adjusting the fixture
color emitted by a first and a second lighting fixture to a target
color, each lighting fixture comprising at least a first and a
second light source emitting light having different source colors,
and said fixture color is obtained as a combination of said source
colors, and said fixture color can be varied by varying the
intensity of each light source; where the adjusting of said fixture
color to a target color is performed by varying the intensity of
said light sources based on both a first color gamut and a second
color gamut respectively described by said source colors from said
first lighting fixture and said second lighting fixture. The
invention further relates to a light adapter and light system for
adjusting the fixture color emitted by a first and a second
lighting fixture to a target color and to a computer-readable
medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processing
unit to execute said method.
Inventors: |
Krause; Christian; (Aarhus
C, DK) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Krause; Christian |
Aarhus C |
|
DK |
|
|
Family ID: |
37714376 |
Appl. No.: |
14/189887 |
Filed: |
February 25, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11991950 |
Sep 30, 2010 |
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PCT/DK2006/000511 |
Sep 15, 2006 |
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14189887 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
315/297 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05B 45/20 20200101;
Y02B 20/30 20130101; H05B 47/10 20200101; H05B 47/18 20200101; Y02B
20/341 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
315/297 |
International
Class: |
H05B 37/02 20060101
H05B037/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 19, 2005 |
DK |
PA 200501300 |
Claims
1. A method of adjusting the fixture color (105) emitted by a least
a first and a second lighting fixture (101, 101a, 101b, 101c, 101n)
to a target color, each lighting fixture comprising at least a
first and a second light source (102, 103, 104) emitting light
having different source colors, and said fixture color is obtained
as a combination of said source colors, and said fixture color can
be varied by varying the intensity of each light source and the
adjusting of said fixture color to a target color is performed by
varying the intensity of said light sources, which comprises
varying said intensity of said light sources based on both a first
color gamut (401) and a second color gamut (402, 403) respectively
described by said source colors from said first lighting fixture
and said second lighting fixture,
2. A method according to claim 1 which further comprises the step
of obtaining color parameters describing the color of said first
and second source colors of said first and second lighting fixtures
as a source position (210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215) on a color map
and generating said color gamut using said color parameters.
3. A method according to claim 1 which further comprises the step
of choosing said target color as a position on said color map.
4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said adjusting of said
fixture color to a target color by varying the intensity of said
light sources is based on a common color gamut (404, 405, 406)
generated by combining said first and second color gamut.
5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of adjusting the
fixture color comprises the step of adjusting said target color
such that the position of said target color in said color map would
be a part of said common color gamut (404, 405, 406).
6. A method according to claim 2 wherein said color parameters
further comprise the intensity range of said light sources.
7. A method according to claim 2 wherein said color map is a CIE
color map (407).
8. A light adapter (301, 701) for adjusting the fixture color
emitted by at least a first and a second lighting fixture (101,
101a, 101b, 101c, 101n) to a target color, each lighting fixture
comprising at least a first and a second light source (102, 103,
104) emitting light having different source colors, and said
fixture color (105) is obtained as a combination of said source
colors, wherein said light adapter comprises means (304, 305) for
adjusting said fixture color to a target color by varying the
intensity of said light sources, and wherein said light adapter
comprises means (304, 305) for varying the intensity of said light
sources based on both a first color gamut and a second color gamut
respectively described by the source colors from said first
lighting fixture and said second lighting fixture.
9. A light adapter according to claim 8 wherein said light adapter
further comprises means for obtaining color parameters describing
the color of said first and second source colors of said first and
second lighting fixtures as a source position on a color map and
means for generating said color gamut using said color
parameters.
10. A light adapter according to claim 8 wherein said light adapter
further comprises means for choosing (702, 703, 704 705, 706,707)
said target color as a position on said color map.
11. A light adapter according to claim 8 said means for adjusting
said fixture color to a target color is adapted to vary the
intensity of said light sources based on a common color gamut and
in that said light adapter comprises means for generating said
common color gamut by combining said first and second color
gamut.
12. A light adapter according to claim 8 wherein said means for
adjusting said fixture color comprises means for adjusting said
target color such that the position of said target color in said
color map would be a part of said common color gamut.
13. A light adapter according to claim 9 wherein said color
parameters further comprise the intensity rang of said light
sources.
14. A light adapter according to claim 9 wherein said color map is
a CIE color map.
15. A lighting system comprising a number of lighting fixtures
(101) where said lighting fixtures comprise at least two light
sources (102, 103, 104) each emitting a source color, and where
said dynamic lighting fixtures are adapted to combine said source
colors and thereby generate a fixture color (105) and the color of
said fixture color can be varied by varying the intensity of said
source colors wherein said lighting system further comprises a
light adapter (101, 701) according to claim 8 and wherein said
light adapter is adapted to adjust said fixture color emitted by a
number of lighting fixtures to a target color.
16. A lighting system according to claim 15 wherein said number of
lighting fixtures and said light adapter are connected to a network
(302),
17. A lighting system according to claim 16 wherein said means for
obtaining said color parameters comprised by said light adapter are
adapted to obtain said color parameters through said network.
18. A lighting system according to claim 16 wherein said means for
adjusting said fixture color of said lighting fixtures comprised by
said light fixture are adapted to adjust said fixture color through
said network.
19. A computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions
for causing a processing unit to execute a method according to
claim 1.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
11/991,950 filed Sep. 30, 2010, which is the 371 of International
application no. PCT/DK2006/000511 filed Sep. 15, 2006, which claims
priority to Danish application PA 200501300 filed Sep. 19, 2005,
the entire content of each of which is expressly incorporated
herein by reference thereto.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to systems and methods of
controlling dynamic lighting.
[0003] Dynamic lighting fixtures capable of changing color are
becoming more and more popular and are used in many different
environments such as theatres, discotheques, exhibitions, shops,
private homes, etc. Dynamic lighting fixtures can be constructed in
a number of different ways, for instance by using a light source
emitting light having a broad spectral distributing, which would
appear as white light when seen by a person. Different optical
filters could then be inserted in front of the light source, e.g.
by mechanical means, such that a part of the spectral distribution
would be attenuated causing a person to see another color.
[0004] Another dynamic lighting fixture capable of changing color
comprises at least two light sources emitting light with different
spectral distributions such that a person would seen the light as
two different colors. The light from the light sources is combined
in the lighting fixture resulting in an added spectral distribution
which is emitted from the lighting fixture, and a person would see
the combined light as a third color. A dynamic lighting fixture is
capable of varying the intensity of each light source such that the
added spectral distribution would vary when the intensity of the
light sources is varied. The consequence is that a multiple number
of added spectral distributions could be created causing a person
to see a multiple number of different colors. In other words, the
color emitted by the dynamic lighting fixture could be altered by
varying the intensity of the light sources. This could be
illustrated by plotting the color of the light sources on a color
map, e.g. the CIE 1931 color space, such that each light source
would be represented by a point on the color map. The line
connecting the two points would represent the colors that can be
made by varying the intensity of the two light sources. Most
dynamic lighting fixture comprises three or more light sources and
an area could be constructed on a color map when the color of the
light sources is plotted on the color map. The area would then
represent the colors that could be made by varying the intensity of
the light sources.
[0005] More and more dynamic lighting fixtures are being
introduced, and especially dynamic lighting fixtures based on LED's
technology are widely used. Furthermore, a large number of vendors
producing dynamic lighting fixtures exists, and the consumer
therefore has the possibility of choosing between a large number of
different dynamic lighting fixtures. Many consumers want to use a
multiple number of dynamic fixture systems and combine systems from
different vendors in order to create a certain illumination. This
is a very complex procedure due to a high number of different light
sources, different color parameters and different color mixing
systems. Typically the consumer needs to construct a very complex
system in order to combine/integrate a multiple number of dynamic
lighting systems. This is a very time consuming process because it
requires measuring of the spectral distribution of each light
source, complex programming and detailed knowledge of system
specifications of each dynamic lighting system in order to make
sure that each dynamic system would be correctly controlled. One
problem when combining different dynamic lighting fixtures is to
ensure that the chosen color would appear identical on the
different dynamic lighting fixtures.
[0006] WO01/36864 A2 describes a lighting system for generation and
modulation of natural light such that the black body radiation
spectrum can be simulated at different white color temperatures.
The system could therefore simulate early morning daylight with a
white color temperature around 3000 K and/or overcast midday
daylight with a white color temperature around 10000 K. The system
comprises a number of light sources having different spectral
characteristics, and the system is capable of combining the light
sources such that a predetermined spectral characteristic is
achieved. Further, WO01/36864 A2 describes that the lighting system
could be used as a dynamic lighting system able to generate
different colors by varying the intensity of the light sources.
This is achieved by storing the spectra of each light source and
thus use the spectra to calculate the resulting color when the
intensity of the light sources are varied. Thereby it could be
calculated how the intensity of the different light sources should
he varied in order to generate a certain color. This system
requires knowledge of the spectral distribution of the light
sources in order to be able to perform the calculations. This
requires that these spectral distributions are measured,
particularly because many lighting fixture vendors do not specify
the spectral distributions of the light sources. This is a very
time consuming process, especially when a consumer wants to combine
different dynamic lighting fixtures. Further, complicated and
expensive measurement systems such as spectrometers or
monochronometers are required in order to obtain the spectra. The
data handling and controlling of the dynamic lighting systems also
become very time consuming and complex since the spectra comprise
large amounts of data which must be processed.
[0007] US2005/0062446, discloses an illumination system comprising
a plurality of light-emitting element which creates illumination at
a number of different wavelengths wherein the color that can be
produced by the illumination system is defined by the color gamut
defined by the colors of each light-emitter. The color produced by
the illumination system is adjusted by varying the intensity of the
individual light-emitters and the system further comprises a
detector detecting properties of the produced color and the
produced color can be adjusted according the detected properties.
The data handling and controlling of the illumination systems is
time consuming and complex since the properties needs of the
produced light needs to be detected and processed.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The object of the invention is to solve the problems
described above.
[0009] A method of adjusting the fixture color emitted by a first
and a second lighting fixture to a target color, each lighting
fixture comprising at least a first and a second light source
emitting light having different source colors and said fixture
color is obtained as a combination of said source colors, and said
fixture color can be varied by varying the intensity of each light
source, where the adjustment of said fixture color to a target
color is performed by varying the intensity of said light sources
based on both a first color gamut and a second color gamut
respectively described by said source colors from said first
lighting fixture and said second lighting fixture. Hereby is
achieved that the fixture color of a multiple number of lighting
fixtures could be adjusted to a target color according to color
gamut of the individual color systems in each lighting fixture. The
target color can therefore be selected independently of the color
systems used in the lighting fixtures, and the fixture color of
each lighting fixture could be adjusted to the target color
according to color gamut of the individual color systems. The color
gamut defines fixture colors which the individual fixtures could
emit and could be illustrated by an area or a line in a color map
such as CIE 1931/1964 xy color diagrams, RGB-, CMY-, YUV-, CIELAB-,
CIELUV-color spaces, etc.
[0010] In another embodiment the method comprises the step of
obtaining color parameters describing the color of said first and
second source colors of said first and second lighting fixtures as
a source position on a color map and generating said color gamut
using said color parameters. Hereby a simple and fast method of
adjusting the fixture color of lighting fixtures is provided. The
color parameter describes the position of the source colors of each
lighting fixtures in a color, etc. The color parameters could for
instance be described by (x,y,z) coordinates, (hue, saturation)
parameters or any other parameter capable of defining a position in
a color map. The color gamut could by defined from the color
parameter. The color parameters could be obtained, for instance, by
entering the color parameters manually or automatically when the
lighting fixtures are connected e.g. through a network. The method
makes it possible to connect a multiple number of lighting fixtures
and to easily adjust the fixture color of each lighting fixture to
a target color since the fixture color of each lighting fixture
could be adjusted to the target color by using the color parameters
and color gamut of the individual lighting fixtures.
[0011] In one another embodiment the method further comprises the
step of choosing said target color as a position on said color map.
Hereby a simple user interface could be constructed allowing a user
to choose the target color as a position on a color map independent
of the color systems of the lighting fixture, and the fixture color
of each lighting fixture could still be adjusted to the target
color. In other words, a user could choose a target color as a
position on a color map, and this position would thereafter be
converted into the individual color gamut of each lighting fixture.
The position of the target color in a color map such as CIE
1931/1964 xy color diagrams, RGB-, CMY-, YUV-, CIELAB-,
CIELUV-color spaces, etc. could for instance be described by
(x,y,z) coordinates, (hue, saturation) parameters or other
parameters capable of defining a position in a color map.
[0012] In another embodiment of the method said adjusting of said
fixture color to a target color by varying the intensity of said
light sources is based on a common color gamut generated by
combining said first and second color gamut. Hereby it is achieved
that a common color gamut could be generated. The common color
gamut could define the colors which can be generated by at least
one of the lighting fixtures, define the colors that could be
generated by all lighting fixtures or define color that could be
generated by a group of lighting fixtures. Further, it is achieved
that the target color could be adjusted according to the colors
which can be generated by at least one of the lighting fixtures,
the colors that could be generated by all lighting fixtures and/or
the colors that could be generated by a group of lighting
fixtures.
[0013] In one another embodiment of the method said step of
adjusting the fixture color comprises the step of adjusting said
target color such that the position of said target color in said
color map would be a part of said common color gamut. Hereby the
target color could be adjusted according to a common color gamut
such that it is avoided that the target color extends the color
gamut of the lighting fixtures and can therefore not be generated
by the lighting fixtures. Thereby overflow due to target colors
extending the color gamut of the lighting fixtures could be
avoided. The target color could for instance be adjusted such that
it would not extend a color gamut; this e.g. by scaling, clipping
or transforming the target color according to predefined rules.
[0014] In one another embodiment of the method said color
parameters further comprise the intensity rang of said light
sources. Hereby the intensity rang of each light source could be
used when adjusting the fixture color of the lighting fixtures to
the target color.
[0015] In one another embodiment of the method said color map is a
CIE color map. Hereby a user interface including all visible colors
to a person could be constructed, and the user could choose the
target color as a color in the CIE color map; hereafter the fixture
color of each lighting fixture could be adjusted to the target
color according to color parameters, color gamuts and/or common
color gamuts.
[0016] In another aspect the present invention relates to a light
adapter for adjusting the fixture color emitted by a first and a
second lighting fixture to a target color, each lighting fixture
comprising at least a first and a second light source emitting
light having different source colors, and said fixture color is
obtained as a combination of said source colors and said fixture
color which can be varied by varying the intensity of each light
source, where said light adapter comprises means for adjusting said
fixture color to a target color by varying the intensity of said
light sources based on both a first color gamut and a second color
gamut respectively described by the source colors from said first
lighting fixture and said second lighting fixture. Hereby a light
adapter for adjusting the fixture color emitted by a number of
lighting fixtures to a target color is provided. The lighting
adapter is making it possible to connect a multiple number of
lighting fixtures to the light adapter and use the light adapter to
adjust the fixture color such that the lighting fixtures would emit
the target color. Hereby the same advantages as described above are
achieved.
[0017] In another embodiment the light adapter comprises means for
obtaining color parameters describing the color of said first and
second source colors of said first and second lighting fixtures as
a source position on a color map and means for generating said
color gamut using said color parameters. Hereby the same advantages
as described above are achieved.
[0018] In another embodiment the light adapter further comprises
means for choosing said target color as a position on said color
map.
[0019] In another embodiment of the light adapter said means for
adjusting said fixture color to a target color is performed by
varying the intensity of said light sources based on a common color
gamut, and in that said light adapter comprises means for
generating said common color gamut by combining said first and
second color gamut. Hereby the same advantages as described above
are achieved.
[0020] In another embodiment of the light adapter said means for
adjusting said fixture color comprise means for adjusting said
target color such that the position of said target color in said
color map would be a part of said common color gamut. Hereby the
same advantages as described above are achieved.
[0021] In another embodiment of the light adapter said color
parameters further comprise the intensity rang of said light
sources. Hereby the same advantages as described above are
achieved.
[0022] In another embodiment of the light adapter said color map is
a CIE color map. Hereby the same advantages as described above are
achieved.
[0023] The present invention further relates to a lighting system
comprising a number of lighting fixtures where said lighting
fixtures comprise at least two light sources each emitting a source
color, and where said dynamic lighting fixtures are adapted to
combine said source colors and thereby generate a fixture color,
and the color of said fixture color can be varied by varying the
intensity of said source colors where said lighting system further
comprises a light adapter as described above, and where said light
adapter is adapted to adjust said fixture color emitted by a number
of lighting fixtures to a target color. Hereby a lighting system
comprising a number of lighting fixtures and the light adapter as
described above is achieved with the same advantages as described
above.
[0024] In another embodiment of the lighting system said number of
lighting fixtures and said light adapter are connected to a
network. Hereby the light adapter could obtain the color parameters
through the network, and the fixture color of each lighting fixture
could be adjusted by the light adapter through the network.
[0025] In another embodiment of the lighting system said means for
obtaining said color parameters comprised by said light adapter are
adapted to obtain said color parameters through said network.
Hereby the light adapter could be adapted to automatically obtain
the color parameters of each lighting fixture through the network,
for instance by sending the color parameters as data through the
network. A lighting system could therefore easily be
constructed/assembled by a user without the user having to worry
about complex programming and how to control each lighting
fixture.
[0026] In another embodiment of the lighting system said means for
adjusting said fixture color of said lighting fixtures comprised by
said light fixture are adapted to adjust said fixture color through
said network. Hereby a lighting system could easily be contrasted
by a user without the user having to worry about controlling the
individual lighting fixtures.
[0027] The present invention also relates to a computer-readable
medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processing
unit to execute the above described. Hereby it is achieved that the
above described method could be implemented in a processing unit
which could be integrated in a light adapter. Hereby the above
described advantages are achieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention
will be described referring to the figures, where
[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates a dynamic lighting fixture
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates the CIE 1931 Chromaticity xy color
diagram
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the present
invention
[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates the process of generating a global inner
and outer gamut for a network comprising three different dynamic
lighting fixtures
[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates on a CIE 1931 color diagram how the Color
Controller could process an input color
[0034] FIG. 6 illustrates how a flow diagram of the color
controller unit could process input colors
[0035] FIG. 7 illustrates a light adapter according to the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates a dynamic lighting fixture (101)
comprising three light sources: a red emitter (102), a green
emitter (103) and a blue emitter (104). The light emitted by the
three light sources is combined within fixture such that
combined/added light (105) is emitted from the fixture. This
fixture uses three parameters for controlling the red, green and
blue emitter and each parameter is used to set the brightness
within 0 to a 100% of each emitter thus making an additive color
mixing system. Controlling these three parameters individually
between 0 to a 100% enables the emission of different colors within
the color gamut of the three emitters. The color gamut is defined
by the area on a color map which could be constructed by plotting
the color of the three light sources on the color map.
[0037] The shown fixture uses red, green and blue emitters and is
thus known as a RGB fixture; however, some fixtures use cyan,
magenta and yellow emitters (CMY fixtures). Other dynamic lighting
fixtures capable of additive color mixing are based on a four
parameter color system based on red, green, blue and white
emitters. The white emitter is added to create a higher color
rendering performance at white colors. Thus, any number of emitters
larger than two could be used in the additive color mixing; a
dynamic lighting fixture could for instance comprise six emitters
such as cyan, magenta, yellow, red, green and blue emitters.
[0038] Each fixture color mixing system has advantages and
disadvantages. The colors achievable by a fixture are also called
the fixtures gamut, which is seen as an area within a color map
such as a CIE 1931 color diagram, and the area is defined by two or
more color coordinate points; one for each emitter in the addictive
color mixing system. FIG. 2 illustrates typical gamuts of a RGB
fixture and a CMY fixture.
[0039] FIG. 2 illustrates the CIE 1931 Chromaticity xy color
diagram where the "center" (201) of the color diagram corresponds
to the color white, and the outer curved portion corresponds to
colors seen by a person with blue (202), cyan (203), green (204),
yellow (205), red (206) and magenta (207) indicated on the color
diagram. The gamut of a RGB fixture is illustrated by a dotted
triangle where the color of the red (210), green (211) and blue
(212) light sources comprises the corners of the triangle. Further,
gamut of a CMY fixture is illustrated by a dashed and dotted
triangle with the corners comprising the color of the cyan (213),
magenta (214) and yellow (215) light sources. It can be seen that
the RGB fixture can make some colors which the CMY fixture cannot
make, and vice versa. The common area of the two triangles
illustrates the colors which are achievable by both fixtures.
[0040] A color (220) could be defined by the two parameters hue
(221) and saturation (222). Hue defines the color as the angle
between the line (223) from the white color to the red color at the
outer curve. Saturation defines the saturation of the color as the
distance from the center to the color along the angled line. This
means that colors with 100% saturation are placed on the outer
curve, and colors with low saturation are placed near the center of
the color diagram. This Hue/Saturation format defines all colors
visible to the human eye.
[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention
and illustrates a controller (301) and a number of dynamic lighting
fixtures (101a, 101b, 101c, 101d, 101n) that are connected in data
network (302). The fixtures could be any kind of fixtures as
described in FIG. 1 and produced by different vendors. Each fixture
has its own unique network ID enabling the controller to identify,
set and retrieve data individually from each fixture connected to
the network. The type of network could be any type of network
standard allowing two-way communication between the controller
(301) and the fixtures (101a, 101b, 101c, 101d, 101n). Each fixture
comprises a network driver (303a, 303b, 303c, 303d, 303n) adapted
to handle data from the controller (301) on the network (302) and
set the fixtures parameters accordingly. The network drivers could
be realized by using a microcontroller, programmable logic or the
like.
[0042] In this embodiment the controller (301) comprises two units,
i.e. a show controller (304) and a color controller (305). The show
controller unit is capable of controlling multiple fixtures and
changing their color parameters over time with respect to a user
pre-programmed pattern. This could also include video playback
systems where each fixture is defined as one or more pixels. The
show controller could further comprise a user interface allowing a
user to adjust the colors of the fixtures and make color shows.
[0043] The color controller unit (305) is adapted to create a
standardized interface for the show controller unit (304) for
transferring show color information to each fixture. This means
that all fixtures on the data network are represented to the show
controller unit (304) via the color controller unit (305) as all
having identical types of color control parameters even if the
fixtures are different kinds of fixtures due to different color
mixing systems as previously described in FIG. 1 or produced by
different vendors.
[0044] The controller (301) could be realized by using a
microcontroller, programmable logic or the like. The show
controller unit (304) and the color controller unit (305) could be
realized in one or in two separate hardware processing units, if
desired.
[0045] The color controller unit (305) acts as a color space
converter, converting from one color space into the color spaces
required for each fixture on the network. The consequence is that a
user could choose a color using the show controller, for instance,
by choosing the hue and saturation of an input color. The color
controller would thereafter convert the input color into the color
spaces used by each fixture. The color space conversion is in this
embodiment being processed centrally by the color controller unit
(305), however, it could also be processed decentralized within
each fixtures network driver (303a, 303b, 303c, 303d, 303n).
[0046] The input colors delivered to the color controller unit
(305) consist of a pre-defined color space that applies to all
fixtures. The color space used in the embodiment has been created
using the CIE 1931 Chromaticity xy color diagram as described in
FIG. 2, where two parameters are used to define a color; namely hue
and saturation. The hue/saturation format defines all colors
visible to the human eye and there is thus no limit to which colors
can be defined by the show controller unit (304), but any other
color space could be used if desired, such as RGB, CMY, YUV, CIELAB
CIELUV, CIE 1964 xy color diagram, etc.
[0047] An important function of the color controller unit (305) is
to take the gamut of the fixtures into account before converting to
the color spaces of each fixture. The color controller unit (305)
therefore needs to have gamut information of each fixture connected
to the data network (305). As illustrated in FIG. 2, the color
controller only needs the positions of the light sources in the
color space in order to create the color gamut of the fixture. Each
piece of fixture gamut information is stored in the fixtures
network driver (303) along with other color parameters used for
color space conversion based on a previously made color measurement
made for each fixture. The color controller unit (305) therefore
first retrieves these data from each fixture on the data network
(302) before starting any color control processes.
[0048] When the color controller unit (305) has retrieved the color
coordinates and generated color gamuts from each fixture the gamuts
are super imposed to define a global inner and outer gamut.
[0049] FIG. 4 illustrates the process of generating a global inner
and outer gamut for a network comprising three different dynamic
lighting fixtures. The figure illustrates the gamut (401), (402)
and (403) of the three different dynamic lighting fixtures in CIE
1931 color diagrams (407). First the gamuts are super imposed (404)
so that a global inner gamut is defined (405) and a global outer
gamut is defined (406). The global inner gamut (405) contains
colors that all fixtures on the data network can process
simultaneously, and the global outer gamut (406) contains maximal
colors that can be processed non-simultaneously. Both global inner
(405) and outer (406) gamuts are desirable as in some cases the
full color gamuts are needed to achieve colors on some fixtures
that are outside the global inner gamut (405) without having the
limitations of other fixtures' lower gamut. Besides the global
inner (405) and outer (406) gamut other gamuts can be defined if
desired.
[0050] The color controller unit (305) uses the individual fixture
gamut (401, 402, 403) information to ensure that no fixture will be
set to an unachievable color resulting in an overflow or underflow
of the individual fixtures parameters after color space conversion.
The global gamuts (405, 406) are used in respect to how the input
color from the show controller unit (304) is being processed by the
color controller unit (305). The color controller can process the
input color using the global gamuts in two different ways as
illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0051] FIG. 5 illustrates on a CIE 1931 color diagram how the Color
Controller could process an input color (501) which saturation
value exceeds global gamut (405). The exceeding part of the
saturation value would then be clipped as illustrated by a dotted
line (503) by the color controller, and clipped saturation would
then be processed onto the fixtures. At the same time a warning
could be sent back to show controller unit warning of out of gamut
error. The saturation parameter could therefore be scaled according
to the global gamut such that the global gamut would be scaled to a
100% saturation as illustrated by arrow (502).
[0052] Other global gamuts can be defined by color controller unit
if desired, and specific gamuts can be set for different fixture
groups if desired. Note that the gamut control function could as
well be processed decentralized within each fixtures network driver
if desired, or pre-installed in a memory storage.
[0053] The overall advantages of the color controller unit gamut
control is that the show controller unit would never have to be
concerned with which types of fixtures are used and how to make
them match desired colors. This makes it simple for the user to
connect any number of fixtures to the data network and immediately
have them working together easy and fast. This becomes even more
important when the show controller unit is programmed by the user
as she/he would not manually have to include color matching in the
show, thus making it much faster to program shows and which makes
the shows portable between other fixtures and locations.
[0054] FIG. 6 illustrates how a flow diagram of the color
controller unit could process input colors, gamuts, the dynamic
lighting fixtures, etc.
[0055] In 601 the color controller receives and saves fixture color
space information from each fixture connected to the data network.
The fixture color space information could be the position of the
color of each fixture's light sources on a color map, for instance
described by (Hue, Saturation) parameters or the (x,y) coordinates
in a CIE 1931 color diagram. The color parameters could also have
been stored in a memory storage and be recalled from the memory
storage.
[0056] In 602 the color controller processes individual gamuts for
each fixture based on the in (601) received and saved fixture color
space information and saves the individual gamuts.
[0057] In 603 the color controller generates global gamuts based on
the individual gamuts saved in 602 and saves the global gamut. The
global gamuts could be the global inner and outer gamuts described
in FIG. 4.
[0058] In 604 the color controller receives input color parameters,
for instance (hue, saturation) values from the show controller
unit. The input color parameters could be common for all fixtures
meaning that all fixtures should emit the same color, or the input
color parameters could be addressed to certain fixtures.
[0059] In 605 the color controller adjusts the in 604 received
color parameters such that the input color parameters are within
the boundaries of a pre-selected global gamut generate in step
603.
[0060] in 606 the color controller converts the individual color
parameters into the individual color spaces of each fixture based
on the in 601 saved fixture color space information such that each
fixture could be adjusted to the input color.
[0061] In 607 the color controller transmits the individual
converted color spaces to the respective fixtures on the data
network such that each fixture would emit a color according to the
input color
[0062] Step 604 to step 606 is repeated as long as color input
information is available at show controller, creating continuous
streams of color information to fixtures and thereby creating a
dynamic color change over time if desired.
[0063] The color conversion process described in step 606 can be
done by using standard color space conversion algorithms known in
the art.
[0064] As an example, the algorithms for a RGB color mixing system
is shown, xr, yr is the color point coordinates and Ir the
intensity for the red light source; xg, yg is the color point
coordinates and Ig the intensity for the green light source, and
xb, yb is the color point coordinates and Ib the intensity for the
blue light source. Inputx and inputy are the desired CIE color
point coordinates of the target color, and I is the desired
intensity of the target color.
[0065] The intensity R, G, B to which the red, green and blue
emitter should be adjusted to respectively could then be found by
solving the matrix equation below.
[ R G B ] = [ xrCr xgCg xbCb yrCr ygCg ybCb zrCr zgCg zbCb ] - 1 [
X I Z ] ##EQU00001## where : ##EQU00001.2## zr = 1 - xr - y r
##EQU00001.3## zg = 1 - xg - yg ##EQU00001.4## zb = 1 - xb - yb
##EQU00001.5## Cr = Ir / y r ##EQU00001.6## Cg = Ig / yg
##EQU00001.7## Cb = Ib / yb ##EQU00001.8## X = ( inputx / inputy )
* I ##EQU00001.9## Z = ( ( 1 - inputx - inputy ) / inputy ) * I
##EQU00001.10##
[0066] The same principle can be used for color systems using more
than three color sources by adding more factors to the matrix; this
will of course result in more input parameters. For instance, in a
RGBW (red, green, blue, white) color mixing system consisting of
four color sources will a forth parameter be needed which could be
the intensity of the white centre source. The white intensity value
could then depend on one or more of the following scenarios: [0067]
1. Maximum possible intensity (not all colors can then have the
same intensity) [0068] 2. Constant intensity (the maximum intensity
is then set at the values of the intensity of the lowest emitter)
[0069] 3. Maximum Color Rendering (the values are then controller
based on color measurements to give the best color rendering at
white colors).
[0070] Choosing how the parameters should be controlled depends on
the application.
[0071] FIG. 7 illustrates a light adapter (701) according to the
present invention. The light adapter comprises a display (702), a
hue selector wheel (703), buttons for increasing (704) and
decreasing (705) the color satuation, a storage, button (706) and a
recall (707) button. Lighting fixtures (101a, 101b, 101c, 101d,
101n) could be connected to the light adapter through a network
(302) as described above, and the light adapter can be adapted to
control the lighting fixtures as described above. The display would
act as an interface providing a user with information such as the
number, types of lighting fixtures connected to the light adapter,
the target color, the fixture color emitted by each lighting
fixture, etc. The hue selector wheel (703) could be used to choose
the hue of the target color by rotating the wheel. A clockwise
rotation would decrease the hue and the target color would
therefore, become more red, and a counter clockwise rotation would
increase the hue resulting in a more blue target color. The
saturation buttons (704, 705) could be used to increase (704) and
decrease (705) the saturation of the target color. Hereby a
user-friendly interface is provided and the user could choose any
color visible to a person simply by rotating the hue selector wheel
and adjusting the color saturation. The light adapter is connected
to a number of lighting fixtures and the user needs not to worry
about how the individual lighting fixture is controlled since this
is performed by the light adapter as described above. The light
adapter further comprises a memory button (706) which allows the
user to store a target color such that the color could be recalled
by using a recall button (707).
[0072] The above-described embodiments only serve as examples
describing the present invention, and a person skilled in the art
of lighting fixtures would be able to construct other embodiments
within the scope of the present invention. The examples should
therefore be seen as examples and not limit the present
invention.
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