Color regulating device for illumination and apparatus using the same, and method of regulating color
There is provided a color-regulating device for illumination. The color-regulating device includes a light-valving structure for adjusting a flux ratio of outgoing light through the light-valving structure to incident light entering the light-valving structure, and a color-adjusting structure having a wavelength-band converting element for changing incident light with a wavelength band into outgoing light with a different wavelength band through the element. Wherein, the light-valving structure and the color-adjusting structure do not overlap on the traveling path of the light emitted from the light source. Mixing the outgoing light of the light source passing through the light-valving structure with the outgoing light of the light source passing through and at least a portion thereof converted by the color-adjusting structure with a different wavelength band yields a color-adjusted light of different color temperature from that of the light source.
1. A color regulating device for illumination, configured to regulate a color temperature of light interacting with the device, comprising:
a light-valving structure for adjusting a flux ratio of a first incident light of a first light source to a first outgoing light of the light interacted with the light-valving structure;
a color-adjusting structure having at least one wavelength-band converting element, configured to convert a second incident light with a first wavelength band into a second outgoing light with a second wavelength band; and
wherein the light-valving structure and the color-adjusting structure do not overlap with each other on a traveling path of the light, such that the first outgoing light and the second outgoing light are mixed to form a hybrid light with a color temperature different from that of the light, and another light emitted from a second light source is mixed with the hybrid light.
2. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second wavelength band covers the first wavelength band.
3. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hybrid light is further mixed with a portion of the light not interacted with the device.
4. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light-valving structure and the color-adjusting structure are located on a plane perpendicular to the traveling path of the light.
5. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light-valving structure and the color-adjusting structure are located on a plane perpendicular to the traveling path of the light, and are adjacent to each other.
6. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the light-valving structure is a plane light-valving structure which is a member selected from the group consisting of a micro electro mechanical assembly, a color changing glass, an electronic paper, an electrowetting element, a liquid crystal layer structure and combination thereof; or a three-dimensional light-valving structure comprising a plurality of the members.
7. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the liquid crystal layer structure comprises:
a first light-permeable substrate having a first side and a second side;
a second light-permeable substrate having a first side and a second side;
a liquid crystal (LC) layer sandwiched between the second side of the first light-permeable substrate and the first side of the second light-permeable substrate, and having at least one liquid crystal (LC) cell capable of controlling grayscale; and
a biasing unit applying voltage to the at least one liquid crystal cell capable of controlling grayscale.
8. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 7 , wherein at least one of part of the first side of the first light-permeable substrate and part of the second side of the second light-permeable substrate has a polarizer.
9. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wavelength-band converting element is a wavelength-band converting material, or a wavelength-band converting structure unit.
10. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the wavelength-band converting material is a first wavelength-band converting material, or a first wavelength-band converting material and a second wavelength-band converting material.
11. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first wavelength-band converting material or the second wavelength-band converting material is selected from the group consisting of a phosphor, a dye and combination thereof.
12. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the phosphor is selected from the group of an oxide phosphor, an oxynitride phosphor, a nitride phosphor, a zinciferous compound phosphor, a semiconductor phosphor, an organic phosphor, a photoluminescence dye and combination thereof.
13. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the dye is an absorption type dye, a photoluminescence type dye and combination thereof.
14. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the wavelength-band converting structure unit is a member made of cholesteric liquid crystals, blue phase liquid crystals, holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (H-PDLC), an electrowetting element, or a micro electro-mechanical assembly.
15. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hybrid light has a color temperature in a black body locus in a CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram.
16. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hybrid light is further mixed with at least one of other light.
17. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a control element selected from the group consisting of a control circuit, a latch-type knob, a circular knob, and the combination thereof.
18. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an optical diffusing member selected from the group consisting of a diffusion film, a diffusion plate, a diffusion lens and the combination thereof.
19. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first light source is selected from a group consisting of a light emitting diode (LED), an incandescent lamp, a halogen lamp, sunlight, a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), fluorescent lamp and combination thereof.
20. The color regulating device for illumination as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the LED light source is a white light LED or a blue light LED.
21. A color regulating method, comprising the steps of:
providing a first light source for emitting a first light;
providing a light-valving structure and adjusting a flux ratio of a first incident light to a first outgoing light of the first light interacted with the light-valving structure;
providing a color-adjusting structure having at least one wavelength-band converting element and converting a second incident light with a first wavelength band into a second outgoing light with a second wavelength band;
providing a second light emitted from a second light source;
mixing the first outgoing light and the second outgoing light to form a hybrid light with a color temperature different from that of the first light; and
mixing the hybrid light with the second light emitted from the second light source.
22. The color regulating method as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the hybrid light is further mixed with a portion of the first light not interacted with the light-valving structure or color-adjusting structure.
23. The color regulating method as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the light-valving structure is a member selected from the group consisting of a micro electro mechanical assembly, a color changing glass, an electronic paper, an electrowetting element, a liquid crystal layer structure and combination thereof.
24. The color regulating method as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the first light is emitted from a first light source selected from a group consisting of a light emitting diode (LED), an incandescent lamp, a halogen lamp, sunlight, a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), fluorescent lamp and combination thereof.
25. The color regulating method as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the LED light source is a white light LED or a blue light LED.
26. The color regulating method as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the wavelength-band converting element is a wavelength-band converting material, or a wavelength-band converting structure unit.
27. The color regulating method as claimed in claim 26 , wherein the wavelength-band converting material is selected from the group consisting of a phosphor, a dye and combination thereof.