Selectable, zone-based control for high intensity LED illumination system

1. A lighting system, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) illumination devices, each of which comprises:

a first group of LEDs of a first color temperature,

a second group of LEDs of a second color temperature, and

a device driver;

a user interface comprising one or more user input structures;

a color temperature sensor positioned in a zone of an environment; and

a controller comprising a processor, a non-transitory memory containing programming that is configured to cause the processor to:

perform a calibration event for the zone in which the sensor is located by:

receiving color temperature data from the color temperature sensor,

comparing the received color temperature data to a desired color temperature,

commanding the device drivers for each of the LED illumination devices associated with the zone to increase drive current delivered to the first group of LEDs and decrease drive current delivered to the second group of LEDs in their corresponding illumination devices until the color temperature sensor detects the desired color temperature in the zone, and

when the color temperature sensor detects the desired color temperature, storing the drive currents that are then in effect to a data set,

receive, from the user interface, a selection of a scene, wherein the scene corresponds to a requirement to direct light of a specified color temperature and illuminance level to a location in the environment,

identify a set of the illumination devices that correspond to the scene,

use the data set to generate commands to cause the device drivers for each of the identified illumination devices to control their corresponding illumination devices so that the specified color temperature and illuminance level of light will be received at the location, and

transmit the commands to the device drivers for the illumination devices that correspond to the scene.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the commands that cause the device drivers to control the identified illumination devices so that the specified color temperature of light will be received at the location comprise instructions to increase the drive current delivered to the first group of LEDs and decrease the drive current delivered to the second group of LEDs in each illumination device that corresponds to the scene.

3. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the commands that cause the device drivers to control the identified illumination devices so that the specified illuminance level of light will be received at the location comprise commands to:

automatically reduce the brightness of one of the groups of LEDs by decreasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or increasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs; and

automatically increase the brightness of the other group of LEDs by increasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or decreasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs.

4. The lighting system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions to generate the commands also comprise instructions to:

identify a drive current for each group of LEDs; and

include the identified drive current for each group in the group's command so that the device emits light at the substantially constant illuminance level.

5. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to identify the group of LED illumination devices that correspond to the selected scene comprise instructions to:

access a data storage facility comprising sets of scene data;

retrieve a set of scene data that corresponds to the selected scene; and

extract an identification of the group of LED devices that correspond to the selected scene from the retrieved scene data.

6. The lighting system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a light intensity sensor positioned in the zone; and

programming that is configured to cause the controller to perform a calibration event for the zone in which the sensor is located by:

receiving light intensity data from the light intensity sensor,

comparing the received light intensity data to a desired intensity level,

commanding the device drivers for each of the LED illumination devices associated with the zone to use pulse width modulation (PWM) to alter brightness of light produced by LEDs in each illumination device associated with the zone until the sensor detects the desired intensity level in the zone, and

when the sensor detects the desired intensity level, storing PWM settings that are then in effect to the data set.

7. The lighting system of claim 6 , wherein the color temperature sensor and the light intensity sensor are attached to a robotic transport device.

8. A method of controlling a lighting system, comprising:

operating a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) illumination devices in an environment, wherein each illumination device comprises a device driver;

by a controller:

performing a calibration event for a zone of the environment in which a color temperature sensor is located by:

receiving color temperature data from the color temperature sensor,

comparing the received color temperature data to a desired color temperature,

commanding one or more device drivers for one or more illumination devices associated with the sensor's zone to increase a drive current to a first group of the LEDs in each illumination device associated with the zone and decrease a drive current to a second group of the LEDs in each illumination device until the color temperature sensor detects the desired color temperature in the zone, and

when the color temperature sensor detects the desired color temperature, storing the drive currents that are then in effect to a data set,

receiving a selection of a scene, wherein the scene corresponds to a requirement to direct light of a specified color temperature and illuminance level to a location in the environment,

identifying a set of the illumination devices that correspond to the scene, and

using the data set to generate commands to cause the device drivers for each of the identified illumination devices to control their corresponding illumination devices so that the specified color temperature and illuminance level of light will be received at the location; and

sending the commands to the device drivers for the illumination devices that correspond to the scene.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

each illumination device comprises a first group of LEDs of a first color temperature and a second plurality of LEDs of a second color temperature;

the commands that cause the device drivers to control the identified illumination devices so that the specified color temperature of light will be received at the location comprise instructions to increase the drive current delivered to the first group of LEDs and decrease the drive current delivered to the second group of LEDs in each illumination device that corresponds to the scene.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the commands that cause the device drivers to control the identified illumination devices so that the specified illuminance level of light will be received at the location comprise commands to:

automatically reduce the brightness of one of the group of LEDs by decreasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or increasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs; and

automatically increase the brightness of the other group of LEDs by increasing a width of voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs or decreasing spacing between voltage pulses applied to that group of LEDs.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the commands also comprises, by the controller:

identifying a drive current for each group of LEDs; and

including the identified drive current for each group in the group's command so that the device emits light at the substantially constant illuminance level.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein identifying the group of LED illumination devices that correspond to the selected scene comprises:

accessing a data storage facility comprising sets of scene data;

retrieving a set of scene data that corresponds to the selected scene; and

extracting an identification of the group of LED devices that correspond to the selected scene from the retrieved set of scene data.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

by the controller, performing a calibration event for the zone of the environment in which a light intensity sensor is located by:

receiving light intensity data from the light intensity sensor,

comparing the received light intensity data to a desired intensity level,

commanding one or more device drivers for one or more illumination devices associated with the sensor's zone to use pulse width modulation (PWM) to alter brightness of light produced by LEDs in each illumination device associated with the zone until the sensor detects the desired intensity level in the zone, and

when the light intensity sensor detects the desired intensity level, storing PWM settings that are then in effect to the data set.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the color temperature sensor and the light intensity sensor are attached to a robotic transport device, and the method further comprises causing the robotic transport device to move to multiple zones in the environment and performing the calibration event in each of the zones.

15. A method of controlling a lighting system, comprising:

operating a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) illumination devices in an environment, wherein each illumination device comprises a device driver;

positioning in a zone of the environment a color temperature sensor that is configured to measure a color temperature of light; and

by a controller, performing a calibration event for the zone of the environment in which the color temperature sensor is located by:

receiving a measured light color temperature value from the sensor,

comparing the measured light color temperature value to a desired value,

commanding one or more device drivers for one or more illumination devices associated with the zone to alter a color temperature, intensity level, or both of light directed to the zone, and

when the color temperature sensor detects the desired value, storing settings for the one or more illumination devices that are then in effect to a data set for a scene.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:

commanding the one or more device drivers comprises commanding the device drivers for the one or more illumination devices to increase a drive current to a first group of the LEDs in each illumination device and decrease a drive current to a second group of the LEDs in each illumination device until the sensor detects a desired color temperature value in the zone.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein positioning the color temperature sensor in the zone comprises operating a robotic transport device to which the color temperature sensor is attached so that the robotic transport device positions the color temperature sensor in the zone and moves the color temperature sensor to measure light color temperature from a plurality of angles.