Environmental simulation for indoor spaces

1. A method for simulating a natural environment in an indoor space comprising:

providing light from one or more light sources based on general illumination parameters, wherein the general illumination parameters specify one or more light output characteristics that are suitable for general illumination; and

dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources to simulate light provided in an outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources within the general illumination parameters comprising ensuring that an average light output of the one or more light sources is within the general illumination parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the general illumination parameters include one or more of hue, saturation, brightness, color, color temperature, and color rendering index.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources to simulate the light provided in the outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources within the general illumination parameters comprises:

adjusting light output of a first light source; and

compensating for the adjustment of the first light source with a second light source such that the average light output of the first light source and the second light source remains within the general illumination parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more light sources comprise lighting fixtures comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising measuring the one or more light output characteristics using sensors on each one of the lighting fixtures.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources to simulate the light provided in the outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources within the general illumination parameters is performed based on measurements obtained by the sensors on each one of the lighting fixtures.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources to simulate the light provided in the outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources within the general illumination parameters comprises ensuring that the average light output of the one or more light sources within a predefined period of time is within the general illumination parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

controlling one or more environmental conditions based on general environmental parameters, wherein the general environmental parameters specify one or more environmental parameters that are suitable for an indoor working environment; and

dynamically adjusting the one or more environmental conditions to simulate environmental conditions of the outdoor environment while maintaining the environmental conditions within the general environmental parameters.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the one or more environmental parameters include sound, temperature, and air circulation.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources to simulate the light provided in the outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources within the general illumination parameters comprises independently adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of each of the one or more light sources.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources to simulate the light provided in the outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics of the light provided from the one or more light sources within the general illumination parameters is performed based on sensor data describing the outdoor environment.

12. An intelligent lighting network comprising:

a plurality of lighting fixtures, each one of the plurality of lighting fixtures comprising:

a light source;

processing circuitry; and

a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuitry cause the lighting fixture to:

provide light based on general illumination parameters via the light source, wherein the general illumination parameters specify one or more light output characteristics that are suitable for general illumination; and

dynamically adjust the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the light source to simulate light provided in an outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics in a space in which the lighting fixture is located within the general illumination parameters comprising ensuring that an average light output of the one or more light output characteristics remains within the general illumination parameters.

13. The intelligent lighting network of claim 12 wherein the general illumination parameters include one or more of hue, saturation, brightness, color, color temperature, and color rendering index.

14. The intelligent lighting network of claim 12 wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the light source to simulate the light provided in the outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics in the space in which the lighting fixture is located within the general illumination parameters comprises cooperating with one or more neighboring lighting fixtures to ensure that when the one or more light output characteristics of the light from the light source of the lighting fixture are adjusted, the one or more neighboring lighting fixtures compensate for the adjustment of the one or more light output characteristics of the light from the light source of the lighting fixture such that the average light output of the lighting fixture and the one or more neighboring lighting fixtures remains within the general illumination parameters.

15. The intelligent lighting network of claim 12 wherein the light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs).

16. The intelligent lighting network of claim 12 wherein each one of the lighting fixtures further comprises sensor circuitry configured to measure the one or more light output characteristics.

17. The intelligent lighting network of claim 16 wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the light source to simulate the light provided in the outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics in the space in which the lighting fixture is located within the general illumination parameters is performed based on measurements of the one or more light output characteristics from the sensor circuitry on each one of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

18. The intelligent lighting network of claim 12 wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more light output characteristics of the light provided from the light source to simulate the light provided in the outdoor environment while maintaining the light output characteristics in the space in which the lighting fixture is located within the general illumination parameters comprises ensuring that the average light output of the one or more light output characteristics within a predetermined period of time remains within the general illumination parameters.