LED lighting system and method therefor

1. A system to generate artificial sunlight with spectral characteristics that resemble natural sunlight, the system comprising:

a plurality of lighting element channels operable to generate composite broad spectrum white light of color temperatures from 1800K to 6500K, the lighting element channels each comprising a plurality of light emitting devices (LEDs);

at least two light sensors that detect a composite light emitted from the plurality of lighting element channels and generate at least one signal representative of the detected composite light; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the at least two light sensors to receive the at least one signal representative of the detected composite light and communicatively coupled to the plurality of lighting element channels to provide at least one drive signal that is based at least in part on a color match algorithm and that varies a brightness level for each of the plurality of lighting element channels to produce the composite light at a desired color level along at least a portion of a daylight locus, wherein at least one time-color profile is assigned to one or more of the lighting element channels and the at least one drive signal is based at least in part on the at least one time-colour profile and varies the brightness level for each of the plurality of lighting element channels to produce the composite light at the desired color.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of lighting element channels comprises at least three lighting element channels for controlling a color balance of the at least three lighting element channels.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each one of the at least three lighting element channels comprises at least one lighting element and the at least three lighting element channels uses white lighting elements on two of the at least three lighting element channels and uses amber lighting elements on the other one of the at least three lighting element channels.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the artificially generated sunlight by the system is defined within an XY chromaticity plane having x coordinates and y coordinates, and wherein each of the at least three lighting element channels comprises a region within the XY chromaticity plane:

a first region of the at least three channels is defined by x and y coordinates (0.30, 0.33), (0.35, 0.37), (0.35, 0.34) and (0.31, 0.31);

a second region of the at least three channels is defined by x and y coordinates (0.37, 0.39), (0.48, 0.43), (0.46, 0.39) and (0.36, 0.35); and

a third region of the at least three channels is defined by x and y coordinates (0.54, 0.42), (0.55, 0.45), (0.60, 0.40) and (0.57, 0.40).

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least three lighting element channels comprises four lighting element channels and wherein the four lighting element channels use white lighting elements on three of the four lighting element channels and use amber lighting elements on the other one of the four lighting element channels.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the artificially generated sunlight by the system is defined within an XY chromaticity plane having x coordinates and y coordinates, and wherein each of the four lighting element channels comprises a region within the XY chromaticity plane:

a first region of the four channels is defined by x and y coordinates (0.30, 0.33), (0.35, 0.37), (0.35, 0.34) and (0.31, 0.31);

a second region of the four channels is defined by x and y coordinates (0.35, 0.37), (0.41, 0.41), (0.40, 0.37) and (0.35, 0.34);

a third region of the four channels is defined by x and y coordinates (0.41, 0.41), (0.48, 0.43), (0.46, 0.39) and (0.40, 0.37); and

a fourth region of the four channels is defined by x and y coordinates (0.54, 0.42), (0.55, 0.45), (0.60, 0.40) and (0.57, 0.40).

7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the at least two light sensors is associated with a transimpedance amplifier whose sensitivity is controlled by the controller for compensating for variation in brightness levels of the lighting fixture.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system automatically changes the brightness levels and color levels based on a user dimming level input.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the user dimming level input further comprises a user color temperature input.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the system automatically changes the brightness levels and color levels based on at least one of:

a time of day;

a geographic location;

a desired circadian response;

a user input pertaining to activity from the group of activities including sleeping, working, studying, eating and resting; and

an angle of the sun.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the system can adjust the daytime locus to periods of time other than a 24 hour clock depending upon an application for artificially generating sunlight.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least two light sensors are spectrally unique from each other.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least two light sensors are formed on a single substrate.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller controls a total flux of blue light from a relative level of 1% to 100% of a maximum blue light flux within said broad spectrum white light produced by the lighting elements.

15. A method to control a plurality of channels of lighting elements, the method comprising: activating each of a plurality of channels of lighting elements, generating a respective signal representative of detected light created by the plurality of channels of lighting elements; creating a calibrated setpoint for each of the plurality of channels of lighting elements based at least in part on the respective signals generated for each of the plurality of channels of lighting elements; creating respective drive signals for each of the plurality of channels of lighting elements based at least in part on the calibrated setpoint for such channel of lighting element; and providing the respective drive signals to the plurality of channels of lighting elements to vary a brightness level and color level of each of the plurality of channels of lighting elements.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the respective signal is based at least in part on a current signal that is representative of optical data correlated with light generated by at least one of the channels of lighting elements.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the respective signal is based at least in part on a voltage signal that is representative of optical data correlated with light generated by at least one of the channels of lighting elements.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the respective signal is based at least in part on a frequency signal that is representative of optical data correlated with light generated by at least one of the channels of lighting elements.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the respective signal is based at least in part on chromaticity coordinates that are representative of optical data correlated with light generated by at least one of the channels of lighting elements.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the respective signal is representative of brightness decrease of at least one of the plurality of channels of lighting elements.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the representative signal is representative of spectral shift of at least one of the plurality of channels of lighting elements.

22. A system to control a plurality of channels of lighting elements, the system comprising: a controller operable to: activate each of the channels of lighting elements, receive a signal representative of detected light created by the channels of lighting elements; create a calibrated setpoint for each of the channels of lighting elements based at least in part on the respective signals; create a drive signal for each of the channels of lighting elements based at least in part on the calibrated setpoint for the respective channel of lighting element; and provide the respective drive signals to the channels of lighting elements to vary a brightness level and a color level of the respective channels of lighting.

23. The system of claim 22 , further comprising at least two devices that detect light emitted from the channels of lighting element and that generate respective signals indicative of the detected light.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the respective signals are based at least in part on at least one of the following:

at least one current signal that is representative of optical data correlated with light generated by at least one of the lighting element channels;

at least one voltage signal that is representative of optical data correlated with light generated by at least one of the lighting element channels;

at least one frequency signal that is representative of optical data correlated with light generated by at least one of the lighting element channels; and

chromaticity coordinates that are representative of optical data correlated with light generated by at least one of the lighting element channels.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the at least two devices includes an optical sensor.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the optical sensor outputs chromaticity coordinates.

27. The system of claim 23 , wherein at least one of the at least two devices includes at least one of the following:

a digital sensor that outputs data;

an analog sensor that outputs a voltage signal;

an analog sensor that outputs a current signal; and

an analog sensor that outputs a frequency signal.

28. The system of claim 22 , further including a fixture, and wherein the at least one of the at least two devices and at least one of the plurality of lighting element channels are located in the fixture.

29. The system of claim 22 , further including a fixture, and wherein at least one of the at least two devices and the controller are located in the fixture.

30. The system of claim 22 , further including a fixture, and wherein the controller and at least one of the plurality of lighting element channels are located in the fixture.