Lighting device with user interface for light control

1. A lighting device, comprising a lighting unit and a user interface for controlling the color and/or intensity of light emitted by the lighting unit, said user interface comprising:

a plurality of transponders; and

a detection device for detecting transponders, each transponder controlling a particular color and/or intensity of the light and configured to assume a plurality of positions, including first position corresponding to a state in which said transponder is not detected by the detection device, and a second position corresponding to a state in which said transponder is detected by the detecting device and sends a response signal controlling the color and/or intensity of the light, wherein the detection device is incorporated in a container and the transponders are incorporated in tangible objects, wherein a transponder is in the first position when the transponder is outside the container, and wherein the transponder is in the second position when the transponder is inside the container.

2. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the particular lighting colors to be controlled comprise the primary colors red, green, and blue.

3. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting unit comprises LEDs.

4. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the intensity of a particular color of the light is proportional to the number of transponders arranged to control said color and assuming the first and/or second position.

5. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the transponders are RFID tags, each comprising an identification number.

6. A lighting device according to claim 5 , wherein the detection device comprises an antenna arranged to send, in operation, an electromagnetic signal to be received by the RFID tag, the response signal comprising the identification number of the RFID tag.

7. A lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device is incorporated in the container having a bowl-like shape.

8. A lighting device according to claim 7 , wherein each tangible object has a color corresponding to the lighting color it is arranged to control.

9. A lighting device according to claim 7 , wherein the tangible objects have the shape of marbles.

10. A lighting device according claim 1 , further comprising a processing unit for converting the response signals from the detection device into input values for the lighting unit.

11. A lighting device comprising a lighting unit and a user interface for controlling the color and/or intensity of light emitted by the lighting unit, said user interface comprising:

a plurality of transponders; and

a detection device for detecting transponders, each transponder controlling a particular color and/or intensity of the light and configured to assume a plurality of positions including a first position corresponding to a state in which said transponder is not detected by the detection device, and a second position corresponding to a state in which said transponder is detected by the detecting device and sends a response signal, said response signal controlling the color and/or intensity of the light emitted by the lighting unit, wherein the transponders are each provided with a switching element and are incorporated in tangible objects having at least a first side and a second side, the switch being off when the first side is up and the switch being on when the second side is up, a transponder being in its first position when the tangible object is positioned with its first side up and it is in its second position when the tangible object is positioned with its second side up.

12. A lighting device according to claim 11 , wherein the second side of each tangible object is colored so as to correspond to the lighting color it controls, and the first side of each tangible object bears an indication of said color.

13. A lighting device according to claim 11 , wherein the detection device is incorporated in a bowl-like container ( 5 ) and the transponders having the shape of disc-like tangible objects are positioned in said bowl-like container.

14. A lighting device according to claim 11 , wherein the detection device comprises at least a portion of a surface, and wherein the transponders are tangible objects having a cube-like shape positioned on said surface.

15. A lighting device, according claim 11 , further comprising a processing unit for converting the response signals from the detection device into input values for the lighting unit.

16. A user interface for controlling a lighting unit, comprising:

a transponder; and

a detection device ( 4 ), wherein the transponder is arranged to control a particular color and/or intensity of light emitted by the lighting unit and to assume a first position corresponding to a state in which said transponder is not detected by the detecting device and a second position corresponding to a state in which said transponder is detected by the detection device and sends a response signal, said response signal controlling the lighting color and/or intensity of the lighting unit,

wherein the transponder is incorporated in a tangible object having at least a first side and a second side, the transponder is in the first position when the tangible object is positioned with the first side up, and the transponder is in the second position when the tangible object is positioned with the second side up.

17. An assembly of a lighting unit and a processing unit, wherein said processing unit is arranged to receive a response signal delivered by the user interface of claim 16 and to convert this response signal into an input value for the lighting unit.