A lamp (100) comprises:    In horizontal cross-section, the LCD screen extends in two dimensions, with a concave side towards the light generating element.The LCD screen preferably is flexible, and may be bent to a cylindrical shape around the light-generating element.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to lamps.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1schematically shows a lamp1, comprising one or more actual light-generating elements2, mounted on a base3. A voltage source or current source for the light-generating element(s)2may be arranged in the base3, and may comprise a battery (not shown) as a power source or a power cord with connector4for connection to the electric mains. The light-generating element(s)2may be implemented as an incandescent light bulb, or a gas discharge element such as for instance TL or PL, or an LED.

The lamp1further comprises a cap or shade5. The shade5serves, on the one hand, to protect the light generating element2and, on the other hand, it serves an ornamental purpose. The shade5is typically diffusely transparent, so that the light generating element2is hidden from direct view, whereas, when the light generating element2is ON, it illuminates the shade5. The shape of the shade5will vary, depending on the shape of the lamp1. In the embodiment illustrated schematically, the shade5has the shape of a part of a cone, but the shade5may alternatively for instance have a ball shape, a cylindrical shape, a box shape, or any other shape enclosing the light generating element2. The lamp has an intrinsic orientation for being mounted on a wall or, as in the illustration, placed on a surface, in which case the lamp has an upper side and a lower side; the directions “vertical” and “horizontal” will be used in relation to this orientation. In a free-standing embodiment, the shade5will surround the light generating element2over 360° in the horizontal direction, but in a wall-mounted embodiment, the shade5will surround the light generating element2over 180° in the horizontal direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally, a user could only switch a lamp ON or OFF. Nowadays, a user has more control over the light generated by the lamp, which includes the possibility to vary the light intensity between normal (100%) and practically zero, and the possibility to vary the color, especially in the case of a LED lamp.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lamp offering increased possibilities for a user to adapt the lamp to his lighting needs.

According to the present invention, a lamp of the type as discussed above is provided with an LCD screen arranged between the light generating element(s) and the shade, and a controller for controlling the LCD screen such as to display an image. As a result, the displayed image will be projected on the shade, so that this image will be part of the outer appearance of the lamp.

Further advantageous elaborations are mentioned in the dependent claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 2is a functional diagram schematically illustrating the operating principle of a lamp100according to the present invention. An LCD screen10is arranged between the light generating element(s)2and the shade5, and a controller20is provided for controlling the LCD screen10such as to display a certain image. Since LCD screens are known per se, a more detailed explanation is omitted here. Further, since controllers for LCD screens are known per se, a more detailed explanation is omitted here. In operation, the LCD screen10displaying an image will have portions11exhibiting low transmission, which portions will simply be indicated as “dark”, and portions12exhibiting high transmission, which portions will simply be indicated as “bright”. In practice, the LCD screen10may of course have portions with the transmission varying between 0% and 100%. The light generating element(s)2will generate light30, that will pass (31) the LCD screen10in accordance with the local transmissivity of the LCD screen10. The light31passing the LCD screen10will reach the shade5, and project a projection of the LCD screen10onto the shade5. The shade5is semi-transparent, with diffusing properties. For instance, the shade may be implemented as glass or plastic of the well-known “milky” type, or the shade may be implemented in textile, thinly sliced wood, etc. In any case, a user U cannot actually “see” through the shade5: he only sees the shade illuminated, which seems to emit light. As a result, the image projected on the shade will be part of the outer appearance of the lamp. The user, looking at the lamp100, will perceive the lamp100as having a shade5with a projected image corresponding to the image displayed by the LCD screen10.

The controller20may be provided with a user interface21, so that the user may select an image from a database of images stored in a memory22associated with the controller20. Controller20and memory22may suitably be accommodated in the base3. It is possible that the user interface includes a keyboard. It is also possible that the user interface includes a communication port, for instance USB, so that the user is able to upload one or more images into the memory22. It is further possible that the user interface includes a wireless communication facility, for instance Bluetooth. It is further possible that the controller20has internet connectivity.

The preferred location for the LCD screen10is close to the shade5, perhaps even in contact with the shade5. The LCD screen10and shade5may be integrated. However, a location closer to the light generating element(s)2is within the scope of the present invention.

The shape of the LCD screen10may be chosen in accordance with the actual shape of the shade5. In the embodiment schematically illustrated inFIG. 3, in which the light generating element2is shown in dotted lines, it is assumed that, in a top view, the shade5surrounds the light generating element2over 360°, while the LCD screen10also surrounds the light generating element2over 360°. The LCD screen10may be constituted by joining a series of flat panels, as illustrated inFIG. 3C. However, in a preferred embodiment, the LCD screen10is implemented as a flexible screen, which in general is folded in a curved shape to adapt to a curved outer ornamental screen, particularly, as schematically illustrated inFIG. 3B, bent to a cylindrical shape and placed around the light generating element(s)2.

If the shade5extends only over about 180°, the LCD screen10is suitably adapted to extend over 180° also. However, it is possible that the shade5extends over 360° but that the device has a front side and a back side, and that the device is intended for placement with its back side towards a wall so that the functionality provided by the present invention is only needed at the front side: in that case, the LCD screen10needs only to extend over about 180°. In any case, in horizontal cross section, the LCD screen10does not extend in one direction only, but it extends in two dimensions, with a concave side towards the light generating element2.

FIGS. 4A-4Care side views of the lamp100, illustrating several possibilities for applying the present invention. In these Figures, the base3is not shown.FIG. 4Aillustrates that the image displayed on the LCD screen10(and hence projected on the shade5) may be chosen in accordance with a certain outside weather condition or season, for instance autumn leaves.FIG. 4Billustrates that the image displayed on the LCD screen10may include animals, such as birds.FIG. 4Cillustrates that the image displayed on the LCD screen10may include functional information, such as a clock time, either in the shape of digits or, as shown, as an analogue clock with hands.

The images displayed on the LCD screen10(and hence projected on the shade5) may be still images, but they may also be moving images or a succession of still images. For instance, the leaves ofFIG. 4Amay be shown as slowly moving downwards; the birds ofFIG. 4Bmay be shown as flying; the clock ofFIG. 4Cmay be controlled to show the actual time. Furthermore, especially in the case of a cylindrical LCD screen10, the location of the image on the screen (whether a still image or a moving image) may be stationary but may also be slowly displaced over the surface of the LCD screen10: for instance, the display may slowly perform rotations through 360° around the light generating element(s)2.

In a further elaboration, the lamp may be combined with audio functions. For instance, the lamp may be provided with a sound sensor (for instance a microphone) coupled to the controller while the controller is provided with sound processing and analyzing software: if the controller finds that the sound as received actually corresponds to one of a plurality of predefined topics (for instance: bird sounds, barking of (a) dog(s), automobile racing), the controller may automatically select from the memory22an image corresponding to the sound (bird image (seeFIG. 4B), dog image, car image). In another example, the lamp may be provided with a radio receiver and loudspeaker while the controller is provided with sound processing and analyzing software: if the controller finds that the sound as received on the radio receiver and produced through the speaker corresponds to one of a plurality of predefined topics (for instance: bird sounds, barking of (a) dog(s), automobile racing), the controller may automatically select from the memory22an image corresponding to the sound (bird image (seeFIG. 4B), dog image, car image).

In a preferred embodiment, the lamp is a wake-up lamp, i.e. a lamp which gradually increases its light intensity from almost zero to almost 100% to simulate the sunrise. Since such wake-up lamps are known per se and are commercially available, a more detailed explanation is omitted here.

Summarizing, the present invention provides a lamp100comprising at least one light-generating element2; a partially transparent shade5arranged to surround the light-generating element2over an angle of at least 180° but preferably 360°; at least one LCD screen10arranged between the light generating element and the shade; and a controller20for controlling the LCD screen such as to display an image. In horizontal cross-section, the LCD screen extends in two dimensions, with a concave side towards the light generating element. The LCD screen preferably is flexible, and may be bent to a cylindrical shape around the light-generating element.

In this respect, it is noted that the lamp will have a top and a bottom, which, in the mounted condition, will be aligned with a vertical direction, and that the direction “horizontal” is taken to be perpendicular to this vertical direction.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, it should be clear to a person skilled in the art that such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments; rather, several variations and modifications are possible within the protective scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For instance, the lamp may comprise several LCD screens.

In the above, the present invention has been explained with reference to block diagrams, which illustrate functional blocks of the device according to the present invention. It is to be understood that one or more of these functional blocks may be implemented in hardware, where the function of such (a) functional block(s) is performed by individual hardware components, but it is also possible that one or more of these functional blocks are implemented in software, so that the function of such (a) functional block(s) is performed by one or more program lines of a computer program or a programmable device such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, etc.