ILLUMINATION LAMP HAVING BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR CONTROL

Abstract: An illumination lamp allows a user to perform brightness and color control in accordance with the state and purpose of use, the environment of use or the tastes of the users. The illumination lamp may include a rectifier (1) for rectifying a current supplied by a power supply; a ballast portion (2) for starting the lamp using the power rectified in the rectifier; a lamp portion (3) that is connected to the ballast portion (2) and that includes more than two tubes (13), each tube (13) having a different color temperature; and a controller (4) that is connected to the ballast portion (2), for controlling a brightness and color of light produced by the illumination lamp.

Description: ILLUMINATION LAMP HAVING BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR CONTROL Technical Field The present invention relates to an illumination lamp which allows a user to perform a variety of brightness and color controls in accordance with the tastes of the users, or a state of use. Background Art A conventional illumination lamp generally has a single color, with a specified brightness. Recently, there is a growing tendency to use three lamps that output different wavelengths of light to provide a more natural light projection. However, it is impossible to control the brightness or red (R) , green (G) , and blue (B) colors of the recently developed three-wavelength lamps in accordance with the place of use or tastes of users. Although every person has different taste, the optimal brightness of a lamp is approximately 4000K in the morning, 6000K in the afternoon, and 3000K in the evening. Unfortunately, the brightness and color of conventional illumination lamps are not controlled automatically or manually . Disclosure of Invention Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an illumination lamp having brightness and color controls that substantially obviates one or more of the limitations and disadvantages of the related art. An object of the present invention is to provide an illumination lamp for performing optional brightness and color control according to the state and purpose of use or the environment of use and the tastes of users. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims. To achieve these and other advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention as embodied and broadly described, the illumination lamp includes: a rectifier for rectifying a current supplied by a power supply; a ballast portion for lighting up the illumination lamp using the power rectified in the rectifier; a lamp that is connected to the ballast portion and that consists of more than two light generating devices, each light generating device having a different color temperature; and a controller that is connected to the ballast portion, for controlling a brightness and color of light output by the lamp. The controller may be connected to a display unit comprising a display panel of light emitting diodes (LEDs), or to a control stick. The controller is used to control the brightness and/or color temperature of the device in accordance with an operating state, the operating environment, or the tastes of the user. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Brief Description of Drawings The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of an illumination lamp according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a partial block diagram of another embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the display unit depicted in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a partial block diagram of another embodiment of according to the present invention. Best Mode for carrying Out the Invention Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 schematically shows a structure of an illumination lamp in accordance with the present invention. The illumination lamp includes a rectifier 1 for performing power supply rectification, a ballast portion 2, and a lamp 3 for providing illumination. In this embodiment of the invention, the lamp 3 is composed of more than two gas discharge tubes 13, each representing a different color temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the lamp 3 consists of red (R) , green (G) and blue (B) gas discharge tubes. As shown in the drawing, ballasts 12 connected to the respective tubes 13, are also connected to a controller 4 for controlling the ballasts 12. As a result, all the ballasts 12 can be controlled separate from one another, and they are operated automatically within a predetermined scope, or manually. For instance, in case of general desk lamp embodying the present invention, in addition to the basic on/off operation, the controller 4 is operated to control the color and/or brightness of the lamp, depending on the environment of study, i.e. the ambient brightness, the structure of a room, the amount of sunlight, etc. Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention where a display unit 21, for indicating the brightness and color temperature settings, is connected to the controller 4. The display unit 21 helps a user to freely control the brightness and color temperature when necessary. A display unit 21 which can be incorporated in a device embodying the invention is shown in Figure 3. The display comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged m a diamond shaped pattern. The LEDs are selectively illuminated to indicate the brightness and color settings. As shown m Figure 3, the x-axis of the display indicates the color temperature, and the y-axis of the display indicates the brightness. The control of color temperature and brightness is established based upon predetermined values of the color temperature and brightness on the x and y axes. The display unit 21 allows a user to select a certain state and to recognize degrees of color temperature and brightness corresponding to the selected state through the illumination of the LEDs in the display 21. The user can control the brightness and color temperature of a lamp, depending on the circumstances, by operating brightness control switches 22a and color temperature control switches 22b, which may be provided on sides of the display. The user can adjust the brightness and color temperature to desired values based upon the predetermined values. The display unit 21 may be located in the illumination lamp. The control switches 22a and 22b can be embodied in different forms according to a variety of known types, such as slide type and button type. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, instead of using control switches and a display, as shown in Figure 3, a control stick 21 (e.g. in the form of a joy stick), may be connected to the controller 4, as shown in Figure 4. The control stick 31 would be used to properly control the color temperature and brightness through positioning of the control stick 31. The physical location of the control stick 31 would give an indication of the brightness and color settings. A lamp of the present invention provides optimum illumination by controlling, in a wide range, the light color and intensity, according to the purpose for which the lamp is used. For instance, different colors and intensity values could be used for a desk lamp, an illumination apparatus, a display lamp, etc. To obtain different color representation, red, green and blue color lamps for the basic three-wavelength display are used together. Two tubes each having a different shape or outputting different colored light may be associated with each other, or the tubes are associated with one another having more subdivided colors . As described above, illumination lamps of the present invention may include more than two gas discharge tubes, each having a different color temperature. The different tubes are associated with one another, and are controlled automatically or manually, so that a variety of color and brightness controls is achieved in accordance with the purpose or environment of use. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the illumination lamp having brightness and color control of the present invention without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. For instance, although the embodiments described above utilize gas discharge tubes to produce different colors of light, any type of light generating device could be used. For instance, the gas discharge tubes could be replaced with incandescent light bulbs. In this instance, color filters could be used to obtain different output colors. Also, an embodiment might use fluorescent or electro¬ luminescent lighting device, or devices that utilize microwaves to excite a gas in a tube. Any lighting devices that are capable of outputting colored light could be used. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. For example, although a gas discharge tube and an incandescent light bulb may not be structural equivalents in that a gas discharge tube excites a gas to produce light, whereas an incandescent light bulb employs a heated filament, in the environment of providing light, a gas discharge tube and an incandescent light bulb may be equivalent structures.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. An illumination lamp comprising: a rectifier for rectifying a current supplied by a power supply; a ballast portion for starting the illumination lamp using the power rectified in the rectifier; a lamp portion that is connected to the ballast portion and that comprises more than two light generating tubes, each light generating tube having a different color temperature; and a controller that is connected to the ballast portion, wherein the controller is configured to control a brightness and color of light generated by the illumination lamp. 2. The illumination lamp of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises: a display unit with a color temperature control axis and a brightness control axis that are substantially perpendicular to each other, wherein the display unit indicates the orightness and color temperature settings of the lamp; and at least ne control switch for controlling a brightness and color temperature of light generated by the illumination lεmp. 3. The illumination lamp of claim 2, wherein the at least one control switch includes a first switch for controlling a brightness of light generated by the illumination -, amp and a second switch for controlling a color temperature of light generated by the illumination lamp. 4. The l Llummation lamp of claim 2, wherein the display unit includes a plurality of light emitting diodes that are selectively illuminated to indicate the brightness and color temperature settings of the lamp. 5. The illumination lamp of claim 1, wherein said controller is connected to a control stick that is movable in at least two substantially perpendicular direction, and wherein the control stick is configured to control a brightness and color temperature of light generated by the illumination Lamp. 6. The illumination lamp of claim 5, wherein a position of the control stick indicates the brightness and color temperature settings of the illumination lamp. 7. An illumination lamp, comprising: a plurality of illumination devices, wherein each illumination device is configured to produce light having a different color temperature; and a controller that is configured to allow a user to control a brightness and a color temperature of light generated by the illumination lamp, and wherein the controller is also configured to indicate the brightness and color temperature settings of the illumination lamp. 8. The illumination lamp of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a display device that indicates the brightness and color temperature settings of the illumination lamp. 9. The illumination lamp of claim 8, wherein the display device includes a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a two dimensional pattern on the display device . 10. The illumination lamp of claim 9, wherein the illumination status of the plurality of light emitting diodes indicates the brightness and color temperature settings of the illumination lamp. 11. The illumination lamp of claim 9, wherein the two dimensional pattern has a first axis that is indicative of the brightness setting of the illumination lamp and a second axis that is indicative of the color temperature setting of the illumination lamp. 12. The illumination lamp of claim 7, wherein the controller comprises a joystick that is movable in first and second substantially perpendicular directions, wherein movement of the joystick in the first direction controls the brightness setting of the illumination lamp and wherein movement of the joystick in the second direction controls the color temperature setting of the illumination lamp. 13. The illumination lamp of claim 12, wherein the position of the joystick is indicative of both the brightness and color temperature settings of the illumination lamp. 14. The illumination lamp of claim 7, wherein the plurality of illumination devices comprise a plurality of gas discharge tubes, and wherein each of the gas discharge tubes is configured to output light having different wavelength characteristics. 15. The illumination lamp of claim 14, further comprising a ballast unit for controlling each of the plurality of gas discharge tubes, wherein the controller is connected to and controls the ballast unit. 16. An illumination lamp, comprising: means for producing light, wherein the light producing means is configured so that a brightness and a color temperature of the light may be selectively varied; means for controlling the brightness and the color temperature of light generated by the light producing means based on a user input; and means for displaying the brightness and temperature settings . 17. The illumination lamp of claim 16, wherein the light producing means comprises a plurality of means for producing light, and wherein each of the plurality of light producing means is configured to generate light having a different color temperature. 18. The illumination lamp of claim 16, wherein the controlling means comprises: means for controlling the brightness of the light generated by the light producing means; and means for controlling the color temperature of the light generated by the light producing means. 19. The illumination lamp of claim 16, wherein the controlling means includes a control lever, and wherein the position of the control lever indicates brightness and color temperature settings. 20. The illumination lamp of claim 16, wherein the displaying means includes a two dimensional display, and wherein a position of a market on the two dimensional display indicates both a brightness and a color temperature setting of the illumination lamp.

Inventors: NOH SHI YOUL, NOH, SHI, YOUL
Applicants: NOH SHI YOUL, NOH, SHI, YOUL
Application year: 1999
Main classification: H05B41
IPC codes: H05B41