Patent ID: 7354172

Claim:
A method for specifying a reference color gamut for a plurality of lighting units, the reference color gamut defining an essentially identical range of colors or color temperatures that may be generated by each of the plurality of lighting units, each lighting unit configured to generate multiple colors or color temperatures of light based on an additive mixing of at least first light having a first spectrum and second light having a second spectrum, wherein the first and second spectrums are different, the method comprising acts of: representing a plurality of spectral power distributions (SPDs) on a color space, the plurality of SPDs including at least one spectral power distribution (SPD) for each of at least the first light and the second light generated by each of the plurality of lighting units; and specifying the reference color gamut in the color space, such that any color that is included in the reference color gamut can be generated by any lighting unit of the plurality of lighting units, wherein each lighting unit is configured to generate the multiple colors or color temperatures of the light based on an additive mixing of at least the first light, the second light, and third light having a third spectrum different from the first and second spectrums, and wherein: the act of representing includes an act of: A) representing the plurality of spectral power distributions (SPDs) on the color space, the plurality of SPDs including at least one spectral power distribution (SPD) for each of at least the first light, the second light and the third light generated by each of the plurality of lighting units; and the act of specifying includes an act of: B) specifying the reference color gamut in the color space, based on the act A), such that any color that is included in the reference color gamut can be generated by any lighting unit of the plurality of lighting units, wherein the color space includes a CIE color system, and wherein the act A) comprises an act of: A1) mapping each SPD of the plurality of SPDs to a corresponding point on a CIE chromaticity diagram to provide a plurality of points, wherein the act B) comprises acts of: B1) determining a largest polygon formed on the CIE chromaticity diagram by connecting at least some of the plurality of points by a straight line, each vertex of the largest polygon corresponding to one SPD associated with a different one of the at least first, second and third lights; and B2) specifying the reference color gamut as at least one region smaller than and within the largest polygon.