Patent ID: 7796319

Claim:
A method of emitting modified light consisting essentially of a desired selected spectral output and a desired wavelength dependent intensity distribution from a stand alone luminaire, the method comprising: a) emitting light from a high output light source located in a housing of the luminaire; b) passing the light by a spectrum former optically connected to and downstream from the light source to provide a spectrum from a light beam emitted from the light source; c) passing the spectrum by an optical element connected to and downstream from the spectrum former to provide an enhanced image of the spectrum; d) transmitting the spectrum by a pixelated spatial light modulator that is operably connected to at least one controller containing computer-implemented programming that controls an on/off pattern of pixels in the pixelated spatial light modulator, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting a desired segment of light in the spectrum in a first light path that is not back to the spectrum former to provide a modified light beam consisting essentially of a selected spectral output and a selected wavelength dependent intensity distribution; and, e) passing the modified light beam by a projection system optically connected to and downstream from the pixelated spatial light modulator, wherein the projection system projects the modified light beam from the luminaire as a directed light beam; wherein, f) the intensity of a specific desired wavelength band in the modified light beam is determined by setting to an “on” position a line of pixels within a column of pixels in the pixelated spatial light modulator corresponding to the specific desired wavelength band, wherein the intensity is substantially determined by the length of the line of pixels in the column and not by varying the on/off duty cycle of the pixels of the column.