Patent ID: 8084958

Claim:
An illumination system for generating light with a variable color within a color space, the system comprising: (i) a lamp assembly for generating the light; (ii) a controller for controlling the lamp assembly; (iii) a user input device coupled to the controller for receiving input data comprising a set of coordinates; (iv) a memory defining discrete color points and storing information comprising: (a) a boundary data defining a boundary of the color space; (b) a ID hue table containing a predetermined number (NH) of hue values (H(m)), (c) a ID saturation table containing a predetermined number (Ns) of saturation values (S(n)), (d) a ID brightness table containing a predetermined number (NB) of brightness values (B(p)); wherein the controller is configured to (A) compare the input data with the boundary data to determine location of the color point defined by the set of coordinates in relation to the boundary of the color space and (B) generate color control signals for the lamp assembly, on the basis of at least the input data and a set of values derived from the information stored in the memory, wherein the controller is configured to obtain the set of values by taking: a hue value (H(xI)) from the ID hue table based on a first input coordinate (xI) of the set of coordinates, a saturation value (S(x 2 )) from the ID saturation table based on a second input coordinate (x 2 ) of the set of coordinates, a brightness value (B(x 3 )) from the ID brightness table based on a third input coordinate (x 3 ) of the set of coordinates, when the color point is located inside the boundary of the color space; or by calculating replacement coordinates of the color point on the boundary of the color space and taking: a hue value (H(m(xI,x 2 ,x 3 ))) from the ID hue table based on a first replacement coordinate (m(xI,x 2 ,x 3 )), a saturation value (S(n(xI,x 2 ,x 3 ))) from the ID saturation table based on a second replacement coordinate (n(xI,x 2 ,x 3 )), a brightness value (B(p(xI,x 2 ,x 3 ))) from the ID brightness table based on a third replacement coordinate (p(xI,x 2 ,x 3 )), when the color point is located outside the boundary of the color space.