Patent ID: 8047673

Claim:
A light control device implemented with multiple diffusers exhibiting, in response to incident light, multiple controllable intensity distribution patterns that cooperate to accomplish upwardly directed illumination of a ceiling surface and downwardly directed illumination of a work surface, comprising: an elongated housing having a central channel and first and second upper uplight openings on either side of said central channel; said elongated housing further having a first and second side walls, said housing positioning said channel substantially between said first and second side walls; a light source emitting first and second sets of light rays and extending substantially between said first and second upper uplight openings and below said central channel; a first diffuser retained between said first and second side walls and below said light source, said first diffuser being both partially transmissive and partially reflective and positioned to receive direct light emitted by the light source and carried by a first subset of the first set of light rays, the first diffuser having a light diffusing surface that partly transmits and partly scatters the first subset of the first set of light rays that, respectively, propagate as a divergent fan of light rays downwardly toward the work surface and propagate as two divergent fans of light rays upwardly and uninterrupted toward the ceiling surface; and a second diffuser being a first and second upper side diffuser substantially above said light source and extending substantially along respective said first and second upper uplight openings, each of said first and second upper side diffusers more diffusive of light incident nearer to said central channel and transmissive at a distal end; said second diffuser being positioned to receive direct light emitted by the light source and carried by the second set of light rays, the second diffuser having a light diffusing surface that scatters the second set of light rays that propagate as two partly overlapping fans of light rays upwardly toward the ceiling surface, whereby the two divergent fans of light rays propagating from the first diffuser, the two partly overlapping fans of light rays propagating from the second diffuser, and direct light propagating from the light source combine and exit the light control device through said first and second uplight openings on either side of said central channel in a batwing luminous intensity distribution pattern toward the ceiling surface.