Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Color Kinetics and the RGB patent

C

CC

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi:

First of all, the present state of patent affairs (at least in the US)
makes me sick. There is nothing novel or unobvious to those in or out
of the field about using a combination of RGB LEDs to create shades of
color, as I am not a lighting expert and the idea occured to me many
times before I discovered that it is patented.

So here is a question:

I have also concluded that the color rendition by purely a combination
of red, green, and blue LEDs is rotten, and so I am planning to
construct lights for my own use based on a full spectrum of LED colors.
Ie, red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, and violet.

Anyway, since I am planning this as a child's toy and hobby project (for
my own kid's use), I wouldn't want to find myself in civil court one day
for violating anyone's pathetic and obvious patents.

Also, if my explaining this idea in public makes it possible to for
someone to break someone's future patent on this idea, then that is great.

In more detail:

The ROYGABV LED combination can be used for many functions including:

1. entertaining "chaser" and sequencing/blinking effects
2. creating a very high color rendering ability white light source
3. a fine-tuned spectral distribution so as to create almost any color
including black-body equivalent colors of any desired color temperature.

An obvious implementation would be to use a microcontroller with several
built-in hardware peripheral PWM or software based PWM channels to
individually control the brightness of each LED. The user interface
could vary depending on the intention. If it is #1, then a bunch of
buttons to select "modes." If #2, then perhaps no micro is even needed,
just a current regulator with independent channels for each LED. For
#3m an encoder knob could be used to select color temp, or a more
spohisticated interface with LCD display and lots of menus, parameters,
etc. could be adjusted.

Oh well, just some Sunday afternoon blather.


Good day!
 
C

Clive Mitchell

Jan 1, 1970
0
CC said:
First of all, the present state of patent affairs (at least in the US)
makes me sick. There is nothing novel or unobvious to those in or out
of the field about using a combination of RGB LEDs to create shades of
color, as I am not a lighting expert and the idea occured to me many
times before I discovered that it is patented.
Yeah, it's a shit situation, but fortunately is only having a negative
impact on America's lighting industry. Patent systems in other parts of
the world work properly.
I have also concluded that the color rendition by purely a combination
of red, green, and blue LEDs is rotten, and so I am planning to
construct lights for my own use based on a full spectrum of LED colors.
Ie, red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, and violet.

It's already been explored. There are lights that use supplementary
colours for smoother pallets.
 
P

Paul Hovnanian P.E.

Jan 1, 1970
0
Adam said:
CK patent covers mixing of 2 colours or more.


Its having a not positive effect on medicine research as I understand
it, companies rushing to patent gene sequences that are pretty much as
prior art as you can get, but in a medicine may be a novel use which
is patentable.

Think US lighting industry sprouting Canadian offshoots to handle the
LED research. In meantime rest of us continue to enjoy rapid
development and falling prices.

I don't think that will help. IIRC, legitimate research is exempt from
patent restrictions. On the other hand, if you want to sell into the US
market, you will need to address licensing issues.
 
C

Clive Mitchell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Adam said:
p.s. looking for photie before Clive blackmails me with the one before
the hair transplant.

It's worse than that. The whole picture shows you stroking a hot pussy.
 
Top