Ambilight

Abstract: Solid State Lighting is becoming increasingly more advanced, both in terms of lumen output as well as energy efficiency. However, implementation in color consumer lighting products, such as the Philips Ambilight television sets, still requires improvements in both color reproduction as well as intensity uniformity. To build a lighting system capable of correctly reproducing a large color spectrum, 3 primary colored LEDs are required. However, this approach causes problems. In particular, the generation of a white color without color fringes is difficult to implement, as the total amount of light from each primary color should ideally be identical at each position within the light bundle. Our paper focuses on systems using a limited number of high power LEDs. The lumen output of these LEDs is such that even a single red, green and blue LED together can deliver the required lumen output for certain applications. To optimize performance for both luminance and color uniformity we investigated several design options. Ray tracing simulations are compared to the performance of real size prototypes, and recommendations are given for the design of color lighting systems.

Abstract: Ambilight is a unique Philips feature, where RGB LEDs are used to create a dynamic light halo around the television. This extends the screen and hence increases the viewing experience, as it draws the viewer more into the action on the screen. The feature receives very positive consumer feedback. However, implementing Ambilight in the increasingly stringent design boundary conditions of a slim and thin TV set is a challenging task. Optical simulations play a vital role in each step of the Ambilight development. Ranging from prototype to final product, we use simulations, next to prototyping, to aid the choice of LEDs, optical materials and optical systems during different phases of the design process. Each step the impact of the optical system on the mechanical design and TV set dimensions needs to be taken into account. Moreover, optical simulations are essential to guarantee the required optical performance given a big spread in LED performance, mechanical tolerances and material properties. Next to performance, optical efficiency is also an important parameter to evaluate an optical design, as it establishes the required number of LEDs and the total LED power. As such optical efficiency defines the thermal power which needs to be dissipated by the LED system. The innovation roadmap does not stop here. For future systems we see a miniaturization trend, where smaller LED packages and smaller dies are used. This evolution makes the impact of mechanical tolerances on the optical design more severe. Consequentially, this approach poses a whole new challenge to the way we use optical simulations in our design process.