Philips Research Technology Backgrounder
Advanced liquid crystal technology shapes the light from LEDs |
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Scientists at Philips have developed a non-mechanical means of
electrically adjusting the size, shape and direction of a beam of
light from a light source so that it can be steered onto a single
spot or spread out over precisely controlled areas. The technology
can also be used to control the color temperature of the light in
order to simulate a wide range of different ambient conditions, from
the crisp white of bright daylight to the warm glow of candlelight.
This new technology promises a whole new era of dynamic lighting in
shops, leisure facilities and homes.
Philips’ innovative new beam forming technology utilizes a unique mixture of the refraction, diffraction, light scattering and reflection properties of liquid crystal materials integrated into a thin transparent panel that can be placed in front of suitable collimated light sources. Although the technology can be used with a range of light sources, it really comes into its own when combined with high brightness solid-state lighting. When used in conjunction with red, green and blue LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), which can generate an almost infinite range of colors and intensities, it increases the functionality of the lamp even further by enabling the user to control the shape and size of the beam. Philips’ beam forming liquid crystal panels are highly transparent and do not use the polarizers commonly found in LCDs. The ability to remotely control the shape, direction, color and color temperature of a light source via a user-friendly interface will be of immense benefit to retail stores, especially in areas such as fashion and furniture retailing. These stores currently have to manually change or reposition light sources every time they rebuild a display area. It will also be of benefit in restaurants, conference centers and meeting rooms where a range of lighting ambiences need to be created. The technology can also be built into interior lighting for homes. This new development in lighting control has been made possible by Philips’ in-depth knowledge of liquid crystals, its expertise in exploiting advanced liquid crystal effects and its systems-level knowledge of liquid crystal drive requirements, and by Philips’ knowledge of lighting applications. |
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