Pulsed L.E.D. illumination apparatus and method
DCFirst Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a device that includes an electronic camera configured to output an image signal;
a measurement unit configured to measure a color balance of the image signal;
a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted to the device, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes one or more LEDs having a first characteristic spectrum and one or more LEDs having a second characteristic spectrum, wherein the first characteristic spectrum is different from the second characteristic spectrum;
a control circuit, operably coupled to the measurement unit and to the plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein the control circuit controls a pulse characteristic to the one or more LEDs having a first characteristic spectrum in order to change a proportion of light output having the first characteristic spectrum to that having the second characteristic spectrum that is different than the first spectrum based at least in part on the measured color balance of the image signal.
1 Assignment
Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
An illumination source for a camera includes one or more LEDs, and an electrical circuit that selectively applies power from the DC voltage source to the LEDs, wherein the illumination source is suitable for handheld portable operation. In some embodiments, the electrical circuit further includes a control circuit for driving the LEDs with electrical pulses at a frequency high enough that light produced has an appearance to a human user of being continuous rather than pulsed, the control circuit changing a pulse characteristic to adjust a proportion of light output having the first characteristic color spectrum output to that having the second characteristic color spectrum output. Some embodiments provide an illumination source including a housing including one or more LEDs and a control circuit that selectively applies power from a source of electric power to the LEDs, thus controlling a light output color spectrum of the LEDs.
12 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a device that includes an electronic camera configured to output an image signal; a measurement unit configured to measure a color balance of the image signal; a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted to the device, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes one or more LEDs having a first characteristic spectrum and one or more LEDs having a second characteristic spectrum, wherein the first characteristic spectrum is different from the second characteristic spectrum; a control circuit, operably coupled to the measurement unit and to the plurality of light emitting diodes, wherein the control circuit controls a pulse characteristic to the one or more LEDs having a first characteristic spectrum in order to change a proportion of light output having the first characteristic spectrum to that having the second characteristic spectrum that is different than the first spectrum based at least in part on the measured color balance of the image signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for driving a plurality of light-emitting diodes in a device having an electronic camera, the method comprising:
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providing a device having a camera and a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes emits light having a spectrum that is adjustable; obtaining an image signal; measuring a color balance of the image signal; adjusting the spectrum of light from the plurality of light-emitting diodes based at least in part on the measured color balance. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus comprising:
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a device that includes an electronic camera configured to output an image signal; a measurement unit configured to measure a color balance of the image signal; a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted to the device, wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes includes one or more LEDs having a first characteristic spectrum and one or more LEDs having a second characteristic spectrum, wherein the first characteristic spectrum is different from the second characteristic spectrum; means for adjusting a color spectrum of light from the plurality of light-emitting diodes based at least in part on the measured color balance. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification