Title of Invention: A RGB LED PACKAGE FOR OPTIMIZED EMISSIONS OF PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE

RADIATION

Background Art

[1] This invention is related to the field of using photosynthetically active radiation to optimize plant growth and more specifically to a RGB LED package for optimized emissions of photosynthetically active radiation.

[2] It is well known that proper lighting is the key ingredient in promoting robust and healthy plant growlh. It is also known that optimized spectral outputs can be achieved to meet the specific needs of various plants during fhcir growth phases. These spectral outputs are not necessarily visible to the human eye but rather fall into wavelengths in an area of electromagnetic spectrum deemed P.A.R. or Photosynthetic Active Radiation.

[3] LEDs are becoming more popular in providing an optimized spectral output.

However, discrete color LEDs produce radiance originating from geometrically distinct locations. RGB LEDs combine three or more colors of LED color which originate from a near geometrically common location, and arc used in human lighting to produce the illusion of color though primary color mixing, or 'chroma perception' in the human visual cortex. This is why presently available RGBs do not provide the optimized spectral output or P.P.F. (Photosynthetic Photon Flux). The present invention seeks to provide a RGB LED that emits P.P.F, in the optimized P.A.R. wave lengths from a common point source at various wattages, eliminating 'line of origin' separate color shadows and thus color hot spots, for the purpose of enhancing horticultural lighting applications. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[4] The shortcomings and deficiencies cited above are resolved by the provision of my invention which is a RGB fRED-GREEN-BLUE) LED having a spectral output in optimized wave lengths for plant growth.

[5] Utility is enhanced by reducing hot spouing of specific colors found in common horticultural LED lights which use discrete color LEDs at various locations within the lighi fixture. This purpose is economically accomplished by using an already standardized and preexisting 'RGB' LED package (which are manufactured with the intended use as 'primary color mixed color' or 'chroma color' sources for human perceptual illusion of color). "Wc alter the preexisting standard RGB LED package to produce three different colors, each color component altered to a specifically chosen spectral peak power to regulate and/or promote one or more aspects of plant growth, and all three colors delivering radiance from a geometrically common point of origin, fhus eliminating the color hot spots and color specific shadows produced by the angular dispersal of colors radiating from the various geometries of the disparate and discretely located color sources found in common horticultural LED lighting.

[6] The RGB LED can be made in 1 walL 3 watt, 5 watt, and 10 watt outputs. Other

RGB LEDs can be constructed with a variety of wattages. A 1 w RGB LED will comprise 3 light emitting diodes. A 3w RGB LED will comprise 6 light emitting diodes and a 5 or IO watt RGB LED will comprise a 9 light emitting diodes. The spectral emissions of the RGB LED are specific to plant growth and ensure that plants subjected to P.A.R. produced by the invention receive an even distribution of the appropriate spectral quality.

[7] In different embodiments of the i πvention, the PPF-RGB-LED comprises the following chip sets to achieve appropriate P.P.F.:

[8] 1 watt LED. 1 blue emitter at 450nτn

[9] I green emitter at 525 πm

[10] I red emitter at 666nm

[11] 3 watt LED: I blue emitter at 450nm and 1 at 470nm

[12] 2 green emitters at 525 nm

[13] 1 red emitter at 640 nm and 1 at 666nm or (alternatively I red emitter at 666nm and J at 68On in)

[ 14] 5 watt LED: I blue emitter at 450nm and 2 at 470nm

[ 15] 1 or 3 green emitters ar 525nm

[ 16] 1 red emitter at 640πm and 2 at 666 nm

[ 17] (alternatively 2 red emitters at 666nm and 1 at 680nm)

[ 18] The wavelengths of the emitters chosen when using existing RGB LED packages will always be three, but they need not be limited to the various wavelengths specified above, but can be any set or superset of desired wavelengths for which the emitters can be grouped into any of three electrically comparible subgroups for the purposes of becoming wired into the three electric path equipped RGB LED packaging. Thus Uva emitters electrically compatible with emitters at 450nm could be grouped together on the 'blue' electric pathway, and iR emitters could be grouped with Far Red emitters, as well as various shades of green and/or gold being grouped together to provide these photomorphic waveforms to the three electric pathway equipped RGB packaging.

[ 19] The PPF-RGB-LEDs are mounted into an RGB LED package and may have mixed power output bands to achieve optimum growth for the species of plant being irradiated, in another embodiment of the invention an infrared component may also be added to the LED package.

[20] The emitter chips inside of the RGB LED package can be wired in scries, or parallel. The emitter chips inside the RGB LED package can be wired in groupings defined by color and electronic characteristics. The RGB package may extemaUy have 4 power contacts, or 6 power contacts. If an RGB package has a contact common to all three emitter groups, that contact may be either anode or cathode. If the emitter groups are internally wired in independent groups without an anode or a cathode common to all groups, then the RGB package will have 6 power contacts.

[21] Tn another embodiment of the invention the PPF-RGB-LEDs are mounted to a board for educational use to demonstrate plant reactions! to various spectral outputs. A power algorithm may be used to balance power output of various PPF-RGB-LEDs over time across each of three colour sets of two emitters each. The colours are switched at a speed of 100hz which is faster than (he human eye can detect. Technical Solution

[22]

Advantageous Effects

[23]

Description of Drawings

[24] Figure 1 is a photograph of one embodiment of the invention, namely, a 9 chip PPF- RGB-LED.

[25] Figure 2 is a diagram of {-) and (+) connections between the light emitting diodes and rhe pins.

[26] Figure 3 is a diagram of the PPF-RGB-LED of Figure I showing (-) and (+) connections between the light emitting diodes and the pins.

[27] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the invention.

[28] Figure 5 is one embodiment of a power algorithm.

[29] Figure 6 is another embodiment of a power algorithm.

[30] Figure 7 is a schematic of one embodiment of the invention. Best Mode

[31] The purpose of the invention is ro advance the art of LEDs used in agriculture so as to optimize the P.A.R. available to the plant. Specifically, the invention is adapted to provide photosynthetically active portions of the electromagnetic spectrum though the use of PPF-RGB-LEDs which can be mounted to a circuit board and programmed to emit time optimized P.A.R. in domain wavelength modulations.

[32] Referring to Figure 1, there is shown one embodiment of the invention being a PPF- RGB-LED having 9 emitters. Generally, two emitters will be blue at 470nm, one emitters will be blue ai 450nm, two emitters will be red at 666nm and one emitter will be red at 635nm and one or three emitters will be green at 525nm. Other variations of emitters can be set into a PPF-RGB-LED chassis to provide the required P, A.R.

T ical volta e and am era es of these emitters are shown below. [33] T341 [35] [36] Figure 2 and Figure 3 illustrate PIN connections of embodiments of the PPF-

RGB-LED. [37] Figure 4 shows a schemaiic of the construction of one embodiment of the invention and a circuit diagram. [38] Figures 5 and 6 illustrate two respective embodiments of power algorithms that can be used to control emissions from a board of PPF-RGB-LEDs. [39] Figure 7 illustrates a schematic circuit of one embodiment of the invention.

Mode for Invention [40]

Industrial Applicability

[ 41]

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