US 12,446,137 B2
Illumination device and illumination process with contrast variation
Hanno Kretschmann, Lübeck (DE)
Assigned to Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Lübeck (DE)
Filed by Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Lübeck (DE)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/458,202.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2022 122 412.0 (DE), filed on Sep. 5, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0080956 A1, Mar. 7, 2024
Int. Cl. H05B 47/155 (2020.01); G01C 3/02 (2006.01); H05B 47/11 (2020.01); H05B 47/17 (2020.01)
CPC H05B 47/155 (2020.01) [G01C 3/02 (2013.01); H05B 47/11 (2020.01); H05B 47/17 (2020.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An illumination device for illuminating a surface, the illumination device comprising:
a main illumination unit comprising at least two light source groups; and
an auxiliary illumination unit comprising at least one light source group,
wherein each light source group comprises at least one light source and can be controlled independently of any other light source group,
wherein each illumination unit is configured to achieve a respective light field on the surface with an illuminance varying over the surface,
wherein the illumination device has a maximum achievable illuminance,
wherein the illumination device is configured to capture an illuminance specification that determines a maximum illuminance that the illumination device is to achieve, and
wherein the illumination device is configured such that at least, if a distance between the illumination device and the illuminated surface is within a predetermined distance range and if the maximum illuminance of the illumination device to be achieved according to the illuminance specification is at least 20% of the maximum achievable illuminance,
then the maximum illuminance that the auxiliary illumination unit achieves on the illuminated surface is between 1% and 15% of the maximum illuminance that the main illumination unit achieves on the illuminated surface and a dx light field of the main illumination unit on the illuminated surface has an area which is at least 50% smaller than a dx light field of the auxiliary illumination unit,
wherein the dx light field (light field diameter) of an illumination unit is that area on the illuminated surface in which the illuminance is at least x % of the maximum illuminance.