Lighting system with combined directly viewable luminous or transmissive surface and controlled area illumination

摘要

An apparatus, system and method for lighting an area, for example, an outdoors pedestrian area or building façade or an auto traffic area, or an indoor large area, which provides indicator/guide light, reference light for structures, and task lighting for a target area. The method uses first lighting sources that are directly viewable by observers and which can be historical, architectural, or aesthetically selected sources, but which produce a relatively low level of light or luminance insufficient to effectively light the area but sufficient to act as an indicator or guide, as well as to provide reference illumination on buildings or structures. Second lighting sources are configured to produce directional light to light the area but hide the light sources from most conventional observer viewing angles and may be enclosed within the general outlines of the globe or transmissive surface area of the fixture.

主权项

1. A method of lighting an area comprising
producing visual luminance at a low level and illumination of target area wherein: a. the visual luminance selected at a low level is substantially lower than required to effectively light the area, and is equal to or less than the reflected luminance from the target area, but is at a level that is sufficient to be visible as a reference and to appear to be the source of the target illumination; b. the target area is illuminated with illuminating light from one or more task lighting sources which are hidden from ordinary view, the illuminating light selected to be at a relatively low level in comparison with the illumination from conventional fixtures, but sufficient to provide improved functional illumination.