William Gregory Thornton

US Patent:

20040175636, Sep 9, 2004

Filed:

Feb 27, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/789584

Inventors:

William Thornton - Cranford NJ, US

International Classification:

G03C003/00

US Classification:

430/010000

Abstract:

Only recently the shapes and positions of the three spectral sensitivities, of the three input channels to the normal human visual system, have become known with adequate accuracy for commercial exploitation. It is now time, therefore, to design the lighting by which human observers and workers visually operate, so that a maximum of human good-seeing can result from a minimum of kilowatt-hours expended on the lighting. The method is to utilize, in the lighting, only the three spectral colors to which the visual system responds most strongly. The embodiment is a device which efficiently generates white light, using a three-component light-generating medium, the first component electrically energized to exhibit a green emission confined to the immediate wavelength neighborhood of 530 nm, the second an orange-red emission confined to the immediate wavelength neighborhood of 610 nm, and the third a blue-violet emission confined to the immediate wavelength neighborhood of 450 nm.

US Patent:

44319428, Feb 14, 1984

Filed:

Nov 4, 1981

Appl. No.:

6/318230

Inventors:

William A. Thornton - Cranford NJ

Assignee:

North American Philips Electric Corp. - New York NY

International Classification:

H01J 162
H01J 6304

US Classification:

313487

Abstract:

Color-corrected HID mercury-vapor lamp provides good color rendition of illuminated objects and also has a commercially desirable emission color. The lamp incorporates the usual arc tube which emits both ultraviolet radiations and visible radiations and the color-correcting phosphor components are carried on the inner surface of an outer protective envelope and comprise three different phosphor components. A first of the phosphor components has an emission confined to the shorter wavelength region of the visible spectrum with a peak of emission at from 440 nm to 470 nm. A second of the phosphor components is confined to the middle wavelength region of the visible spectrum with a peak of emission at from 520 nm to 560 nm and the third of the phosphor components has an emission confined to the longer wavelength region of the spectrum with its peak of emission at from 605 nm to 630 nm. When the composite visible emissions from the arc tube and the phosphor components are combined, the emission color of the lamp at least approximates a cool-white color which is positioned at least proximate the black body line. Thus, the normal yellow-green emission of an uncorrected HPMV lamp is substantially color corrected in all respects.

US Patent:

48242462, Apr 25, 1989

Filed:

Nov 23, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/124288

Inventors:

William A. Thornton - Cranford NJ

International Classification:

G01J 102

US Classification:

356243

Abstract:

Colored object which is to be illuminated by many different types of sources of illumination and which exhibits an improved constancy of color appearance upon change of illuminants. The radiation-absorbing exterior portion of the object has color-absorbing components which combine to exhibit reflectance bands peaking at about 450 nm in the blue-violet, about 530 nm in the green and about 610 nm in the orange-red. The reflectance bands are substantially confined to a radiation range of 50 nm to 60 nm as measured at one-half of the maximum measured reflectance of the bands. This range can be expanded to 40 nm to 80 nm with some sacrifice in performance. The relative proportions of each of the color-absorbing components are preselected to produce a desired composite color for the exterior portion of the object. There is also provided a method for making the exterior portion of the object.

US Patent:

40299830, Jun 14, 1977

Filed:

Mar 25, 1976

Appl. No.:

5/670490

Inventors:

William A. Thornton - Cranford NJ

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

H01J 6118
H01J 6134
H01J 6144

US Classification:

313 25

Abstract:

The light output of a high-pressure metal-halide lamp that employs a sodium-scandium discharge and has an efficacy of approximately 90 lumens per watt is selectively modified by a luminescent coating on the inner surface of the outer envelope to provide color rendering and a source-color that are similar to those of an incandescent type lamp. The luminescent coating comprises a blend of two selected phosphor materials, one of which absorbs and is excited by blue-violet radiations produced by the arc discharge and emits in the green portion of the spectrum, and the other of which absorbs and is excited by the violet to yellow band of radiations produced by the arc discharge and emits in the red portion of the spectrum. The desired color rendering and reduction in the color temperature (from about 3600K to about 2800K) are achieved with a minimum drop in efficiency by using a luminescent coating consisting of approximately equal amounts (by weight) of green-emitting CaS:Ce phosphor and red-emitting CaS:Eu phosphor. Various other combinations of phosphors are also disclosed.

US Patent:

39639533, Jun 15, 1976

Filed:

Apr 29, 1975

Appl. No.:

5/572815

Inventors:

William A. Thornton - Cranford NJ

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

H01J 6304

US Classification:

313487

Abstract:

A device to generate light of a quality which will accent the mismatch in color appearance of objects having different spectral reflectance curves but which appear at least generally similar in color and lightness under illumination by daylight. As there are many objects which match under one illuminant such as daylight, but do not match under other illuminants, there are many applications in which it is desirable to provide for early detection of potential mismatches. This invention generates visible radiation substantially confined to at least two of the 405-435 nm, 475-505 nm, 565-595 nm, and 645-675 nm wavelength ranges, and which preferably has less than 20 percent of the radiations in the 435-465 nm, 525-555 nm and 595-625 nm wavelength ranges.

US Patent:

46539255, Mar 31, 1987

Filed:

Aug 23, 1985

Appl. No.:

6/768573

Inventors:

William A. Thornton - Cranford NJ

International Classification:

G01J 351

US Classification:

356419

Abstract:

Method and apparatus for rapidly measuring any of a large number of characteristics of lamplight. Apparatus extracts from the illumination being measured seven narrow visible bands and one wider band of ultraviolet. The measured power in each of the visible bands is multiplied by a weighting coefficient and the combination of the products provides a number which is indicative of the lamplight characteristic being measured. The measured power in the ultraviolet band is separately weighted from the measurements in the visible bands.

US Patent:

48262862, May 2, 1989

Filed:

May 6, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/191971

Inventors:

William A. Thornton - Cranford NJ

International Classification:

G02B 528
G02B 110

US Classification:

350166

Abstract:

Filter system operates to provide reasonable seeability for human visual system while simultaneously limiting the total radiation energy impinging upon the eye. System comprises a transparent substrate which carries a plurality of thin layers having indices of refraction which alternately vary from a high index to a low index. Radiations passing the filter system are substantially confined to three bands centered at about 450 nm, 530 nm, and 610 nm with the width of the bands being from about 3 nm to about 50 nm as measured at one-half the maximum measured radiation transmission of each of the bands.

US Patent:

41762940, Nov 27, 1979

Filed:

Dec 3, 1976

Appl. No.:

5/747141

Inventors:

William A. Thornton - Cranford NJ

Assignee:

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

International Classification:

H01J 6162
H01J 6304
H01J 6100

US Classification:

313485

Abstract:

Method and device for efficiently generating white light with good color rendition of illuminated objects. This is achieved by blending three different colors of light, namely, a green to yellow-green color of light, an orange to red color of light, and a purplish-blue to greenish-blue color of light. The relative intensities of the blended colors of light are selected to produce white light of predetermined ICI coordinates. The resulting blended light has at most only a limited amount of radiations of a wavelength shorter than 430 nm and at most only a limited amount of radiations of a wavelength longer than 630 nm. Also, the blended light has at most only a limited amount of radiations of a wavelength of about 575 nm and at most only a limited amount of radiations of a wavelength of about 500 nm.