A skylight comprising a frame that includes a light conductive path having a first end proximate to a light shaft and a second end distal to the light shaft. The frame may reside at the interior termination of the skylight light shaft. The light path may extend to the perimeter of the frame. A diffuser lens may also be provided, and the frame may be integral with the diffuser lens.

A solar shading panel for use in north and south sides of a building is described, where the solar shading panel is effective in preventing against direct sunlight partially or throughout the year without angle adjusting equipment, while allowing building occupants to perceive external views at all times. The solar shading panel includes a frame and an opaque panel with spacing perforates attached to hollow cylinders. An upper portion of the hollow cylinders can be configured to protect against direct light and a lower portion of the hollow cylinders can be configured to receive and reflect natural light into the building.

A solar shading panel for use in north and south sides of a building is described, where the solar shading panel is effective in preventing against direct sunlight partially or throughout the year without angle adjusting equipment, while allowing building occupants to perceive external views at all times. The solar shading panel includes a frame and an opaque panel with spacing perforates attached to hollow cylinders. An upper portion of the hollow cylinders can be configured to protect against direct light and a lower portion of the hollow cylinders can be configured to receive and reflect natural light into the building.

A versatile length, deep well skylight, with supplementary light emitting diodes, that are powered by a back-up battery, charged by the sun. This green energy unit is self-contained and saves the cost of primary power. It is dual domed which attracts solar rays which are then reflected through a mirror polished aluminum interior. The light is then diffused through a lower lens to produce cool, even light in the structure interior.

The rim of the upper lens houses multiple solar panels which collect the solar energy for the battery back-up. The battery back-up provides the energy to the light emitting diodes through the inverter which converts the direct current electricity to alternating current electricity and then through the driver which in turn produces light from the light emitting diodes.

Light which is produced directly from the sun and/or indirectly through the light emitting diodes is then reflected through the deep well, mirror polished aluminum interior to the diffuser. The lower lens or diffuser spreads the light evenly across the interior of the structure. The unit is thermal neutral and designed for leak-proof installation. It is also designed for simple, easy maintenance with snap in parts and a hinged lower lens.

A system for illuminating an environment with light that simulates natural light includes: a first light source which emits a beam of visible light; a diffused-light generator delimited by an inner surface, which receives the light beam, and an outer surface, the diffused-light generator being at least partially transparent to a long wavelength component of the beam of visible light. The diffused-light generator transmits diffused light from a short wavelength component of the beam of visible light, through the outer surface, the correlated color temperature of the transmitted light being lower than the CCT of the visible diffused light. The lighting system includes a dark box which hosts the first light source and is optically coupled to the environment via the diffused-light generator.

A system for modulating passive optical lighting or natural light for visible light communication (VLC) in a non-enclosed space to obtain precise location information or broadband data transmission. The system includes an optical modulator having a framing structure that is at least substantially transmissive with respect to visible light and that has a modulating layer attached thereon.

A light fixture includes a housing with a skylight aperture, and one or more louver blades spanning the skylight aperture. When open, the one or more movable louver blades block little of the light passing through the skylight aperture; in intermediate positions, the louver blades block a portion of the light; when closed, the louver blades block most light from passing through the skylight aperture. The light fixture also includes: a dimmable artificial light source configured to project artificial light toward the illuminated space; a light sensor that detects light illuminating the space; and a control unit that is integrated with the housing and communicates with the light sensor. The light sensor detects intensity and chromaticity information of the light illuminating the space. The control unit controls position of the louver blades and brightness and chromaticity of the dimmable artificial light source, in response to the light sensor.

A modulated passive optical lighting device includes a passive element, such as a window, a sun-room roof, or a skylight. The device also has an optical modulator associated with or incorporated in the device, to modulate light supplied to an interior space to carry data.

Lighting devices and methods for providing daylight to the interior of a structure are disclosed. Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a daylighting device including a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, a light collecting structure, and a light reflector positioned to reflect daylight into the light collector. In some embodiments, the light collector is associated with one or more light-turning and/or light reflecting structures configured to increase the amount of light captured by the daylighting device. Optical elements may allow for the absorption and/or selective transmission of infrared light away from an interior of the daylighting device.

A tubular skylight is provided, comprising a roof mounted element for collecting exterior light, a ceiling mounted element, and a tube connecting the roof mounted element and the ceiling mounted element. The skylight includes a diffuser element mounted in the ceiling mounted element for distributing the exterior light in a room. The diffuser element includes a first diffuser pane having a translucent bottom portion and a sidewall portion with a translucent light path zone. The tubular skylight has means for affecting the luminance of the light exiting the diffuser such that the luminance of light exiting through the light path zone has a different luminance than light exiting through the bottom portion. The ceiling mounted element and the diffuser element provide a light passage from the light path zone to the room by a free space adjacent the light path zone.