JP2016000137A - Flicker value measuring device and lighting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flicker value measuring device that can improve accuracy and the accuracy of measurement results.SOLUTION: A flicker value measuring device includes: two or more presentation units 1 that flash on and off in different frequency to each other, make each frequency change in the same direction, and present the light being equal in a time average of brightness to each other to a subject, respectively; a detection unit 24 for detecting the point of time when the subject recognizes a change between continuity and discontinuity to the light exhibited by any of the two or more presentation units 1; an acquisition unit 25 for acquiring the frequency of the light recognized by the subject at the point of time detected by the detection unit 24 as a flicker value; and an output unit 5 for outputting the flicker value acquired by the acquisition unit 25.

Description

  The present invention relates to a flicker value measuring device and a lighting device for measuring a flicker value.

  A technique for measuring the fatigue level of a subject by measuring a limit frequency (flicker value) at which the subject can recognize blinking (flicker) is known. In order to facilitate the recognition of flickers by subjects who are unfamiliar with such tests, a technique for measuring flicker values using two types of frequency flickers has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 53-103689

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, since the duty ratio and the luminance are not defined, it is difficult to accurately compare flickers of two frequencies. If the flickers of the two frequencies cannot be accurately compared, the variation in the two flicker values becomes large, and the accuracy of the measurement result may be reduced.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a flicker value measuring device and an illumination device that can improve accuracy and accuracy of measurement results.

  In order to achieve the above object, the first aspect of the present invention provides a plurality of presentations that blink at different frequencies, each light changes in the same direction, and each subject presents light with the same time-averaged luminance. And a detection unit that detects a time point when the subject recognizes a change between continuous and discontinuous with respect to light presented by any of the plurality of presentation units, and detected by the detection unit The gist of the present invention is a flicker value measuring apparatus including an acquisition unit that acquires the frequency of light recognized by the subject as a flicker value and an output unit that outputs the flicker value acquired by the acquisition unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there are a plurality of presentation units that blink to each other at different frequencies, each frequency changes in the same direction, and each subject presents light having the same time-average luminance. A detection unit that detects a time point when a change between continuous and discontinuous is recognized with respect to light presented by any of the presenting units, and a light that is recognized by the subject at the time point detected by the detection unit An illumination device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires a flicker value as a flicker value; an illumination unit that emits illumination light; and an illumination control unit that adjusts illumination light emitted by the illumination unit based on the flicker value acquired by the acquisition unit It is a summary.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the flicker value measuring device and illuminating device which can improve a precision and the precision of a measurement result can be provided.

It is a block diagram explaining the basic composition of the flicker value measuring device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a front view explaining an example of the presentation part of the flicker value measuring device concerning an embodiment of the invention. (A)-(c) is an example which illustrated each frequency of the presentation part of the flicker value measuring device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an example which illustrated the characteristic in which each frequency of the presentation part of the flicker value measuring device concerning an embodiment of the invention changes. It is an example which illustrated the blink pattern of the presentation part of the flicker value measuring device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a block diagram explaining the basic composition of the flicker value measuring device concerning the modification of an embodiment of the invention. It is an example which illustrated the spectacles type flicker value measuring device concerning the modification of an embodiment of the invention. It is a block diagram explaining the basic composition of the illuminating device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a figure explaining the application example of the illuminating device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view explaining an example of the presentation part of the flicker value measuring device concerning other embodiments of the present invention.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies an apparatus and a method for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and specifies the configuration of the apparatus and method illustrated in the following embodiment. Not. The technical idea of the present invention can be variously modified within the technical scope described in the claims.

(Flicker value measuring device)
As shown in FIG. 1, a flicker value measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has a plurality of presentation units 1a to 1c that respectively present light to a subject (hereinafter simply referred to as “presentation unit 1” when collectively referred to). A processing unit 2, an input unit 3, an illuminance detection unit 4, and an output unit 5.

  As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the presenting unit 1 includes a first presenting unit 1a, a second presenting unit 1b, and a third presenting unit 1c. The first presenting unit 1a, the second presenting unit 1b, and the third presenting unit 1c are, for example, from a region formed so that the circle is radially divided into three equal parts from the center so that the difference seen from the subject is reduced. Become. The light presented by the subject from the presentation unit 1 may be presented directly from a light source such as a light emitting diode (LED), or may be presented indirectly by transmitted light, reflected light, or the like.

  The input unit 3 includes input devices such as various switches. The input unit 3 receives an operation from the subject and inputs a signal corresponding to the operation to the processing unit 2. The illuminance detection unit 4 detects the illuminance around each presentation unit 1. The output unit 5 includes a display device that can display numbers, characters, and the like, for example. The output unit 5 outputs the flicker value measured by the flicker value measuring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The output unit 5 may output the flicker value by voice.

  The processing unit 2 includes a presentation control unit 21 that controls each presentation unit 1, a detection unit 24, and an acquisition unit 25 that acquires a flicker value. The presentation control unit 21 includes a change control unit 22 and a luminance adjustment unit 23.

  The presentation control unit 21 controls each presentation unit 1 such that the presentation unit 1 blinks at different frequencies and presents light with the same time average of luminance to the subject. The 1st presentation part 1a, the 2nd presentation part 1b, and the 3rd presentation part 1c blink by mutually different frequency, as shown, for example in Drawing 3 (a)-(c), respectively by control of presentation control part 21, Each subject is presented with light whose luminance averages are equal to each other. Changes in the frequencies fa to fc may be stepwise or continuous.

  In addition, the presentation control unit 21 controls each presentation unit 1 so that the blinking frequency of each presentation unit 1 changes in the same direction with a predetermined difference. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the blinking frequency fa of the first presentation unit 1 a decreases due to the control of the presentation control unit 21, the frequency fb of the second presentation unit 1 b and the frequency fc of the third presentation unit 1 c Also decreases with the frequency fa.

  The presentation control unit 21 is set so as to change the frequencies fa to fc so as to be within a range of, for example, about 10 to 60 Hz, more preferably about 20 to 40 Hz. In addition, the presentation control unit 21 controls each presentation unit 1 so that each frequency fa to fc does not become 10 Hz or less in consideration of photosensitivity. In addition, the presentation control unit 21 controls each presentation unit 1 so that the frequencies fa to fc do not exceed 60 Hz as a range that is not necessary for the flicker value measurement.

  Each presentation unit 1 driven by the control of the presentation control unit 21 blinks at different frequencies fa to fc, and presents the subjects with light having the same time-average luminance. Each frequency fa to fc changes in the same direction under the control of the presentation control unit 21. When the subject recognizes a change between continuous (lighting) and discontinuous (flashing) with respect to the light presented by any of the plurality of presentation units 1, the subject changes the input unit 3. An operation for identifying the recognized presentation unit 1 is performed.

  The input unit 3 inputs a detection signal including an identifier for identifying the presentation unit 1 to the detection unit 24 in response to an operation on the input unit 3 by the subject. The detection unit 24 detects the time point when the detection signal is input as the time point when the subject recognizes the change between continuous and discontinuous. The acquisition unit 25 acquires the light frequency of the presentation unit 1 identified by the subject's operation at the time point detected by the detection unit 24 as a flicker value (a limit frequency at which the subject can recognize blinking). The output unit 5 outputs the flicker value acquired by the acquisition unit 25. Thus, the acquisition part 25 can improve the precision of a flicker value by making a test subject select from the some presentation part 1. FIG.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the test subject changes the third presentation unit 1c blinking at the lowest frequency fc among the plurality of presentation units 1 blinking at frequencies that decrease from the upper limit side of the set value. At the time of recognition, an operation for identifying the third presentation unit 1c is performed on the input unit 3. The detection unit 24 detects a time point t <b> 1 when a detection signal corresponding to the operation of the subject is input from the input unit 3. The detection unit 24 acquires the frequency f1 at the time point t1 of the third presentation unit 1c identified by the identifier included in the detection signal as a flicker value.

  For example, after the first flicker value is acquired by the acquisition unit 25, the presentation control unit 21 may continuously change the frequencies fa to fc in the same direction. The subject operates the input unit 3 at the time of recognizing the change in blinking as in the first time, and performs an operation of identifying the presentation unit 1 considered to have changed. The acquisition unit 25 acquires the second flicker value based on the operation of the subject and the detection signal input by the detection unit 24. Thereby, a subject's easiness of a reply is improved and the acquisition part 25 can acquire several flicker values in a short time. The acquisition unit 25 may acquire an average of a plurality of flicker values acquired at a plurality of time points as a flicker value of a corresponding subject.

  In addition, the presentation control unit 21 may change the setting of the frequency of each presentation unit 1 in response to the acquisition unit 25 acquiring one flicker value. The change control unit 22 controls each of the plurality of presentation units 1 so as to change the allocation of the light frequencies presented by the plurality of presentation units 1. Thereby, when the operator decreases the blinking frequency, for example, the subject properly presents based on whether or not the presentation unit 1 blinking at the lowest frequency is detected by the operation of the subject each time. It can be determined whether or not part 1 is selected.

  In addition, the presentation control unit 21 can adjust the luminance of each presentation unit 1 according to the illuminance around the presentation unit 1. The luminance adjustment unit 23 adjusts the time average of the luminance of each presentation unit 1 according to the illuminance around the presentation unit 1 detected by the illuminance detection unit 4 so that the subject can easily see each presentation unit 1.

  The light presented by the plurality of presentation units 1 may be blinked not only by turning on / off the light but also by alternately changing at least one of color, brightness, and contrast. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, one presentation unit 1 may present blinking (flicker) to the subject by alternately lighting red and blue light. However, the some presentation part 1 is controlled so that the time average of a brightness | luminance becomes mutually equal.

  When adopting a color change pattern as a set value, the plurality of presentation units 1 may present blinking of green, red, and blue light, respectively. In this case, since the blinking of light is difficult to recognize in the order of green, red, and blue under the same frequency condition, the acquisition unit 25 can acquire a plurality of flicker values corresponding to the colors.

-Modification-
Although the flicker value measuring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described with the configuration including the input unit 3 configured by the input device, the input unit 3 for inputting the detection signal is shown in FIG. You may be comprised by the sensor part 31 which consists of a camera which image | photographs eyes.

  The sensor part 31 inputs the video signal which image | photographed the test subject's eyes into the detection part 24 as a detection signal. The detection unit 24 recognizes the line-of-sight direction and pupil diameter of the subject by performing image processing on the input video signal. The detection unit 24 determines the presentation unit 1 and the time point at which the subject is considered to have changed by referring to the patterns of stagnation, movement, and reciprocation in the gaze direction that are held in advance based on the gaze direction of the subject. For example, when the subject's eyes looked over the entire presentation unit 1 and then stared at the first presentation unit 1a, the detection unit 24 assumed that time as the time when the subject recognized the blinking change of the first presentation unit 1a. To detect.

  The detection unit 24 detects the time when the blinking is changed and the presentation unit 1 based on the detection signal input from the sensor unit 31, thereby improving the accuracy and objectivity of the measurement result.

  Further, the sensor unit 31 may be constituted by a small nysmometer that detects the eye movement of the subject based on the corneal retinal potential. According to the sensor unit 31 including an nystagmus, for example, a glasses-type flicker value measuring apparatus can be realized. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the spectacle-type flicker value measuring device includes a frame unit 71 that can be mounted on the head of a subject, a lens unit 72 held by the frame unit 71, and a frame unit 71. Unit 2, illuminance detection unit 4, and output unit 5. The processing unit 2, the illuminance detection unit 4, and the output unit 5 may be formed outside the storage unit 73. A plurality of sensor units 31 can be incorporated in the frame unit 71, for example.

  The lens part 72 is formed in a region corresponding to the eyes of the subject when the frame part 71 is attached. The accommodation unit 73 includes a light source that projects light onto the lens unit 72 under the control of the presentation control unit 21. The lens unit 72 constitutes the presentation unit 1 that presents light to the subject by projecting light onto the light source of the housing unit 73. Thus, according to the spectacle-type flicker value measuring apparatus, it can be manufactured in a small size, and the flicker value of the subject can be easily measured.

  In the flicker value measuring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of presentation units 1 can present a plurality of flickers having the same time-average luminance and different set values. Therefore, the subject can easily compare the plurality of presentation units 1, and the flicker value measuring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can improve the accuracy and the accuracy of the measurement result. Moreover, according to the flicker value measuring apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the flicker value can be measured with high accuracy, and therefore the fatigue level of the subject can be measured with high accuracy.

(Lighting device)
Hereinafter, the illuminating device 10 to which the flicker value measuring device according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the illumination device 10 includes a processing unit 2A that is the processing unit 2 further including an illumination control unit 26, and an illumination unit 6 that emits illumination light. Other configurations that will not be described below are the same as the above-described configurations and are omitted because they are the same.

  The illumination device 10 is a desk light type as shown in FIG. 9, for example. The illuminating device 10 includes a plurality of presentation units 1 arranged at locations that reach the eyes E of the user (subject) and an input unit 3 arranged at locations where the user can operate. When the user operates the input unit 3, driving of the flicker value measuring apparatus is started.

  Under the control of the presentation control unit 21, the presentation unit 1 blinks at different frequencies to the user, and each subject presents light that changes in the same direction and whose time average of luminance is equal to each other. The acquisition unit 25 acquires a flicker value based on a detection signal input from the input unit 3 to the detection unit 24 in accordance with a user operation.

  The illumination control unit 26 adjusts the illumination light L emitted from the illumination unit 6 based on the flicker value acquired by the acquisition unit 25. For example, the illumination control unit 26 measures the user's fatigue level from the flicker value with reference to a previously held standard. The illumination control unit 26 adjusts the illumination light L emitted from the illumination unit 6 according to the degree of fatigue of the user.

  The parameters of the illumination light L adjusted by the illumination control unit 26 are, for example, luminance, color temperature, light wavelength, and the like. For example, when it is determined that the user's fatigue level is slightly high, the illumination control unit 26 increases the luminance and color temperature of the illumination light L in order to prompt the user to refresh. When it is determined that the user's fatigue level is very large, the lighting control unit 26 reduces the luminance and color temperature of the lighting light L in order to prompt the user to rest.

  According to the lighting device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the flicker value can be easily acquired with high accuracy and high accuracy, the user's fatigue level can be measured quantitatively, and the fatigue level can be increased. The illumination light L adjusted accordingly can be provided to the user.

(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, although this invention was described by embodiment, it should not be understood that the description and drawing which form a part of this indication limit this invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operational techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  For example, in the already described embodiment, the plurality of presentation units 1 do not have to form a circle, even if the number is not three. As shown in FIG. 10, for example, the presentation unit 1 may be four rectangular presentation units 1 a to 1 d arranged in a grid.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the input unit 3 can input an answer of “I don't know” indicating that the user could not recognize the blinking change in addition to the input for identifying the presentation unit 1 It may be. Thereby, the measurement time is shortened and the objectivity of the measurement result is improved.

  In addition to the above, the present invention includes various embodiments that are not described here, such as a configuration in which the configurations of the embodiments and modifications of the present invention are mutually applied. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is defined only by the invention specifying matters according to the scope of claims reasonable from the above description.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1a-1d Presentation part 2,2A Processing part 4 Illuminance detection part 5 Output part 6 Illumination part 10 Illumination device 22 Change control part 23 Luminance adjustment part 24 Detection part 25 Acquisition part 26 Illumination control part

Claims (8)

A plurality of presentation units that blink at mutually different frequencies, each frequency changes in the same direction, and each presents the subject with light whose luminance time averages are equal to each other;
A detection unit that detects a time point when the subject recognizes a change between continuous and discontinuous with respect to the light presented by any of the plurality of presentation units;
An acquisition unit that acquires, as a flicker value, the frequency of light recognized by the subject when detected by the detection unit;
An flicker value measuring apparatus comprising: an output unit that outputs the flicker value acquired by the acquiring unit.   The flicker value measurement according to claim 1, further comprising: a change control unit that changes a frequency of light presented by each of the plurality of presentation units in response to the acquisition of the flicker value by the acquisition unit. apparatus.   The flicker value measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of presentation units present blinking light by alternately changing at least one of contrast, luminance, and color.   The flicker value measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of presentation units present green, red, or blue light. The detection unit detects a plurality of time points when the subject recognizes a change between continuous and discontinuous with respect to the light presented by the plurality of presentation units, respectively.
The said acquisition part acquires each frequency of the light which the said test subject respectively recognized at the some time acquired by the said detection part as a some flicker value, The any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. The flicker value measuring device described in 1.   The detection unit recognizes a change between continuous and non-continuous with respect to light presented by any of the plurality of presentation units by recognizing the gaze direction of the subject. The flicker value measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flicker value measuring apparatus detects a time point when the flicker value is detected. An illuminance detection unit for detecting illuminance around the plurality of presentation units;
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a luminance adjustment unit that adjusts a time average of luminances of the plurality of presentations according to illuminance detected by the illuminance detection unit. The flicker value measuring device according to item. A plurality of presentation units that blink at mutually different frequencies, each frequency changes in the same direction, and each presents the subject with light whose luminance time averages are equal to each other;
A detection unit that detects a time point when the subject recognizes a change between continuous and discontinuous with respect to the light presented by any of the plurality of presentation units;
An acquisition unit that acquires, as a flicker value, the frequency of light recognized by the subject when detected by the detection unit;
An illumination unit that emits illumination light;
An illumination device comprising: an illumination control unit that adjusts illumination light emitted by the illumination unit based on the flicker value acquired by the acquisition unit.

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