JP5804770B2 - Lighting system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a signal generation device that generates a common signal for a plurality of signal input devices.

There is an illuminating device in which the dimming degree can be changed by inputting a dimming signal instructing the dimming degree. As the dimming signal, for example, a pulse width modulation signal that is pulse width modulated by the dimming degree is used.
In addition, there is an illumination device that can change not only the dimming degree but also the correlated color temperature, for example. In such an illuminating device, a dimming signal pulse-width-modulated by the dimming degree and a correlated color temperature signal pulse-width-modulated by the correlated color temperature are input, and the dimming degree and the correlated color temperature are represented by digital data. Some input digital signals. Some illumination devices that input digital signals can accept not only instructions for changing the dimming degree and correlated color temperature, but also more complicated instructions.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-35793

In a lighting system having a large number of lighting devices, the lighting device may be controlled by providing a lighting control device and inputting a control signal such as a dimming signal generated by the lighting control device. When it is desired to divide a large number of lighting devices into a plurality of groups and perform different control for each group, lighting devices that input pulse width modulated control signals can share control signal signal lines within the group. However, since signal lines for control signals cannot be shared by different groups, at least as many signal lines as the number of groups are required. On the other hand, a lighting device that inputs a digital signal can share signal lines for control signals in different groups by assigning an address to each group.
If it becomes necessary to divide a plurality of lighting devices that have been operated as a group into a plurality of groups, if the lighting device is a lighting device that inputs a pulse width modulated control signal, It is necessary to change the wiring, and it is difficult to change the grouping later.
Thus, it is conceivable to renew the lighting device to a lighting device that inputs a digital signal. By doing so, it is not necessary to change the wiring of the signal lines, and it becomes easy to change the grouping later.

In a large-scale lighting system, it is expensive and difficult to renew all lighting devices at once. Therefore, there is a desire to renew only some of the lighting devices.
However, when the lighting device is changed from a lighting device that inputs a pulse width modulation signal to a lighting device that inputs a digital signal, the lighting control device also changes from the lighting control device that outputs a pulse width modulation signal. It is necessary to change to a lighting control device that outputs a digital signal. In addition, it is necessary to divide signal lines between an illumination device that inputs a pulse width modulation signal and an illumination device that inputs a digital signal. For this reason, it is difficult to renew only some of the lighting devices and mix a lighting device that inputs a pulse width modulation signal and a lighting device that inputs a digital signal.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, for example, and a signal generation device such as a lighting control device is common to a signal input device such as a lighting device that inputs different types of signals. An object is to generate a common signal that can be transmitted using a signal line.

  A signal generation device according to the present invention includes a pulse width modulation signal generation unit that generates a pulse width modulation signal for a pulse width modulation signal input device that interprets an input signal as a pulse width modulated signal, and on-off modulation of the input signal. An on / off modulation signal generation unit that generates an on / off modulation signal for an on / off modulation signal input device to be interpreted as a received signal, and the on / off modulation signal generation unit is part of the pulse width modulation signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit. And a signal output unit that outputs a signal incorporating the generated on / off modulation signal.

  According to the signal generation device of the present invention, it is possible to generate a common signal that can be transmitted to the pulse width modulation signal input device and the on / off modulation signal input device using a common signal line.

1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a lighting system 800 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a block configuration of a lighting fixture 820 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration of a signal input circuit 823 in Embodiment 1; FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a lighting fixture 830 in Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration of a signal input circuit 833 in Embodiment 1; FIG. 3 shows a structure of a digital signal frame 510 in the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a dimming control controller 810 in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a structure of a control signal output by a signal output unit 130 in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 shows a structure of a digital signal frame 510 in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a structure of a digital signal frame 510 in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a dimming control controller 810 according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a control signal output by a signal output unit 130 in a fifth embodiment.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of an illumination system 800 in this embodiment.

The lighting system 800 (lighting control system, communication system) includes a dimming control controller 810 and a plurality of lighting fixtures 820 and 830. The dimming controller 810 (lighting control device) generates and outputs a control signal (lighting control signal) for controlling the plurality of lighting fixtures 820 and 830. The control signal output from the dimming controller 810 indicates, for example, lighting / extinguishing of the lighting fixtures 820 and 830, dimming degree, correlated color temperature, and the like. Each of the lighting fixtures 820 and 830 (lighting devices) receives the control signal output from the dimming controller 810 and operates according to the input control signal.
Among the plurality of lighting fixtures 820 and 830, the lighting fixture 820 inputs a dimming signal (pulse width modulation signal) subjected to pulse width modulation (PWM) as a control signal. The lighting fixture 820 is turned on / off and dimmed according to the input dimming signal. The PWM signal input by the lighting fixture 820 is, for example, a signal having a frequency of 100 Hz to 1 kHz.
On the other hand, the lighting fixture 830 inputs an on / off modulated digital signal (on / off modulated signal) as a control signal. Note that the digital signal input by the lighting fixture 830 may be transmitted in the base band or may be transmitted in the carrier band. The luminaire 830 is turned on and off, dimmed, and adjusts the correlated color temperature in accordance with the input digital signal. The digital signal input by the lighting fixture 830 is, for example, a serial signal of 100 kilobits per second to 10 megabits per second.
Thus, the thing with which the modulation system of the control signal to input differs in the some lighting fixtures 820 and 830 is mixed. However, there is a pair of signal lines (communication lines) connecting the dimming control controller 810 and the plurality of lighting fixtures 820 and 830, and the dimming control controller 810 is a control signal common to all the lighting fixtures 820 and 830. Is output. The lighting fixture 820 interprets one control signal output from the dimming controller 810 as a PWM signal (pulse width changing method), and the lighting fixture 830 interprets it as a digital signal (digital scheme).

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a block configuration of the lighting fixture 820 in this embodiment.

The lighting fixture 820 includes a light source circuit 821 and a lighting device 822, for example.
The light source circuit 821 has a light source such as an LED, or connects a detachable light source such as a discharge lamp (fluorescent lamp). The light source circuit 821 supplies the power supplied from the lighting device 822 to the light source to light the light source.
The lighting device 822 (illumination lighting device) supplies power to the light source circuit 821 in accordance with an instruction from the dimming controller 810 and the like, thereby turning on and off the light source and dimming. The lighting device 822 includes, for example, a signal input circuit 823, a control circuit 824, and a power supply circuit 825.
A signal input circuit 823 (pulse width modulation signal input device) receives a control signal from the dimming controller 810 and converts it into a signal for the control circuit 824. The signal input circuit 823 interprets the input control signal as a PWM signal. For example, the signal input circuit 823 measures the on-duty of the input control signal and outputs a signal (lighting state signal) representing the measured on-duty.
The control circuit 824 receives the signal output from the signal input circuit 823 and controls the operation of the power supply circuit 825 in accordance with the input signal. The control circuit 824 is a microcomputer, for example.
The power supply circuit 825 receives power supplied from a power supply AC such as a commercial power supply, and converts the input power into power supplied to the light source circuit 821. The power supply circuit 825 receives a signal from the control circuit 824 and operates in accordance with the input signal. The power supply circuit 825 includes, for example, a rectifier circuit, a boost converter circuit, and an inverter circuit, and supplies AC power to the light source circuit 821. The rectifier circuit performs full-wave rectification on the AC power from the power supply AC. The step-up converter circuit smoothes and boosts the pulsating power that has been full-wave rectified by the rectifier circuit. The inverter circuit converts DC power having a high voltage boosted by the boost converter circuit into high-frequency AC power.
For example, when the control signal from the dimming controller 810 instructs to turn off the light source, the control circuit 824 stops the operation of the power supply circuit 825. As a result, no power is supplied to the light source circuit 821, and the light source is turned off. When the control signal from the dimming controller 810 instructs to turn on the light source, the control circuit 824 supplies the power supplied from the power supply circuit 825 to the light source circuit 821 in accordance with the dimming degree instructed by the control signal. Adjust. If the power supplied to the light source circuit 821 is large, the light source is lit brightly. If the power supplied to the light source circuit 821 is small, the light source is lit darkly. For example, the control circuit 824 changes the power supplied to the light source circuit 821 by changing the frequency (operating frequency) of the AC power generated by the power supply circuit 825 based on the frequency characteristics of the light source circuit 821.

  FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of the signal input circuit 823 in this embodiment.

The signal input circuit 823 includes, for example, an insulation transmission circuit 827 and an on-duty measurement circuit 828. The signal input circuit 823 operates using, for example, DC power supplied from the control power circuit 826 as a power source. The control power supply circuit 826 converts power supplied from, for example, a power supply AC into DC power having a predetermined control power supply voltage.
The insulation transmission circuit 827 transmits the signal input from the dimming controller 810 to the on-duty measurement circuit 828 while being electrically insulated. The insulation transmission circuit 827 includes, for example, resistors R71, R73, R75, a photocoupler P72, and a switching element Q74. The resistor R71 and the light emitting diode which is the primary side of the photocoupler P72 are electrically connected in series with each other and electrically connected to the output of the dimming controller 810. The resistor R71 limits the current flowing through the light emitting diode of the photocoupler P72. The photocoupler P72 electrically insulates the light control controller 810 from the on-duty measurement circuit 828. The resistor R73 and the phototransistor on the secondary side of the photocoupler P72 are electrically connected in series with each other and electrically connected to the output of the control power supply circuit 826. The resistor R75 and the switching element Q74 are electrically connected in series with each other, and are electrically connected to the output of the control power supply circuit 826 in parallel with the series circuit of the resistor R73 and the phototransistor of the photocoupler P72. The switching element Q74 is an NPN bipolar transistor, for example. A terminal for inputting a signal for controlling on / off of the switching element Q74 (for example, a base terminal of a bipolar transistor) is electrically connected to a connection point between the resistor R73 and the phototransistor of the photocoupler P72. Insulation transmission circuit 827 outputs the potential at the connection point between resistor R75 and switching element Q74.
When the voltage value of the control signal input from the dimming controller 810 is higher than a predetermined threshold value, a current flows through the light emitting diode of the photocoupler P72 via the resistor R71. When the light emitting diode of the photocoupler P72 emits light, the phototransistor of the photocoupler P72 is turned on. For this reason, since the potential at the connection point between the resistor R73 and the phototransistor of the photocoupler P72 is lowered, the switching element Q74 is turned off. Therefore, the potential at the connection point between the resistor R75 and the switching element Q74 is increased.
On the contrary, when the voltage value of the control signal input from the dimming controller 810 is lower than the predetermined threshold value, no current flows through the resistor R71. Since the light emitting diode of the photocoupler P72 does not emit light, the phototransistor of the photocoupler P72 is turned off. For this reason, the potential at the connection point between the resistor R73 and the phototransistor of the photocoupler P72 is increased, and the switching element Q74 is turned on. Therefore, the potential at the connection point between the resistor R75 and the switching element Q74 is lowered.
As described above, the insulation transmission circuit 827 electrically isolates the dimming control controller 810 and the on-duty measurement circuit 828 by the photocoupler P72, and outputs a signal having the same phase as the signal from the dimming control controller 810. This is transmitted to the measurement circuit 828.

The on-duty measurement circuit 828 measures the on-duty of the signal transmitted by the insulation transmission circuit 827. The on-duty measurement circuit 828 includes, for example, switching elements Q81 and Q82, resistors R83, R84, and R85, and a capacitor C86. Switching element Q81, resistor R83, resistor R84, and switching element Q82 are electrically connected in series with each other and connected to the output of control power supply circuit 826. The switching element Q81 is, for example, an enhancement type PMOSFET. The switching element Q82 is, for example, an enhancement type NMOSFET. A terminal for inputting a signal for controlling on / off of the switching element Q81 (for example, a gate terminal of the FET) and a terminal for inputting a signal for controlling the on / off of the switching element Q82 (for example, the gate terminal of the FET) The signal output from the insulation transmission circuit 827 is input to the connection point between the resistor R75 and the switching element Q74. The two switching elements Q81 and Q82 operate alternately (on / off). That is, when the switching element Q81 is on, the switching element Q82 is off, and when the switching element Q82 is on, the switching element Q81 is off. The resistor R85 and the capacitor C86 are electrically connected in series with each other, and are electrically connected in parallel to the series circuit of the resistor R84 and the switching element Q82. The on-duty measurement circuit 828 outputs the potential at the connection point between the resistor R85 and the capacitor C86 (that is, the voltage across the capacitor C86).
When the potential of the signal output from the insulating transmission circuit 827 is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the switching element Q81 is turned off and the switching element Q82 is turned on. The capacitor C86 is discharged via the resistors R84 and R85.
When the potential of the signal output from the insulating transmission circuit 827 is lower than a predetermined threshold value, the switching element Q81 is turned on and the switching element Q82 is turned off. Capacitor C86 is charged through resistors R83 and R85.
If the capacitance of the capacitor C86 is sufficiently larger than the current for charging and discharging the capacitor C86, the voltage across the capacitor C86 is determined by the ratio of the charging time and the discharging time. If the on-duty of the signal from the insulation transmission circuit 827 is large, the discharge time becomes long, so the voltage across the capacitor C86 becomes low. If the on-duty of the signal from the insulation transmission circuit 827 is small, the charging time becomes long, so the voltage across the capacitor C86 increases. That is, the on-duty measurement circuit 828 measures the on-duty of the input signal and outputs a voltage representing the measured on-duty.

  For example, the control circuit 824 controls the power supply circuit 825 so that the power supplied from the power supply circuit 825 to the light source circuit 821 increases as the potential of the signal output from the signal input circuit 823 increases. Accordingly, the light source of the light source circuit 821 is lit brighter as the on-duty of the signal from the dimming controller 810 input by the signal input circuit 823 is smaller. Conversely, as the on-duty of the signal from the dimming controller 810 input by the signal input circuit 823 is larger, the light source of the light source circuit 821 is lit darker.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the lighting fixture 830 in this embodiment.

The lighting fixture 830 includes, for example, two light source circuits 831a and 831b and a lighting device 832.
The light source circuits 831a and 831b have a light source such as an LED, or connect a light source. The light source circuits 831a and 831b supply the power supplied from the lighting device 832 to the light source to light the light source. The light source of the light source circuit 831a and the light source of the light source circuit 831b have different correlated color temperatures of emitted light. The luminaire 830 emits light that is a mixture of light emitted from the light source of the light source circuit 831a (for example, day white) and light emitted from the light source of the light source circuit 831b (for example, light bulb color). The lighting fixture 830 adjusts the light emitted from the lighting fixture 830 by independently changing the intensity of light emitted from the light source of the light source circuit 831a and the intensity of light emitted from the light source of the light source circuit 831b. The light intensity and correlated color temperature can be changed.
The lighting device 832 (illumination lighting device) supplies power to the two light source circuits 831a and 831b according to an instruction from the dimming controller 810, etc., thereby turning on and off the light source, dimming, and correlation. Adjust the color temperature. The lighting device 832 includes, for example, a signal input circuit 833, a control circuit 834, and a power supply circuit 835.
The signal input circuit 833 (on / off modulation signal input device) receives a control signal from the dimming controller 810 and converts it into a signal for the control circuit 834. The signal input circuit 833 interprets the input signal as a digital signal. For example, the signal input circuit 833 interprets the input control signal as a serial signal and stores the interpreted data. The signal input circuit 833 outputs a signal (lighting state signal) representing the stored data.
The control circuit 834 receives the signal output from the signal input circuit 833 and controls the operation of the power supply circuit 835 in accordance with the input signal. The control circuit 834 is, for example, a microcomputer.
The power supply circuit 835 inputs power supplied from a power supply AC such as a commercial power supply, and converts the input power into power supplied to the light source circuit 831a and power supplied to the light source circuit 831b. The power supply circuit 835 receives a signal from the control circuit 824 and operates according to the input signal. The power supply circuit 835 includes, for example, a rectifier circuit, a step-up converter circuit, and two step-down converter circuits, and supplies DC power to the light source circuits 831a and 831b. The rectifier circuit performs full-wave rectification on the AC power from the power supply AC. The step-up converter circuit smoothes and boosts the pulsating power that has been full-wave rectified by the rectifier circuit. The step-down converter circuit steps down DC power having a high voltage boosted by the step-up converter circuit and converts it to DC power having a low voltage. One of the two step-down converter circuits supplies DC power to the light source circuit 831a, and the other supplies DC power to the light source circuit 831b. Note that the power supply circuit 835 may be divided into a power supply circuit that supplies power to the light source circuit 831a and a power supply circuit that supplies power to the light source circuit 831b.
For example, when the control signal from the dimming controller 810 instructs to turn off the light source, the control circuit 834 stops the operation of the power supply circuit 835. As a result, power is not supplied to the light source circuits 831a and 831b, and the light source is turned off. When the control signal from the dimming controller 810 instructs to turn on the light source, the control circuit 834 causes the power supply circuit 835 to change the light source circuits 831a and 831b according to the dimming degree and the correlated color temperature instructed by the control signal. The electric power supplied to is adjusted. If the power supplied to the light source circuit 831a is large and the power supplied to the light source circuit 831b is small, the light source of the light source circuit 831a is lit brightly and the light source of the light source circuit 831b is lit darkly, so that the luminaire 830 radiates. The correlated color temperature of light is close to the correlated color temperature of the light source of the light source circuit 831a. On the other hand, if the power supplied to the light source circuit 831 is small and the power supplied to the light source circuit 831b is large, the light source of the light source circuit 831a is lit dark and the light source of the light source circuit 831b is lit brightly. The correlated color temperature of the light emitted from the light source is close to the correlated color temperature of the light source of the light source circuit 831b. For example, the control circuit 834 calculates a current to be passed through each of the light source circuits 831a and 831b based on the instructed dimming degree and correlated color temperature. For example, the control circuit 834 stores in advance a table representing a correspondence relationship between the dimming degree and the correlated color temperature and the current to be passed through the light source circuits 831a and 831b. The control circuit 834 refers to the table to calculate the current that should flow through each of the light source circuits 831a and 831b. The control circuit 834 detects the current actually flowing through the light source circuits 831a and 831b, and controls the power supply circuit 835 so that the detected current matches the calculated current.

  FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the signal input circuit 833 in this embodiment.

The signal input circuit 833 includes, for example, an insulation transmission circuit 837 and a reception circuit 838. For example, the signal input circuit 833 operates using DC power supplied from the control power circuit 836 as a power source. The control power supply circuit 836 converts, for example, power supplied from the power supply AC or the like into DC power having a predetermined control power supply voltage.
The insulation transmission circuit 837 transmits the signal input from the dimming controller 810 to the reception circuit 838 while being electrically insulated. The insulation transmission circuit 837 has the same configuration as the insulation transmission circuit 827, for example.

  The reception circuit 838 interprets and stores the signal transmitted by the insulation transmission circuit 837. The receiving circuit 838 is, for example, an integrated circuit (IC) or a microcomputer. The receiving circuit 838 may be an IC or a microcomputer integrated with the control circuit 834. For example, the reception circuit 838 receives the signal output from the insulation transmission circuit 837. The receiving circuit 838 monitors the input signal, and when it finds a predetermined start pattern, it determines that it is the start of the frame, synchronizes, and interprets the subsequent signal as a serial signal that is modulated on / off. Then, the data obtained as the interpretation result is stored. When one frame ends, the receiving circuit 838 again monitors the input signal and searches for a predetermined start pattern. For example, the receiving circuit 838 may be configured to determine that the end of the frame is reached when a predetermined end pattern is found, or the length of the frame is determined in advance, and the receiving circuit 838 is determined A configuration may be adopted in which it is determined that the end of the frame is obtained when the length data is serial-parallel converted. Also, instead of predetermining the frame length, data representing the data length of the frame is placed near the beginning of the frame, and the receiving circuit 838 determines the end of the frame based on the data. It may be a configuration.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the structure of a digital signal frame 510 in this embodiment.

  The frame 510 includes a start pattern 511, dimming data 513, and color temperature data 514. A start pattern 511 represents the start of the frame 510. The start pattern 511 is, for example, 8 bits, and is data having a predetermined value such as “10100101” (binary number). The dimming degree data 513 represents the dimming degree instructed to the lighting fixture 830. The dimming degree data 513 is, for example, 8 bits, and in that case, a maximum of 256 levels of dimming can be performed. The color temperature data 514 represents the correlated color temperature indicated to the luminaire 830. The color temperature data 514 is, for example, 8 bits, and in that case, the color temperature can be adjusted in a maximum of 256 stages. In this example, the length of one frame is 24 bits, and if the bit rate is 10 megabits per second, the duration of one frame is 2.4 microseconds.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the dimming controller 810 in this embodiment.

The dimming controller 810 includes, for example, an instruction input unit 811, an instruction storage unit 812, and the signal generation device 100.
The instruction input unit 811 inputs an instruction for the lighting fixtures 820 and 830. The instruction input unit 811 is, for example, a remote control receiving circuit, and inputs a remote control operation by a user. The instructions input by the instruction input unit 811 are, for example, instructions for turning on and off the lighting fixture 820 and a dimming degree, and instructions for turning on and off the lighting fixture 830, a dimming degree and a correlated color temperature. Note that the instruction input unit 811 may be configured to input a common instruction to all the lighting fixtures 820 and 830 without distinguishing between the instruction to the lighting fixture 820 and the instruction to the lighting fixture 830.
The instruction storage unit 812 stores the instruction input by the instruction input unit 811. The instruction storage unit 812 is, for example, a nonvolatile memory, and stores data representing the instruction input by the instruction input unit 811.

The signal generation device 100 generates and outputs control signals for the lighting fixtures 820 and 830 based on the instructions stored in the instruction storage unit 812. The signal generation device 100 includes, for example, a pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110, an on / off modulation signal generation unit 120, and a signal output unit 130.
The pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 generates a PWM signal for the lighting fixture 820 based on the instruction stored in the instruction storage unit 812.
The on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates a digital signal for the lighting fixture 830 based on the instruction stored in the instruction storage unit 812. The digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 includes, for example, a start pattern signal that is the start pattern 511 of the frame 510, a dimming degree signal (data signal) representing the dimming degree data 513 (data), and color temperature data 514. Color temperature signal (data signal) representing (data). The on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 includes, for example, a start signal generation unit 121, a dimming degree signal generation unit 123, and a color temperature signal generation unit 124.
The start signal generation unit 121 generates a start pattern signal. For example, the start signal generation unit 121 generates a start pattern signal at a predetermined timing in one cycle of the PWM signal in accordance with the timing at which the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 generates the pulse width modulation signal.
The dimming degree signal generation unit 123 generates a dimming degree signal based on the dimming degree instruction stored in the instruction storage unit 812 following the start pattern signal generated by the starting signal generation unit 121.
The color temperature signal generation unit 124 generates a color temperature signal based on the correlated color temperature instruction stored in the instruction storage unit 812 following the dimming degree signal generated by the dimming degree signal generation unit 123.

  The signal output unit 130 generates a signal in which the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is incorporated into a part of the pulse width modulation signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110, and the lighting fixtures 820 and 830. To the outside as a control signal for. For example, the signal output unit 130 outputs the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 at the timing when the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates the digital signal, and the pulse width modulation signal at other timings. The PWM signal generated by the generation unit 110 is output.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of the control signal output by the signal output unit 130 in this embodiment.
The period 500 is one period of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110. For example, when the frequency of the PWM signal is 100 Hz, the duration of one cycle 500 is 10 milliseconds. The on period 520 is a period during which the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 is on. The off period 530 is a period in which the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 is off. The duration of the on period 520 and the off period 530 varies depending on the dimming degree instruction stored in the instruction storage unit 812.
A frame 510 is a frame of a digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120. For example, the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates one frame 510 at a timing corresponding to the end of the off period 530. The on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 may be configured to generate a digital signal at another timing. Further, the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 may be configured to generate a plurality of frames 510 in one cycle 500 or may be configured to generate one frame 510 in a plurality of cycles 500.

The signal input circuit 823 of the lighting fixture 820 interprets the control signal output from the dimming controller 810 as a PWM signal. During the period when the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates the digital signal, the voltage of the control signal output from the dimming controller 810 is the same voltage as the on period 520 and the same voltage as the off period 530. There is a time. Since the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is originally incorporated in the period that should be the off period 530, the on-duty of the control signal output by the dimming controller 810 is the pulse width modulation signal generation unit. 110 is slightly larger than the on-duty of the PWM signal generated. For example, when the duration of one cycle 500 is 10 milliseconds and the duration of one frame 510 is 2.4 microseconds, the on-duty is increased by 0.024% at the maximum. For example, when the on-duty of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 is 50%, the on-duty of the control signal output by the dimming controller 810 is 50% to 50.024%. Therefore, the lighting fixture 820 operates as an input of a PWM signal having an on-duty of 50% to 50.024%.
If the duration of the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 per one cycle 500 of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 is 1/100 or less of the duration of one cycle 500 Since the error of the on-duty of the PWM signal interpreted by the signal input circuit 823 is within 1%, it can be almost ignored. Furthermore, if the duration of the digital signal is less than 1/1000 of the duration of one cycle 500, the error caused by incorporating the digital signal is within 0.1%, which is comparable to the variation tolerance in the PWM signal. .
Therefore, the lighting fixture 820 operates in the same manner as when a normal PWM signal is input.

  In addition, the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 does not generate a digital signal in the PWM signal off period 530 generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120, but in the PWM signal on period 520, instead of the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110. 110 may be configured to generate a digital signal.

The signal input circuit 833 of the lighting fixture 830 interprets the control signal output from the dimming controller 810 as a digital signal. If the same pattern as the start pattern 511 does not appear in the portion other than the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120, the signal input circuit 833 ignores the portion other than the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120. Therefore, only the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is interpreted. Therefore, the signal input circuit 833 interprets the digital signal once in each cycle 500 and stores the acquired data. The control circuit 834 of the lighting fixture 830 controls the signal input circuit 833 based on the data stored in the signal input circuit 833.
Therefore, the luminaire 830 operates in the same manner as when a normal digital signal is input.

Note that it is desirable that the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 be configured to generate one frame 510 in a plurality of cycles 500, because the on-duty error of the PWM signal interpreted by the signal input circuit 823 is further reduced.
However, if the cycle in which the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates the frame 510 is lengthened, a delay time from when the instruction input unit 811 inputs an instruction to the lighting fixture 830 until the instruction is transmitted to the lighting fixture 830 is increased. growing.
Therefore, the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 immediately generates the frame 510 when the instruction to the lighting fixture 830 stored in the instruction storage unit 812 is changed, and when the instruction to the lighting fixture 830 is not changed, The configuration may be such that one frame 510 is generated every relatively long period (for example, 1 second). Then, when the instruction to the lighting fixture 830 is changed, the instruction can be immediately transmitted to the lighting fixture 830, and the error of the on-duty of the PWM signal interpreted by the lighting fixture 820 can be reduced.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In addition, about the part which is common in Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The configurations of lighting system 800, dimming controller 810, and lighting fixtures 820 and 830 in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the structure of a digital signal frame 510 in this embodiment.

  The frame 510 has an end pattern 515. End pattern 515 represents the end of frame 510. The end pattern 515 is, for example, 8 bits and is data of a predetermined value such as “11111111” (binary number). When the signal input circuit 833 of the lighting fixture 830 finds the end pattern 515 during reception of the frame 510, it determines that the frame 510 has ended.

  The structure of the control signal output from the signal output unit 130 of the dimming controller 810 is the same as that in FIG. 8, and will be described with reference to FIG.

The on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates one frame 510 at a timing corresponding to the end of the off period 530. However, the end pattern 515 is not included in the frame 510 generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120.
In the control signal output by the signal output unit 130, an on period 520 exists after the frame 510 generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120. Since the signal input circuit 833 of the luminaire 830 considers that the frame is still continuing, it interprets the beginning of the on period 520 as a digital signal. For example, the signal input circuit 833 interprets the beginning of the on period 520 to obtain data “11111111” (binary number). If this data matches the end pattern, the signal input circuit 833 determines that the frame 510 has ended there.

In this way, the lighting fixture 830 determines the end of the frame 510 when the end pattern 515 appears, and there is a pattern that matches the end pattern 515 in the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110. In this case, the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates the frame 510 that does not include the end pattern 515 at the timing immediately before the pattern.
As a result, the signal input circuit 833 of the lighting fixture 830 determines that the frame 510 has ended, and ignores the signal until the next frame 510 starts. Therefore, the luminaire 830 operates in the same manner as when a normal digital signal is input.
In addition, since the length of the frame 510 generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is shortened by not including the end pattern 515, the on-duty error of the PWM signal interpreted by the lighting fixture 820 can be reduced.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
A third embodiment will be described.
Note that portions common to Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The configuration of lighting system 800, dimming controller 810, and lighting fixtures 820 and 830 in this embodiment is the same as that in the first or second embodiment.

The pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 of the signal generation device 100 considers that the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is incorporated in the control signal output from the signal output unit 130, and the on period of the PWM signal. The durations of 520 and off period 530 are determined, and a PWM signal is generated based on the determined results.
For example, when the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is incorporated in the OFF period 530 of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110, the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 may In 500, the total of the time when the voltage of the control signal output from the signal output unit 130 becomes the same voltage as the ON period 520 due to the incorporation of the digital signal is calculated. The pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 sets the duration of the ON period 520 to a time obtained by subtracting the calculated total time from the original duration obtained from the dimming degree instruction stored in the instruction storage unit 812. For example, when the on-duty indicating the dimming degree instruction stored in the instruction storage unit 812 is 50% and the duration of one cycle 500 is 10 milliseconds, the duration of the on-period 520 is originally 5 milliseconds. become. If the time when the voltage of the control signal is the same voltage as the on period 520 is 10 microseconds by incorporating the digital signal in the previous cycle 500, the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 The duration of the on period 520 is 4.99 milliseconds.
Conversely, when the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is incorporated in the on period 520 of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110, the voltage of the control signal output by the signal output unit 130 is The total time when the voltage is the same as that of the off period 530 due to the incorporation of the digital signal is added to the original duration of the on period 520 to increase the duration of the on period 520.

Thereby, the error of the on-duty of the PWM signal interpreted by the signal input circuit 823 of the lighting fixture 820 can be almost eliminated.
Note that when the original on-duty is 0%, the duration of the on-period 520 cannot be further shortened, and thus an on-duty error of the PWM signal interpreted by the signal input circuit 823 occurs. Similarly, when the original on-duty is 100%, the duration of the on-period 520 cannot be further increased, and thus an on-duty error of the PWM signal interpreted by the signal input circuit 823 occurs.
However, if the PWM signal is configured such that, for example, the on-duty is 5% or less, it means the maximum light output, and if the on-duty is 95% or more, it means that the light is turned off. Since it is not necessary to use a PWM signal with a duty of 0% or 100%, the error at this time can be ignored. In that case, if the ratio of the duration of the digital signal to the duration of one cycle 500 of the PWM signal is within 5%, the error of the on-duty of the PWM signal interpreted by the signal input circuit 823 can be eliminated.

In consideration of the fact that the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is incorporated in the control signal output from the signal output unit 130, the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 performs the PWM signal on period 520 and off time. Instead of changing the duration of the period 530, the timing at which the on / off modulation signal generator 120 generates a digital signal may be changed.
For example, the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110 changes from the on period 520 to the off period 530, or from the off period 530 to the on period 520. It is set to a timing that overlaps with the transition timing. The on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 calculates a ratio between a period during which the voltage of the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is the same voltage as the on period 520 and a period during which the voltage is the same as the off period 530, A digital signal is generated at a timing when the generated digital signal overlaps the on period 520 and the off period 530 at the same ratio as the calculated ratio. For example, when the voltage of the digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 is 60% during the period when the voltage is the same as the on period 520 and 40% during the period when the voltage is the same as the off period 530, the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates a digital signal at a timing in which 60% of the duration of the generated digital signal overlaps the on period 520 and 40% overlaps the off period 530.
Instead of changing the timing at which the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates the digital signal, the signal output unit 130 may be configured to delay the digital signal and incorporate it into the PWM signal.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
The fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In addition, about the part which is common in Embodiment 1- Embodiment 3, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The configurations of lighting system 800 and lighting fixtures 820 and 830 in this embodiment are the same as those in the first to third embodiments. However, the lighting system 800 includes a plurality of lighting fixtures 830, and the plurality of lighting fixtures 830 are divided into a plurality of groups. The lighting system 800 can control lighting on / off of the lighting fixture 830, dimming degree, correlated color temperature, and the like for each group.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the structure of a digital signal frame 510 in this embodiment.
The frame 510 has address data 512. Address data 512 represents a group identifier that designates the group of lighting fixtures 830 that is the target of the frame 510. The address data 512 is, for example, 8 bits. In this case, it is possible to instruct a maximum of 256 groups with one control signal. Note that since the lighting device 820 can be instructed differently from the lighting device 830, if the lighting device 820 is regarded as one group, the number of groups that can be instructed separately is one. Increase.

The reception circuit 838 of the lighting fixture 830 stores, for example, a group identifier of a group in which the lighting fixtures 830 are classified in advance. For example, the receiving circuit 838 has a dip switch, and the user sets the dip switch in advance according to the group identifier of the group into which the lighting fixtures 830 are classified. The receiving circuit 838 acquires the group identifier of the group into which the lighting fixtures 830 are classified by reading the state of the dip switch.
When the reception circuit 838 monitors the input signal and finds the start pattern 511, the reception circuit 838 determines that it is the start of the frame, synchronizes, and interprets the subsequent signal as an on / off modulated serial signal. Address data 512 is acquired. The receiving circuit 838 compares the group identifier stored in advance with the group identifier represented by the acquired address data 512, and determines whether or not they match.
If the group identifiers match, the receiving circuit 838 further interprets the subsequent signals as serial signals that have been subjected to on / off modulation, and acquires and stores the dimming data 513 and the color temperature data 514. The control circuit 834 controls the lighting device 832 according to the dimming degree represented by the dimming degree data 513 stored by the receiving circuit 838 and the correlated color temperature represented by the color temperature data 514.
If the group identifiers do not match, the receiving circuit 838 ignores the frame and waits for the frame to end and the next frame to start. Since the dimming degree data 513 and the color temperature data 514 stored in the receiving circuit 838 are not changed, the control circuit 834 controls the lighting device 832 according to the dimming degree and the correlated color temperature that are not changed so far.

  In this way, the lighting fixture 830 acquires only the frame 510 including an instruction for the group to which it is classified, and operates according to the instruction included in the acquired frame 510.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the dimming control controller 810 in this embodiment.

In addition to the configuration described in Embodiment 1, the dimming control controller 810 further includes an address input unit 813 and an address storage unit 814.
The address input unit 813 inputs a group identifier that specifies a group into which the lighting fixtures 830 included in the lighting system 800 are classified.
The address storage unit 814 stores the group identifier input by the address input unit 813. The address storage unit 814 is, for example, a nonvolatile memory.

The instruction input unit 811 inputs an instruction to the lighting fixtures 820 and 830 and a group identifier that specifies a group that is a target of the instruction. Note that a group identifier different from any of the group identifiers assigned to the group into which the luminaire 830 is classified may be assigned to the luminaire 820, and an instruction to the luminaire 820 may be identified by the group identifier.
The instruction storage unit 812 stores the instruction input by the instruction input unit 811 in association with the group identifier representing the group that is the target of the instruction.

The digital signal generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 includes, for example, a start pattern signal that is the start pattern 511 of the frame 510, an address signal that represents the address data 512, and a dimming degree signal that represents the dimming degree data 513 (data body). (Data body signal) and a color temperature signal (data body signal) representing the color temperature data 514 (data body). The on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 further includes an address signal generation unit 122 in addition to the configuration described in the first embodiment.
The address signal generation unit 122 generates an address signal based on the group identifier stored in the address storage unit 814 following the start pattern signal generated by the start signal generation unit 121.
The dimming degree signal generation unit 123 stores the dimming degree stored in the instruction storage unit 812 in association with the group identifier represented by the address signal generated by the address signal generation unit 122, following the address signal generated by the address signal generation unit 122. A dimming degree signal is generated based on the instruction.
The color temperature signal generation unit 124 correlates the dimming degree signal generated by the dimming degree signal generation unit 123 with the correlation stored in the instruction storage unit 812 in association with the group identifier represented by the address signal generated by the address signal generation unit 122. A color temperature signal is generated based on the color temperature instruction.

For example, the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 generates one frame 510 for one period 500 of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit 110. Since one frame 510 represents an instruction for one group, the same number of periods 500 as the number of groups are required to instruct all groups. For example, instructing 10 groups takes 10 times the duration of one cycle 500. For example, if the duration of one cycle 500 is 10 milliseconds, it takes 0.1 seconds to indicate to 10 groups.
Therefore, the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 does not generate the frames 510 indicating the instructions for the respective groups in order, but preferentially generates the frames 510 indicating the instructions for the groups whose instructions have been changed. It may be a configuration. Further, the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120 may be configured to generate one frame 510 representing an instruction for a group whose instruction does not change, every relatively long period (for example, 1 second).

  As described above, since the frame 510 has the address data 512, not only the lighting fixture 820 and the lighting fixture 830 are instructed differently, but also the plurality of lighting fixtures 830 are divided into a plurality of groups. You can give different instructions.

Embodiment 5 FIG.
A fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In addition, about the part which is common in Embodiment 1- Embodiment 4, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The configurations of lighting system 800, dimming controller 810, and lighting fixtures 820 and 830 in this embodiment are the same as those described in the fourth embodiment.

  The configuration of the digital signal frame 510 in this embodiment is the same as that described in the fourth embodiment.

  When the reception circuit 838 of the lighting fixture 830 finds the start pattern 511 of the next frame 510 during reception of the frame 510, it determines that the previous frame 510 has ended before that. That is, the start pattern 511 of a certain frame 510 also serves as the end pattern 515 of the previous frame 510.

The start signal generation unit 121 of the dimming controller 810 generates a second start pattern signal, which is a second start pattern, following the color temperature signal generated by the color temperature signal generation unit 124.
The address signal generation unit 122 is different from any of the group identifiers to which the group is assigned based on the group identifier stored in the address storage unit 814 following the second start pattern signal generated by the start signal generation unit 121. A second address signal representing a group identifier (ie, a group identifier to which no group is assigned) is generated.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the structure of the control signal output by the signal output unit 130 in this embodiment.
The digital signal 540 is generated by the on / off modulation signal generation unit 120. The digital signal 540 includes a start pattern signal, an address signal, a dimming degree signal, a color temperature signal, a second start pattern signal, and a second address signal.
Among these, the lighting fixture 830 recognizes from the start pattern signal to the color temperature signal before the second start pattern signal as one frame 510. If the group identifier represented by the address signal matches the group identifier of the group to which the luminaire 830 itself belongs, the luminaire 830 understands that the frame 510 represents an indication to the luminaire 830 itself, and the dimming signal represents It operates according to the correlated color temperature represented by the dimming degree or the color temperature signal.
In addition, the lighting fixture 830 recognizes from the second start pattern signal to the first start pattern signal of the next frame 510 as one frame 550. However, since the portion between the second address signal and the first start pattern signal of the next frame 510 is not the digital signal 540 generated by the on / off modulation signal generator 120, the frame 550 is not a real frame. Not a pseudo frame. In addition, since the group identifier represented by the second address signal does not match the group identifier of any group, all the lighting fixtures 830 understand that the frame 550 does not represent an instruction for the lighting fixture 830 itself.

  As described above, the configuration described in each embodiment is an example, and another configuration may be used. For example, the structure which combined the structure demonstrated in different embodiment may be sufficient, and the structure which replaced the structure of the non-essential part with a different structure may be sufficient.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Signal generator, 110 Pulse width modulation signal generation part, 120 On-off modulation signal generation part, 121 Start signal generation part, 122 Address signal generation part, 123 Dimming degree signal generation part, 124 Color temperature signal generation part, 130 Signal output part , 500 cycles, 510, 550 frames, 511 start pattern, 512 address data, 513 dimming data, 514 color temperature data, 515 end pattern, 520 on period, 530 off period, 540 digital signal, 800 lighting system, 810 dimming Control controller, 811 instruction input unit, 812 instruction storage unit, 813 address input unit, 814 address storage unit, 820, 830 lighting fixture, 821, 831 light source circuit, 822, 832 lighting device, 823, 833 signal input circuit, 824 834 system Control circuit, 825, 835 power supply circuit, 826, 836 Control power supply circuit, 827, 837 Insulation transmission circuit, 828 On-duty measurement circuit, 838 Receiver circuit, AC power supply, C86 capacitor, P72 photocoupler, Q74, Q81, Q82 Switching element , R71, R73, R75, R83, R84, R85 resistors.

Claims (5)

A first lighting device that interprets the input signal as a pulse-width modulated signal and operates according to the interpretation result;
A second lighting device that interprets the input signal as an on-off modulated signal and operates according to the interpretation result;
A pulse width modulation signal generator for generating a pulse width modulated signal, the on-off keying signal generator for generating an o-off modulated signal, the on-off keying to a part of the pulse width modulated signal the pulse width modulation signal generating unit has generated An illumination control device having a signal output unit that outputs a signal incorporating the on / off modulation signal generated by the signal generation unit as an illumination control signal for controlling the first illumination device and the second illumination device;
Lighting system characterized in that it comprises a. The duration of the period in which the on / off modulation signal generation unit generates the on / off modulation signal is 1/100 or less of the period of the pulse width modulation signal generated by the pulse width modulation signal generation unit. The illumination system according to 1. Said on-off keying signal generator, the start pattern signal representing the start of a frame, the second said on-off keying signal a signal continued data signal on-off keying by data including data body to be notified to the illumination device and And generate
The signal output unit outputs a signal incorporating the on / off modulation signal at the end of the off period of the pulse width modulation signal as the illumination control signal,
Said second illumination device, the beginning of the on period of the pulse width modulated signal included in the input signal, to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that interpreted as the end pattern signal representative of the end of the frame The lighting system described. Said on-off keying signal generator, the start pattern signal representing the start of a frame, the second address signal and on-off keying by the address data for designating the illumination device, the data present body to be notified to the second illumination device more on-off keying data body signals, the start pattern signal, the signal continued sequentially data signal on-off keying by data different from the above address data generated by the above on-off keying signal,
Each time the start pattern signal is input, the second lighting device determines whether the signal input subsequent to the start pattern signal is the address signal. A signal input following the signal is interpreted as the data body signal, and if it is not the address signal, the signal input subsequently is ignored until the next start pattern signal is input. The illumination system according to claim 1 or 2 . The pulse width modulation signal generation unit may be a sum of times when the voltage of the illumination control signal in the previous cycle of the pulse width modulation signal becomes the same voltage as the ON period of the pulse width modulation signal, or the pulse The sum of the times when the voltage is the same as the ON period of the width modulation signal is calculated, and the duration of the ON period of the pulse width modulation signal in the new period of the pulse width modulation signal is calculated according to the calculated total time. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the illumination system is corrected.

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