JP6467705B2 - Address determining method, lighting control system, control device, and operation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an address determination method in a lighting control system.

  Conventionally, a lighting control system for controlling a plurality of lighting fixtures is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). In such a lighting control system, in order to individually control a plurality of lighting fixtures, an address is given to each of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an address setting method in a case where a lighting fixture is replaced or a new lighting fixture is newly added in an introduced lighting control system.

JP 2010-211938 A JP-A-11-283757

  By the way, when a new lighting control system is introduced, the installer manually assigns the address of the device to be controlled using a dip switch for multiple digits provided in the target device (lighting fixture, dimmer, etc.). The method of determination is common. Such a method is troublesome for the installer, and a simpler method is required.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an address determination method capable of easily determining an address of a target device.

  An address determination method according to an aspect of the present invention is an address determination method in a lighting control system, and the lighting control system performs a plurality of operations for controlling at least one of dimming and toning of at least one lighting fixture. And a control device that is connected to the plurality of control devices via a communication network and individually instructs the plurality of control devices via the communication network, and the address determination method includes the plurality of address determination methods. Each of the control devices transmits a signal to the operation device in response to the setting button of the control device being pressed by the user, and each time the operation device receives the signal, A determination step of determining an address for giving the instruction to the control apparatus that has transmitted the signal.

  A lighting control system according to an aspect of the present invention is connected to a plurality of control devices that each control at least one of light control and color control of at least one lighting fixture, and the plurality of control devices connected by a communication network. An operation device for individually instructing the plurality of control devices via the communication network, and each of the plurality of control devices includes a setting button and a button pressed by the user. A transmission unit that transmits a signal to the operation device, and the operation device gives the instruction to the reception unit that receives the signal and the control device that transmitted the signal each time the signal is received A determination unit that determines an address for the communication.

  According to the address determination method and the like of the present invention, the address of the target device can be determined easily.

1 is a system configuration diagram of a lighting control system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the lighting fixture. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the dimmer. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the operating device. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of address determination processing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of address determination processing according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of address determination processing according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram of a lighting control system according to a modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters and repeated descriptions for substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description from becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

  The inventor provides the accompanying drawings and the following description in order for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present invention, and is not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims. Absent.

  Each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily shown strictly. Moreover, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the substantially same structure, and the overlapping description may be abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment 1)
[Configuration of lighting control system]
First, the configuration of the illumination control system according to Embodiment 1 will be described. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a lighting control system according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the illumination control system 100 includes a plurality of dimmers (dimensioners 20a to 20n), an operation device 30, and a plurality of luminaires (luminaires 10a to 10n). In the figure, the dimmers 20a to 20n are respectively indicated as dimmers 1 to n.

  The lighting control system 100 is a system that allows a user to collectively control a plurality of lighting fixtures 10 a to 10 n (light dimmers 20 a to 20 n) through the operation device 30. That is, in the illumination control system 100, the operating device 30 operates as a parent device, and the dimmers 20a to 20n operate as child devices. For example, the lighting control system 100 is installed in a general household, a store, an office, or the like for the purpose of saving energy or producing effects by lighting.

  The operating device 30 is connected to the plurality of dimmers 20 a to 20 n and the signal line 40. The operating device 30 individually instructs control to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n via the signal line 40 based on a user operation. The signal line 40 is an example of a communication network, and communication between the operation device 30 and the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n is performed via the signal line 40.

  The plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n receive an instruction from the operation device 30, and control dimming of a lighting fixture wired to the dimmer based on the received instruction. In the following description, “control of light control” includes control of turning on and off.

  In the first embodiment, one lighting fixture is connected to one dimmer. Specifically, the lighting fixture 10a is connected to the dimmer 20a, the lighting fixture 10b is connected to the dimmer 20b, and the lighting fixture 10n is connected to the dimmer 20n. A plurality of lighting fixtures may be connected to one dimmer.

  In such an illumination control system 100, it is necessary to determine addresses for individually giving instructions to the dimmers 20a to 20n at the time of introduction. The illumination control system 100 has a feature in the address determination method (address determination processing) of the dimmers 20a to 20n, and such a feature will be described later.

[Configuration of lighting equipment]
Hereinafter, each component which comprises the illumination control system 100 is demonstrated in detail. First, the lighting fixture 10a is demonstrated using FIG.1 and FIG.2. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the lighting fixture.

  The luminaire 10a is a so-called ceiling light that illuminates the room, and dimming control is performed by the dimmer 20a. As the light source of the lighting fixture 10a, for example, an LED is used. In addition, the aspect of the lighting fixture contained in the lighting control system 100 is not limited to a mode like the lighting fixture 10a.

[Configuration of the dimmer]
Next, the dimmer 20a will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an external appearance of the dimmer 20a.

  The dimmer 20a is an example of a control device, and is a device that controls dimming of the lighting fixture 10a in accordance with an instruction from the operation device 30. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dimmer 20a includes a control unit 21a, an initial setting button 23a, a storage unit 24a, an LED 25a, and an operation unit 26a.

  When the instruction received via the signal line 40 from the control unit 31 (communication unit 32) of the controller device 30 includes the address of the dimmer 20a, the control unit 21a adjusts the dimming of the lighting fixture 10a based on the instruction. To control. For example, the control unit 21a outputs a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal to the lighting fixture 10a, and controls the dimming of the lighting fixture 10a by changing the duty ratio of the PWM signal. In the first embodiment, the control unit 21a includes the communication unit 22a, and the instruction is received by the communication unit 22a.

  Note that the control unit 21a does not follow the received instruction when the instruction received by the communication unit 22a includes an address of another dimmer.

  In the address determination process, when the communication unit 22a receives a mode transition command from the control unit 31 (communication unit 32) of the controller device 30, the control unit 21a shifts to the initial setting mode. Specifically, the control unit 21a turns on the LED 25a.

  In the initial setting mode, the communication unit 22a included in the control unit 21a functions as a transmission unit, and transmits a response signal to the controller device 30 via the signal line 40 in response to the user pressing the initial setting button 23a. To do.

  The control unit 21a is realized by a processor, a microcomputer, a dedicated circuit, and the like. More specifically, the control unit 21a is realized by, for example, a combination of a PWM control circuit and a microcomputer.

  The initial setting button 23a is an example of a setting button, and is a push button that the user presses in the address determination process. In the first embodiment, the initial setting button 23a is a hardware button, but when the dimmer 20a includes a display unit (display screen), a GUI (Graphical User Interface) displayed on the display unit. And an input device such as a touch panel.

  The storage unit 24a stores a plurality of candidate addresses that are address candidates. The storage unit 24a also stores the address of the dimmer 20a in the lighting control system 100 (the address determined by the address determination process). The storage unit 24a is an example of a first candidate address storage unit and an address storage unit, and specifically is a semiconductor memory or the like.

  The LED 25a is an example of a notification unit, and emits light while the dimmer 20a is operating in the initial setting mode, and notifies the user that the address of the dimmer 20a has not been determined. That is, the LED 25a is lit (emitted) when the dimmer 20a is operating in the initial setting mode and the initial setting button 23a is not pressed.

  On the other hand, the LED 25a is turned off after the dimmer 20a is operating in the initial setting mode and the initial setting button 23a is pressed. The LED 25a may perform the notification by blinking instead of turning on. The notification unit may be realized by a light emitting element other than the LED. In addition, the notification unit is configured by a buzzer or the like, and may notify the user that the address of the dimmer 20a is not determined by sound, and the specific mode of the notification unit is not particularly limited.

  The operation unit 26a is a user interface that is manually operated by the user in order to cause the dimmer 20a to control dimming of the lighting fixture 10a. By providing the operation unit 26a, the user can control the dimming of the lighting fixture 10a by directly operating the dimmer 20a.

  The dimmer 20a includes five operation units including the operation unit 26a, and five systems of lighting fixtures can be connected corresponding to the five operation units. That is, in the dimmer 20a, the operation units are provided as many as the number of lighting fixtures that can be connected to the dimmer 20a.

  In the first embodiment, the operation unit 26a is a hardware button. However, when the dimmer 20a includes a display unit, a combination of a GUI displayed on the display unit and an input device such as a touch panel is used. It may be realized.

  The dimmer 20b and the dimmer 20n have the same configuration as the dimmer 20a. As shown in FIG. 2, the dimmer 20b includes a control unit 21b, an initial setting button 23b, a storage unit 24b, an LED 25b, and an operation unit 26b, and the dimmer 20n includes a control unit 21n. , An initial setting button 23n, a storage unit 24n, an LED 25n, and an operation unit 26n. Detailed descriptions of the dimmer 20b and the dimmer 20n are omitted.

[Configuration of operation device]
Next, the operating device 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4 described above. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an appearance of the operation device 30.

  The operating device 30 is connected to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n via the signal line 40, and individually instructs the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n via the signal line 40. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the operating device 30 includes a control unit 31, an operation unit 33, an initial setting mode transition button 34, a storage unit 35, and a power button 36.

  The operation unit 33 is a user interface operated by the user to cause the operation device 30 to instruct the dimmers 20a to 20n. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the dimmer 20a has five operation units, and five operation units 33 of the operation device 30 correspond to one dimmer 20a. In the first embodiment, the operation device 30 has the same number of operation units as the total of the operation units 26 a included in the plurality of dimmers 20 a to 20 n included in the illumination control system 100. The operation unit 33 is specifically a hardware button, but when the operation unit 33 includes a display unit, the operation unit 33 is realized by a combination of a GUI displayed on the display unit and an input device such as a touch panel. May be.

  The storage unit 35 stores the address determined by the address determination process in association with one of the plurality of operation units. Specifically, the storage unit 35 is a semiconductor memory or the like.

  The control unit 31 transmits an instruction including the address of the dimmer associated with the operation unit 33 via the signal line 40 based on a user operation on the operation unit 33. In the first embodiment, the control unit 31 includes a communication unit 32, and the instruction is transmitted by the communication unit 32. Specifically, the control unit 31 reads an address corresponding to the operation unit operated by the user from the storage unit 35 and transmits an instruction including the read address using the communication unit 32.

  In the address determination process, the communication unit 32 causes the dimmers 20a to 20n to shift to a mode for shifting these dimmers to the initial setting mode in response to the initial setting mode shift button 34 being pressed. Send a command.

  In the address determination process, when the communication unit 32 receives a response signal from the dimmers 20a to 20n, the control unit 31 determines a candidate address included in the received response signal as an address. That is, every time the control unit 31 receives a response signal, the control unit 31 determines an address for giving an instruction to the control device that has transmitted the response signal. Thus, in the address determination process, the control unit 31 functions as a determination unit, and the communication unit 32 functions as a reception unit. In addition, after the address is determined, the control unit 31 stores the determined address in the storage unit 35 in association with one of the plurality of operation units.

  Specifically, the control unit 31 described above is realized by a processor, a microcomputer, a dedicated circuit, or the like.

  The initial setting mode transition button 34 is an example of a mode transition button, and is a push button that the user presses in an address determination process described later. In the first embodiment, the initial setting mode transition button 34 is a hardware button. However, when the operation device 30 includes a display unit, the GUI displayed on the display unit and an input device such as a touch panel are used. It may be realized by a combination.

  The power button 36 is a hardware button for turning on and off the power of the operation device 30.

[Address determination process]
Next, address determination processing, which is a characteristic configuration in the illumination control system 100, will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of address determination processing.

  First, the user presses the initial setting mode transition button 34 of the operation device 30 (S10). The communication unit 32 transmits a mode transition command to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n in response to the user pressing the initial setting mode transition button 34 (S11).

  Each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n shifts to an initial setting mode by receiving a mode shift command, and turns on an LED provided in the dimmer (S12). For example, when the communication unit 22a receives a mode shift command, the control unit 21a shifts to the initial setting mode and turns on the LED 25a. Similarly, when the communication unit 22b receives the mode transition command, the control unit 21b transitions to the initial setting mode and turns on the LED 25b. When the communication unit 22n receives the mode transition command, the control unit 21n Shifting to the initial setting mode, the LED 25n is turned on.

  Here, the user sequentially pushes the initial setting buttons of the dimmers whose LEDs are lit, that is, the dimmers 20a to 20n. For example, the user presses the initial setting button 23a of the dimmer 20a (S13). Then, the control unit 21a of the dimmer 20a stores any one of a plurality of candidate addresses stored in the storage unit 24a included in the dimmer 20a as the address of the dimmer 20a, and the communication unit 22a. Transmits a response signal including the read candidate address to the controller device 30 (S14). That is, the communication unit 22a of the dimmer 20a that has shifted to the initial setting mode transmits a response signal to the operation device 30 in response to the user pressing the initial setting button 23a of the dimmer 20a.

  In the storage unit (for example, the storage unit 24a) included in each of the plurality of dimmers, the plurality of candidate addresses are information (for example, a flag indicating whether the candidate address is in use or unused). ). The candidate addresses stored and transmitted as addresses in step S14 are unused candidate addresses. Whether or not the candidate address is in use is determined based on a notification in step S17 described later.

  In the controller device 30, when the communication unit 32 receives a response signal from the communication unit 22a, the control unit 31 determines a candidate address included in the received response signal as the address of the dimmer 20a that has transmitted the response signal. (S15). In other words, the control unit 31 recognizes the candidate address included in the received response signal as the address of the dimmer 20a that has transmitted the response signal. And the control part 31 matches with the one operation part (for example, operation part 33) with which the address is not matched among several operation parts, and memorize | stores it in the memory | storage part 35 (S16). . Subsequently, the control unit 31 notifies the determined addresses to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n using the communication unit 32 (S17).

  The dimmer 20a that has received the notification turns off the LED 25a (S18). Specifically, when the communication unit 22a receives the notification, the control unit 21a turns off the LED 25a.

  On the other hand, when the other dimmers (the dimmers 20b to 20n) receive the notification, they store (manage) the same candidate addresses as the addresses included in the notification as used candidate addresses (S19). . For example, in the dimmer 20b, when the communication unit 22b receives the notification, the control unit 21b has used a candidate address in the storage unit 24b that is the same as the address included in the notification. Store as a candidate address (set a used flag). Similarly, in the dimmer 20n, when the communication unit 22n receives the notification, the control unit 21n uses the same candidate address as the address included in the notification, which is a candidate address in the storage unit 24n. As a candidate address.

  Next, the user presses an initial setting button of a dimmer whose LED is lit, that is, a dimmer other than the dimmer 20a. For example, the user presses the initial setting button 23b of the dimmer 20b (S20). Then, the control unit 21b of the dimmer 20b stores one of the unused candidate addresses stored in the storage unit 24b as the address of the dimmer 20b, and the communication unit 22a A response signal including the read candidate address is transmitted to the controller device 30 (S21). That is, the dimmer 20b in which the initial setting button 23b is pressed next to the dimmer 20a to which the notification of the address has been performed is step S19 among the candidate addresses stored in the storage unit 24b included in the dimmer 20b. An unused candidate address determined based on this notification is included in the response signal and transmitted. The subsequent processing is the same as the processing in steps S15 to S19.

  Note that no address is specified in the communication during the address determination process. For example, in step S <b> 11, the communication unit 32 transmits a mode transition command to the signal line 40, and the plurality of dimmers 20 a to 20 n monitor the signal line 40. The same applies to step S14 and step S17. However, a broadcast address may be designated in the communication during the address determination process.

  In step S12, the used candidate addresses stored in the storage unit 24b may be temporarily stored as unused candidate addresses.

[Effects]
As described above, the address determination process (address determination method) in the lighting control system 100 is performed in response to each of the dimmers 20a to 20n being pressed by the user with a setting button included in the dimmer. Then, a response signal is transmitted to the controller device 30. Each time the controller device 30 receives a response signal, the controller device 30 determines an address for giving an instruction to the control device that has transmitted the response signal.

  According to such address determination processing, the user can determine the address of the dimmer having the initial setting button only by pressing the initial setting button once (one push), and the work at the time of construction can be performed. It can be simplified and work efficiency can be improved.

  In the address determination process, the controller device 30 further stores the determined address in the storage unit 35 in association with one of the plurality of operation units.

  Thereby, the user can assign (associate) the address of the dimmer having the initial setting button to the operation unit of the operation device 30 by pressing the initial setting button once.

  Further, in the first embodiment, each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n is an LED that emits light when the initial setting mode is in operation and the initial setting button is not pressed (for example, LED 25a). It has.

  According to such an LED, the user can recognize that the address of the dimmer having the LED is undecided. For this reason, it is possible to suppress a user's address determination mistake (forgetting to determine).

(Embodiment 2)
[Address Determination Processing According to Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the operation device 30 transmits a mode transition command to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n in response to the user pressing the initial setting mode transition button. Then, each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n has shifted to the initial setting mode by receiving the mode shift command.

  However, the transition to the initial setting mode of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n is not limited to the method using the depression of the initial setting mode transition button as a trigger, and may be performed by another method. Thus, in the second embodiment, an address determination process different from that in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram of address determination processing according to the second embodiment.

  In the following second embodiment, the description of the contents already described in the first embodiment and substantially the same contents will be simplified or omitted. In addition, the address determination process according to the second embodiment is executed using a lighting control system that is almost the same as the lighting control system 100. Hereinafter, the lighting control system 100 and the lighting control system 100 are also used. be written.

  First, the outline of the address determination process shown in FIG. 6 will be described. In the second embodiment, at the time of factory shipment, a predetermined address is stored in the storage unit (for example, the storage unit 24a) included in each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n. In other words, the storage unit (for example, the storage unit 24a) included in each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n functions as an address storage unit that stores the address of the dimmer, and the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n. Each of the addresses is provisionally determined at the time of factory shipment. When the address is determined by the address determination process, the predetermined address that has been stored in the storage unit is overwritten on the determined address.

  Therefore, when the lighting control system 100 includes a plurality of dimmers that are shipped from the factory and have not been subjected to address determination processing, the addresses of the plurality of dimmers overlap. Specifically, when the illumination control system 100 is newly introduced or when a dimmer is newly added to the illumination control system 100, duplication of addresses stored in the storage unit of the dimmer is duplicated. Arise. The address determination process shown in FIG. 6 includes a process of shifting to the initial setting mode with such address duplication as a trigger. In the description of FIG. 6 below, the address stored in the storage unit at the start of the address determination process is referred to as the own address.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the address determination process according to the second embodiment, first, the user presses the power button 36 of the operation device 30 (S110). The communication unit 32 transmits an address request in response to the power button 36 being pressed by the user (S111).

  Each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n that has received the address request transmits its own address (S112). For example, the control unit 21a of the dimmer 20a transmits its own address using the communication unit 22a.

  Next, the communication unit 32 of the controller device 30 receives a plurality of own addresses transmitted in response to an address request from the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n, and the control unit 31 overlaps the received own address. It is determined whether or not its own address is included.

  Here, in the above determination, it is not possible to distinguish whether the same own address is transmitted from each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n or whether the same own address is transmitted a plurality of times from one dimmer. There is. Therefore, in the second embodiment, address duplication information is used for the determination in order to further increase the accuracy of the determination.

  As described in the first embodiment, in communication during address determination processing, an address is not specified, and each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n monitors information transmitted through the signal line 40. That is, the own address transmitted by one of the dimmers 20a to 20n in response to the address request can be monitored by another dimmer.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the own address transmitted by one of the dimmers 20a to 20n in response to the address request overlaps with the own address of another dimmer, Another dimmer transmits the address duplication information to the controller device 30. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 21b of the dimmer 20b has the own address stored in the storage unit 24b, which is the own address transmitted by the dimmer 20a or the own address transmitted by the dimmer 20n. If it overlaps, the address duplication information is transmitted using the communication unit 22b (S113).

  When the communication unit 32 receives the address duplication information, the control unit 31 determines that a plurality of own addresses include overlapping self addresses, and uses this determination as a trigger to send a mode transition command to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20a. It is transmitted to 20n (S11). Each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n shifts to an initial setting mode by receiving a mode shift command, and turns on an LED provided in the dimmer (S12).

  Here, the user sequentially pushes the initial setting buttons of the dimmers whose LEDs are lit. For example, the user presses the initial setting button 23a of the dimmer 20a (S13). Then, the controller 21a of the dimmer 20a includes its own address in the response signal and transmits it to the controller device 30 (S114).

  In the controller device 30, when the communication unit 32 receives a response signal from the communication unit 22a, the control unit 31 determines its own address included in the received response signal as the address of the dimmer 20a that has transmitted the response signal. (S15). Then, the control unit 31 stores the determined address in the storage unit 35 in association with one of the plurality of operation units (for example, the operation unit 33) (S16). Subsequently, the control unit 31 notifies the determined addresses to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n using the communication unit 32 (S17).

  When the dimmer 20a receives the notification, the dimmer 20a turns off the LED 25a (S18).

  On the other hand, when the other dimmers (the dimmers 20b to 20n) receive the notification, the dimmers themselves (for example, an address obtained by adding 1 to the address included in the notification) are incremented from the address included in the notification. Store as an address (S115). In the case where the own addresses of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n at the start of the address determination process are all the same, that is, in a special case where the address is a predetermined address at the time of shipment, in step S115, instead of the above process A process of overwriting by incrementing the own address may be performed.

  Next, the user presses an initial setting button of a dimmer whose LED is lit, that is, a dimmer other than the dimmer 20a. For example, the user presses the initial setting button 23b of the dimmer 20b (S20). The subsequent processing is the same as the processing in steps S114 to S115.

[Effects]
As described above, in the second embodiment, when the address transmitted by one of the dimmers 20a to 20n in response to the address request overlaps with the address of another dimmer. The other dimmer transmits the address duplication information to the operation device 30. Then, the controller device 30 transmits a mode transition command using the reception of the address duplication information as a trigger.

  According to such a process, the user can automatically shift the dimmers 20a to 20n to the initial setting mode simply by turning on the power of the controller device 30.

  In the second embodiment, the dimmer 20a (an example of the first control device) in which the setting button is first pressed among the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n is stored in the storage unit 24a of the dimmer 20a. The received own address (first address) is included in the response signal and transmitted. Then, the dimmer 20b (an example of the second control device) whose setting button is pressed next to the dimmer 20a among the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n is an address obtained by incrementing the address of the dimmer 20a ( (Second address) is included in the response signal and transmitted. In other words, the dimmer 20b, which is a dimmer other than the dimmer 20a among the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n and whose address is not determined, increments the first address.

  According to such processing, since it is not necessary to store candidate addresses in the storage units of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n, the storage resources of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n can be reduced.

(Embodiment 3)
[Address Determination Processing According to Embodiment 3]
In the first embodiment, the candidate addresses are stored in the storage units of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n and transmitted from the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n to the operation device 30. However, the candidate address may be stored in advance in the storage unit 35 of the controller device 30. In the third embodiment, address determination processing in such a case will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram of address determination processing according to the third embodiment.

  In the following third embodiment, description of the contents already described in the first and second embodiments and substantially the same contents is simplified or omitted. In addition, the address determination process according to the third embodiment is executed using a lighting control system that is almost the same as the lighting control system 100, but unlike the first embodiment, the storage units of the dimmers 20a to 20n. May not store candidate addresses.

  First, the user presses the initial setting mode transition button 34 of the operation device 30 (S10). The communication unit 32 transmits a mode transition command to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n in response to the user pressing the initial setting mode transition button 34 (S11).

  Each of the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n shifts to an initial setting mode by receiving a mode shift command, and turns on an LED provided in the dimmer (S12).

  Here, the user sequentially pushes the initial setting buttons of the dimmers whose LEDs are lit. For example, the user presses the initial setting button 23a of the dimmer 20a (S13). Then, the communication unit 22a of the dimmer 20a transmits a response signal to the controller device 30 (S210). This response signal does not include a candidate address.

  In the controller device 30, when the communication unit 32 receives the response signal from the communication unit 22a, the control unit 31 reads the candidate address stored in the storage unit 35, and the dimming that transmits the response signal to the read candidate address. It is determined as the address of the device 20a (S211). In step S211, if there is a candidate address already used as an address, the candidate address is not read out. Then, the control unit 31 stores the determined address in the storage unit 35 in association with one of the plurality of operation units (for example, the operation unit 33) (S16). Subsequently, the control unit 31 notifies the determined addresses to the plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n using the communication unit 32 (S17).

  In the dimmer 20a, when the communication unit 22a receives the above notification, the control unit 21a turns off the LED 25a (S18).

  Next, the user presses an initial setting button of a dimmer whose LED is lit, that is, a dimmer other than the dimmer 20a. For example, the user presses the initial setting button 23b of the dimmer 20b (S20). The subsequent processing is the same as the processing in steps S210 to S18.

[Effects]
As described above, in the third embodiment, the storage unit 35 of the controller device 30 also functions as a second candidate address storage unit that stores a plurality of candidate addresses that are address candidates. Each time the control unit 31 of the controller device 30 receives the response signal, the control unit 31 determines an unused candidate address among the candidate addresses stored in the storage unit 35 as the address of the dimmer that has transmitted the response signal. To do.

  According to such a process, the process by the side of the some light control device 20a-20n can be simplified.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, Embodiments 1 to 3 have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments in which changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. Moreover, it is also possible to combine each component demonstrated in the said Embodiment 1-3 and it can also be set as new embodiment.

  Thus, hereinafter, other embodiments will be described together.

  The illumination control system that executes the address determination process according to the above embodiment is not limited to the configuration of the illumination control system 100. For example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PDA may be used as the operation device. FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram of a lighting control system according to a modification. In FIG. 8, components that are substantially the same as those in the illumination control system 100 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The lighting control system 200 shown in FIG. 8 includes a plurality of dimmers 20a to 20n, a portable terminal 130 that functions as an operation device, a plurality of lighting fixtures 110a, a plurality of lighting fixtures 110n, and a wireless communication device 150. Is provided.

  In the illumination control system 200, a plurality of lighting fixtures 110a are wired to the dimmer 20a, and a plurality of lighting fixtures 110n are wired to the dimmer 20n. The plurality of dimmers 20 a to 20 n are connected to the wireless communication device 150 by the signal line 40.

  Here, the wireless communication device 150 specifically includes a communication unit corresponding to a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN (for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), and the mobile terminal 130. And wireless communication. Note that the communication standard used for wireless communication is not particularly limited.

  The mobile terminal 130 has a communication unit capable of wireless communication similarly to the wireless communication device 150, and performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 150 using the communication unit. The display unit 120 (display screen) of the mobile terminal 130 includes a plurality of operation units including an operation unit 133 and an initial setting mode transition button 134 as a GUI.

  In the illumination control system 200, a control instruction is transmitted from the mobile terminal 130 to the wireless communication device 150, and the instruction is transmitted to the plurality of dimmers 20 a to 20 n via the signal line 40. Such a lighting control system 200 can also execute the address determination process described in the above embodiment.

  The dimmer described in the above embodiment is an example of a control device. In the illumination control system according to the above embodiment, a control device having a mode different from that of the dimmer may be used. For example, a control device that controls toning may be used in the illumination control system according to the above embodiment. In this case, the lighting fixture to be controlled corresponds to the toning function by using at least two kinds of LEDs having different emission colors (color temperatures).

  In the above embodiment, the dimmer and the lighting fixture have been described as separate bodies. However, even if the dimmer and the lighting fixture are integrated, for example, the lighting fixture incorporates the dimmer. Good. Moreover, a lighting fixture may bear a part of the function of the dimmer.

  In the said embodiment, LED was used for the lighting fixture as a light source. However, a solid-state light emitting element such as a semiconductor light emitting element such as a semiconductor laser, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence), or an inorganic EL may be used as a light source in the lighting fixture. Moreover, a fluorescent tube may be used as a light source in the lighting fixture.

  In the above embodiment, the lighting fixture is described as a ceiling light having a circular shape in plan view. However, the lighting fixture is a lighting fixture using a straight tube lamp or other lighting fixtures such as a downlight. It may be a lighting fixture. In other words, the lighting control system of the above embodiment can be applied to various lighting fixtures.

  In the above embodiment, each component may be configured by dedicated hardware or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

  Each component may be a circuit. These circuits may constitute one circuit as a whole, or may be separate circuits. Each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, another process part may perform the process which a specific process part performs. Further, the order of the plurality of processes may be changed, and the plurality of processes may be executed in parallel.

  The comprehensive or specific aspect of the present invention may be realized by a recording medium such as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable CD-ROM. The comprehensive or specific aspect of the present invention may be realized by any combination of a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a recording medium.

  For example, the present invention may be realized as the address determination method (address determination processing) of the above embodiment, or the lighting control system of the above embodiment or each component (for example, dimming) of the lighting control system. Or a control device). Further, the present invention may be realized as an application (program) for operating a mobile terminal as an operation device.

  As described above, the embodiments have been described as examples of the technology in the present invention. For this purpose, the accompanying drawings and detailed description are provided.

  Accordingly, among the components described in the accompanying drawings and the detailed description, not only the components essential for solving the problem, but also the components not essential for solving the problem in order to illustrate the above technique. May also be included. Therefore, it should not be immediately recognized that these non-essential components are essential as those non-essential components are described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description.

  Moreover, since the above-mentioned embodiment is for demonstrating the technique in this invention, a various change, replacement, addition, abbreviation, etc. can be performed in a claim or its equivalent range.

10a, 10b, 10n, 110a, 110n Lighting fixture 20a, 20b, 20n Dimmer (control device)
22a, 22b, 22n Communication part (transmission part)
23a, 23b, 23n Initial setting button (setting button)
24a, 24b, 24n storage unit (address storage unit, first candidate address storage unit)
25a, 25b, 25n LED (notification unit)
30 controller 31 control unit (decision unit)
32 Communication unit (receiver)
33, 133 Operation unit 34, 134 Initial setting mode transition button (mode transition button)
35 storage unit (storage unit, second candidate address storage unit)
40 Signal line (communication network)
100, 200 Lighting control system

Claims (13)

An address determination method in a lighting control system, comprising:
The lighting control system includes:
A plurality of control devices each controlling at least one of dimming and toning of at least one lighting fixture;
An operation device connected to the plurality of control devices by a communication network, and individually instructing the plurality of control devices via the communication network;
The address determination method is:
Each of the plurality of control devices transmits a signal to the operation device in response to a user pressing a setting button of the control device; and
The operating device is, every time receiving the signal, look including a determining step of determining an address for the instruction to the control device that transmitted the signal,
Each of the plurality of control devices includes a first candidate address storage unit that stores a plurality of candidate addresses that are address candidates,
In the transmission step, each of the plurality of control devices includes the candidate address stored in the first candidate address storage unit included in the control device and transmits the signal,
In the determining step, each time the signal is received, an address determining method for determining a candidate address included in the signal as an address of a control device that has transmitted the signal . The operating device further includes:
A plurality of operation units provided corresponding to the plurality of control devices, which are operated by a user to cause the operation device to perform the instruction;
A storage unit,
The address determination method further includes a storage step in which the operation device stores the address determined in the determination step in the storage unit in association with one of the plurality of operation units. The address determination method described. further,
A command transmission step in which the operating device transmits a mode transition command to the plurality of control devices;
A transition step in which each of the plurality of control devices transitions to an initial setting mode by receiving the mode transition command;
In the transmission step, each of the plurality of control devices that have shifted to the initial setting mode transmits the signal to the operation device in response to a user pressing a setting button of the control device. 3. The address determination method according to 1 or 2. The operating device further includes a mode transition button,
The address determination method according to claim 3, wherein, in the command transmission step, the operating device transmits a mode transition command to the plurality of control devices in response to the mode transition button being pressed by a user. Further, the operation device includes a notification step of notifying the plurality of control devices of the determined address,
In the transmission step, the control device in which the setting button is pressed next to the control device to which the notification of the address is performed is, among candidate addresses stored in the first candidate address storage unit included in the control device, address determining method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 for transmitting the unused candidate address that is determined based on the notification included in the signal. An address determination method in a lighting control system, comprising:
The lighting control system includes:
A plurality of control devices each controlling at least one of dimming and toning of at least one lighting fixture;
An operation device connected to the plurality of control devices by a communication network, and individually instructing the plurality of control devices via the communication network;
Each of the plurality of control devices includes an address storage unit that stores an address of the control device.
The address determination method is:
Each of the plurality of control devices transmits a signal to the operation device in response to a user pressing a setting button of the control device; and
A determination step of determining an address for performing the instruction to the control device that has transmitted the signal every time the controller device receives the signal;
A command transmission step in which the operating device transmits a mode transition command to the plurality of control devices;
A transition step in which each of the plurality of control devices transitions to an initial setting mode by receiving the mode transition command;
The operation device requests the plurality of control devices to transmit the address stored in the address storage unit; and
A determination step of determining whether or not duplicate addresses are included in a plurality of addresses transmitted in response to the request from the plurality of control devices;
In the transmission step, each of the plurality of control devices that have shifted to the initial setting mode transmits the signal to the operation device in response to a setting button of the control device being pressed by a user,
In the command transmission step, when it is determined that the plurality of addresses include overlapping addresses, the controller device transmits a mode transition command to the plurality of control devices.
Address determination method. Further, when an address transmitted from one of the plurality of control devices in response to the request overlaps an address of another control device, the other control device sends address duplication information to the operation device. Including a duplicate information sending step to send,
The address determination method according to claim 6 , wherein, when receiving the address duplication information, the controller determines that the plurality of addresses include duplicate addresses in the determination step. In the transmission step,
The first control device in which the setting button is pressed among the plurality of control devices transmits the signal including the first address stored in the address storage unit of the first control device,
A second control device other than the first control device of the plurality of control apparatus, the second controller address has not been determined, according to claim 6 or 7 increments the first address Address determination method. When the predetermined address is stored in the address storage unit and the address of the control device including the address storage unit is determined, the predetermined address stored in the address storage unit is set to the determined address. address determining method according to any one of claims 6-8 to be overwritten. Wherein each of the plurality of control apparatus, further, when the setting button is not pressed, according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a notifying unit that notifies the user that the address is not determined Address determination method. A plurality of control devices each controlling at least one of dimming and toning of at least one lighting fixture;
An operation device connected to the plurality of control devices by a communication network, and individually instructing the plurality of control devices via the communication network;
Each of the plurality of control devices is
A setting button,
A transmission unit that transmits a signal to the operation device in response to the setting button being pressed by a user ;
A first candidate address storage unit that stores a plurality of candidate addresses that are address candidates ,
The operating device is:
A receiver for receiving the signal;
A determination unit that determines an address for performing the instruction to the control device that has transmitted the signal each time the signal is received ;
Each of the plurality of control devices transmits the signal including the candidate address stored in the first candidate address storage unit included in the control device, using the transmission unit included in the control device,
Each time the determination unit receives the signal, the determination unit determines a candidate address included in the signal as an address of a control device that has transmitted the signal . The control apparatus with which the illumination control system of Claim 11 is provided. An operating device provided in the illumination control system according to claim 11 .

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