JP6722392B2 - Lighting equipment and control systems - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a lighting device and a control system.

Conventionally, a technique for providing a control system by wireless communication has been provided. Such a technique is used for controlling, for example, a lighting device, a sensor, or the like (hereinafter, also collectively referred to as “controlled device”).

JP, 2005-041548, A

By the way, when a controlled device such as a lighting device or a sensor is installed outside the communication range of the control device, it is difficult to communicate information from the control device. Further, if the controlled device has a relay function, the communication load increases. Therefore, the technique as described above has a problem that there are large restrictions on the installation of the controlled device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a control system that suppresses restrictions on installation of controlled devices.

The lighting device of the embodiment includes a light source, a first reception unit, a transmission unit, a second reception unit, and a control unit. The first receiving unit receives the control information transmitted from the outside via the first communication unit. The transmitter can transmit the control information received by the first receiver to the outside via the first communication unit. The second receiving unit receives the switching information transmitted from the outside via the second communication unit different from the first communication unit. The control unit can switch whether to transmit the control information to the outside via the first communication unit based on the switching information received by the second receiving unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress restrictions on the installation of controlled devices.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating relaying by a controlled device in the control system according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the area controller according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the lighting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the sensor according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the control system according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting switching in the control system according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the relay process based on the threshold value according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of individual identification information stored in the storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of relay processing based on individual identification information according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the identification number stored in the storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the relay process based on the identification number according to the embodiment.

The control system 1 according to the embodiment described below includes an area controller 50 that wirelessly transmits control information for controlling the lighting device 100A, and a lighting device 100A that can set whether to wirelessly transmit the received control information. And.

In the control system 1 according to the embodiment described below, when the communication intensity of the control information received by the lighting device 100A set to wirelessly transmit the control information is higher than a predetermined threshold, the lighting device 100A is , Do not wirelessly transmit the received control information.

Further, in the control system 1 according to the embodiment described below, the lighting device 100A set to wirelessly transmit the control information receives the control information, and then the predetermined lighting device 100A based on the information for identifying the lighting device 100A. After a lapse of time, the received control information is wirelessly transmitted.

Further, in the control system 1 according to the embodiment described below, the area controller 50 wirelessly transmits control information including identification information for identifying control information to be transmitted. Further, the lighting device 100A set to wirelessly transmit the control information stores the identification information included in the received control information, and the identification information included in the received control information is stored before the control information is received. When it is the same as the information, the control information is not wirelessly transmitted.

The control system 1 according to the embodiment described below includes an area controller 50 that wirelessly transmits setting information for setting the sensor 100B, and a sensor 100B that can set whether to wirelessly transmit the received setting information. To have.

[Embodiment]
First, a control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating relaying by a controlled device in the control system according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 exemplifies a case in which the setting is made to enable the relay function of one lighting device 100A and the lighting device 100A is used as a repeater.

The control system 1 includes an area controller 50, a lighting device 100A, and a sensor 100B. In the following, the illumination device 100A and the sensor 100B will be referred to as the controlled device 100, unless otherwise described.

The area controller 50 is a control device that wirelessly transmits control information for controlling the lighting device 100A and setting information for setting the sensor 100B. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the area controller 50 transmits various information such as control information and setting information to the controlled device 100 by wireless communication using a predetermined frequency. For example, the area controller 50 is installed on the ceiling or the like where the controlled device 100 is installed. The control information may be various information according to the purpose, such as information instructing control of the plurality of lighting devices 100A managed as a group or information instructing control of one lighting device 100A. Further, the setting information may be various kinds of information according to the purpose, such as information instructing setting for the plurality of sensors 100B managed as a group, information instructing setting for one sensor 100B, and the like. The details of the configuration of the area controller 50 will be described later.

The lighting device 100A is a lighting device capable of setting whether to wirelessly transmit the received control information, that is, enabling/disabling the relay function. Note that the lighting device 100A may be any lighting device as long as it can switch between valid and invalid relay functions. For example, the lighting device 100A is a lighting device installed on a ceiling or a wall, and may be a downlight, a ceiling light, a spotlight, or the like. Further, for example, in the lighting device 100A, the relay function is disabled in the initial setting in order to suppress an increase in communication load. The details of the configuration of the lighting device 100A will be described later.

The sensor 100B is a sensor that can set whether to wirelessly transmit the received control information, that is, can switch between valid and invalid of the relay function. Note that the sensor 100B may be any sensor as long as it can switch between valid and invalid relay functions. For example, the sensor 100B is a sensor installed on a ceiling or a wall, and may be a human sensor using infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, or visible light. Further, for example, in the sensor 100B, the relay function is disabled in the initial setting in order to suppress an increase in communication load. The details of the configuration of the sensor 100B will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the area controller 50 is capable of wireless communication with the controlled device 100 located within the communication area R11. Here, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the lighting device 100A located in the central portion is located within the range of the communication area R11, and the lighting device 100A and the sensor 100B located on the right side are located outside the range of the communication area R11. To do. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the area controller 50 can wirelessly communicate with the lighting device 100A located in the central portion. Therefore, the area controller 50 can perform wireless communication C11 using a predetermined frequency with the lighting device 100A located in the central portion. The area controller 50 transmits various kinds of information such as control information and setting information to the lighting device 100A located in the center by wireless communication C11.

On the other hand, since the illumination device 100A and the sensor 100B located on the right side are located outside the communication area R11 as described above, the area controller 50 cannot perform wireless communication with the illumination device 100A and the sensor 100B located on the right side. Is.

As shown in FIG. 1, since the lighting device 100A located in the central portion is closer to the area controller 50, it is possible to wirelessly communicate with the controlled device 100 located within the communication area R12. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the communication area R12 of the lighting device 100A located in the central portion covers a wider area on the right side than the communication area R11 of the area controller 50. Further, the communication area R12 of the lighting device 100A located in the central portion includes the lighting device 100A and the sensor 100B located on the right side. Therefore, the illumination device 100A located in the central portion can switch the setting to enable the relay function. For example, the administrator of the control system 1 effectively sets the relay function of the lighting device 100A located in the center by a predetermined means.

As a result, the lighting device 100A located in the central portion can perform wireless communication C12 using the predetermined frequency with the lighting device 100A located on the right side. Further, the illumination device 100A located in the central portion can perform wireless communication C13 using a predetermined frequency with the sensor 100B located on the right side. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 1, by setting the relay function of the lighting device 100A located in the central portion to be effective, the control information and the setting information are set even for the controlled device 100 that the area controller 50 cannot directly perform wireless communication with. It becomes possible to transmit various information such as. For example, when transmitting the setting information for the sensor 100B located on the right side, the illumination device 100A located in the central portion transmits the setting information received from the area controller 50 by wireless communication C11 to the sensor 100B by wireless communication C13. The details of the setting of the relay function of the controlled device 100 will be described later.

As described above, in the control system 1, it is possible to transmit various information such as control information and setting information to the controlled device 100 located outside the communication area R11 of the area controller 50. Further, the communication load can be suppressed by disabling the relay function of the illumination device 100A and the sensor 100B located on the right side, which does not need to relay various information such as received control information and setting information. The control system 1 may include a lighting device or a sensor that does not have a relay function. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the illumination device 100A and the sensor 100B located on the right side may be controlled devices that do not have a relay function.

[Example of area controller configuration]
Next, the configuration of the area controller 50 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the area controller according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the area controller 50 includes a first communication unit 51, a second communication unit 52, a storage unit 53, and a control unit 54.

The first communication unit 51 is realized by, for example, a predetermined communication circuit or the like. For example, the first communication unit 51 performs wireless communication with the controlled device 100 using a predetermined frequency. For example, the first communication unit 51 transmits various information such as control information and setting information to the controlled device 100 by wireless communication using a predetermined frequency. Further, for example, the first communication unit 51 receives various kinds of information such as notification information from the controlled device 100 by wireless communication using a predetermined frequency.

The second communication unit 52 is realized by, for example, a predetermined communication circuit or the like. For example, the second communication unit 52 is connected to a predetermined network (not shown) by wire or wirelessly. For example, the second communication unit 52 uses a frequency different from the frequency used by the first communication unit 51 to perform wireless communication with the setting terminal PC12 and the mobile terminal TD11 (see FIG. 5) used by the administrator or the like. For example, the second communication unit 52 performs wired communication with the supervisory control terminal PC11 (see FIG. 5) used by the administrator or the like. The second communication unit 52 may be divided and configured for two functions of wireless communication and wired communication.

The storage unit 53 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory (Flash Memory), or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. For example, the storage unit 53 stores information relating to various information such as control information and setting information transmitted to the controlled device 100.

The control unit 54 has an internal memory for storing a program that defines various processing procedures and the like and required data, and executes various processing by these, and particularly, as those closely related to the present invention, The receiver 55, the instruction unit 56, and the transmitter 57 are included.

The receiving unit 55 receives various information such as notification information from the controlled device 100. For example, the receiving unit 55 receives various information such as notification information from the controlled device 100 via the first communication unit 51. Further, the receiving unit 55 receives various kinds of information from the administrator of the control system 1 or the like. For example, the receiving unit 55 receives various kinds of information such as control information and setting information for the controlled device 100 from the administrator of the control system 1 via the second communication unit 52.

The instruction unit 56 instructs the transmission unit 57 to transmit the information based on the various information received by the reception unit 55. For example, the instruction unit 56 instructs the transmission unit 57 to transmit various information such as control information and setting information to the controlled device 100. For example, when the reception unit 55 receives various kinds of information such as control information and setting information for the controlled device 100 from the administrator of the control system 1 or the like, the instruction unit 56 transmits the received information to the controlled device 100. In this way, the transmission unit 57 is instructed. Further, for example, the instruction unit 56 instructs the transmission unit 57 to transmit various information such as notification information to the administrator of the control system 1. For example, when the reception unit 55 receives the notification information from the sensor 100B, the instruction unit 56 instructs the transmission unit 57 to transmit the received notification information to the administrator of the control system 1 or the like.

The transmission unit 57 transmits various information. For example, the transmission unit 57 transmits various information based on the instruction of the instruction unit 56. For example, the transmission unit 57 transmits various information such as control information and setting information to the controlled device 100 based on the instruction of the instruction unit 56. Further, for example, the transmission unit 57 transmits various information such as notification information to the administrator of the control system 1 based on the instruction of the instruction unit 56.

[Configuration example of lighting device]
Next, the configuration of the illumination device 100A according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the lighting device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the lighting device 100A includes a communication unit 110A, a storage unit 120A, a control unit 130A, and a lighting unit 140A.

The communication unit 110A is realized by, for example, a predetermined communication circuit or the like. For example, the communication unit 110A performs wireless communication with the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100 using a predetermined frequency. For example, the communication unit 110A receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100 by wireless communication using a predetermined frequency. Further, for example, when the relay function is set to be valid, the communication unit 110A transmits various information such as control information and setting information to the controlled device 100 by wireless communication using a predetermined frequency.

In addition, the communication unit 110A switches information on whether to enable or disable the relay function from the area controller 50 or the controlled device 100 that receives an instruction from the administrator of the control system 1 (hereinafter, may be referred to as “switch information”). To receive. Note that when the lighting device 100A receives an instruction from the administrator or the like of the control system 1 to switch between valid and invalid of the relay function, the lighting device 100A is used by the administrator or the like using a frequency different from the frequency used by the communication unit 110A. It may have a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the setting terminal PC12 and the mobile terminal TD11 (see FIG. 5).

The storage unit 120A is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. For example, the storage unit 120A stores information regarding various information such as control information and setting information. A specific example of the information stored in the storage unit 120A will be described later.

The control unit 130A has an internal memory for storing a program that defines various processing procedures and the like and required data, and executes various processing by these, and particularly, as those closely related to the present invention, It has a receiving unit 131A, a setting unit 132A, and a transmitting unit 133A.

The receiver 131A receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100. For example, the receiving unit 131A receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100 via the communication unit 110A. Further, when various information such as the received control information and setting information is the information targeted for itself, the receiving unit 131A delivers the received information to the illuminating unit 140A. In addition, the reception unit 131A receives the switching information from the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100. For example, the reception unit 131A receives the switching information from the area controller 50 or the controlled device 100 via the communication unit 110A.

When the receiving unit 131A receives the switching information, the setting unit 132A switches the relay function between valid and invalid based on the received switching information. For example, the setting unit 132A sets the relay function to be valid when the receiving unit 131A receives the switching information for setting the relay function to be valid. Further, for example, the setting unit 132A sets the relay function to be invalid when the receiving unit 131A receives the switching information for setting the relay function to be invalid.

133 A of transmission parts transmit various information. For example, the transmission unit 133A transmits the information received by the reception unit 131A when the relay function is enabled. Even if the relay function is set to be valid, the transmitting unit 133A transmits the information received by the receiving unit 131A when the information received by the receiving unit 131A is the information intended only for itself. You don't have to.

The illumination unit 140A includes a light source unit (not shown) that emits light and a control unit (not shown) that controls the light source unit. Various light sources such as a fluorescent lamp and an LED (Light Emitting Diode) may be used in the light source unit depending on the purpose. The control unit controls the light source unit based on the control information received by the receiving unit 131A. For example, the control unit controls the output of the light source unit stepwise based on the control information received by the receiving unit 131A, or changes the light source unit to a lighting state or a non-lighting state, thereby dimming the light source unit. To control.

[Example of sensor configuration]
Next, the configuration of the sensor 100B according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the illumination device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor 100B has a communication unit 110B, a storage unit 120B, a control unit 130B, and a sensor unit 140B.

The communication unit 110B is realized by, for example, a predetermined communication circuit or the like. For example, the communication unit 110B performs wireless communication with the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100 using a predetermined frequency. For example, the communication unit 110B receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100 by wireless communication using a predetermined frequency. Further, for example, when the relay function is set to be valid, the communication unit 110B transmits various information such as control information and setting information to the controlled device 100 by wireless communication using a predetermined frequency.

The communication unit 110B also receives switching information from the area controller 50 or the controlled device 100 that has received an instruction from the administrator of the control system 1 or the like. When the sensor 100B receives an instruction to switch between valid and invalid of the relay function from the administrator of the control system 1 or the like, the sensor 100B uses the frequency different from the frequency used by the communication unit 110B to set the terminal used by the administrator or the like. You may have a communication part which wirelessly communicates with PC12 and portable terminal TD11 (refer FIG. 5).

The storage unit 120B is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory device such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. For example, the storage unit 120B stores information regarding various types of information such as control information and setting information. A specific example of the information stored in the storage unit 120B will be described later.

The control unit 130B has an internal memory for storing a program defining various processing procedures and the like and required data, and executes various processing by these. Particularly, as closely related to the present invention, The receiver 131B, the setting unit 132B, and the transmitter 133B are included.

The reception unit 131B receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100. For example, the reception unit 131B receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100 via the communication unit 110B. Further, when the received various types of information such as control information and setting information is information for itself, the receiving unit 131B delivers the received information to the sensor unit 140B. The receiving unit 131B also receives the switching information from the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100. For example, the receiving unit 131B receives the switching information from the area controller 50 or the controlled device 100 via the communication unit 110B.

When the receiving unit 131B receives the switching information, the setting unit 132B switches the relay function between valid and invalid based on the received switching information. For example, the setting unit 132B sets the relay function to be valid when the receiving unit 131B receives the switching information for setting the relay function to be valid. Further, for example, the setting unit 132B sets the relay function to be invalid when the receiving unit 131B receives the switching information for setting the relay function to be invalid.

The transmission unit 133B transmits various types of information. For example, the transmission unit 133B transmits the information received by the reception unit 131B when the relay function is set to be valid. Even if the relay function is enabled, the transmission unit 133B transmits the information received by the reception unit 131B when the information received by the reception unit 131B is the information intended only for itself. You don't have to. Further, for example, when the sensor unit 140B detects a predetermined state such as the presence of a person, the transmission unit 133B transmits the notification information regarding the predetermined state.

The sensor unit 140B includes a detection unit (not shown) that detects a predetermined state and a control unit (not shown) that controls the detection unit. Note that various sensors such as an infrared sensor and an ultrasonic sensor may be used for the detection unit depending on the purpose. The control unit controls the detection unit based on the setting information received by the reception unit 131B, and determines whether a predetermined state is detected based on the information acquired from the detection unit. For example, the control unit determines that the predetermined state is detected when the value acquired from the information acquired from the detection unit exceeds the predetermined threshold.

[Overall configuration of control system]
Here, the overall configuration of the control system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a system configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the control system according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control system 1 includes a plurality of area controllers 50A and 50B. For example, the area controller 50A and the area controller 50B are installed in different areas and manage the controlled device 100 located in the installed area. Note that the area controllers 50A and 50B will be referred to as the area controller 50 when they are described without distinction.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the area controller 50A transmits various information such as control information and setting information to the controlled device 100 by wireless communication using a predetermined frequency. For example, the area controller 50A transmits various information such as control information and setting information to the lighting device 100A by wireless communication C14 using a predetermined frequency. Further, for example, the area controller 50A transmits various information such as control information and setting information to the sensor 100B by wireless communication C15 using a predetermined frequency. When the relay function of the lighting device 100A or the sensor 100B that receives the information from the area controller 50A is set to be valid, the lighting device 100A or the sensor 100B transmits the received information.

Further, the area controller 50 is wire-connected to the supervisory control terminal PC11 used by the administrator U1 via a predetermined hub H10, and transmits and receives information to and from the supervisory control terminal PC11. For example, the area controller 50 receives various kinds of information such as control information and setting information for the controlled device 100 from the monitoring control terminal PC11. Further, the area controller 50 may receive various information such as control information and setting information regarding the area controller 50 itself from the monitor control terminal PC11. Further, when the area controller 50 receives the notification information from the sensor 100B, the area controller 50 may transmit the received notification information to the monitoring control terminal PC11.

Further, the area controller 50 transmits/receives information to/from the mobile terminal TD11 by the mobile terminal TD11 used by the administrator U3 and the wireless communication C100. For example, the area controller 50 transmits and receives information to and from the mobile terminal TD11 using a frequency different from the frequencies used for the wireless communication C14 and C15 with the controlled device 100. For example, the area controller 50 receives various information such as control information and setting information for the controlled device 100 from the mobile terminal TD11. The area controller 50 may also receive various information such as control information and setting information regarding the area controller 50 itself from the mobile terminal TD11. Further, when the area controller 50 receives the notification information from the sensor 100B, the area controller 50 may transmit the received notification information to the mobile terminal TD11.

Further, the area controller 50 transmits/receives information to/from the setting terminal PC12 through the setting terminal PC12 and the wireless communication C100 used by the system engineer U2. For example, the area controller 50 transmits/receives information to/from the setting terminal PC12 using a frequency different from the frequencies used for the wireless communication C14 and C15 with the controlled device 100. For example, the area controller 50 receives various kinds of information such as control information and setting information for the controlled device 100 from the setting terminal PC12. Further, the area controller 50 may receive various information such as control information and setting information regarding the area controller 50 itself from the setting terminal PC12. Further, when the area controller 50 receives the notification information from the sensor 100B, the area controller 50 may transmit the received notification information to the setting terminal PC12.

[Switch relay function settings]
Here, a specific example of switching the relay function of the controlled device 100 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting switching in the control system according to the embodiment. In FIG. 6, a case will be described as an example where one controlled device 100 cannot directly receive information from the area controller 50 due to a layout change of the floor on which the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100 are installed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the floor AR11 on which the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100 are installed, as seen from the ceiling side. In the example shown in FIG. 6, an area controller 50 is installed in the center of the floor AR11, and twelve controlled devices 100-1 to 100-12 are installed at predetermined intervals.

First, in the left floor AR11 shown in FIG. 6 (hereinafter, referred to as “the floor AR11 before the layout change”), the area controller 50 directly wirelessly communicates with all the twelve controlled devices 100-1 to 100-12. Communication is possible. For example, on the floor AR11 before the layout change shown in FIG. 6, the controlled device 100-4 located on the lower right side far from the area controller 50 is capable of directly wirelessly communicating with the area controller 50. Therefore, in the floor AR11 before the layout change, the relay function of all the controlled devices 100-1 to 100-12 will be described as being disabled.

Next, the floor AR11 after the layout change in the floor AR11 is shown in the center floor AR11 shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 6, a partition TP11 is provided on the floor AR11 after the layout is changed, and the layout of the floor AR11 is changed. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the partition TP11 is provided on the floor AR11 to divide the section in which the controlled device 100-3 and the controlled device 100-4 are installed from other sections.

Here, since the partition TP11 is provided, the communication strength between the controlled device 100-3 and the controlled device 100-4 located in the partition TP11 and the area controller 50 is higher than that before the partition TP11 is provided. It may decrease.

After the partition TP11 in FIG. 6 is installed, the communication strength between the controlled device 100-3 and the area controller 50 decreases, but the controlled device 100-3 remains capable of direct wireless communication with the area controller 50. There is. On the other hand, after the partition TP11 is installed, the communication strength between the controlled device 100-4 and the area controller 50 decreases, and the controlled device 100-4 cannot directly communicate with the area controller 50 by wireless communication. This will be described below.

As described above, since the controlled device 100-4 cannot directly communicate with the area controller 50 by wireless communication, in the floor AR11 after the layout change, the eleven controlled devices 100 except the controlled device 100-4. The relay function of any one of -1 to 100-3 and 100-5 to 100-12 is enabled so that various information from the area controller 50 can reach the controlled device 100-4. Here, in the example shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the three controlled devices 100-3, 100-7, and 100-8 can directly wirelessly communicate with the controlled device 100-4. Therefore, the administrator or the like of the control system 1 enables the relay function of any of the three controlled devices 100-3, 100-7, and 100-8, and various information from the area controller 50 is transmitted to the controlled device. Be able to reach 100-4.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the administrator or the like of the control system 1 enables the relay function of the controlled device 100 having the weakest communication strength with the area controller 50, and various information from the area controller 50 is transmitted to the controlled device. Be able to reach 100-4. In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, for example, the administrator of the control system 1 enables the relay function of the controlled device 100-3 having the weakest communication strength with the area controller 50, and various information from the area controller 50 is transmitted. The controlled device 100-4 can be reached.

As a result, on the right floor AR11 shown in FIG. 6 (hereinafter referred to as “floor AR11 after setting switching”), the controlled device 100-3 transmits the information received from the area controller 50. That is, on the floor AR11 after the setting switching, the controlled device 100-3 can transmit the information received from the area controller 50 and cause the information received from the area controller 50 to reach the controlled device 100-4. Therefore, on the floor AR11 after the setting switching, the controlled device 100-4 can receive various information from the area controller 50. That is, in the floor AR11 after the setting switching, the controlled device 100-4 can wirelessly communicate with the area controller 50 via the controlled device 100-3.

In the above example, the administrator of the control system 1 enabled the relay function of the controlled device 100-3 having the weakest communication strength with the area controller 50, but enabled the relay function based on different criteria. The controlled device 100 to be set may be determined. For example, the administrator of the control system 1 enables the relay function of the controlled device 100-8, which is the farthest from the area controller 50, and various information from the area controller 50 reaches the controlled device 100-4. You may be able to.

[Relay processing based on threshold]
Next, the relay process in the controlled device 100 in which the relay function is enabled will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the relay process based on the threshold value according to the embodiment. The threshold value used for determining whether to perform the relay process is stored in, for example, the storage unit 120A of the lighting device 100A or the storage unit 120B of the sensor 100B. Hereinafter, the storage unit 120A of the illumination device 100A and the storage unit 120B of the sensor 100B will be referred to as the storage unit 120 when the description will be made without particular distinction.

First, the controlled device 100 is set to have the relay function enabled (step S101). For example, the administrator or the like of the control system 1 effectively switches the setting of the relay function of the controlled device 100 based on a predetermined standard. After that, the controlled device 100 receives the information (step S102). For example, the controlled device 100 for which the relay function is enabled in step S101 receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and other controlled devices 100.

Here, the controlled device 100 that has received the information in step S102 ends the process without performing the relay process when the communication strength is equal to or higher than the threshold value (step S103: Yes).

On the other hand, when the communication strength is less than the threshold value (step S103: No), the controlled device 100 that has received the information in step S102 transmits the received information (step S104). That is, when the communication strength is less than the threshold value, the controlled device 100 performs the relay process. As a result, the control system 1 can suppress the communication load due to the relay process.

The threshold value set in the controlled device 100 can be appropriately set by the administrator of the control system 1 or the like. In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the threshold of the controlled device 100-3 for which the relay function is set to be valid is set to the threshold of the controlled device 100-3 in a state where the controlled device 100-4 can directly wirelessly communicate with the area controller 50. It may be a value based on communication strength. For example, a value based on the communication strength of the controlled device 100-3 when the controlled device 100-4 switches from a state in which direct wireless communication with the area controller 50 is impossible to a possible state is set as a threshold value of the controlled device 100-3. Good.

As a result, the controlled device 100-3 does not perform the relay process when the controlled device 100-4 can directly wirelessly communicate with the area controller 50. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, when the partition TP11 is removed, the controlled device 100-4 switches from the state in which direct wireless communication with the area controller 50 is not possible to the state in which it is possible. In this case, the controlled device 100-3 does not perform the relay process based on the threshold as described above, without the administrator or the like of the control system 1 invalidating the relay function of the controlled device 100-3. Therefore, management of the control system 1 becomes easy. The administrator or the like of the control system 1 may disable the relay function of the controlled device 100-3 when the partition TP11 is removed.

[Relay processing with waiting time]
Next, a relay process with a waiting time in the controlled device 100 in which the relay function is set to be effective will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. In the examples shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a case where predetermined individual identification information is used as information for identifying the controlled device 100 such as the lighting device 100A and the sensor 100B is shown. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of individual identification information stored in the storage unit according to the embodiment. Further, FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the relay process based on the individual identification information according to the embodiment.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the storage unit 120 stores individual identification information. For example, the storage unit 120 stores a MAC (Media Access Control) address as individual identification information. In the example shown in FIG. 8, “XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-12” is stored as the individual identification information.

From here, the relay process based on the individual identification information will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the controlled device 100 is set to have the relay function enabled (step S201). For example, the administrator or the like of the control system 1 effectively switches the setting of the relay function of the controlled device 100 based on a predetermined standard. After that, the controlled device 100 receives the information (step S202). For example, the controlled device 100 for which the relay function is effectively set in step S201 receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and other controlled devices 100.

Here, the controlled device 100 having received the information in step S202 confirms whether or not a predetermined waiting time has elapsed (step S203). For example, the controlled device 100 sets a waiting time to a time obtained by multiplying “12” of “XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-12”, which is the individual identification information illustrated in FIG. 8, by a predetermined reference time. Further, the controlled device 100 may set the waiting time to a time obtained by multiplying “2” of “XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-12” which is the individual identification information shown in FIG. 8 by a predetermined reference time. When the predetermined waiting time has not elapsed (step S203: No), the controlled device 100 waits until the predetermined waiting time elapses without transmitting the received information.

After that, the controlled device 100 transmits the received information (step S204) when the predetermined waiting time has elapsed (step S203: Yes). That is, the controlled device 100 performs the relay process after the waiting time based on the individual identification information of the controlled device 100 elapses after receiving the information. As a result, the control system 1 can suppress simultaneous transmission of information by the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100, and suppress communication congestion due to relay processing.

[Relay processing based on identification number]
Next, the relay process based on the identification number, which is the identification information included in various information such as control information and setting information previously received in the controlled device 100 with the relay function enabled, will be described with reference to FIGS. Will be explained. In the example shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the area controller 50 wirelessly transmits information including an identification number for identifying various information such as control information and setting information to be transmitted. Further, controlled device 100 stores the identification number included in the received information in storage unit 120. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the identification number stored in the storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the relay process based on the identification number according to the embodiment.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, the storage unit 120 stores the identification number included in various information such as the control information and the setting information previously received by the controlled device 100. For example, the storage unit 120 stores “N11” and “N12” as identification numbers. It should be noted that the identification numbers N11 and N12 shown in FIG. 10 conceptually represent the identification numbers, and the identification number is a predetermined number of bits, and a value for identifying the information transmitted from the area controller 50 is used.

The relay process based on the identification number will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the controlled device 100 is set to have the relay function enabled (step S301). For example, the administrator or the like of the control system 1 effectively switches the setting of the relay function of the controlled device 100 based on a predetermined standard. After that, the controlled device 100 receives the information (step S302). For example, the controlled device 100 for which the relay function is effectively set in step S301 receives various information such as control information and setting information from the area controller 50 and other controlled devices 100.

Here, the controlled device 100 having received the information in step S302 confirms whether or not the identification number of the received information has been registered (step S303). For example, when the identification number of the information received in step S302 is the already registered identification numbers N11 and N12 shown in FIG. 10 (step S303: Yes), the controlled device 100 performs the process without performing the relay process. finish.

On the other hand, if the identification number of the received information is not registered (step S303: No), the controlled device 100 that has received the information in step S302 transmits the received information (step S304). That is, the controlled device 100 performs the relay process if the received information is not the previously received information. Thereby, the control system 1 can suppress the communication load due to the relay process.

[Relay limit]
In the relay process by the controlled device 100 described above, the control system 1 may limit the number of relays. For example, the control system 1 may provide a flag indicating the number of relays in various information such as control information and setting information. In this case, for example, the area controller 50 sets the flag to 0 when transmitting information. Then, the controlled device 100 for which the relay function is set to be effective adds one to the flag provided in the information when transmitting the received information. Further, the controlled device 100 with the relay function enabled is not to perform the relay process when the value of the flag included in the received information has reached the preset number of times of relay.

For example, when the number of relays is limited to one in the control system 1, the controlled device 100 with the relay function enabled is configured to perform the relay process when the value of the flag included in the received information is 1. Not performed. In addition, when the number of times of relay is limited to one in the control system 1, the controlled device 100 with the relay function enabled is configured to perform the relay process when the value of the flag included in the received information is 0. To do.

Further, for example, when the number of relays is limited to two in the control system 1, the controlled device 100 with the relay function enabled is relayed when the value of the flag included in the received information is two. Do not process. Further, when the number of relays is limited to two in the control system 1, the controlled device 100 with the relay function enabled is relayed when the value of the flag included in the received information is 0 or 1. Perform processing. Thereby, the control system 1 can suppress the communication load due to the relay process. In the above example, the case where the area controller 50 is the control device has been described, but the lighting device that wirelessly transmits the control information may be the control device. That is, in the control system 1, the area controller 50 may be replaced with a lighting device that wirelessly transmits control information. Further, for example, the sensor that wirelessly transmits the control information may be the control device. Thereby, the control system 1 can further simplify the configuration.

[Effect of Embodiment]
As described above, the control system 1 according to the embodiment sets the control device (area controller 50) that wirelessly transmits the control information for controlling the lighting device 100A and whether or not the received control information is wirelessly transmitted. And a possible lighting device 100A.

As a result, the control system 1 transmits the information from the area controller 50 to the controlled device 100 such as the lighting device 100A located outside the communication range of the area controller 50 via the controlled device 100 in which the relay function is enabled. It becomes possible and the communication range can be expanded. Therefore, the control system 1 can change the communication range by switching the relay function of the controlled device 100, and thus restrains the installation of the controlled device 100.

Further, in the control system 1 according to the above-described embodiment, when the communication intensity of the control information received by the lighting device 100A set to wirelessly transmit the control information is higher than a predetermined threshold, the lighting device 100A receives The control information is not wirelessly transmitted.

Accordingly, the control system 1 can suppress the communication load by suppressing the controlled device 100 from performing the relay process when the relay process is unnecessary. Further, management of the control system 1 by an administrator or the like of the control system 1 becomes easy. Moreover, the control system 1 can suppress the congestion of communication due to the relay process by suppressing the relay process when the relay process by the controlled device 100 is unnecessary.

Further, in the control system 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the lighting device 100A, which is set to wirelessly transmit the control information, receives the control information and then the predetermined time based on the information for identifying the lighting device 100A. After the lapse of time, the received control information is wirelessly transmitted.

As a result, the control system 1 can suppress simultaneous transmission of information by the area controller 50 and the controlled device 100, and suppress communication congestion due to relay processing.

Further, in the control system 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the area controller 50 wirelessly transmits the control information including the identification information that identifies the control information to be transmitted. Further, the lighting device 100A set to wirelessly transmit the control information stores the identification information included in the received control information, and the identification information included in the received control information is stored before the control information is received. When it is the same as the information, the control information is not wirelessly transmitted.

As a result, the control system 1 can suppress a time-series malfunction caused by the controlled device 100 receiving a plurality of the same information by making a determination based on the identification number of the data received by the controlled device 100. .. Further, the control system 1 can suppress the communication load due to the relay process.

The control system 1 according to the above-described embodiment includes the area controller 50 that wirelessly transmits the setting information for setting the sensor 100B, and the sensor 100B that can set whether or not the received setting information is wirelessly transmitted. ..

As a result, the control system 1 can transmit the information from the area controller 50 to the controlled device 100 such as the sensor 100B located outside the communication range of the area controller 50 via the controlled device 100 in which the relay function is enabled. Therefore, the communication range can be expanded.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof, as well as included in the scope and spirit of the invention. In addition, these embodiments and modifications thereof can be appropriately combined within a range in which the processing content is not inconsistent.

1 Control system 50 Area controller 51 1st communication part 52 2nd communication part 53 Storage part 54 Control part 55 Reception part 56 Instruction part 57 Transmission part 100A Lighting device 110A Communication part 120A Storage part 130A Control part 131A Reception part 132A Setting part 133A Transmitter 140A Illuminator 100B Sensor 110B Communication 120B Storage 130B Controller 131B Receiver 132B Setting 133B Transmitter 140B Sensor

Claims (2)

With light source:
A first receiving unit that receives control information transmitted from the outside via the first communication unit;
A transmitting unit capable of transmitting the control information received by the first receiving unit to the outside via the first communication unit;
A second receiving unit that receives the switching information transmitted from the outside via the second communication unit different from the first communication unit;
A control unit capable of switching whether to transmit the control information to the outside via the first communication unit according to the switching information received by the second receiving unit;
An illuminating device comprising: A lighting device capable of switching whether to transmit the control information received via the first communication unit to the outside via the first communication unit;
A terminal device capable of communicating with the lighting device via a second communication means different from the first communication means;
The lighting device is characterized by switching whether or not to transmit the control information to the outside through the first communication unit, based on the switching information received through the second communication unit. Control system.

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