JP7152702B2 - lighting system - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the invention relate to lighting systems.

A lighting system is known that includes a lighting device that lights a light source and a control unit that controls lighting of the light source by the lighting device. The control unit communicates with an external device such as a tablet terminal, converts an external signal input from the external device into a control signal corresponding to the lighting device, and transmits the control signal to the lighting device.

The external signal and the control signal include information regarding the lighting state of the light source, such as dimming information for changing the brightness of the light source and toning information for changing the color of light emitted from the light source. Thereby, the lighting device controls the lighting state of the light source based on the control signal received from the control unit.

Thus, in the lighting system, the lighting state of the light source, such as on/off, brightness, and color of light, can be controlled in accordance with an external signal input from an external device. As a result, the lighting state can be changed according to the user's preference, etc., and the comfort and performance can be improved.

In such a lighting system, there is a concern that malfunction may occur due to communication failure. For example, due to a communication failure between the control unit and the lighting device, the control signal information stored in the control unit may differ from the control signal information stored in the lighting device. In this case, the lighting state of the light source may become unstable.

Further, for example, the communication standard between the external device and the lighting system is different, and the lighting system may not be properly operated by the external device. In this case, it is difficult to ascertain which of the external device or the lighting system has the problem, and recovery is burdensome.

Therefore, in a lighting system that includes a lighting device and a control unit, it is desirable to be able to suppress malfunctions due to communication problems.

Japanese Patent No. 587035

An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting system capable of suppressing malfunction due to communication failure.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a lighting device for lighting a light source and a control unit for controlling lighting of the light source by the lighting device are provided. converts an external signal input from the lighting device into a control signal corresponding to the lighting device, transmits the converted control signal to the lighting device, and the external signal and the control signal provide information about the lighting state of the light source wherein the lighting device controls the lighting state of the light source based on the control signal received from the control unit, and the lighting device and the control unit store the information included in the control signal; A lighting system is provided that mutually confirms the stored information at predetermined timings.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide a lighting system capable of suppressing malfunction due to communication failure.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a lighting system according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of the operation of the lighting system according to the embodiment; It is a flowchart which represents typically the modification of operation|movement of the lighting system which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which represents typically the modification of operation|movement of the lighting system which concerns on embodiment. 4 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of the operation of the lighting system according to the embodiment; It is a flowchart which represents typically the modification of operation|movement of the lighting system which concerns on embodiment.

Each embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.
Note that the drawings are schematic or conceptual, and the relationship between the thickness and width of each portion, the size ratio between portions, and the like are not necessarily the same as the actual ones. Also, even when the same parts are shown, the dimensions and ratios may be different depending on the drawing.
In addition, in the present specification and each figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as those described above with respect to the already-appearing figures, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a lighting system according to an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1 , lighting system 10 includes lighting device 20 and control unit 30 .

The lighting device 20 lights the light source 40 . The lighting device 20 is connected to the light source 40 and supplies power to the light source 40 to light the light source 40 . The light source 40 is, for example, a light emitting diode. However, the light source 40 is not limited to a light emitting diode, and may be another light emitting element such as an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) element, a light bulb, a discharge tube, or the like. Note that the light source 40 is not limited to being externally connected to the lighting device 20 and may be built into the lighting device 20 .

The control unit 30 communicates with the external device 2 , converts an external signal input from the external device 2 into a control signal corresponding to the lighting device 20 , and transmits the converted control signal to the lighting device 20 .

The external signal and control signal include information about the lighting state of the light source 40 (hereinafter referred to as lighting state information). The external signal and the control signal include, for example, at least one of dimming information for changing the brightness of the light source 40 and toning information for changing the color of light emitted from the light source 40 as lighting state information. The light source 40 has, for example, a plurality of light emitting elements emitting light of different colors, and can change the color of the emitted light by changing the intensity of the light emitted from each light emitting element.

The lighting device 20 controls the lighting state of the light source 40 based on the control signal received from the control unit 30 . The lighting device 20 performs, for example, switching between lighting and extinguishing of the light source 40, dimming that changes the brightness of the light source 40, or toning that changes the color of the light emitted from the light source 40, based on the control signal. conduct. However, the lighting state of the light source 40 is not limited to these, and may be any state related to lighting of the light source 40 .

Accordingly, in the lighting system 10 , the lighting state of the light source 40 can be controlled by operating the external device 2 and transmitting a control signal from the external device 2 to the control unit 30 . In the lighting system 10, the lighting state of the light source 40 can be changed according to the user's preference, etc., and the comfort and performance can be improved.

The external device 2 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal. The external device 2 may be, for example, a control device provided on an indoor wall surface or a dedicated remote controller. Communication between the control unit 30 and the external device 2 may be wired or wireless.

Communication between the control unit 30 and the external device 2 is performed according to a predetermined communication standard such as a DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) signal format conforming to IEC62386, for example. However, the communication standard for communication between the control unit 30 and the external device 2 is not limited to DALI, and may be any communication standard that can include lighting state information such as dimming information and toning information.

The lighting device 20 includes, for example, a control section 21, a lighting circuit 22, and a power supply circuit 23. The power supply circuit 23 is connected to the external power supply 4 . The power supply circuit 23 converts the power supplied from the external power supply 4 into predetermined power corresponding to the control section 21 and the lighting circuit 22 , and supplies the converted power to the control section 21 and the lighting circuit 22 .

The external power supply 4 is, for example, an AC commercial power supply. The power supply circuit 23 converts, for example, AC power supplied from the external power supply 4 into DC power corresponding to the control unit 21 and the lighting circuit 22 , and supplies the converted DC power to the control unit 21 and the lighting circuit 22 . The power supply circuit 23 is, for example, an AC-DC converter.

The power supplied from the power supply circuit 23 to the lighting circuit 22 may be the same as or different from the power supplied from the power supply circuit 23 to the controller 21 . That is, the power supply circuit 23 may change the voltage value or the like corresponding to each of the control section 21 and the lighting circuit 22 .

The control unit 21 is activated in response to power supply from the power supply circuit 23 . The control unit 21 communicates with the control unit 30 and receives control signals from the control unit 30 . The controller 21 then controls the operation of the lighting circuit 22 based on the received control signal.

The lighting circuit 22 converts the power supplied from the power supply circuit 23 into predetermined power corresponding to the control signal under the control of the control unit 21 and supplies the converted power to the light source 40 . Thereby, the lighting state of the light source 40, such as lighting/lighting out, brightness of light, or color of light, can be controlled based on the control signal. The lighting circuit 22 is, for example, a DC-DC converter.

The control unit 30 is connected to the lighting device 20 via wires 51-55. The wires 51 to 55 are detachably connected to the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30, for example. In other words, the control unit 30 is detachably connected to the lighting device 20 via the wirings 51-55.

The wirings 51 and 52 are connected to the power supply circuit 23 of the lighting device 20 . As a result, power is supplied from the power supply circuit 23 of the lighting device 20 to the control unit 30 . The wirings 51 and 52 are, in other words, a pair of power lines.

The wirings 53 to 55 are connected to the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 . The control unit 30 is connected to the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 via wires 53 to 55 and communicates with the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 by wire.

The control unit 30 has, for example, a control section 31 and a communication section 32 . The control unit 31 and the communication unit 32 are connected to the power supply circuit 23 of the lighting device 20 via wires 51 and 52 and operate by being supplied with power from the power supply circuit 23 .

The control unit 31 is activated in response to power supply from the power supply circuit 23 of the lighting device 20 . The control section 21 of the lighting device 20 and the control section 31 of the control unit 30 are activated independently according to the supply of power from the power supply circuit 23 .

The communication unit 32 communicates with the external device 2 . The communication unit 32 receives an external signal from the external device 2 and inputs the received external signal to the control unit 31 . The communication between the communication unit 32 and the external device 2 may be wired or wireless as described above. The communication unit 32 may be any communication interface conforming to the communication standard with the external device 2 .

The control unit 31 converts the external signal input from the communication unit 32 into a control signal corresponding to the lighting device 20 and transmits the converted control signal to the lighting device 20 . Accordingly, based on the input of the external signal, it is possible to transmit the control signal to the lighting device 20 and control the lighting state of the light source 40 .

Also, the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 and the control section 31 of the control unit 30 store lighting state information such as dimming information and toning information included in the control signal. Note that the lighting state information may be stored in the internal memory of the control units 21 and 31 or the like, or may be stored in an external memory or the like connected to the control units 21 and 31 .

The controller 31 is connected to the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 via wires 53-55. The wiring 53 is, for example, a communication line for transmitting signals from the controller 31 of the control unit 30 to the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 . The control section 31 of the control unit 30 transmits a control signal to the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 via the wiring 53, for example. The wiring 54 is, for example, a communication line for transmitting signals from the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 to the controller 31 of the control unit 30 .

The wiring 55 is, for example, a reset line for transmitting a reset signal from the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 to the controller 31 of the control unit 30 . The wiring 55 is electrically connected to, for example, a reset terminal of a microcomputer of the control section 31 . Accordingly, the input of the reset signal from the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 can cause the control section 31 of the control unit 30 to perform the reset operation. Here, the reset operation is, more specifically, an operation of returning the operation of the control section 31 of the control unit 30 to the initial state.

In this example, the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 are connected by wire, and power is supplied from the lighting device 20 to the control unit 30 . For example, the control unit 30 may also be provided with a power supply circuit, and the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 may be individually connected to the external power supply 4 . In this case, the wirings 51 and 52, which are power supply lines, can be omitted. Further, when the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 are individually connected to the external power source 4, the wirings 53 to 55 can be omitted, and the wiring between the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 and the control section 31 of the control unit 30 can be connected. communication may be performed wirelessly.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of the operation of the lighting system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 2 schematically represents an example of the operation of communication between the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 of the lighting system 10. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the control section 31 of the control unit 30 transmits a confirmation signal to the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 (step S101 in FIG. 2). The confirmation signal is, for example, a signal for confirming the operating state with the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 . At this time, the control section 31 of the control unit 30 includes the stored lighting state information in the confirmation signal.

Upon receiving the confirmation signal, the control unit 21 of the lighting device 20 determines whether or not the lighting state information of the control unit 30 included in the confirmation signal matches the lighting state information stored in itself (FIG. 2). steps S201, 202). For example, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the value of the dimming information (dimming degree) and the value of the toning information match.

If the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 determines that they do not match, it replaces the lighting state information stored by itself with the lighting state information stored by the control unit 30 (step S203 in FIG. 2).

After replacing the lighting state information, the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 transmits a response signal to the confirmation signal to the controller 31 of the control unit 30 (step S204 in FIG. 2). Further, when determining that the lighting state information matches, the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 transmits a response signal to the control section 31 of the control unit 30 without performing the replacement.

At this time, the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 includes the lighting state information in the response signal. When the lighting state information is replaced, the control unit 21 of the lighting device 20 includes the replacement lighting state information in the response signal.

Upon receiving the response signal, the control section 31 of the control unit 30 determines whether or not the lighting state information of the lighting device 20 included in the response signal matches the lighting state information stored therein (FIG. 2). steps S102, 103). In this way, the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 store the lighting state information included in the control signal, and mutually confirm the stored lighting state information at a predetermined timing.

If the controller 31 of the control unit 30 determines that they do not match, it sends the confirmation signal to the controller 21 of the lighting device 20 again. On the other hand, when determining that they match, the control section 31 of the control unit 30 retransmits the confirmation signal to the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 after a certain period of time has passed (step S104 in FIG. 2). That is, the control section 31 of the control unit 30 periodically transmits a confirmation signal to the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 when the lighting state information matches and the lighting state information is in a normal state.

For example, when a control signal is transmitted from the control unit 30 to the lighting device 20, the control signal may contain noise, and the control signal may not be properly received by the lighting device 20. The lighting state information stored in the control unit 30 may differ from the lighting state information stored in the lighting device 20 due to a communication failure between them.

On the other hand, in the lighting system 10, the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 store the lighting state information included in the control signal, and mutually confirm the stored lighting state information at a predetermined timing. As a result, it is possible to prevent the lighting state of the light source 40 from becoming unstable due to continued operation with different lighting state information. Therefore, it is possible to suppress malfunction due to communication failure.

Further, in the lighting system 10, the lighting device 20 replaces the stored lighting state information with the lighting state information stored in the control unit 30 when the stored lighting state information is different from the lighting state information stored in the control unit 30. - 特許庁As a result, it is possible to more reliably suppress malfunctions due to communication failures. Moreover, when the lighting state information of the control unit 30 is given priority in this way, the difference in the lighting state information of the control unit 30 with respect to the external device 2 can be reduced, and the stability of the lighting system 10 can be further ensured. can.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing a modification of the operation of the lighting system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 3 schematically represents a modification of the operation of the communication between the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 of the lighting system 10. In FIG. Note that descriptions of operations that are substantially the same as those already described with reference to FIG. 2 will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this example, after the control section 31 of the control unit 30 transmits the confirmation signal, the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 responds to the reception of the confirmation signal and immediately transmits the response signal to the control unit. 30 (steps S111, S211 and S212 in FIG. 3).

Upon receiving the response signal, the control section 31 of the control unit 30 determines whether or not the lighting state information of the lighting device 20 included in the response signal matches the lighting state information stored therein (FIG. 3). steps S112, 113).

If the controller 31 of the control unit 30 determines that they do not match, it replaces the lighting state information stored in itself with the lighting state information stored in the lighting device 20 (step S114 in FIG. 3).

When the control unit 31 of the control unit 30 determines that the lighting state information does not match and replaces the lighting state information, and when it determines that the lighting state information matches, the control unit 31 outputs a confirmation signal after a certain period of time has passed. 20 again to the control unit 21 (step S115 in FIG. 3).

Thus, when the stored lighting state information differs from the lighting state information stored in the lighting device 20, the control unit 30 may replace the stored lighting state information with the lighting state information stored in the lighting device 20. In this case, since the lighting state does not change due to the replacement of the lighting state information, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling discomfort due to changes in brightness or color.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart schematically showing a modification of the operation of the lighting system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 4 schematically represents a modification of the operation of communication between the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 of the lighting system 10. In FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, in this example, the control unit 21 of the lighting device 20 determines whether the lighting state information of the control unit 30 included in the confirmation signal matches the lighting state information stored in itself. is determined, and if it is determined that they do not match, the lighting state information stored in itself is replaced with a preset initial value (step S223 in FIG. 4).

In this example, when the control unit 31 of the control unit 30 determines that the lighting state information of the lighting device 20 included in the response signal does not match the lighting state information stored in itself, is replaced with a preset initial value (step S124 in FIG. 4).

In this manner, the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 may replace the stored lighting state information with a preset initial value when the stored lighting state information is different from each other. In this case, for example, compared to the case where the lighting state information of the lighting device 20 is given priority or the case where the lighting state information of the control unit 30 is given priority, the configuration of software etc. can be simplified. The configuration can be simplified.

Note that the method by which the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 mutually confirm the stored lighting state information at a predetermined timing is not limited to the above. For example, in the examples shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the confirmation signal is transmitted from the control unit 30 to the lighting device 20, but on the contrary, the confirmation signal is transmitted from the lighting device 20 to the control unit 30. The lighting state information may be checked. Any method that can appropriately confirm the lighting state information between the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 may be used to confirm the lighting state information.

In addition, in the examples shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, confirmation of the lighting state information is performed periodically by transmitting confirmation signals. Without being limited to this, for example, the lighting state information may be checked based on a signal input from the external device 2 to the control unit 30 . In this way, the timing for checking the lighting state information may be any timing.

Further, when the lighting state information is confirmed based on the signal from the external device 2, the confirmation result may be transmitted to the external device 2 and displayed on the display unit of the external device 2 or the like. . Thereby, the lighting state information stored in the lighting device 20 and the control unit 30 can be confirmed by the external device 2 . That is, the external device 2 can confirm the dimming degree and color setting state of the light source 40 .

FIG. 5 is a flowchart schematically showing an example of the operation of the lighting system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 5 schematically represents an example of the operation of communication between the external device 2 and the control unit 30. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the external device 2 transmits an external signal including lighting state information to the communication section 32 of the control unit 30 according to the user's operation (step S301 in FIG. 5).

Upon receiving the external signal, the communication section 32 of the control unit 30 inputs the external signal to the control section 31 (step S401 in FIG. 5).

Upon receiving the input of the external signal, the control section 31 of the control unit 30 determines whether or not the communication standard of the input external signal matches its own communication standard (step S402 in FIG. 5).

When determining that they match, the control section 31 of the control unit 30 converts the input external signal into a control signal, and transmits the control signal to the control section 21 of the lighting device 20 to turn on the input external signal. The lighting state of the light source 40 is controlled based on the state information (step S403 in FIG. 5).

On the other hand, if the controller 31 of the control unit 30 determines that there is no match, the controller 31 of the control unit 30 transmits a mismatch signal to the controller 21 of the lighting device 20, and causes the light source 40 to flash or dim to detect the mismatch of the communication standards. is notified to the user (step S404 in FIG. 5).

In this way, the control unit 30 makes a notification by flashing or dimming the light source 40 when an external signal with a different communication standard is received from the external device 2 . As a result, for example, when the lighting system 10 cannot be properly operated by the external device 2 due to a different communication standard between the external device 2 and the lighting system 10, it is possible to determine which of the external device 2 and the lighting system 10 has a problem. It is possible to make it easier for the user or the like to comprehend.

That is, when the lighting system 10 cannot be operated by the external device 2, if there is a notification, it is recognized that there is a problem on the side of the external device 2, and if there is no notification, there is a problem on the side of the lighting system 10. It can be recognized that there is Therefore, the load for restoration can be reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately suppress malfunctions due to communication failures between the external device 2 and the lighting system 10 .

FIG. 6 is a flowchart schematically showing a modification of the operation of the lighting system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 6 schematically represents a modification of the operation of communication between the external device 2 and the control unit 30. In FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, in this example, the control unit 31 of the control unit 30 determines whether or not the communication standard of the input external signal matches its own communication standard, and determines that it does not match. If so, a notification signal is transmitted to the external device 2 (step S414 in FIG. 6). The external device 2 that has received the notification signal displays the reception of the notification signal on a display unit or the like. As a result, in the same manner as described above, it is possible to notify the user or the like of the inconsistency of the communication standards.

In this way, notification of a mismatch in communication standards is not limited to flashing or dimming of the light source 40, but may be transmission of a notification signal. It should be noted that the destination of the notification signal is not limited to the external device 2, and may be another high-level control controller or the like. The mode of notifying the mismatch of communication standards is not limited to the above, and may be any mode that can notify the user, the controller, or the like.

While several embodiments and examples of the invention have been described, these embodiments or examples are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments or examples can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments, examples, and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 External device 4 External power supply 10 Lighting system 20 Lighting device 21 Control unit 22 Lighting circuit 23 Power supply circuit 30 Control unit 31 Control unit 32 Communication unit 40... Light source, 51 to 55... Wiring

Claims (6)

a lighting device for lighting a light source;
a control unit that controls lighting of the light source by the lighting device;
with
The control unit communicates with an external device, converts an external signal input from the external device into a control signal corresponding to the lighting device, and transmits the converted control signal to the lighting device,
the external signal and the control signal include information about the lighting state of the light source;
The lighting device controls the lighting state of the light source based on the control signal received from the control unit,
A lighting system in which the lighting device and the control unit store the information included in the control signal and confirm the stored information with each other at a predetermined timing. 2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device replaces the stored information with the information stored by the control unit when the stored information is different from the information stored by the control unit. 2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit replaces the stored information with the information stored in the lighting device when the stored information is different from the information stored in the lighting device. 2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device and the control unit replace the stored information with a preset initial value when the stored information is different from each other. 5. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit notifies when the external signal having a different communication standard is received from the external device. 6. The lighting system according to claim 5, wherein said notification is blinking or dimming of said light source.

Images