JP7212839B2 - Lighting system and lighting device - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to lighting systems and lighting devices.

2. Description of the Related Art Some control devices that control devices to be controlled such as lighting devices installed in a facility wirelessly transmit control signals to the lighting devices to control the lighting devices. When collectively controlling a plurality of lighting devices, a plurality of lighting devices are grouped in order to collectively control the plurality of lighting devices with a single signal from the control device. There are systems that send signals. For this grouping, it is necessary to establish communication between the lighting device and the control device.

However, when a plurality of lighting devices are grouped into a plurality of groups and controlled, for example, the control device receives identification information transmitted from the lighting device, and the control device identifies itself to the lighting device having the received identification information. Communication between the lighting device and the control device is established by transmitting information, and then the control device groups the lighting devices and transmits the grouping information to the lighting device. There is room for improvement because the initial setting communication work becomes complicated.

Patent No. 5228140

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a lighting system that can easily group a plurality of lighting devices and control the lighting devices for each group.

The lighting system of the embodiment includes a light source, a communication unit that communicates with the outside, a storage unit that stores model information indicating the model of the device itself, a storage battery, an inspection unit that inspects the storage battery, and the inspection unit. an inspection switch for starting an inspection operation, and when the inspection switch is operated, the inspection unit starts the inspection operation, and a function of transmitting an inspection signal including the model information from the communication unit; It has a plurality of lighting devices that cause an inspection unit to perform an inspection operation when the model information included in the inspection signal received from the outside matches the model information of the machine itself, and the lighting devices operate the inspection switch. Then, the inspection unit is caused to start inspection operation, and an inspection signal including the model information is transmitted from the communication unit to other lighting devices, and the other lighting devices that have received the inspection signal are included in the inspection signal. When the model information and the model information of the own machine match, the inspection unit is caused to perform inspection operation, and an inspection signal including the model information is transmitted to other lighting devices, and when they do not match, the inspection operation is not performed. An inspection signal including the model information is transmitted to another lighting device.

According to the present invention, it can be expected that a plurality of lighting devices can be easily grouped and the lighting devices can be controlled for each group.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the lighting system of embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view of the illuminating device (emergency light) of embodiment. 1 is a perspective view of a lighting device (guide light) according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the illuminating device of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the communication terminal of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the display part of the communication terminal of embodiment. FIG. 4 is an image diagram of the first group of the embodiment; It is an image figure of the 1st group and the 2nd group of an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the display part of the communication terminal of embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a lighting system 100 is connected to a plurality of lighting devices 10 (10a to 10i) installed on the ceiling surface of a lighting space 1 in an office or commercial facility so as to be able to communicate with the lighting devices 10. The control device includes a communication terminal 20 (hereinafter, the control device will be referred to as a “communication terminal”). The communication terminal 20 is a mobile communication terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet communication terminal, and is configured to be capable of wireless communication with the lighting device 10 .

Further, the communication method between the lighting devices 10a to 10i and between the lighting devices 10a to 10i and the communication terminal 20 is, for example, wireless communication capable of a mesh network such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). method.

Here, the lighting device 10 is a disaster prevention lighting device equipped with a storage battery that can be charged with commercial power as an external power supply, and the lighting devices 10a to 10f are emergency lights (hereinafter referred to as "emergency lights 10a to 10f"). The illumination devices 10g to 10i are guide lights (hereinafter referred to as "guide lights 10g to 10i"). These disaster prevention lighting devices ensure safety in an emergency by turning on a light source with the power of a storage battery to illuminate an evacuation passage in the event of a disaster, or by illuminating a pictogram indicating an emergency exit and guiding the person to the emergency exit.

2 to 4, the lighting device 10 has a communication unit 14 that performs wireless communication, and transmits information such as its own identification information and model information to a communication terminal via the communication unit 14. 20.

Next, configuration examples of the illumination devices 10a to 10i will be described. The emergency lights 10a to 10f will be described as the emergency lights 10, and the guide lights 10g to 10i will be described as the guide lights 10. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of the emergency light 10, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the appearance of the guide light 10, and FIG. The emergency light 10 includes a control unit 13, a storage unit 17, a communication unit 14, a light source 11, and the like, which are housed inside a housing 16 of the lighting device. A terminal block 19 connected to an external power supply (not shown) is provided on the rear side of the housing 16 . The emergency light 10 is driven by electric power supplied from an external power source via the terminal block 19 . The emergency light 10 normally charges the power of the external power supply to the storage battery 12 and does not turn on the light source 11, but turns on the light source 11 with the power of the storage battery 12 at the time of disaster or inspection when the external power supply is cut off.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide light 10 is a lighting device having a pictogram indicating an emergency exit or the direction of the emergency exit. The light source 11 is turned on, and the panel 18 is irradiated with light guided by a light guide plate (not shown). Storage battery 12 , terminal block 19 , and communication unit 14 are accommodated in housing 16 . The guide light 10 normally lights the light source 11 with the power of the external power source and charges the storage battery 12, and lights the light source 11 with the power of the storage battery 12 in the event of a disaster or inspection when the external power source is cut off.

As shown in FIG. 4, the emergency light 10 and the guide light 10 include a control section 13, a storage section 17, an inspection section 15, a communication section 14, a light source 11, etc. These sections are connected to each other via a data bus. ing. In addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 4, the illumination device 10 may have other configurations as necessary, or may exclude a specific configuration.

The control unit 13 has a function of controlling the operation of the lighting device 10 . The control unit 13 implements various processes by executing programs stored in advance in the storage unit 17 . Control unit 13 is, for example, a processor.

The storage unit 17 is composed of a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, and the like. For example, the storage unit 17 stores control programs and control data in advance.

Further, the storage unit 17 stores identification information indicating the device itself. The identification information is information that identifies the lighting device 10, and for example, the identification information is a unique address such as a MAC address.

The storage unit 17 also stores model information representing the model of the device itself. The model information is information representing the model of the lighting device, and is indicated by alphanumeric characters. This model information can represent attributes such as emergency lights and guide lights by adding information common to each model, for example. Further, the model information may be provided for each function such as a wall-mounted type or a ceiling-mounted type of guide light, and the model information can be used to distinguish between lighting devices according to their attributes and functions.

The storage unit 17 also stores the name of the model corresponding to this model information. The storage unit 17 may store identification information, model information, and a model name when the lighting device 10 is manufactured.

The storage unit 17 also stores inspection information. Here, the inspection information is information such as the voltage, current, temperature, discharge time and number of times of discharge of the storage battery 12 inspected by the inspection unit 15 .

The storage battery 12 is a battery that can be attached and detached inside the housing 16, and is a rechargeable secondary battery such as a nickel-cadmium battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, or a lithium-ion battery.

The inspection unit 15 inspects the storage battery 12 . Here, the inspection is an operation to temporarily cut off the supply of power from the external power source and turn on the light source 11 with the power of the storage battery 12 for a predetermined time specified by law. Specifically, if the lighting device 10 is an emergency light, the power of the storage battery 12 is used to light the light source 11 for 30 minutes. By detecting the voltage, current, temperature, discharge time, and number of times of discharge of the storage battery 12 , it is checked whether the storage battery 12 operates normally, and the inspection information is output to the storage unit 17 .

The communication unit 14 is an interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from the communication terminal 20 and other lighting devices 10 by wireless communication. The communication unit 14 is, for example, an interface that supports Bluetooth (registered trademark) connection. Here, it is assumed that the communication unit 14 supports BLE communication.

The light source 11 is lit by power supply from an external power source or a storage battery 12 . The light source 11 is composed of, for example, an incandescent lamp, a fluorescent lamp, or an LED.

The inspection switch 30 is a switch for starting an inspection operation, and is activated by being pressed (operated) from the outside. When the inspection switch 30 is operated, the power supply from the external power source is temporarily interrupted, and the power of the storage battery 12 lights the light source 11 . The inspection unit 15 starts inspection of the storage battery 12 .

Next, a configuration example of the communication terminal 20 will be described.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the communication terminal 20. As shown in FIG. The communication terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 25, an input unit 26, a display unit 27, and the like as a basic configuration. These units are connected to each other via a data bus. In addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the communication terminal 20 may have a configuration according to need, or may exclude a specific configuration.

The control unit 21 has a function of controlling the operation of the communication terminal 20 as a whole. The control unit 21 implements various processes by executing programs pre-stored in the storage unit 22 .

Note that some of the various functions realized by the control unit 21 executing the program may be realized by a hardware circuit. In this case, the control unit 21 controls the functions performed by the hardware circuit.

The control unit 21 also has a function of grouping for each model information of the lighting device 10 (hereinafter, a group grouped by model information is referred to as a "first group"). When the model information is received from the lighting device 10, it groups by model information, calls the model name corresponding to the model information from the storage unit 22, and displays the model name and the number of lighting devices belonging to the group on the display unit 27.

Furthermore, the control unit 21 has a function of grouping the lighting devices 10 by information different from the identification information. For example, grouping is performed according to the identification information received from the lighting device 10 (hereinafter, the group grouped according to the identification information will be referred to as a “second group”).

The storage unit 22 is composed of a volatile memory, a nonvolatile memory, and the like.

The storage unit 22 stores information such as identification information and model information of the lighting device 10 received via the communication unit 25 .

The storage unit 22 also stores the model name corresponding to the model information.

The communication unit 25, like the communication unit 14 of the lighting device 10, is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the lighting device 10 by wireless communication. The communication unit 25 is, for example, an interface that supports Bluetooth (registered trademark) connection. Here, it is assumed that the communication unit 25 supports BLE communication.

Various operation instructions are input to the input unit 26 by the operator of the communication terminal 20 . The input unit 26 transmits to the control unit 21 an operation instruction signal input by the operator. The input unit 26 is, for example, a keyboard, numeric keypad, touch panel, and the like.

The display unit 27 is a display device that displays various information under the control of the control unit 21 . The display unit 27 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor. In addition, when the input unit 26 is configured by a touch panel or the like, the display unit 27 may be formed integrally with the input unit 26 .

Here, it is assumed that the input unit 26 is composed of a touch panel and formed integrally with the display unit 27 .

Next, the operation of lighting system 100 will be described.

Here, as shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that emergency lights 10a to 10f and guide lights 10g to 10i are installed so as to be able to communicate with each other via the BLE mesh network. Each lighting device 10 calls its own identification information and model information from the storage unit 17 and transmits it to the outside from the communication unit 14 .

FIG. 6 shows the display unit 27 of the communication terminal 20 that has received the identification information and the model information from the lighting device 10 . As shown in FIG. 6, when the communication terminal 20 receives the identification information and model information transmitted from the lighting device 10, the communication terminal 20 stores them in the storage unit 17, and performs grouping for each model information. Then, a table 35 having a group name 32, a received number 33 of lighting devices 10, and an inspection button 34 is displayed on the display unit 27 with the name of the grouped model as a group name. Here, since the controller 20 has received the model information of the emergency lights 10a to 10f and the guide lights 10g to 10i, the display unit 27 displays an emergency light table 35A and a guide light table 35B. When the inspection button 34 displayed on the display unit 27 is tapped, the communication terminal 20 transmits a signal for performing inspection to the lighting device 10 having model information indicating an emergency light. The lighting device 10 that has received this signal compares the model information included in the received signal with the model information of its own device, and if they match, starts inspection operation, and transmits this signal over the BLE mesh network. It is transmitted to other connected lighting devices 10 . On the other hand, if the model information included in the received signal does not match the model information of its own device, it transmits the signal to another lighting device 10 without executing the inspection operation.

FIG. 7 is an image diagram of lighting devices 10 grouped by model information.

Upon receiving the model information from the lighting device 10, the communication terminal 20 performs grouping for each model information. As shown in FIG. 1, when the lighting device 10 includes emergency lights 10a to 10f and guide lights 10g to 10i, the communication terminal 20, for example, places the emergency lights 10a to 10f in the first group A and the guide lights 10g to 10i. Group as the first group B.

Thereby, the communication terminal 20 can control the lighting device 10 for each model. That is, the control device 20 can perform grouping for each model using the model information and control the lighting device 10 for each model information belonging to the group. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform multiple communications between the lighting device 10 and the communication terminal 20, and grouping can be easily performed.

In the embodiment, a case where the lighting device 10 is an emergency light and a guide light has been described. Since each lighting device 10 has model information, the lighting devices 10 can be easily grouped regardless of the number of models, and the lighting devices 10 can be controlled for each model information belonging to the grouped group.

In addition, since each lighting device 10 is communicably connected by a mesh network using BLE, the communication terminal 20 may transmit a signal to any lighting device. That is, when controlling the emergency lights 10 belonging to the first group A, a signal may be transmitted to the emergency lights 10 belonging to the first group A, or a signal may be transmitted to the guide lights 10 belonging to the second group B. You may send.

Next, the operation of communication terminal 20 creating a second group different from the first group and controlling lighting devices belonging to the grouped group will be described.

FIG. 8 shows an image diagram of lighting devices 10 grouped into the first group and the second group. As shown in the figure, the communication terminal 20 uses the identification information received from the lighting device 10 to perform the second grouping. For example, the lighting devices 10a, 10b, 10d, 10e, 10g, and 10h are grouped as a second group A, and the lighting devices 10c, 10f, and 10i are grouped as a second group D. That is, the lighting devices 10 are grouped into a first group based on model information and a second group based on identification information.

FIG. 9 shows the display section 27 of the communication terminal 20 displaying the first group and the second group. As shown, the display section 27 of FIG. 9 is obtained by adding the second group of tables 35C and 35D to the lower portion of the display section 27 of FIG.

Here, the names of the second groups are Group C and Group D, respectively, but these group names can be arbitrarily changed by the user.

When the inspection button 34 displayed on the display unit 27 is tapped, the communication terminal 20 transmits a signal for performing inspection to the lighting devices 10 belonging to the group.

Here, when the illumination device 10 receives a plurality of inspection signals, it preferentially executes the signal received first. For example, when the lighting device 10 belonging to the second group D receives a signal and is performing an inspection operation, the inspection button with the group name "emergency light" on the display unit 27 of the communication terminal 20 is tapped, and the lighting device 10 belongs to the first group B. When the inspection signal is transmitted to the lighting device 10 to which the guide light 10i belongs, the guide light 10i which is performing the inspection performs the inspection without redoing or interrupting the inspection operation even if the signal for the first group B is received in the middle of the inspection. continue operation. That is, the illumination device 10 preferentially executes the signal received earlier. As a result, even if a signal is received during the inspection operation, the inspection operation can be executed without interruption.

On the other hand, the guide lights 10g and 10h belonging to the first group B are inspected. Thus, the emergency lights 10c and 10f and the guide lights 10i belonging to the second group D and the guide lights 10g and 10h belonging to the first group B can be inspected. In other words, a plurality of lighting devices 10 can be controlled by combining a plurality of groups.

In this way, the lighting system 100 can be easily grouped regardless of the number of models by grouping the lighting devices 10 according to the model information, and can control each model information belonging to the group. Furthermore, by grouping using the identification information, it is possible to have a first group using the model information and a second group using the identification information. can be controlled.

In the above embodiment, the controlled device is an emergency light or guide light having a storage battery. However, the device is not limited to this configuration. For example, the lighting device according to the embodiment may be a normal lighting device without a storage battery, such as a downlight or a ceiling. In this case, the control device 20 transmits a control signal for turning on, turning off, or dimming the light source, for example. Therefore, the display unit 27 of the communication terminal 20 may display a dimming button instead of the inspection button 34 .

Further, when the inspection switch 30 is operated, the lighting device 10 causes the inspection unit 15 to start the inspection operation, and transmits an inspection signal including the model information of the lighting device 10 via the communication unit 14 via the BLE mesh network. It may be transmitted to another lighting device 10 . The lighting device 10 that has received this signal compares the model information included in the received signal with the model information of its own device, and if they match, starts an inspection operation, and transmits this signal over the BLE mesh network. It is transmitted to other connected lighting devices 10 . On the other hand, if the model information included in the received signal does not match the model information of its own device, it transmits the signal to another lighting device 10 without executing the inspection operation.

Therefore, for example, by operating the inspection switch for the emergency light 10a, the emergency lights 10b to 10f can be inspected, and by operating the inspection switch for the guide light 10g, the guide lights 10h and 10i are inspected. be able to.

While embodiments of the invention have been described, the embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments 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.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 lighting system 1 lighting space 10 lighting device 11 light source 12 storage battery 13 control unit 14 communication unit 15 inspection unit 17 storage unit 20 communication terminal (control device)
21 control unit
22 storage unit 25 communication unit 26 input unit 27 display unit

Claims (1)

A light source, a communication unit that communicates with the outside, a storage unit that stores model information indicating the model of the device itself, a storage battery, an inspection unit that inspects the storage battery, and an inspection switch that causes the inspection unit to start an inspection operation. and, when the inspection switch is operated, the inspection unit starts inspection operation, transmits an inspection signal including the model information from the communication unit, and responds to the inspection signal received from the outside It has a plurality of lighting devices that cause an inspection unit to perform an inspection operation when the included model information matches the model information of the own machine, and the lighting devices are inspected by the inspection unit when the inspection switch is operated. At the same time as the operation is started, an inspection signal including the model information is transmitted from the communication unit to another lighting device, and the other lighting device that has received the inspection signal compares the model information included in the inspection signal with the device itself. If the model information matches the model information, the inspection unit is caused to perform the inspection operation and an inspection signal including the model information is transmitted to the other lighting device. to another lighting device.

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