KR102092823B1 - Apparatus and method for confirming dimming status of illuminator - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for checking the dimming status of an illuminator. The apparatus for checking the dimming status of the illuminator according to the present invention includes: a measuring unit measuring current or power supplied to the illuminator through a power supply line connected to a dimming controlled illuminator; And a dimming status checking unit determining the dimming value of the illuminator using the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit.

Description

Apparatus and method for confirming dimming status of illuminator}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for checking the dimming status of an illuminator, measuring current or power supplied to an illuminator through a power supply line connected to a dimming controlled illuminator, and using the measured current value or power value to determine the dimming value of the illuminator By determining, it is possible to check the dimming state of the corresponding illuminator even in a fixture under dimming control by unidirectional communication, and if the measured current value or power value exceeds a predetermined set value, it is determined as a failure of the illuminator and outputs it, It is possible to notify the user of the failure of the fixture, and calculate the consumed power amount, electricity usage time, and electricity charge using the measured power value, and output it, thereby allowing the user to obtain power usage information to facilitate convenience It relates to an apparatus and method for checking the dimming status.

Conventionally, incandescent and fluorescent lamps have been mainly used as lighting devices. However, incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps consume more power than lighting efficiency, and the world's lighting equipment consumes about 2,100 billion kWh. This corresponds to 12 to 15% of the total power, and emits 1.7 billion tons of CO2 per year. In addition, since fluorescent lamps are manufactured using mercury and the lamps have a short service life and must be replaced frequently, environmental problems are also seriously raised if they are not properly collected and disposed of. Due to these problems, environmental regulations have been strengthened around the world in recent years, with a prohibition on the sale of incandescent and fluorescent lamps in some countries.

Accordingly, recently, lighting using an LED (light-emitting diode), which has excellent energy-saving effect and is eco-friendly, has been spotlighted. This LED light has a long lifespan, high luminance, and low power consumption, thereby saving energy. If 30% of domestic lighting is replaced with LED lighting by 2015, its excellence is well-known, such as the power saving effect of about 16 billion mAh per year and the reduction of about 6.8 million tons of CO ₂ . In addition, LED lighting is considered as a means to replace downlights that were realized with incandescent and halogen lamps in traditional lighting.

LED lighting can be controlled by illumination or dimming depending on the current or power supplied. To enable dimming control of LED lighting, add a separate configuration for dimming control to existing facilities or use a new method should. To this end, technologies such as those shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D have been developed.

1A to 1D are views schematically showing a dimming control technique of a conventional illuminator.

1A illustrates a dimming control technology in which a separate dimming device 113 is connected through a wired / wireless communication line 114 in addition to the illuminator 111 and the power switch 112. Here, the power switch 112 may be located on the power supply line as shown or provided in the illuminator 111. Also, the dimming device 113 may be located outside the illuminator 111 or may be provided in the illuminator 111 as illustrated. The illuminator 111 may be provided with a communication unit capable of receiving or transmitting separately for communication to perform communication with the dimming device 113. Wired and wireless communication lines 114 include wired communication methods such as DMX512, Ethernet, and RS485 communication, and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Infrared Ray (IR), and ZigBee. The same wireless communication method can be used.

According to the conventional dimming control technique illustrated in FIG. 1A, the illuminator 111 receives a dimming control command from the dimming device 113 through a wired / wireless communication line 114, and the illuminator 111 adjusts the illuminance according to the dimming control command. The dimming device 113 receives a result of performing the corresponding dimming control command from the illuminator through the wired / wireless communication line 114 and displays it, so that the user can know about the dimming state of the illuminator as a result of the execution. However, in the prior art of FIG. 1A, when only one-way communication is possible from the dimming device 113 to the illuminator 111, it is impossible to receive a result of performing the dimming control, so that the illuminator information related to the dimming state cannot be known. There is this.

1B illustrates a dimming control technology in which a separate dimming device 123 other than the illuminator 121 and the power switch 122 is connected through the power line communication line 124. Here, the power switch 122 may be located on the power supply line as shown or provided in the illuminator 121. Also, the dimming device 123 may be located outside the illuminator 121 or may be provided in the illuminator 121 as illustrated. The illuminator 121 may communicate with the dimming device 123 by providing a communication unit capable of receiving or transmitting separately for communication.

According to the conventional dimming control technique shown in Figure 1b, the illuminator 121 receives a dimming control command from the dimming device 123 through the power line communication line 124, and the illuminator 121 adjusts the illuminance according to the dimming control command The dimming device 123 receives and displays the result of performing the corresponding dimming control command from the illuminator through the power line communication line 124, so that the user can know about the dimming state of the illuminator as a result of the execution. However, in the prior art of FIG. 1B, when the power line communication line 124 is capable of only one-way communication from the dimming device 113 to the illuminator 111, it is not possible to receive the result of performing the dimming control, so the illuminator information related to the dimming state There is a problem that can not be known.

Figure 1c is composed of only the illuminator 131 and the power switch 132 without the addition of a separate dimming device, the illuminator 131 receives the ON / OFF related signal of the power switch 132, and accordingly The illuminator 131 shows a dimming control technique in which dimming control is performed. Here, the power switch 132 may be located on the power supply line as shown or provided in the illuminator 131. The illuminator 131 may be provided with a communication unit capable of receiving or transmitting separately for communication to perform communication with the dimming device 133.

According to the conventional dimming control technique shown in Figure 1c, the illuminator 131 receives a signal related to the on-off times and the on-off time interval of the power switch 132, and the illuminator 131 is turned on The illuminance is adjusted according to the number of times off and the time interval between off times. However, in the prior art of FIG. 1C, since only one-way communication is performed to the illuminator 131, it is impossible to receive a result of performing the dimming control from the illuminator 131, so the illuminator information related to the dimming state cannot be known. There is this.

FIG. 1D illustrates a dimming control technique in which a separate power waveform adjustment device 143 is added in addition to the illuminator 141 and the power switch 142. Here, the power switch 142 may be located on the power supply line as shown or provided in the illuminator 141. In addition, the power waveform adjustment device 143 may be located on the power supply line of the illuminator 141 as shown or may be provided in the illuminator 141.

According to the conventional dimming control technique shown in FIG. 1D, the illuminator 141 receives the current or voltage of a power source whose waveform is modified by the power source waveform adjusting device 143, and the illuminator 141 determines the current or voltage of the power source. The illuminance is adjusted according to the deformed waveform. However, in the prior art of FIG. 1D, only one-way communication to the illuminator 141 is performed, so that it is impossible to receive a result of performing dimming control from the illuminator 141, so that the illuminator information related to the dimming state cannot be known. There is this.

As described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1D, in the conventional dimming control technology, when using unidirectional communication, it is impossible to receive a result of performing the dimming control from the illuminator, so check the dimming state of the illuminator or malfunction of the illuminator There is a problem that it cannot be checked whether or not.

An object of the present invention is to measure the current or power supplied to the fixture through a power supply line connected to the dimming controlled fixture and determine the dimming value of the fixture using the measured current value or power value, thereby controlling dimming by unidirectional communication. Even in the receiving fixture, the dimming state of the corresponding fixture can be checked, and if the measured current value or power value exceeds a predetermined set value, it is determined as a failure of the fixture and outputs it, so that the user can be informed of the failure of the fixture. Provides an apparatus and method for checking the dimming status of a fixture that can calculate power consumption, electricity usage time, and electricity charges by using the measured power value and output it, allowing the user to obtain power usage information for convenience Is to do.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for checking a dimming state of an illuminator includes: a measuring unit measuring current or power supplied to the illuminator through a power supply line connected to a dimming controlled illuminator; And a dimming status checking unit that determines the dimming value of the illuminator using the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit.

The current value may be one of an effective value, a maximum value, or an average value of the current measured by the measuring unit.

The power value may be one of an effective value, a maximum value, or an average value of power measured by the measuring unit.

The dimming state checking unit stores a lookup table defining a dimming value corresponding to a current value or a power value, and when the current value or power value is measured by the measuring unit, the lookup table is used to determine the The dimming value can be determined.

The dimming status checking unit may store the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit according to the dimming control of the illuminator, and store the dimming value corresponding to the current value or power value to set the lookup table.

The dimming state checking unit may determine the dimming value of the illuminator using a linear interpolation method when the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit is a value not stored in the lookup table.

The dimming status checking unit sets the dimming value of the illuminator at a predetermined time point as a reference value, and compares the current value or power value at that time point with the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit, and then dimming the illuminator. The value can be determined.

The dimming status checking unit may directly receive a dimming control command of the illuminator and determine a dimming control value included in the dimming control command as a dimming value of the illuminator.

The apparatus for checking the dimming status of the illuminator may further include an output unit that outputs the dimming value of the illuminator determined by the dimming status confirming unit.

The apparatus for checking the dimming state of the illuminator may further include a failure determining unit that determines that the illuminator is a failure when the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit exceeds a predetermined set value. In this case, when it is determined that the failure of the fixture is performed by the failure determination unit, the output unit may output that the failure of the fixture.

The dimming state checking device of the illuminator calculates the amount of power consumed using the power value measured by the measuring unit, measures the electricity use time of the illuminator, and uses the amount of power consumed and the amount of electricity used by the illuminator to illuminate the illuminator It may further include a power amount calculating unit for calculating the electricity bill. At this time, the output unit may output the amount of power consumed by the illuminator, electricity use time, and electricity bill.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for confirming a dimming state of an illuminator includes: measuring a current or power supplied to the illuminator through a power supply line connected to a dimming controlled illuminator; And determining the dimming value of the illuminator using the current value or power value measured by the dimming state checking unit.

The current value may be one of an effective value, a maximum value, or an average value of the current measured by the measuring unit.

The power value may be one of an effective value, a maximum value, or an average value of power measured by the measuring unit.

The method for checking the dimming status of the illuminator may further include storing a lookup table in which the dimming status checking unit defines a dimming value corresponding to a current value or a power value. At this time, the step of determining the dimming value of the fixture may include determining the dimming value of the fixture using the look-up table when the current value or the power value is measured by the measuring unit.

In the step of storing the look-up table, the dimming status check unit stores the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit according to the dimming control of the illuminator, and stores the dimming value corresponding to the current value or power value. And setting the lookup table.

Determining the dimming value of the fixture using the look-up table may include dimming the dimming value of the fixture using a linear interpolation method when the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit is a value not stored in the look-up table. And determining.

In the determining of the dimming value of the illuminator, the dimming value of the illuminator at a predetermined time point is set as a reference value, and the current value or power value measured at the corresponding time point is compared with the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit. It may include the step of determining the dimming value of the fixture.

Determining the dimming value of the illuminator may include directly receiving a dimming control command of the illuminator and determining a dimming control value included in the dimming control command as the dimming value of the illuminator.

The method for checking the dimming status of the illuminator may further include outputting a dimming value of the illuminator determined by the output unit.

The method for checking the dimming state of the illuminator includes: when the current determination value or the electric power value measured by the failure determination unit exceeds a predetermined set value, determining the failure of the illuminator; And outputting that the output unit is a failure of the illuminator when the failure determination unit determines that the illuminator is defective.

The method for checking the dimming state of the illuminator includes: calculating a power consumption amount using a power value measured by the power measurement unit; Measuring the electricity use time of the illuminator by the power amount calculating unit; Calculating, by the power amount calculating unit, the electricity charge of the illuminator using the amount of power consumed by the illuminator and the electricity use time; And the output unit may further include the step of outputting the amount of power consumption of the illuminator, electricity usage time and electricity bill.

According to an aspect of the present invention, by dimming in one-way communication by measuring the current or power supplied to the fixture through a power supply line connected to the dimming controlled fixture and determining the dimming value of the fixture using the measured current value or power value Even in a fixture under control, it is possible to check the dimming state of the corresponding fixture, and when the measured current value or power value exceeds a predetermined set value, it is determined as a failure of the fixture and outputs it to the user to determine whether the fixture has failed. An apparatus and method for checking the dimming state of a fixture that can inform and provide convenience by allowing a user to obtain power usage information by calculating and outputting the consumed power amount, electricity use time, and electricity charge using the measured power value Can provide

1A to 1D are views schematically showing a dimming control technique of a conventional illuminator.
2 is a view showing a lighting system including a control device for an LED lamp to which the present invention can be applied.
3 is a configuration diagram showing a switch for dimming control according to a first embodiment to which the present invention can be applied, (a) is an external view, and (b) is an internal circuit diagram.
4 is a configuration diagram showing a switch for dimming control according to a second embodiment to which the present invention can be applied, (a) is an external view, and (b) is an internal circuit diagram.
5 is a configuration diagram showing a switch for dimming control according to a third embodiment to which the present invention can be applied, (a) is an external view, and (b) is an internal circuit diagram.
6 is a view schematically showing an apparatus for checking a dimming state of an illuminator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7A to 7D are diagrams illustrating examples in which a measuring unit of a dimming state checking device of an illuminator is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for confirming a dimming state of an illuminator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

If described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings the present invention. Here, repeated descriptions, well-known functions that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, and detailed description of the configuration will be omitted. Embodiments of the present invention are provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the shape and size of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for a more clear description.

Throughout the specification, when a part “includes” a certain component, it means that the component may further include other components, not to exclude other components, unless otherwise stated.

In addition, the term "... part" described in the specification means a unit that processes one or more functions or operations, which may be implemented by hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software.

2 is a view showing a lighting system including a control device for an LED lamp to which the present invention can be applied.

The applicant of the present invention has filed a patent application for an LED lighting system capable of controlling on / off and illuminance of an LED lamp as Korean Patent Office No. 2009-0110113.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an illuminance adjustable LED lighting system disclosed in Patent Application No. 2009-0110113. The illuminance-adjustable LED lighting system disclosed in this prior patent application consists of an illumination switch 11, an illumination wiring 12, an LED lamp control device 30, and an LED lamp 24.

The LED lamp control device 30 includes an AC / DC converter 31, an on / off detection means for detecting on and off states of the lighting switch, and an on / off state of the lighting switch from the on / off detection means. Dimming determination means for receiving information and determining the snapping operation of the lighting switch to output a dimming signal; Dimming adjustment means for adjusting the illuminance of the LED lamp when a dimming signal is input from the dimming determination means; When the off state of the lighting switch is received from the power holding circuit unit 42 for supplying driving power to the LED lamp and the off / off detection means from the on / off detection means during the snapping operation, when the off state of the lighting switch exceeds a threshold time And power-off means for turning off the LED lamp.

The lighting switch 11 is connected in series to AC power through the lighting wire 12 to supply or cut off AC power to the LED lamp 24. When the user turns off the light switch 11 for a while and then turns it on again, that is, when it is turned off for a while and then on again (this is called snapping), the LED lamp control device 30 controls the dimming. It is recognized as a signal.

The on / off detection means includes a zero cross detector unit 32, an undetected counter unit 33, and a clock 34. The dimming determination means includes a storage unit 41, a first comparator 39, and a dimming determination unit 37. The power-off means includes a storage unit 41, a second comparator 40, and a power-off determination unit 38. The dimming control means includes a dimming step counter part 36 and a dimming control part 35. For detailed configuration and operation description of the LED lamp control device 30, refer to the application specification of prior patent application 2009-0110113.

In the illuminance adjustable LED lighting system disclosed in the prior patent application 2009-0110113, when the user turns on the lighting switch 11, the LED lamp 24 is turned on with maximum brightness. When the LED lamp 24 is turned on (on) and the light switch 11 is turned off (off) for a while (dimming threshold time) and turned on (on), the illuminance of the LED lamp is adjusted by one step. When the user stops the operation at the desired brightness, the state is maintained. If a certain period of time has elapsed after the user turns off the light switch, all operations are reset and the LED is turned off.

That is, the illuminance-adjustable LED lighting system disclosed in the prior patent application 2009-0110113 requires the user to turn off the lighting switch 11 for a while and then turn it on for a user to dimming the illuminance step by step. At this time, the off time should be longer than the dimming threshold time and shorter than the power off determination time. If the off time is shorter than the dimming threshold time, dimming control is not performed, and if the off time is longer than the power-off determination time, the LED lamp is turned off.

Dimming control of the LED lamp using the lighting switch 11 is difficult to use the dimming function because the user needs to snap longer than the dimming threshold time and shorter than the power-off determination time.

Hereinafter, a switch for dimming control to which the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

The applicant of the present invention has filed a patent for an adjustable illumination LED lighting system as Korean Patent Office No. 2010-0027413.

Patent application No. 2010-0027413 is an improved technology of prior patent application No. 2009-0110113, and a dimming control signal longer than a dimming threshold time and shorter than a power-off determination time is transmitted to the LED lamp control device 30 with only one user's operation. The switch for dimming control provided is further added to configure. That is, in the prior patent application, when the user manually snaps the light switch 11, the LED lamp control device 30 recognizes this and adjusts the illuminance of the LED lamp 24, but patent application No. 2010-0027413 According to the invention, the same effect as snapping the light switch 11 through operating the switch for dimming control while the existing light switch 11 is on, allows the user to easily control the dimming of the LED lamp Make it possible.

3 is a configuration diagram showing a switch for dimming control according to a first embodiment to which the present invention can be applied, (a) is an external view, and (b) is an internal circuit diagram.

Dimming control switch according to the first embodiment of the patent application 2010-0027413 invention is implemented with a rotary switch (50). The rotary switch 50 is arranged at unit angular intervals around the first contact 51 connected to the lighting switch 11 and the circumference centering on the first contact 51 and is connected to each other and connected to the LED lamp control device. A plurality of second contacts 52 connected to the on / off detection means of 30, one end connected to the first contact 51 and the other end rotating around the circumference, contacting the plurality of second contacts 52 It includes a rotor (53).

When the rotor 53 is in contact with any one of the second contacts 52, when the user operates (rotates) the rotary switch 50 once, the rotor 53 rotates by unit angles and the adjacent agent It rotates until it contacts the 2 contact 52. That is, while the rotor 53 contacts any second contact 52, power is applied to the LED lamp control device 30, and the rotor 53 is between any two adjacent second contacts 52. While moving the power to the LED lamp control device 30 is cut off.

Thus, according to the invention of patent application 2010-0027413, the rotary switch 50 rotates, so that the rotor 53 moves between any two adjacent second contacts 52, so that the user switches the rotary switch 50. Even if it is operated once, the LED lamp control device 30 is provided with a dimming control signal longer than the dimming threshold time and shorter than the power-off determination time, and the LED lamp control device 30 controls the illumination of the LED lamp according to the input dimming control signal. Is done.

4 is a configuration diagram showing a switch for dimming control according to a second embodiment to which the present invention can be applied, (a) is an external view, and (b) is an internal circuit diagram.

The switch for dimming control according to the second embodiment of the patent application No. 2010-0027413 is implemented as a push button switch 60. The push button switch 60 includes a first contact 61 connected to the lighting switch 11, a second contact 62 connected to the on / off detection means of the LED lamp control device 30, and the first contact A connector 63 that contacts the 61 and the second contact 62, respectively, and a pressing that separates the connector 63 from the first contact 61 or the second contact 62 when the user presses it. Restoration means (not shown) for bringing the connector 63 into contact with the first contact 61 and the second contact 62 after a predetermined time elapses after the button 64 and the push button 64 are operated. Poetry).

When the user does not press the push button 64, the first contact 61, the connector 63, and the second contact 62 are electrically connected, so that the power is turned on when the light switch 11 is turned on. 30. On the other hand, when the user presses the push button 64, the connector 63 is moved by the push button 64, and the connection between the first contact 61 and the connector 63 and the second contact 62 is cut off. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the first contact 61 and the connector 63 and the second contact 62 are electrically connected again by the restoration means.

In this way, when the user operates the push button 64 once, the push button switch 60 is turned on after being turned off by itself, so that the LED lamp control device 30 is longer than the dimming threshold time and shorter than the power off determination time. The dimming control signal is provided, and the LED lamp control device 30 controls the illuminance of the LED lamp according to the input dimming control signal. If the user releases the operation of the push button 64 and then operates the push button 64 once again, a dimming control signal is further provided, so that the illuminance of the LED lamp is further controlled according to the dimming control signal.

5 is a configuration diagram showing a switch for dimming control according to a third embodiment to which the present invention can be applied, (a) is an external view, and (b) is an internal circuit diagram.

The switch for dimming control according to the third embodiment of the patent application No. 2010-0027413 is implemented by an electronic switch device (70). The electronic switch device 70 includes a lighting switch 11, a dimming control switch 71, and a display unit 72.

In addition, the electronic switch device 70 detects the operation state of the dimming control switch 71 and outputs a dimming control signal, and the input power and LED according to the dimming control signal of the control unit 73. An electronic switch 74 for switching the on / off detection means of the lamp control device 30 to output a dimming signal to the LED lamp control device 30, and when the lighting switch 11 is turned on, from an input power source. It further includes a power supply unit 75 for generating driving power and supplying it to internal components of the electronic switch device 70. The control unit 73 displays the current LED lamp on / off status and the dimming level on the display unit 72. This electronic switch device may be implemented as a 3-wire switch or a 2-wire clock cone switch.

When the user operates the dimming control switch 71, the control unit 73 recognizes this and outputs a dimming control signal to the electronic switch 74, so that the electronic switch 74 is input power supplied to the LED lamp control device 30. Temporarily cut off and then connect. Then, the LED lamp control device 30 recognizes this as a dimming control signal to control the illuminance of the LED lamp.

The controller 73 performs a predefined macro function (a function for performing a plurality of predefined consecutive operations). For example, the dimming control switch 71 further includes a macro selection function (eg, a sleeping mode selection function), and when the user operates the sleeping mode selection function, the controller controls the dimming control signal at a predetermined interval for a predetermined time. And then turn off the power. Then, the LED lamp control unit 30 gradually controls the illuminance of the LED lamp to turn off the LED lamp after a predetermined time.

The electronic switch 74 may be configured as a relay or triac. Dimming control switch 71 is implemented as a remote control receiver (not shown) to control the dimming degree of the LED lamp using the remote control, or dimming control switch 71 in addition to the remote control receiver (not shown) to further include the remote control Use to adjust the dimming level of the LED lamp.

2009-0110113 invention and patent application 2010-0027413 invention to which the present invention can be applied as described above performs dimming control using unidirectional communication, so the result of dimming control is returned from the illuminator (LED lamp) Since it cannot be received, there is a problem in that it is impossible to check the dimming state of the fixture or to check whether the fixture is broken. In order to solve this, the present invention measures the current or power supplied to the fixture through a power supply line connected to the dimming controlled fixture, and determines the dimming value of the fixture using the measured current value or power value, thereby controlling dimming by unidirectional communication. Even in the fixture receiving the, it is possible to check the dimming state of the corresponding fixture.

6 is a view schematically showing an apparatus for checking a dimming state of an illuminator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the dimming status checking device 1100 of the illuminator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a measuring unit 1110, a dimming status checking unit 1120, an output unit 1130, and a failure determining unit 1140 And it may be configured to include a power calculation unit 1150. The dimming status checking device 1100 of the illuminator shown in FIG. 6 is according to an embodiment, and its components are not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, and some components may be added, changed, or required as necessary It can be deleted.

The apparatus 1100 for checking the dimming status of the illuminator according to an embodiment of the present invention measures the current or power supplied to the dimming controlled illuminator 200 and uses the measured current value or power value to dimm the illuminator 200 The value can be determined.

The measurement unit 1110 measures current or power supplied to the illuminator 200 through a power supply line connected to the dimming controlled illuminator 200.

Measuring current means measuring the strength of the current. Usually the current can be measured by converting it to the drive torque of the indicating machine. In general, it can be measured using electrode action in direct current, rectification action in alternating current, resonant action of mechanical oscillator, resonance phenomenon of circuit, and interaction between magnetic field and current induced thereby. In addition, the current force, the self-inducing action generated in the soft iron, the thermoelectric power, the suction repelling action of static electricity, etc. can be used for all of the cross-flow. As a method of measuring a very small current, there is a method using a galvanometer, and a method of measuring a large current is a method using a classifier, opto-electornics, or Faraday effect. .

Measuring electric power means measuring electric energy supplied to an electric device for a unit time or converted into other forms of energy. In general, the magnitude of power can be approximated by multiplying the numbers on the ammeter and voltmeter. In the case of alternating current, the power factor can be obtained again to find out the magnitude of power. In the measurement by the wattmeter, typical ammeter type wattmeters, induction wattmeters used for watt-hour meters, thermoelectric wattmeters used for measuring low-voltage, low-power factor or high-frequency power, and other Hall-effect wattmeters are used.

3A to 3D are diagrams illustrating examples in which a measurement unit of a dimming state checking device of an illuminator is applied according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A to 3D, the measurement unit 1110 is applicable to all dimming control techniques of the conventional illuminator described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1D. In particular, in the case of using unidirectional communication in the dimming control technology of the illuminator, if the dimming status checking device 1100 of the illuminator according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, the illuminators 111, 121, 131, and 141 through the measuring unit 1110 ), You can check the dimming status of the fixture by measuring the current or power.

3A to 3D, the measurement unit 1110 is located on a power supply line connected to the dimming-controlled illuminator 200 to measure current or power supplied to the illuminators 111, 121, 131, and 141. You can. Then, by transmitting the measured current value or power value to the dimming status check unit 1120, the dimming status check unit 1120 determines the dimming values of the illuminators 111, 121, 131, and 141, thereby illuminating the illuminators 111, 121, 131, 141).

Returning to FIG. 1 again, the dimming value of the illuminator 200 is determined using the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit 1110. Here, the current value used to determine the dimming value may be one of an effective value, a maximum value, or an average value of the current measured by the measurement unit 1110. Alternatively, the power value used to determine the dimming value may be one of an effective value, a maximum value, or an average value of power measured by the measurement unit 1110.

In one embodiment, the dimming status checking unit 1120 stores a lookup table defining a dimming value corresponding to a current value or a power value, and when the current value or power value is measured in the measuring unit 1110, The dimming value of the illuminator 200 may be determined using the look-up table. For example, the dimming status checking unit 1120 may configure and store a relationship between a current value or a power value and a dimming value in advance by configuring a lookup table as shown in Table 1 below.

Dimming value (%) Current value (unit: A) Power value (unit: W) 100 1.7 374 75 1.28 281 50 0.85 187 25 0.43 95

In one embodiment, the dimming status check unit 1120 stores the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit 1110 according to the dimming control of the illuminator 200, and the dimming value corresponding to the current value or power value You can set the lookup table by saving. According to this, the dimming status checking unit 1120 may dynamically reset the table according to the lighting when installing or replacing a new lighting fixture or when reconfiguring the lighting fixture is required, according to the type and specification of the lighting fixture 200 to be installed. This has the advantage of not having to set up a lookup table every time.

For example, when the reset button provided on the dimming status checking device 1100 or the illuminator 200 is pressed, the corresponding dimming status confirming unit 1120 sets the dimming value of the illuminator 200 to 100%, and at this time, the current amount is set. The dimming status check unit 1120 also sets the dimming value of the illuminator 200 to 75%, and measures the amount of current at this time, and the dimming status check unit 1120 also determines the dimming value of the illuminator 200. Set to 50%, the current amount is measured, and the dimming status check unit 1120 sets the dimming value of the illuminator 200 to 25%, and at this time, the current amount is measured to update the value in the entire lookup table. .

The lookup table set as described above is stored by the dimming status checking unit 1120 and can be used until a reset is made in the future.

In one embodiment, the dimming status checking unit 1120 determines the dimming value of the illuminator 200 using a linear interpolation method when the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit 1110 is a value not stored in the lookup table. Can decide. Since the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit 1110 is a continuous value, it is highly likely that the value is not stored in the lookup table. Accordingly, when the dimming state checking unit 1120 measures the current value or power value not stored in the lookup table in the measuring unit 1110, the dimming value of the illuminator 200 using the linear interpolation method using the linear interpolation method Can decide. For example, when using the look-up table according to the example in Table 1, if the measured current amount is 1.0A, the corresponding current value will be a value between 0.85 and 1.28, and the dimming value is a value between 50 and 75. Will be. In this regard, the dimming value of the illuminator 200 may be determined using Equation 1 using the following linear interpolation method.

In another embodiment, the dimming status checking unit 1120 sets the dimming value of the illuminator 200 at a predetermined time point as a reference value, and the current value or power value at that time point and the measured value at the later measuring unit 1110 The dimming value of the illuminator 200 may be determined by comparing the current value or the power value. In this embodiment, the dimming status checking unit 1120 may determine the dimming value of the illuminator 200 by directly setting a reference value at a predetermined point in time without a look-up table. In this case, the dimming status checking unit 1120 does not require a separate memory for the lookup table. The predetermined time point is a time point at which the user of the illuminator 200 wants to set a reference value, and may be set as desired by the user. For example, when the illuminator 200 is first turned on or when the user resets the illuminator 200 This can be the time the button is pressed.

For example, the dimming status checking unit 1120 sets the dimming value of the illuminator 200 at the time when the user first turns on the illuminator 200 to 100%, and the current value or power value at that time and the subsequent measuring unit A current value or power value measured at 1110 can be compared. In this case, if the ratio of the current value or power value at the time when the user first turns on the illuminator 200 and the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit 1110 is 1: 0.75, the dimming value of the illuminator 200 is 75%. If the ratio of the current value or power value at the time when the user first turns on the illuminator 200 and the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit 1110 is 1: 0.5, the dimming value of the illuminator 200 is 50 %.

In another embodiment, the dimming status checking unit 1120 may directly receive the dimming control command of the illuminator 200 and determine a dimming control value included in the dimming control command as the dimming value of the illuminator 200. However, in this case, it is not possible to confirm how the actual dimming was performed, but since it is possible to immediately determine the dimming value through the dimming control command, there is an advantage that the dimming value can be quickly determined.

The output unit 1130 outputs the dimming value of the illuminator 200 determined by the dimming status checking unit 1120. In one embodiment, the output unit 1130 may be visually displayed in the form of a graphical user interface or audiblely output in the form of sound so that the user can check the dimming value of the illuminator 200. . For example, the output unit 1130 may be a display device such as a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD) display, or a sound output device such as a speaker.

When the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit 1110 exceeds a predetermined set value, the failure determination unit 1140 determines that the failure of the illuminator 200 is occurring. Since the illuminator 200 always uses a constant current or power during normal operation, the measured value beyond this can be determined as a malfunction of the illuminator 200. Particularly, if the corresponding illuminator 200 is an LED illuminator, the input current of the illuminator 200 may increase or decrease depending on the type of thermal and electrical problems, and thus the input current beyond the normal value may be caused by the illuminator. It can be judged as a failure. The predetermined set value is a value that can be determined as a failure when the set value is exceeded, and may be set as an initial value or received by a user.

In one embodiment, when it is determined that the failure unit 1140 is a failure of the illuminator 200, the output unit 1130 may output a failure of the illuminator 200. For example, the output unit 1130 displays a failure of the illuminator 200 on a display device or outputs a warning sound or voice through a speaker, so that the user can confirm that the illuminator 200 is malfunctioning.

The power amount calculating unit 1150 calculates the amount of power consumed by using the power value measured by the measuring unit 1110, measures the electricity use time of the illuminator 200, and calculates the amount of power consumed and the electricity use time of the illuminator 200. Using it, it is possible to calculate the electric charge of the illuminator 200. And in one embodiment, the output unit 1130 may output the amount of power consumed by the illuminator 200, the amount of electricity used, and the amount of electricity. Accordingly, the user can obtain power usage information according to the use of the corresponding illuminator 200, thereby facilitating convenience.

4 is a flowchart for explaining a method for checking a dimming state of a fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the method for checking the dimming state of the illuminator according to an embodiment of the present invention starts, the dimming state checking unit first stores a lookup table defining a dimming value corresponding to a current value or a power value. (S1001). Then, the measurement unit measures the current or power supplied to the illuminator through a power supply line connected to the dimming controlled illuminator (S1002).

Then, the failure determination unit determines whether or not the current value or power value measured in step S1002 exceeds a predetermined set value (S1003), and if it exceeds a predetermined set value, the output unit is a failure of the fixture Output (S1004).

If the current value or the power value measured in step S1003 does not exceed a predetermined set value, the dimming status checking unit determines the dimming value of the illuminator using the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit ( S1005). At this time, the dimming status checking unit may determine the dimming value of the illuminator using the look-up table. In addition, when the current value or the power value measured by the measuring unit is a value not stored in the lookup table, the dimming status checking unit may determine the dimming value of the illuminator using a linear interpolation method.

When the dimming value of the illuminator is determined (S1005), the output unit outputs the dimming value of the illuminator determined by the dimming status checking unit (S1006).

Then, the power calculation unit calculates the power consumption using the power value measured by the measurement unit (S1007), measures the electricity use time of the illuminator (S1008), and uses the power consumption and the electricity use time of the illuminator By calculating the electricity charge of the fixture (S1009), the output unit outputs the power consumption, electricity usage time and electricity charge of the fixture (S1010).

The method for confirming the dimming state of the above-described fixture has been described with reference to a flowchart presented in the drawings. For simplicity, the method is shown and described in a series of blocks, but the present invention is not limited to the order of the blocks, and some blocks may occur in different orders or concurrently with other blocks than those shown and described herein. It may be, and various other branches, flow paths, and sequences of blocks that achieve the same or similar results may be implemented. In addition, not all blocks shown may be required for the implementation of the method described herein.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to the accompanying drawings and the above description, and various forms of modification are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It will be apparent to those with ordinary knowledge of, and this type of modification will be considered to fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1110: measuring unit
1120: Dimming status check unit
1130: output
1140: failure determination unit
1150: power calculation unit
200: fixture

Claims (22)

In the dimming status checking device for transmitting only a dimming control command using unidirectional communication, and checking the dimming state of a fixture that is dimmed according to the dimming control command,
A measuring unit measuring current or power supplied to the illuminator through a power supply line connected to the dimming controlled illuminator;
A dimming status checking unit determining a dimming value indicating the dimming state of the illuminator at the time when the current or power is measured using the current value or the power value measured by the measuring unit;
An output unit outputting a dimming value of the illuminator determined by the dimming status checking unit as a result of performing the dimming control; And
Including, if the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit exceeds a predetermined set value, the failure determining unit to determine the failure of the fixture;
The dimming status check unit,
Set the look-up table by storing the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit and the dimming value corresponding to the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit in a lookup table according to the dimming control of the illuminator and,
When a new fixture is installed or exchanged, or when reconfiguration of an existing fixture is required, the current value or power value and the measurement measured by the measuring unit according to the dimming control of the new fixture installed or exchanged or the existing fixture requiring reconfiguration The dimming value corresponding to the current value or power value measured by the unit is newly stored in a lookup table to reset the lookup table,
The dimming value of the fixture is determined by comparing the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit with the current value or power value stored in the set lookup table,
When the current value or the power value measured by the measuring unit is a value not stored in the lookup table, the dimming value of the fixture is determined using a linear interpolation method,
The dimming value of the illuminator at a predetermined time is set as a reference value, and the dimming value of the illuminator is determined by comparing the current value or power value at that time with the current value or power value measured at the subsequent measuring unit,
And receiving the dimming control command of the illuminator directly, and determining a dimming control value included in the dimming control command as the dimming value of the illuminator.
delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete According to claim 1,
The output unit,
When it is determined that the failure of the fixture in the failure determination unit, the device for checking the dimming status of the fixture, characterized in that for outputting the failure of the fixture.
According to claim 1,
A power amount calculation unit that calculates power consumption by using the power value measured by the measurement unit, measures electricity use time of the illuminator, and calculates electricity bill of the illuminator using power consumption and electricity use time of the illuminator. Including more,
The output unit,
Device for checking the dimming status of the fixture, characterized in that for outputting the amount of power consumed by the fixture, the electricity usage time and the electricity bill.
In the method of confirming the dimming status of the dimming status checking device that is capable of only transmitting a dimming control command using unidirectional communication, and confirming the dimming status of a fixture that is dimmed according to the dimming control command,
Measuring a current or power supplied to the illuminator through a power supply line connected to a dimming controlled illuminator;
Determining a dimming value indicating a dimming state of the illuminator at the time when the current or power is measured using the current value or the power value measured by the dimming state checking unit;
An output unit outputting a dimming value of the illuminator determined by the dimming status checking unit as a result of performing the dimming control; And
Including the failure determination unit, if the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit exceeds a predetermined set value, determining the failure of the fixture;
Determining the dimming value of the fixture,
The dimming status check unit stores the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit and the dimming value corresponding to the current value or power value measured by the measurement unit in a lookup table according to the dimming control of the illuminator. Setting the lookup table;
When a new fixture is installed or exchanged, or when reconfiguration of an existing fixture is required, the current value or power value and the measurement measured by the measuring unit according to the dimming control of the new fixture installed or exchanged or the existing fixture requiring reconfiguration Resetting the look-up table by newly storing a dimming value corresponding to a current value or a power value measured by the unit in a look-up table; And
Including the step of determining the dimming value of the fixture by comparing the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit with the current value or power value stored in the set lookup table.
Determining the dimming value of the fixture by comparing the current value or power value stored in the set look-up table,
Includes; determining the dimming value of the fixture using a linear interpolation method, if the current value or power value measured by the measuring unit is a value not stored in the look-up table;
The step of determining the dimming value of the illuminator by the dimming status checking unit,
Determining a dimming value of the illuminator by setting a dimming value of the illuminator at a predetermined time point as a reference value, and comparing the current value or power value at that time point with a current value or power value measured at a subsequent measuring unit; And
And receiving the dimming control command of the illuminator directly, and determining a dimming control value included in the dimming control command as the dimming value of the illuminator.
delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete The method of claim 12,
When the failure determination unit determines that the failure of the fixture, the output unit further comprises the step of outputting that the failure of the fixture, the method of checking the dimming state of the fixture.
The method of claim 12,
Calculating an amount of power consumed by the power amount calculating unit using the power value measured by the measuring unit;
Measuring the electricity use time of the illuminator by the power amount calculating unit;
Calculating, by the power amount calculating unit, the electricity charge of the illuminator using the amount of power consumed by the illuminator and the electricity use time; And
The output unit further comprises the step of outputting the amount of power consumed by the illuminator, electricity usage time and electricity bill.

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