WO2022008023A1

WO2022008023A1 - System for reflecting light down onto a field

Info

Publication number: WO2022008023A1
Application number: PCT/DK2021/050234
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefano PATTANARO; Kerttu PEENSOO; Iñigo OLARRA; Nicolai MOUSTGAARD
Original assignee: Second Sun Aps
Priority date: 2020-07-09
Filing date: 2021-07-09
Publication date: 2022-01-13

Abstract

System for reflecting light down onto a field. The system comprises a reflective surface, a support structure for holding the reflective surface, one or more actuator and a controller. The is communicatively connectable to the one or more actuators. The controller is configured to receive a control instruction, and to control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface to reflect light onto a target on the field in response to receiving a control instruction.

Description

Title: System for reflecting light down onto a field

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a system and method for reflecting light down onto a field and a computer implemented method for generating a control instruction for a controller in a system for reflecting light down onto a field.

Prior art

To facilitate the growth of plant life sunlight is of the essence, or at least light which simulates sunlight, e.g. photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Therefore, agriculture and gardening are normally carried out in large open spaces, where plants are able to receive plenty of sunlight without get ting shadowed by other elements.

However, sometimes a thriving plant life is needed in places where the conditions for a thriving plant life, in regard to sunlight, are subpar. An exam ple of such place is a sports stadium. The quality of the field in a sports stadi um is of the utmost important to allow players on the field to perform to their maximum. However modern sports stadiums are provided with high tribunes allowing for a high capacity of spectators, and these tribunes are shielded by roof structures providing cover to spectators from rain and sun. Both the high tribunes and the roof structure lead to the field of sports stadium being shad owed, which severely impedes the growth of plant life. The impediment of plant growth, and therefore a suboptimal field, may severely affect the per formance of players on the field.

To overcome the issue of a lack of sunlight onto sports fields different solutions are used within stadium lighting. Most of these current solutions consist of a large support structure provided with wheels and light bulbs emit ting PAR light. The support structure is moved over the field, while the light bulbs emit light onto the field. Thus, light is provided onto the field. An exam ple of such a solution is described in WO 2017/103288 A1 .

However, such solutions are cumbersome and not flexible to use. Fur thermore, these solutions also risk damaging the field with the support struc- ture as it rolls around on the field. Another drawback is the high energy con sumption, as the light bulbs requires a substantial amount of energy, thereby making it a costly and a non-green technology.

Disclosure of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these problems, and to provide a system for reflecting light down onto a field, which over comes or at least alleviates the problems highlighted in the prior art.

According to a first aspect of the invention, this and other objects are achieved by a system for reflecting light down onto a field. The system com prising a reflective surface, for reflecting light incident on the reflective sur face, a support structure for holding the reflective surface, one or more actua tor connectable to the support structure and configured to rotate the reflective surface around at least a first axis, wherein the first axis has an angle relative to a vertical axis, and a controller communicatively connectable to the one or more actuators, wherein the controller is configured to receive a control in struction, and to control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective sur face to reflect light onto a target on the field in response to receiving the con trol instruction.

Using reflected light to facilitate growth of plant life on a field opens up for the possibility of a greener technology than what is currently used. It is possible to purely rely on reflected sunlight to provide light onto the field, and therefore the need of artificial light sources may be made obsolete. Further more, being able to control the reflective surface via the control instruction gives a flexible solution, which may be adapted to the specific needs of differ ent fields. The support structure, with the reflective surface, may also be set up off field which removes the risk of the support structure damaging the field as seen in conventional solutions.

In the context of the invention the term field is to be interpreted broadly. A field may be a sport field, but it is not only limited to a sports field. A field may be interpreted as any area, wherein light reflected onto is desired. The field may be for gardening and/or agriculture. The field may be a hobby gar- dening project within a city, where shadows from tall surrounding buildings impedes the growth of plant life. The field may be interpreted as an area where plant life grows.

The reflective surface may be a surface of a mirror, i.e. a solid struc ture with a reflective surface. The reflective surface may be rectangular, circu lar, triangular, or any other desired shape. Being able to modify the shape of the reflective surface allows for flexibility in installing and setting up the sys tem. The reflective surface may be a reflective foil. The reflective surface may be configured to have a high reflectivity for incident light in the PAR spectrum. In some instances, the reflective surface may also be provided with a filter for filtering away harmful light from light reflected from the reflective surface, e.g. UV-B or UV-C.

The support structure may have a stationary installation site, i.e. the support structure being installed at a single site while still being able to move together with the reflective surface at the stationary installation site. Alterna tively, the support structure may be movable to different sites relative to the field. The support structure may be configured to be mountable to an existing structure. Being able to mount the support structure to an existing structure may reduce the installation footprint of the system.

The one or more actuator may be one or more actuators configured to output a linear and/or a rotatory motion in order to rotate the reflective sur face. The one or more actuators may be one or more linear actuators. The one or more actuators may be one or more of hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, thermal, magnetic, or mechanical actuators. The system may comprise one, two, three, four or more actuators.

The one or more actuators are able to rotate the reflective surface around an axis with an angle relative to the vertical axis, which allows for light reflected off the reflective surface to be moved towards or away from the re flective surface, giving a higher degree of control of reflected light and flexibil ity for the system.

The controller in the context of the invention is to be understood as any circuit and/or device suitably adapted to perform the functions described here- in. The controller may comprise general purpose or proprietary programmable microprocessors, such as Digital Signal Processors (DSP), Application Spe cific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Programmable Logic Arrays (PLA), Field Pro grammable Gate Arrays (FPGA), special-purpose electronic circuits, etc., or a combination thereof. The controller may be wirelessly or wiredly connected to the one or more actuators. The controller may comprise a transmitter, a re ceiver, and/or a transceiver for transmitting and receiving information. The controller is configured to receive a control instruction for controlling the one or more actuators. The controller may be configured to output a current posi tion and/or target of the one or more actuators and/or the reflective surface to an external device, e.g. a display connected to a processing unit.

The target on the field may be a point or an area of the field on which light need to be reflected onto. The target may also be a path or a plurality of different points or a plurality of areas. The target may be chosen manually, e.g. by a user delivering an input to an interface communicatively connected to the controller. The interface may for example be a touch pad, or a comput er screen with a mouse cursor controllable via a mouse. The target may be chosen automatically, e.g. the controller may be communicatively connected to or comprise a processing unit for determining a target on the field automat ically. The automatic determination may be carried out by analysing historical operation data, i.e. previous positions of the one or more actuators and/or previous targets on the field.

The control instruction is an instruction for controlling the controller to control the one or more actuators. The control instruction may be manually generated, semi-automatically generated, or automatically generated. The control instruction may be generated locally by the controller, and/or be gen erated externally by a processing unit connectable to the controller. The con trol instruction may be manually generated by a user selecting a target on an interface, such as an electronic display, e.g. the interface may be a touch screen with a digital representation of the field, allowing a user to press onto the digital representation in order to choose a target and generate, based on the chosen target, the control instruction for controlling the controller to con- trol the one or more actuators. The control instruction may be manually gen erated based on a written input, e.g. a user inputting coordinates of the field. The control instruction may be semi-automatically generated by a user input ting a restraint on the control instruction. The restraint may be to instruct the controller to target areas with shadows, or to target areas which have, based on historical operations data of the controller, not been targeted and/or have been targeted less than surrounding targets on the field. The control instruc tion may be generated automatically as a sweep of the entire field or at least part of the field. The control instruction may be generated automatically based on one or more sensor inputs from one or more sensors monitoring the field, e.g. the one or more sensors may monitor a colour of the field, reflection of grass on the field, shadows on the field, and/or a temperature of the field. The control instruction may also be generated on input from a light sensor meas uring incident light onto the reflective surface.

In an embodiment the reflective surface is a rigid structure.

Having the reflective surface as a rigid structure eases targeting the re flective surface towards a target on the field. Furthermore, problems with wind or other external forces pushing the reflective surface off-target are mini mized.

The reflective surface may be a planar mirror. Use of a planar mirror may provide a uniform illumination of an area as reflected light is not focused or dispersed. The reflective surface may be a convex mirror. A convex mirror may disperse reflected light over a larger area of the field than a planar mir ror. The reflective surface may be a concave mirror. A concave mirror may focus reflected light onto areas requiring additional light, however the concavi ty of the mirror should be kept small enough to avoid burning and/or scorch ing of the field.

In an embodiment the support structure is configured for being mount ed onto a roof structure.

Having the support structure configured for being mounted on a roof structure reduces the footprint of the system. Furthermore, if the system were to be installed in a sports stadium where space is limited, it is optimal to mount it on a roof structure of the sports stadium. By mounting it onto the roof structure of the stadium it does not take away seating/standing area for spec tators. Furthermore, having the reflective surface situated above the ground may facilitate a larger amount of incident sunlight onto the reflective surface, as shadows from surrounding elements may be minimized by raising the re flective surface above the ground. The support structure may be configured for being mounted to the roof structure by bolting, screwing, clamping or other forms of mechanical mounting. Alternatively, the support structure may be welded onto the roof structure.

In an embodiment the support structure is foldable between a deployed state and a non-deployed state, wherein the deployed state the reflective sur face is configured for reflecting incident light onto the field, and where in the non-deployed state the support structure is folded up under the roof structure.

Being able to fold-up the support structure when the system is not in use enables the system to be hidden away. This is especially advantageous on stadiums where the system when in the deployed state may obstruct the view from the tribune to the field, thus by folding the support structure up un der the roof the view of a spectator is not obstructed. Furthermore, during summer months with sunny weather the field may not need the reflected light, here folding up the support structure may be advantageous. When the field is used for practice or a match it may also be advantageous to fold up the sup port structure to avoid glare issues for players on the field or glare issues for spectators on tribunes. The folding of the support structure may be carried out in a plethora of ways. In the detailed description embodiments of a foldable support structure is explained. Flowever, the invention is in no way limited to these embodiments, the embodiments is merely meant for exemplifying ways to carry out the invention. For example, folding of the support structure may be achieved by providing the support structure as a scissor lift structure, where the support structure can be raised and lowered, thus allowing the support structure to fold between the deployed state and the non-deployed state.

The term foldable, folding, or fold should in the context of the present disclosure be interpreted broadly as any movement, which allows the support structure to move between the deployed state and the non-deployed state.

Movement of the support structure between the deployed state and the non-deployed state may be controlled via the controller. The controller may receive an instruction indication to move the support structure into deployed state or into the non-deployed state.

In an embodiment the system comprises a first actuator and a second actuator, the first actuator and the second actuator are configured to rotate the reflective surface around the first axis and a second axis, wherein the second axis has an angle relative to the first axis, and wherein the controller is communicatively connectable to the first actuator and the second actuator.

Consequently, having the first actuator and the second actuator being able to rotate the reflective surface around a two different axis allows for the reflective surface to be oriented towards almost any, if not any, target on the field. In an embodiment the first axis is parallel with the horizontal axis and the second axis is parallel with the vertical axis. In an embodiment the first axis and the second axis are perpendicular to each other.

In an embodiment the control instruction prompts the controller to: at a first time, control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface so incident light reflected off the reflective surface is directed towards a first target on the field, and at a second time subsequent to the first time, control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface so incident light reflected off the reflective surface is directed towards a second target on the field, wherein the second target on the field is different from the first target on the field.

Having the control instruction defining two different targets on the field may help in automating the system. Furthermore, having different times to different target may help for adjusting for shadows on the field or personnel on the field. The targets and times may be defined by a user input, e.g. a groundskeeper may define the top-right corner of a field at 8 AM should be the first target and first time and the top-left corner of the field at 11 AM should be the second target and second time. Alternatively, the times and targets are automatically generated by a processing unit.

In an embodiment the system further comprises a processing unit communicatively connected to the controller, wherein the processing unit is configured to generate the control instruction in response to receiving an ex ternal input.

The processing unit may be a local unit, i.e. comprised by the controller or otherwise co-located with the controller. The processing unit may be an external unit wired or wirelessly connected to the controller. The processing unit in the context of the invention is to be understood as any circuit and/or device suitably adapted to perform the functions described herein. The pro cessing unit may comprise general purpose or proprietary programmable mi croprocessors, such as Digital Signal Processors (DSP), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Programmable Logic Arrays (PLA), Field Pro grammable Gate Arrays (FPGA), special-purpose electronic circuits, etc., or a combination thereof. The processing unit may be a mobile terminal, a per sonal computer, a tablet, a personal computer, or other dedicated devices. The processing unit may comprise a transmitter, a receiver, and/or a trans ceiver for transmitting and receiving information.

The external input may be a user input, a sensor input from sensors monitoring the field, or a combination of these.

In an embodiment the system comprises a plurality of reflective surfac es for reflecting light incident on the plurality of reflective surfaces, a plurality of support structures for holding the plurality of reflective surfaces, a plurality of actuators connectable to the plurality of support structures and configured to rotate the plurality of reflective surfaces around at least the first axis, and one or more controllers communicatively connectable to the plurality of actua tors, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to control one or more actuators of the plurality of actuators to rotate one or more reflective surfaces of the plurality of reflective surfaces to reflect light onto one or more targets on the field in response to receiving the control instruction.

Having a plurality of reflective surfaces allows for reflecting light onto a larger area of the field. In some embodiment the plurality of support structures is foldable and mountable to a roof structure, e.g. the plurality of support structures may be mountable to a roof structure of a stadium.

In the context of the invention a plurality is to be understood as two or more.

The system may comprise one controller communicatively connecta ble to the plurality of actuators. The system may comprise one controller per support structure communicatively connectable to the one or more actuators of the respective support structure. The system may comprise one controller per actuator communicatively connectable to the actuator. The system may comprise one controller per support structure group within the plurality of support structures communicatively connectable to the actuators within the support structure group. A support structure group is to be understood as a subset of one or more support structures within the plurality of support struc tures.

The control instruction may be configured to instruct one or more con trollers of the system. If the system comprises a plurality of controllers, the control instruction may be configured to instruct a controller group. A control ler group is to be understood as a subset of one or more controllers within the plurality of support structures. If the system comprises a plurality of control lers, the control instruction may be configured to instruct all controllers within the plurality of controllers. If the system comprises a plurality of controllers, the control instruction may give different instructions to the different control lers, e.g. having a first controller targeting a first target and having a second controller targeting a second target. If the system comprises a plurality of con trollers, the control instruction may give the same instruction to the different controllers, e.g. all controllers targeting a first target.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned objectives and other objects are achieved by a method for reflecting light down onto a field, the method comprising the steps of providing a system ac cording to the first aspect of the invention, generating the control instruction, and delivering the control instruction to the controller in order to control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface to reflect light onto the target on the field.

The control instruction may be generated manually, semi- automatically, or automatically generated. Preferably, the control instruction is generated by a user monitoring the field and generating the control instruction based on the monitoring of the field. Alternatively, sensors may monitor the field and generate the control instruction based on the monitoring of the field.

Delivering of the control instruction may simply be carried out by push ing the enter button on a keyboard or with a click of a mouse, e.g. if the con trol instruction is generated on a processing unit communicatively connected to the controller the processing unit may transmit the control instruction to the controller in response to a user pressing the enter button on a keyboard or clicking of a mouse. In some embodiments the control instruction may be generated on an external device and subsequently stored on a flash drive, which may then be connected to the controller to deliver the control instruc- tion to the controller. The controller may also be provided with means for re ceiving an input directly, e.g. a keyboard, touch screen, or mouse, conse quently a user may directly deliver the control instruction to the controller.

According to a third aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned ob jectives and other objects are achieved by a computer implemented method for generating a control instruction for a controller in a system according to a first aspect of the invention, the method comprising the steps of determining a first target, determining a first in-coming direction of incident light on the re flective surface, based on the first in-coming direction of incident light, deter mining a first movement of the at least one or more actuators needed to ro- tate the reflective surface so incident light reflected off the reflective surface is directed towards the first target on the field, and generating the control in struction, wherein the control instruction comprises the first movement.

The first in-coming direction of incident light may be determined as an incident angle of light on the reflective surface. The first in-coming direc- tion of incident light may be determined differently depending on the light source. If the light source is the sun, a library comprising positions of the sun during each day of year may be used, an example of such a library is pysolar. The library may determine a direction of incident sun light based on a latitude, longitude, date, and time of day. If the light source is a stationary light source, the first in-coming direction of incident light may be determined as a constant based on the positioning of the stationary light source. A combina tion of incident light from a stationary light source and the sun may also be used as the source of incident light.

The first movement may also be dependent on a geometry of the support structure and/or the reflective surface.

The control instruction may be generated as data file configured to be transmitted to the controller of the system. The control instruction may be generated as a print-out for a user, e.g. by printing the first movement on a piece of paper.

It is noted that the invention relates to all possible combinations of features recited in the claims. Other objectives, features, and advantages of the present inventive concept will appear from the following detailed disclo sure, from the attached claims as well as from the drawings. A feature de scribed in relation to one of the aspects may also be incorporated in the other aspect, and the advantage of the feature is applicable to all aspects in which it is incorporated.

Brief description of the figures

In the following the invention will be explained in greater detail with the aid of an example and with reference to the schematic drawings, in which

Fig. 1 depicts a block diagram of the system according to an aspect of the invention.

Fig. 2a depicts a perspective front view of a system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2b depicts a perspective back view of the system depicted on Fig. 2a.

Fig. 3a depicts an embodiment of the system, where a support structure is in a deployed state. Fig. 3b depicts an embodiment of the system, where a support structure is half-folded in-between the deployed state and the non-deployed state.

Fig. 3c depicts an embodiment of the system, where a support structure is in a non-deployed state.

Figs 4a-b depict an alternative method for folding the support structure up under a roof structure.

Fig. 5 depicts a flow chart of a method for reflecting light down onto a field according an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 depicts a flow chart of a method for generating a control instruction for a system according to according an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 depicts a flow chart of a method for generating a control instruction for a system according to according another embodiment of the invention.

Figs 8a-c depict another embodiment for a support structure and method for folding the support structure according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled person.

Referring initially to Fig. 1 , which depicts a block diagram of the system 1 according to an aspect of the invention. The system 1 being for reflecting light down onto a field. The system 1 comprises a reflective surface 2 for reflecting light incident on the reflective surface 2. The system 1 further comprises a support structure 3 for holding the reflective surface 2. The system further comprises one or more actuators 4 connectable to the support 3 structure and configured to rotate the reflective surface 2 around at least a first axis. The first axis having an angle relative to a vertical axis. The system further comprises a controller 5 communicatively connectable to the one or more actuators 4. The controller 5 is configured to receive a control instruction, and to control the one or more actuators 4 to rotate the reflective surface 2 to reflect light onto a target on the field in response to receiving the control instruction. The system may also comprise a processing unit 6. The processing unit 6 being communicatively connected to the controller 5. The processing unit 6 is configured to generate the control instruction in response to receiving an external input. In some embodiments the system 1 comprises a plurality of reflective surfaces 2 for reflecting light incident on the reflective surfaces 2. The plurality of reflective surfaces 2 may be held by a plurality of support structures 3. Connectable to the plurality of support structures 3 is a plurality of actuators 4 configured to rotate the plurality of reflective surfaces 2 around at least the first axis. One or more controllers 5 may be communicatively connectable to the plurality of actuators 4. The one or more controllers 5 are configured to control one or more actuators 4 of the plurality of actuators 4 to rotate one or more reflective surfaces 2 of the plurality of reflective surfaces 2 to reflect light onto one or more targets on the field in response to receiving the control instruction.

Referring to Fig. 2a, which depicts a perspective front view of a system 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The reflective surface 12 is comprised by four planar rectangular mirrors 121. The reflective surface 12 may be a modular structure, i.e. formed by one or more individual mirrors. Having a modular structure gives a variety of options for how to form and how to construct the reflective surface 12. The mirrors 121 are bolted with bolts 131 to the support structure 13. Alternatively, the reflective surface 12 may be adhered to the support structure 13 with an adhesive.

Referring to Fig. 2b, which depict a perspective back view of the system 10 depicted on Fig. 2a. The support structure 13 comprises a plurality of first pivot brackets 132. The first pivot brackets 132 connects the reflective surface 12 to the support structure 13 in a rotatable manner, which allows the reflective surface 12 to rotate around a second axis A2 relative to the support structure 13. Furthermore, a pivot joint 133 of the support structure 13 allows for the reflective surface 12 to be rotated around a first axis A1 , relative to the support structure 13. Connected to the support structure 13 is a first actuator 141 and a second actuator 142. The first actuator 141 and the second actuator are linear actuators. The first pivot brackets 132 are configured to cooperate with the second actuator 142 in order to transform a linear movement of the second actuator 142 into a rotational movement for rotating the reflective surface 12 around the second axis A2. The pivot joint 133 is configured to cooperate with the first actuator 141 in order to transform a linear movement of the first actuator 141 into a rotational movement for rotating the reflective surface 12 around the first axis A1. The support structure 13 comprises a second plurality of pivot joints 134. The second plurality of pivot joints 134 may be used for mounting the support structure to an external structure such as a roof structure 17, e.g. a roof structure 17 of a stadium. The second plurality of pivot joints 134 may allow the support structure 13 to rotate relative to an external structure onto which the support structure is mounted. The support structure 13 may also comprise a hinge 135. The hinge 135 hingedly connecting a first end of a first beam 136 of the support structure 13 with a first end of a second beam 137 of the support structure 13. The first beam 136 being connected at a second end to one or more of the second plurality of pivot joints 134, the second end being opposite the first end of the first beam 136. A pulley system may be present in connection with the first beam 136 and the second 137 beam. The pulley system being able to close and or open the hinge 135 by providing tension or releasing tension respectively. A similar pulley system is known from WO 2014/166581. Consequently, by opening or closing the hinge it allows the support structure to go from a deployed position to a non-deployed position and vice versa.

Referring now to Figs 3a-c, which depict the process of folding the support structure 13, depicted on Figs 2a-b, up under a roof structure 17. In Figs 3a-c the support structure have been mounted to the roof structure 17 via the second plurality of pivot joints 134. Fig. 3a depicts the support structure 13 in a deployed state. In the deployed state the reflective surface

12 is configured for reflecting incident light onto a field. In the deployed state the hinge 135 is open. When the support structure 13 goes from the deployed state to the undeployed state the hinge 135 starts to close as seen in Fig. 3b. The closing of the hinge 135 may be achieved by a pulley system in connec tion with the first beam 136 and the second beam 137 delivering a closing tension onto the hinge 135. As the hinge 135 closes, the reflective surface 12 and the support structure 13 is pulled toward the roof structure 17 in a pivot motion. The second plurality of pivot joints 134 allows for the support struc ture 13 to pivot towards the roof structure 17. Finally, the support structure 13 reaches the non-deployed state as seen on Fig. 3c. In the non-deployed state, the support structure 13 is folded up under the roof structure 17. In an embodiment where a pulley system is connected with the first beam 136 and the second beam 137 the support structure 13 in the non-deployed state may be folded out to the deployed state by releasing tension stored in the pulley system.

Referring now to Figs 4a-b, which depict an alternative method for folding the support structure 13 up under a roof structure 17. The system further comprises a mounting structure 15 for mounting the support structure

13 to the roof structure 17. The mounting structure 15 is configured to be mounted fixedly to the roof structure 17. The support structure 13 is connected to the mounting structure 15 by one or more second pivot joints 134. The support structure 13 being able to pivot relative to the mounting structure 15 at the one or more second pivot joints 134. The support structure 13 further comprises a third beam 138 connecting the support structure 13 to the mounting structure 15. The third beam 138 being movably connected to the mounting structure 15. The third beam 138 being capable of moving between a first position P1 and a second position P2. When the third beam 138 is in the first position P1 , the support structure 13 is in the deployed state. When the third beam 138 is in the second position P1, the support structure 13 is in the non-deployed state. The third beam 138 when moving from the first position P1 to the second position P2 generates a folding force. The folding force pivots the support structure 13 at the one or more second pivot joints 134 towards the roof structure 17. Thus, when the third beam 138 reaches the second position P2 the support structure 13 is folded up under the roof structure 17. The third beam 138 when moving from the second position P2 to the first position P1 generates an unfolding force. The unfolding force pivots the support structure 13 at the one or more second pivot joints 134 away from the roof structure 17. The mounting structure 14 may comprise drive means 141 for moving the third beam 138 between the first position P1 and the second position P2. The drive means 141 may be a belt drive 141 or a chain drive 141.

Referring to Fig. 5, which depicts a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. A first step 21 of the method is to provide a system according to a first aspect of the invention. The system provided may be provided as a kit of parts and be assembled at an installation site, e.g. a reflective surface, a support structure, one or more actuators and a controller may be provided as separate parts ready for assembly. Alternatively, the sys tem may be provided in an assembled condition and be ready to be installed, e.g. mounted to a roof structure. A second step 22 of the method is to gener ate the control instruction for the controller. The control instruction may be generated via a processing unit receiving an external input. A third step 23 of the method is to deliver the control instruction to the controller in order to con trol the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface to reflect light onto the target on the field. The control instruction may be delivered by being transmitted over a wireless or a wired connection. Alternatively, the control instruction may be manually inputted to the controller.

Referring to Fig. 6, which depicts a flow chart of a method for generating a control instruction for a system according to an embodiment of the invention. The method may be carried out by a processing unit. The pro cessing unit in the context of the invention is to be understood as any circuit and/or device suitably adapted to perform the functions described herein. The processing unit may comprise general purpose or proprietary programmable microprocessors, such as Digital Signal Processors (DSP), Application Spe cific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Programmable Logic Arrays (PLA), Field Pro grammable Gate Arrays (FPGA), special-purpose electronic circuits, etc., or a combination thereof. The processing unit may be a mobile terminal, a per sonal computer, a tablet, a personal computer, or other dedicated devices. A first step 31 of the method is to determine a first target. The first target may be determined by an external user input received by the processing unit. In a second step 32 of the method a first in-coming direction of incident light on the reflective surface is determined. If incident light originates from the sun, the first in-coming direction may be determined based on a look-up table. The look-up table may comprise times and corresponding positions of the sun dur ing the year. The third step 33 of the method is to, based on the first in coming direction of incident light, determine a first movement of the at least one or more actuators needed to rotate the reflective surface so incident light reflected off the reflective surface is directed towards the first target on the field. The first movement may also be based on a geometry of the reflective surface and the support structure. The fourth step 34 of the method is to gen erate the control instruction, wherein the control instruction comprises the first movement.

Referring to Fig. 7, which depicts a flow chart of a method for generating a control instruction for a system according to another embodiment of the invention. The method may be carried out by a processing unit. A first step 41 of the method is to receive one or more inputs. The one or more inputs may be one or more from the following: a latitude of the system, a longitude of the system, a date, a time, field parameters, system parame ters, or target parameters. The field parameters may be a length of a field, a width of the field, a field frame of reference, and/or a set of coordinates defin ing the field in the field frame of reference. The system parameters may be a size of a reflector, a number of actuators associated with the system, a loca tion of the reflector in relation to the field, a set of coordinates in the field frame of reference defining the reflector, a reflector frame of reference, and/or a set of coordinates defining the reflector in the reflector frame of reference. Target parameters may be a length and/or width of a target. The target pa rameters may be a coordinate set, e.g. a point in the field frame of reference. The inputs may all be given by user, preferably the user need only input the target parameters, while the rest of the inputs are retrieved from a database. In a second step 42 a target vector from the reflector is determined. The tar get vector may be determined as a target unit vector in the reflector frame of reference. The target unit vector may be determined by doing a coordinate transformation of the targets coordinate set in the field frame of reference to the reflector frame of reference. In a third step 43 a location of the sun is de termined. The location of the sun may be determined using the latitude of the system, the longitude of the system, the date, and the time. These inputs may be translated to a location of the sun. In a fourth step 44 a sun vector in an earth frame of reference is determined, based on the location of the sun. The sun vector in the earth frame of reference may be determined as a sun unit vector in the earth frame of reference by transforming the location of the sun into the earth frame of reference. In a fifth step 45 the sun vector in the field frame of reference is determined, based on the sun vector in the earth frame of reference. The sun vector in the field frame of reference may be deter mined as a sun unit vector in the field frame of reference by transforming the sun unit vector in the earth frame of reference to the field frame of reference. In sixth step 46 the sun vector in the reflector frame of reference is deter mined, based on the sun vector in the field frame of reference. The sun vector in the reflector frame of reference may be determined as a sun unit vector in the reflector frame of reference by transforming the sun unit vector in the field frame of reference to the reflector frame of reference. In a seventh step 47 a target orientation of the reflector for reflecting light onto the target is deter mined, based on the sun vector in the reflector frame of reference and the target vector. In an eight step 48 one or more movements of the number of actuators associated with the system needed to rotate the reflective surface so incident light reflected off the reflective surface is directed towards the tar get on the field is determined, based on the target orientation. In a ninth step 49 the control instruction is generated, the control instruction comprising the one or more movements of actuators associated with the system.

Referring now to Figs 8a-c, which depict another embodiment for a support structure 13 and method for folding the support structure 13 according to an embodiment of the invention.

In the shown embodiment the support structure 13 is provided as a scissor mechanism 13 movable between a deployed state and a non- deployed state, where in the deployed state the reflective surface 12 is con figured for reflecting incident light onto the field, and where in the non- deployed state the support structure 13 is folded up under a roof structure. The scissor mechanism 13 is comprises a first scissor leg 1311, a second scissor leg 1312, a third scissor leg 1313, a fourth scissor leg 1314, and a scissor actuator 1315. On fig. 8a the scissor mechanism 13 is depicted in a deployed position. The first scissor leg 1311, and the second scissor leg 1312 are pivotably connectable to an external structure, e.g. a roof structure. Pivot ably connected to the first scissor leg 1311 is the third scissor leg 1313. Pivotably connected to the second scissor leg 1312 is the fourth scissor leg 1314. The scissor actuator 1315 is connected at one end to the external structure and at the other end to the fourth scissor leg 1314, thus allowing the actuator to lift the fourth scissor leg 1314 towards the external structure. The scissor actuator 1315 may be a linear actuator. The fourth scissor leg 1314 is further connected to the reflective surface 12 and the third scissor leg 1313. Consequently, when the scissor actuator 1315 lifts the fourth scissor leg 1314 towards the external structure, the reflective surface 12 and the third scissor leg 1313 follows the fourth scissor leg 1314 towards the external structure.

On fig. 8b the scissor mechanism 13 is depicted in position where the scissor actuator 1315 has lifted the fourth scissor leg 1314 towards the exter nal structure. As is seen lifting the fourth scissor leg 1314 towards the exter nal structure leads to the scissor mechanism 13 being folded together.

Lastly, on fig. 8c the support structure is depicted in the non- deployed position. The non-deployed position being achieved when the scis sor actuator 1315 has lifted the fourth scissor leg 1314 towards the external structure, and the first actuator 141 pulling the reflective surface 12 towards the external structure. Thus, achieving the non-deployed position where the scissor mechanism 13 is folded up under the external structure.

Specific embodiments of the invention have now been described. However, several alternatives are possible, as would be apparent for some one skilled in the art. For example, three different folding mechanism has been described in the above detailed description, however the scope of in vention is not limited to only these three. For example, the folding mechanism may be achieved by using a mechanism similar to a scissor lift. Alternatively, the folding mechanism may be achieved via hydraulics.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. System for reflecting light down onto a field, the system compris ing: a reflective surface for reflecting light incident on the reflective surface, a support structure for holding the reflective surface, one or more actuator connectable to the support structure and config ured to rotate the reflective surface around at least a first axis, wherein the first axis has an angle relative to a vertical axis, and a controller communicatively connectable to the one or more actuators, wherein the controller is configured to receive a control instruction, and to control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface to reflect light onto a target on the field in response to receiving the control instruction.

2. System according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective surface is a rigid structure.

3. System according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support struc ture is configured for being mounted onto a roof structure.

4. System according claim 3, wherein the support structure is foldable between a deployed state and a non-deployed state, wherein the deployed state the reflective surface is configured for reflecting incident light onto the field, and where in the non-deployed state the support structure is folded up under the roof structure.

5. System according any of the preceding claims, wherein the system comprises a first actuator and a second actuator, the first actuator and the second actuator are configured to rotate the reflective surface around the first axis and a second axis, wherein the second axis has an angle relative to the first axis, and wherein the controller is communicatively connectable to the first actuator and the second actuator.

6. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the con trol instruction prompts the controller to: at a first time, control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface so incident light reflected off the reflective surface is directed towards a first target on the field, and at a second time subsequent to the first time, control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface so incident light reflected off the re flective surface is directed towards a second target on the field, wherein the second target on the field is different from the first target on the field.

7. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sys tem further comprises a processing unit communicatively connected to the controller, wherein the processing unit is configured to generate the control instruction in response to receiving an external input.

8. System according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the sys tem comprises a plurality of reflective surfaces for reflecting light incident on the plurality of reflective surfaces, a plurality of support structures for holding the plurality of reflective sur faces, a plurality of actuators connectable to the plurality of support structures and configured to rotate the plurality of reflective surfaces around at least the first axis, and one or more controllers communicatively connectable to the plurality of actuators, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to control one or more actuators of the plurality of actuators to rotate one or more reflective surfaces of the plurality of reflective surfaces to reflect light onto one or more targets on the field in response to receiving the control instruction.

9. Method for reflecting light down onto a field, the method comprising the steps of: providing a system according to any of claims 1-8, generating the control instruction, and delivering the control instruction to the controller in order to control the one or more actuators to rotate the reflective surface to reflect light onto the target on the field.

10. A computer implemented method for generating a control instruc tion for a controller in a system according to any of claims 1-8, the method comprising the steps of: determining a first target, determining a first in-coming direction of incident light on the reflective surface, based on the first in-coming direction of incident light, determining a first movement of the at least one or more actuators needed to rotate the re flective surface so incident light reflected off the reflective surface is directed towards the first target on the field, and generating the control instruction, wherein the control instruction com prises the first movement.