Illumination device, illumination system, and method for controlling illumination device

Abstract

A lighting device (100) is provided with: a light source (110) having a plurality of light-emitting elements (111) arranged in a two-dimensional array; a communication unit (140) that acquires a control command by communicating with the control device (200); a drive circuit (130) that drives the light source (110) on the basis of the control command acquired by the communication unit (140); and a projection lens (120) that projects, as illumination light, light emitted from the light source (110) driven by the drive circuit (130). The control command contains pairing information of a tag representing a parameter of the illumination light and a specific value of the parameter represented by the tag. The parameter is a shape, position, size, color, or brightness of an illumination region obtained by using the illumination light, or a time-dependent variation element relating to at least one of the shape, position, size, color, or brightness.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a lighting device, a lighting system and a control method of the lighting device. Background Art

[0002] There is known a device (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2) that includes a light source having a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and can cause the light source to emit light in a predetermined pattern.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-523906

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-95963 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In order to make a light source having a plurality of LEDs emit light in a predetermined pattern, it is necessary to control each of the plurality of LEDs. For this purpose, for example, it is conceivable to send a control command for turning on and off each of the plurality of LEDs in the form of an image using a bitmap. However, in this case, there is a problem that the amount of data communicated increases.

[0009] In addition, it is also possible to encode the values ​​of the positions and sizes of the multiple LEDs that are lit in a determined order and then transmit them. However, in this case, although the amount of data may be reduced, it is not possible to cope with the situation in the future where complex graphics or characters are desired to be expressed by the lighting area. As such, there is a problem that it is impossible to take into account both the suppression of the amount of communication data required for the control of the light source and the high flexibility for the change of the lighting area.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device, a lighting system, and a lighting device control method that can suppress the amount of communication data required for controlling a light source and have high flexibility in changing a lighting area.

[0011] Solutions for solving problems

[0012] A lighting device involved in one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a light source, which has a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array; a communication unit, which obtains a control command by communicating with a control device; a drive circuit, which drives the light source based on the control command obtained by the communication unit; and a projection lens, which projects light emitted by the light source driven by the drive circuit as illumination light, wherein the control command includes pairing information of a label representing a parameter of the illumination light and a specific value of the parameter represented by the label, and the parameter is a shape, position, size, color or brightness of an illumination area obtained using the illumination light, or a time-varying element related to at least one of them.

[0013] Furthermore, a lighting system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: the lighting device according to the above-mentioned one aspect; and the control device.

[0014] In addition, a control method for a lighting device involved in one embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps: obtaining a control command by communicating with a control device; and causing the driving circuit to drive the light source based on the acquired control command, wherein the control command includes pairing information of a label representing a parameter of the lighting light and a specific value of the parameter represented by the label, and the parameter is a shape, position, size, color or brightness of a lighting area obtained using the lighting light, or a time-varying element related to at least one of them.

[0015] In addition, one aspect of the present invention can be implemented as a program for causing a computer to execute the above-mentioned method for controlling a lighting device, or can be implemented as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing the program.

[0016] Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lighting device, a lighting system, and a lighting device control method that can suppress the amount of communication data required for controlling a light source and that have high flexibility in changing a lighting area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a usage status of the lighting system involved in the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the lighting system involved in the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic perspective view of a lighting device according to an embodiment.

[0021] Figure 4It is a diagram showing an example of an input screen displayed on the display unit of the control device according to the embodiment.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of a control command acquired by the lighting device involved in the embodiment.

[0023] Fig. 6A This is a diagram showing another example of a control command acquired by the lighting device according to the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6B This is a diagram showing another example of a control command acquired by the lighting device according to the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device according to the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the lighting device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Below, the lighting device, lighting system and control method of the lighting device involved in the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail using the accompanying drawings. In addition, the embodiments described below each represent a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, configurations and connection methods of components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, the components in the following embodiments that are not recorded in the independent claims are described as arbitrary components.

[0028] In addition, each figure is a schematic diagram and does not strictly illustrate. Therefore, for example, the scales in each figure are not necessarily the same. In addition, in each figure, the same reference numerals are marked for substantially the same structure, and repeated descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0029] In addition, in this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements, terms indicating the shape of an element such as a rectangle or a circle, and numerical ranges are not expressions of strict meanings, but also mean that they also include substantially the same range, such as expressions of differences of about a few percent.

[0030] (Implementation Method)

[0031] [Lighting system]

[0032] First, use Figure 1 The following describes an overview of the lighting system according to the embodiment. Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a usage status of the lighting system 10 according to the present embodiment.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the lighting system 10 includes a lighting device 100 and a control device 200. The lighting device 100 and the control device 200 are located at locations separated from each other, and are connected to each other via a network so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0034] The lighting device 100 projects illumination light to illuminate the plurality of regions 21 and 22. Specifically, the lighting device 100 can selectively illuminate only the regions 21 and 22 within the projection range 20 of the illumination light.

[0035] The control device 200 controls the lighting device 100. Specifically, the control device 200 controls the shape, position, size, color, brightness, etc. of the lighting area obtained by the lighting light projected by the lighting device 100. In addition, the control device 200 may also control the time-varying element related to at least one of the shape, position, size, color, and brightness of the lighting area. The control device 200 is, for example, a portable terminal such as a smart phone or a tablet terminal. In addition, the control device 200 may also be an operation terminal fixed to a wall, etc., or a fixed-type computer device, etc.

[0036] The control device 200 receives input based on the operation from the user 30, generates a control command based on the received input, and sends the generated control command to the lighting device 100. The lighting device 100 projects illumination light based on the control command, thereby illuminating the plurality of areas 21 and 22. For example, by operating the control device 200 by the user 30, the shape, position, size, color, brightness, etc. of the area 21 or 22 can be dynamically changed in conjunction with the operation. In addition, the time change method (for example, the period of periodic change, etc.) related to at least one of the shape, position, size, color, and brightness of the area 21 or 22 can also be changed. It is also possible to add or delete the illumination area.

[0037] The details will be described later, but in this embodiment, the control command acquired by the lighting device 100 includes pairing information of a tag representing a parameter of the lighting light and a specific value of the parameter represented by the tag. By using tags, the amount of data in the control command can be suppressed. In addition, since the parameters represented by the tags can be added and changed, the flexibility of changing the lighting area can be improved.

[0038] [lighting device]

[0039] Next, refer to Figure 1 and use Figure 2 and Figure 3 The specific structure of the lighting device 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0040] Figure 2 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the lighting system 10 according to the present embodiment. Figure 3 It is a schematic perspective view of the lighting device 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the lighting device 100 includes a light source 110, a projection lens 120, a drive circuit 130, a communication unit 140, and an analysis unit 150. Figure 3 As shown, the lighting device 100 includes a housing 160 .

[0042] The light source 110 has a plurality of light emitting elements 111 arranged in a two-dimensional array. The light source 110 emits light (visible light) by being driven by the driving circuit 130. Specifically, each of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 is controlled to light up and extinguish independently of each other by the driving circuit 130. For example, the driving circuit 130 can light up only the light emitting elements 111 required for illuminating the areas 21 and 22, and extinguish the light emitting elements 111 that do not illuminate the areas 21 and 22. Thus, power consumption can be reduced.

[0043] For example, by lighting all the light emitting elements 111 included in a circular range of a predetermined size among the plurality of light emitting elements 111 arranged in a two-dimensional array, illumination light for illuminating a circular area is projected through the projection lens 120. Also, by lighting all the light emitting elements 111 included in each of two circular ranges that do not overlap each other, for example, illumination light for illuminating a circular area can be projected from the projection lens 120. Figure 1 That is, in the two-dimensional array, the outer shape of the lighting range of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 becomes the shape of the lighting area obtained by the lighting light. In addition, when all the plurality of light emitting elements 111 arranged in the two-dimensional array are lit, the lighting area is Figure 1 The projection range shown is 20.

[0044] Each of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 is a μLED, which is a microscopic LED having a size of 100 μm×100 μm or less.

[0045] The μLED emits light by the current supplied from the driving circuit 130. The μLED includes, for example, a blue LED and a yellow phosphor disposed on the light emitting side of the blue LED. The yellow phosphor is excited by a part of the blue light emitted by the blue LED to emit yellow light. The μLED emits white light which is a mixture of blue light and yellow light.

[0046] The plurality of light emitting elements 111 are mounted on a substrate. The substrate is a rigid substrate, but may be a flexible substrate. The substrate is provided with pattern wiring for electrically connecting the plurality of light emitting elements 111 to the drive circuit 130 .

[0047] The plurality of light emitting elements 111 are arranged in a planar area of ​​a predetermined size on the substrate, and are arranged in a number of 256×256. The planar area in which the light emitting elements 111 are arranged is, for example, a rectangular area of ​​3 mm×3 mm. The number of light emitting elements 111 and the size of the area in which they are arranged are merely examples and are not particularly limited. By arranging the plurality of light emitting elements 111 in a narrow area, it is possible to achieve miniaturization of the projection lens 120 or improve light intake efficiency.

[0048] In addition, the light source 110 has a dimming function and a color adjustment function. For example, each of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 can change the light intensity according to the amount of current supplied from the driving circuit 130. In addition, for example, the plurality of light emitting elements 111 can also include a plurality of μLEDs that emit white light of different color temperatures. By adjusting the light intensity of the plurality of μLEDs, the light source 110 can emit white light of a desired color temperature.

[0049] Furthermore, the plurality of light emitting elements 111 may include a red LED that emits red light, a green LED that emits green light, and a blue LED that emits blue light. Thus, the light source 110 can also emit colored light other than white light.

[0050] The projection lens 120 projects the light emitted from the light source 110 driven by the driving circuit 130 as illumination light. The projection lens 120 is composed of a plurality of lenses, but may be composed of a single lens.

[0051] The driving circuit 130 drives the light source 110. Specifically, the driving circuit 130 controls the lighting, extinguishing, and light intensity of each of the plurality of light emitting elements 111. The driving circuit 130 is implemented, for example, by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The driving circuit 130 supplies a current modulated by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to each of the plurality of light emitting elements 111. The light intensity of each light emitting element 111 can be changed by adjusting the pulse width of the current supplied to each light emitting element 111, thereby realizing a dimming function. In addition, the dimming method is not particularly limited, and may also be an amplitude modulation method or a phase modulation method, etc.

[0052] In this embodiment, the driving circuit 130 drives the light source 110 based on the control command acquired by the communication unit 140. Specifically, the driving circuit 130 adjusts the current supplied to each of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 based on the analysis result of the control command obtained by the analysis unit 150.

[0053] The communication unit 140 acquires a control command by communicating with the control device 200. A specific example of the control command will be described later.

[0054] The communication unit 140 communicates with the control device 200 wirelessly. Specifically, the communication unit 140 communicates with the control device 200 in a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) manner. The communication unit 140 is implemented, for example, by an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes a signal received by the antenna.

[0055] The analysis unit 150 is a decoder that analyzes the control command. Specifically, the analysis unit 150 obtains information related to the lighting, extinguishing, and luminous intensity of each of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 as an analysis result by analyzing the control command, and outputs the analysis result to the drive circuit 130. For example, the luminous intensity can be represented by an 8-bit numerical value from 0% (extinguished) to 100% (lit at the highest luminous intensity). The analysis unit 150 outputs, for each row of the plurality of light emitting elements 111, arrangement data including data representing the luminous intensity of each light emitting element 111 by 8 bits as the analysis result. The drive circuit 130 controls the plurality of light emitting elements 111 based on the arrangement data output from the analysis unit 150.

[0056] The analysis unit 150 is implemented, for example, by an LSI (Large Scale Integration) which is an integrated circuit (IC). In addition, the integrated circuit is not limited to LSI, and may also be a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. For example, the analysis unit 150 may also be a microcontroller. The analysis unit 150 includes, for example, a non-volatile memory storing a program, a volatile memory as a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, and the like. In addition, the analysis unit 150 may also be a programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a reconfigurable processor in which the connection and setting of the circuit units within the LSI can be reconfigured. The functions performed by the analysis unit 150 may be implemented by software or by hardware.

[0057] The housing 160 accommodates the light source 110, the projection lens 120, the drive circuit 130, the communication unit 140, and the analysis unit 150. The housing 160 includes, for example, a housing shell forming the outer shell of the lighting device 100, and a plurality of components such as a heat sink, but is not particularly limited. The components constituting the housing 160 are formed using resin or metal. In addition, the communication unit 140 and the analysis unit 150 may also be arranged on the outside of the housing 160. For example, the analysis unit 150 may also be provided in other computer devices such as a server or the control device 200 connected in a manner capable of communicating via the communication unit 140.

[0058] In the housing 160, an opening is provided on the light emitting side (in the normal direction of the main surface of the substrate) of the light source 110, and the projection lens 120 is arranged so as to block the opening. In the housing 160, there is no need to provide a liquid crystal device or a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) as in a general projector, so that the lighting device 100 can be miniaturized.

[0059] In this embodiment, the lighting device 100 is, for example, a spotlight, and is mounted on a wiring device (for example, a wiring duct, a ceiling plate) provided on a ceiling or a wall. The lighting device 100 may also be a downlight, a ceiling light, or the like.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, the illumination light projected from the projection lens 120 of the illumination device 100 configured as above illuminates the plurality of areas 21 and 22. At this time, in the light source 110, only a part of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 is lit, and the remaining light emitting elements 111 are turned off. For example, by lighting only the light emitting elements 111 included in two circular ranges separated from each other among the plurality of light emitting elements 111, and turning off the remaining light emitting elements 111, it is possible to illuminate only the two circular areas 21 and 22. That is, the position, shape and size of the area illuminated by the illumination light (illumination area) can be adjusted by adjusting the position, shape and size of the range (illumination range) including the light emitting elements 111 to be lit among the plurality of light emitting elements 111 included in the light source 110. In addition, the brightness and color of the illumination area can be adjusted by adjusting the light emission intensity of the light emitting elements 111 included in the lighting range.

[0061] As described above, according to the lighting device 100 according to the present embodiment, a single lighting device (equipment) can be used to illuminate the plurality of areas 21 and 22. In addition, by turning off the light emitting element 111 that is not used for lighting, power consumption can be reduced.

[0062] Here, an example in which the shapes of the regions 21 and 22 are circular is shown, but the invention is not limited thereto. The shapes of the regions 21 and 22 may also be polygons such as rectangles, squares, triangles, or predetermined geometric shapes such as ellipses. Alternatively, the regions 21 and 22 may also be numbers, characters, or symbols. The shape of the illumination region may be a geometric figure, a number, a character, or a symbol by making the shape of the lighting range of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 arranged in a two-dimensional array a geometric figure, a number, a character, or a symbol.

[0063] [Control device]

[0064] Next, use Figure 2 Next, the control device 200 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0065] like Figure 2 As shown, the control device 200 includes a display unit 210 , a reception unit 220 , a command generation unit 230 , a transmission unit 240 , and a display control unit 250 .

[0066] The display unit 210 displays an input screen for inputting parameters of illumination light via a web browser. The display unit 210 is implemented by, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display panel.

[0067] The input screen is a UI (User Interface) implemented by using HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) components. The input screen includes objects that can be operated by the user 30 to input parameters of the illumination light. A specific example of the input screen will be described later.

[0068] A web browser is a software application for browsing websites via the Internet, such as Microsoft Edge (registered trademark), Google Chrome (registered trademark), Safari (registered trademark), etc.

[0069] The receiving unit 220 receives input to the input screen. Specifically, the receiving unit 220 receives input of a specific value for each parameter of the illumination light from the user 30. The receiving unit 220 is realized by, for example, a touch sensor or the like.

[0070] The command generation unit 230 generates a control command based on the input to the input screen. Specifically, the command generation unit 230 converts the input received by the receiving unit 220 into information in the JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format. HTML and JSON are highly compatible, and information can be easily converted with less computation. In addition, the command generation unit 230 can also use SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format instead of JSON format. A specific example of the control command is described below.

[0071] The command generation unit 230 includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory storing a program, a volatile memory as a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, etc. The functions executed by the command generation unit 230 may be implemented by software or hardware.

[0072] The transmission unit 240 transmits the control command generated by the command generation unit 230. Specifically, the transmission unit 240 communicates with the communication unit 140 of the lighting device 100 in a BLE manner. The transmission unit 240 is implemented, for example, by an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes a signal received by the antenna.

[0073] The display control unit 250 controls the display content of the input screen displayed on the display unit 210. Specifically, based on the input accepted by the acceptance unit 220, the display control unit 250 changes the objects operable by the user 30 included in the input screen in accordance with the operation of the user 30.

[0074] The display control unit 250 includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory storing a program, a volatile memory as a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, a processor for executing the program, etc. The functions executed by the display control unit 250 can be implemented by software or hardware. The display control unit 250 can also be implemented by hardware shared with the command generation unit 230.

[0075] [Input screen]

[0076] Next, use Figure 4 An example of an input screen that can be operated by the user 30 will be described.

[0077] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing an example of an input screen 300 displayed on the display unit 210 of the control device 200 according to the present embodiment.

[0078] like Figure 4As shown, the input screen 300 includes a plurality of lighting objects 311, 312, 313, and 314, a size adjustment object 321, a brightness adjustment object 322, and a color adjustment object 323. The plurality of lighting objects 311, 312, 313, and 314, the size adjustment object 321, the brightness adjustment object 322, and the color adjustment object 323 are all GUI (Graphical User Interface) objects that can be operated by the user 30.

[0079] The illumination objects 311, 312, 313, and 314 correspond to illumination areas illuminated by illumination light, respectively. For example, the user 30 can move each of the illumination objects 311, 312, 313, and 314 within the illuminable range 310 by performing a drag operation. The illuminable range 310 corresponds to, for example, Figure 1 The positions of the illumination objects 311, 312, 313, and 314 in the illumination range 310 are the positions of the illumination areas in the projection range 20. Figure 1 The illustrated area 21 corresponds to the illustrated area 21. The user 30 moves the illumination object 311, whereby the area 21 also moves.

[0080] In addition, the shape, size, luminous intensity and luminous color of the lighting object 311 respectively represent the shape, size, brightness and color of the corresponding lighting light area. The same is true for each lighting object in the lighting objects 312, 313 and 314. As a result, the shape of the lighting area can be easily visually known in the input screen 300, which can improve user convenience.

[0081] For example, the shape of the lighting object 311 is circular, so it can be known that the shape of the corresponding lighting area (such as area 21) is also circular. Figure 4 In the example shown, the lighting object 312 is larger than any of the lighting objects 311 , 313 , and 314 . Therefore, it can be seen that the lighting area corresponding to the lighting object 312 is larger than any of the lighting areas corresponding to the other lighting objects 311 , 313 , and 314 .

[0082] The lighting objects 311, 312, 313, and 314 can be selected by the user 30. For example, when the lighting object 311 is selected by a touch operation or a click operation, the size adjustment object 321, the brightness adjustment object 322, and the color adjustment object 323 are objects for adjusting the size, brightness, and color of the lighting area corresponding to the lighting object 311, respectively.

[0083] The size adjustment object 321 is a GUI object for adjusting the size of the illumination area obtained by the illumination light. Here, since the illumination area is circular, the size of the illumination area can be represented by the diameter of the circle, for example. The size adjustment object 321 is a slider, but is not limited to this. The size adjustment object 321 can also be a text box for directly inputting the size with a numerical value, or a radio button or drop-down list for selecting from a plurality of predetermined candidates. When the size adjustment object 321 is operated, the size of the corresponding illumination object (for example, the illumination object 311) also changes accordingly with the operation.

[0084] The brightness adjustment object 322 is a GUI object for adjusting the brightness of the illuminated area obtained by the illumination light. The brightness adjustment object 322 is a slider, but is not limited to this. Like the size adjustment object 321, the brightness adjustment object 322 can also be a text box, a radio button, or a drop-down list. When the brightness adjustment object 322 is operated, the luminous intensity of the corresponding illumination object (for example, the illumination object 311) also changes according to the operation.

[0085] The color adjustment object 323 is a GUI object for adjusting the color temperature of the illumination area obtained by the illumination light. The color adjustment object 323 is a slider, but is not limited to this. Like the size adjustment object 321, the color adjustment object 323 can also be a text box, a radio button, or a drop-down list. When the color adjustment object 323 is operated, the luminous color of the corresponding illumination object (for example, the illumination object 311) also changes accordingly. In addition, when the light source 110 of the lighting device 100 emits colored light other than white light, the color adjustment object 323 can also include GUI objects corresponding to RGB respectively.

[0086] In addition, the input screen 300 may also include a shape adjustment object for adjusting the shape of the illumination area obtained by the illumination light. For example, the shape adjustment object may also be a radio button or a drop-down list for selecting a geometric figure such as a circle, an ellipse, a square, a rectangle, or a triangle, or a number or a character. Alternatively, the shape adjustment object may also be a text box for inputting a geometric figure, a number, or a character.

[0087] Depending on the shape of the lighting area, the size adjustment object 321 may include multiple GUI objects. For example, when the lighting area is in the shape of a triangle, the size adjustment object 321 may also include a GUI object for adjusting the length of the bottom side, a GUI object for adjusting the height, and a GUI object for adjusting the size of the top angle.

[0088] In addition, the size of the lighting area can be adjusted by directly operating the lighting object 311. That is, the lighting object 311 can also have the same function as the size adjustment object. For example, the size of the lighting area can be adjusted by pinching (pinch-in) or pinching (pinch-out) the lighting object 311 to reduce or enlarge it. In addition, the lighting object 311 can be rotated. The same is true for the lighting objects 312, 313 and 314.

[0089] When the user 30 operates each GUI object included in the input screen 300, the illumination light actually radiated from the illumination device 100 changes in accordance with the operation input of the user 30. That is, the illumination area changes in conjunction with the operation of the user 30. By reducing the time difference between the operation and the change of the illumination area, it is possible to realize a control device 200 with excellent operability and high user convenience. In this embodiment, by reducing the amount of information of the control command generated based on the operation input, it is possible to reduce the amount of data required for communication and improve operability.

[0090] The operation input to the GUI object is received by the receiving unit 220. In addition, the receiving unit 220 may be realized by a microphone to receive voice input. The user 30 may also operate each GUI object by voice.

[0091] In addition, the specific display example of the input screen 300 is not limited to Figure 4 The configuration of each object can be changed. In addition, GUI objects other than the above functions may be provided in the input screen 300. For example, a button for adding or deleting a lighting area may be provided in the input screen 300.

[0092] In addition, for example, when a predetermined operation (e.g., click (touch), double-click, long press) is performed on a place where no lighting objects 311, 312, 313, and 314 exist within the illuminable range 310, a new lighting area can be added. In addition, when a predetermined operation (long press, right click, etc.) is performed on the lighting objects 311, 312, 313, and 314, an option for deleting the selected lighting object (lighting area) may appear.

[0093] [Control Command]

[0094] Next, use Figure 5 The control command obtained by the lighting device 100 is described below.

[0095] Figure 5 4 is a diagram showing a control command 400 acquired by the lighting device 100 according to the present embodiment. Figure 5The control command 400 shown indicates Figure 4 The control command 400 includes control information for illuminating the four illumination areas by illumination light. The command generation unit 230 generates the control command 400, and the transmission unit 240 transmits the control command 400 to the illumination device 100.

[0096] like Figure 5 As shown, the control command 400 includes pairing information 410. Specifically, the control command 400 includes pairing information 410 for each parameter of the illumination light. The parameter is the shape, position, size, color or brightness of the illumination area obtained by the illumination light. The plurality of pairing information 410 respectively includes a tag 420 indicating the parameter of the illumination light and a specific value 430 of the parameter indicated by the tag 420.

[0097] The pairing information 410 is described in JSON format. Specifically, a plurality of specific values ​​430 are associated with the tag 420. The number of specific values ​​430 is the number of illumination areas obtained by the illumination light. Figure 5 In the example shown, four specific values ​​430 are arranged in an array. The four specific values ​​430 correspond to the lighting objects 311, 312, 313, and 314, respectively, starting from the beginning of the array.

[0098] "POS" indicates the position of the lighting area, which is one of the parameters. The position of the lighting area is represented by the center coordinates (x coordinate, y coordinate) of the circular lighting area. For example, the specific value "[47, 147]" at the beginning of the arrangement indicates that the center coordinates of the lighting object 311 are (47, 147).

[0099] "SIZ" indicates the size of the illumination area, which is one of the parameters. The size of the illumination area is indicated by the diameter of the circular illumination area. For example, the specific value "80" at the beginning of the arrangement indicates that the diameter of the illumination object 311 is 80.

[0100] "BRI" indicates the brightness of the lighting area, which is one of the parameters. For example, the specific value "100" at the beginning of the array indicates that the luminous intensity (brightness of the lighting area) of the lighting object 311 is 100%.

[0101] "COL" indicates the color of the lighting area, which is one of the parameters. The color of the lighting area is expressed by a settable color temperature, for example, in a range of 2700K or more and 6500K or less. Figure 5 In the above table, the lowest color temperature, 2700K, is regarded as "0", and the highest color temperature, 6500K, is regarded as "100". For example, the specific value "100" at the beginning of the arrangement indicates that the color temperature of the lighting object 311 is 6500K.

[0102] In addition, Figure 5 In the control command 400 shown, it is assumed that the shape of the lighting area is a circle. Therefore, the control command 400 does not include a tag indicating the shape of the lighting area. In the case where the shape of the lighting area is a rectangle, a square, or a rectangle, the control command 400 may also include a tag 420 indicating the shape and a specific value 430 of the shape. In this case, the specific value 430 is, for example, a character string indicating the shape ("rectangle", etc.). Alternatively, the specific value 430 may also be identification numbers of a plurality of predetermined shapes.

[0103] In addition, when the shape of the lighting area is non-circular, the method of expressing the position and size can be changed. For example, the coordinates of the vertices of the polygon can be used to collectively express the position and size. Alternatively, the position can be expressed using the coordinates of the center of gravity of the polygon (particularly a rectangle, a square, a regular polygon) and an angle representing the inclination relative to the positive position. In addition, the positive position is, for example, a posture in which one side of the polygon is parallel to the x-axis (the horizontal axis of the illuminable range 310).

[0104] When the shape of the lighting area is a character, a character string may be included as the specific value 430. For example, when the character string "AB" is included as the specific value 430, it can be indicated that the shape of the lighting area is the character "AB". The character that can be the shape of the lighting area may be not only letters and numbers, but also Chinese characters, hiragana, katakana, etc., and may also be a symbol such as an arrow.

[0105] As described above, by using the pairing information 410 of the tag 420 and the specific value 430, the shape, position, size, brightness, and color of the lighting area can be expressed with a small amount of information. Therefore, the amount of data of the control command sent to the lighting device 100 can be reduced. In addition, pairing information 410 can be added or deleted. For example, by adding a tag 420 indicating a new parameter, lighting can be performed in the shape of a complex character. In this way, the flexibility of changing the lighting area can be improved.

[0106] The control command 400 is generated every time the user 30 performs an operation input on the input screen 300. In this case, the control command 400 generated continuously may include only the difference from the previous control command. This can further reduce the amount of data required for communication.

[0107] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Each of them is a diagram showing another example of the data structure acquired by the lighting device 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0108] exist Fig. 6AIn the control command 401 shown, only the part changed relative to the previous control command is stored as a specific value 430, and the value of the unchanged part becomes blank (null). For example, in the control command 401, the third one in the arrangement of "POS" and the third one in the arrangement of "SIZ" have specific values ​​stored. Therefore, it can be seen that the position and size of the lighting object 313 are changed, but other parameters are not changed.

[0109] In addition, Figure 6B In the control command 402 shown, the fifth value of the array is added as the specific value 430 of each pairing information 410. That is, it means that a new lighting area is added.

[0110] Furthermore, when an existing lighting area is to be deleted, for example, the specific value 430 of brightness may be changed to "0" to be regarded as deleted. In addition, the pairing information 410 including the unnecessary tag 420 may be deleted. For example, when the pairing information of the tag indicating "COL" is deleted, the lighting may be controlled to be performed at a predetermined default color temperature.

[0111] In addition, it is also possible to add a new label 420. For example, in order to form an illumination area in a shape other than a circle, a label 420 indicating a shape may be added.

[0112] As described above, by using the pairing information 410 of the tag 420 and the specific value 430, the parameters of the lighting light can be easily added, deleted or changed. In the future, if it is desired to express complex graphics or characters by lighting light, it is also easy to expand by adding tags 420. In this way, high flexibility can be achieved for changing the lighting area.

[0113] In addition, the parameters may also include a time-varying element related to at least one of the shape, position, size, color, and brightness of the lighting area. The time-varying element is an element used to determine the manner in which at least one of the shape, position, size, color, and brightness changes over time. Specifically, the time-varying element is the start time or end time of the time change, or the period of the periodic time change or the amount of change in the period, etc.

[0114] For example, the control device 200 may also cause at least one of the shape, position, size, color, and brightness of the lighting area to change periodically. Alternatively, the control device 200 may also include a timer, and if a predetermined time is reached, at least one of the shape, position, size, color, and brightness of the lighting area is changed to a specified pattern. In addition, the control device 200 may also shorten or extend the cycle of change as time passes in a day. In addition, the control device 200 may also irradiate with a changed color and / or strong brightness that resists the sunlight during a time period of strong sunlight, and switch to a minimum illumination and / or soft white during a time period of weak sunlight. In this way, the control device 200 may also operate based on a program that causes at least one of the shape, position, size, color, and brightness of the lighting area to change according to the passage of time.

[0115] In addition, regarding the time change of the luminous color, if it is necessary to notify the people around some abnormality (disaster, fire in the vicinity, robbery, abnormality in the infrastructure communication of the operator company), it is also a way to try to attract the attention of the people around by suddenly changing the color, such as changing the color to a complementary color with a sharp difference in hue. If there is no such urgent abnormal situation, it is also possible to set the lighting in a way that quietly lights up or flashes within the range of the color of the same system that was previously lit to calmly remind the mood of the people around.

[0116] [Control method]

[0117] Next, use Figure 7 and Figure 8 A method for controlling the lighting device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0118] Figure 7 : is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 200 according to the present embodiment.

[0119] like Figure 7 As shown, first, the display unit 210 of the control device 200 displays the input screen 300 (S10). The input screen 300 is generated by the display control unit 250 and displayed through the web browser.

[0120] Next, the accepting unit 220 accepts input from the user 30, and the command generating unit 230 generates the control command 400 based on the accepted input (S12). Thereafter, the transmitting unit 240 transmits the generated control command 400 to the lighting device 100 (S14).

[0121] Until the input from the user 30 ends (No in S16), steps S12 and S14 are repeated. In addition, during the repetition, in step S12, the command generation unit 230 may generate the control command 401 or 402. That is, the command generation unit 230 may generate a control command including only the difference from the previous control command as a specific value.

[0122] When the input from the user 30 is completed (YES in S16 ), the processing of the control device 200 is completed.

[0123] In addition, although Figure 4 Although not shown, an end button for ending the control may be provided in the input screen 300. When the end button is selected, the input can be considered to be ended. Alternatively, the control device 200 may have a timer function, and when a certain period of time has passed without accepting an operation input from the user 30, the input is considered to be ended.

[0124] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the lighting device 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0125] like Figure 8 As shown, in the lighting device 100, first, the communication unit 140 acquires the control command 400 (S20). Then, the analysis unit 150 analyzes the acquired control command 400 (S22).

[0126] Next, the driving circuit 130 drives the light source 110 based on the control command 400 (S24). Specifically, the driving circuit 130 supplies a desired current to the light emitting elements 111 to be turned on among the plurality of light emitting elements 111 based on the analysis result of the analyzing unit 150. No current is supplied to the light emitting elements 111 that are not turned on.

[0127] Next, the projection lens 120 projects the light from the light emitting element 111 that is lit by the current supply as illumination light ( S26 ). Thus, the illumination device 100 can illuminate an area having the same shape as the outer shape of the lighting range in the two-dimensional array.

[0128] Steps S20 to S26 are repeated until the lighting of the lighting device 100 ends (No in S28 ). By performing the process each time a control command is acquired, the lighting area can be dynamically changed in accordance with the input of the user 30 .

[0129] [Summarize]

[0130] As described above, the lighting device according to the first aspect of the present invention is, for example, the lighting device 100 described above, which includes: a light source 110 having a plurality of light-emitting elements 111 arranged in a two-dimensional array; a communication unit 140 that acquires a control command 400, 401, or 402 by communicating with a control device 200; a drive circuit 130 that drives the light source 110 based on the control command 400, 401, or 402 acquired by the communication unit 140; and a projection lens 120 that projects light emitted by the light source 110 driven by the drive circuit 130 as illumination light. The control command 400, 401, or 402 includes pairing information 410 of a tag 420 indicating a parameter of the illumination light and a specific value 430 of the parameter indicated by the tag 420. The parameter is a shape, position, size, color, or brightness of an illumination area (e.g., area 21 or 22) obtained by the illumination light, or a time-varying element related to at least one of them.

[0131] Thus, by using the pairing information 410 of the tag 420 and the specific value 430, the amount of communication data required for controlling the light source 110 can be reduced compared to the case of sending in bitmap form. In addition, by adding, deleting or changing the tag 420, the flexibility of changing the lighting area can be improved.

[0132] Furthermore, for example, according to the lighting device according to the first aspect, in the lighting device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the communication unit 140 communicates with the control device 200 in a wireless manner.

[0133] Therefore, even when a large amount of data cannot be transmitted in a short period of time due to the influence of communication band limitation or the like, the lighting device involved in this embodiment can suppress the amount of data, so the lighting area can be smoothly controlled.

[0134] Furthermore, for example, according to the lighting device according to the second aspect, in the lighting device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the communication unit 140 communicates with the control device 200 in the BLE format.

[0135] BLE can communicate with high power efficiency, but the amount of data that can be communicated is limited. According to the lighting device involved in this embodiment, the amount of data can be suppressed, so it is possible to achieve energy saving by using BLE while smoothly controlling the lighting area.

[0136] In addition, for example, according to the lighting device involved in any one of the first to third aspects, the lighting device involved in the fourth aspect of the present invention is that the lighting light is projected onto multiple lighting areas, and the pairing information 410 includes a tag 420 and a specific value 430 of each lighting area in the multiple lighting areas.

[0137] This allows a plurality of specific values ​​430 to be collectively associated with one tag 420 , thereby further reducing the amount of data.

[0138] Furthermore, for example, in the lighting device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the lighting device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is configured such that the control command 400 , 401 , or 402 includes pairing information 410 for each parameter of a plurality of parameters.

[0139] This enables control of a plurality of parameters, and thus enables more precise control of the lighting method of the lighting area.

[0140] Furthermore, for example, according to the lighting device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, in the lighting device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the pairing information 410 is described in the JSON or SVG format.

[0141] JSON or SVG is highly compatible with HTML, so information can be converted to each other with less computation. The input screen 300 for accepting control content can be generated by HTML components. The input screen 300 generated by HTML components can be displayed using a general application such as a web browser, so a dedicated terminal is not required, which can further improve user convenience.

[0142] Furthermore, for example, in the lighting device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, a lighting device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is configured such that each of the plurality of light emitting elements 111 is a μLED.

[0143] This enables the light source 110 to be miniaturized, and thus the entire device can be miniaturized.

[0144] Furthermore, for example, a lighting system according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is, for example, the lighting system 10 described above, and includes: the lighting device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects; and a control device 200 .

[0145] Thus, similar to the above-described lighting device 100 , it is possible to realize a lighting system that can suppress the amount of communication data required for controlling the light source 110 and has high flexibility in changing the lighting area.

[0146] In addition, for example, according to the lighting system involved in the eighth embodiment, the lighting system involved in the ninth embodiment of the present invention is that the control device 200 includes: a display unit 210, which displays an input screen 300 for inputting parameters; a command generating unit 230, which generates a control command based on an input to the input screen 300; and a sending unit 240, which sends the control command generated by the command generating unit 230.

[0147] Thus, the user 30 can easily control the lighting area by operating the input screen 300 .

[0148] Furthermore, for example, according to the lighting system according to the ninth aspect, in the lighting system according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the display unit 210 displays the input screen 300 via a web browser.

[0149] Thus, since the display can be performed using a web browser, a dedicated terminal is not required, and user convenience can be further improved.

[0150] In addition, for example, the control method of the lighting device according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention includes the following steps: acquiring a control command 400, 401, or 402 by communicating with the control device 200; and causing the driving circuit 130 to drive the light source 110 based on the acquired control command 400, 401, or 402. The control command 400, 401, or 402 includes pairing information 410 of a tag 420 indicating a parameter of the illumination light and a specific value 430 of the parameter indicated by the tag 420. The parameter is a shape, position, size, color, or brightness of an illumination area obtained by the illumination light, or a time-varying element related to at least one of them.

[0151] Thus, similar to the above-described lighting device 100 , it is possible to realize a lighting device control method that can suppress the amount of communication data required for controlling the light source 110 and has high flexibility in changing the lighting area.

[0152] (other)

[0153] As mentioned above, the lighting device, the lighting system, and the lighting device control method according to the present invention have been described based on the above-mentioned embodiments and the like, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0154] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the light emitting element 111 is an example of a μLED, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The light emitting element 111 may be an LED of a general size, an organic EL element, or a laser element.

[0155] In addition, for example, the light source 110 may not have at least one of the dimming function and the color adjustment function. For example, the plurality of light emitting elements 111 may be controlled to be only turned on and off, and the light emission intensity when turned on may be always constant.

[0156] In addition, for example, the control device 200 may also control the illumination light of the illumination device 100 based on a predetermined control program. For example, the command generation unit 230 of the control device 200 may also read out scene information representing a dynamic illumination scene in which at least one of the shape, position, size, color, and brightness of the illumination area obtained by the illumination light changes with time from the memory, and convert the read scene information into a control command.

[0157] In addition, for example, the display unit 210 may display the input screen 300 by activating an application dedicated to controlling the lighting device 100 instead of using a web browser.

[0158] In addition, for example, the pairing information included in the control command may not be described in JSON or SVG format. The pairing information may be described in any format as long as the tag and the specific value are paired one-to-one or one-to-many.

[0159] In addition, for example, the wireless communication between the lighting device 100 and the control device 200 may be short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or wireless LAN (Local Area Network). Alternatively, the method of wireless communication (communication standard) may be communication via a wide area communication network such as the Internet. In addition, wired communication may be performed between the lighting device 100 and the control device 200 instead of wireless communication or in addition to wireless communication. Specifically, the wired communication is power line communication (PLC: Power Line Communication) or communication using a wired LAN.

[0160] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may also be performed by other processing units. In addition, the order of multiple processing may be changed, or multiple processing may be performed in parallel. In addition, the allocation of the components of the lighting system 10 to multiple devices is an example. For example, the components of one device may also be possessed by other devices. In addition, the lighting system 10 may also be implemented as a single device. That is, the lighting device 100 and the control device 200 may also be a single device that is integrated (held in one housing).

[0161] For example, the processing described in the above embodiment can be implemented by using a single device (system) for centralized processing, or can also be implemented by using multiple devices for distributed processing. In addition, the processor that executes the above program can be one or more. That is, centralized processing can be performed, or distributed processing can be performed.

[0162] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, all or part of the components such as the control unit may be constituted by dedicated hardware, or may be implemented by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be implemented by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded in a recording medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a semiconductor memory.

[0163] In addition, the control unit and other components may be composed of one or more electronic circuits. The one or more electronic circuits may be general-purpose circuits or dedicated circuits.

[0164] One or more electronic circuits may include, for example, semiconductor devices, ICs or LSIs. ICs or LSIs may be integrated into one chip or into multiple chips. Although they are referred to as ICs or LSIs, the names vary depending on the degree of integration, and may be referred to as system LSIs, VLSIs (Very Large Scale Integration) or ULSIs (Ultra Large Scale Integration). In addition, FPGAs programmed after LSI manufacturing can also be used for the same purpose.

[0165] In addition, the whole or specific aspects of the present invention may also be implemented by a system, device, method, integrated circuit or computer program. Alternatively, it may also be implemented by a computer-readable non-transient recording medium such as an optical disk, HDD or semiconductor memory storing the computer program. In addition, it may also be implemented by any combination of a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program and recording medium.

[0166] In addition, the present invention also includes various modifications that can be conceived by those skilled in the art to the embodiments and any combinations of components and functions in the embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0167] Description of Reference Numerals

[0168] 10: lighting system; 21, 22: area; 100: lighting device; 110: light source; 111: light emitting element; 120: projection lens; 130: driving circuit; 140: communication unit; 200: control device; 210: display unit; 230: command generating unit; 240: sending unit; 300: input screen; 400, 401, 402: control command; 410: pairing information; 420: label; 430: specific value.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising: A light source having a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array; A communication unit, which acquires control commands by communicating with the control device; a driving circuit configured to drive the light source based on the control command acquired by the communication unit; and a projection lens for projecting the light emitted by the light source driven by the driving circuit as illumination light, in, The control command includes pairing information of a tag indicating a parameter of the illumination light and a specific value of the parameter indicated by the tag, The parameter is a shape, a position, a size, a color or a brightness of an illumination area obtained by the illumination light, or a temporal variation element related to at least one of them.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication unit communicates with the control device wirelessly.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein: The communication unit communicates with the control device using Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy.

4. The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The illumination light is projected onto a plurality of illumination areas, The pairing information includes the tag and the specific value of each lighting area among a plurality of lighting areas.

5. The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The control command includes the pairing information for each parameter among the plurality of parameters.

6. The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The pairing information is described in the form of JSON or SVG, wherein JSON is JavaScript Object Notation and SVG is Scalable Vector Graphics.

7. The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The plurality of light emitting elements are μLEDs, i.e. micro light emitting diodes.

8. A lighting system comprising: The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and The control device.

9. The lighting system according to claim 8, wherein: The control device comprises: A display unit that displays an input screen for inputting the parameters; a command generating unit that generates the control command based on an input to the input screen; and A sending unit sends the control command generated by the command generating unit.

10. The lighting system according to claim 9, wherein: The display unit displays the input screen via a web browser.

11. A method for controlling a lighting device, wherein: The lighting device comprises: A light source having a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array; a driving circuit that drives the light source; and a projection lens for projecting the light emitted by the light source driven by the driving circuit as illumination light, The control method of the lighting device comprises the following steps: Acquire control commands by communicating with the control device; and Based on the acquired control command, the driving circuit drives the light source, The control command includes pairing information of a tag representing a parameter of the illumination light and a specific value of the parameter represented by the tag. The parameter is a shape, a position, a size, a color or a brightness of an illumination area obtained by the illumination light, or a temporal variation element related to at least one of them.

Images