Lighting unit for executing a plurality of lighting control commands and method thereof

Abstract

A lighting unit (102) is disclosed. The lighting unit includes: one or more light sources (110); a memory (108); a communication unit (104) including a first communication module (104a) configured to communicate via a first wireless communication technology and a second communication module (104b) configured to communicate via a second wireless communication technology; and a processor (106) configured to receive a first lighting control command (122) via the first communication module (104a), store the first lighting control command (122) in the memory (108), receive a second lighting control command (124) via the second communication module (104b), and control one or more light sources (110) according to the first lighting control command (122) when the second lighting control command is received.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting unit, a lighting system, and a method for controlling the lighting unit based on a plurality of lighting control commands. Background Technology

[0002] Connected home and office lighting systems allow users to control the light output of lighting units using their smartphones, light switches, and other lighting control devices. These devices transmit light settings to the lighting units via lighting control commands. These commands can be transmitted to the lighting units via communication protocols such as Zigbee and / or Bluetooth.

[0003] In some environments, it may be necessary to send multiple lighting control commands to one or more lighting units. A lighting unit (e.g., an LED strip) may, for example, comprise multiple individually addressable light sources to which different lighting control commands are sent. In another example, when controlling one or more lighting units based on dynamic light settings (to present a dynamic light effect that changes over time), multiple lighting control commands need to be sent to one or more lighting units. The bandwidth of some communication technologies (e.g., Zigbee) may be limited, which could cause lighting control commands to not reach the corresponding lighting unit in a timely manner, or even not at all.

[0004] US 2013 / 0328502 A1 discloses a collaborative visual presentation using an audience display device. A control unit is connected to an input node so that a processor receives and stores communications in memory, or initiates macro commands by the processor to utilize the audience display device. The input node may include multiple sensors, thereby allowing optical, radio, and / or wired communication. The input node receives communications related to the audience device, such as trigger signals or control messages. Trigger signals may be commands including countdown timers to execute some code and / or macro commands. Control messages may include commands instructing the input node to store a balance of control messages as macro commands in memory. Additionally, macro commands may include code executable by the processor of the audience display device. This code may correspond to visual output on a visual output device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a lighting unit and a lighting system capable of transmitting and processing an increased number of lighting control commands.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, this objective is achieved by a lighting system comprising a first lighting unit and a second lighting unit:

[0007] The first lighting unit includes:

[0008] -One or more light sources,

[0009] -Memory,

[0010] - A communication unit, including a first communication module configured to communicate via a first wireless communication technology, and a second communication module configured to communicate via a second wireless communication technology, and

[0011] The processor is configured to receive a first lighting control command indicating one or more first light settings via a first communication module, store the first lighting control command in a memory, receive a second lighting control command indicating one or more second light settings via a second communication module, and control one or more light sources according to the first lighting control command upon receiving the second lighting control command.

[0012] The second lighting unit includes:

[0013] -One or more second light sources,

[0014] - The second communication unit is configured to communicate via a second communication technology, and

[0015] - A second processor is configured to receive a second lighting control command via a second communication unit, and, upon receiving the second lighting control command, control one or more second light sources according to the second lighting control command.

[0016] The first lighting unit is equipped with a communication unit comprising two communication modules: a first communication module configured to communicate via a first wireless communication technology, and a second communication module configured to communicate via a second wireless communication technology. The processor of the first lighting unit is configured to (firstly) receive lighting control commands via a first communication protocol, store those first lighting control commands in memory, and execute the first lighting control commands upon receiving a second lighting control command via the second wireless communication technology. This enables the lighting controller to transmit the first lighting control commands via the first wireless communication technology (e.g., a higher bandwidth communication technology such as BLE or Wi-Fi). These first lighting control commands are then stored in the memory of the first lighting unit. The lighting controller can then transmit the second lighting control commands via the second wireless communication technology (e.g., a lower bandwidth communication technology such as Zigbee), thereby executing both the first and second lighting control commands. This enables the lighting controller to execute the first lighting control commands by transmitting the second lighting control commands. The second lighting control commands are used as triggers for executing the first lighting control commands. This enables the lighting controller to transmit one or more first lighting control commands and, at (predefined) times, a second lighting control command, thereby using the second lighting control command as a trigger for the timed execution of the first and second lighting control commands. This further enables the lighting controller to transmit a large number of lighting control commands to the first lighting unit, and it allows the first lighting unit to process a corresponding large number of lighting control commands.

[0017] The inventors have recognized that when a lighting system comprises multiple lighting units that will be controlled in a (substantially) synchronous manner, the following may be advantageous: firstly, one or more first lighting control commands (via a first communication technology) are transmitted to one or more of the multiple lighting units and these commands are stored, and then a second lighting control command (via a second communication technology) is transmitted to the multiple lighting units so as to trigger the (substantially synchronous) execution of the first and second lighting control commands at the multiple lighting units.

[0018] The second lighting unit may not be able to communicate via the first wireless communication technology. In other words, the communication unit of the second lighting unit may be configured to receive a second lighting control command via the second wireless communication technology, but not to receive a first lighting control command via the first wireless communication technology. The lighting system may include different types of lighting units (e.g., a first lighting unit including a communication unit comprising first and second communication modules (e.g., BLE and Zigbee modules), and a second lighting unit including only a second communication module (e.g., a Zigbee module)). One of the lighting units may be more advanced and configured, for example, to store lighting control commands, control multiple individually addressable light sources, etc.; while another lighting unit may be less advanced and configured to control a single light source based on the (second) lighting control command. Therefore, by transmitting one or more first lighting control commands to the more advanced lighting unit and triggering its execution by sending second lighting control commands to both the more advanced and less advanced lighting units, the lighting system can control multiple different lighting units in a coordinated (e.g., synchronous) manner.

[0019] The processor can also be configured to control one or more light sources according to a second lighting control command received. In this way, the second lighting control command serves both as a trigger for executing the first lighting control command and as a trigger for controlling the light output of the first lighting unit. Therefore, a dedicated signal for executing the first lighting control command is not required, which reduces bandwidth usage.

[0020] The processor can be configured to receive a plurality of first lighting control commands via a first communication module, store the plurality of first lighting control commands in memory, and control one or more light sources according to the plurality of first lighting control commands upon receiving a second lighting control command. The plurality of first lighting control commands may, for example, be addressed to different light sources of the first lighting unit and / or be part of a dynamic light setup to be performed by the first lighting unit. The plurality of first lighting control commands may be contained in a single message or in multiple messages.

[0021] The first lighting unit may include a first light source and a second light source, and a primary first lighting control command (among a plurality of first lighting control commands) may be addressed to the first light source, and a secondary first lighting control command (among a plurality of first lighting control commands) may be addressed to the second light source. The processor may also be configured to, upon receiving a second lighting control command, control the first light source according to the primary first lighting control command, and control the second light source according to the secondary first lighting control command. This enables the first lighting unit to receive and buffer a plurality of first lighting control commands for a plurality of light sources of the first lighting unit, and to execute them when a second lighting control command is received.

[0022] The processor can be further configured to obtain information indicating a time sequence of multiple first lighting control commands, and the processor can be configured to control one or more light sources based on the time sequence. The multiple first lighting control commands can define dynamic lighting settings. Dynamic lighting settings can be, for example, a cycle of light settings, based on (dynamic) media content (such as video or music), or a predefined set of light settings for creating a specific atmosphere. The information indicating the time sequence can be part of a message that also includes one or more of the multiple first lighting control commands, or the information can be received as a separate message. Alternatively, the information indicating the time sequence can be determined based on the order in which the multiple first lighting control commands have been received.

[0023] The first wireless communication technology can have a higher bandwidth than the second wireless communication technology. This can be advantageous because the higher bandwidth communication technology can be used to receive multiple first lighting control commands, while the lower bandwidth communication technology can be used as a trigger to execute (multiple) first lighting control commands. The multiple first lighting control commands can be contained in a single message or multiple messages, and the second lighting control command can be a single message. The size of the message can be limited by the communication technology. For example, a message transmitted via the first communication technology can contain more data than a message transmitted via the second communication technology. Advantageously, this optimizes the use of the communication technology.

[0024] The first wireless communication technology can be a point-to-point communication technology (such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Infrared (IR), Near Field Communication (NFC), Wireless Local Area Communication (Wi-Fi), etc.), and the second wireless communication technology can be a multi-hop communication technology (such as ZigBee, Thread, Wireless HART, Smart RF, Bluetooth Mesh, or any other mesh or tree-based technology). This is advantageous because the first lighting control command is transmitted point-to-point, rather than through multiple intermediate nodes, thus minimizing the number / traffic of messages.

[0025] Alternatively, the first wireless communication technology can be a multi-hop communication technology, and the second wireless communication technology can be a point-to-point communication technology. This may be advantageous because the timing of receiving the first lighting control command (which can be received via multi-hop) at the first lighting unit may be less related to the timing of receiving the second lighting control command (which can be received directly from the transmitter).

[0026] The second lighting control command can be included in a broadcast message, multicast message, or inter-PAN message. This is advantageous because the execution of the first and second lighting control commands occurs at substantially the same time (i.e., at the moment the second lighting control command is received by the corresponding lighting unit), thereby improving the synchronization of the execution of control commands at the first and second lighting units.

[0027] The first lighting control command may be contained in a unicast message. The unicast message may be addressed to the first lighting unit. The first lighting control command may include dedicated control instructions for each lighting unit, while the second lighting control command may act as both a lighting control command and a trigger for executing the control instructions at the first and second lighting units.

[0028] The lighting system may also include a lighting controller, which includes a transmitter configured to transmit first and second lighting control commands.

[0029] The lighting controller can be configured to transmit a first lighting control command directly to a first lighting unit, and to transmit a second lighting control command to both the first and second lighting units via an intermediate device. This is advantageous when the lighting controller cannot communicate via a second communication technology.

[0030] The lighting controller can be configured to receive first and second lighting control commands based on media content. Synchronizing lighting effects can be important when presenting lighting effects based on media content across multiple lighting fixtures. Lighting effects can be defined by lighting scripts or determined based on analysis of the media content (e.g., by analyzing the image quality of video content or the audio characteristics of audio content).

[0031] The lighting controller can be configured to switch between a first mode and a second mode, in which a first lighting control command is executed upon receiving a second lighting control command, and in the second mode, the first lighting control command is executed immediately. The lighting controller can therefore switch between the first and second modes, for example, based on (media) content or on dynamic light effects to be presented by the first and second lighting units.

[0032] According to a second aspect of the invention, this objective is achieved by a method for controlling a first lighting unit and a second lighting unit, wherein the first lighting unit includes one or more light sources and a memory, and wherein the first lighting unit further includes a communication unit, the communication unit including a first communication module configured to communicate via a first wireless communication technology and a second communication module configured to communicate via a second wireless communication technology, and the second lighting unit includes one or more second light sources and a second communication unit configured to communicate via a second communication technology, the method comprising:

[0033] - Receive a first lighting control command via the first communication module, indicating one or more first light settings.

[0034] - Store the first lighting control command in memory.

[0035] - Receive a second lighting control command via the second communication module, indicating one or more second light settings.

[0036] - Upon receiving a second lighting control command, control one or more light sources according to the first lighting control command.

[0037] - Receive the second lighting control command via the second communication unit, and

[0038] - Upon receiving a second lighting control command, control one or more second light sources according to the second lighting control command.

[0039] According to a third aspect of the invention, this objective is achieved by a computer program product for a computing device, the computer program product comprising computer program code that executes the method when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of the computing device.

[0040] It should be understood that computer program products and methods may have similar and / or the same embodiments and advantages as the lighting units and lighting systems described above.

[0041] In the context of this invention, the term "lighting control command" refers to one or more light settings (such as color, intensity, saturation, beam size, beam shape attributes) contained in a message for controlling the light output generated by the lighting unit that receives the lighting control command. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the above and additional objects, features, and advantages of the disclosed systems, devices, and methods will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of embodiments of the apparatus and methods, in which:

[0043] Figure 1 An embodiment of a lighting system is schematically shown, which includes lighting units and a controller for transmitting lighting control commands to the lighting units;

[0044] Figure 2 An embodiment of a lighting system is schematically shown, which includes two lighting units and a controller for transmitting lighting control commands to the lighting units;

[0045] Figures 3a-3d Examples of timelines illustrating different embodiments of the receipt and execution of lighting control commands are shown; and

[0046] Figure 4 The method of controlling the lighting unit is illustrated schematically.

[0047] All figures are schematic and not necessarily to scale, and generally only show the parts necessary to illustrate the invention, where other parts may be omitted or only suggested. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Figure 1 A lighting system 100 is schematically shown, which includes a first lighting unit 102 and a lighting controller 120. The lighting controller 120 is used to transmit lighting control commands 122, 124 indicating light settings to the first lighting unit 102. The first lighting unit 102 includes one or more light sources 110, a memory 108, a communication unit 104, and a processor 106 (e.g., a microcontroller, microchip, circuit, etc.).

[0049] Communication unit 104 includes a first communication module 104a configured to communicate via a first wireless communication technology, and a second communication module 104b configured to communicate via a second wireless communication technology (different from the first communication technology). The first wireless communication technology may be a multi-hop (mesh) communication technology, and the second wireless communication technology may be a point-to-point communication technology. The first wireless communication technology may be, for example, a first network technology such as ZigBee, and the second wireless communication technology may be, for example, a second network technology such as BLE. These modules 104a and 104b may be separate units (e.g., separate radio chips) or both may be included on a single radio chip, thereby allowing low-cost devices to operate as part of both the first and second networks simultaneously using a single radio module. This can be achieved by rapidly switching between the operation of the first and second communication technologies (e.g., ZigBee and BLE) over time, allowing the device to remain connected and operate in both networks simultaneously. A BLE and ZigBee combined radio is one example, and the invention is equally applicable to any other combination of wireless communication technologies (e.g., BLE, infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), wireless local area communication (Wi-Fi), ZigBee, Thread, wireless HART, smart RF, etc.). The first wireless communication technology can have a higher bandwidth than the second wireless communication technology.

[0050] The processor 106 is configured to receive, via a first communication module 104a, a first lighting control command 122 indicating one or more first light settings (e.g., color, intensity, saturation, beam size, beam shape attributes, etc.), and via a second communication module 104b, a second lighting control command 124 indicating one or more second light settings (e.g., color, intensity, saturation, beam size, beam shape attributes, etc.). The lighting control commands 122 and 124 can be received from the lighting controller 120. The lighting controller 120 may be, for example, a central lighting controller, such as a hub, bridge, smartphone, voice assistant, media player for controlling lights based on media content, etc.

[0051] The processor 106 is also configured to store a first lighting control command 122 in memory 108 (e.g., flash memory) and, upon receiving a second lighting control command 124, to control the light source 110 according to one or more first light settings of the first lighting control command 122 (and optionally according to one or more second light settings of the second lighting control command 124). The second lighting control command 124 is used as a trigger to execute the first lighting control command. Memory 108 may be further configured, for example, to store light scenes, which may include associations between lighting control commands and light settings. The processor 106 may also be configured to select light settings from memory 108 based on received lighting control commands.

[0052] The second lighting control command 124 may not include explicit instructions for executing the first lighting control command 122, and the processor 106 of the lighting unit 100 may be configured to interpret the second lighting control command 124 as a command to execute the first lighting control command 122 and optionally subsequently execute the second lighting control command 124. Alternatively, the first lighting control command 122 and / or the second lighting control command 124 may include instructions for executing the first lighting control command 122. These instructions may, for example, indicate the order in which the plurality of first lighting control commands 122 will be executed; and / or indicate the order in which the first and second lighting control commands 122, 124 will be executed; and / or indicate timing information indicating when certain lighting control commands are executed.

[0053] The processor 106 can also be configured to control one or more light sources 110 upon receiving a second lighting control command 124, based on both the first lighting control command 122 and the second lighting control command 124. The processor 106 can control one or more light sources 110 sequentially, for example, based on the first and second lighting control commands 122, 124 (e.g., based on information indicating a time sequence, or in the order of receipt, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the processor 106 can, for example, control a first light source among the plurality of light sources of the first lighting unit 102 based on the first lighting control command 122, and control a second light source among the plurality of light sources based on the second lighting control command 124.

[0054] The first lighting unit 102 includes one or more light sources 110, such as LED light sources. The first lighting unit 102 can be any type of first lighting unit 102 arranged to receive lighting control commands. The first lighting unit 102 can be arranged to provide general lighting, task lighting, ambient lighting, ambiance lighting, accent lighting, recreational lighting, etc. The first lighting unit 102 can be installed in a luminaire or lighting fixture. The first lighting unit 102 (e.g., an LED strip or lighting block) can be a two-dimensional or three-dimensional light source array. The first lighting unit 102 can be a portable lighting device or a wearable lighting device.

[0055] The processor 106 can be configured to receive a plurality of first lighting control commands 122 via the first communication module 104a and store the plurality of first lighting control commands 122 in the memory 108. Upon receiving a second lighting control command, the processor 106 can also control the light source 110 according to the plurality of first lighting control commands (and optional second lighting control commands).

[0056] Multiple first lighting control commands 122 may be addressed, for example, to individual light sources 110 (e.g., LEDs) of the first lighting unit 102. The first lighting unit 102 (e.g., an LED strip or lighting block) may include multiple individually controllable / addressable light sources 110. The processor 106 may store the multiple first lighting control commands 122 in memory 108 and control the individually controllable / addressable light sources 110 accordingly when a second lighting control command 124 has been received. The processor 106 may also receive instructions indicating which first lighting control command 122 is intended for which one or more light sources 110 of the first lighting unit 102, and the processor 106 may control the light sources accordingly when a second lighting control command 124 is received. These instructions may be contained in dedicated messages, or, for example, in one or more of the first lighting control commands, or in the second lighting control commands.

[0057] The processor 106 may be further configured to obtain information (instructions) indicating a time sequence of multiple first lighting control commands 122. The processor 106 may be configured to control one or more light sources 110 based on the time sequence. For example, if the first lighting unit 102 includes a single light source, the light source can be controlled according to the sequence to create dynamic lighting effects. For example, if the first lighting unit 102 includes multiple light sources 110, the multiple light sources can be controlled according to the sequence.

[0058] Figure 2 An example of a lighting system 200 is shown, which includes, according to Figure 1 The lighting system includes a lighting controller 120 and a first lighting unit 102. The lighting system also includes a second lighting unit 202. The second lighting unit 202 includes one or more light sources 210, a communication unit 204, and a processor 206. Optionally, the second lighting unit 202 also includes a memory 208 (e.g., for storing light scenes in a manner similar to memory 108). The communication unit 204 is configured to receive a second lighting control command 124. In this example, the communication unit 204 is configured to communicate via a second communication technology, and the communication unit 204 is not capable of receiving lighting control commands via a first communication technology. Figure 2 The lighting system 200 shown can be, for example, a lighting system in which the first lighting unit 102 is a more advanced lighting unit than the second lighting unit 202. The first lighting unit 102 may, for example, include a Zigbee-BLE communication unit 104 for receiving lighting control commands, and the second lighting unit 202 may, for example, include a Zigbee-only module. This allows the lighting controller 120 to transmit one or more first lighting control commands 122 indicating one or more first light settings to the first lighting unit 102, which stores these one or more first lighting control commands 122 in a memory 108, and then transmits second lighting control commands 124 indicating one or more second light settings to both the first and second lighting units 102 and 202, which then execute the received lighting control commands by controlling the corresponding light source according to the corresponding light setting. In this way, the lighting control commands can be executed substantially synchronously. For example, it may be advantageous if the first lighting unit 102 includes multiple individually controllable light sources 110. Multiple first lighting control commands 122 addressing an individually controllable light source 110 can be transmitted to a first lighting unit 102 (via (e.g., a first communication technology with higher bandwidth), and the individually controllable light source 110 can then be controlled upon receiving a second lighting control command 124.

[0059] The second lighting control command 124 can be contained in a broadcast message (a message sent to all devices (lighting units) in the network), a multicast / multi-cast message (a message addressing multiple devices (lighting units) in the network), or an inter-PAN message (a broadcast message transmitted to all devices (lighting units) within range, regardless of which Personal Area Network (PAN) they belong to). The lighting controller 120 can transmit this message to the first and second lighting units 102, 202. In the example where the second lighting control command 124 is contained in an inter-PAN message, the first and second lighting units 102, 202 do not need to be part of the same network. The advantage of transmitting a broadcast / multicast / inter-PAN message to transmit the second lighting control command 124 to the lighting units 102, 202 is that the execution of one or more first lighting control commands 122 and the second lighting control command 124 occurs substantially simultaneously (i.e., at the moment the corresponding lighting unit receives the second lighting control command 124).

[0060] The lighting system 200 may further include a lighting controller 120, which may include a transmitter configured to transmit first and second lighting control commands 122, 124 to the first and second lighting units 102, 202. The lighting controller 120 may, for example, be configured to control the first and second lighting units 102, 202 to generate dynamic lighting effects. The dynamic lighting effects may be pre-programmed, user-defined, media content-based, etc. The lighting controller 120 may be configured to transmit multiple instances of the first and second control commands over time to achieve the dynamic lighting effects.

[0061] The lighting controller 120 may include a communication module (not shown) for transmitting lighting control commands together with the lighting units 102, 202, and a processing module (not shown) for generating lighting control commands (e.g., based on media content, based on user input received via a user interface, based on routines, etc.).

[0062] The lighting controller 120 can be configured to transmit a first lighting control command 122 directly to the first lighting unit 102, and a second lighting control command 124 to the first and second lighting units 102, 202 via an intermediate device (not shown). The lighting controller 120 can be configured, for example, to transmit the first lighting control command 122 via a point-to-point communication technology such as BLE, and the second lighting control command 124 via a multi-hop communication technology such as Zigbee. The second lighting control command 124 can be transmitted, for example, via another lighting unit, via a bridge, hub, etc. In an embodiment, the lighting controller 120 can be configured to transmit the second lighting control command 124 to an intermediate device (e.g., a bridge) via a third (wireless) communication technology (e.g., Wi-Fi, BLE), and the intermediate device can transmit the second lighting control command 124 to the first and second lighting units 102, 202 via a second communication technology. Alternatively, the lighting controller 120 may be configured to transmit a second lighting control command 124 to an intermediate device via a first communication technology, and the intermediate device may transmit the second lighting control command 124 to (the first and) second lighting units via a second communication technology.

[0063] The first and second lighting control commands can be based on media content (e.g., video content, audio content, video game content, etc.). The lighting controller 120 can be configured to obtain or generate the first and second lighting control commands based on the media content. The lighting controller 120 may include a processor and input for receiving the media content, and the processor can analyze the media content and generate lighting control commands based thereon. The media content may, for example, be presented on a display, and the processor can be configured to generate lighting control commands by analyzing the image of the media content, extracting colors from the analyzed image, and generating lighting control commands based on the colors. The media content may, for example, be audio presented on an audio presentation device, and the processor can be configured to generate lighting control commands by analyzing the audio of the media content. Techniques for generating lighting control commands based on media content are known in the art and will therefore not be discussed in detail. Alternatively, the lighting controller may include input for receiving a light script associated with the media content. The light script may include lighting control instructions at predefined times that will be executed substantially synchronously with the media content. Typically, when controlling lighting units based on media content, many lighting control commands need to be transmitted over a short period of time. Therefore, it is advantageous to use a first (higher bandwidth) communication technology to transmit a first lighting control command buffered at the first lighting unit and to use a second communication technology to transmit a second lighting control command to trigger the execution of the control command, especially when the second lighting unit 202 is unable to receive the lighting control command via the first communication technology.

[0064] The lighting controller 120 can be configured to switch between a first mode and a second mode, in which a first lighting control command 122 is executed upon receiving a second lighting control command 124, and in the second mode, the first lighting control command 122 is executed immediately (without the need for the second lighting control command 124). For some lighting effects (e.g., certain dynamic lighting effects, or lighting effects generated based on media content), immediate presentation of the lighting effect is more important than synchronization among multiple lighting units; while for other lighting effects, synchronization is more important. The lighting controller can therefore switch between the first and second modes, for example, based on (media) content or based on dynamic lighting effects to be presented by the first and second lighting units 102, 202.

[0065] Figures 3a-3d Examples of timelines (t) indicating different embodiments of the communication and execution of lighting control commands are shown. Thick lines (a1, b1, and c1) indicate the timing of the communication of the first lighting control command 122, and narrow dashed lines (a2, b2, and c2) indicate the timing of the communication of the second lighting control command 124. In these examples, the corresponding first lighting control commands a1, b1, and c1 can be executed upon receipt of their corresponding second lighting control commands a2, b2, and c2.

[0066] Figure 3a The diagram illustrates the communication of lighting control commands that create dynamic lighting effects within a time period t. These lighting control commands can be generated in real-time, for example, based on media content. Second lighting control commands b1, b2, and b3 are transmitted immediately following the first lighting control commands a1, b1, and c1 to ensure that the lighting effects generated by the lighting unit are synchronized with the video content.

[0067] Figure 3b This illustrates the communication of lighting control commands that create dynamic lighting effects within a time period t. These lighting control commands can be derived, for example, from a predefined light script that may be synchronized with media content, or they can be a predefined dynamic lighting scene selected by the user. Figure 3a Compared to the previous example, the communication time between the first lighting control commands a1, b1, and c1 is longer. This is possible because the light settings in the light script (compared to those generated in real time) are predefined.

[0068] Figure 3c and Figure 3d The communication of lighting control commands for creating dynamic light effects within a time period t is also shown. Similar to... Figure 3b In the example, lighting control commands can be exported from predefined light scripts. Figure 3cIn the example, the first lighting control commands a1, b1, and c1 are transmitted in a single message, and the corresponding second lighting control commands a2, b2, and c2 are transmitted as separate messages, thereby executing the corresponding first lighting control commands a1, b1, and c1. Figure 3d In the example, before the first and second lighting control commands a1 have been transmitted, the first lighting control commands a1, b1, and c1 are transmitted as separate messages. The corresponding second lighting control commands a2, b2, and c2 are transmitted as separate messages, and thus the corresponding first lighting control commands a1, b1, and c1 are executed.

[0069] Figure 4 A method 400 for controlling a lighting unit 102 is schematically illustrated. The lighting unit 102 includes one or more light sources 110 and a memory 108, and further includes a first communication module 104 configured to communicate via a first wireless communication technology 104a and a second communication module 104b configured to communicate via a second wireless communication technology. The method 400 includes:

[0070] - Received the 402 first lighting control command via the first communication module.

[0071] - Store the first lighting control command 404 in memory.

[0072] - Receive the 406 second lighting control command via the second communication module, and

[0073] - Upon receiving a second lighting control command, control one or more light sources 408 according to the first lighting control command.

[0074] When the computer program product is running on the processing unit of a computing device (such as the processor 106 of the lighting unit 102), the method 400 can be executed by the computer program code of the computer program product.

[0075] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative and not limiting of the invention, and those skilled in the art will be able to devise many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0076] In the claims, any reference numerals placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The use of the verb "comprising" and its variations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in the claims. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer or processing unit. In an apparatus claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by the same hardware item. The mere fact that a particular measure is referenced in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously.

[0077] Various aspects of this invention can be implemented in a computer program product, which may be a collection of computer program instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device, executable by a computer. The instructions of this invention can be any interpretable or executable code mechanism, including but not limited to scripts, interpretable programs, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), or Java classes. The instructions can be provided as a complete executable program, a partial executable program, as a modification (e.g., an update) of an existing program, or as an extension (e.g., a plugin) of an existing program. Furthermore, some processing of this invention can be distributed across multiple computers or processors or even the “cloud.”

[0078] Storage media suitable for storing computer program instructions include all forms of non-volatile memory, including but not limited to EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices, hard disks such as internal and external hard disk drives, removable hard disks, and CD-ROMs. Computer program products may be distributed on such storage media or made available for download via HTTP, FTP, email, or through a server connected to a network such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A lighting system (200), comprising a first lighting unit (102) and a second lighting unit (202): The first lighting unit (102) includes: -One or more light sources (110), -Memory (108), - The communication unit (104) includes a first communication module (104a) configured to communicate via a first wireless communication technology and a second communication module (104b) configured to communicate via a second wireless communication technology, and The processor (106) is configured to receive a first lighting control command (122) indicating one or more first light settings via the first communication module (104a), store the first lighting control command (122) in the memory (108), receive a second lighting control command (124) indicating one or more second light settings via the second communication module (104b), and control the one or more light sources (110) according to the first lighting control command (122) when the second lighting control command is received. The second lighting unit (202) includes: -One or more second light sources (210), - The second communication unit (204) is configured to communicate via the second communication technology, and - A second processor (206) is configured to receive the second lighting control command (124) via the second communication unit (204), and to control the one or more second light sources (210) according to the second lighting control command (124) upon receiving the second lighting control command (124).

2. The lighting system (200) according to claim 1, wherein the processor (106) is further configured to control the one or more light sources (110) according to the second lighting control command (124) upon receiving the second lighting control command (124).

3. The lighting system (200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the processor (106) is configured to receive a plurality of first lighting control commands via the first communication module, store the plurality of first lighting control commands in the memory, and control the one or more light sources (110) according to the plurality of first lighting control commands when a second lighting control command is received.

4. The lighting system (200) according to claim 3, wherein the lighting unit (102) includes a first light source and a second light source, and wherein a primary first lighting control command is addressed to the first light source and a secondary first lighting control command is addressed to the second light source, and wherein the processor (106) is configured to control the first light source according to the primary first lighting control command and control the second light source according to the secondary first lighting control command when receiving the second lighting control command (124).

5. The lighting system (200) of claim 3, wherein the processor (106) is further configured to obtain information indicating a time sequence of the plurality of first lighting control commands, and wherein the processor (106) is configured to control the one or more light sources (110) based on the time sequence.

6. The lighting system (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first wireless communication technology has a higher bandwidth than the second wireless communication technology.

7. The lighting system (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first lighting unit is an LED strip, and wherein the one or more light sources (110) are a plurality of individually controllable light sources.

8. The lighting system (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second lighting control command (124) is included in a broadcast message, multicast message or inter-PAN message.

9. The lighting system (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second lighting unit (202) is not capable of communicating via the first wireless communication technology.

10. The lighting system (200) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting system (200) further includes a lighting controller (120), the lighting controller (120) including a transmitter configured to transmit the first and second lighting control commands.

11. The lighting system (200) according to claim 10, wherein the lighting controller (120) is configured to transmit the first lighting control command (122) directly to the first lighting unit (102) and transmit the second lighting control command (124) to the first and second lighting units (102, 202) via an intermediate device.

12. The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the lighting controller (120) is configured to obtain or generate the first and second lighting control commands (122, 124) based on media content.

13. A method (400) for controlling a first lighting unit and a second lighting unit, the first lighting unit comprising one or more light sources and a memory, and wherein the first lighting unit further comprises a communication unit, the communication unit comprising a first communication module configured to communicate via a first wireless communication technology and a second communication module configured to communicate via a second wireless communication technology, the second lighting unit comprising one or more second light sources and a second communication unit configured to communicate via the second communication technology, the method comprising: -Receive a first lighting control command (402) via the first communication module, indicating one or more first light settings. - Store the first lighting control command (404) in the memory. -Receive a second lighting control command (406) via the second communication module, indicating one or more second light settings. - Upon receiving the second lighting control command, control (408) the one or more light sources according to the first lighting control command. - Receive the second lighting control command (124) via the second communication unit (204), and - Upon receiving the second lighting control command (124), control the one or more second light sources (210) according to the second lighting control command (124).

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