Dynamic selection of entertainment lighting device based on video content

Abstract

A system (1) is configured to obtain a dynamic level (72) of video content and select one or more lighting devices from a plurality of lighting devices (13-16) based on the dynamic level. A higher first number (81) of lighting devices is selected when the dynamic level exceeds a threshold, and a lower second number (82) of lighting devices is selected when the dynamic level does not exceed the threshold. The system is further configured to determine a light effect of the one or more lighting devices based on the video content and to control the one or more lighting devices to present the light effect while the display device (23) displays the video content.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content.

[0002] The invention further relates to a method of controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content.

[0003] The invention also relates to a computer program product enabling a computer system to perform such a method. Background Art

[0004] There are synchronized lighting systems that dynamically create light effects based on the video content displayed on the TV in a home entertainment setup. This is also called entertainment light synchronization. An example of such a synchronized lighting system is Hue Sync. WO 2021 / 032811A1 also describes such a synchronized lighting system. Sometimes, such as in the case of Hue Sync, the lighting system defines a set of lights, each with x, y, z position coordinates, which receive and present these entertainment light effects. The controller analyzes the video content and then generates light effects, which are sent to the applicable lighting devices. The controller's light effect algorithm knows the position of each light in the room.

[0005] Sometimes, such as in the case of Hue Sync, the user specifies which lighting devices should be used to present an entertainment light effect, such as defining an entertainment zone. When the entertainment light is synchronized, all lights in the entertainment zone are controlled to present the entertainment light effect. However, this creates a degraded experience when the light is synchronized with certain content. Summary of the invention

[0006] A first object of the present invention is to provide a system capable of creating an entertaining light experience optimized for the type of video content being displayed on a display device.

[0007] A second object of the present invention is to provide a method that can be used to create an entertaining light experience optimized for the type of video content being displayed on a display device.

[0008] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content includes at least one output interface and at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to: obtain a dynamic level of the video content; select one or more lighting devices from a plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamic level, select a first number of lighting devices when the dynamic level exceeds a threshold, and select a second number of lighting devices when the dynamic level does not exceed the threshold, the first number being higher than the second number; determine the light effects of the one or more lighting devices based on the video content; and control the one or more lighting devices via the at least one output interface to present the light effects.

[0009] By using a greater number of lighting devices for dynamic content than for static content, the light experience created is optimized for the type of video content being displayed on the display device. As a result, fewer lighting devices are used to render entertainment light effects to accompany a talk show than to render entertainment light effects to accompany an action movie.

[0010] Using a maximum number of lighting devices to present entertainment light effects to accompany a talk show, as would normally be done, provides a reduced light experience, since the light synchronized with the generally static content produces a generally static light synchronization effect, i.e., substantially no effect is created. When the entire entertainment area is presenting the static colors of a talk show, it detracts from the light experience. On the other hand, when a user is watching an action movie, all lighting devices should preferably present entertainment light effects to create the most immersive experience. The threshold may be predefined or dynamically determined.

[0011] The at least one processor may be configured to select the one or more lighting devices from the plurality of lighting devices further based on a distance between the display device and each of the plurality of lighting devices. For example, if the video content is generally dynamic, light synchronization may be performed with all lights in the entertainment area to focus on the entertainment light effect, and if the video content is generally static, light synchronization may be performed with only lights directly adjacent to the display device, for example, while transitioning all other lights to a static ambience color to create an ambience. Lights directly adjacent to the display device generally contribute most to the entertainment light experience.

[0012] The at least one processor may be configured to: select one or more other lighting devices from the plurality of lighting devices, the one or more other lighting devices being different from the one or more lighting devices; and control each of the one or more other lighting devices via the at least one output interface to present another light effect that is static and / or unrelated to the video content or to present no light effect. If the another light effect is static, it may be related to the video content or may be unrelated to the video content. If the another light effect is dynamic, it must be unrelated to the video content.

[0013] Although all other lighting devices can be controlled to not present light effects, a better light experience can be achieved by creating an ambience. For example, talk shows are usually static, and when the entire entertainment area is presenting the static colors of the talk show, it detracts from the experience. Instead, it may be better to limit the light synchronization to the lights directly near the TV, while transitioning other lights used for navigation (overhead, back of room) to static ambience colors for a more relaxing and comfortable experience.

[0014] The at least one processor may be configured to: select a first subset and a second subset of the one or more other lighting devices based on a distance between the display device and each of the one or more other lighting devices, the first subset being closer to the display device than the second subset; control the first subset of the one or more other lighting devices not to present light effects; and control the second subset of the one or more other lighting devices to present the other light effects. In this way, when the level of dynamics is neither very high nor very low, a buffer may be created between a spatial region where entertainment light effects are presented and a spatial region where other light effects are not presented. This results in a more pleasant light experience.

[0015] The at least one processor may be configured to control at least one of the one or more other lighting devices to present a gradual transition from a current light setting of the at least one lighting device to the other light effect. This prevents sudden, distracting changes in light settings, for example when starting light synchronization and / or when recalculating the dynamics level of new video content.

[0016] The at least one processor may be configured to determine the gradual transition based on the level of dynamism before controlling the at least one lighting device to present the gradual transition. When the video content, and therefore the entertainment light effects presented on one or more lighting devices, are more dynamic, a faster change in the light setting of another lighting device will generally be less distracting and may be acceptable in such circumstances.

[0017] The at least one processor may be configured to: determine a static brightness level that is higher than the brightness level of the light effect presented by the one or more lighting devices; and control at least one of the one or more other lighting devices to present the other light effect with the static brightness level. If another lighting device presents a static light effect, then the light atmosphere created is generally most pleasant to the user if the brightness level of the static light effect is higher than the brightness level of the entertainment light effect. For example, the static light effect may be a white light effect with a 50% dimming level.

[0018] The at least one processor may be configured to obtain a user-specified definition of an entertainment area, identify the plurality of lighting devices based on the user-specified definition of the entertainment area, and select the one or more lighting devices from the identified plurality of lighting devices. In some lighting systems (e.g., Hue Sync), a user first defines which lighting devices should be included in the entertainment area. For example, lighting devices in a bathroom are typically not included in the entertainment area. Traditionally, all lighting devices in the entertainment area would be controlled to present an entertainment light effect. However, with the above system, when the level of dynamics does not exceed a threshold, a (strict) subset of the lighting devices included in the entertainment area may be selected to present an entertainment light effect.

[0019] The at least one processor may be configured to obtain information indicating the level of dynamics of the video content from a further system via at least one input interface of the system. This is beneficial, for example, in situations where the video content is streamed and cannot be (fully) analyzed in advance by the system.

[0020] The at least one processor may be configured to analyze the video content and determine the dynamic level based on the analysis. This reduces reliance on content providers or other service providers, making information indicating the dynamic level available. For example, the at least one processor may be configured to analyze the video content to determine the number of pixels and / or video compression motion vectors that vary from a video frame to a subsequent video frame by more than a predefined amount, and determine the dynamic level based on the number of pixels and / or the motion vectors.

[0021] The at least one processor may be configured to obtain information indicative of a mood of the video content, determine the threshold based on the mood, and select the one or more lighting devices from the plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamics level and the threshold. For example, a mood may be "scary," "tense," "funny," or "sad." For certain moods of the video content, the light experience is less affected by the number of lighting devices presenting entertaining light effects than for other moods of the video content. For example, for an entertaining movie / show, the threshold may be lower than for a sad movie / show. As described above, the mood may be indicated in information obtained from another system (e.g., in the same information indicating the dynamics level of the video content).

[0022] The at least one processor may be configured to determine a brightness level of the light effect of the one or more lighting devices based on a user configured brightness level, and to control the one or more lighting devices to present the light effect with the brightness level. Although the brightness level of entertainment light effects may be determined (entirely) based on video content, users typically want to specify a preferred brightness value or range of brightness values.

[0023] In a second aspect of the invention, a method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content comprises: obtaining a dynamic level of the video content; selecting one or more lighting devices from a plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamic level, selecting a first number of lighting devices when the dynamic level exceeds a threshold, and selecting a second number of lighting devices when the dynamic level does not exceed the threshold, the first number being higher than the second number; determining the light effects of the one or more lighting devices based on the video content; and controlling the one or more lighting devices to present the light effects. The method may be performed by software running on a programmable device. The software may be provided as a computer program product.

[0024] Furthermore, a computer program for carrying out the methods described herein and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program are provided.The computer program can be downloaded or uploaded to an existing device, for example, or stored when manufacturing these systems.

[0025] A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores at least one software code portion that, when executed or processed by a computer, is configured to perform executable operations for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content.

[0026] Executable operations include: obtaining a dynamic level of the video content; selecting one or more lighting devices from a plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamic level, selecting a first number of lighting devices when the dynamic level exceeds a threshold, and selecting a second number of lighting devices when the dynamic level does not exceed the threshold, the first number being higher than the second number; determining a light effect of the one or more lighting devices based on the video content; and controlling the one or more lighting devices to present the light effect.

[0027] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as devices, methods or computer program products. Therefore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) or a combination of software and hardware embodiments, which may generally be referred to herein as a "circuit", "module" or "system". The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as algorithms executed by a processor / microprocessor of a computer. In addition, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having a computer-readable program code embodied (e.g., stored) thereon.

[0028] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that may contain or store a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0029] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal having a computer readable program code embodied therein (e.g., in baseband or as part of a carrier wave). Such propagated signals may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that may communicate, propagate, or transport a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0030] The program code embodied on the computer readable medium can use any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing is transmitted. The computer program code for implementing the operation of aspects of the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, and the one or more programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages ​​(such as Java (TM), Smalltalk, or C++, etc.) and conventional procedural programming languages ​​(such as "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The program code can be executed completely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, executed as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or executed completely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer by any type of network (including local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)), or can be connected to an external computer (for example, by using the Internet of an Internet service provider).

[0031] Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of the method, device (system) and computer program product according to an embodiment of the present invention. It will be understood that each frame in the flowchart and / or block diagram and the combination of frames in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, particularly a microprocessor or a central processing unit (CPU), to produce a machine so that instructions executed via a processor of a computer, other programmable data processing device or other equipment create a device for implementing the function / action specified in a flowchart and / or one or more block diagram frames.

[0032] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which may direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to operate in a particular manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture, which includes instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks.

[0033] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operating steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks.

[0034] The flow charts and block diagrams in each figure illustrate the architecture, function and operation of the possible implementation methods of the device, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, segment or part of the code, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified (one or more) logical functions. It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions described in the box may not appear in the order described in the figure. For example, the two boxes shown in succession can in fact be executed substantially simultaneously, or sometimes these boxes can be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It will also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or the flow chart and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram and / or the flow chart can be implemented by a system based on special-purpose hardware that performs a specified function or action, or a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be further elucidated, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0036] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the system;

[0037] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the system;

[0038] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of the method;

[0039] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of the method;

[0040] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of the method;

[0041] Figure 6 Shown based on Figure 1 Examples of lighting equipment selection based on the level of dynamics of the lighting equipment in the house;

[0042] Figure 7 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment of the method;

[0043] Figure 8is a flowchart of a fifth embodiment of the method;

[0044] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a sixth embodiment of the method;

[0045] Fig.10 is a flowchart of a seventh embodiment of the method; and

[0046] Fig.11 is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for executing the method of the present invention.

[0047] Corresponding elements in the drawings are represented by the same reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a system for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device 23 displays video content is shown. In the first embodiment, the system is an HDMI module 1. The light effect is related to the video content. For example, the HDMI module 1 can be a Hue Play HDMI Sync Box.

[0049] exist Figure 1 In the example of , the HDMI module 1 can control the lighting devices 13-16 via the bridge 19. The lighting devices 13-16 may include pixelated lighting devices and / or single-pixel lighting devices. For example, the bridge 19 can be a Hue bridge. The bridge 19 communicates with the lighting devices 13-16 using Zigbee technology, for example. The HDMI module 1 is connected to the wireless LAN access point 21, for example, via Wi-Fi. The bridge 19 is also connected to the wireless LAN access point 21, for example, via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

[0050] Alternatively or additionally, the HDMI module 1 may be able to communicate directly with the bridge 19, for example using Zigbee technology, and / or may be able to communicate with the bridge 19 via the Internet / cloud. Alternatively or additionally, the HDMI module 1 may be able to control the lighting devices 13-16 without a bridge (e.g. directly via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Zigbee or via the Internet / cloud).

[0051] The wireless LAN access point 21 is connected to the Internet 25. The media server 27 is also connected to the Internet 25. For example, the media server 27 may be a server for a video-on-demand service such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, or Apple TV+. The HDMI module 1 is connected to the display device 23 and local media receivers 31 and 32 via HDMI. The local media receivers 31 and 32 may include one or more streaming devices or content generating devices (e.g., AppleTV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV stick, Microsoft Xbox, and / or Sony PlayStation), and / or one or more cable or satellite TV receivers.

[0052] In an alternative embodiment, the system for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when the display device displays video content is the display device itself. In this alternative embodiment, the HDMI module logic can be built into the display device. The media receivers 31 and 32 can then also be included in the display device (e.g., smart TV).

[0053] The HDMI module 1 includes a receiver 3, a transmitter 4, a processor 5 and a memory 7. The processor 5 is configured to obtain a dynamic level of the video content and select one or more lighting devices from the lighting devices 13-16 based on the dynamic level. For example, the dynamic level can be a value between 0 and 1. When the dynamic level exceeds a threshold, a higher first number of lighting devices is selected, and when the dynamic level does not exceed the threshold, a lower second number of lighting devices is selected. The processor 5 can be configured to analyze the video content and determine the dynamic level based on the analysis, or can be configured to obtain information indicating the dynamic level from another system (e.g., from the media server 27).

[0054] The processor 5 is further configured to determine the light effect of the selected one or more lighting devices based on the video content, and control the one or more selected lighting devices to present the light effect via the transmitter 4. The processor 5 can be configured to determine the light effect by analyzing the video content or according to a light script that specifies the light effect for the specific video content. Typically, at least the color of the light effect is extracted from the video content by the processor 5, for example.

[0055] exist Figure 1In the embodiment of the HDMI module 1 shown in , the HDMI module 1 includes a processor 5. In an alternative embodiment, the HDMI module 1 includes multiple processors. The processor 5 of the HDMI module 1 can be a general-purpose processor (e.g., based on ARM) or can be a dedicated processor. The processor 5 of the HDMI module 1 can run, for example, a Unix-based operating system. The memory 7 can include one or more memory units. For example, the memory 7 can include a solid-state memory.

[0056] For example, the receiver 3 and the transmitter 4 may communicate with the bridge 19 using one or more wired or wireless communication technologies, such as Zigbee, and may communicate with the display device 23 and with the local media receivers 31 and 32 using one or more wired or wireless communication technologies, such as HDMI. In alternative embodiments, multiple receivers and / or multiple transmitters are used instead of a single receiver and a single transmitter. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown in , a separate receiver and a separate transmitter are used. In an alternative embodiment, the receiver 3 and the transmitter 4 are combined into a transceiver. The HDMI module 1 may include other components typically used in network devices, such as a power connector. The present invention may be implemented using a computer program running on one or more processors.

[0057] exist Figure 1 In an embodiment of the present invention, the system is an HDMI module. In an alternative embodiment, the system can be another device, such as a mobile device, a laptop, a personal computer, a bridge, a media presentation device, a streaming device, or an Internet server. Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the system of the present invention includes a single device. In an alternative embodiment, the system includes multiple devices.

[0058] Figure 2 A second embodiment of a system for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device 23 displays video content is shown. In the second embodiment, the system is a mobile device 51. The mobile device 51 may be, for example, a smart phone or a tablet. The lighting devices 13-16 may be controlled by the mobile device 51 via the bridge 19. The mobile device 51 is connected to the wireless LAN access point 21, for example, via Wi-Fi.

[0059] The mobile device 51 comprises a receiver 53, a transmitter 54, a processor 55, a memory 57 and a display 59. The video content is preferably displayed on the display device 23, but may also be displayed on the display 59 of the mobile device 51. The processor 55 is configured to obtain a dynamic level of the video content and select one or more lighting devices from the lighting devices 13-16 based on the dynamic level.

[0060] When the dynamics level exceeds the threshold, a higher first number of lighting devices is selected, and when the dynamics level does not exceed the threshold, a lower second number of lighting devices is selected. The processor 55 can be configured to analyze the video content and determine the dynamics level based on the analysis, or can be configured to obtain information indicating the dynamics level from another system (e.g., from the media server 27).

[0061] The processor 55 is further configured to determine the light effect of the selected one or more lighting devices based on the video content, and control the one or more selected lighting devices to present the light effect via the transmitter 54. The processor 55 can be configured to determine the light effect by analyzing the video content or according to a light script that specifies the light effect for the particular video content. Typically, at least the color of the light effect is extracted from the video content, for example, by the processor 55.

[0062] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment of the mobile device 51 shown in , the mobile device 51 includes a processor 55. In an alternative embodiment, the mobile device 51 includes multiple processors. The processor 55 of the mobile device 51 can be a general-purpose processor (for example, from ARM or Qualcomm) or can be a dedicated processor. The processor 55 of the mobile device 51 can run, for example, an Android or iOS operating system. For example, the display 59 can be a touch screen display. The display 59 can include, for example, an LCD or OLED display panel. The memory 57 can include one or more memory units. For example, the memory 57 can include a solid-state memory.

[0063] For example, the receiver 53 and the transmitter 54 may communicate with the wireless LAN access point 21 using one or more wireless communication technologies such as Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11). In alternative embodiments, multiple receivers and / or multiple transmitters are used instead of a single receiver and a single transmitter. Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in , a separate receiver and a separate transmitter are used. In an alternative embodiment, the receiver 53 and the transmitter 54 are combined into a transceiver. The mobile device 51 may further include a camera (not shown). For example, the camera may include a CMOS or CCD sensor. The mobile device 51 may include other components typically used in mobile devices, such as a battery and a power connector. The present invention may be implemented using a computer program running on one or more processors.

[0064] exist Figure 2In an embodiment, the lighting devices 13-16 are controlled via the bridge 19. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the lighting devices 13-16 are controlled without a bridge (e.g., directly via Bluetooth). If the lighting devices 13-16 are controlled without a bridge, it may not be necessary to use the wireless LAN access point 21. The mobile device can be connected to the Internet 25 via a mobile communication network (e.g., 5G) instead of via the wireless LAN access point 21.

[0065] Figure 3 A first embodiment of a method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content is shown in FIG. Figure 1 HDMI module 1 or Figure 2 The mobile device 51 is used for execution.

[0066] Step 101 includes obtaining a dynamic level of video content. Step 103 includes selecting one or more lighting devices from a plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamic level obtained in step 101. When the dynamic level exceeds a threshold, a first number of lighting devices is selected, and when the dynamic level does not exceed the threshold, a second number of lighting devices is selected. The first number is higher than the second number. Optionally, in step 103, one or more lighting devices may be selected from the plurality of lighting devices further based on a distance between a display device and each of the plurality of lighting devices.

[0067] Step 105 comprises determining a light effect of the one or more lighting devices selected in step 103 based on the video content. Step 107 comprises controlling the one or more lighting devices selected in step 103 to present the light effect determined in step 105.

[0068] Figure 4 A second embodiment of a method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content is shown in FIG. Figure 4 The second embodiment is Figure 3 An extension of the first embodiment.

[0069] Steps 121 and 123 are performed after step 103. Figure 4 In the embodiment, steps 121 and 123 are performed in parallel with steps 105 and 107. In an alternative embodiment, these steps can be performed sequentially, for example: 121, 105, 107, 123.

[0070] Step 121 includes selecting one or more other lighting devices from the plurality of lighting devices. The one or more other lighting devices selected in step 121 are different from the one or more lighting devices selected in step 103. All lighting devices that were not selected from the plurality of lighting devices in step 103 may be selected in step 121, or only some of these lighting devices may be selected in step 121. In an alternative embodiment, steps 103 and 121 are combined into a single step.

[0071] Step 123 comprises controlling each of the one or more other lighting devices selected in step 121 to render another light effect that is static and / or unrelated to the video content, or to render no light effect. In an alternative embodiment, steps 107 and 123 are combined into a single step.

[0072] Figure 5 A third embodiment of a method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content is shown in FIG. Figure 5 The third embodiment is Figure 4 An extension of the second embodiment of Figure 5 In the embodiment, step 141 is performed between steps 101 and 103 , step 143 is performed after step 121 , and step 123 is implemented through steps 145 and 147 .

[0073] Step 141 comprises determining a distance between the display device and each of the plurality of lighting devices. Step 103 comprises selecting one or more lighting devices from the plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamics level obtained in step 101. Optionally, in step 103, one or more lighting devices are selected from the plurality of lighting devices based not only on the dynamics level but also further on the distance determined in step 141.

[0074] As about Figure 4 As described, step 121 is performed after step 103. After one or more other lighting devices have been selected in step 121, step 143 is performed. Step 143 includes selecting a first subset and / or a second subset of the one or more other lighting devices selected in step 121. For certain dynamic levels, both the first subset and the second subset are selected. In this case, the first subset and the second subset are selected based on the distance between the display device and each of the one or more other lighting devices, as determined in step 141. In this case, the first subset and the second subset are selected so that the first subset is closer to the display device than the second subset, for example, so that each lighting device of the first subset is closer to the display device than any lighting device of the second subset.

[0075] If the first subset is selected in step 143, then step 145 is performed after step 143. Step 145 includes controlling the first subset of one or more other lighting devices as selected in step 143 to not render the light effect. For example, a command may be transmitted to one or more lighting devices of the first subset to cause them to turn off their (one or more) light sources. Such a command may be transmitted to a lighting device regardless of whether the lighting device is currently rendering light, or may be transmitted to the lighting device only if it has been determined that the lighting device is currently rendering light.

[0076] If the second subset is selected in step 143, step 147 is performed after step 143. Step 147 includes controlling the second subset of one or more other lighting devices as selected in step 143 to present another light effect that is static and / or unrelated to the video content. If both the first subset and the second subset are selected in step 143, both steps 145 and 147 are performed.

[0077] Figure 6 Shown using Figure 5 Example of a method for selecting a lighting device. Figure 6 The first floor 41 of the house is shown in FIG. The first floor 41 has a corridor 43, a kitchen 44 and a living room 45. Figure 1 The lighting equipment has been installed in the living room 45. Figure 1 The HDMI module 1, bridge 19 and display device 23 have also been installed in the living room 45. Figure 1 A wireless LAN access point 21 has been installed in the corridor 21. Lighting devices 13 and 14 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the display device 23. The lighting device 15 is located right next to the sofa where the user 49 is sitting. The lighting device 16 is located above the dining table.

[0078] Table 70 shows how many lighting devices are selected to present entertainment light effects (i.e., dynamic light effects related to the video content) based on different levels of dynamism. Table 70 further shows which of the lighting devices that are not selected to present entertainment light effects show static light effects. Such static light effects may or may not be related to the video content. Alternatively, one or more of these other lighting devices may be controlled to present dynamic light effects that are not related to the video content (i.e., dynamic light effects that are related to the video content). Figure 6 not shown).

[0079] Column 72 of table 70 lists different dynamic levels. Column 73 lists how many lighting devices 13-16 have been selected to present entertainment light effects based on the corresponding dynamic level in column 72. Column 74 lists how many of the lighting devices 13-16 have not been selected to present entertainment light effects. Columns 75-78 indicate whether the corresponding lighting device 13-16 is selected to present entertainment light effects, static light effects, or no light effects at all. Unit 81 indicates that four lighting devices are selected to present entertainment light effects when the dynamic level is 0.8, and unit 82 indicates that two lighting devices are selected to present entertainment light effects when the dynamic level is 0.5. In this case, the threshold is between 0.5 and 0.8. The threshold can be predefined or dynamically determined.

[0080] exist Figure 6 In the example, if the dynamic level is 0.8, then Figure 5 In step 103, lighting devices 13-16 are selected. In this example, Figure 5 No other lighting device is selected in step 121, and steps 143, 145 and 147 are skipped. If the dynamics level is 0.5 or 0.2, then Figure 5 In step 103, lighting devices 13 and 14 are selected. In both examples, lighting devices 15 and 16 are selected as other lighting devices in step 121. In both examples, lighting devices 13 and 14 are selected to present the entertainment light effect because they are closest to display device 23. Alternatively or additionally, other parameters may be considered in the selection.

[0081] When the dynamic level is 0.5, Figure 5 In step 143, lighting device 15 is assigned to the first subset and lighting device 16 is assigned to the second subset because lighting device 15 is closer to display device 23 than lighting device 16. When the dynamics level is 0.2, in step 143, both lighting devices 15 and 16 are assigned to the second subset and no lighting device is assigned to the first subset. When the dynamics level is neither very high nor very low, lighting device 15 is assigned to the first subset to create a buffer between the spatial areas where entertainment light effects are presented and the spatial areas where other light effects are not presented. This creates a more pleasant light experience.

[0082] Figure 7 A fourth embodiment of a method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content is shown in FIG. Figure 7 The fourth embodiment is Figure 4 An extension of the second embodiment of Figure 7In an embodiment of the present invention, step 123 is implemented by step 169, and steps 161, 163, 165 and 167 are performed between steps 121 and 123. Step 161 includes determining a current light setting of at least one of the one or more other lighting devices selected in step 121. Step 163 includes determining a static brightness level that is higher than the brightness level of the light effect presented by the one or more lighting devices as determined in step 105.

[0083] After steps 161 and 163 have been performed, step 165 is performed. Step 165 comprises determining a gradual transition from the current light setting determined in step 161 to another light effect, typically an ambient light effect, based on the level of dynamism obtained in step 101. The other light effect has a static brightness level determined in step 163. Step 167 is performed after step 165. Step 167 comprises controlling at least one lighting device to present the gradual transition determined in step 165. Step 169 is performed after step 167. Step 169 comprises controlling one or more other lighting devices selected in step 121 to present the other light effect with a static brightness level.

[0084] Figure 8 A fifth embodiment of a method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content is shown in FIG. Figure 8 The fifth embodiment is Figure 3 An extension of the first embodiment. Figure 8 In the embodiment, step 101 is implemented by step 181, step 103 is implemented by step 187, and steps 183 and 185 are performed before step 103.

[0085] Step 181 includes obtaining information indicating a level of dynamics of the video content from another system. Step 183 includes obtaining a user-specified definition of an entertainment area. Step 185 includes identifying a plurality of lighting devices based on the user-specified definition of the entertainment area obtained in step 183. Step 187 includes selecting one or more lighting devices to be controlled to present an entertainment light effect from the plurality of lighting devices identified in step 185 based on the level of dynamics obtained in step 181.

[0086] Fig. 9 A sixth embodiment of a method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content is shown in FIG. Fig. 9 The sixth embodiment is Figure 3 An extension of the first embodiment. Fig. 9 In the embodiment of , step 101 is implemented by steps 203 and 205 , and step 201 is performed before step 101 .

[0087] Step 201 includes obtaining video content. Step 203 includes analyzing the video content obtained in step 201. Step 205 includes determining a dynamics level based on the analysis of step 203. Step 103 includes selecting one or more lighting devices from a plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamics level determined in step 205.

[0088] For example, step 203 may comprise analyzing the video content to determine the number of pixels that vary from a video frame to a subsequent video frame by more than a predefined amount, and step 205 may comprise determining the level of dynamics based on the number of pixels. The predefined amount may be zero pixels, but is preferably greater than zero pixels, such as one pixel. Although it is possible to determine the level of dynamics from a spatial region within a video frame (i.e., smaller than the video frame), it is preferred to determine the level of dynamics from the entire video frame. The level of dynamics may be determined first for each sample, such as a spatial region smaller than 100×100 pixels, and then averaged.

[0089] Instead of or in addition to determining the dynamics level based on the number of pixels that have changed, the dynamics level may be determined based on video compression motion vectors. It may be possible to analyze a piece of video content, such as a TV program or a movie, in its entirety before controlling one or more lighting devices to present an entertainment light effect in step 107. In this case, the dynamics level only needs to be determined once for the piece of video content, and the result will generally be good.

[0090] If the light effect is determined in real time, it is usually not possible to analyze a segment of video content in its entirety before controlling one or more lighting devices to present the entertainment light effect in step 107. In this case, the dynamics level may be determined multiple times, for example, when it is not possible to obtain information indicating the dynamics level from another system. For example, the dynamics level may be determined every X seconds. For example, X may have a value between 15 seconds and 300 seconds.

[0091] To prevent frequent changes in the number of lighting devices used to present the light effects, the analyzed portion of the video content is preferably longer than X seconds. For example, the dynamics level may be a weighted average of the dynamics level determined for the most recent portion of the video content of duration X seconds and the previous dynamics level.

[0092] Fig.10 A seventh embodiment of a method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content is shown in FIG. Fig.10 The seventh embodiment is Figure 3 An extension of the first embodiment. Fig.10 In the embodiment of , step 103 is implemented by step 225, and steps 221 and 223 are performed before step 225. In addition, in Fig.10In the embodiment, step 105 includes sub-steps 227 and 229.

[0093] Step 221 includes obtaining information indicating the emotion of the video content. For example, the emotion may be "scary," "tense," "funny," or "sad." Step 223 includes determining a threshold based on the emotion, such as mapping from an emotion value to a threshold. For example, for a funny movie / show, the threshold may be lower than for a sad movie / show. Step 225 includes selecting one or more lighting devices from a plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamics level and the threshold. Thus, Fig.10 The embodiment of is an example of an embodiment in which the threshold is not predefined but is dynamically determined.

[0094] Step 227 includes determining a color of a light effect of one or more lighting devices, for example based on an analysis of the video content. Step 229 includes determining a brightness level of a light effect of one or more lighting devices based on a user-configured brightness level. Step 107 includes controlling one or more lighting devices to present a light effect having a color determined in step 227 and a brightness level determined in step 229.

[0095] Figures 3 to 5 and Figures 7 to 10 The embodiments of the present invention differ from each other in various aspects, i.e., various steps have been added or replaced. In variations of these embodiments, only a subset of the steps are added or replaced and / or one or more steps are omitted. As a first example, steps 161, 165, and 167 may be modified from Figure 7 The embodiments are omitted and / or added separately to Figure 4 Embodiments and / or Figure 5 As a second example, steps 221, 223 and 225 may be Fig.10 may be omitted from the embodiment and / or (e.g., without step 229) added to any of the other embodiments.

[0096] Multiple embodiments may be combined. As a first example, Figure 5 and Figure 7 The embodiments can be combined. As a second example, Fig.10 The embodiments can be used with Figures 3 to 5 and Figures 7 to 9 As a third example, Figure 8 Embodiments or Fig. 9 The embodiments can be used with Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 Any one of the embodiments of the present invention is combined.

[0097] Fig.11Describes instructions that can be executed as reference Figures 3 to 5 and Figures 7 to 10 A block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for the described methods.

[0098] like Fig.11 As shown in , data processing system 300 may include at least one processor 302 coupled to memory element 304 via system bus 306. In this way, the data processing system may store program code in memory element 304. In addition, processor 302 may execute program code accessed from memory element 304 via system bus 306. In one aspect, the data processing system may be implemented as a computer suitable for storing and / or executing program code. However, it should be appreciated that data processing system 300 may be implemented in the form of any system including a processor and a memory capable of performing the functions described in this specification.

[0099] Memory element 304 may include one or more physical memory devices, such as, for example, local memory 308 and one or more mass storage devices 310. Local memory may refer to random access memory or (multiple) other non-persistent memory devices generally used during the actual execution of program code. Mass storage devices may be implemented as hard drives or other persistent data storage devices. Processing system 300 may also include one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times program code must be retrieved from mass storage device 310 during execution. For example, if processing system 300 is part of a cloud computing platform, processing system 300 may also be able to use the memory element of another processing system.

[0100] Optionally, input / output (I / O) devices, depicted as input device 312 and output device 314, may be coupled to the data processing system. Examples of input devices may include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, a microphone (e.g., for sound and / or voice recognition), etc. Examples of output devices may include, but are not limited to, a monitor or display, speakers, etc. Input and / or output devices may be coupled to the data processing system either directly or through an intervening I / O controller.

[0101] In an embodiment, the input and output devices may be implemented as a combined input / output device (in Fig.11 312 and output device 314). An example of such a combined device is a touch-sensitive display, sometimes also referred to as a "touch screen display" or simply a "touch screen." In such an embodiment, input to the device can be provided by movement of a physical object (such as, for example, a stylus or a user's finger) on or near the touch screen display.

[0102] Network adapter 316 may also be coupled to the data processing system to enable it to become coupled to other systems, computer systems, remote network devices, and / or remote storage devices through intervening private or public networks. The network adapter may include a data receiver for receiving data transmitted to data processing system 300 by the system, device, and / or network, and a data transmitter for transmitting data from data processing system 300 to the system, device, and / or network. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples of different types of network adapters that may be used with data processing system 300.

[0103] like Fig.11 , memory element 304 may store application 318. In various embodiments, application 318 may be stored in local memory 308, one or more mass storage devices 310, or separate from local memory and mass storage devices. It should be appreciated that data processing system 300 may further execute an operating system ( Fig.11 318, which is implemented in the form of executable program code, may be executed by data processing system 300 (eg, by processor 302). In response to executing the application, data processing system 300 may be configured to perform one or more operations or method steps described herein.

[0104] Various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a program product for use with a computer system, wherein the program(s) of the program product define the functionality of the embodiments (including the methods described herein). In one embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various non-transitory computer-readable storage media, wherein as used herein, the expression "non-transitory computer-readable storage media" includes all computer-readable media, with the sole exception of temporary propagation signals. In another embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various temporary computer-readable storage media. Illustrative computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media on which information is permanently stored (e.g., a read-only memory device within a computer, such as a CD-ROM disk readable by a CD-ROM drive, a ROM chip, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory); and (ii) writable storage media on which changeable information is stored (e.g., a flash memory, a floppy disk within a floppy disk drive or a hard drive, or any type of solid-state random access semiconductor memory). The computer program may run on the processor 302 described herein.

[0105] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used in this specification, the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0106] The corresponding structures, materials, actions and equivalents of all means or step-plus-function elements in the following claims are intended to include any structure, material or action for performing a function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the embodiments of the present invention has been presented for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments in the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The embodiments are selected and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and some practical applications, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present invention for various embodiments with various modifications suitable for the particular use envisioned.

Claims

1. A system (1, 51) for controlling one or more lighting devices (13-14) to present light effects when a display device (23) displays video content, the system (1, 51) comprising: at least one output interface (4, 54); and At least one processor (5, 55) configured to: - obtaining the level of dynamics of the video content, - selecting one or more lighting devices (13-14) from a plurality of lighting devices (13-16) based on the dynamism level, selecting a first number of lighting devices when the dynamism level exceeds a threshold value, and selecting a second number of lighting devices when the dynamism level does not exceed the threshold value, the first number being higher than the second number, - determining a light effect of said one or more lighting devices (13-14) based on said video content, and - controlling said one or more lighting devices (13-14) via said at least one output interface (4, 54) to render said light effect.

2. The system (1, 51) of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to select the one or more lighting devices (13-14) from the plurality of lighting devices (13-16) further based on a distance between the display device (23) and each of the plurality of lighting devices (13-16).

3. The system (1, 51) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to: - selecting one or more other lighting devices (15-16) from the plurality of lighting devices (13-16), the one or more other lighting devices (15-16) being different from the one or more lighting devices (13-14), and - controlling each of the one or more other lighting devices (15-16) via the at least one output interface (4, 54) to render another light effect that is static and / or unrelated to the video content, or to render no light effect.

4. The system (1, 51) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to: - based on a distance between the display device (23) and each of the one or more other lighting devices (15, 16), selecting a first subset (15) and a second subset (16) of the one or more other lighting devices (15, 16), the first subset (15) being closer to the display device (23) than the second subset (16), - controlling said first subset (15) of said one or more other lighting devices to not render a light effect, and - controlling said second subset (16) of said one or more other lighting devices to render said other light effect.

5. A system (1, 51) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to control at least one of the one or more other lighting devices (15, 16) to present a gradual transition from a current light setting of the at least one lighting device to the other light effect.

6. The system (1, 51) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to determine the gradual transition based on the dynamics level before controlling the at least one lighting device to present the gradual transition.

7. The system (1, 51) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to: - determining a static brightness level, said static brightness level being higher than a brightness level of said light effect presented by said one or more lighting devices, and - controlling at least one of said one or more other lighting devices to present said other light effect with said static brightness level.

8. A system (1, 51) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to obtain a user-specified definition of an entertainment area, identify the multiple lighting devices (13-16) based on the user-specified definition of the entertainment area, and select the one or more lighting devices (13-15) from the identified multiple lighting devices (13-16).

9. A system (1, 51) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to obtain information indicating the level of dynamics of the video content from another system (27) via at least one input interface (3, 53) of the system (1, 51).

10. The system (1, 51) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to analyze the video content and to determine the dynamics level based on the analysis.

11. A system (1, 51) according to claim 10, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to analyze the video content to determine the number of pixels and / or video compression motion vectors that change from a video frame to a subsequent video frame by more than a predefined amount, and to determine the dynamic level based on the number of pixels and / or the motion vectors.

12. The system (1, 51) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to: - obtaining information indicative of the emotion of the video content, - determining said threshold value based on said emotion, and - selecting said one or more lighting devices (13-14) from said plurality of lighting devices (13-16) based on said dynamism level and said threshold value.

13. The system (1, 51) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one processor (5, 55) is configured to: - determining a brightness level of said light effect of said one or more lighting devices (13-14) based on a user configured brightness level, and - controlling said one or more lighting devices (13-14) to present said light effect with said brightness level.

14. A method for controlling one or more lighting devices to present light effects when a display device displays video content, the method comprising: - obtaining (101) a dynamic level of the video content; - selecting (103) one or more lighting devices from a plurality of lighting devices based on the dynamism level, selecting a first number of lighting devices when the dynamism level exceeds a threshold value, and selecting a second number of lighting devices when the dynamism level does not exceed the threshold value, the first number being higher than the second number; - determining (105) a light effect of the one or more lighting devices based on the video content; and - controlling (107) said one or more lighting devices to present said light effect.

15. A computer program product for a computing device, the computer program product comprising computer program code for performing the method according to claim 14 when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of the computing device.

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