Determining access rights for component based on user name contained in name of component

Abstract

A system (1) is configured to obtain component information specifying names (51-53) of components (31-33) of a lighting system, obtain user information specifying user names (59), look up component names of the components of the lighting system in the component information, determine access rights to the components by determining whether the component names include one of the user names, and determine access rights to the components by determining whether the component names include one of the user names. And storing the access authority in the memory. The system is further configured to receive a request to access the component, the request identifying a requester (49), determine whether the requester is allowed to access the component based on access permissions to the component stored in the memory, and access the component upon determining that the requester is allowed to access the component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for accessing components of a lighting system.

[0002] The invention further relates to a method of accessing components of a lighting system.

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

[0004] With the introduction of smart, connected lighting systems, commissioning has become more arduous for users. Typically, commissioning a lighting system involves naming its components, such as lighting fixtures, light scenes, sensors, and / or automation. This is the case, for example, with the Philips Hue system.

[0005] US2020077476 A1 discloses a system for controlling lighting devices, the system comprising a processor in communication with a portable electronic device. The processor is configured to receive geographic location data corresponding to the electronic device and identify one or more enabled lighting fixtures within a range of the electronic device. Each of the enabled lighting fixtures comprises a controller communicatively coupled to one or more lighting devices in a lighting device network. The system is further configured to receive a lighting operation request from the electronic device, including a selected one of the enabled lighting fixtures and a scene, and transmit the lighting operation request to the controller at the selected enabled lighting fixture, causing the controller to activate at least one lighting device at the selected enabled lighting fixture according to the scene.

[0006] Methods for making such lighting systems easier to commission are known. For example, US 2017 / 0105095 A1 discloses a method that includes receiving data from multiple devices, determining a correlation between at least two of the multiple devices based on the received data, determining a location of a first device based on the correlation, grouping the first device and another device located near the first device into a group, automatically creating group information, and controlling the devices included in the group. In one embodiment, the group information is used to automatically set a name for the first device, for example, to "Dad's Room."

[0007] However, in the future, it is expected that users will have to spend more time debugging lighting systems. In current lighting systems, any user or application can typically control or set up any light, scene, automation, and so on. This is the case, for example, with the Philips Hue system. In the future, access control is expected to be implemented in lighting systems to restrict access rights. In such systems, certain users or applications will have limited permissions; for example, they will be able to control lights in one area but not others, and will not be able to configure scenes or automations. While this is a good mechanism for limiting who can do what, setting up rules can be a tedious process with many devices and multiple users. Summary of the Invention

[0008] A first object of the present invention is to provide a system which can be used to more easily set up access control in a lighting system.

[0009] A second object of the present invention is to provide a method which can be used to more easily set up access control in a lighting system.

[0010] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system for accessing components of a lighting system comprises at least one input interface, at least one output interface and at least one processor, the processor being configured to obtain component information specifying a name of the lighting system component, obtain user information specifying a user name, search for the component name of the lighting system component in the component information, determine access rights to the component by determining whether the component name includes one of the user names, store the access rights in a memory, receive a request for access to the component via the at least one input interface, the request identifying a requester, determine whether the requester associated with one of the user names is allowed to access the component based on the access rights to the component stored in the memory, and access the component via the at least one output interface when it is determined that the requester is allowed to access the component.

[0011] The system benefits from the fact that component names in smart lighting systems often include the names of people living in the house, such as "Roy's switch", "Roy's reading light", "Tina's bedside lamp". The system uses this information to automatically pre-fill access rights based on a match between the name of the lighting system component (e.g. the name of the room / scene / lamp / sensor) and the user's name. The automatic default settings provided by the system may save a lot of manual work and will therefore be valued by users. Accessing the component may include controlling the component and / or configuring the component. The components of the lighting system may include one or more of lighting devices, sensors, light scenes and automation. Component information and user information may be obtained from internal memory or from another system (e.g. a bridge or cloud computer).

[0012] The at least one processor may be configured to determine the access permission to the component by allowing the specific requester to access the component if a user name associated with the specific requester is included in the component name, the user name being included in the user name.

[0013] For example, a user (Roy) is granted access to devices that have the user's name in the device's name ("Roy's switch", "Roy's reading light"), but not to other devices (e.g., "Tina's bedside lamp", "bathroom light").

[0014] If the component name does not include any of the user names, the at least one processor may be configured to determine the access rights to the component by enabling multiple requestors (e.g., any requestor) to access the component. For example, access rights may be granted to all devices that do not have other user names in their device names. This would grant Roy access to "bathroom lights" but not to "Tina's bedside lamp."

[0015] The component information may also specify a name of a component group of the lighting system, and the at least one processor may be configured to look up the group name of the component group in the component information and determine the access rights to the component by determining whether the component name or the group name includes one of the user names. User names may also be used for group names, such as "Roy's room" or "Roy's game light." By also looking at the group name when pre-populating access rights, the system can save additional manual work.

[0016] The at least one processor may be configured to determine the access permission to the component by enabling the specific requester to access the component if a user name associated with the specific requester is included in the component name or the group name, the user name being included in the user name. For example, a user (Roy) is granted access permission to devices with the user name in the device name or group name ("Roy's room", "Roy's switches", "Roy's game lights"), but not to other devices (e.g., "Tina's bed light", "Bathroom light"). For example, if a lighting device is in "Roy's room", Roy is granted access permission to this lighting device (e.g., "PC light") that does not have "Roy" in its name.

[0017] If neither the component name nor the group name includes any of the user names, the at least one processor may be configured to determine the access rights to the component by enabling multiple requestors (e.g., any requestor) to access the component. Thus, access rights are granted to all devices that do not have other user names in the device or group name. This would grant Roy access to, for example, "Bathroom Lights" in a group named "Second Floor," but not to "Tina's Bedside Lamp."

[0018] The at least one processor may be configured to obtain an input signal indicating a modification of the access rights to the component requested by an authorization requester and to make the modification to the access rights in the memory. Thus, the automatic filling of access rights may serve as a starting point for further fine-tuning by a user / administrator.

[0019] The at least one processor may be configured to obtain at least a portion of the user information from at least one user device, the portion of the user information specifying one or more user names associated with one or more accounts on the at least one user device. People often expose their names through their smartphones, such as "Roy's iPhone," and this can be used to grant default permissions based on the phone's name. The at least one user device may include a user device capable of transmitting the request to access the component, such as a mobile phone running a lighting control application. In this case, for example, the user may be able to specify a user name in the lighting control application. This effectively creates an account for the user in the lighting control application. This is beneficial, for example, if the user's name is not exposed in the name of the user device.

[0020] In a second aspect of the present invention, a method for accessing a component of a lighting system includes obtaining component information specifying a component name of the lighting system, obtaining user information specifying a user name, searching the component information for the component name of the lighting system component, determining access rights to the component by determining whether the component name includes one of the user names, storing the access rights in a memory, receiving a request to access the component, the request identifying a requester, determining whether the requester associated with one of the user names is allowed to access the component based on the access rights to the component stored in the memory; and accessing the component if it is determined that the requester is allowed to access the component. The method may be performed by software running on a programmable device. The software may be provided as a computer program product.

[0021] Furthermore, a computer program for executing the method described herein and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program are provided. For example, the computer program can be downloaded from or uploaded to an existing device, or stored when these systems are manufactured.

[0022] The 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 accessing components of a lighting system.

[0023] Executable operations include obtaining component information specifying a component name of the lighting system, obtaining user information specifying a user name, searching for the component name of the component of the lighting system in the component information, determining access rights to the component by determining whether the component name includes one of the user names, storing the access rights in a memory, receiving a request to access the component, the request identifying a requester, determining whether the requester is allowed to access the component based on the access rights to the component stored in the memory; and accessing the component when it is determined that the requester is allowed to access the component.

[0024] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be implemented as devices, methods, or computer program products. Thus, 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 an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects (which may generally be collectively referred to herein as "circuits," "modules," or "systems"). The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as algorithms executed by a processor / microprocessor of a computer. Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product implemented in one or more computer-readable media having a computer-readable program code implemented (e.g., stored) thereon.

[0025] 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, 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 can contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0026] A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal embodying computer-readable program code, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal 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 may communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0027] The program code embodied on the computer-readable medium can use any appropriate medium to transmit, including but not limited to wireless, wired, optical fiber, cable, RF etc., or any suitable combination thereof. The computer program code for carrying out the operation of aspects of the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages, such as Java (TM), Smalltalk, C++ etc., and traditional procedural programming languages, such as " C " programming language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed completely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as an independent software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or completely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through 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).

[0028] Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor, particularly a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU), of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine such that instructions executed by a processor of the computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device create a device for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks.

[0029] 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 specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks.

[0030] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, such 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 block diagram blocks.

[0031] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality and operation of possible implementations of the devices, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each box in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, segment or portion of code, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified (multiple) logical functions. It should also be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions marked in the box may appear in the order marked in the figure. For example, depending on the functionality involved, two boxes shown in succession can actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the boxes can sometimes be executed in the opposite order. It will also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration, and the combination of boxes in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] 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:

[0033] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the system;

[0034] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 Examples of component names and user names used in the system;

[0035] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the system;

[0036] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of the method;

[0037] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of the method;

[0038] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a third embodiment of the method; and

[0039] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for executing the method of the present invention.

[0040] Corresponding elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Figure 1 A first embodiment of a system for accessing components of a lighting system is shown. In this first embodiment, the system is a bridge 1. The bridge 1 may be, for example, a Philips Hue bridge. Figure 1In the example of FIG, the lighting system 19 includes a bridge 1 and three lighting devices 31 to 33. The lighting devices 31 to 33 communicate with the bridge 1 using, for example, Zigbee technology.

[0042] The bridge 1 is connected to a wireless LAN access point 17, for example, via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. A user device 36 (e.g., a mobile phone) is also connected to the wireless LAN access point 17. When a user is at home, the user device 36 can control the lighting devices 31-33 via the wireless LAN access point 17 and the bridge 1. For example, the user device 36 runs an application for controlling the light sources 31-33.

[0043] The bridge 1 includes a receiver 3, a transmitter 4, a processor 5, and a memory 7. The processor 5 is configured to obtain component information specifying a component name of the lighting system 19, obtain user information specifying a user name, search the component information for the component name of the component of the lighting system 19, determine access rights to the component by determining whether the component name includes one of the user names, and store the access rights in a memory (e.g., the memory 7).

[0044] For example, component information can be obtained from memory 7. Access rights to all components of lighting system 19 can be determined. Lighting devices 31-33 are considered components of lighting system 19. Other components of lighting system 19 may include, for example, sensors, light scenes, and / or automation. User information, or a portion thereof, can be provided by an administrator of the lighting system, for example, using user device 36.

[0045] The processor 5 is further configured to receive a request to access the component, for example, from a user device 36, via the receiver 3. The request identifies the requester. The processor 5 is further configured to determine whether the requester is allowed to access the component based on access rights to the component stored in a memory (e.g., memory 7), and access the component via the transmitter 4 if it is determined that the requester is allowed to access the component.

[0046] Access components can include control components and / or configuration components. For example, access rights can specify who can control lighting devices and / or who can configure sensors, light scenes, and / or automation. Light scenes specify one or more colors. For example, automation can activate a light scene at sunrise or sunset. For example, access rights can be granted for lighting devices where another user's name does not appear in the lighting device's name. Alternatively or additionally, access rights can be granted when, for example, the user's name appears in the lighting device's name.

[0047] The processor 5 may be configured to obtain at least a portion of the user information from one or more user devices, such as the user device 36. The portion of the user information specifies one or more user names associated with one or more accounts (e.g., a Google account, a Samsung account, an Apple account) on at least one user device. The one or more user devices may include a user device capable of transmitting a request to access a component, such as the user device 36.

[0048] For example, the user name can be extracted from the name of the user device as published, for example, via Bluetooth. Alternatively or additionally, for example, the lighting control application can provide information specifying the user name entered in the lighting control application (and thus effectively providing user account information for the lighting control application). Alternatively or additionally, for example, the user device or an application running on the user device can provide information specifying the name of a user who has an account on the user device or the name of the current user of the user device. Many user devices support multiple user accounts. Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 Examples of component names and user names used in the system. Figure 2 The first floor 41 of an example house is shown. The first floor 41 includes a corridor 43, a kitchen 44 and a living room 45. Figure 1 The bridge 1 and lighting devices 31 - 33 have been installed in the living room 45 . Figure 1 A wireless LAN access point has been installed in corridor 43.

[0049] During the installation / commissioning of the lighting system, the lighting system administrator named lighting devices 31-33 "Play Left" (name 51), "Play Right" (name 52), and "Bob's Reading Light" (name 53), respectively. In this example, lighting devices 31 and 32 are, among other things, Hue Play lighting devices that create entertainment lighting effects. The entertainment lighting effects are based on video content and appear when the television is displaying the video content. Lighting device 31 has been placed to the left of the television, and lighting device 32 has been placed to the right of the television.

[0050] A person 59 with the user name Bob (user name 59) is currently present in living room 49. Bob is one of the residents of the house. The administrator of the lighting system, which could even be Bob himself, may have already provided the lighting system with Bob's name as the user name. Alternatively, the lighting system may have detected Bob's mobile phone at some point, for example via Bluetooth, and extracted Bob's name from the name of his mobile phone (e.g., "Bob's Phone"). When the lighting system is installed / commissioned, access rights can be pre-populated based on the user name provided by the administrator at that time and / or based on user names extracted from the detected device names at that time. When a new device is later detected and a new user name is obtained, additional access rights can be determined and stored.

[0051] When Bob's name (user name 59) is obtained, Bob is granted access to lighting device 33 because the name of lighting device 33 (name 53) includes Bob's name. No other users of the lighting system are initially granted access to lighting device 53. Authorized users can modify the access permissions for each component. In the first embodiment of the bridge 1, no user of the lighting system is initially granted access to lighting devices 31 and 32. In the second embodiment of the bridge 1, all users of the lighting system are initially granted access to lighting devices 31 and 32 because the names of lighting devices 31 and 32 (names 51 and 52) do not include any user names.

[0052] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment of the bridge 1 shown in FIG, the bridge 1 includes a processor 5. In alternative embodiments, the bridge 1 includes multiple processors. The processor 5 of the bridge 1 can be a general-purpose processor, such as an ARM-based processor, or a dedicated processor. The processor 5 of the bridge 1 can run an operating system, such as a Unix-based operating system. The memory 7 can include one or more storage units. For example, the memory 7 can include solid-state memory. For example, the memory 7 can be used to store a list of connected lights.

[0053] For example, the receiver 3 and transmitter 4 may use one or more wired or wireless communication technologies, such as Ethernet for communicating with the wireless LAN access point 17 and Zigbee for communicating with the lighting device. 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 bridge 1 may include other components typical of network equipment, such as a power connector. The present invention may be implemented using a computer program running on one or more processors.

[0054] Figure 3 A second embodiment of a system for accessing components of a lighting system is shown. In this second embodiment, the system is a computer 21. The computer 21 is an internet server connected to the internet 11. Figure 3 In the example of FIG, the lighting system 39 includes a bridge 16 and three lighting devices 31-33. Figure 3 In the example of , the lighting system 39 includes a bridge. Alternatively, the lighting system 39 may not include a bridge.

[0055] Computer 21 includes a receiver 23, a transmitter 24, a processor 25, and a memory 27. Processor 25 is configured to obtain component information specifying a component name of lighting system 39, obtain user information specifying a user name, search the component information for the component name of the component of lighting system 39, determine access rights to the component by determining whether the component name includes one of the user names, and store the access rights in a memory (e.g., memory 27).

[0056] For example, component information can be obtained from memory 27. Access rights to all components of lighting system 39 can be determined. Lighting devices 31-33 are considered components of lighting system 39. Other components of lighting system 39 may include, for example, sensors, light scenes, and / or automation. User information, or portions thereof, may be provided, for example, by an administrator of the lighting system, for example, using user device 36.

[0057] The processor 25 is further configured to receive a request to access the component via the receiver 23. The request identifies the requester. The processor 25 is further configured to determine whether the requester is allowed to access the component based on the access rights to the component stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 27), and access the component via the transmitter 24 if it is determined that the requester is allowed to access the component.

[0058] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment of the computer 21 shown in FIG, the computer 21 includes a processor 25. In alternative embodiments, the computer 21 includes multiple processors. The processor 25 of the computer 21 can be a general-purpose processor, such as from Intel or AMD, or a dedicated processor. The processor 25 of the computer 21 can run an operating system, such as a Windows or Unix-based operating system. The memory 27 can include one or more storage units. The memory 27 can include, for example, one or more hard disks and / or solid-state memories. For example, the memory 27 can be used to store an operating system, applications, and application data.

[0059] For example, the receiver 23 and transmitter 24 may use one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies, such as Ethernet and / or Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11), to connect to the Internet 11. In alternative embodiments, multiple receivers and / or multiple transmitters are used instead of a single receiver and a single transmitter. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown in , a separate receiver and a separate transmitter are used. In an alternative embodiment, the receiver 23 and the transmitter 24 are combined into a transceiver. The computer 21 may include other components typical for a computer, such as a power connector. The present invention may be implemented using a computer program running on one or more processors.

[0060] exist Figure 1 and Figure 3 In an embodiment, the system of the present invention comprises a bridge or a computer. In an alternative embodiment, the system of the present invention is a different device. Figure 1 and Figure 3 In an alternative embodiment, the system of the present invention comprises a plurality of devices.

[0061] Figure 4 A first embodiment of a method for accessing components of a lighting system is shown in FIG. Figure 1 Bridge 1 or Figure 3 The computer 21 executes.

[0062] Step 101 includes obtaining component information specifying a component name of a lighting system. The component may be implemented in hardware and / or software. The components of the lighting system may include, for example, one or more of lighting devices, sensors, light scenes, and automation. For example, the component information may be obtained from a light controller (e.g., a bridge) or from the cloud. Step 103 includes obtaining user information specifying a user name. For example, an administrator of the lighting system may enter a user name.

[0063] Step 105 includes searching the component information obtained in step 101 for a component name of the lighting system. Step 107 includes determining access rights to the component by determining whether the component name found in step 105 includes one of the user names obtained in step 103.

[0064] Step 107 may include sub-step 121 and / or sub-step 123. Step 121 includes enabling the specific requester to access the component if the user name associated with the specific requester is included in the component name. This may be accomplished by associating the component with the user name(s) included in the component and / or by associating the component with the device(s) / application(s) associated with the user name(s) included in the component name. The requester may be a device / application or a person.

[0065] Step 123 includes enabling multiple requesters (e.g., any requester) to access the component if the component name does not include any user name. For example, if only authorized devices or devices connected to the same wireless network can transmit a request to access the component, any requester can be allowed to access the component. For example, if any device can transmit such a request, only authorized devices or devices connected to the same wireless network can access the component.

[0066] Step 109 includes storing the access rights in a memory. Steps 105 to 109 may be repeated one or more times. Steps 105 to 109 may be performed for each component specified in the component information obtained in step 101. Thus, in multiple iterations of steps 105 to 109, component names used in the lighting system (e.g., names of scenes / devices / automations) may be analyzed against the user name obtained in step 103 to find a match for the user name in the component name (e.g., names of scenes / devices / automations).

[0067] Later, step 111 includes receiving a request to access a component. The request identifies a requestor. Step 113 includes determining whether the requestor identified in the request received in step 111 is allowed to access the component based on the access rights for the component stored in memory in step 109. Step 114 includes checking whether the requestor is allowed to access the component as determined in step 113. If so, step 115 is executed. Step 115 includes accessing the component if it is determined that the requestor is allowed to access the component. The access component may include a control component and / or a configuration component.

[0068] Figure 5 A second embodiment of a method of accessing components of a lighting system is shown in FIG. Figure 5 The second embodiment is Figure 4 An extension of the first embodiment. Figure 5 In the embodiment, Figure 4 Step 101 is implemented by step 140, step 141 is performed between steps 105 and 107, and Figure 4 Step 107 is implemented by step 143. For example, the method can be implemented by Figure 1 Bridge 1 or Figure 3The computer 21 executes.

[0069] Step 140 includes obtaining component information specifying a component name of the lighting system and further specifying a name of a component group of the lighting system. Step 141 includes searching the component information obtained in step 140 for a group name of the component group. Step 143 includes determining access rights to the component by determining whether the component name found in step 105 or the group name found in step 141 includes one of the user names obtained in step 103. Step 141 may include sub-step 145 and / or sub-step 147.

[0070] Step 145 includes enabling a specific requestor to access the component if a user name associated with the specific requestor is included in the component name or the group name. Step 147 includes enabling multiple requestors (e.g., any requestor) to access the component if neither the component name nor the group name includes any user name.

[0071] Figure 6 A third embodiment of a method of accessing components of a lighting system is shown in FIG. Figure 6 The third embodiment is Figure 4 An extension of the first embodiment. Figure 6 In the embodiment, Figure 4 Step 103 is implemented by step 161, and steps 163 and 165 are performed after step 109. For example, the method can be implemented by Figure 1 Bridge 1 or Figure 3 The computer 21 executes.

[0072] Step 161 includes obtaining user information specifying a user name, wherein at least a portion of the user information is obtained from at least one user device. The portion of the user information specifies one or more user names associated with one or more accounts on the at least one user device. By collecting the user name from a device name (e.g., a phone name) rather than through user input, or by collecting the user name from a device name (e.g., a phone name) in addition to user input, automatic setting of access permissions becomes less laborious for an administrator. For example, the at least one user device may include a user device capable of transmitting a request to access a component, such as a mobile phone with a lighting control application installed.

[0073] Step 163 includes obtaining an input signal indicating a modification of the access rights of the component requested by the authorization requester stored in step 109. For example, a user or device that installs / debugs the system may be designated as an administrator and thus become an authorization requester, and the user may be allowed to designate other users or devices as administrators.

[0074] Step 165 includes making modifications to the access permissions in memory. Steps 163 and 165 allow the (authorized) user to fine-tune the access permissions stored in step 109. Steps 163 and 165 can be repeated one or more times. Steps 163 and 165 can be performed before and / or after the first execution of steps 111 to 115. Thus, after the access permissions have been pre-populated based on the user information, the user can adjust the access permissions as needed; the user does not have to start from scratch.

[0075] Figures 4 to 6 The embodiments of the present invention differ from each other in several respects, i.e., 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 163 and 165 can be changed from Figure 6 Omitted and / or added to the embodiments Figure 4 and Figure 5 As a second example, step 161 can be performed from Figure 6 Omitted and / or added to the embodiments Figure 4 and Figure 5 Embodiments of the invention can be combined Figures 4 to 6 Multiple (e.g., all) embodiments of .

[0076] Figure 7 A block diagram of an exemplary data processing system is depicted that can execute reference Figures 4 to 6 The method described.

[0077] like Figure 7 As shown in , data processing system 300 may include at least one processor 302 coupled to memory element 304 via system bus 306. Thus, the data processing system may store program code within 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 understood that data processing system 300 may be implemented in the form of any system including a processor and memory capable of performing the functions described in this specification.

[0078] 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 a random access memory or (a plurality of) other non-persistent storage devices typically 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 codes to reduce the amount of the number of times program codes must be retrieved from mass storage devices 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.

[0079] Input / output (I / O) devices, depicted as input device 312 and output device 314, may optionally 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 voice and / or speech 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 directly or through an intervening I / O controller.

[0080] In one embodiment, the input and output devices may be implemented as a combined input / output device (e.g., Figure 7 314). 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 finger of a user) on or near the touch screen display.

[0081] Network adapter 316 may also be coupled to the data processing system to enable it to couple 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.

[0082] like Figure 7As shown in FIG, memory element 304 can store application programs 318. In various embodiments, application programs 318 can 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 understood that data processing system 300 can also execute an operating system (OS) that can facilitate the execution of application programs 318. Figure 7 3. Application program 318 implemented in the form of executable program code may be executed by data processing system 300, for example, by processor 302. In response to executing the application program, data processing system 300 may be configured to perform one or more operations or method steps described herein.

[0083] Figure 7 Input device 312 and output device 314 are shown as being separate from network adapter 316. However, additionally or alternatively, input may be received via network adapter 316 and output may be transmitted via network adapter 316. For example, data processing system 300 may be a cloud server. In this case, input may be received from a user device acting as a terminal, and output may be transmitted to a user device acting as a terminal.

[0084] 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 term "non-transitory computer-readable storage media" includes all computer-readable media with the sole exception of transient propagating signals. In another embodiment, the program(s) may be contained on various transient 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 variable information is stored (e.g., a flash memory, a floppy disk within a floppy disk drive or hard drive, or any type of solid-state random access semiconductor memory). The computer program may be executed on the processor 302 described herein.

[0085] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" as used herein are intended to include the plural forms as well. It should also be understood that when the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0086] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or steps and functional elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the embodiments of the invention is presented for illustrative purposes and is not meant to be exhaustive or limited to the implementation of the disclosed forms. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiments are chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and some practical applications, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the various embodiments of the invention, as well as various modifications suitable for the intended particular use.

Claims

1. A system (1, 21) for accessing components (31-33) of a lighting system (19, 39), the system (1, 21) comprising: at least one input interface (3, 23); at least one output interface (4, 24); and At least one processor (5, 25) is configured to: - obtaining component information specifying the name of a component (31-33) of said lighting system (19, 39), -Get user information for a specified user name, - searching the component information for the component name of the component (31-33) of the lighting system (19, 39), - determining access rights to said component (31-33) by determining whether said component name includes one of said user names, - storing said access rights in a memory (7, 27), - receiving a request via said at least one input interface (3, 23) to access said component (31-33), said request identifying a requester, - determining whether the requester associated with one of the user names is allowed to access the component (31-33) based on the access rights to the component (31-33) stored in the memory (7, 27), and - upon determining that the requestor is allowed to access the component (31-33), accessing the component (31-33) via the at least one output interface (4, 24).

2. The system (1, 21) of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to determine the access rights to the component (31-33) by enabling multiple requestors to access the component (31-33) if the component name does not include any of the user names.

3. The system (1, 21) of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to determine the access rights to the component (31-33) by enabling any requester among the plurality of requesters to access the component (31-33) if the component name does not include any of the user names.

4. The system (1, 21) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the component information further specifies a name of a component group of the lighting system (19, 39), and the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to: - searching the component information for the group name of the component (31-33) group, and - determining the access rights to the component (31-33) by determining whether the component name or the group name includes one of the user names.

5. The system (1, 21) of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to determine the access rights to the component (31-33) by enabling the requester to access the component (31-33) if a user name associated with the requester is included in the component name or the group name, and the user name is included in the user name.

6. The system (1, 21) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the components of the lighting system (19, 39) comprise at least one of lighting devices (31-33), sensors, light scenes and automation.

7. The system (1, 21) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein accessing the components (31-33) comprises controlling the components (31-33).

8. The system (1, 21) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein accessing the components (31-33) comprises configuring the components (31-33).

9. The system (1, 21) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to: - obtaining an input signal indicative of a modification of said access rights to said component (31-33) requested by an authorization requester, and - making said modification of said access rights in said memory (7, 27).

10. A system (1, 21) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one processor (5, 25) is configured to obtain at least a portion of the user information from at least one user device (36), the portion of the user information specifying one or more user names associated with one or more accounts on the at least one user device (36).

11. The system (1, 21) of claim 9, wherein said at least one user device (36) comprises a user device capable of transmitting said request to access said component.

12. A method of accessing a component of a lighting system, the method comprising: - obtaining (101) component information specifying a component name of the lighting system; - Obtain (103) user information of a specified user name; - searching (105) the component information for a component name of a component of the lighting system; - determining (107) access rights to the component by determining whether the component name includes one of the user names; - storing (109) said access rights in a memory; - receiving (111) a request to access said component, said request identifying a requester; - based on the access rights to the component stored in the memory, determining (113) whether the requestor associated with one of the user names is allowed to access the component; and - Accessing (115) the component upon determining that the requestor is allowed to access the component.

13. A computer program product for a computing device, the computer program product comprising computer program code for performing the method of claim 12 when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of the computing device.

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