Method for controlling a lighting device and system having a controller

Abstract

A system is disclosed that includes a plurality of lighting devices and a controller configured to control operation of respective ones of the plurality of lighting devices. Each lighting device is configured to store data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource usage or one or more potential environmental impact, the one or more natural resource usage or the one or more potential environmental impact is caused by manufacturing of the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device during the life of the lighting device. The controller is configured to control operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on a metric of at least one resource usage and / or a metric of at least one potential environmental impact for a respective one of the lighting devices derived from stored data for the respective one of the lighting devices. Related methods are also disclosed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a system comprising a plurality of lighting devices and a controller configured to control operation of respective lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on a measure of potential environmental impact and / or resource usage associated with the lighting device. The invention further relates to related methods. BACKGROUND

[0002] A light generating system can comprise a plurality of light sources or lighting devices, the operation of which can be controlled individually. Hence, the light emission of each light source or lighting device in the system can be controlled, e.g. by a controller or control device which can be comprised in the light generating system. Such light source or lighting device can e.g. comprise or consist of one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs). SUMMARY

[0003] Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method that can be used to assess potential environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of a product. The life cycle of a product can include the following phases: (1) extraction of raw materials needed for the product, (2) processing (e.g. manufacturing) related to making the product, (3) shipping or transportation related to the product, (4) use of the product by a user, and (5) disposal of the product at the end of its life cycle. LCA can alternatively be referred to as Life Cycle Analysis. The phases of the life cycle of a product can include upstream (e.g. suppliers) and downstream (e.g. waste management) processes associated with production (e.g. production of raw materials, auxiliary materials, and operating materials), use, and disposal (e.g. waste incineration) of the product. To assess potential environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of a product, all relevant inputs from the environment (e.g. minerals, crude oil, water, land use, etc.) as well as emissions into air, water, and soil (e.g. carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides) can be considered. The International Organization for Standardization provides guidelines and requirements for performing LCA according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.

[0004] The LCA method and possibly any similar method can be used to assess potential environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of a lighting device (e.g. a lighting device comprising or consisting of one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs)). The inventors have realized that, in operation of a system comprising such lighting device, it would be desirable to take into account potential environmental impacts associated with the lighting device, whereby potential environmental impacts that can be associated with one or more lighting devices of the system can be reduced.

[0005] In view of the above, it is an interest of the present invention to provide an apparatus for facilitating or allowing a reduction of any potential environmental impact that can be associated with one or more lighting devices comprised in a system comprising a plurality of lighting devices.

[0006] To address at least one of the foregoing interests and others, systems and methods in accordance with the independent claims are provided. Preferred embodiments are defined by the dependent claims.

[0007] The present invention is defined by the appended independent and dependent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect, the invention provides a system comprising: a plurality of lighting devices; and a controller configured to control operation of respective lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices; wherein each lighting device is configured to store data indicative of one or more natural resource usage, the data comprising an inventory table listing resource usage of the respective lighting device accumulated so far during the lifetime of the lighting device; wherein the controller is configured to: obtain the stored data for each of the lighting devices; for each of the lighting devices, determine a value of at least one environmental impact of the lighting device derived from the stored data of the respective lighting device by applying a transformation function to the data indicative of the one or more natural resource usage; and control operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the value of the at least one environmental impact determined for the respective one of the lighting devices.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the invention provides a method in a system comprising a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device being configured to store data indicative of one or more natural resource usage, the data comprising an inventory table listing resource usage of the respective lighting device accumulated so far during the lifetime of the lighting device; the method comprising: obtaining the stored data for each of the lighting devices; for each of the lighting devices, determining (101) a value of at least one environmental impact of the lighting device derived from the stored data of the respective lighting device by applying a transformation function to the data indicative of the one or more natural resource usage; and controlling (102) operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the value of the at least one environmental impact determined for the respective one of the lighting devices.

[0010] The environmental impact can be expressed as a potential environmental impact. Natural resource usage and resource usage are expressed interchangeably.

[0011] In some aspects, the (natural) resource usage includes inputs and outputs associated with a respective resource type, e.g., at least one of water, fuel, copper, nickel, gum, plastic, metal, iron, aluminum, phosphor, paper, or other packaging material. In some aspects, the natural resource usage includes physical resources and tangible resources.

[0012] According to an aspect, a system is provided. The system comprises a plurality of lighting devices and a controller. The controller is configured to control operation of respective ones of the plurality of lighting devices. Each lighting device is configured to store (and optionally obtain) data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource usages or one or more potential environmental impacts resulting from manufacturing of the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device during its lifetime. The controller is configured to, for each of the lighting devices, determine at least one of a measure of at least one resource usage or a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device that is derivable (or derivable or based on) from the stored data of the lighting device. The measure of at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device is derivable from the data indicative of one or more natural resource usages. The controller is configured to control operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the measure of at least one resource usage and / or the measure of at least one potential environmental impact determined for respective ones of the lighting devices.

[0013] According to an aspect, a method in a system is provided. The system comprises a plurality of lighting devices. Each lighting device is configured to store (and optionally obtain) data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource usages or one or more potential environmental impacts resulting from manufacturing of the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device during its lifetime. The method comprises, for each of the lighting devices, determining at least one of a measure of at least one resource usage or a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device that is derivable (or derivable or based on) from the stored data of the lighting device. The method comprises controlling operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the measure of at least one resource usage and / or the measure of at least one potential environmental impact determined for respective ones of the lighting devices.

[0014] According to an aspect, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product comprises instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a controller of a system according to the first aspect, cause the controller to implement the method according to the second aspect.

[0015] The metric value of the at least one resource use and the metric value of the at least one potential environmental impact determined for the respective lighting device of the lighting arrangement can for example be values representing the at least one resource use and the at least one potential environmental impact, respectively. The larger the metric value or value of the at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device, the more likely it is that the at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device is large. Thus, if two lighting devices with different metric values or values of the at least one potential environmental impact are compared, the lighting device with the largest metric value or value of the at least one potential environmental impact can be considered to be the lighting device with the lower environmental sustainability of the two lighting devices.

[0016] By configuring each of the lighting devices to store (and optionally obtain) data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource usage or one or more potential environmental impact, the one or more natural resource usage or one or more potential environmental impact being caused by manufacturing from that lighting device and operations performed with respect to that lighting device during its lifetime, and by controlling operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the at least one resource usage metric value and / or the at least one potential environmental impact metric value determined for the respective one of the lighting devices, operation of the plurality of lighting devices can be controlled in accordance with the (e.g. estimated) environmental impact of the respective lighting device. This allows for a new field of lighting device control. For example, it allows for a control scheme in which operation of lighting devices of a system that are considered to be environmentally sustainable can be prioritized over operation of any lighting devices of a system that are not considered to be environmentally sustainable or at least less environmentally sustainable. For example, in case two lighting devices of a lighting system are capable of providing a certain lighting function (e.g. ambient lighting) and a first one of the two lighting devices is considered to be environmentally sustainable while the second one is not (or if the second lighting device has a metric value or value of at least one potential environmental impact that is larger than the first lighting device), the first lighting device can be operated to render the lighting function, instead of the second lighting device. Another example application is street lighting. Turning on street lights can be triggered by presence detection, such that if the presence of one or more persons in the vicinity of a group of street lights is detected, the street lights are turned on to emit light. However, if the function of turning on the lights can be sufficiently realized by one of the street lights within the group of street lights, only the street lights of the group of street lights that are considered to be environmentally sustainable can be turned on. According to another example, operation of a lighting device can be controlled based on a characteristic of the resource usage. For example, in case each of the lighting devices of a system are capable of providing a relatively energy-consuming lighting function (e.g. entertainment lighting), only the lighting devices of the system that have a metric value or value of at least one resource usage that does not exceed a (e.g. predefined) threshold (numerical value) can be operated to provide the lighting function. Other ones of the lighting devices of the system can not be operated to provide the lighting function, as the lighting devices can have had a relatively high resource usage (e.g. energy) so far (during their lifetime) as indicated by the metric value or value of at least one resource usage of the lighting devices that exceeds the (predefined) threshold (numerical value) that is relatively high. According to another example, operation of a lighting device of a system that is considered to be environmentally unsustainable or at least less environmentally sustainable than other lighting devices of the system can be prioritized over operation of the other lighting devices of the system. This may, for example, be done in order to reduce the lifetime of a lighting device of a system that is considered to be environmentally unsustainable or at least less environmentally sustainable by controlling that lighting device to perform lighting tasks that reduce electronic reliability while avoiding that other lighting devices of the system have to perform such tasks.One example is the activation of street lights during (e.g. extreme) cold weather conditions. As an example, it can be assumed that the system comprises for example six lighting devices (e.g. street lights) and that a minimum of three lighting devices need to be operated to meet any lighting regulations. Then, it can be controlled to activate three lighting devices of the system, which have a lower environmental sustainability than the other three lighting devices of the system, while avoiding that the other lighting devices have to be activated in such cold weather conditions. Hence, the electronics of the three lighting devices of the system, which have a lower environmental sustainability than the other three lighting devices of the system, will deteriorate faster than the electronics of the other lighting devices, which can result in that the three lighting devices of the system, which have a lower environmental sustainability than the other three lighting devices, fail earlier compared to the other lighting devices.

[0017] The lighting device control can be under one or more constraints, which can for example represent a type of control behavior acceptable to a user of the system. For example, the system can comprise two lighting devices of the same type, for example two lamps of the same color tone, which can for example be located in a house. A user can set (e.g. in a controller) the following constraint: one of the two lighting devices is to be used to provide decorative lighting continuously during night time (i.e. independent of whether presence is detected or not), wherein the emitted light has a relatively low luminance, while the other of the lighting devices is to be used to provide a relatively high light flux at a specific location (e.g. in a hallway to provide functional lighting), which can only be activated when presence is detected.

[0018] Each of the lighting devices or any of the lighting devices can be configured to obtain and store data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource usage or one or more potential environmental impact caused by manufacturing from the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device during its lifetime, wherein the obtained data can be added to any existing stored data or can be used to update or maintain any existing stored data. Hence, each or any of the lighting devices can be configured to store data and additionally actively maintain data.

[0019] For each lighting device or any of the lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices, the measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device can be derived from the data indicative of the one or more natural resource usages in the stored data of the lighting device by means of an LCA method. Alternatively or additionally, it is contemplated that the measure of at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device can be derived from the data indicative of the one or more natural resource usages in the stored data of the lighting device by means of any method similar to an LCA method. Thus, even though one or more embodiments disclosed herein are described with reference to (e.g., making use of) an LCA method or LCA approach, it will be understood that such embodiments can additionally or alternatively make use of any other method or approach similar to an LCA method and LCA approach. The measure or measures of at least one potential environmental impact of a respective one of the lighting devices can be derived, for example, by applying a transformation (e.g., a transformation function) to the data indicative of the one or more natural resource usages in the stored data of the lighting device. Such a transformation or transformation function can be predefined and can depend, for example, on the LCA method that can be used. Thus, the transformation or transformation function can be defined by or be part of the LCA approach that can be used. The transformation or transformation function can be stored in the controller, for example, in a memory of the controller. The transformation or transformation function can comply, for example, with the guidelines and requirements for performing LCA of the International Organization for Standardization according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. The transformation function can multiply, for example, the data indicative of the one or more natural resource usages in the stored data of the lighting device with a respective characterization factor. Such a characterization factor can be derived, for example, from the International Life Cycle Datasystem (ILCD) of the European Commission's European Programme on LCA (EPLCA). See, for example, the ILCD Handbook (ISBN 978-92-79-19092-6; doi: 10.2788 / 38479).

[0020] For each lighting device or any lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, the data indicative of at least one of the one or more natural resource usage or the one or more potential environmental impacts can for example relate to at least one of the manufacturing, shipping, storage, installation, use or disposal of the lighting device, the one or more natural resource usage or the one or more potential environmental impacts being caused by the manufacturing of the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device during its lifetime. The data can be obtained from different entities involved from the manufacturing of the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device during its lifetime, for example different entities involved in the manufacturing, shipping, storage, installation, use and / or disposal of the lighting device. In the context of the present application, disposal of a lighting device can refer to or involve recycling and / or refurbishment of the lighting device. Data related to the manufacturing of the lighting device can comprise data related to or indicative of the usage of natural resources required for manufacturing the lighting device. Data related to the installation of the lighting device can comprise data indicative of one or more potential environmental impacts caused by external conditions during the installation of the lighting device. For example, if the lighting device is a street light installed in a tunnel, and due to the installation of the street light, if traffic jams occur on the road near the tunnel and on the road passing through the tunnel, this can lead to environmental impacts and thus can be indicated in the data.

[0021] For each lighting device or any of the lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices, the data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by the manufacturing from the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device during its lifetime can for example comprise or consist of LCA data. The LCA data can for example be provided in an "LCA data file". The LCA data or LCA data file can be associated with a life cycle inventory of the lighting device, which can comply with or be based on an LCA methodology. The LCA data or LCA data file can comprise data (e.g., a list) on one or more (e.g., natural) resource uses caused by the manufacturing from the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device so far (i.e., up to the current point in time during the lifetime of the lighting device) during the lifetime of the lighting device. Such data or list can be referred to as an inventory, or inventory data or inventory table. According to an LCA methodology, potential environmental impacts can be determined (e.g., calculated) based on one or more resource uses (e.g., based on the inventory table). While one or more embodiments disclosed herein are described with reference to "LCA data" or "LCA data file", it will be understood that this does not necessarily limit the disclosed embodiments to LCA methodologies and LCA protocols; rather, the disclosed embodiments can additionally or alternatively utilize any other methodology or protocol similar to LCA methodologies and LCA protocols. In the context of the present application, the expressions "data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by the manufacturing from the lighting device and operations performed with respect to the lighting device during its lifetime", "LCA data", "LCA data file" and the like can be used interchangeably without loss of generality.

[0022] An LCA methodology can consider environmental impacts during the entire life cycle of a product (e.g., a product such as a lighting device), which can involve one or more of the following stages related to the product: (1) extraction of raw materials, (2) processing (e.g., manufacturing), (3) transport, (4) use and (5) disposal at the end of the lifetime of the lighting device. As previously mentioned, an LCA methodology can use a life cycle inventory. A life cycle inventory comprises data related to a product that quantifies all relevant inputs and outputs of the product during the above-mentioned stages. Such data is typically estimated.

[0023] Each or any lighting device can be configured to store (e.g., in a memory of the lighting device) data associated with the life cycle inventory, e.g., in the form of a "LCA data file". For each or any lighting device, the data can be updated during the various stages of the LCA, and the lighting device can be configured such that the data can be accessed or retrieved by a user at any given moment (e.g., at the end of the lifetime of the lighting device) or at the point in time when the lighting device is resold. When accessed or retrieved, the data provides inventory data accumulated so far, which can then be converted (e.g., according to the LCA method using standardized algorithms) into metric values (for different impact categories) of potential environmental impact. This can provide an accurate interpretation of the environmental impact of each individual lighting device.

[0024] The LCA data file of a lighting device can essentially comprise a table listing the resource usage during any of the different stages (1) to (5) as described before. The LCA data file can comprise several fields, each field can comprise an input or output related to a specific resource type. The resource type can be chosen accordingly. The resource type can be, for example, power, electricity, water, fuel, copper, nickel, glue, plastic, metal, iron, aluminum, phosphor, paper or other packaging material, fossil fuel, etc. The LCA of a lighting device is typically done theoretically. Especially for the use stage, the data used to build the life cycle inventory representing the inputs and outputs during each stage of the life cycle of the lighting device can be estimated based on average values. For example, theoretically, a 17W bulb can work on average 3 hours per day at 1000 lumens. However, due to the current capabilities of "smart" bulbs, the exact usage of the bulb during the day can vary significantly. For example, the same bulb can work 8 hours per day at low power with a motion sensor; and can dim, e.g., to "entertainment mode" to work 2 hours per night; and emit bright functional light at maximum intensity during the duration of a user's study day. Although the bulb is the same, the environmental impact from the use stage to each moment at the end of the lifetime of the bulb can be different. For example, even comparing the same type of lamp, one lamp can have a greater environmental impact than the other. A specific luminaire can have a greater environmental impact than a luminaire without an installed anti-burglar function.

[0025] In view of the above, it can be beneficial to store and / or update the LCA data file of the lighting device during operation of the lighting device, wherein the data is for example locally stored in the lighting device. For example, at the end of the lifetime of the lighting device, the data stored in the lighting device can thus be retrieved (e.g. when the lighting device is left at a disposal location or recycled or refurbished). Thereby, an accurate environmental impact of the lighting device over the duration of its life cycle can be determined (e.g. calculated). The data stored in the lighting device can be retrieved to obtain inventory data. Subsequently, the inventory data can be characterized as a common unit of measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device, for example a carbon dioxide equivalent or some other common unit. The measure value can represent an environmental concern of interest to which a life cycle inventory analysis result can be assigned. The at least one potential environmental impact may, for example, comprise or consist of one or more of a global warming potential (e.g. expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents) or a natural resource consumption.

[0026] As mentioned, for each or any of the plurality of lighting devices, the measure value of the at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device can be derived from the data indicative of one or more natural resource uses in the stored data of the lighting device by applying a transformation (e.g. a transformation function) to the data indicative of one or more natural resource uses in the stored data of the lighting device. The transformation or transformation function can be predefined and may, for example, depend on the LCA method that can be used. For example, many greenhouse gases are emitted (e.g. resources). Creating a list of emitted greenhouse gases can provide a resource use (e.g. an inventory table). Using the LCA method, a carbon dioxide equivalent of each greenhouse gas can be determined (i.e. the amount of heat absorbed by a greenhouse gas is a multiple of the amount of heat absorbed by an equivalent mass of carbon dioxide). The total carbon dioxide equivalent can then be used to express an environmental impact measure or value, for example a global warming potential. This can be done similarly for other environmental impacts (e.g. use of fossil fuels).

[0027] As mentioned above, each or any of the lighting devices can be configured to store and additionally actively maintain data (e.g. inventory data of an LCA). The data can be obtained and added to any existing stored data, or can be used to update or maintain any existing stored data at or during any of the different phases (1) to (5) as mentioned above, in particular at or during any of phases (1) to (4).

[0028] For example, at stages (1) and (2), data, e.g. in the form of an LCA data file, can be uploaded to the lighting device (e.g. to its memory) during the production phase of the lighting device or optionally at the start of use of the lighting device. The data (e.g. the LCA data file) would then represent the resource use (inputs and outputs) related to the raw material extraction phase and the processing (e.g. manufacturing) phase. The resources required during the raw material extraction and processing phase of the lighting device are typically known by the manufacturer. So, the manufacturer can store a pre-populated LCA data file with the inventory data of stages (1) and (2) in the lighting device or can update the inventory data of an existing (e.g. empty) LCA data file already present in the lighting device. This can happen at the end of the processing phase (e.g. when the lighting device leaves the factory). According to another example, the inventory data related to the raw material extraction and processing phase can be stored or updated by a network entity (like a backend server of the manufacturer), e.g. if and when the lighting device is first connected to the network entity. The lighting device can be associated with a unique identifier that enables the network entity (such as a backend server) to transmit corresponding data to the lighting device (e.g. similar to a firmware update).

[0029] For example, at stage (3), the lighting device can then be distributed and shipped to a customer. For example, at the time of installation of the lighting device, the LCA data file can be updated with the resource usage during the shipping stage, which can for example depend on whether the lighting device was distributed by an electric or a gasoline truck, whether the lighting device was shipped by train or by boat, what happens to the packaging of the lighting device after installation, whether additional resources (e.g. glue, aluminum tracks, etc.) were needed to install the lighting device, etc. The resource usage during installation can for example be estimated or actively monitored by the person installing the lighting device, in which case the person can update the LCA data file in the lighting device accordingly. For example, the lighting device can transmit its serial number and / or geographical location to a network entity, such as a backend server of the manufacturer, and the network entity can return the resource usage during shipping for the serial number and / or optionally return the estimated resource usage during shipping between the last known location of the lighting device (e.g. a distribution center) and the geographical location of the lighting device. According to another example, the person installing the lighting device can update the LCA data file with the resource usage during shipping. The person installing the lighting device can thus have a predetermined estimate of the resource usage during shipping. Possibly, the manufacturer can provide a questionnaire to the person installing the lighting device for filling in, so that the resource usage during shipping can be accounted for and automatically calculated by estimation. The questions in the questionnaire can for example relate to the distance traveled to deliver the lighting device to its recipient, whether the vehicle used to deliver the lighting device was powered by electricity or not, etc. Possibly, part of the resource usage during shipping can be retrieved from tracking databases of any distributors available, such as DHL or UPS.

[0030] For example, during stage (4), i.e. during the usage stage, the data file stored in the lighting device can be continuously updated. The data obtained during the usage stage can be dominated by the energy consumption (fossil energy consumption or green energy consumption) of the lighting device. The lighting device is able to measure its own energy usage.

[0031] Each or any lighting device can be configured such that the data stored in the lighting device can be accessed or retrieved at any time, e.g. by the owner of the lighting device during the usage stage or by the manufacturer of the lighting device during the raw material extraction and / or processing stage.

[0032] The controller can be configured to obtain, for each of the lighting devices, information on whether the lighting device is currently powered by electrical energy based on renewable energy sources or by electrical energy based on non-renewable energy sources. For example, an entity that can update the LCA data file of each or any of the lighting devices (e.g. during the use phase) can have access to this information and can include said information in the LCA data file of the lighting device. In this way, when converting the LCA (inventory) data into environmental impacts, a more accurate environmental impact can be determined. For example, energy consumption originating from solar or wind based energy sources can have a different impact on global warming potential and / or abiotic resource consumption than energy consumption originating from coal or gas based energy sources.

[0033] As described above, according to the first and second aspects of the application, for each lighting device, at least one of a measure of at least one resource use or a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device is determined (e.g. by the controller) from the stored data of the lighting device; then, operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is controlled (e.g. by the controller) based on the at least one measure of resource use and / or the at least one measure of potential environmental impact determined for the respective one of the lighting devices. Thereby, according to one or more embodiments of the application, operation of the plurality of lighting devices can be controlled in dependence on the (e.g. estimated) environmental impact of the respective lighting device (as determined by one or more LCA methods).

[0034] The plurality of lighting devices can be controlled (e.g. by the controller) such that any of the plurality of lighting devices having a value representing the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact exceeding a threshold value is not operated, and such that other lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices are operated. The threshold value can represent a metric value of the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact of a selected lighting device such that for a lighting device the lighting device is not considered to be environmentally sustainable if the value is exceeded. The other lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices can be controlled as a group such that operation of each of the other lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices is controlled in the same way. In the context of the present application, by controlling lighting devices in the same way, it is meant that the lighting devices are operated to provide the same lighting function or functionality, e.g. such that lighting devices in the form of color tunable lamps provide the same function of ambient lighting. Furthermore, by controlling lighting devices in the same way, it is meant that each lighting device is controlled to achieve the same or substantially the same overall light effect (which can be referred to as a light scene). Thus, it can not necessarily be required (but can be required) to control all lighting devices in order to emit light having the same characteristics (such as intensity, color, dynamic characteristics, etc.) in order to control the lighting devices in the same way. The lighting devices can be controlled to emit light having different characteristics while still achieving the same or substantially the same overall light effect. For example, in entertainment lighting, different lamps can be caused to emit light having different characteristics based on the spatial position of the lamps, but the overall effect can be the same (e.g. a sunset scene).

[0035] Each or any of the plurality of lighting devices can be configured to selectively provide one or more lighting functions when operated. The plurality of lighting devices can be controlled (e.g. by the controller) such that only any of the plurality of lighting devices having a value representing the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact not exceeding a threshold value is operated to provide the one or more lighting functions of the lighting device. Thus, other lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices having a value representing the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact exceeding a threshold value can not be operated to provide the one or more lighting functions of the lighting device. As previously mentioned, the threshold value can represent a metric value of the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact of a selected lighting device such that for a lighting device the lighting device is not considered to be environmentally sustainable if the value is exceeded. In this way, by the lighting devices not being able to provide the one or more lighting functions, a user of the plurality of lighting devices can be encouraged not to utilize any of the lighting devices that are not considered to be environmentally sustainable.

[0036] As mentioned, each or any of the lighting devices can be configured to selectively provide one or more lighting functions when in operation. A sum or average of values indicative of the at least one resource usage and / or at least one potential environmental impact determined for a respective one of the lighting devices can be determined (e.g. by the controller). If the average or sum exceeds a threshold value, the plurality of lighting devices can be controlled (e.g. by the controller) such that they are not operated, or such that use of one or more selected lighting functions of the lighting devices is prevented during operation of the lighting devices, or such that one or more selected lighting functions of the lighting devices are degraded during operation of the lighting devices. As mentioned before, the threshold value can represent a measure value of the at least one resource usage and / or at least one potential environmental impact of the selected lighting devices, such that for a lighting device the value is not considered to be environmentally sustainable if it is exceeded.

[0037] By controlling the plurality of lighting devices such that they are not operated if the average or sum exceeds the threshold value, it can be achieved that the plurality of lighting devices can not be combined with any other additional lighting devices (which can or can not be comprised in the system, and which can be considered to be environmentally sustainable). In this way, it can be achieved that for a grouping of lighting devices, none of the lighting devices in the group that are considered to be environmentally sustainable are operated, or such that lighting devices that are considered to be (e.g. highly) environmentally sustainable will not be combined with lighting devices that are considered to be (e.g. significantly) less environmentally sustainable.

[0038] By controlling the plurality of lighting devices such that one or more selected lighting functions of the lighting devices are reduced or even prevented from use during operation of the lighting devices if the average or sum exceeds the threshold value, it can be encouraged that a user of the plurality of lighting devices does not use a group of lighting devices (i.e. the plurality of lighting devices) if the group of lighting devices is not a group of environmentally sustainable lighting devices. For example, a maximum intensity of light emitted by a respective one of the lighting devices and / or an operating power of a respective one of the lighting devices can be limited if the average or sum exceeds the threshold value.

[0039] An average or sum of values representing the at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact that has been determined for respective ones of the lighting devices can be determined (e.g. by the controller). If the average or sum does not exceed a threshold value, the plurality of lighting devices can be controlled as a group (e.g. by the controller) such that each of the plurality of lighting devices is controlled in the same way. If the average or sum exceeds the threshold value, the plurality of lighting devices can be controlled individually (e.g. by the controller) rather than as a group. In this way, it can be achieved that only when the plurality of lighting devices as a group are considered to be environmentally sustainable lighting devices, they are controlled as a group in the same way, otherwise each of the plurality of lighting devices is controlled individually. This can ensure that only lighting devices that are considered to be environmentally sustainable can be controlled in a group, or that the group of lighting devices itself meets the requirements for environmental sustainability, or that environmentally non-sustainable lighting devices are discouraged from being controlled as a group. As mentioned before, the threshold value can represent a measure value of the at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact of the selected lighting devices, such that for a lighting device it is not considered to be environmentally sustainable if this value is exceeded.

[0040] For each lighting device, information can be available about whether the lighting device is currently powered by electrical energy based on renewable energy (which can be referred to as "green energy") or by electrical energy based on non-renewable energy (which can be referred to as "grey energy"). Such information can be obtained, for example, by the controller. Hence, the controller can be configured to obtain such information. The plurality of lighting devices can be controlled (e.g. by the controller) such that any lighting device having a value representing the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact exceeding a threshold value is only operated when the lighting device is currently powered by electrical energy based on renewable energy, and such that any lighting device having a value representing the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact not exceeding the threshold value is operated if the lighting device is currently powered by electrical energy based on non-renewable energy. As mentioned before, the threshold value can represent a selected measure value of the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device such that for a lighting device the lighting device is not considered to be environmentally sustainable if this value is exceeded. In this way, lighting devices considered to be environmentally sustainable can be operated (e.g. only) when they are currently powered by electrical energy based on non-renewable energy, and lighting devices considered to be environmentally unsustainable (or at least less environmentally sustainable) can be operated (e.g. only) when they are currently powered by electrical energy based on renewable energy. In this way, less environmentally sustainable lighting devices and better environmentally sustainable lighting devices can be brought closer together with respect to their environmental impact.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the controller can determine for each of the plurality of lighting devices whether the lighting device is currently powered by green energy or by grey energy, and only control that or those lighting devices having a measure value or value of the at least one potential environmental impact not exceeding a threshold value (numerical value) to provide the lighting function when the lighting device or the lighting devices is or are currently powered by grey energy, and only control the lighting device or the lighting devices having a measure value or value of the at least one potential environmental impact exceeding the threshold value (numerical value) to provide the lighting function if the lighting device or the lighting devices is or are currently powered by green energy. Hence, less environmentally sustainable lighting devices and more environmentally sustainable lighting devices can be brought closer together with respect to their environmental impact.

[0042] The controller can be configured to obtain, for each lighting device, a value representing the emission intensity of the electricity with which the lighting device is currently powered. The value representing the emission intensity of the electricity with which the lighting device is currently powered can for example be a value representing the carbon intensity of the electricity with which the lighting device is currently powered, and can for example consist of a carbon intensity per kilowatt-hour or some similar quantity. The controller can for example be configured to obtain (e.g. receive or retrieve) a value representing the emission intensity of the electricity with which the lighting device is currently powered by some entity providing an estimate of the emission intensity (e.g. carbon intensity) of electricity consumed in different regional scopes of the electricity system of the country in which the lighting device is used. The controller can be configured to control the plurality of lighting devices such that only lighting devices having a value representing the at least one resource use and / or the at least one potential environmental impact exceeding a threshold value are operated if the value of the emission intensity of the electricity with which the lighting device is currently powered does not exceed a threshold emission intensity value, and such that lighting devices having a value representing the at least one resource use and / or the at least one potential environmental impact not exceeding the threshold value are operated if the value of the emission intensity of the electricity with which the lighting device is currently powered exceeds the threshold emission intensity value. As mentioned before, the threshold value can represent a selected measure of the at least one resource use and / or the at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device, such that for a lighting device the value is not considered to be environmentally sustainable if it is exceeded.

[0043] As mentioned above, for each lighting device at least one of a measure of the at least one resource use or a measure of the at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device derived from the stored data of the lighting device can be determined (e.g. by the controller). The determination of the (currently accumulated) measure of the at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device can be done in several ways.

[0044] For example, for each of these lighting devices, the measure of the at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device can for example be determined (e.g. by the controller) in the following way. For each lighting device, the stored data of the lighting device can be obtained (e.g. received or retrieved), and a measure of the at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device can be determined based on the data in the stored data of the lighting device indicating one or more natural resource uses. Thus, according to one example, the controller can obtain the stored data (e.g. containing an inventory table with a list of resource uses) from each of the lighting devices, and then determine (e.g. calculate) a measure of the at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device based on said data.

[0045] Thus, according to one embodiment, the controller can obtain (or read, determine, or poll) a stored data file for each of the plurality of lighting devices. As mentioned, the data file can be indicative of resource usage related to the lighting device during the respective phase of the life cycle of the lighting device, and the data file can comprise a list of resources and a plurality of entries, each entry defining resource usage of a listed resource during the life cycle of the lighting device. The controller can then convert the resource usage of the lighting device during the respective phase of the life cycle of the lighting device into a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device (e.g., based on an LCA method). In this way, it can be determined, for example, that a first lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices has a global warming potential X, a second lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices has a global warming potential Y, a third lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices has a global warming potential Z, etc., where X, Y, and Z can be values representative of global warming potential.

[0046] Alternatively or additionally, the measure of at least one potential environmental impact of each lighting device can be determined by the respective one of the lighting devices. Each lighting device can be configured to determine the measure of at least one potential environmental impact of that lighting device based on data indicative of one or more natural resource usages in the stored data of that lighting device. The controller can be configured to determine the measure of at least one potential environmental impact of each of the lighting devices by obtaining (e.g., receiving or retrieving) the measure of at least one potential environmental impact of that lighting device that has been determined by that lighting device for each of the lighting devices.

[0047] Thus, according to one embodiment, the stored data file for each of the plurality of lighting devices can be indicative of resource usage related to the lighting device during the respective phase of the life cycle of the lighting device, and the data file can comprise a list of resources and a plurality of entries, each entry defining resource usage of a listed resource during the respective phase of the life cycle of the lighting device. Each of the plurality of lighting devices can convert the resource usage of that lighting device during the respective phase of the life cycle of the lighting device into a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device (e.g., based on an LCA method). The controller can then obtain (or read, or determine) the measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device that has been determined "locally" by the lighting device for each of the plurality of lighting devices.

[0048] For each of the plurality of lighting devices, a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of each lighting device can be determined (e.g. by the controller or the lighting device itself) based on data indicative of one or more natural resource uses in the stored data of the lighting device (e.g. by an LCA method).

[0049] The at least one potential environmental impact may, for example, comprise or consist of one or more of global warming potential or natural resource consumption (such as abiotic depletion).

[0050] The controller may, for example, comprise or consist of a user interface. The controller can be configured to obtain (e.g. receive or retrieve) an indication of the threshold value (e.g. as described above). For example, any user interface of the controller can be configured to receive a user input indicative of the threshold value.

[0051] According to one or more other exemplary embodiments of the present application, the system can comprise a user interface device, which can comprise the controller and some means for providing information or indications to a user, e.g. a display for providing visual indications or feedback. However, means for providing other types of indications or feedback, such as audible, are possible. Via the display, a user can be presented with a measure of at least one resource use and / or a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting devices derived from the stored data of the respective ones of the lighting devices, e.g. values representing the at least one resource use and / or the at least one potential environmental impact, respectively. The controller can be configured to determine a suggestion for how the user can control the plurality of lighting devices based on the determined measures or values, and to indicate the suggestion to the user via the display. For example, if any of the determined measures or values exceeds a predetermined threshold value (numerical value), the controller can be configured to generate an alert to the user, e.g. a visual alert via the display, and / or to generate a suggestion to the user on how to control the plurality of lighting devices. The controller can be configured to aggregate the determined measures or values, and to indicate the aggregated measure or value of the at least one potential environmental impact to the user via the display.

[0052] The controller can be connected with each of the plurality of lighting devices. For example, each lighting device or any of the plurality of lighting devices can comprise a processor configured to store (and optionally obtain) data. In aspects, a master lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices can comprise the controller. For each lighting device or any of the plurality of lighting devices, the data can for example be stored in the lighting device, e.g. in a memory that can be comprised in the lighting device. Alternatively or additionally, for each lighting device or any of the plurality of lighting devices, the data can be stored in some other entity that is accessible to the lighting device and / or the controller, e.g. in an entity that is comprised in a communication network to which the lighting device and / or the controller can be connected.

[0053] Each lighting device or any of the plurality of lighting devices can for example comprise or consist of one or more LEDs.

[0054] The controller can for example comprise one or more processors, control units, control means, etc., each or any of which can for example comprise or consist of any suitable central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., or any combination thereof. The controller or one or more control units, control means, etc. can optionally be capable of executing software instructions stored in the form of a computer program product in a memory. The memory can for example be any combination of read-and-write memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The memory can include permanent storage which can be, for example, magnetic storage, optical storage, solid state storage, or remotely mounted storage, or any combination thereof.

[0055] The controller or one or more control units, control means, etc. can for example comprise driver circuitry (e.g. LED driver circuitry) for controlling the supply of power to the respective lighting devices of the lighting device and / or for controlling the operation of the respective lighting devices of the lighting device. The driver circuitry can for example comprise driver circuitry configured to drive the respective lighting devices of the lighting device (or to control the operation of the respective lighting devices of the lighting device). The controller or one or more controllers, control units, control means, etc. can be configured to control the operation of the respective lighting devices of the lighting device, e.g. by sending at least one control signal or control message, etc. to the respective lighting devices of the lighting device.

[0056] In some aspects, the present invention can provide a system comprising: a plurality of electronic devices; and a controller configured to control operation of respective ones of the plurality of electronic devices; each electronic device configured to obtain and store data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts resulting from manufacture of the electronic device and operations performed with respect to the electronic device during its lifetime; the controller configured to: for each of the electronic devices, determine at least one of a measure of at least one resource use or a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the electronic device derived from the stored data of the electronic device; and control operation of at least one of the plurality of electronic devices based on the at least one measure of resource use and / or the at least one measure of potential environmental impact determined for respective ones of the electronic devices. Thus, the principles of one or more embodiments of the present invention can be applied not only to a system comprising a plurality of lighting devices, but, similarly or identically as described herein, to a system comprising one or more types of electronic devices other than lighting devices.

[0057] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth, in part, in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or can be learned from practice of the present invention. The objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0058] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 2 is a schematic flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] All drawings are schematic, not necessarily to scale, and generally only show the parts that are necessary in order to illustrate embodiments of the present invention, wherein other parts can be omitted or merely suggested. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] The present application will now be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplifying embodiments of the present application are shown. The present application may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be interpreted as limited to the embodiments of the application set forth herein; rather these embodiments of the application are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will convey the scope of the application to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate identical or similar elements, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0063] Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a system 10 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0064] The lighting system 10 comprises a plurality of lighting devices 1-6. It should be understood that Figure 1 The number of lighting devices shown in Figure 1 may be less or more than the number of lighting devices shown in The system 10 may, in principle, comprise any number of lighting devices.

[0065] Figure 1 Each of the lighting devices 1-6 is configurable to emit light, which is schematically indicated by the arrows in Figure 1 Each of the lighting devices 1-6 can be controlled with respect to its operation, e.g. with respect to one or more characteristics of the emitted light, e.g. with respect to the spectrum of the emitted light. To this end, each of the lighting devices 1-6 or any of the lighting devices may, for example, comprise at least one wavelength- variable light source (not shown in

[0066] The system 10 comprises a controller 8, which is configurable to control the operation of respective ones of the plurality of lighting devices 1-6. Although Figure 1 wireless connections between the controller 8 and the lighting devices 1-6 are indicated, it should be understood that the controller 8 and the lighting devices 1-6 can be connected via one or more wired connections and / or one or more wireless connections, e.g. by any suitable wired and / or wireless connections known in the art. The controller 8 can be configured to control the operation of respective ones of the lighting devices 1-6, e.g. by transmitting at least one control signal or control message, etc. to the respective ones of the lighting devices 1-6.

[0067] As has been described herein, each of the lighting devices 1-6 can be configured to store (and optionally obtain) data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts resulting from manufacturing of the lighting device 1-6 and operations performed for the lighting device 1-6 during its lifetime. For each lighting device or any of the plurality of lighting devices 1-6, the data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts resulting from manufacturing of the lighting device 1-6 and operations performed for the lighting device 1-6 during its lifetime can for example relate to at least one of manufacturing, shipping, storing, installing, using or disposing of the lighting device 1-6. As has been described herein, the data can be obtained by different entities involved in manufacturing of the lighting device and operations performed for the respective lighting device 1-6 during its lifetime, for example different entities involved in manufacturing, shipping, storing, installing, using and / or disposing of the respective lighting device 1-6 (not shown in Fig. 1). Figure 1

[0068] The controller 8 can be configured to determine, for each of the lighting devices 1-6, at least one of a measure of at least one resource use or a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device 1-6 derived from the stored data of the lighting device 1-6. For each lighting device 1-6, the measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device 1-6 can for example be derived from the data indicative of one or more natural resource uses of the lighting device 1-6 by a life cycle assessment method from the stored data of the lighting device 1-6. The controller 8 can be configured to control operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices 1-6 based on the determined measure of at least one resource use and / or the determined measure of at least one potential environmental impact for the respective one of the lighting devices 1-6.

[0069] Figure 2 ​is a schematic flowchart of a method 100 according to an embodiment of the application. The method 100 is performed in or in relation to a system comprising a plurality of lighting devices, wherein each lighting device is configured to store data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resource usages or one or more potential environmental impacts resulting from manufacturing of the lighting device and operations performed for the lighting device during its lifetime. The method 100 comprises, at 101, determining, for each lighting device, at least one of a measure of at least one resource usage or a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device derived from the stored data of the lighting device. At 102, operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is controlled based on the at least one measure of resource usage and / or the at least one measure of potential environmental impact determined for a respective one of the lighting devices. The method 100 can then end.

[0070] While the application has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the application is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practising the claimed application, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A system (10) comprising: a plurality of lighting devices (1-6); and a controller (8) configured to control operation of respective ones of the plurality of lighting devices; wherein each lighting device is configured to store data indicative of one or more natural resource usage, the data comprising an inventory table listing resource usage of the respective lighting device accumulated so far during a lifetime of the lighting device; wherein the controller is configured to: obtain the stored data for each of the lighting devices; for each of the lighting devices, determine a value of at least one environmental impact of the lighting device derived from the stored data for the respective lighting device by applying a transformation function to the data indicative of one or more natural resource usage, wherein the transformation function is dependent on a life cycle assessment (LCA) method; and control operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the value of the at least one environmental impact determined for the respective one of the lighting devices. the controller is configured to:

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, control the plurality of lighting devices such that any of the plurality of lighting devices having a value of the at least one environmental impact exceeding a threshold value is not operated, and such that other ones of the plurality of lighting devices are operated. the controller is configured to control the other ones of the plurality of lighting devices as a group, thereby controlling operation of each of the other ones of the plurality of lighting devices in the same way.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, each lighting device is configured to selectively provide one or more lighting functions when operated, wherein the controller is configured to:

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, control the plurality of lighting devices such that only any of the plurality of lighting devices having a value of the at least one environmental impact not exceeding a threshold value is operated to provide the one or more lighting functions of the lighting device. each lighting device is configured to selectively provide one or more lighting functions when operated, wherein the controller is configured to:

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, determine a sum or average of the values of the at least one environmental impact determined for the respective ones of the lighting devices; and if the average or sum exceeds a threshold value, control the plurality of lighting devices such that the plurality of lighting devices is not operated, or such that one or more selected lighting functions of the lighting devices are prevented from being used during operation of the lighting devices, or such that the one or more selected lighting functions of the lighting devices are degraded during operation of the lighting devices. the controller is configured to:

6. The system of claim 1, wherein, determine a sum or average of values representative of the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact, wherein the at least one resource usage and / or the at least one potential environmental impact is determined for the respective ones of the lighting devices; and if the average or sum does not exceed a threshold value, control the plurality of lighting devices as a group, thereby controlling operation of each of the plurality of lighting devices in the same way; and ​ ​ if the average or sum exceeds the threshold value, controlling the plurality of lighting devices individually and not as a group.

7. The system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, each lighting device is configured to repeatedly obtain and store data indicative of at least one of the one or more natural resource usages at different points in time, wherein the obtained data is added to or used to update or maintain any existing stored data.

8. The system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, the transformation function is predefined and stored in the controller.

9. The system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, the transformation function is configured to multiply the stored data indicative of the one or more natural resource usages with a respective characterization factor of a life cycle assessment method.

10. The system of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, the at least one environmental impact is global warming potential or natural resource consumption.

11. The system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, each lighting device comprises a memory for locally storing the data.

12. The system of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, the plurality of lighting devices comprises a master lighting device, wherein the master lighting device comprises the controller.

13. The system of any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein, the controller comprises a user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to receive a user input indicative of the threshold value.

14. A method (100) in a system comprising a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device being configured to store data indicative of one or more natural resource usages, the data comprising an inventory table listing resource usages of the respective lighting device accumulated so far during the lifetime of the lighting device; the method comprising: - obtaining the stored data of each of the lighting devices; - for each of the lighting devices, determining (101) a value of at least one environmental impact of the lighting device derived from the stored data of the respective lighting device by applying a transformation function to the data indicative of the one or more natural resource usages; and - controlling (102) operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the value of the at least one environmental impact determined for the respective one of the lighting devices.

15. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a controller (8) of a system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, cause the controller to perform the method (100) according to claim 14. ​

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