Lighting system

Abstract

The invention provides a lighting system comprising a lighting device and a storage device, wherein the lighting device comprises a controller and a communication circuit; wherein the storage device is configured to store life cycle assessment information associated with the lighting device; wherein the storage device is configured to disclose the life cycle assessment information upon receipt of access information; wherein the controller is configured to determine a failure or end-of-life related condition of the lighting device and to control the communication circuit to communicate a message upon determining the failure or end-of-life related condition; wherein the message comprises access information for accessing the storage device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a lighting system comprising a lighting device and a storage device, and a related method for controlling the lighting system. The invention further relates to light bulbs and / or luminaires. Background Technology

[0002] Sustainability has become an increasingly relevant theme in the lighting industry and in the production of light bulbs and luminaires. For example, Signify (a world-renowned company in the lighting field) has already published 2,000 Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in 2024, covering 70,000 product changes to improve transparency and sustainable innovation.

[0003] An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a document that provides a thorough, objective, comparable, and third-party verified report on the environmental performance of products and services from a lifecycle perspective. An EPD is a so-called Type III Environmental Declaration conforming to the ISO 14025 standard.

[0004] The foundation of any EPD is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculated from life cycle assessment information. LCA allows for the evaluation of a product's environmental performance throughout its entire life cycle. It typically considers the entire value chain from material extraction to product manufacturing, its use stages, and end-of-life.

[0005] More specifically: Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a method that can be used to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with a product throughout its entire life cycle. The product life cycle may include the following stages: (1) extraction of the raw materials required for the product, (2) processing (e.g., manufacturing) related to the production of the product, (3) execution of shipment or transport related to the product, (4) user use of the product, and (5) disposal of the product at the end of its life cycle.

[0006] To assess the potential environmental impact associated with a product throughout its entire lifecycle, all relevant inputs from the environment (e.g., ore, crude oil, water, land use, etc.) and emissions into the air, water, and soil (e.g., carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides) can be considered. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides guidelines and requirements for conducting LCAs according to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.

[0007] Therefore, the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) includes and builds upon a life cycle assessment. However, even if the EPD reports the environmental performance of a specific type of product, the basic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) remains a summary conclusion for all products of that type. The actual environmental performance of each individual product (even if manufactured in the same plant) obviously depends on how the customer will use it in practice, where it will be used, and how it will be disposed of at the end of its life. For example, a street light that operates continuously at night may have a higher environmental impact than the same model of street light that is turned on / off based on nighttime presence detection. For example, a street light that is improperly operated by the customer may require multiple maintenance actions during its lifespan, resulting in an increased environmental impact due to the additional use of materials and / or equipment required.

[0008] Therefore, there is a long-standing and urgent need to improve EPD (Environmental Product Declaration), to collect associated life cycle assessment information, and to retrieve such life cycle assessment information. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The object of this invention is to provide an improved lighting system that at least mitigates the aforementioned problems and disadvantages, and provides a new technological concept for retrieving life cycle assessment information (e.g., based on which to establish more accurate and current environmental product claims).

[0010] Therefore, the present invention provides a lighting system comprising a lighting device and a storage device, wherein the lighting device includes a controller and a communication circuit; wherein the storage device is configured to store lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device; wherein the storage device is configured to disclose the lifecycle assessment information upon receiving access information; wherein the controller is configured to: determine a fault or end-of-life related condition of the lighting device, and control the communication circuit to transmit a message upon determining the fault or end-of-life related condition; wherein the message includes access information for accessing the storage device.

[0011] Therefore, the present invention provides a lighting system including a lighting device and a storage device. The storage device stores lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device and discloses (only) (or unlocks, or makes public, or provides access) the lifecycle assessment information upon receiving access information.

[0012] In one embodiment, the access information includes at least one of the following: a key, an encryption key, an identifier, a unique identifier, and a credential. In another embodiment, the lighting device is a light bulb or a lamp.

[0013] Therefore, as described above, the lighting device includes a controller and communication circuitry. The communication circuitry can be, for example, a wireless transmitter or transceiver. The controller is configured to determine a fault or end-of-life related condition of the lighting device. The controller is further configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit (or transmit) a message upon determining the fault or end-of-life related condition; wherein the message includes access information for accessing the storage device.

[0014] In an embodiment, the lighting system may include a third device (or another device) configured to receive a message and access a storage device to retrieve lifecycle assessment information stored in the storage device. The third device may, for example, include a third device communication circuit configured to receive the message and query the storage device to retrieve the lifecycle assessment information stored therein. The access information is adapted to access the storage device and / or retrieve information from the storage device.

[0015] Therefore, in summary, the present invention provides an improved lighting system in which, when the controller has determined a fault or end-of-life (EOL) related condition, the controller transmits a message with access information only, and wherein lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device according to the invention is stored in a storage device and disclosed only upon receiving the access information transmitted with the message. Thus, the present invention maintains the privacy of the lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device during operation and provides reliable access to the lifecycle assessment information after a fault and / or end-of-life (EOL) related condition is detected, such as after a defect in the lighting device or after the removal of the lighting device. Access to this (more accurate) lifecycle assessment information facilitates the a posteriori establishment of accurate environmental product claims. This facilitates comparisons of the environmental impact of the lighting device throughout its entire lifespan. Therefore, access to this (more accurate) lifecycle assessment information facilitates selection in the disposal, recycling, refurbishment, or reuse of the lighting device.

[0016] In an embodiment, lifecycle assessment information may include, for example, an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the lighting fixture.

[0017] For example, this EPD can be updated in real time during the use of the lighting fixture, and kept confidential or inaccessible, for example, for privacy purposes, and only made available to an entity capable of receiving a message including access information when the lighting fixture fails or ends its life. This allows such an entity to obtain the latest, most recently updated, and accurate EPD of the lighting fixture. It is conceivable that lighting fixtures of the same type, those with a higher environmental impact during their lifespan to date, can be handled differently compared to those with a lower environmental impact during their lifespan to date.

[0018] Therefore, in such an embodiment, the present invention provides a lighting system including a lighting device and a storage device, wherein the lighting device includes a controller and a communication circuit; wherein the storage device is configured to contain an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the lighting device; wherein the storage device is configured to disclose the EPD upon receiving access information; wherein the controller is configured to determine a fault or end-of-life related condition of the lighting device, and, upon determining the fault or end-of-life related condition, control the communication circuit to transmit a message; wherein the message includes access information for accessing the storage device.

[0019] In summary, in the embodiments, lifecycle assessment information may include a data file containing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

[0020] The lighting device may further include a light source, wherein the controller is configured to control the light source to emit light. The fault or end-of-life related condition may be a fault or end-of-life related condition of the light source. The lighting device may further include a lighting driver, wherein the lighting driver is configured to supply power to the lighting device (e.g., a controller, communication circuitry, and / or particularly the light source of the lighting device). The fault or end-of-life related condition may be a fault or end-of-life related condition of the lighting driver.

[0021] Throughout this application, lifecycle assessment information can be alternatively referred to as LCA information, or lifecycle assessment data file, or LCA data file. Therefore, lifecycle assessment information can be a data file. Such a data file can be continuously or constantly updated. Throughout this application, lifecycle assessment information can be understood as inherently cumulative information, that is, lifecycle assessment information that can be continuously, constantly, or in real-time updated, such that previously stored lifecycle assessment information is supplemented with new lifecycle assessment information reflecting the stored lifecycle assessment information.

[0022] As previously stated, a product lifecycle may include the following stages: (1) extraction of raw materials required for the product, (2) processing (e.g., manufacturing) related to the production of the product, (3) execution of shipment or transport related to the product, (4) user use of the product, and (5) disposal of the product at the end of its lifecycle. In one embodiment, lifecycle assessment information may include, for example, a table listing the use of (natural) resources during the product's lifecycle (i.e., for example, during any of the different stages (1) to (5) mentioned above). Lifecycle assessment information may be collected or accumulated, for example, at least in part during the operation and use of the luminaire. For example, the amount of green power consumption when green energy dominates the electricity mix, or conversely, the amount of gray power consumption when gray energy dominates the electricity mix.

[0023] In this embodiment, the life cycle assessment information may have a predetermined format. The format may be unique (for a specific LCA methodology). The LCA information may include several fields, each of which may include inputs or outputs related to a specific (natural) resource type. The (natural) resource type may be selected accordingly. The (natural) resource type may be, for example, electricity, water, fuel, copper, nickel, glue, plastics, metals, iron, aluminum, phosphors, paper or other packaging materials, fossil fuels, etc.

[0024] In an embodiment, the storage device is configured to acquire (receive or retrieve) lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device and store the lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device.

[0025] For example, the communication circuitry of the lighting device can receive input including lifecycle assessment information, or at least a portion thereof, and the controller can store the received lifecycle assessment information in the storage device. Alternatively, the storage device may include an interface for receiving lifecycle assessment information directly from external devices, such as user devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, computers, etc.).

[0026] In one embodiment, the storage device is configured to store lifecycle assessment information associated with the manufacturing stage of the lighting device before the lighting device is put into operation.

[0027] In this embodiment, the communication circuit may include a transmitter. The communication circuit may be an NFC chip.

[0028] As described above, the storage device stores lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device. The storage device may be located locally or remotely from the lighting device.

[0029] In the first embodiment, the storage device is a local storage device, wherein the lighting device includes a local storage device. Therefore, the lighting device itself can store lifecycle assessment information, or in other words, the lifecycle assessment information is stored within the lighting device.

[0030] For example, during at least one stage of the lighting device's lifecycle, the lighting device's local storage can receive or retrieve at least a portion of lifecycle assessment information from an external device. For example, the local storage can receive at least a portion of the lifecycle assessment information from such an external device after the manufacturing stage and before the usage stage. For example, lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device and related to the manufacturing stage can be stored (or programmed) at the lighting device's factory. Alternatively, for example, during the usage stage of the lighting device's lifecycle, the lighting device's local storage can receive at least a portion of the lifecycle assessment information from a controller. In summary, the lighting device itself stores its own associated lifecycle assessment information within itself.

[0031] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to acquire lifecycle assessment information of the lighting device and store the acquired lifecycle assessment information in a storage device.

[0032] In one embodiment, the lighting device includes sensing circuitry for sensing a sensing input indicating the lifecycle assessment information, and wherein the local storage device is configured to determine and obtain the lifecycle assessment information from the sensing input.

[0033] As mentioned, the controller is configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit a message upon determining the failure or end-of-life-related condition, wherein the message includes access information for accessing the storage device. In one embodiment, the message includes at least a portion of the lifecycle assessment information. In another embodiment, the message includes only a portion of the lifecycle assessment information. In yet another embodiment, the message includes an encrypted copy of at least a portion of the lifecycle assessment information. In yet another embodiment, the at least a portion of the lifecycle assessment information is only a part of the lifecycle assessment information, such as only the last update of the lifecycle assessment information (or only the current lifecycle assessment information). This embodiment is advantageous because the data that can be transmitted in a failure or end-of-life-related condition may be limited, thus only a portion of the lifecycle assessment information is sent. This optimizes bandwidth. For example, the partial lifecycle assessment information may be a summary of accumulated lifecycle assessment information at end-of-life (EOL), or it may be a representation of lifecycle assessment information that only provides specific categories of environmental impacts (e.g., green energy consumption and raw material usage choices).

[0034] As described above, the storage device stores lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device. The storage device can be located locally or remotely from the lighting device. In an embodiment, the storage device is an external storage device, wherein the external storage device is separate from and remote from the lighting device. This embodiment can be advantageous because the lifecycle assessment information can be stored in a secure location outside the lighting device, such as in the cloud, on a server, or in an external storage device. In an embodiment, the controller is configured to acquire (receive or retrieve) the lifecycle assessment information of the lighting device and to control the communication circuitry to transmit the acquired lifecycle assessment information to the external storage device.

[0035] In one embodiment, the lighting device includes a sensing circuit for sensing a sensing input indicating the lifecycle assessment information, and wherein the controller is configured to determine and acquire the lifecycle assessment information from the sensing input, and wherein the controller may be configured to store the acquired lifecycle assessment information in the external storage device.

[0036] The life cycle assessment information according to the present invention may include a predetermined format for storing resource use and / or environmental impact values ​​during the lifespan of a lighting installation (according to a predetermined LCA methodology). Such resource use may, for example, be a list listing the types of resources (such as raw materials and / or energy) required to construct or operate the lighting installation and the relevant values ​​for those resource types. Such impact values ​​may, for example, be environmental impact scores calculated based on the resource use of the lighting installation.

[0037] In one embodiment, for at least one resource type, the lifecycle assessment information includes data indicating resource usage of the at least one resource type during the lifespan of the lighting installation.

[0038] In some aspects, the life cycle assessment information according to the invention may, for example, include: values ​​representing the use of at least one (natural) resource; or values ​​representing the at least one potential environmental impact caused by the performance of operations related to the manufacture and / or operation of the lighting device, these values ​​being determined for the lighting device. The life cycle assessment information according to the invention may, for example, include: values ​​representing the use of at least one (natural) resource; or values ​​representing the at least one potential environmental impact caused by the performance of operations related to the lighting device during its service life after the completion of its manufacture, these values ​​being determined for the lighting device.

[0039] In one embodiment, the end-of-life related condition includes one or more of the following: predetermined operating hours, operating condition, power outage of the lighting unit not associated with a power failure, or predetermined pollution budget.

[0040] In one embodiment, the lighting device includes a light source, wherein the malfunction and / or end-of-life related condition includes a malfunction and / or end-of-life related condition of the light source of the lighting device. Therefore, a message indicating that the light source is malfunctioning and / or has an end-of-life related condition is transmitted.

[0041] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to control the lighting device to stop working after a message has been transmitted.

[0042] In some aspects, the lighting device according to the invention may include a button arranged to receive user input, wherein the controller is configured to determine the user input and, upon determining the user input, to determine the life-end related condition. Thus, the user input can indicate the end of life. For example, the owner of the lighting device may determine that the end of life has been reached and provide the user input.

[0043] In some aspects, the controller according to the invention can be configured to determine a trigger event and, upon determining the trigger event, determine the life-end related condition. The trigger event may, for example, be: determining the removal of the mains cable from the lighting device; or determining the removal of the screws from the control cable used for the lighting device (before the cable is pulled out).

[0044] As an example of power outages, it is important to distinguish between radio power outages of luminaires caused by power failures and those caused by LED driver failures. In the case of a power failure, no message is sent. Conversely, in the case of an LED driver failure, an LCA message may be sent. Therefore, a power failure in the grid or a circuit breaker tripping can be distinguished from an LED driver failure. Another criterion for a power failure is that adjacent luminaires experience a power outage. Furthermore, circuit breaker events can be distinguished from near-failure electronic components.

[0045] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for controlling a lighting system. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for controlling a lighting system comprising a lighting device, a storage device, and a third device, wherein the lighting device includes a controller and a communication circuit, and wherein the method includes: the storage device storing lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device; the controller determining a fault or end-of-life related condition of the lighting device; the controller controlling the communication circuit to transmit a message upon determining the fault or end-of-life related condition, wherein the message includes access information for accessing the storage device; the third device receiving the message and accessing the storage device to retrieve the lifecycle assessment information stored in the storage device; and the storage device disclosing the lifecycle assessment information upon receiving the access information. Therefore, the advantages and / or embodiments applicable to the lighting system according to the present invention can be modified as necessary to apply to the method according to the present invention.

[0046] The present invention further relates to a computer program product. Therefore, the present invention provides a computer program product for a computing device, the computer program product comprising computer program code that, when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of the computing device, executes the method according to the present invention. The computing device may be part of the lighting system, such as a controller.

[0047] Therefore, some aspects of the present invention can be implemented in the form of a computer program product, which may be a set of computer program instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device, the set of computer program instructions being executable by a computer. The instructions of the present invention can be in the form of any interpretable or executable code mechanism, including but not limited to scripts, interpreted programs, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), or Java classes. These instructions can be provided as a complete executable program, a partial executable program, as a modification (e.g., an update) of an existing program, or as an extension (e.g., a plug-in) of an existing program. Furthermore, portions of the processing of the present invention can be distributed across multiple computers or processors.

[0048] In some aspects, the present invention provides a luminaire including a controller and a transmitter, wherein the controller is configured to: accumulate lifecycle assessment information of the luminaire, detect faults or end-of-life related conditions of the luminaire, and trigger the transmitter to send a message including information configured to retrieve the lifecycle assessment information in response to the detected faults or end-of-life related conditions.

[0049] Therefore, in some aspects, the present invention provides a lighting fixture including a controller and a transmitter, wherein the controller is configured to: accumulate lifecycle assessment information of the lighting fixture, detect a fault or end-of-life related condition of the lighting fixture, and in response to and after the detected fault or end-of-life related condition, cause the transmitter to transmit a message including information configured to retrieve the lifecycle assessment information. The transmitter may, for example, be an NFC tag configured to transmit a message to an NFC reader after the detected fault or end-of-life related condition.

[0050] In one instance, authorization information and / or final lifecycle assessment information can also be retrieved from a lighting device (such as a luminaire) via NFC. In this case, the luminaire may include an LED driver with an integrated NFC tag. The NFC tag can also be activated when the LED driver loses power (or crashes). As an example of final lifecycle assessment information, some lifecycle assessment data (e.g., information covering the time period between the last time the lifecycle assessment data message was transmitted to the cloud and the time of failure, such as data on energy (kWh) used since then) can also be sent along with the credentials in the message. Attached Figure Description

[0051] In the following figures: Figure 1 An embodiment of the lighting system according to the present invention is illustrated schematically; Figure 2 An embodiment of the lighting system according to the present invention is illustrated schematically; Figure 3 An embodiment of the method according to the present invention is illustrated schematically. Detailed Implementation

[0052] Various embodiments of the invention will now be described. The invention provides improved lighting systems and methods that offer new technological concepts for retrieving lifecycle assessment information (e.g., to build more accurate and current environmental product claims based on it).

[0053] Figure 1 An embodiment of a lighting system 100 according to the present invention is illustrated schematically by way of non-limiting example. The lighting system 100 includes a lighting device 110 and a storage device 120. The lighting device 110 includes a controller 111 and a communication circuit 112. The lighting device 110 is a light bulb or luminaire. Here, the lighting device 110 is a luminaire having a driver (not shown) and a light source (not shown), wherein the driver drives the light source.

[0054] Storage device 120 stores lifecycle assessment information 121 associated with lighting device 110. Lifecycle assessment information 121 can be understood as information that is inherently cumulative, that is, lifecycle assessment information that can be continuously, constantly or in real time updated, such that previously stored lifecycle assessment information is supplemented with new lifecycle assessment information that reflects the stored lifecycle assessment information.

[0055] For example, in this embodiment, for at least one resource type 1211, 1212, lifecycle assessment information 121 includes data indicating resource usage 1211', 1212' of the at least one resource type 1211, 1212 during the lifespan of the lighting device 110.

[0056] Therefore, lifecycle assessment information 121 may include a predetermined format for storing resource usage during the lifespan of the lighting fixture 110. For example, in an alternative embodiment, lifecycle assessment information may include an environmental product declaration (EPD) for the lighting fixture.

[0057] As previously described, a product's lifecycle (or lifespan) may include the following stages: (1) extraction of raw materials required for the product, (2) processing (e.g., manufacturing) related to the production of the product, (3) execution of shipment or transport related to the product, (4) user use of the product, and (5) disposal of the product at the end of its lifecycle. In one embodiment, lifecycle assessment information may include, for example, a table listing the use of (natural) resources during the product's lifecycle (i.e., for example, during any of the different stages (1) to (5) mentioned above). Lifecycle assessment information may, for example, be collected or accumulated at least in part during the operation and use of the lighting device. For example, storage device 120 may be configured to store lifecycle assessment information associated with the manufacturing stage of the lighting device 110 before the lighting device is in operation.

[0058] See still Figure 1 Storage device 120 is a local storage device. That is, lighting device 110 includes local storage device 120. Therefore, lighting device 110 itself can store lifecycle assessment information 121, or in other words, lifecycle assessment information 121 is stored within lighting device 110, or differently described as being located within the housing of lighting device 110.

[0059] Here, during at least one phase of the lifecycle of the lighting device 110, the local storage device 120 of the lighting device 110 receives or retrieves (at least a portion) lifecycle assessment information 121.

[0060] Receiving or retrieving can be accomplished in different ways. That is, the local storage device 120 may receive or retrieve the life cycle assessment information 121 or at least a portion thereof from the external device 130 via the communication circuit 112 of the lighting device 110; or receive or retrieve the life cycle assessment information 121 or at least a portion thereof from the sensing circuit 113 of the lighting device 110; and / or receive or retrieve the life cycle assessment information 121 or at least a portion thereof from the controller 111 of the lighting device 110. Figure 1 All these options are shown only as examples, but not all of them are necessarily implemented together.

[0061] For example, the controller 111 of the lighting device 110 is configured to acquire at least a portion of the lifecycle assessment information 121 of the lighting device 110 from an external device and store the acquired lifecycle assessment information 121 in a storage device 120. The external device may be, for example, a user device 130 located outside the lighting device 110. For example, the local storage device may receive at least a portion of the lifecycle assessment information from the external device (i.e., the user device) after the manufacturing stage and before the usage stage. For example, lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device and related to the manufacturing stage may be stored (or programmed) at the factory of the lighting device.

[0062] Optionally, for example, the lighting device 110 may include a sensing circuit 113, such as a sensor. Then, during the usage phase of the lighting device's lifecycle, the local storage device 121 of the lighting device can receive at least a portion of the lifecycle assessment information 121 from a controller that can receive or retrieve (indicate) such lifecycle assessment information (data) from the sensing circuit 113 included in the lighting device 110. This can also be done directly. That is, for example, the lighting device 110 includes a sensing circuit 113 for sensing a sensing input indicative of lifecycle assessment information, and wherein the local storage device is configured to (directly) determine and obtain the lifecycle assessment information 121 from the sensing input.

[0063] For example, alternatively, the communication circuit 112 of the lighting device may receive input including life cycle assessment information or at least a portion thereof, and the controller 111 may store the received life cycle assessment information 121 in a local storage device 121.

[0064] For example, alternatively, storage device 121 may include an interface (not shown) for receiving lifecycle assessment information directly from an external device (e.g., a user device, such as a smartphone, tablet, computer, etc.).

[0065] In summary, see Figure 1In the embodiment shown, the lighting device 110 itself will store lifecycle assessment information 121 associated with itself.

[0066] See still Figure 1 The present invention provides a lighting system 100, which includes a lighting device 110 and a storage device 120. The storage device 120 is configured to disclose (or unlock, or make public, or provide access) lifecycle assessment information 121 upon receiving access information 122. Therefore, the lifecycle assessment information 121 is protected and can only be read using the access information 122 (which is known only to authorized entities). Here, the access information includes at least one of the following: a key, an encryption key, an identifier, a unique identifier, and a credential. The access information is suitable for accessing the storage device and / or retrieving information from the storage device.

[0067] Furthermore, controller 111 is configured to determine a fault or end-of-life related condition of lighting fixture 110. This end-of-life related condition may be, for example, one or more of the following: a predetermined number of operating hours, operating conditions, a power outage of the lighting fixture not associated with a power failure, or a predetermined pollution budget. In one embodiment, the lighting fixture includes a light source, wherein the fault and / or end-of-life related condition includes a fault and / or end-of-life related condition of the light source of the lighting fixture.

[0068] See also Figure 1 When the controller 111 of the lighting device 110 determines a failure or end-of-life related condition, it controls the communication circuit 112 to transmit a message 119. For example, this message 119 could be a 'last gasp message'. Message 119 can be unicast, multicast, or broadcast. The communication circuit 112 can be, for example, a wireless transmitter, or a wireless transceiver (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee), or another radio frequency wireless transceiver. Alternatively, the transceiver can be a transmitter. In embodiments, the communication circuit can be NFC or RFID.

[0069] Message 119 includes access information 122 for accessing storage device 120 to access storage lifecycle assessment information 121. This message may additionally or alternatively include a portion of the lifecycle assessment information 121.

[0070] In related embodiments, although optional, the lighting system may include a third device 140, wherein the third device 140 is configured to receive message 119 and access storage device 120 (using access information 112 of message 119) in order to retrieve lifecycle assessment information 121 stored in storage device 120. The third device may be, for example, a user device.

[0071] Therefore, in summary, the present invention provides an improved lighting system 100, wherein when a controller 111 has determined a fault or end-of-life (EOL) related condition, the controller 111 transmits a message 119 having access information 122 only, and wherein lifecycle assessment information 121 associated with the lighting device 110 according to the invention is stored in a storage device 120 and disclosed only upon receiving the access information 122 transmitted with said message 119. Thus, the present invention maintains the privacy of lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device during operation and provides reliable access to said lifecycle assessment information after detecting a fault and / or end-of-life (EOL) related condition, such as after the removal or defect of said lighting device.

[0072] Access to this (more accurate) life cycle assessment information helps in the a posteriori development of accurate environmental product claims. This facilitates comparisons of the environmental impact of lighting installations throughout their entire lifespan. Therefore, access to this (more accurate) life cycle assessment information helps in choosing between the disposal, recycling, refurbishment, or reuse of lighting installations.

[0073] Figure 2 An embodiment of the lighting system 200 according to the invention is illustrated schematically by way of non-limiting example, which is at least partially similar to... Figure 1 The embodiments shown are provided, but only if the storage device is an external storage device.

[0074] Right now, Figure 2 The lighting system 200 includes a lighting device 210 and a storage device 220. The lighting device 210 includes a controller 211 and a communication circuit 212. The lighting device 210 is a light bulb. Alternatively, the lighting device is a luminaire.

[0075] Storage device 220 is an external storage device 220, which is separate from and remote from lighting device 210. For example, storage device 220 can be a bridge, cloud server, computer, memory, data storage, etc. Here, by way of a non-limiting example, external storage device 220 is a bridge (wirelessly) connected to lighting device 210. The bridge can be connected to a backend server, such as a Philips Hue bridge connected to a Philips Hue backend.

[0076] Storage device 220 stores lifecycle assessment information 221 associated with lighting device 210. Lifecycle assessment information 221 can be understood as information that is essentially cumulative, that is, lifecycle assessment information can be continuously, constantly or in real time updated so that previously stored lifecycle assessment information is supplemented with new lifecycle assessment information that reflects the stored lifecycle assessment information.

[0077] For example, in this embodiment, for at least one resource type, the lifecycle assessment information 221 includes data indicating resource usage of said at least one resource type during different phases of the lifespan of the lighting device 210. Therefore, the lifecycle assessment information 221 may include a predetermined format for storing resource usage during the lifespan of the lighting device 210. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the lifecycle assessment information may include an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the lighting device.

[0078] In an embodiment not shown, the lighting device includes a sensing circuit (not shown) for sensing a sensing input indicating lifecycle assessment information, and wherein a controller is configured to determine and acquire lifecycle assessment information from the sensing input, and wherein the controller may be configured to store the acquired lifecycle assessment information in the external storage device.

[0079] See also Figure 2 The present invention provides a lighting system 200, which includes a lighting device 210 and a storage device 220. The storage device 220 is configured to disclose (or unlock, or make public, or provide access) lifecycle assessment information 221 upon receiving access information 222. Therefore, the lifecycle assessment information 221 is protected and can only be read using the access information 222 (which is known only to authorized entities). Here, the access information includes at least one of the following: a key, an encryption key, an identifier, a unique identifier, and a credential.

[0080] Furthermore, controller 211 is configured to determine a fault or end-of-life related condition of lighting device 210. This end-of-life related condition may be, for example, one or more of the following: a predetermined number of operating hours, operating conditions, a power outage of the lighting device not associated with a power failure, or a predetermined pollution budget. In one embodiment, the lighting device includes a light source, wherein the fault and / or end-of-life related condition includes a fault and / or end-of-life related condition of the light source of the lighting device.

[0081] See also Figure 2 The controller 211 of the lighting device 210 controls the communication circuit 212 to transmit a message 219 when a fault or end-of-life condition is determined. For example, such a message 219 could be a 'last gasp message'. Message 219 can be unicast, multicast, or broadcast. The communication circuit 212 can be, for example, a wireless transmitter, or a wireless transceiver (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or ZigBee), or another radio frequency wireless transceiver. Alternatively, the transceiver can be a transmitter. In some embodiments, the communication circuit can be NFC or RFID.

[0082] Message 219 includes access information 222 for the storage device 220 to access storage lifecycle assessment information 221. This message may additionally or alternatively include a portion of the lifecycle assessment information 221.

[0083] In related embodiments, although optional, the lighting system may include a third device 230, wherein the third device 230 is configured to receive message 219 and access storage device 220 (using access information 222 of message 219) to retrieve lifecycle assessment information 221 stored in storage device 220. The third device may be, for example, a user device.

[0084] Therefore, in summary, the present invention provides an improved lighting system 200, wherein when a controller 211 has determined a fault or end-of-life (EOL) related condition, the controller 211 transmits a message 219 having access information 222 only, and wherein lifecycle assessment information 221 associated with the lighting device 210 according to the invention is stored in a storage device 220 and disclosed only upon receiving the access information 222 transmitted with said message 219. Thus, the present invention maintains the privacy of lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device during operation and provides reliable access to said lifecycle assessment information after detecting a fault and / or end-of-life (EOL) related condition, such as after the removal or defect of said lighting device.

[0085] Access to this (more accurate) lifecycle assessment information facilitates the establishment of accurate environmental product claims in retrospect. This helps in comparing the environmental impact of lighting installations throughout their entire lifespan. Therefore, access to this (more accurate) lifecycle assessment information aids in choosing between the disposal, recycling, refurbishment, or reuse of lighting installations.

[0086] Figure 3 An embodiment of a method 300 for controlling a lighting system according to the present invention is illustrated schematically by way of non-limiting example. The lighting system includes a lighting device, a storage device, and a third device, wherein the lighting device includes a controller and communication circuitry. Method 300 includes step 301: the storage device stores lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device. Method 300 further includes step 302: the controller determines a fault or end-of-life related condition of the lighting device; and step 303: the controller, upon determining the fault or end-of-life related condition, controls the communication circuitry to transmit a message. The message includes access information for accessing the storage device. Method 300 further includes step 304: the third device receives the message and accesses the storage device to retrieve the lifecycle assessment information stored in the storage device; the storage device discloses the lifecycle assessment information upon receiving the access information.

[0087] The lighting system according to the invention can be, for example, a network-connected lighting system in which various embodiments can be implemented. The lighting device can be a luminaire. Each connected lighting system can include multiple luminaires, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which may be equipped with integrated sensors.

[0088] Therefore, each luminaire becomes a smart point that can share information about occupancy, activity patterns, temperature or humidity changes, daylight levels, etc. This shared information can be collected and stored in a storage device according to the invention. In examples, the collected and shared information about the luminaires may include space utilization, occupancy, temperature and humidity, noise levels, traffic patterns, road conditions, environmental operating conditions such as humidity and temperature (as these can have a substantial impact on the expected lifespan of the materials and components used), and so on. Thus, network-connected lighting systems can collect data from the illuminated environment via sensors embedded in the lighting system (e.g., embedded in the luminaires). Using secure, well-defined application programming interfaces (APIs), the collected data can be shared with existing management systems. With improved lighting management, diagnostics, and maintenance, connected lighting systems help reduce costs and operate more efficiently. Furthermore, such APIs can be used to share the collected data with business partners or third-party software developers to develop cloud-based services to create additional software and data-enabled innovations.

[0089] Therefore, the driver circuit (DR) of each luminaire (e.g., a digital LED driver) can be configured to collect data from the associated luminaire. The data acquisition unit and / or storage device of the connected lighting system can be: a cloud (which can provide big data based on neural networks or other machine learning processing); an application (APP) running on an individual network device for data aggregation and / or analysis and / or reporting, for example via a user interface; a controller or back-end network (CTRL-NW) for collecting information, for example, about data transmission and / or security and / or edge computing; information about lighting and / or display and / or color tuning for the luminaire; information about motion detection and / or daylight sensing and / or lighting control and / or environmental operating conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, solar flux, lightning strikes, etc.); and a digital driver circuit for collecting information about power supply and / or data collection and / or remote diagnostics based on user control (UC).

[0090] According to different embodiments, an End-of-Life (EoL) control process (“final respite”) is provided. The controller of the lighting fixture (which may be located, for example, in the lighting driver) is configured to generate an EoL information packet, which is transmitted via a connected lighting network when the controller detects an EoL criterion indicating that an associated luminaire has experienced or is approaching an EoL. After transmitting the generated EoL information packet, the luminaire driver may cease operation. Therefore, the EoL information packet (which may include stored information about the luminaire's operating history and / or production time (such as material composition, components used, etc.)) can be made available (e.g., as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) information) to refurbish the lighting system, but the EoL information packet can remain private during operation. The data can also be access information suitable for retrieving the Life Cycle Assessment information.

[0091] In this embodiment, the lighting system may include luminaires and a back-end network. Upon failure or any other trigger (e.g., reaching an EoL criterion), the luminaire (e.g., its luminaire driver) sends an EoL message (e.g., a last-ditch message). The EoL message may contain a key and / or authorization information and / or credentials for unlocking LCA data related to, for example, the luminaire's lifecycle, environmental impact, energy usage, etc. Such information may already be available in the cloud, but may also be stored, for example, in flash memory as part of a drive, accessible only during recycling / refurbishment when the key is available. The advantage is that up-to-date environmental impact data can be shared when a luminaire fails, allowing for proper disposal of the luminaire or accurate determination of its environmental impact (without requiring all data recorded over many years).

[0092] The end-of-life condition can be determined simply based on the number of luminous hours (e.g., when 5,000 hours of operation of the lighting fixture 110 has been reached) and / or the dimming value throughout the life of the lighting fixture 100 (e.g., when a certain output flux has been reached) and / or other EoL criteria described in this disclosure.

[0093] In summary, a final respite process that can be implemented in a lighting installation has been described. When the luminaire driver detects an end-of-life (EoL) condition, it can generate a packet including access information and / or LCA information, which is transmitted over the connected lighting network. After transmission, the driver can optionally cease operation, which can initiate a luminaire swapping procedure. The LCA information may include a predefined (e.g., standardized) format that includes a resource list and corresponding resource usage during different phases of the luminaire's operational life. This access information is required to access lifecycle assessment information stored in a storage device.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising a lighting device and a storage device, wherein, The lighting device includes a controller and a communication circuit; The storage device is configured to store lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device; The storage device is configured to disclose the lifecycle assessment information upon receiving access information; The controller is configured as follows: - Determine the malfunction or end-of-life status of the lighting device, and - When the fault or end-of-life related condition is determined, control the communication circuit to transmit a message; The message includes access information for accessing the storage device.

2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein, The storage device is a local storage device, wherein the lighting device includes the local storage device.

3. The lighting system according to claim 2, wherein, The controller is configured to acquire lifecycle assessment information of the lighting device and store the acquired lifecycle assessment information in the storage device.

4. The lighting system according to claim 3, wherein, The message includes only a portion of the lifecycle assessment information.

5. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein, The storage device is an external storage device, wherein the external storage device is separate from and located away from the lighting device.

6. The lighting system according to claim 5, wherein, The controller is configured to acquire lifecycle assessment information of the lighting device and control the communication circuit to transmit the acquired lifecycle assessment information to the external storage device.

7. The lighting system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The life cycle assessment information includes a data file containing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

8. The lighting system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, For at least one resource type, the lifecycle assessment information includes data indicating resource usage of the at least one resource type during the lifespan of the lighting device.

9. The lighting device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The access information includes at least one of the following: key, encryption key, identifier, unique identifier, and credential.

10. The lighting system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The controller is configured to control the lighting device to stop working after the message has been transmitted.

11. The lighting system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The end-of-life related conditions include one or more of the following: scheduled operating hours, operating status, power outage of the lighting unit not related to power failure, or scheduled pollution budget.

12. The lighting system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The storage device is configured to store lifecycle assessment information associated with the manufacturing stage of the lighting device before the lighting device is put into operation.

13. The lighting system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The lighting device is a light bulb or lamp.

14. The lighting system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The lighting system includes a third device configured to receive the message and access the storage device to retrieve the lifecycle assessment information stored in the storage device.

15. A method for controlling a lighting system, the lighting system comprising a lighting device, a storage device, and a third device, wherein, The lighting device includes a controller and a communication circuit, wherein the method includes: - The storage device stores lifecycle assessment information associated with the lighting device; - The controller determines the malfunction or end-of-life status of the lighting device; - When the controller determines the fault or end-of-life related condition, it controls the communication circuit to transmit a message, wherein the message includes access information for accessing the storage device; - The third device receives the message and accesses the storage device to retrieve the lifecycle assessment information stored in the storage device; - The storage device discloses the lifecycle assessment information upon receiving the access information.

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