A method for commissioning a lighting device

Abstract

A method and system for commissioning a lighting system using augmented reality glasses (7). During commissioning, the augmented reality glasses 7 determine the next luminaire (2, 4, 5) to be configured while the installer (1) is configuring a current luminaire (3). While the installer (1) is configuring or commissioning a first luminaire (3), the augmented reality glasses (7) device prompts another uncommissioned luminaire (2, 4, 5) to flash. If the flashing luminaire (2, 4, 5) is within the field of view (8) of the augmented reality glasses (7), it is selected as the next luminaire to be configured, otherwise another luminaire (4, 5) is prompted to flash instead.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the commissioning of lighting equipment in a lighting system, and particularly, but not exclusively, to a method for commissioning lighting equipment using augmented reality devices (such as augmented reality glasses). Background Technology

[0002] Modern connected lighting systems can include a large number of controllable lighting devices (such as luminaires) and control devices for operating them. Once these lighting devices are installed, the lighting system needs to be commissioned to associate each physical lighting device with the room, location, associated sensors, or other operating devices (such as light switches or dimmers). During commissioning, installers or other technicians need to identify each installed device.

[0003] US2020 / 0265647 discloses a method and apparatus for identifying and debugging a device using augmented reality, wherein a real-time image captured by a camera of an augmented reality-capable device is displayed on a display of an augmented reality-capable debugging device, with an overlay identifying the device to be debugged.

[0004] When commissioning a large number of devices, it is important to quickly identify and commission them, for example, to minimize the billable time spent by installers. This, in turn, means that commissioning should be performed in a priority order so that once a device is commissioned, the installer performing the commissioning does not have to move too far, but ideally continues to the device closest to the installer's current location in the list of devices to be commissioned (e.g., a scan list) as the next target for commissioning. This determination can rely on the signal strength received by the device being commissioned, i.e., the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable for installers to be able to quickly and easily select nearby lights or other equipment as the next light to be tested, even if the installers cannot see what they assume is the nearest light. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome this problem and provide a method and system for determining the next luminaire to be configured when an installer is configuring the current luminaire. The installer still uses existing methods (e.g., based solely on received signal strength indicators, channel state information, etc.) to select the first luminaire.

[0007] Whether the installer uses a handheld device or a wearable device (such as augmented reality glasses) as recommended in US2020 / 0265647, the installer may tend to focus their attention on the device being debugged.

[0008] Furthermore, the received signal strength indicator only roughly reflects the distance between the luminaire and the augmented reality device, but provides no information about the luminaire's position / orientation. The selected luminaire might be close to the augmented reality device but outside the installer's or the device's field of vision because their attention is focused elsewhere; that is, the luminaire to be tested might be flashing or otherwise emitting visual signals, but the installer cannot see it and must search around to find it. Alternatively, the selected luminaire might be too far away, requiring the installer to walk closer. This is clearly inconvenient and inefficient.

[0009] While the installer is configuring or adjusting the first light fixture, the augmented reality device prompts another unadjusted light fixture to emit a visual signal, such as by flashing. This unadjusted light fixture can be selected based on a received signal strength indicator; that is, the light fixture with the strongest received signal strength indicator on the scan list is selected. Once the selected light fixture begins to flash, the augmented reality device checks whether it can detect the flashing light using its integrated camera. If it can, the selected light fixture is either within the augmented reality device's field of view, or, if the augmented reality device is augmented reality glasses, within the installer's field of view and close to the installer. This selected light fixture is then determined as the next light fixture to be configured. On the other hand, if the augmented reality device cannot detect the flashing light fixture after a predetermined period of time (e.g., a few seconds), it means that the selected light fixture is no longer within its field of view and may also be far from the installer. In this case, the augmented reality device prompts the selected light fixture to stop flashing and prompts another unadjusted light fixture to flash. The newly selected unadjusted light fixture can be the light fixture with the second strongest received signal strength indicator on the scan list. In this way, untested luminaires that are within the line of sight and close to the installer can be identified as the next luminaire to be configured, while the installer is still configuring the current luminaire.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the invention, this and other objectives are achieved by a method for selecting the next lighting device to be debugged when debugging a third lighting device in a lighting system, the lighting system including a plurality of lighting devices to be debugged and having wireless communication capabilities, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a plurality of un-debugged lighting devices using an augmented reality device and establishing a list of un-debugged lighting devices; prompting a first lighting device from the list of un-debugged lighting devices to visually identify itself using the augmented reality device; determining whether the first lighting device is within the field of view of the augmented reality device using the augmented reality device; if the first lighting device is within the field of view of the augmented reality device, identifying the first lighting device as a candidate lighting device for debugging (i.e., identifying the first lighting device as the next lighting device to be debugged); if the first lighting device is not within the field of view of the augmented reality device, prompting a second lighting device from the list of un-debugged lighting devices to visually identify itself using the augmented reality device.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the invention, this and other objectives are achieved by a controller of the augmented reality device, the controller being configured to: identify a plurality of untested lighting devices and establish a list of untested lighting devices; prompt a first lighting device from the list of untested lighting devices to visually identify itself; determine whether the first lighting device is within the field of view of the augmented reality device; if the first lighting device is within the field of view of the augmented reality device, identify the first lighting device as a candidate lighting device for testing; if the first lighting device is not within the field of view of the augmented reality device, prompt a second lighting device from the list of untested lighting devices to visually identify itself.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the invention, this and other objectives are achieved by a computer program product for an augmented reality device, the computer program product comprising computer program code for executing the debugging method according to the first aspect of the invention when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of the augmented reality device.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the method further includes the step of: scanning a broadcast message using the augmented reality device, the broadcast message including device identifiers of the lighting devices from the plurality of lighting devices. This allows for the automatic creation of a scan list with devices to be debugged without any intervention from installation personnel.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the method further includes the steps of: determining the received signal strength indicator of the broadcast message and establishing a scan list including untested lighting devices and their corresponding received signal strength indicators. Therefore, this scan list allows prioritizing certain devices to be tested over others, reducing the time required for installers to move from the newly tested device to the next device to be tested, thereby speeding up the overall testing process.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the step of identifying a plurality of untested lighting devices and establishing a list of untested lighting devices includes: scanning a broadcast message using the augmented reality device, the broadcast message including device identifiers of the lighting devices from the plurality of lighting devices, and establishing a scan list. This allows the augmented reality device to establish a list of devices to be tested in a quick and easy manner.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the method includes the steps of: determining the received signal strength indicator (RSS) of a broadcast message and establishing a scan list including untested lighting devices and their corresponding RSS. Using the RSS. indicators provides a good indication of the proximity of the lighting devices, thereby helping to expedite the testing process.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the first lighting device is the one with the strongest received signal strength indicator in the scan list. This allows installers to start the commissioning process from the lighting device most likely closest to their location, thus saving time.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the received signal strength indicator of the scan list is continuously updated. This allows the augmented reality device to always attempt to suggest the nearest untrimmed lighting equipment to the installer, regardless of whether the installer moves around the site during the trial run.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the first and second lighting devices identify themselves by flashing. Since no additional ability to emit visual signals is required, flashing itself becomes a way to adjust the lighting devices (such as luminaires). Only the inherent ability to change brightness, whether through a simple on / off switch or a gradual change in brightness, is needed.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the physical location of each lighting device is determined during commissioning. Knowing the physical location of each lighting device may be a relevant part of commissioning, and the use of augmented reality glasses helps to achieve this, as they will typically incorporate sensing devices for determining their own location through sensing and ranging of objects within the field of view.

[0021] Therefore, according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, the augmented reality device is augmented reality glasses. Modern augmented reality glasses include not only the ability to receive wireless signals, but also input facilities for voice commands, gestures (e.g., using the aforementioned sensing and ranging devices), as well as a multi-channel sound transmitter and an augmented reality display, thereby allowing installers to perform the entire commissioning process using only the augmented reality glasses.

[0022] Therefore, according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, augmented reality glasses include user input capabilities for adjustment.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the wireless communication capability includes Bluetooth Low Energy®. This is a widely used standard and is implemented in many lighting devices.

[0024] It should be noted that the present invention relates to all possible combinations of the features described in the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0025] This and other aspects of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate various embodiments of the invention. In the drawings:

[0026] Figure 1The illustration shows installers commissioning the first of four lighting fixtures.

[0027] Figure 2 A scan list for the remaining three untried lighting devices is shown, prioritized according to their Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0028] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the method according to the present invention is shown.

[0029] As shown in the accompanying drawings, distances are not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes and are therefore only used to illustrate the overall structure of embodiments of the invention. The same reference numerals always refer to the same elements. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which presently preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so as to provide thoroughness and completeness and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0031] First go to Figure 1 Installer 1 is in the process of commissioning a lighting system, exemplified by a lighting system with four devices in ceiling 6. For convenience, these devices will be assumed to be luminaires 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the following text. Each of the four luminaires is capable of wirelessly broadcasting and receiving unique device identifiers ID_4, ID_3, ID_1, and ID_2. Such broadcasting and receiving can be any suitable short-range communication, such as WiFi, Bluetooth®, Bluetooth Low Energy®, ZigBee, etc.

[0032] Installers use augmented reality (AR) devices for commissioning; here, we'll take a pair of AR glasses as an example—glasses that allow installers to see visual images with computer-generated overlays. High-end AR glasses, such as Microsoft HoloLens or Apple Vision Pro, typically include a visual camera, audio receiver, distance sensor, display for the image with the computer-generated overlay, multi-channel stereo audio playback, and wireless transmitters and receivers for communication, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Like other AR devices, AR glasses also include controllers, such as data processors, that allow them to execute the necessary computer code for the desired purpose, in this specific case, commissioning the lighting system. Such AR glasses will also typically accommodate manual input, such as gestures combined with overlays and distance sensing.

[0033] As part of the commissioning process, installer 1 needs to identify which luminaire 2, 3, 4, 5, or other device is which, so that installer 1 knows which specific device is being configured. Once identified, installer 1 communicates with and configures luminaires 2, 3, 4, 5, which includes coupling the device identification of luminaires 2, 3, 4, 5 to their physical locations. Input for communication can be provided directly to the augmented reality glasses 7, such as using the aforementioned gesture identifiers, via voice commands, or via an associated input device. Once configured, or preferably when selected for configuration, luminaires 2, 3, 4, 5 cease broadcasting their device identifications.

[0034] To this end, augmented reality glasses 7 initially and / or continuously perform scans to detect uncalibrated lamps 2, 3, 4, and 5 in its surrounding environment. Once a broadcast message is received from a lamp, the augmented reality glasses add that lamp 2, 3, 4, or 5, i.e., its device identifier, along with the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) of the received broadcast message, to the scan list 9, see [link to scan list 9]. Figure 2 The scanning process lasts for a certain duration, such as 30 seconds, and then multiple lights 2, 3, 4, and 5 are added to the scan list 9. Alternatively, other methods, such as Wi-Fi Channel State Information (Wi-Fi CSI), can be used as a simple alternative to using the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

[0035] The distance to the device can be determined, or at least roughly estimated, by comparing the signal strength of the broadcasts from devices 2, 3, 4, and 5. During the exemplary commissioning process, augmented reality glasses 7 thus scans for and receives broadcasts from the identifiers of devices 2, 3, 4, and 5 that are not yet commissioned.

[0036] Based on the received signal strength indicators for each of the luminaires 2, 3, 4, and 5, a list 9 of received signal strength indicators for each device identifier can be created, and sorted, for example, according to the corresponding values ​​of the received signal strength indicators. Figure 2 In list 9, assuming list 9 has been refreshed and luminaire 3 has been removed from list 9, for example, because the installer has indicated that the configuration of luminaire 3 has started or ended, or because luminaire 3 no longer broadcasts its device identifier, i.e., ID_3, for these or other reasons. However, the remaining luminaires 2, 4, and 5 have not yet been commissioned and broadcast their corresponding identifiers ID_4, ID_1, and ID_2, and therefore remain in list 9.

[0037] Installer 1 expects to execute the process as quickly as possible. This means not only identifying the first luminaires 2, 3, 4, and 5 as candidates for the next luminaires to be configured, but also identifying the next candidate luminaires 2, 3, 4, and 5 for commissioning as quickly as possible during the commissioning process—that is, during the current configuration of luminaires 2, 3, 4, and 5. The next candidate for rapid commissioning, whether it is the first luminaire 2, 3, 4, and 5 to be commissioned during the commissioning process or a subsequent luminaire, is most likely the uncommissioned luminaire 2, 3, 4, and 5 closest to Installer 1.

[0038] However, the received signal strength indicator only roughly reflects the distance between lamps 2, 3, 4, and 5 and the augmented reality glasses, and provides no further information about the position and orientation of lamps 2, 3, 4, and 5. The lamp with the highest received signal strength indicator may be close to the augmented reality glasses 7 worn by installer 1, but not within installer 1's field of view 8. This situation occurs in… Figure 1 The image shows installer 1 configuring light fixture 3 and thus placing it within field of view 8. However, Figure 2 The lamp with the highest signal strength on list 9, number 2, is not within the field of view 8.

[0039] In the example shown, this would mean that if, during the configuration of luminaire 3, luminaire 2 is selected from list 9 as the next luminaire to be configured and self-identified (which is typically done by cuing its flashing), installer 1 cannot see it and must look around to find it, for example, because of obstructions in the room. This is clearly inconvenient and inefficient. Other visual cues can be envisioned, but for the purposes of this description, flashing is assumed to be used.

[0040] To overcome this problem, augmented reality glasses 7 selects lamp 2 as a candidate for debugging because it has the strongest received signal strength indicator on scan list 9, and prompts it to flash several times. It is assumed that among all lamps 2, 4, and 5 on scan list 9, lamp 2 with the strongest received signal strength indicator is the shortest distance to augmented reality glasses 7. This allows installer 1 to see the selected candidate for debugging using augmented reality glasses 7, provided it is within the field of view 8 of augmented reality glasses 7. If the latter is the case, installer 1 can easily use augmented reality glasses 7 to locate the flashing lamp 2 to complete its debugging (i.e., mark lamp 2 as the next lamp to be debugged).

[0041] On the other hand, if this is not the case, and the flickering light fixture 2 is outside the field of view 8 of the augmented reality device, and the camera of the augmented reality glasses 7 cannot detect the flickering light fixture, then the augmented reality glasses 7 will temporarily reject the candidate, requesting it to stop flickering, and select another un-trimmed light fixture 4, 5 as a candidate, prompting that light fixture 4, 5 to start flickering. This process can then be repeated, preferably in descending order of received signal strength indicators, until the camera of the augmented reality glasses 7 finds a flickering candidate in the field of view 8. The candidate can then be allowed to continue flickering so that once the installer 1 stops paying attention to the currently configured light fixture 3, the installer 1 can detect it. This process will then typically be repeated until all detected light fixtures 2, 3, 4, 5 have been processed and removed from the list 9 of un-trimmed light fixtures 2, 3, 4, 5.

[0042] All these selection processes can be performed autonomously by the augmented reality glasses 7 without any direct intervention from the installer. That is, the installer can focus on configuring each of the lights 2, 3, 4, and 5 one by one, while the built-in data processor of the augmented reality glasses 7 executes the appropriate program to try to find the next candidate lights 2, 3, 4, and 5 within the field of view 8, and make them identify themselves as the next candidate by flashing.

[0043] exist Figure 3 In the diagram, the setup process using Augmented Reality Glasses 7 is shown as a simplified flowchart.

[0044] In box 100, the augmented reality glasses 7 determine that the commissioning process has begun. A new scan is then performed in box 110 to populate list 9. In box 120, the augmented reality glasses subsequently select the first lamp on the list as candidate lamps 2, 3, 4, 5 for commissioning, and in box 130, candidate lamps 2, 3, 4, 5 are prompted to flash. Candidate lamps 2, 3, 4, 5 flash for a predetermined time, e.g., a few seconds, to allow the augmented reality glasses to detect them in the field of view 8, e.g., by using a built-in camera. If a flashing lamp 2, 3, 4, 5 is detected in box 140, then in box 150, that lamp 2, 3, 4, 5 is selected as the next lamp to be configured, and preferably continues to flash until the installer begins configuring it, thereby allowing it to be removed from the scan list 9 and / or ceasing broadcasting, thus disappearing in the next scan list refresh in box 110. On the other hand, if the augmented reality glasses do not detect any flickering lights 2, 3, 4, or 5 within a predetermined time, the glasses request the flickering candidate lights to stop flickering in box 160. Then, in box 170, another candidate light is selected, and its flickering is indicated in box 130. This process can then be repeated until no more lights 2, 3, 4, or 5 need to be adjusted. Obviously, it cannot be guaranteed that there will always be unadjusted lights 2, 3, 4, or 5 in the field of view 8 during configuration, and the installer may still have to turn around to check and bring some (e.g., the last or last few lights 2, 3, 4, or 5) into the field of view when they are flickering, but overall, time savings are achieved by quickly identifying previously adjusted lights.

[0045] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is by no means limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Rather, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

[0046] Furthermore, those skilled in the art, when practicing the claimed invention, can understand and implement variations of the disclosed embodiments 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 plural. The fact that certain measures are enumerated in mutually different dependent claims does not imply that combinations of these measures cannot be advantageously used.

Claims

1. A method for selecting the next lighting device to be debugged when debugging a third lighting device using an augmented reality device in a lighting system, the lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices to be debugged and having wireless communication capabilities, the method comprising the following steps: The augmented reality device identifies multiple untuned lighting devices and establishes a list of untuned lighting devices by scanning broadcast messages containing device identifiers from a plurality of lighting devices, determining the received signal strength indicator of the broadcast messages, and creating a scan list including the corresponding received signal strength indicators of the untuned lighting devices. The augmented reality device prompts a first lighting device from the list of untested lighting devices to visually identify itself. The augmented reality device is used to determine whether the first lighting device is within the field of view of the augmented reality device. If the first lighting device is within the field of view of the augmented reality device, then the first lighting device is identified as a candidate lighting device for debugging. If the first lighting device is not within the field of view of the augmented reality device, the augmented reality device prompts a second lighting device from the list of untested lighting devices to visually identify itself.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first lighting device is the lighting device with the strongest received signal strength indicator in the scan list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received signal strength indicator of the scan list is continuously updated.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first lighting device and the second lighting device are prompted by the augmented reality device to identify themselves by flashing.

5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the augmented reality device is used during the debugging process to determine the physical location of the corresponding lighting device.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the augmented reality device is augmented reality glasses.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the augmented reality glasses include user input capability, the user input capability of the augmented reality glasses being used for the debugging.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wireless communication capability includes Bluetooth Low Energy®.

9. A controller for an augmented reality device, configured to select the next lighting device to be debugged while debugging a third lighting device, the controller being configured to: Multiple untuned lighting devices are identified and a list of untuned lighting devices is established by using the augmented reality device to scan broadcast messages including device identifiers from the plurality of lighting devices, determining the received signal strength indicator of the broadcast messages, and establishing a scan list including the corresponding received signal strength indicators of the untuned lighting devices. The first lighting device from the list of untested lighting devices is visually self-identified. Determine whether the first lighting device is within the field of view of the augmented reality device. If the first lighting device is within the field of view of the augmented reality device, then the first lighting device is identified as a candidate lighting device for debugging. If the first lighting device is not within the field of view of the augmented reality device, a second lighting device from the list of untested lighting devices is prompted to visually identify itself.

10. A computer program product for an augmented reality device, the computer program product comprising computer program code, the computer program code being configured to execute the debugging method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 when the computer program product is run on a processing unit of the augmented reality device.

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