Lighting system and operating procedure with a plurality of coupled luminaires and motion detectors

Abstract

Lighting system (1) comprising a plurality of primary luminaires (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) each having a control device (20, 20') connected to at least two digital bus interfaces (21, 22) and at least one sensor interface (41) for connecting an object sensor (43) for motion or presence detection and a light sensor for detecting a low light condition, and an internal control device (50) controllable by the control device (20, 20') for setting at least two operating modes for supplying a light source, one of the operating modes being a nominal operation, wherein the primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) are connected serially via digital bus sections for control purposes, so that one primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) is connected to two adjacent primary lights via a digital bus interface (21, 22), and wherein the control device (20, 20') of a respective initiating primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) comprises a nominal operating timer and is configured to transmit, after detecting an object detection signal via its sensor interface (41), both an associated object detection message via the two digital bus interfaces (21, 22) to its two adjacent primary luminaires (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), as well as controlling a change in operating mode to nominal operation at the internal control gear (50) for the operation of the lamp and starting the nominal operation timer when, furthermore, a low light condition is detected via the sensor interface (41) of the initiating primary lamp (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), characterized in that the initiating primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) periodically transmits an active message to its two adjacent primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) via its two digital bus interfaces (21, 22), which indicates to the two adjacent primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) that nominal operation is set, as long as a nominal operation timer of the nominal operation timer indicates a shorter duration than a nominal operation hold time (TN_hold) assigned to the initiating primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a lighting system comprising a plurality of coupled luminaires and motion detectors according to the preamble of claim 1, and a method for operating it.

[0002] Lighting systems are well-known in this field and are used particularly for building installations in open-plan offices, for lighting underground parking garages, or for street and pathway lighting. One such lighting system is described, for example, in German patent application DE 10 2012 204 579 A1. In this system, each luminaire has a wireless communication device for communicating with the other luminaires. At least some of the luminaires include object sensors for motion or presence detection, and information about the current operating mode or presence detection is exchanged between the luminaires via the wireless communication device. For this communication, area or group addresses are assigned to the luminaires.While such a lighting system is very flexible in its adjustment, the commissioning effort is considerable and the implementation of such a lighting system is comparatively expensive.

[0003] German patent application DE 10 2010 049 121 A1 relates to a method for illuminating streets, paths, squares, or rooms in which luminaires are installed at regular intervals, each luminaire being assigned a motion sensor and a communication unit, and wherein, upon detection of movement in the vicinity of a luminaire, a motion detection message is sent via the communication unit to the adjacent luminaire(s), which then also switch on their light source(s). German patent application US 2012 / 0038281 A1 relates to a system for operating a large number of streetlights in response to the movement of a vehicle. The system includes a sensor that is connected to at least one of the streetlights and configured to detect the presence of a moving vehicle and provides a signal that is representative of the moving vehicle.The system also includes a high-frequency transceiver connected to each street lamp, as well as processing electronics configured to receive a signal representative of the moving vehicle from the sensor and to instruct the high-frequency transceiver to send a command to one or more of the street lamps to change the lighting conditions along a path for the vehicle. The patent application EP 2 271 184 A1 relates to a lighting system for illuminating a path for a moving object, comprising an arrangement of light sources that allows an illumination level between a first illumination level and a second illumination level, the first illumination level being higher than the second illumination level.Sensors detect the position and speed of a moving object along a path, and one or more controllers operationally connected to the sensors activate a set of light sources at the first, higher illumination level, according to the position of the moving object. The number of activated light sources depends on the speed of the moving object. The activated group of light sources creates an area of ​​increased luminance that moves along with the moving object. Publication WO 03 / 098977 A1 describes a generic lighting system.

[0004] The invention is based on the objective of providing a lighting system and a related method for its operation, which can be assembled relatively inexpensively and, moreover, configured or parameterized without great effort.

[0005] This problem is solved by a lighting system comprising a plurality of primary luminaires, each of which has a control unit such as a controller connected to at least two digital bus interfaces, as well as at least one sensor interface for connecting an internal or external object sensor for motion or presence detection and an internal or external light sensor for detecting a low-light condition. The lighting system according to the invention further comprises at least one internal operating device, controllable by the control unit, for setting at least two operating modes for powering a light source that can be operated in at least two lighting states. The primary luminaires are connected in series via digital bus sections for control purposes, such that each primary luminaire is connected to one of its two adjacent primary luminaires via one of its digital bus interfaces.Each primary luminaire's control unit has a nominal operating timer and is configured, after detecting an object detection signal via its sensor interface, to transmit an associated object detection message to the two adjacent primary luminaires via the two digital bus interfaces. It also controls a change in operating mode to "nominal operation" at the internal control gear for operating the light source and starts the nominal operating timer if a low-light condition is detected or present via the sensor interface of the respective primary luminaire. When the nominal operating timer starts, the elapsed time after nominal operation is set is measured, in order to detect, i.e., recognize, when the measured nominal operating time reaches a predefined nominal operating hold time.

[0006] Due to the described structure of the lighting system according to the invention, in which the specified primary luminaires are connected in series via digital bus sections, and a given primary luminaire can initially exchange control information with its two directly adjacent luminaires, the configuration is simplified. Furthermore, complex addressing of the individual components on the digital bus is unnecessary in most cases. In addition, the lighting system according to the invention proves to be very robust and reliable and can therefore also be used in safety-relevant areas where, for example, the conventional lighting system described above cannot be used due to potential radio interference. Furthermore, the lighting system according to the invention offers the advantage that it allows the use of conventional luminaires with certain extensions.

[0007] By transmitting presence detection information in the form of an object detection message to both neighboring primary luminaires, these luminaires can, depending on the configuration, be switched to nominal operation and / or the object detection information from one of the primary luminaires can be passed on to other primary luminaires within the serial connection in a predefined manner. By defining such rules, the system according to the invention can be adapted to a multitude of specific lighting tasks without the need for a complex central control system.

[0008] With the described system configuration, a primary luminaire in the serial connection of primary luminaires or digital bus sections has two directly adjacent primary luminaires due to its coupling to two further primary luminaires, each via one of the two digital bus interfaces. For the sake of simplicity, these will be referred to as adjacent primary luminaires in the following. The term "low light state" refers to a sensor signal from the light sensor indicating the detection of a light level below a predefined threshold.

[0009] The term "initiating primary luminaire" refers to the primary luminaire that detects an object detection signal, i.e., an object movement and / or object presence is recognized, and which then initiates the transmission of a message, such as an object detection message, to other primary luminaires via its control unit. This message is first transmitted to its two adjacent primary luminaires. A primary luminaire that receives such a message via one of its DALI interfaces will only transmit it to an adjacent primary luminaire via the other DALI interface.Furthermore, it should be noted that at least some of the aforementioned components of the primary lights may also be located outside a housing of the primary light, for example the object sensor, the sensor interface with the sensors, the two digital bus interfaces for realizing the serial connection or the control unit with the two digital bus interfaces.

[0010] The operating modes adjustable on the internal control gear can include, for example, an off state, a basic operation in which the light source is operated at a predetermined low dimming value of, for example, 20%, and a nominal operation in which the light source is operated at a higher dimming value of, for example, 50-100%.

[0011] To inform neighboring primary luminaires about the nominal operating status of an initiating primary luminaire, the invention provides that the initiating primary luminaire periodically transmits an "active" message via its two digital bus interfaces to its two neighboring primary luminaires as long as a nominal operating timer of the nominal operating timer indicates a shorter duration than a nominal operating hold time assigned to the initiating primary luminaire. This "active" message can represent a predetermined bit sequence, which is recognized by the other primary luminaires or their control unit. The same applies to the object detection message described above.The message received by a primary light via one of its digital bus interfaces arranged in the serial connection is then expediently transmitted via the other of its digital bus interfaces to its other neighboring primary light.

[0012] Advantageously, the lighting system according to the invention can comprise a plurality of secondary luminaires, each of which has a control device with a digital bus interface for setting at least two operating modes for powering a light source. Advantageously, unlike the primary luminaires, these secondary luminaires do not have a sensor interface for connecting an object sensor and / or a light sensor, so that the installed luminous flux can be increased without installing unnecessary sensor technology.

[0013] At least one secondary luminaire can be connected to a digital bus section that runs between two primary luminaires that are adjacent in terms of serial connection. For example, depending on the local conditions and the lighting task, it may be advantageous to assign a predetermined number of secondary luminaires to a primary luminaire by controlling these secondary luminaires, or rather their operating devices, through the control unit of one of its two primary luminaires connected to the respective digital bus section, such that the same operating mode as the operating mode of the internal operating device of the secondary luminaire(s) is set.

[0014] To minimize the necessary hardware requirements, it is advantageous to provide the internal control gear of a primary luminaire for powering a light source with a digital bus interface. This interface connects the internal control gear to one of the two digital bus segments through which the primary luminaire is connected to one of the two adjacent primary luminaires. If this digital bus interface is connected to the same digital bus segment to which the secondary luminaires associated with the respective primary luminaire are also connected, then all connected secondary luminaires and their control gears, as well as the internal control gear of the respective primary luminaire, can be conveniently controlled with a single command to change the operating mode, for example, to change the brightness level of the light source being powered.

[0015] In another embodiment, however, it is also possible to connect the secondary luminaires described above, each of which has a control gear with a digital bus interface, to a further digital bus. In this embodiment, the further digital bus is not part of the described series connection of digital bus sections, but is also connected to the control unit of a primary luminaire. For this purpose, the control unit can have an additional digital bus interface to which the internal control gear with a digital bus interface is also connected.In this way, a group of lights is defined, consisting of the primary light and a number of secondary lights, all of whose light sources can be controlled by the control device of a primary light with a single command to change the operating mode, in particular by a broadcast command, as described above.

[0016] In another embodiment, the series connection of the digital bus sections can also be implemented by using a so-called power bus between the primary lights. This power bus provides not only the series connection of the primary lights for control purposes but also a series connection for power supply. Furthermore, the secondary lights described can also be connected to the power bus for power supply and / or control purposes. The control unit of a primary light can be connected to the power bus via two powerline interfaces, and a bandstop filter can be arranged between these interfaces to block incoming modulation.

[0017] It may be advantageous for primary luminaires to have a switch, such as a MOSFET, controllable by their control unit, for switching the power supply to the respective internal control gear. This allows the internal control gear, for example an electronic ballast (EVG), to remain switched off to reduce power loss as long as the respective lamp does not require power. Therefore, it may be advantageous if, before switching on the nominal operation of an internal control gear of a primary luminaire and the associated secondary luminaire or its respective control gear, the switch for at least one internal control gear of the primary luminaire is first switched on.Subsequently, possibly with a delay, a corresponding control command can be sent from the primary luminaire's control unit to the internal operating device and the operating devices of the associated secondary luminaires, all of which are connected to a digital bus section and can therefore be controlled simultaneously. As explained above, this digital bus section can be part of a series connection of digital bus sections in the lighting system. However, it is also possible for this digital bus section to be connected separately from the series connection to the primary luminaire's control unit via a separate interface.

[0018] To provide a modular design, it may be advantageous for each primary luminaire to include an expansion unit comprising an auxiliary controller, a sensor interface, an air interface for wirelessly connecting the primary luminaire to a portable configuration and / or parameterization device such as a smartphone or tablet, and an optical and / or acoustic signaling device. The expansion unit can be connected to the primary luminaire's control unit via an internal data bus. The expansion unit thus provides the connection of an object sensor and a light sensor. Depending on the specific configuration of the lighting system according to the invention, the air interface can be configured, for example, as an infrared or Bluetooth interface to configure or parameterize each individual primary luminaire.In a specific configuration, it is also possible to configure or parameterize all primary luminaires by feeding the relevant data into the system at a single primary luminaire or its expansion unit, and then successively passing this data on to all primary luminaires via the described series connection. Such a design is particularly advantageous when the configuration or parameterization data is identical for all primary luminaires. In this case, the configuration or parameterization data entered at one primary luminaire can be successively transmitted to all primary luminaires via the described serial connection without the need for special addressing.

[0019] For conventional lighting systems, all known digital bus interfaces or digital buses can be used as digital bus sections. This applies in particular to the widely used DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) interfaces or DALI buses, especially those according to the current IEC 62386 standard series. It can be advantageous to conduct communication between a primary luminaire, or its control unit, and the internal operating unit, as well as the operating units of the associated secondary luminaires, using conventional 16-bit lighting control signals. The two primary luminaires or their control units communicating on the same DALI bus can be implemented as master-master communication or as communication using a user-defined protocol, so that this communication cannot be decoded by the connected operating devices and is therefore ignored.Such measures allow communication via the respective digital bus section to be carried out without specifically addressing the individual bus participants. On the other hand, it is also within the scope of the invention to address the connected bus participants of the digital bus sections, i.e., DALI buses, arranged within the lighting system via a respective assigned DALI address.

[0020] The above task is solved procedurally by a method for operating a lighting system with a plurality of primary luminaires, each of which has a control unit connected to at least two digital interfaces, as well as an interface for connecting an object sensor for motion or presence detection and a light sensor for detecting a low-light condition. In this process, the primary luminaires are connected serially via digital bus sections, thus providing bidirectional data communication between a primary luminaire and its two neighboring primary luminaires in the serial digital bus control chain.The control unit of each primary luminaire, in response to an object detection signal acquired via its sensor interface, transmits an associated object detection message via the two digital bus sections to its two adjacent primary luminaires and, furthermore, in response to the acquired object detection signal, under the additional condition that a low light state is acquired or set via the sensor interface of the respective primary luminaire, controls a change in operating mode to a "nominal operation" operating mode on the internal control device and starts a measurement of the nominal operating time beginning with the switching on of nominal operation.According to the invention, the initiating primary light periodically transmits an active message to its two adjacent primary lights via its two digital bus interfaces, indicating to the two adjacent primary lights that nominal operation has been stopped, as long as a nominal operation timer of the nominal operation timer indicates a shorter duration than a nominal operation hold time assigned to the initiating primary light.

[0021] Depending on the embodiment, the method can include the transmission of a message such as an object detection message or an "active" message to all primary luminaires, with this transmission then taking place successively via the chained DALI buses.

[0022] Furthermore, it can be advantageous for the initiating primary luminaire, which transmits the respective message in both directions of the serial connection, to include range information in the messages, for example, in the form of an output counter value. This value can be decremented in the message by the receiving primary luminaires before transmission, with transmission stopping when the counter value reaches a predefined threshold. In this way, the initiating primary luminaire can determine whether the message should be forwarded only to the first (i.e., direct) neighbor, or also to further neighbors, such as the next-but-one or third neighbor. This allows primary luminaires to be coupled into a lighting network without significant administrative effort.

[0023] In a particular embodiment, it can also be provided that the messages transmitted by the initiating primary luminaire to its direct neighbors, in particular the object detection message or the "active" message, are identical, which further reduces the administrative effort for the method according to the invention.

[0024] On the other hand, it is also possible to transmit several different messages, especially more than two different messages between the primary lights as described, thus increasing the exchangeable information and enabling more flexible control. However, this can increase the complexity of the system.

[0025] To reduce data traffic on serially connected digital buses, it can be advantageous if one, and in particular each, primary light synchronizes the messages it receives, which are to be forwarded in the same direction in the series circuit, or a received message with a message initiated by that primary light, i.e., forwards at least two messages as a single message. This possibility arises particularly from the fact that the method according to the invention requires only a few identical messages, i.e., telegrams.

[0026] The invention will be explained below by describing some embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein Fig. 1 in a schematic diagram a lighting system designed according to the invention, Fig. 2 a typical time course of control sequences in which in Fig. 1 lighting system shown, and Fig. Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of a lighting system designed according to the invention in a schematic diagram.

[0027] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a lighting system designed according to the invention, comprising a plurality of primary luminaires 10_0 to 10_N, such as can be used, for example, in underground car parks, warehouses, etc. In the described embodiment, a single one of these primary luminaires is controlled by a control unit, which here consists of a main controller 20 and an auxiliary controller 40. The main controller 20 is connected to two DALI buses 16_1 and 16_2 via two DALI interfaces 21, 22 and can thus communicate with the bus participants that are connected to the two DALI buses 16_1, 16_2.

[0028] The two controllers 20, 40 are coupled to each other via an internal controller bus 30, with the auxiliary controller being connected to various input / output devices via corresponding interfaces. This includes, on the one hand, the connection of a light sensor 42 via a sensor interface 41, which detects the ambient light of the respective primary luminaire, and, on the other hand, an object sensor 43 for detecting the motion or presence of moving objects such as people or vehicles. In the illustrated embodiment, an infrared transceiver 44 is controlled via the auxiliary controller 40, which enables, for example, wireless communication with a handheld device for configuring and / or parameterizing the lighting system or a primary luminaire. The interface 44 can also include any other wireless interface, such as a WLAN or Bluetooth interface.In order to provide the user with simple feedback, particularly during the execution of such a configuration or parameterization, the auxiliary controller 40 controls an optical signaling device 45, which in the simplest case can be designed as an LED.

[0029] Depending on the design, the entire control unit of a primary luminaire can also be connected as a single controller, so that the described sensor interfaces and communication interfaces are also directly connected to this single controller. Furthermore, it should be noted that the light sensor or object sensor does not necessarily have to be located inside the primary luminaire housing; it can also be mounted outside the primary luminaire housing.

[0030] A primary luminaire 10_0 to 10_N comprises at least one light source or lamp, which is powered and controlled by an electronic ballast (EVG) with an integrated DALI interface. This internal DALI EVG 50 is connected to the DALI bus 16_1, so that the main controller 20 controls the internal DALI EVG 50 via the DALI interface 21. In a basic configuration, the lamp can be operated in nominal mode with a predefined dimming level, for example, 100%, in basic mode with a dimming level reduced from nominal mode, and can be switched off. To minimize the energy consumption of the lighting system in standby mode, the main controller 20 can control a switch 47, which disconnects the power supply from the internal EVG 50.In the figure, the supply unit 46 is only indicated; in addition to the mains connections, it also provides the necessary supply voltages for the described electronic devices such as the two controllers and the interfaces of the respective primary light.

[0031] The control unit 20 has internal memory or can access memory in which a variety of parameterization data for the operation of the luminaire or the lighting system are stored. Basically, each primary luminaire is configured, upon detection of motion or presence of an object via its own sensor interface 41 and depending on the ambient light determined by its own light sensor 43, to operate the light source connected to its own internal DALI electronic ballast 50 like an LED system.

[0032] After an object movement or object presence has been detected via its own sensor interface 41, and if the ambient light falls below a predetermined threshold, the internal DALI electronic ballast 50 is operated for a predetermined period of time, which is referred to below as the nominal operating hold time.

[0033] In particular, the nominal operating hold time and the ambient light threshold at which nominal operation is activated can be specifically and individually set for each primary luminaire, depending on the design. The same applies to the dimming level for defining nominal operation, the dimming level for defining basic operation, and the basic operation hold time. Basic operation with a reduced dimming level generally follows nominal operation to provide illumination with reduced illuminance for at least a predetermined period after nominal operation has ended. Depending on the application, for example in underground parking garages that rely entirely on artificial lighting, it may be advantageous not to switch off the primary luminaires completely at any time; in this case, they remain in basic operation during the system's standby state.By storing the specified parameters, the lighting in the area of ​​each primary light 10_0 to 10_N can be adjusted depending on the specific local conditions, whereby at least some of the specified parameters can be individually set for the respective primary light.

[0034] Each of the primary luminaires 10_0 to 10_N includes at least one in Fig. 1. A timer (not shown), for example in the form of a controllable counter, which may be integrated into the controller 20. Such a counter is used by the control unit to determine the current rated operating time or basic operating time, which is then compared with the predetermined and stored rated operating hold time or basic operating hold time.

[0035] A single primary luminaire 10_0 to 10_N can be directly assigned to further external luminaires, which are controlled by the respective primary luminaire in the same or a similar manner as the internal lamp, whereby the respective primary luminaire together with the assigned external luminaires forms a luminaire group 15_0 to 15_n. In the Fig. In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the external or secondary luminaires assigned to the primary luminaire 10_1 are designated with the reference symbol 17_1. Both the number and the arrangement of these external luminaires can be specifically selected or adapted to the respective lighting requirement. These external luminaires are connected to the DALI bus 16_1 via corresponding DALI electronic control gears 60. The internal DALI electronic control gear is also connected to this bus, allowing the controller 20 of the primary luminaire 10_1 to control both the internal and external luminaires of the luminaire array 15_1 using the same command. For this purpose, the command can be sent as a broadcast command from the controller 20 to the DALI bus 16_1.

[0036] The two DALI interfaces 21, 22 of the respective primary luminaires differ in the described embodiment in that DALI interface 21 is also configured to provide the DALI power supply. Furthermore, in all primary luminaires, only DALI interface 21 is used to send direct lighting control commands such as dimming commands, and not the second DALI interface of the respective controller 20.

[0037] Having now described the specific design of the lighting system designed according to the invention in the described embodiment and its configuration, the coupling of the individual primary luminaires 10_0 to 10_N or the luminaire groups 15_0 to 15_N will be explained below.

[0038] As can be seen from Fig. As shown in Figure 1, in the lighting system according to the invention, all primary luminaires 10_0 to 10_N are connected in series via control lines in the form of digital bus sections, here DALI buses, with a control unit of a primary luminaire arranged between each of these DALI buses. In this respect, with the exception of the end members 10_0 and 10_N, all primary luminaires have two direct neighboring primary luminaires, which are characterized by the fact that they are connected to the same DALI bus. In this respect, the primary luminaire 10_1 has two direct neighbors 10_0 and 10_2 (not shown), with which it is connected via its associated DALI interface 21, 22 using essentially independent DALI buses 16_1 and 16_2, respectively.

[0039] In the described embodiment, communication between the two main controllers 20 of two adjacent primary luminaires, for example primary luminaires 10_0 and 10_1, takes place via messages or telegrams based on a protocol that cannot be decoded by the secondary luminaires 17_1, which are also connected to the DALI bus 16_1, and are therefore discarded. In this way, broadcast messages can be exchanged between the two primary luminaires, or rather their main controllers 20, which greatly simplifies the configuration and operation of the system.

[0040] This applies equally to communication between a primary luminaire and its associated secondary luminaires. Broadcast commands can also be sent here, since all control gear and luminaires connected to a DALI bus are operated in the same way as described above and thus controlled with a single command. In the specified embodiment, for example, 24-bit telegrams can be used for communication between interfaces 21 and 22 by the main controllers 20 of the two luminaires 10_1 and 10_0, while standard 16-bit telegrams for light control are used for controlling the DALI electronic ballasts 50 and 60. Due to the described system structure, these telegrams can be transmitted over the bus without addressing and decoded by the participants. Such direct light control commands via the DALI interface 21 are simply ignored at interface 22 of the other control device 20.

[0041] In an embodiment of the invention not shown, it is of course also possible to carry out communication on the respective digital bus sections, i.e. the respective DALI buses 16_1 to 16_N, by specifying a specific address.

[0042] In a further embodiment of the invention, not shown, it is also possible for both the initiating primary luminaire and the primary luminaires receiving the object detection message to start their respective nominal operation directly (essentially without delay) in response to the detected object signal or the receipt of an object detection message, provided that a low-light state is detected at the respective primary luminaire. In this embodiment as well, only the initiating primary luminaire starts its nominal operating time measurement and sends "active" messages as explained above as long as the respective nominal operating hold time has not yet expired.

[0043] Due to the described interconnection of the individual primary luminaires to form the overall lighting system, simple and intelligent lighting control of the entire system can be provided without a central control unit, since the serial coupling of the primary luminaires with regard to the control technology, i.e., with regard to the control line, the information flow between the individual luminaires is clearly defined and, with the exception of the end elements 10_0 and 10_N, each luminaire or its main controller 20 receives the information received from one of its neighboring primary luminaires, uses it for its own lighting control, i.e., to control its DALI operating devices 50, 60 taking into account its sensor inputs, and forwards received messages to the second neighboring primary luminaire at its other DALI interface depending on predefined rules.Depending on the use case and / or operational situation, messages can either be forwarded unconditionally, modified, or have their forwarding to the nearest neighbor suppressed.

[0044] Due to the described arrangement of the primary lights, the overall control of the system can be carried out with a significantly reduced number of commands or messages compared to conventional systems. Furthermore, the serial structure allows for a comparatively low volume of data traffic for controlling the entire lighting system.

[0045] The following section will first explain the basic procedure for operating such a lighting system. It is initially assumed that the entire system is switched off, i.e., that all lamps are in the off state, but that the light sensors 42 and object sensors 43 of all primary luminaires 10_0 to 10_N are active. If, for example, motion or presence is detected at primary luminaire 10_1, a corresponding object detection message is unconditionally transmitted via both DALI interfaces 21 and 22 to the directly adjacent primary luminaires 10_0 and 10_2 via their respective DALI buses 10_1 and 10_2. If the light sensor of the motion-detecting primary luminaire 10_1 detects a low-light condition, the switch 47 of primary luminaire 10_1 is activated to close, so that the internal electronic ballast 50 is prepared to operate the associated lamp.If no low-light condition is detected, switch 47 is not closed, as activation is unnecessary due to the high ambient light level. In the described embodiment, the DALI electronic ballast 50 requires approximately 0.5 seconds until it is ready to receive lighting control signals.

[0046] In response to the receipt of the object detection message sent by primary luminaire 10_1 by primary luminaires 10_0 and 10_2, these luminaires also check whether a low-light condition exists. If so, switch 47 is activated to close, so that the internal electronic ballast 50 is ready to operate the associated lamp after a further 0.5 seconds. In the described embodiment, the operation of the internal control gear and the associated control gear of primary luminaires 10_0 and 10_2 is not yet started, but is awaited for a further message from the initiating primary luminaire 10_1. If no low-light condition is detected, switch 47 is not closed, as switching on the respective luminaire is unnecessary due to the high ambient light level.

[0047] The illuminator 10_1 begins to adjust to nominal operation after a short time, for example 1 second, following the closing of its switch 47. Together with a broadcast command to adjust nominal operation for the internal control gear 50 and the external control gear 60, which the main controller 20 transmits via its interface 21 over the DALI bus 16_1, the controller 20 starts a counter to determine the nominal operating time, which is subsequently compared regularly with the preset and stored nominal operating hold time.

[0048] Upon starting the counter, the main controller 20 periodically sends an "active" message via its two DALI interfaces 21 and 22 to the controller 20 of the two adjacent primary luminaires 10_0 and 10_2, indicating to the two neighboring controllers that nominal operation has been initiated. In response to receiving the first "active" message, the primary luminaires 10_0 and 10_2 adjacent to the initiating primary luminaire 10_1 start operating in nominal mode by transmitting a corresponding command to their respective control gear via the associated DALI bus 16_0 and 16_2, respectively.

[0049] In the described embodiment, the two immediate neighbors of the initiating primary luminaire 10_1 do not start their respective timer circuits for detecting nominal operation. Instead, these circuits are triggered in these primary luminaires only upon motion or presence detection via their own object sensor 43. If the two adjacent primary luminaires 10_0 and 10_2 do not detect motion or presence at their respective sensors, nominal operation is initiated or maintained for a predetermined duration by the incoming "active" messages. This duration is significantly longer (e.g., by a factor greater than 2 and, for example, less than 10) than the intervals between the "active" messages of the initiating primary luminaire 10_1, which can be approximately in the 10-second range.

[0050] If motion or presence detection subsequently occurs at one of the neighboring primary luminaires 10_0 or 10_2, this primary luminaire remains in its nominal operating state, first transmits the object message described with reference to luminaire 10_1 to both neighboring luminaires, starts its own nominal operating timer and, via its own nominal operating hold time, now periodically sends "active" messages to its two neighboring primary luminaires at specified intervals via both DALI buses connected to the DALI interfaces 21, 22.

[0051] The further course of the process can differ depending on the specific implementation. First, let's consider an embodiment in which the messages transmitted from a primary luminaire to its two neighbors, or controllers 20, are passed on to its next-but-one neighbors, and so on, so that such a message is propagated throughout the entire linear chain of DALI buses. In this embodiment, the described object detection message can be unconditionally passed from all controllers to their respective neighbors.Returning to the procedure described above, this means that all primary luminaires 10_0 and 10_2 to 10_N have received the object detection message and subsequent "active" messages and have therefore switched to nominal operation depending on any low-light condition detected by their respective light sensors, without—as explained above—starting their own timer to determine the current nominal operating time. This means that if a primary luminaire has a longer nominal operating hold time than the initiating primary luminaire, the nominal operation of the "triggered primary luminaires" is switched off together with that of the initiating primary luminaire, unless movement has been detected at the "triggered luminaire" beforehand or another primary luminaire periodically transmits an "active" message beyond the hold time of the first initiating primary luminaire.Each new motion or presence detection at a triggering primary luminaire resets the nominal operating timer of that luminaire.

[0052] In this described embodiment of the method, it is evident that a large number of "active" messages and object detection messages can propagate simultaneously on the serially connected DALI buses. However, this message traffic on the serially connected DALI buses can be drastically reduced with the invention, since, in particular, "active" messages to be forwarded can be filtered out by a primary luminaire if it itself is to send an active signal in the same direction at approximately the same time, i.e., via the same DALI interface to the same neighbor, or if it receives several "active" messages in quick succession via the same DALI bus. This "filtering out" of bus messages corresponds to a kind of synchronization of the messages on the serially linked digital buses.The time that each controller 20 waits to collect such "active" messages can be set according to user requirements and depending on the necessary response behavior of the entire device. It can be particularly useful to set this waiting time approximately equal to the time interval between two "active" messages emitted by the initiating primary luminaire. In general, it can be advantageous to set this time interval to the same value for the control units or controllers 20 of all primary luminaires.

[0053] As a result, "active" messages and / or object detection messages propagating via the serial connection can be aggregated, i.e., synchronized, at each primary luminaire or its control unit, thereby significantly reducing data traffic across the digital bus sections. If a message collision is detected on a digital bus section, a retransmission occurs.

[0054] An example control sequence or message sequence shows the Fig. Figure 2 describes an embodiment as described above, in which messages sent by a triggering primary luminaire, such as the object detection message or the "active" message, propagate across the entire series of DALI buses, i.e., are successively passed on to all primary luminaires. For simplicity, only five primary luminaires are shown in the figure, designated by reference numerals 10_0 to 10_5. A timeline t is shown vertically, with times t0, t1, t2, and t3 marked. For clarity, the transmission of object detection messages has been omitted; reference can be made to the description above. The figure shows only the transmission of "active" messages, which are represented by horizontal arrows and labeled with reference numerals A1 and S2, respectively.

[0055] The Fig. Figure 2 begins with a situation in which the start-up procedure for initiating the nominal operation of the primary lights in response to the detection of movement at primary light 10_2 is complete. At time t0, the initiating primary light 10_2 sends an activity message for the first time to its two immediate neighbors 10_1 and 10_3, after it has itself activated its control devices to set the nominal operation and started its timer to record its nominal operating time. The message is forwarded to all primary lights and their control devices. In the figure, the nominal operating hold time for light 10_2 is indicated by hatching; therefore, primary light 10_2 will end its nominal operation slightly before time t2, provided this light does not receive any messages from other lights. The time interval between two "active" messages is Δt.

[0056] At time t1, the primary light 10_1 sends its first "active" message after detecting an object via its object sensor, forwarding an object detection message to its neighbors, and starting its timer. From this point on, both primary lights 10_1 and 10_2 send "active" messages, keeping all lights in nominal operation. As shown in the figure, the controller 20 of light 10_2 synchronizes the incoming "active" messages A1 from light 10_1 with its own "active" messages A2, thus reducing the data traffic to light 10_3. The same applies to the data traffic from light 10_1 to light 10_0.

[0057] At time t3, the nominal operating hold time of the luminaire 10_1 expires. Since no further movement is detected and no further "active messages" are sent, all operating devices of the entire lighting system are controlled by their respective controllers 20 to switch off or set a basic operating mode.

[0058] In the second variant of the inventive method for controlling the in Fig. In the lighting system described in section 1, the process is fundamentally the same as previously described, with the sole difference that neither the object detection message nor the "active" message is propagated across the entire linear chain of primary lights, but only across a predetermined number of neighbors, for example, in both directions up to the next-but-one neighbor, or in another embodiment, up to the third neighbor. For this purpose, both the object detection message and the "active" message have a predetermined counter value indicating the area to be propagated. This counter value is decremented by the primary light or its controller, so that transmission on the serial connection ends when the counter value has been counted down to a predetermined value, for example, zero.It can be particularly useful if the respective count value is set specific to each primary light, for example, depending on the local conditions at that particular primary light. This count value allows the propagation range of the two specified messages to be determined for each primary light within the chain. In this way, each initiating primary light sets or determines the initial count value, which is then counted down by its respective neighbors (i.e., nearest neighbors, neighbors after that, etc.) to define the range of each message.

[0059] It should be noted that both the object detection message and the "active" message, which are both propagated by the primary luminaires via the series connection of DALI buses, do not necessarily contain any information about the sender, i.e., the initiating primary luminaire. Only in the embodiment where a range-defining count value is transmitted as part of the message is this count value determined by the initiating primary luminaire. In another embodiment, the respective count values ​​of all primary luminaires are identical, so that in this case, neither the object detection message nor the "active" message contains any information about the initiating primary luminaire, even though the respective message does not travel through the entire chain of DALI buses.

[0060] In the described embodiment, all primary luminaires of the lighting system according to the invention are constructed identically with respect to the described features, although, as described above, the respective parameterization data stored in the primary luminaires may differ. For the configuration or parameterization of the lighting system, at least one of the primary luminaires, or in the described embodiment all primary luminaires, can have an infrared or Bluetooth interface for wireless connection to a corresponding end device such as a smartphone or tablet. Through this connection, process parameters such as the respective nominal operating hold time, basic operating hold time, the ambient light threshold for detecting a low-light condition, etc., can be transmitted to the respective primary luminaire.

[0061] In cases where all parameters are set identically for all primary lights, it can be advantageous to transmit these settings to a single primary light and then distribute them to all primary lights via the interconnected digital buses. If at least some of these parameters are specifically selected to suit the local conditions of each primary light, it is advantageous for all primary lights to have such an interface, allowing them to be configured or parameterized individually and separately.

[0062] All parameters can be specifically adapted to the respective lighting task. Typical values ​​for the nominal operating hold time (TN_hold) are in the minute range, for example, 2 to 10 minutes. The basic operating hold times are usually set similarly, for example, in the range of 10 minutes. The interval between the transmission of two "active" messages by a triggering primary luminaire is usually a few tens of seconds, for example, 20 or 30 seconds. In most cases, the dimming level of the respective luminaire is set to 100% for nominal operation; it can, of course, be lower depending on the circumstances. For basic operation, the dimming level will be set even lower, for example, to 10 or 20%.

[0063] In embodiments of the invention where the light sensors connected to the primary luminaires detect not only the ambient light but also the light emitted by the luminaires, the lighting system cannot adapt to changing ambient light conditions if an object detection signal is regularly and continuously detected within the area monitored by the object sensors, i.e., if motion or presence detection occurs. In these cases, object detection messages or "active" messages are sent continuously as described above, so that no time gap occurs during which the respective nominal operating hold time has elapsed.In such cases, a specific embodiment allows the total rated operating time, during which the operating mode of the internal control gear of the respective primary luminaire remains in rated operating mode, to be measured and compared with a predefined maximum duration. If this predefined maximum duration is exceeded, the stored rated operating hold time of the primary luminaire is reduced for a predetermined period to increase the probability that, within the reduced rated operating hold time, a situation will occur in which rated operation is switched off because the rated operating hold time has expired and, furthermore, no "active" message has been received from other primary luminaires. Then, with the luminaire switched off, the current ambient light can be detected and, by comparison with a predefined threshold, it can be determined whether a low-light condition exists or not.In the latter case, the respective primary luminaire or its associated secondary luminaires can remain switched off if an object detection signal is detected or an object detection message or an "active" message is received from a primary luminaire, since the ambient light in the area of ​​this luminaire group has been assessed as sufficient.

[0064] Fig. Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of a lighting system according to the invention in detail. Identical parts are identified by the same reference numerals. Fig. 1 provided. Unlike the one in Fig.In the system described in Figure 1, the series connection of the digital bus sections is achieved by using a so-called Powerbus 200 between the primary luminaires. This Powerbus provides not only the control-related series connection of the primary luminaires but also a power supply connection for them. Furthermore, the secondary luminaires described are also connected to the Powerbus for power supply and / or control purposes. The control unit 20' of a primary luminaire 100_0, 100_1 can be connected to the Powerbus 200 via two Powerline interfaces 210, with a bandstop filter 220 potentially located between these interfaces to block incoming modulation. As shown in the figure, the operating devices 60 of the secondary luminaires, together with the internal operating device 50, are connected to the controllers 20' via a separate DALI bus.In an embodiment not shown, the secondary lights, or their operating devices, could also be directly connected to the power bus for control purposes.

[0065] Depending on the specific application of the embodiments of a system according to the invention described above, it can be provided that all primary luminaires of the system regularly detect the ambient light, even when the luminaires are off, and that whether or not a low-light condition exists is recorded. This information is then available when object detection occurs within the system. Furthermore, regular measurements taken when the luminaires of the lighting system are off can be used to obtain a more precise determination of whether or not a low-light condition exists by averaging over a number of measurements. This provides more accurate information about the ambient light conditions when at least some of the luminaires switch to nominal operation due to detected movement. Reference symbol list 1 Lighting system 10_0 to 10_N Primary light 15_0 to 15_N Lighting group 16_0 to 16_N DALI bus 17_0 to 17_N Secondary lights 20, 20' Main controller, control unit 21 DALI interface 22 DALI interface 30 Controller Bus 40 auxiliary controllers 41 Sensor interface 42 Light sensor 43 Object sensor 44 IR transceivers 45 Signaling device 46 Supply 47 switches 50 Internal DALI electronic ballast 60 DALI electronic ballasts for the secondary luminaire 100_0, 100_1 Primary light 200 Powerbus 210 Powerbus interface 220 TN_hold Nominal operating hold time TB_hold Basic Operation Hold Time

Claims

[1] Lighting system (1) comprising a plurality of primary luminaires (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), each having a control device (20, 20') connected to at least two digital bus interfaces (21, 22) and at least one sensor interface (41) for connecting an object sensor (43) for detecting movement or presence and a light sensor for detecting a low light condition, and an internal operating device (50) which can be controlled by the control device (20, 20') for setting at least two operating modes for supplying a lamp, one of the operating modes being a nominal operation, wherein the primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) are connected in series via digital bus sections for control purposes, so that a primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) is connected to two adjacent primary lights via a digital bus interface (21, 22), and wherein the control device (20, 20') of a respective initiating primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) comprises a nominal operation timer and is configured, after detecting an object detection signal via its sensor interface (41), to transmit an associated object detection message via the two digital bus interfaces (21, 22) to its two adjacent primary luminaires (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), as well as to control an operating mode change to nominal operation on the internal operating device (50) for operating the lamp and to start the nominal operation timer if, furthermore, a low light condition is detected via the sensor interface (41) of the initiating primary lamp (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), characterized bythat the initiating primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) periodically transmits an active message to its two adjacent primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) via its two digital bus interfaces (21, 22), which message indicates to the two adjacent primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) that nominal operation has been set, as long as a nominal operation timer of the nominal operation timer indicates a shorter time than a nominal operation hold time (TN_hold) assigned to the initiating primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1). [2] Lighting system (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the control device (20, 20') of a respective primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) is designed to transmit the message received from one of its adjacent primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) via one of its digital bus interfaces (21, 22), in particular an object detection message and / or active message, to its other adjacent primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) via the other of its digital bus interfaces (21, 22). [3] Lighting system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat a plurality of object-sensor-free secondary lights (17_0 ... _N) are included, each having an operating device with a digital bus interface (21, 22) for setting at least two operating modes for supplying a light source, wherein at least one secondary light (17_1) is connected to a digital bus section (16_1) which runs between two primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) which are adjacent in terms of the serial connection and connects them. [4] Lighting system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the internal operating device (50) of a primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) for feeding a luminaire has a digital bus interface (21, 22) with which the internal operating device is coupled to one of the two digital bus sections (16_0 ... _N) with which the primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) is connected to the two adjacent primary luminaires. [5] Lighting system (1) according to claims 3 and 4, characterized by that at least one secondary luminaire (17_0 ... _N) together with an associated primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N) form a luminaire group (15_0 ... _N), wherein the secondary luminaire or its operating device (60) is connected to the same digital bus section (16_0 ... _N) as the internal operating device (50) of the associated primary luminaire, so that operating devices for operating the lamps or illuminants of the luminaire group (15_0 ... _N) can be controlled by the control device (20, 20') of the associated primary luminaire to set the same operating mode, in particular by a broadcast command. [6] Lighting system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized bythat primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) have a switch which can be controlled by their control device (20, 20') for switching the mains supply for the respective internal operating device (50) for feeding the respective light source. [7] Lighting system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that a primary light (10_0 ... _N) comprises an extension unit which has an auxiliary controller (40), the sensor interface (41), an air interface for wirelessly connecting the primary light to a portable configuration and / or parameterization device such as a smartphone or tablet, and an optical and / or acoustic signaling device (45). [8] Lighting system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the digital bus interfaces (21, 22) are designed as DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) interfaces and the digital bus sections are designed as DALI buses. [9] Method for operating a lighting system with a plurality of primary luminaires (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), each comprising a control device (20, 20') connected to at least two digital bus interfaces (21, 22) and a sensor interface (41) for connecting an object sensor (43) for detecting movement or presence and a light sensor (42) for detecting a low light state, and an internal operating device (50) controllable by the control device for setting at least two operating modes for supplying a luminaire, one of the operating modes being a nominal operation, wherein the primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) are serially connected via digital bus sections for control purposes, so that bidirectional data communication is provided between a primary light and its two neighboring primary lights in the serial connection, and wherein the control device (20, 20') of a respective initiating primary luminaire transmits an associated object detection message via its two digital bus interfaces (21, 22) to its two adjacent primary luminaires (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) in response to an object detection signal detected via its sensor interface (41), and, under the further condition that a low light condition is present via the sensor interface (41) of the respective initiating primary luminaire, an operating mode change to the nominal operating mode is controlled on the internal operating device (50) and a measurement of the nominal operating time (TN_hold) is started, , characterized bythat after the detection of an object detection signal via the sensor interface (41) of the initiating primary luminaire, an active message is periodically transmitted from this initiating primary luminaire over a predetermined period of time via the two digital bus interfaces (21, 22) to its two adjacent primary luminaires, by means of which message it is indicated to the two adjacent primary luminaires that the nominal operation has been set, wherein the internal operating device (50) of a primary luminaire receiving the active message remains in the nominal operation or is controlled in this. [10] Method according to claim 9, characterized bythat from a primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), which receives the object detection message or active message sent by the initiating primary luminaire via one of its two digital bus interfaces (21, 22), under predetermined conditions an associated object detection message or associated active message is transmitted to its other adjacent primary luminaire via the other of its two digital bus interfaces (21, 22). [11] Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized by that the internal operating device (50) of the respective primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) is set to an operating mode off or a operating mode basic with a predetermined dimming level of the lamp reduced to the nominal operation when the measured nominal operating time reaches a predetermined nominal operation hold time (TN_hold) and at this time the respective primary luminaire does not receive an active message. [12] Method according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized by that at least one object sensor-free secondary luminaire 17_0 ... _N), which has an operating device (60) with a digital bus interface (21, 22) for setting at least two operating modes for supplying a light source, is connected to a digital bus section running between two primary luminaires, wherein the at least one secondary luminaire, or its operating device, is controlled by the control device (20, 20') of one of these two primary luminaires to set the same operating mode as the operating mode of the internal operating device (50) of one of the two primary luminaires. [13] Method according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized bythat a primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), which receives an object detection message from one of its neighboring primary luminaires via a respective digital bus section, checks a light sensor signal detected via its sensor interface (41) in response to the receipt of this object detection message to determine whether a low light state exists and, if so, initiates an operating mode change to nominal operation on the internal operating device (50). [14] Method according to one of claims 9 to 13, characterized by that a message is transmitted successively to all primary lights (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1). [15] Method according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized bythat when an object detection message and / or an active message is created by the control device (20, 20') of an initiating primary light, a predetermined output count value indicating the range of the message is included in the message, wherein at its two adjacent primary lights receiving the message, the count value is each reduced by one and the message is passed on with the reduced count value (difference). [16] Method according to claim 15, characterized by that the message is transmitted starting from the initiating primary light and successively to neighboring primary lights until the count value reaches a predetermined value. [17] Method according to one of claims 9 to 16, characterized bythat bidirectional communication is carried out via the digital bus interfaces (21, 22) between adjacent primary lights and between primary lights and secondary lights (17_1) without addressing the respective bus participants, but with different communication protocols. [18] Method according to one of claims 9 to 17, characterized by that after receiving an object detection message at a primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1), an operating mode change to nominal operation is carried out with a delay at the internal operating device (50). [19] Method according to one of claims 9 to 18, characterized bythat in a primary luminaire (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) a contiguous total nominal operating time is determined, in particular measured, within which the operating mode of the internal operating device (50) remains in the nominal operating mode, and if the measured total nominal operating time exceeds a predetermined maximum duration, a predetermined first nominal operating hold time (TN_hold) is set to a second, smaller predetermined nominal operating hold time (TN_hold). [20] Method according to one of claims 10 to 19, characterized by that the object detection message and the active message sent by the initiating primary luminaire via its two digital bus interfaces (21, 22) to the two adjacent primary luminaires are identical. [21] Method according to one of claims 9 to 19, characterized bythat messages received by a control device (20, 20') of a primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) and / or a message received by this is combined with a message initiated by this primary light (10_0 ... _N; 100_0, 100_1) to reduce data traffic.

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