Control device for light sources for determining energy or power consumption and method for recording the same

Abstract

Control device (10) for a lamp (12), with an interface (15) for bidirectional data exchange with a control unit (20) via a bus system (16), wherein the control device (10) has an energy or power measuring device (25) for determining an energy or power consumption of the lamp, and wherein the control device (10) is configured to send information about the energy or power consumption to the control unit (20), wherein the control device (10) is configured to send this information regarding the energy or power consumption sporadically on its own, depending on the load of the bus system (16) to the control unit (20).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an operating device for a lamp for determining energy or power consumption, and to a method for detecting information about the energy or power consumption of a lamp. The operating device for lamps according to the invention can be, for example, an electronic ballast for lamps, such as gas discharge lamps or fluorescent tubes.

[0002] For the implementation of lighting systems with multiple luminaires, systems with a central control unit are used to control the operating behavior of the luminaires. In such lighting systems, features such as ease of use, ambience, functionality, energy savings, and energy monitoring are playing an increasingly important role. Traditional electrical installations based on simple wiring of light switches, dimmers, and lighting devices can only inadequately meet these requirements. Modern control gear integrated into lighting systems can receive control commands for the operation of the corresponding light source or lamp via interfaces and then control the light source in an appropriate manner.The control commands can be transmitted either via a dedicated data or bus line or via the power supply line using the PLC (Power Line Carrier) method. Furthermore, control gear for lighting devices is also known that has an interface for wirelessly receiving control commands.

[0003] Against this backdrop, the lighting industry has defined a standard for digital communication between the individual components of a lighting system. This DALI standard (DALI = Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is a protocol for controlling lighting control gear, such as switching power supplies, electronic ballasts (ECGs), or electronic power dimmers. Each control gear with a DALI interface can be controlled individually via DALI addresses. Compared to the 1-10 volt interface often used in the past, the DALI interface offers increased convenience for intelligent lighting control in a lighting system. The DALI standard is an interface definition that is used primarily for electronic ballasts for operating and charging lamps.DALI can also be integrated into a higher-level building management system as a cost-effective subsystem using suitable converters.

[0004] A DALI lighting control system can be used as a standalone system to control lighting equipment. Furthermore, a DALI lighting control system can also be deployed as a standalone subsystem within an existing building management system. A DALI system is connected to a higher-level building management system, but can also function independently of it. In another variant, the DALI system can be implemented as a pure subsystem within a building management system. In this type of application, the lighting system is not designed as a standalone solution. Commissioning the lighting control system is part of the commissioning of the overall building management system.

[0005] There are basically two options for networking and operating a DALI lighting control system. As described in Fig. As shown in Figure 6, a control unit 20 can control multiple operating devices 2 that are interconnected via a bus 16. In this operating mode, the connected operating devices 2 are controlled by the control unit 20, to which control panels or control units 40, such as sensors, push buttons, dimmers, or motion sensors, are connected. In this operating mode, the operating devices 2 only transmit information upon request from the control unit 20. The entire operation is controlled by the control unit 20.

[0006] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, multiple control units 40 can also be connected to the interface line 16 and thus communicate directly with the operating devices 2. The control units 40 must follow the corresponding "traffic rules" in the DALI standard to avoid data collisions and ensure the system runs correctly. In this mode, installation is simpler and there is less wiring required.

[0007] The control units 20 establish the logical association between the control units 40, such as sensors, operating elements, and DALI operating devices 2. In principle, the control unit can be a standalone control unit or an interface module that receives its commands from a higher-level system, such as a building management system. Intelligent sensors or operating elements with an integrated control unit are also possible as control units 20. As described in Fig. 6, sensors and control elements 40 can be connected directly to the control unit 20 via separate connections. Commercially available components can then be used in this way. In the variant shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, sensors and control elements are connected to the control unit 20 via the DALI cables 16. With this variant, no additional cables need to be laid between the sensors / control elements and the control unit.

[0008] Energy and performance monitoring is becoming increasingly important in lighting systems, e.g., in buildings. In previous lighting systems with control gear for lamps, energy consumption could only be estimated or determined based on the measured total consumption. An estimate can be made by estimating the average set dimming or brightness value and taking into account the corresponding power consumption of the installed control gear. However, estimating energy consumption is both quite cumbersome and inaccurate, since, for example, the actual energy consumption of a lamp can change when a dimming value is set, depending on the operating time and thus depending on heating.

[0009] WO 2007 / 031 767 A1 describes an electronic ballast for one or more lamps, which comprises a memory device and a microprocessor.

[0010] WO 2009 / 066 234 A2 concerns the integration of an energy function into a lighting management system, in particular for energy saving and monitoring energy consumption.

[0011] DE 10 2004 061 294 A1 relates to a method for programming an operating device for lamps, in particular for programming an electronic ballast for gas discharge lamps.

[0012] DE 10 2008 031 409 A1 describes a lamp type detection and setting of operating parameters for the operation of lamps depending on the detected lamp type.

[0013] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an operating device for lamps that allows the energy or power consumption of the lamp to be provided to a control device in a lighting system in a simple and precise manner.

[0014] This object is achieved by the operating device according to claim 1 and the method according to claim 14. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0015] The present invention is characterized in that an operating device for a lamp comprises an energy or power measuring device for determining the energy or power consumption of the lamp. With the aid of this operating device, the energy or power consumption of such an operating device within a lighting system can be determined very simply and very accurately.

[0016] According to one embodiment, an operating device can have a data memory that records, for example, energy or power consumption over a certain period of time. This value can then be read out, for example, intermittently or cyclically by a monitoring system or control unit or sent to it. According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the control unit can always store the current energy or power consumption in a second register or memory bank, so that it can always be retrieved or sent to the control unit in real-time.

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] They show: Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an operating device for a lighting device with an interface and an energy or power measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of an operating device for a lighting device with a data memory according to a further embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of an operating device for a lamp with a further interface, as well as two memory banks for storing a current consumption value and for storing an energy or power consumption value over a certain period of time according to a further embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of an operating device for a lighting device, wherein the operating device has a wireless interface for transmitting information on energy or power consumption or control commands according to a further embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 shows a flowchart for a method for detecting information about energy or power consumption of a lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 a schematic representation of a DALI lighting control system, with sensors and controls connected to a control unit via separate connections; Fig. 7 shows a schematic representation of a DALI lighting control system, with sensors and control elements connected to a control unit via the DALI bus; Fig. 8 shows a representation of a power factor correction circuit of an operating device for a lighting device according to a further embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the signal waveforms of a power factor correction circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] With regard to the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the same reference numerals are used in the various figures for elements or steps that have the same effect or function. These elements with the same reference numerals are interchangeable in the various embodiments.

[0020] In Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of an operating device 10 for a lighting device 12 having an interface 15 for bidirectional data exchange with a control device 20. The operating device 10 has an energy or power measuring device 25 for determining an energy or power consumption of the lighting device 12. The operating device 10 is further configured to send information about the energy or power consumption to the control device 20 or to make the information about the energy or power consumption accessible to the control device 20.

[0021] The lamp operating device 10 may be part of a larger lighting system which, as in connection with Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, can have a plurality of further lamp operating devices, which are arranged, for example, distributed within a building or a facility to be illuminated. The individual operating devices 10 can be connected to a central control device 20 via a bus system 16. With the aid of the bus system 16, for example, control commands can be sent from the central control unit to an operating device 10, status information can be queried or sent from the operating device 10 to the control device 20. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, information relating to the energy or power consumption of the lighting means 12 can be sent to the control device 20 or made accessible, for example, via the bus system 16 and the interface 15, or else via a further interface, as will be shown later.

[0022] The operating device 10 can, for example, be an electronic ballast for lighting devices, such as discharge lamps or gas discharge lamps. An electrical ballast can interact with the lighting device 12 as a separate component or can be integrated into the lighting device. An electronic ballast can serve to ignite a gas discharge with a correspondingly high voltage and to limit a discharge current during operation of the gas discharge lamp. Since an operating device can have a certain amount of energy consumption, the energy or power measuring device 25 can be designed to determine the total energy consumption of the lighting device and the operating device. Accordingly, the information about the energy or power consumption of the operating device can then include both the energy and power consumption of the operating device and of the lighting device itself.

[0023] In other embodiments, the operating device 10 may be a ballast for lamps, for an emergency power module, for a dimmer, for a transformer, etc.

[0024] The control device 10 can be a control device for various types of light sources. The light sources can include, for example, gas discharge lamps, incandescent lamps, halogen lamps, or semiconductor light sources.

[0025] In the Fig. The operating device 10 shown in Figure 1 can, for example, be a DALI operating device, which then accordingly has a DALI interface 15 with which the operating device is connected via a DALI bus 16 to a DALI control device 20 or a DALI gateway 20 if the lighting system is a subsystem of a building management system.

[0026] The energy or power measuring device 25 can be designed to measure a corresponding active current, if there is a phase shift between current and voltage, as well as the currently applied alternating voltage, and to calculate a power consumption therefrom by multiplication, whereby an energy consumption can be determined with subsequent temporal integration. For example, when using a resonant half-bridge to operate the lamp, the current and the voltage through the lamp can be measured, wherein preferably the active current or the active power of the lamp is measured. When using a resonant half-bridge to operate the lamp (for example with an electronic ballast as operating device 10), the current flowing through the half-bridge can also be measured as a parameter for the power of the lamp.However, the energy or power measuring device 25 can also, for example, measure the power consumed by the operating device 10 at the input terminals or via an existing power factor correction circuit.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the energy or power measuring device 25 can thus be designed such that when the lighting means 12 is operated by means of a resonant half-bridge, a current and a voltage are detected through the lighting means 12 or through the resonant half-bridge.

[0028] According to a further embodiment, the energy or power measuring device 25 can be configured to detect, in a detection mode, the energy or power losses occurring in the operating device 10 as a function of a specific operating state, e.g., a specific dimming or brightness value, and to store these values. These values ​​can be used to determine the current energy or power consumption values. The energy or power measuring device 25 can enable precise instantaneous energy or power consumption values ​​to be recorded for a lighting device by an operating device 10. The operating device 10 can then send this information about the energy or power consumption, which has been determined or recorded with the aid of the energy or power measuring device 25, to a control device 20 or make this information about the energy or power consumption accessible to the control device 20.

[0029] The energy or power measuring device 25 can be configured to determine the losses occurring in the operating device 10. For example, the energy or power measuring device 25 can record the corresponding losses for all possible dimming or brightness values ​​in a type of recording mode. These recorded losses, corresponding to the dimming or brightness values, can be taken into account later during operation when determining the current energy or power consumption.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the energy or power measuring device 25 can be designed to detect the energy or power consumed by the operating device 10 at associated current / voltage input terminals of the operating device 10 or via a power factor correction circuit.

[0031] For example, detection via a power factor correction circuit can be implemented in such a way that the current consumed by the power factor correction circuit is detected and, in addition, the voltage present at the input of the power factor correction circuit is detected. From these detected values ​​for the current consumed by the power factor correction circuit and the applied voltage, the power and energy consumed can be determined.

[0032] Based on the Fig. 8 will explain a possible embodiment for detecting the energy or power consumed by the power factor correction circuit.

[0033] In Fig. Figure 8 shows a typical power factor correction circuit, implemented here as a boost converter. In this case, switch S1 is clocked at a high frequency, alternately magnetizing and demagnetizing coil L1. The energy from the magnetization of coil L1 is transferred via diode D1 to buffer capacitor C1, which in turn is used to supply the lamp driver circuit (e.g., the resonant half-bridge). A current measuring resistor Rshunt can be arranged in series with switch S1. This can be used, for example, to monitor the current within the power factor correction circuit (by detecting it at point CS). Whenever switch S1 is switched on, the current Imains, which magnetizes coil L1, also flows through switch S1 and the current measuring resistor Rshunt. When switch S1 is switched off, when coil L1 is demagnetized, the current from coil L1 flows through diode D1 and not through switch S1.The time of demagnetization of coil L1 can be determined by measuring, for example, a secondary winding on coil L1 at point ZX. However, since both the value of the coil current Imains when switch S1 opens and the duration of demagnetization of coil L1 are known, the current flow during the off-state phase can also be determined.

[0034] A typical curve for the current flow through the coil L1 depending on the timing of the switch S1 is shown in the Fig. 9 symbolically shown. The rising edge of the current Imains through coil L1 also corresponds to the current through the current-sensing resistor Rshunt. The falling edge flows through diode D1, as already explained. The characteristic of the falling edge can be determined, as already explained, based on the value of the current Imains through coil L1 when switch S1 opens and the duration of the demagnetization of coil L1. This allows the current consumed by the power factor correction circuit to be determined. Alternatively, other current sensing methods can be used, for example, using a current-sensing transformer or a differently arranged current-sensing resistor.

[0035] As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 9, the envelope of the current Imains through coil L1 follows a sinusoidal waveform. This results from the sinusoidal mains voltage, as the power factor correction circuit strives to adapt the current consumption to the mains voltage curve and thus ensure a high power factor.

[0036] The voltage applied to the input of the power factor correction circuit can also be determined in various ways. One possibility would be a measurement using the existing input voltage detection, which is often present in power factor correction circuits (for example, the input voltage detection for the multiplier input of the power factor correction control circuit). Such a measurement could, for example, be made at the input of the power factor correction circuit at point Vmains. However, a measurement on an existing circuit could also be used to distinguish between AC and DC supply operation, or the input voltage could be measured indirectly, for example by evaluating the duty cycle of switch S1 of the power factor correction circuit (taking into account the output voltage on buffer capacitor C1).

[0037] If the voltage and current through the power factor correction circuit are known, the power consumed can be determined by multiplying these values, and subsequently the energy consumed can also be determined.

[0038] The energy or power measuring device 25 can also be designed such that the power consumed by the operating device 10 is recorded at the input terminals or via an existing power factor correction circuit, and the power delivered to the lamp is also additionally recorded. In this way, the energy consumption and power loss within the operating device 10 can also be determined. In addition, the efficiency of the operating device 10 can thus be recorded. This makes it possible to determine the energy consumption and power loss of the operating device 10 and also to monitor them regularly. If the power loss deteriorates, for example, this condition can also be signaled by the operating device 10.Furthermore, it is also possible for the energy or power measuring device 25 to determine both the energy consumption or the power loss within the operating device 10 and additionally also to record the energy consumption or the power consumed by the luminaire.

[0039] The energy or power measuring device 25 can also be designed such that the energy or power consumption is calculated based on the dimming value or brightness value set for the light source. This can be achieved by providing a list for each operating device in a lighting system, in which the power consumption of the operating device is documented for each dimming value or set brightness value. In addition to the dimming value, the corresponding operating time of the light source and the respective type of light source can then also be stored in order to obtain energy consumption—i.e., power multiplied by the corresponding time. Such a list can, for example, be stored in a memory of the operating device.

[0040] The energy or power measuring device 25 can thus be designed to determine the energy or power consumption of a lamp in an operating state, e.g. at a certain dimming or brightness value, with the aid of a value assigned to the respective operating state in a list of energy and power consumption values ​​of the operating device.

[0041] The operating device 10 can be designed such that, in response to a request from the control device or intermittently on its own, it sends information about the energy or power consumption determined by the energy or power measuring device 25, for example via the interface 15, to the control device 20.

[0042] According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the control device 20 can request or read out information about the energy or power consumption of the operating device 10 via control commands that are sent to the operating device 10, for example, via the bus 16. In further exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the operating device 10 can also be designed to send this information regarding the energy or power consumption to the control device 20 sporadically on its own, depending on the load on the bus system 16. The operating device 10 can also be designed to send the information about the energy or power consumption to the control device 20 or make it accessible at predetermined times or points in time or when certain events occur. One such event could be, for example, that a dimming orThe brightness value of the lamp is changed and then information regarding the energy or power consumption in this new setting of the lamp is transmitted to the control unit 20.

[0043] As in another example in Fig. 2, an operating device 10 can be used in addition to the one used in connection with Fig. The components already mentioned in Figure 1 may have a data memory 30 coupled to the energy or power device, so that information about the energy or power consumption can be stored in the data memory. The data memory 30 can be read by the control unit 20, for example, via the interface 15.

[0044] As in Fig. 2, a control unit 40 can be connected to the bus system 16, with which, for example, a lamp can be dimmed, i.e., the brightness can be changed. Such control units 40 can also be connected to the bus system 16 in other embodiments of the invention. The control unit 40 can, for example, be a motion sensor, a brightness sensor, a push-button, an on / off switch, a dimmer, a control panel, a touch panel, etc. for controlling or operating the operating devices. The control unit 40 can therefore be an operating element for an operating device. As explained in connection with the Fig. 6 and Fig. As already described in Figure 7, according to further embodiments, such a control unit 40 can also be connected directly to the control device 20. The control device 20 can then, for example, forward a control command from a control unit 40 to the operating device 10. The control device 20 can be a DALI control device that is coupled to a DALI operating device 10 via a DALI bus 16. Accordingly, the control device can be designed to establish the logical assignment between the control units 40 and the DALI operating devices 10 in a DALI lighting system.

[0045] An operating device 10 for a lighting device 12 can record information about energy or power consumption over a certain period of time on a data storage device 30, such as a memory bank. For example, an averaged energy or power consumption value can be determined or recorded by integrating the energy or power consumption values ​​over a certain period of time. In embodiments of the present invention, the information about the energy or power consumption can include a time-averaged energy or power consumption or, for example, also an instantaneous energy or power consumption.

[0046] According to a further embodiment, which is shown schematically in Fig. 3, the operating device 10 can have a further interface 35. Stored information about the energy or power consumption can then be read out via this interface 35, which can be coupled to a data storage device 30 or the energy or power measuring device 25. This second interface 35 can, for example, also be a wireless interface, with which the data and information are transmitted wirelessly, e.g., according to the Bluetooth standard. Information about the energy or power consumption can then, for example, be transmitted wirelessly to a control device 20.However, it is also conceivable that the additional interface 35 is a wired interface that uses a different transmission protocol than interface 15, so that the information about energy or power consumption can be sent to or read from other devices for evaluation, independent of a DALI protocol. The information can also be transmitted to the control unit 20 via interface 35.

[0047] As in Fig. As shown schematically in Figure 3, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a data memory 30 can have different memory banks 30a, 30b or registers, wherein, for example, information about the energy or power consumption over a certain period of time is stored in a first register 30a, while, for example, a second register or a second memory bank 30b always stores current information about the energy or power consumption of the operating device 10 with lighting means 12. This information can then be retrieved or sent as needed.

[0048] As already stated above, according to embodiments of the present invention, the operating device 10 can be configured to send information about the energy or power consumption to the control device 20 intermittently, continuously, at periodic time intervals, at predetermined times, at a predetermined energy or power consumption value, or upon a command to change the brightness of the luminaire, or to make it accessible to the control device 20. Reading can be performed, for example, via a wireless additional interface 35 or via the interface 15, which can operate, for example, according to the DALI protocol.

[0049] Interfaces 15 and 35 can be interfaces for bidirectional data exchange, meaning they can be used for both sending and receiving. Thus, for example, control commands can be received and status information or data, such as information about energy or power consumption, can be sent from the operating device 10. Interface 15 for bidirectional data exchange can be configured to receive external control commands for operating the lighting device 12 according to the DALI protocol and to send status information or data information according to the DALI protocol.

[0050] As in Fig. 4, according to a further exemplary embodiment, the operating device 10 can also have a further interface 35, via which the information on the energy or power consumption can be transmitted to the control device 20 or another device for evaluation of this information, or can be read out. According to some exemplary embodiments, the operating device 10 can also receive control commands for controlling the operating behavior of the lighting device 12 via a remote control 45. Furthermore, it is also conceivable for the control units 40 to communicate wirelessly with the control device 20 in order to then transmit control commands via the bus line 16 to an operating device 10. The operating device 10 can therefore further be designed to receive control commands for operating the lighting device from a control unit 40 via an interface 15 or 35. For example, a dimming orBrightness value can be set, whereupon information about the energy or power consumption of the operating device 10 for lamps 12 in this set dimming value is sent to a control device 20 or made accessible.

[0051] As in Fig. 4, the further interface may be connected to the data memory 30, although in alternative embodiments of the present invention the interface 35 need not be directly coupled to the data memory.

[0052] In general, the bus line 16 can also contain a power and voltage supply for the operating device with the lamp 12. Alternatively, however, a separate power and voltage supply for the operating device can also be provided via other supply lines.

[0053] The control device 20 can be a DALI control device or, for example, a DALI gateway, that is, a connecting element between different bus systems or bus networks, such as the DALI bus and other bus systems, such as the home bus systems EIB (EIB = European Installation Bus), LON (LON = Local Operating Network) or the C-Bus.

[0054] By incorporating the energy or power measuring device into an operating device 10, an accurate energy balance can be created for each appropriately equipped operating device and made available by a control unit 20. A control unit 20 can, for example, be connected to a computer so that, via software, instructions to the control unit can be requested or received from specific operating devices, including information about energy or power consumption.

[0055] With the help of the integrated energy or power measuring device 25, a precise actual energy or power consumption value can be determined. There is no need to rely on lists or stored consumption values ​​for specific dimming settings. In a lighting system with a control unit 20 and an integrated operating device 10, different operating devices with different light sources can be installed, so that each operating device can have a different energy or power consumption. By integrating the energy or power measuring device 25 into operating devices 10, the energy or power consumption can be determined for each of these different operating devices for the associated light sources in a simple yet extremely accurate manner and sent to the central control unit 20 or read out by it.Furthermore, the energy or power consumption of a group of interconnected lighting devices that are assigned to an operating device according to the invention can also be determined with the aid of the energy or power measuring device 25 and corresponding information on the energy or power consumption can be sent to a control device 20 or made accessible to it.

[0056] As shown in the flowchart in Fig.5, the invention thus also comprises a method for detecting information about energy or power consumption of a lighting device using an operating device. The operating device has an interface for bidirectional data exchange with a control device and furthermore an energy or power measuring device for determining energy or power consumption. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises a step of determining 100 information about the energy and power consumption using the energy or power measuring device. Furthermore, the method comprises sending 110 the information about the energy or power consumption to a control device or making the information about the energy or power consumption accessible 120 to the control device.

[0057] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method can also comprise, after the determining step 100, a step of storing the information about the energy or power consumption in a data memory of the operating device for lighting devices. This means that the data determined or measured by the energy or power measuring device can be stored in a memory for digital data present in the operating device. From there, they can be sent to the control device or read out by it. According to exemplary embodiments, the step of sending 110 the information about the energy or power consumption or making this information accessible 120 can be carried out upon a request by a control device or intermittently on its own initiative.Information about energy or power consumption can therefore be sent to the control unit based on an external control command. It is also conceivable that the information can be read out, sent from, or sent to a control unit at predetermined times or intervals, or based on specific events. Such an event could be, for example, the switching on or off of the control device for a light source, or a change in the brightness or dimming value for such a control device.

[0058] The step of transmitting 110 the information about the energy or power consumption or the step 120 of making the same information accessible can, in embodiments, for example, be carried out intermittently, at periodic time intervals, at predetermined times, at a predetermined energy or power consumption value, or in response to a command to change a brightness of the luminous means.

[0059] In particular, it is also pointed out that, depending on the circumstances, the method or scheme according to the invention can also be implemented in software. The implementation can also take place on a digital storage medium, in particular a floppy disk, a CD or DVD with electronically readable control signals which can interact with a programmable computer system such that the corresponding method is carried out. In general, the invention thus also consists in a computer program product with program code stored on a machine-readable carrier for carrying out the method according to the invention when the computer program product runs on a computer or microprocessor. In other words, the invention can thus be realized as a computer program with program code for carrying out the method when the computer program runs on a computer.

Claims

[1] Operating device (10) for a lighting means (12), with an interface (15) for bidirectional data exchange with a control device (20) via a bus system (16), wherein the operating device (10) has an energy or power measuring device (25) for determining an energy or power consumption of the lighting means, and wherein the operating device (10) is designed to send information about the energy or power consumption to the control device (20), wherein the operating device (10) is designed to send this information regarding the energy or power consumption to the control device (20) sporadically on its own, depending on the load of the bus system (16). [2] Operating device (10) according to claim 1, which further comprises a data memory (30) which is coupled to the energy or power measuring device (25) so that the information about the energy or power consumption can be stored in the data memory (30). [3] Operating device according to claim 2, which further comprises a further interface (35) which is coupled to the data memory (30) so that stored information about the energy or power consumption can be read out or sent via the further interface (35). [4] Operating device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information about the energy or power consumption is a time-averaged energy or power consumption or an instantaneous energy or power consumption. [5] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operating device (10) is designed to send the information about the energy or power consumption to the control device (20) intermittently, continuously, at periodic time intervals, at predetermined times, at a predetermined energy or power consumption or on a command to change a brightness of the lighting means to the control device (20) or to make it accessible to the control device (20). [6] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operating device (10) is further designed to receive control commands for the operation of the lighting means from a control unit (40) via the interface (15). [7] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bidirectional data exchange comprises control commands, status messages or information on energy or power consumption. [8] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the operating device (10) is designed as a DALI operating device (DALI = Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) with a DALI interface (15) which exchanges data bidirectionally with the control device (20) according to a DALI protocol. [9] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the operating device (10) is designed as an electronic ballast (10) for discharge lamps (12). [10] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the energy or power measuring device (25) is designed to detect and store energy or power losses occurring in the operating device (10) in a detection mode as a function of an operating state of the operating device. [11] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the energy or power measuring device (25) is designed to detect an energy or power consumed by the operating device (10) at associated current / voltage input terminals of the operating device or via a power factor correction circuit. [12] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the energy or power measuring device (25) is designed to determine the energy or power consumption of the lighting means (12) in an operating state with the aid of a value assigned to the respective operating state in a list of energy and power consumption values. [13] Operating device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the energy or power measuring device (25) is designed to detect a current and a voltage through the lighting means or through the resonant half-bridge when the lighting means (12) is operated by means of a resonant half-bridge. [14] Method for detecting an energy or power consumption of a lighting device, with an operating device, wherein the operating device has an interface for bidirectional data exchange via a bus system with a control device, and wherein the operating device has an energy or power measuring device for determining an energy or power consumption, with the following steps: Determining (100) information about the energy or power consumption using the energy or power measuring device; and Sending (110) the information about the energy or power consumption to the control unit, wherein the step of sending (110) the information about the energy or power consumption is carried out in such a way that the operating device sends this information regarding the energy or power consumption to the control device sporadically on its own initiative, depending on the load of the bus system. [15] Method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of storing the information on the energy or power consumption acquired by means of the energy or power measuring device in a data memory of the operating device. [16] Method according to one of claims 14 or 15, wherein the step of transmitting (110) the information about the energy or power consumption or a step of making accessible (120) the information about the energy or power consumption is carried out intermittently, continuously, at periodic time intervals, at predetermined times, at a predetermined energy or power consumption or on a control command to change a brightness of the luminous means. [17] Computer program for carrying out the method according to one of claims 14 to 16, when the computer program is executed on a computer.

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