SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH STRUCTURE-BASED SOUND SIGNAL TRANSMISSION

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a lighting system for transmitting information, such as control signals or data, between components or within a component of a lighting system.

[0002] In building automation, control devices receive information in the form of signals from sensors and / or send control signals to lights or other devices via cables, optical methods, or radio transmission methods. In addition to control or status signals, information for parameterizing or addressing devices and external data can also be transmitted.

[0003] DE 10 2011 007 416 A1 discloses a lighting system in which ceiling lights are equipped with a radio network module to provide internet access for WLAN-enabled devices.

[0004] DE 10 2016 210 414 A1 discloses an operating device for a luminaire which has a transponder with which configuration information can be wirelessly transmitted from a mobile transmitter to the operating device.

[0005] Integrating antennas for wireless transmission into components with metallic housings is complex, and external antennas are often undesirable for aesthetic reasons. For wired signal transmission, on the other hand, accessible connections and / or cables must be provided between or within the components.

[0006] WO 2017 / 018994 A1 discloses a sensor communication system for information transmission by means of vibrations.

[0007] EP 0 591 021 A1 discloses a vehicle in which control signals are transmitted by means of structure-borne sound.

[0008] WO 2018 / 197205 A1 discloses a lighting system in which components of the lighting system are attached to a mounting rail of a track lighting system and information is transmitted between the components by means of an optical signal within the mounting rail.

[0009] DE 10 2016 210414 A1 discloses a lighting system in which the control gear of luminaires has a transponder for wireless configuration by means of a portable transmitter and receiver.

[0010] The invention is based on the objective of providing a lighting system for transmitting information and a method for transmitting information within a lighting system that alleviate the problems described. In particular, the objective is to provide a lighting system for transmitting information and a method for transmitting information within a lighting system that enable the transmission of signals without the use of radio antennas and electrical or optical conductors.

[0011] This problem is solved by the features of the independent claims. The invention is further developed by the features of the dependent claims.

[0012] According to the present invention, signal and thus ultimately data transmission is achieved via structure-borne sound. For this purpose, the lighting system comprises at least one transmitter for sending signals via structure-borne sound and at least one receiver for receiving the signals transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver via structure-borne sound. Structure-borne sound is sound that propagates in a solid, with the structure-borne sound waves propagating independently of each other in two different ways (longitudinal waves and transverse waves). The solid is formed by one or more components of the lighting system and / or a body that holds the components.

[0013] The transmitter couples corresponding vibrations into a solid body. The receiver, on the other hand, is located at a remote position and can detect a vibration in the element to which it is connected. The solid body into which the sound is coupled and the solid body in which the sound is detected do not have to be identical, as long as structure-borne sound transmission occurs between these two elements.

[0014] The at least one transmitter and / or the at least one receiver is coupled to a housing of a luminaire of the lighting system, to a structure-borne sound conductor attached to the housing or at least partially located inside the housing, or to a mounting rail of a track lighting system for mounting components of the lighting system, wherein the transmission path of the structure-borne sound from the transmitter to the receiver is formed at least partially by the housing, the structure-borne sound conductor or the mounting rail.

[0015] The signal to be transmitted can be a control signal, such as a switching signal, or a status signal that indicates a state, for example. Alternatively or additionally, data can be transmitted using the signal in a known manner through pulse or other modulation techniques, and / or multiple signals can be transmitted simultaneously using multiplexing techniques such as time-division multiplexing or frequency-division multiplexing.

[0016] Vibration exciters, dynamic or electrostatic actuators, and especially piezoelectric actuators, can be used as transmitters, and microphones, pickups, accelerometers, or seismometers as receivers. Signal transmission via structure-borne sound can occur within a component of the lighting system, such as a luminaire, and / or between different components, such as a switch or sensor and a luminaire. The signal can also be transmitted via ceilings, walls, floors, and / or other structural connections (solids) between the components that conduct structure-borne sound. The signal can be an ultrasound signal and / or a sequence of pulses. The frequency range of the structure-borne sound is preferably at the upper end of the audible range or above (ultrasound). The pulses can have at least frequency components that extend over the audible range, the ultrasound range, and / or infrasound.

[0017] In this lighting system, several components, even different ones, can be mounted on the mounting rail, with each component having a transmitter and / or a receiver. This allows the signal to be transmitted from at least one transmitter component, such as a motion detector, to at least one receiver component, such as a light fixture, without the need for additional wiring. For bidirectional information transmission, each component has both a transmitter and a receiver.

[0018] The multiple components can be mounted at different positions along the mounting rail, with at least one component comprising at least the transmitter and a control unit for controlling the signal strength and / or frequency of the signal transmitted by the transmitter, and the control unit being designed to assign at least some of the multiple components to different receiver groups with different signal strengths and / or frequencies for selective transmission of the signal to a specific receiver group. Such an assignment enables the "addressing" of the corresponding receiver group.

[0019] Additionally or alternatively, the lighting system can include at least one first luminaire, one second luminaire, and a structure-borne sound conductor connected to the housings of both the first and second luminaires, thus enabling the transmission of structure-borne sound between these two housings. At least one transmitter or receiver is coupled to each housing. The structure-borne sound conductor can be an existing mounting or a connection specifically designed for transmitting structure-borne sound.

[0020] Signal transmission via structure-borne sound can occur between the luminaires. Alternatively, at least one transmitter and / or receiver can be coupled to the structure-borne sound conductor, so that the signal can also be sent or received by other components.

[0021] The structure-borne sound signal can be received and processed by all receivers located within the transmitter's range. Alternatively, addressing can be achieved using filters (frequency-selective attenuation) and by selecting the frequency of the transmitted signal, with at least one filter for filtering the structure-borne sound signal transmitted between the transmitter and the receiver being arranged in the signal's transmission path from the at least one transmitter to the at least one receiver. The filter can be designed as a band-stop filter, in particular as a notch filter, or as a specific low-pass, high-pass, or band-pass filter, so that whether the signal is received by the receiver can be determined by selecting the transmission frequency.

[0022] Additionally or alternatively, the signal received and output by at least one receiver can be filtered.

[0023] The transmitter and receiver can be permanently connected to the structure transmitting structure-borne sound or vibrations. Alternatively, a connection to the structure transmitting structure-borne sound or vibrations can be established only temporarily during signal transmission. In particular, a portable transmitter and / or receiver can have at least one transmitter or at least one receiver. This allows, for example, the transmission of configuration information to a device to be configured by simply touching the device with at least one receiver to the transmitter / receiver, thus enabling sound transmission between the components of the transmitter / receiver and the device to be configured.

[0024] In particular, the control gear of luminaires with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) often incorporates control units that can receive control data from external sources for setting operating parameters, such as the maximum output current of the control gear to the LEDs or the color temperature. In lighting systems where the components are networked for data exchange, each component is connected to a control unit that, among other things, manages the data exchange during network operation and identifies the component within the network through its unique assignment. Using a portable transmitter and / or receiver, such operating parameters and / or addresses can be easily transmitted for identification within the network.

[0025] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a first embodiment of a lighting system according to the present invention, Fig. 2 a simplified circuit of a light and a presence sensor of the in Fig. 1 lighting system shown, Fig. 3 a side view of a lighting system, Fig. 4 a third embodiment of a lighting system according to the present invention, Fig. 5 a fourth embodiment of a lighting system according to the present invention, and Fig. 6 a simplified flowchart to illustrate the method according to the present invention.

[0026] Components with identical functions are marked with the same reference symbols in the figures.

[0027] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a side view of a track lighting system 1 according to the present invention. The track lighting system 1 is mounted to a ceiling 5 of a room by means of three steel cables 2-4 (or rods) as fastening means and comprises a support rail 6 connected to the steel cables 2-4, four downward-facing luminaires 7-10, and three presence sensors 11-13. The luminaires 7-10 and the presence sensors 11-13 are components of the track lighting system 1 and the lighting system, respectively, and are held by the support rail 6, into which they are inserted and fixed from below at any desired position. The remaining open areas on the underside of the support rail 6 are closed with covers (not shown).

[0028] Electrical conductors designed as busbars (not shown) run along the mounting rail 6, electrically contacting the inserted and fixed components 7-13 and thus supplying them with power. Power is fed into the busbars by means of a busbar feeder (not shown).

[0029] The presence sensors 11..13 each have a transmitter 14..16 for sending a switch-on signal, and the luminaires 7..10 each have a receiver 17..20 for receiving the switch-on signal. Each of the transmitters 14..16 is designed to generate vibrations as a switch-on signal to excite the mounting rail 6. The vibrations then propagate along the main direction of extension of the mounting rail 6, decreasing in intensity as they do so. The direction of propagation is in Fig. 1 indicated by the dotted arrows.

[0030] The luminaires 7..10 and the receivers 17..20 of the luminaires 7..10 are arranged along the mounting rail 6 such that a receiver 17..20 receives vibrations or the switch-on signal transmitted by structure-borne sound only from certain presence sensors 11..13 or transmitters 14..16 with the signal strength required for detection. In the Fig. 1 In the example shown, receiver 17 receives the switch-on signal only from transmitter 14, receiver 18 receives only the switch-on signal sent by transmitter 14 and the switch-on signal sent by transmitter 15, receiver 19 receives only the switch-on signal sent by transmitter 15 and the switch-on signal sent by transmitter 16, and receiver 20 receives only the switch-on signal sent by transmitter 16. This ensures that only the lights 7-10 immediately adjacent to a presence sensor 11-13 are switched on when a person is detected by this presence sensor 11-13.

[0031] The strength of the transmitted signal and / or the signal strength threshold for successful detection of a switch-on signal can be adjusted for presence sensors 11-13 and luminaires 7-10, respectively, to allow greater flexibility in positioning these sensors along the mounting rail 6. Alternatively or additionally, damping elements that reduce the switch-on signal or vibrations can be attached to the mounting rail in the mounting area of ​​luminaires 7-10 to prevent the switch-on signal from propagating to other luminaires 7-10.

[0032] It is also possible to connect the steel cables 2..4 to the support rail 6 and / or to the ceiling 5 via damping elements, which prevent the transmission of the switch-on signal from, for example, the transmitter 15 to the receiver 17 or 20 via the ceiling 5.

[0033] Lights 7..10 switch off when the on-signal is lost or after a certain period of time, which begins with the receipt or loss of the on-signal.

[0034] The lights 7..10 as well as the presence sensors 11..13 each have the same structure with regard to the elements for information transmission. Fig. 2 Figure 1 shows an exemplary simplified circuit diagram of the presence sensor 13 and the light 10. The presence sensor 13 comprises a PIR sensor 21 (pyroelectric infrared), a control unit 22, and the transmitter 16. The PIR sensor 21 detects people moving within a specific area and sends a corresponding signal to the control unit 22, which then controls the transmitter 16 so that, upon detecting a person, it sends the activation signal to the lights 9 and 10. For this purpose, the transmitter 16, which is connected to the mounting rail 6, generates vibrations that propagate as sound waves within the mounting rail 6.

[0035] The luminaire 10 comprises a receiver 20, which is connected to the mounting rail 6 and detects sound waves, a lamp 23, and a control gear 24, which generates the necessary operating current and / or voltage for the lamp 23. The transmitter 20, which can be a micromechanical vibration sensor (MEMS, "Micro-Electro-Mechanical System"), fiber optic vibration sensor, contact microphone, structure-borne sound microphone, or a structure-borne sound pickup such as those used for musical instruments, detects the surface vibrations generated by the transmitter 16 on the mounting rail 6 and outputs a corresponding signal to the control gear 24 or its control unit (not shown). Based on the signal, the control unit determines whether the switch-on signal has been received and controls the control gear 24 so that the operating current or voltage is supplied to the lamp 23 when the switch-on signal is received.

[0036] In the Fig. 1 In the lighting system shown, the luminaires 7-10 and the presence sensors 11-13 each have either a receiver 17-20 or a transmitter 14-16. However, it is also possible that the luminaires 7-10 and the presence sensors 11-13 have both a receiver 17-20 and a transmitter 14-16 in order to send and receive a status signal regarding the received switch-on signal and / or the switch-on state. Similarly, other components can, of course, have either only a transmitter, only a receiver, or both.

[0037] Fig. 3 Shows a side view of a lighting system in which the activation signal is also transmitted via structure-borne sound through the ceiling 5. The in Fig. 1 The lighting system shown comprises three luminaires 25-27, which are mounted to the ceiling 5 by means of three steel cables 2-4 as fastening means, as well as a presence sensor 28 attached directly to the ceiling 5. As described above, the presence sensor 28 has a PIR sensor, a control unit (not shown), and a transmitter 29 for sending a switch-on signal by coupling structure-borne sound into the ceiling 5. The luminaires 25-27 have, compared to the ones in Fig. 1 The lights shown 7..10 also include a transmitter in a transmitting and receiving unit 30..32 connected to the respective steel cable 2..4.

[0038] When a person is detected by the PIR sensor of the presence sensor 28, the transmitter 29 sends a switch-on signal to the lights 25..26, whereby the transmitter 29, which is connected to the ceiling 5, generates vibrations to couple sound, which spreads within the ceiling 5 and is received via the steel cable 2 by the transmitter and receiver unit 30 of the light 25.

[0039] The light 25 switches on upon receiving the activation signal sent by the presence sensor 28 and transmits an amplified activation signal, compared to the received signal, via the transmitter and receiver unit 30 through the steel cable 2, the ceiling 5, and the steel cable 3 to the light 26. The activation signal is then forwarded from the light 26 to the light 27 in the same manner. The lights 25 and 26 thus have a repeater function by amplifying and forwarding the activation signal. Fig. 3 In the lighting system shown, the ceiling is in the transmission path of the switch-on signal. However, it is also possible to transmit the switch-on signal via walls, floors and / or via brackets installed between the luminaires 25..27.

[0040] Fig. 4 Figure 1 shows a third embodiment of a lighting system according to the present invention, in which switching signals are transmitted by means of structure-borne sound within a luminaire and via the floor. The [description of the system] Fig. 4 The lighting system shown consists of two floor lamps 33, 34, each with a first push button 35, 36 for switching its own light source on and off, a second push button 37, 38 for switching the light source of the other lamp 34, 33 on and off, a transmitter 39, 40 for sending a first switching signal by means of structure-borne sound through the floor lamps 33, 34, a receiver 41, 41 for receiving the first switching signal and a transmit and receive unit 43, 44 for sending a second switching signal to the other floor lamp 34, 33 or for receiving a second switching signal from the other floor lamp 34, 33.

[0041] Activating the first switch 35 of the floor lamp 33 triggers the switching on or off of the floor lamp 33, whereby the switching signal is sent by structure-borne sound from the transmitter 39 to the receiver 41. The transmitter 39 couples vibrations into the upper part of the housing of the floor lamp 33. Activating the second switch 37 of the floor lamp 33 triggers the switching on or off of the other floor lamp 34, whereby the second switching signal is sent by structure-borne sound from the transmitter and receiver unit 43 to the lower part of the housing of the floor lamp 33, via the base 45 on which both floor lamps 33 and 34 stand, and then via the lower part of the housing of the other floor lamp 34 to the other transmitter and receiver unit 44. The area between the transmitter 39 and the transmitting and receiving unit 43 is damped with respect to the transmission of structure-borne sound, so that the second switching signal does not reach the receiver 41 or only with insufficient signal strength.Similarly, a successful transmission of the first switching signal from transmitter 33 to the transmitting and receiving unit 43 is also suppressed.

[0042] The second, acoustic switching signal received by the transmitter and receiver unit 44 is transmitted as an electrical switching signal via the damped area between the transmitter and receiver unit 44 and the transmitter 40 with respect to the transmission of structure-borne sound and fed to the transmitter 40, which then sends the first switching signal to the receiver 42 for switching the floor lamp 34 on or off.

[0043] In the examples described, the different receivers 17-20, 30-32, 41-42 and the lights 7-10, 25-27, 33-34—i.e., the components to be controlled—are not each assigned an individual switching or activation signal. Alternatively, some or all components can be assigned a switching or activation signal with an individual frequency, pulse sequence, or signature that is detectable by the receiver, in order to address the components separately. It is also possible to assign addresses to the components and transmit the respective address with the switching or activation signal.

[0044] Fig. 5 Figure 1 shows a fourth embodiment of a lighting system according to the present invention, in which data for parameterizing, configuring and / or addressing components are transmitted by means of structure-borne sound. The [description of the lighting system] Fig. 5 The lighting system shown comprises a light fixture 47 mounted on the ceiling 5 with a steel cable 46 as a fastening means, a light fixture 47 mounted in the ceiling 5 and a mobile reading and writing device 49.

[0045] The read / write device 49 serves to transmit parameterization, configuration, and / or addressing data to the luminaires 47 and 48 and, if necessary, to query this data. The luminaires 47 and 48, as well as the read / write device 49, each have a transmitter / receiver unit 50, 51, or 52 for transmitting and receiving the data via structure-borne sound. The transmitter / receiver unit 52 is connected to the read / write device 49 via a cable 53. The read / write device 49 has a touch-sensitive screen 54 for the user / installer to select the data to be transmitted or queried.

[0046] To transmit data between the read / write device 49 and the luminaire 47 or 48, the installer holds the transmitter / receiver unit 52 of the read / write device 49 in direct contact with the luminaire 47 or 48, so that they touch. Alternatively, if the structure connected to the luminaire 47, 48 (e.g., the ceiling 5, steel cable 46) allows sufficiently good transmission of structure-borne sound to the luminaire 47, 48, the transmitter / receiver unit 52 of the read / write device 49 can be held against this structure. Cables made of other materials can also be used to suspend the luminaire 47, whereby the frequencies to be transmitted or damped can be adjusted or determined by selecting the type of material together with the design (cable tension, material properties, and geometry).

[0047] The position of the transmitter and receiver unit 50, 51 can be marked on the luminaire 47, 48, so that the installer can hold the transmitter and receiver unit 52 of the read / write device directly against this point to ensure good signal transmission. Furthermore, at least one of the luminaires 47 or 48 can be designed to also receive and process the described switching signals via the transmitter and receiver unit 50, 51. Thus, no additional connections or cables are required for the transmission of switching signals and configuration information.

[0048] The reading and writing device 49 can be used to evaluate the transmission of the sound signals, whereby the signal is detected at a desired location in the lighting system or room by means of the mobile transmitting and receiving units 52 and evaluated with regard to signal strength and / or signal errors by comparison with a reference signal. This information can be used for selecting the mounting location of the transmitters 14..16, 29 or the receivers 17..20, 30..32 and / or for selecting the strength and / or frequency of the transmitted signal.

[0049] Data, switching commands, status messages, and / or addresses can be transmitted by modulating a carrier-sound signal (multiplication of the carrier and information signal). Alternatively or additionally, information encoding can be achieved using pulses, chirps (a temporal increase or decrease in frequency), and / or step functions.

[0050] The sound signal can be transmitted across multiple mounting rails 6, which are connected to each other via structure-borne sound transmission or via repeaters. Repeaters can also be arranged on the mounting rails 6. These repeaters only transmit or amplify sound signals with a specific frequency or signature within a mounting rail 6 and / or actively attenuate other sound signals, e.g., by generating an antiphase signal, thus enabling control of signal propagation. Alternatively or additionally to active control, signal propagation can be passively controlled by the installer or manufacturer through the targeted use of elements in the mounting rail that attenuate or effectively transmit structure-borne sound. The intensity of the transmission or filtering (amplitude and / or frequency) can be adjusted in steps or continuously by means of an adjustable or interchangeable clamping element, which controls the transmission or filtering.The filter element, which couples to the mounting rail, can be adjustable. For example, the tension of a cable transmitting structure-borne sound can be adjusted according to the desired signal transmission.

[0051] Signal transmission can also occur within a single device (light fixture), with the transmitter 14..16, 29 and the receiver 17..20, 30..32 located in or on the device, for example, on the device housing. For signal transmission between devices such as switches, sensors, and lights, the transmitters 14..16, 29 and receivers 17..20, 30..32 do not need to be part of the device but can be located externally and connected to the device via cables.

[0052] The sound signal or vibrations can be used to supply energy on the receiver side, for example to operate small sensors or to configure devices such as lights when they are without power, or to transmit and store data about them.

[0053] In Fig. 6 The diagram shown is a highly simplified flowchart that illustrates the individual steps in carrying out the procedure described above, which have already been explained in detail with regard to the system shown.

Claims

1. A lighting system for transmitting information by means of structure-borne sound via a structure-borne sound transmission path from a transmitter to a receiver, comprising a transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) for transmitting signals by means of structure-borne sound and a receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) for receiving the signals of the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) transmitted by means of structure-borne sound, characterized in that a) the lighting system comprises a luminaire (7 .. 10, 33 .. 34) having a housing, and the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) and / or the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) aa) is coupled to the housing of the luminaire (7 .. 10, 33 .. 34) of the lighting system, wherein the transmission path of the signal from the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) to the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) is at least partially formed by the housing, or bb) is coupled to a structure-borne sound conductor which is attached to or at least partially located inside the housing of the luminaire, wherein the transmission path of the signal from the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) to the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) is at least partially formed by the structure-borne sound conductor, or b) the lighting system is a track lighting system (1) comprising a support rail (6) for mounting components of the lighting system, and the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) and / or the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) is coupled to the support rail, wherein the transmission path of the signal from the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) to the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) is at least partially formed by the support rail (6).

2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting system according to feature b) comprises multiple components mounted on the support rail, each component comprising a transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) for transmitting signals by means of structure-borne sound and / or a receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) for receiving the signals transmitted by means of structure-borne sound.

3. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting system according to feature aa) comprises a further luminaire (7 .. 10, 33 .. 34) having a housing, and a structure-borne sound conductor connected to the housing of the luminaire (7 .. 10, 33 .. 34) and to the housing of the further luminaire (7 .. 10, 33 .. 34), wherein the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) or an additional transmitter for transmitting signals by means of structure-borne sound, and / or the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) or an additional receiver for receiving the signals transmitted by means of structure-borne sound, is coupled to the housing of the further luminaire (7 .. 10, 33 .. 34).

4. The lighting system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the transmitters (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) of the lighting system and / or at least one of the receivers (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) of the lighting system is coupled to the structure-borne sound conductor connecting the housings.

5. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising at least one filter arranged in the transmission path of the signal for filtering the transmitted signal.

6. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising at least one filter for filtering the received signal.

7. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a portable transmission and / or reception device (49) having a transmission and reception unit (52), wherein the transmission and reception unit is configured to transmit and receive signals by means of structure-borne sound.

8. A method for transmitting information by means of structure-borne sound via a structure-borne sound transmission path from a transmitter to a receiver in a lighting system, comprising the steps of: - transmitting a signal by means of structure-borne sound with the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40); and - receiving, by the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42), the signal transmitted by the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) via structure-borne sound, characterized in that a) the lighting system comprises a luminaire (7 .. 10, 33 .. 34) having a housing, and during the transmission of the information the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) and / or the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) aa) is coupled to the housing of the luminaire (7 .. 10, 33 .. 34) of the lighting system, wherein the transmission path of the signal from the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) to the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) is at least partially formed by the housing, or bb) is coupled to a structure-borne sound conductor attached to or at least partially located inside the housing of the luminaire, wherein the transmission path of the signal from the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) to the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) is at least partially formed by the structure-borne sound conductor, or b) the lighting system is a track lighting system (1) comprising a support rail (6) for mounting components of the lighting system, and during the transmission of the information the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) and / or the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) is coupled to the support rail (6), wherein the transmission path of the signal from the transmitter (14 .. 16, 39 .. 40) to the receiver (17 .. 20, 41 .. 42) is at least partially formed by the support rail (6).