Device with multifunctional connection for non-dali operating devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for connecting components (2..4) of a lighting system to a data bus line (5), comprising a first connection (6a, 6b) for connecting the data bus line (5), a second connection (7a, 7b) for connecting one component (2) of several components (2..4) of the lighting system, wherein the several components (2..4) are assigned different functions, and a control device (8) for determining the component (2) connected to the second connection (7a, 7b) or its function by determining electrical properties of the component (2), by querying a preset stored in the device and / or by determining the operating state of the device (1), wherein the control device (8) is configured to, for at least one of the several components (2..4) to convert a signal received at the second terminal (7a, 7b) of this component (2) into a control command according to the specified function for transmission via the data bus line (5).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and a method for connecting components of a lighting system to a data bus line, and to a luminaire with such a device. In particular, the present invention relates to a device for connecting a non-DALI control device to a DALI bus.

[0002] Lighting systems can include components such as sensors, luminaires, control gear, actuators, switches, and dimmers that are interconnected via a bus system. In a lighting system compliant with the DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) industry standard, a random, but then permanently assigned, address can be generated for each component or bus device for control within the bus system.

[0003] To integrate switches and sensors into such a bus system, it is necessary to convert the various signals from the pushbuttons or sensors into system-specific digital bus signals (control commands). This conversion is carried out in a DALI control device ("DALI controller"), which can also be used to connect conventional switches, sensors, and luminaires to the DALI bus as operating devices ("DALI slaves").

[0004] DE 10 2011 007 416 A1 discloses a lighting system with a ceiling light and a floor-standing light, which can be operated both via switches and sensors connected to a DALI bus and via a wireless connection. The lights have a DALI control device to which a brightness sensor and a push-button can be connected, and a WLAN or Bluetooth module for the wireless connection, which can also be used to network the lights. The brightness sensor and the push-button are each connected to the DALI control device via a connection. Each connection of the DALI control device is assigned an individual conversion system for the signal supplied by the brightness sensor or the push-button, so that the operation of the other device at the respective connection—i.e., the brightness sensor at the push-button connection or vice versa—is not possible.

[0005] Providing a large number of ports for connecting a large number of different operating or other devices is disadvantageous both in terms of component size and in terms of production costs, so that many control devices have only a small number or only one port, which, however, reduces the potential applicability of the control device.

[0006] A device for connecting components of a lighting system to a data bus line according to the preamble of the appended claim 1 is disclosed in DE 10 2004 020216 A1.

[0007] DE 10 2012 007017 A1 discloses a control device for an operating device, which is connected to the operating device via a data bus line and to which a button or a sensor can be connected.

[0008] WO 2019 / 206782 A1 discloses a communication module for an operating device, wherein the communication module has an interface for connecting the operating device to a data bus line and an interface for connecting the operating device to a radio network.

[0009] DE 10 2015 218243 A1 discloses a method for wireless commissioning / configuration of control devices for operating devices by means of a mobile transmitter.

[0010] "DALI BASIC lighting control system", Operating instructions Osram, May 24, 2001, pages 1-16, XP002224008 discloses a control device to which data bus lines, push buttons and sensors can be connected and which has a reset button by means of which the control device can be reset to an initial state.

[0011] The invention is based on the object of providing a device for connecting components of a lighting system to a data bus line, a luminaire with such a device and a method which enable the connection of different components having multiple functions with a small component size and which can be manufactured or carried out cost-effectively.

[0012] This object is achieved according to the features of the independent claims. The invention is further developed by the features of the dependent claims.

[0013] According to the present invention, a device comprises a control device, a first connection for a data bus line of a lighting system, and at least one second connection for a component of the lighting system. One of several components provided for different functions can be selectively connected to the second connection. The functions can relate solely to internal processes of the device or also to processes in one or more external devices connected to the data bus line.

[0014] The control device is designed to convert a signal received at the second connection of at least one of the multiple components into a control command using a protocol for transmission via the data bus line. Furthermore, it detects which of the components is connected to the second connection or what function this component has by determining electrical properties of the connected component and / or by querying a preset stored in the device.

[0015] According to the present invention, at least one connection of the device can be used for a plurality of different components, so that a separate connection is not required for each of the functions supported by the device. The component connected to the second connection or its function can be determined once during installation of the lighting system or during manufacture of a device containing the device, such as a luminaire. Alternatively, components can be replaced after installation or during operation in order to adapt the lighting system or device to changed environmental conditions / tasks.In addition, the control device is designed to determine an operating state of the device in which the device has been connected to a power supply and a certain time has not yet elapsed after connection to the power supply, and to assign a different function to the component connected to the second connection when the operating state of the device has been determined. The other function is a reset function that resets the device to an initial state and is assigned to the operating state, wherein the control device is designed to determine, when determining the operating state, whether the time has already elapsed or not and to reset the device to the initial state if a switching signal is received from the component connected to the second connection before the time has elapsed.

[0016] As described, the other function or the signal generated by a component merely triggers an internal process within the device, which may not result in transmission via the data bus line. In this way, a component connected to the second port, which is assigned a specific function during normal operation, such as turning the light on / off, can temporarily be assigned a different function, in this example, a reset function, by briefly interrupting the power supply.

[0017] The device can be a DALI control device, the protocol a DALI protocol and the data bus line a DALI bus, in particular a DALI-2 bus.

[0018] The device can also include a radio module for wireless communication via an integrated or externally connected radio antenna. The radio module sends control commands received via the data bus line to another device in the lighting system or receives control commands to be sent from the other device via the data bus line. The radio module can be an NFC, WLAN, or Bluetooth module.

[0019] The presetting can be stored or changed using a switch, for example, a DIP switch. Different components or their functions are assigned to different switch positions. The control device determines the switch position and detects the component connected to the second connection or its function based on the determined position. It is also possible to store the presetting using a pluggable resistor or jumpers. The control device determines the inserted resistor or the combination of inserted jumpers in order to assign the resistor or the combination to a component.

[0020] Alternatively or additionally, a removable or non-removable data memory can be provided for storing / changing the presetting by the manufacturer or user, wherein the stored presetting indicates the component to be connected to the second connection or its function and the control device detects the component connected to the second connection or its function on the basis of the presetting stored in the data memory.

[0021] The device may include a user interface for entering the preset.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, the radio module can be designed to receive the presetting to be stored in the data memory.

[0023] One component of the plurality of components can be a switch or push-button for switching and / or dimming at least one luminaire of the lighting system, wherein the control device is designed to convert a signal received from the switch or push-button into a corresponding control command for the at least one luminaire according to the protocol corresponding to the function of the connected component and to send the control command to the luminaire or its control unit via the data bus line.

[0024] Another component can be a sensor that generates a signal for at least one control device of the lighting system. The control device is configured to convert the signal generated by the sensor into a control command for the at least one control device according to the protocol and to send the control command to the at least one control device via the data bus line. The sensor can be a brightness sensor, a presence sensor, a presence detector, or a motion detector.

[0025] If the components have different electrical properties, this can be used to differentiate between them. To do this, the control device can determine the terminal behavior of the connected component (size of the internal resistance and / or type: resistive, inductive, or capacitive) and compare it with the terminal behavior assigned to the respective component. Alternatively or additionally, the waveform of the signal generated by the component at the second connection can be analyzed for differentiation, for example, to distinguish a button with its typical short signal pulses from a sensor with a slowly changing signal or a signal with a long pulse.For this purpose, the control device can be designed to detect at least one specific temporal profile of a switching signal output by the component connected to the second terminal when determining the electrical properties, wherein the at least one specific temporal profile is assigned to a specific component or function.

[0026] According to the present invention, a luminaire comprises the described device and at least one operating device for illuminants connected to the data bus line.

[0027] According to the present invention, a method for connecting components of a lighting system to a data bus line by means of a connecting device comprises the following steps: Detecting a component connected to a connection of the connection device or its function by determining electrical properties of the component and / or by querying a presetting stored in the device, wherein several components connectable to the connection are assigned different functions, Converting, for at least one of the several components, a signal received at the connection from this component into a control command according to a protocol and the detected function for transmission via a data bus line, Determining an operating state of the connection device in which the connection device has been connected to a power supply and a certain time has not yet elapsed after connection to the power supply, Assigning a different function to the component connected to the connection when the operating state of the connection device has been determined,wherein the other function is a reset function which resets the connection device to an initial state and which is associated with the operating state, and in determining the operating state it is determined whether the time has already expired or not, and resetting the connection device to the initial state if a switching signal is received from the component connected to the connection before the time has expired.

[0028] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Fig. 1 shows the device for connecting components of a lighting system to a data bus line according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 shows the device for connecting components of a lighting system to a data bus line according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 shows a simplified diagram illustrating the method.

[0029] Components with the same functions are marked with the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0030] Fig. 1 shows a device 1 for connecting a component 2 of several components 2..4 of a lighting system to a data bus line 5 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The device 1 has a first connection 6a, 6b for connecting the device 1 to the data bus line 5, a second connection 7a, 7b for connecting the component 2 to the device 1, a control device 8 and two manually operable switches 9, 10 connected to the control device 8.

[0032] Component 2 connected to the second terminal 7a, 7b is a push-button, and components 3 and 4, which can alternatively be connected to the second terminal 7a, 7b, are a brightness sensor or a motion detector. The push-button or component 2 is used to switch and / or dim a light connected to the data bus line 5 (not shown), with a short push-button pulse turning the light on or off, and a long push-button pulse dimming the light.

[0033] The brightness sensor can be used to switch on the light when the ambient brightness detected by the brightness sensor falls below a predefined threshold, and the motion detector can be used to switch on the light when the presence of a person is detected.

[0034] Which of the three components 2..4 is connected to the second connection 7a, 7b is indicated to the control device 8 via the position of the switches 9 and 10, whereby a combination of an open switch 9 and a closed switch 10 indicates that component 2 is connected, a combination of a closed switch 9 and an open switch 10 indicates that component 3 is connected, and a combination of a closed switch 9 and a closed switch 10 indicates that component 4 is connected. Instead of the switches 9, 10, buttons can also be used, whereby actuation of the buttons is detected by the control device 8 and the combination is stored. The number of possible combinations determines the number of connectable components 2..4 or the number of possible functions.

[0035] The control device 8, which can be configured as a processor, a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a combination of the aforementioned units, generates a control command based on the received signal, the connected component 2..4, and the existing bus system using conversion information and sends the control command to the luminaire via the data bus line 5. The conversion information is stored in the control device 8 for each of the components 2..4.

[0036] Alternatively, at least one of the components 2..4 can be identified by the control device 8 via an analysis of the signal received at the second terminal 7a, 7b, so that only one or no switch 9, 10 is required. For example, based on the signal profile, it can be determined that, for a short signal pulse lasting a few seconds (between 0.1 s and 10 s), component 2, the button, is connected, and that, for a longer signal pulse (>10 s), component 3 or 4 is connected. The differentiation of components 3 and 4 can then be achieved using only one switch 9, 10.

[0037] Fig. 2 shows a device 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the presetting of which of the components 2..4 is or will be connected to the second connection 7a, 7b is carried out via a radio connection. For this purpose, the device 1 has a radio module 11 connected to the control device 8 for wireless communication via a radio antenna. The radio module 11 can be an NFC, WLAN, or Bluetooth module and receives from a mobile configuration and / or operating device or a stationary control device at least one piece of information that identifies the component 2..4 connected to the second connection 7a, 7b or also its conversion information, so that practically any number of different components 2..4 can be used.

[0038] For entering the information, the control device 8 can provide a user interface, for example in HTML format, via the radio module 11. This user interface can be accessed with any commercially available WLAN device, such as a smartphone, a netbook, or a portable PC (notebook). The radio module 11 can also be configured to receive control commands for switching the light on / off or dimming it.

[0039] In particular, the radio module 11 or the device 1 can be designed to connect other devices of the lighting system to the data bus line 5, wherein control commands or messages received via the data bus line 5 are sent from the radio module 11 to at least one other device and / or control commands or messages received from the device by the radio module 11 are output to the data bus line 5.

[0040] The Fig. 1 or 2The device 1 shown can be integrated into a luminaire, in particular a floor lamp, wherein the components 2, 3 or 4 are optionally permanently installed or replaceable on this luminaire and at least one operating device for a light source is connected to the data bus line 5. In the case of the device shown in Fig. 1 and 2 In the device 1 shown, only one connection 7a, 7b is provided for the components 2..4. However, more connections can be provided for the components 2..4, whereby the switches 9, 10 and / or the transmitted preset indicate which component 2..4 is connected to which connection 7a, 7b.

[0041] Alternatively or additionally, at least one connected component 2..4 can be assigned a different function at certain times or events, or the predefined function can be changed. For example, a connected motion detector can trigger an alarm message at certain times instead of or in addition to the switching command. Instead of the light switch-on command, a connected push button can be assigned a function for a specific period of time after the power supply is restored, which resets the device 1 to its factory setting or another preset, or which puts the device 1 into a test / check mode.

[0042] In Fig. 3 A highly simplified flow chart is shown that shows the individual steps in carrying out the procedure described in detail above.

Claims

1. Device comprising a first terminal (6a, 6b) for connecting a data bus cable (5) of a lighting system, a second terminal (7a, 7b) for connecting one of a plurality of components (2..4) of the lighting system, different functions being assigned to the plurality of components (2..4), and a control means (8) for detecting the component (2) connected to the second terminal (7a, 7b) or its function by ascertaining electrical properties of the component (2) and / or by detecting a presetting stored in the device, the control means (8) being designed to convert, in at least one of the plurality of components (2..4), a signal received at the second terminal (7a, 7b) from this component (2) into a control command corresponding to the detected function for transmission via the data bus cable (5), characterized in that the control means (8) is designed to determine an operating state of the device (1) in which the device (1) has been connected to a power supply and a certain time has not yet elapsed after the connection to the power supply, and to assign a different function to the component (2) connected to the second terminal (7a, 7b) when the operating state of the device (1) has been determined, the other function being a reset function which resets the device (1) to an initial state and which is associated with the operating state, and the control means (8) being designed to ascertain, when determining the operating state, whether or not the time has already elapsed and to reset the device (1) to the initial state if a switching signal is received from the component (2) connected to the second terminal before the time has elapsed.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the device (1) is a DALI control unit.

3. Device according to either of the preceding claims, additionally comprising a radio module (11) for wireless communication via an integrated or externally connected radio antenna, wherein the radio module (11) is designed to send control commands received via the data bus cable (5) to another device of the lighting system and / or to receive control commands to be sent from the other device via the data bus cable (5).

4. Device according to any of the preceding claims, additionally comprising at least one switch (9, 10) for storing the presetting, wherein different components (2..4) or their functions are assigned to different positions of the switch (9, 10) and the control means (8) is designed to ascertain the position of the switch (9, 10) and to detect the component (2) connected to the second terminal (7a, 7b) or its function on the basis of the ascertained position.

5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, additionally comprising a removable or non-removable data memory for storing the presetting, wherein the stored presetting indicates the component connected to the second terminal (7a, 7b) or its function, and the control means (8) is designed to detect the component (2) connected to the second terminal (7a, 7b) or its function on the basis of the presetting stored in the data memory.

6. Device according to claim 3 and 5, wherein the radio module (11) is designed to receive the presetting to be stored in the data memory.

7. Device according to any of the preceding claims, additionally comprising a user interface for entering the presetting.

8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one component (2) of the plurality of components is a switch or a push-button for switching and / or dimming at least one luminaire of the lighting system, and the control means (8) is designed to convert a signal received from the switch or push-button into a control command for the at least one luminaire according to a protocol corresponding to the switch or push-button and to send the control command to the luminaire or its control unit via the data bus cable (5) if the operating state assigned to the reset function is not present or has not been determined by the control means (8).

9. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein one component (3, 4) of the plurality of components (2..4) is a sensor which generates a signal for at least one control unit of the lighting system, and the control means (8) is designed to convert the signal generated by the sensor (3, 4) into a control command for the at least one control unit in accordance with a specific protocol and to send the control command to the at least one control unit via the data bus cable (5) if the operating state assigned to the reset function is not present or has not been determined by the control means (8).

10. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control means (8) is designed to detect at least one specific temporal profile of a switching signal output by the component (2) connected to the second terminal when the electrical properties are ascertained, wherein the at least one specific temporal profile is assigned to a specific component or function.

11. Device according to any of the preceding claims, additionally comprising a third terminal for connecting one of the plurality of components (2..4), wherein the control means (8) is designed to detect the component (2) connected to the third terminal or its function by determining electrical properties of the component (2), by detecting a presetting stored in the device and / or by ascertaining the operating state of the device (1) and, in the case of at least one of the plurality of components (2..4), to convert a signal received from this component (2) at the third terminal into a control command in accordance with the protocol for transmission via the data bus cable (5).

12. Luminaire comprising a device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, and at least one operating unit for lamps connected to the data bus cable (5).

13. Method for connecting components of a lighting system to a data bus cable by means of a connection device (1), comprising the steps of: detecting a component (2) connected to a terminal (7a, 7b) or its function by determining electrical properties of the component (2) and / or by querying a presetting stored in the connection device (1), a plurality of components (2..4) that are connectable to the terminal (7a, 7b) being assigned different functions, and converting, in at least one of the plurality of components, a signal received at the terminal of this component (2) into a control command corresponding to the detected function for transmission via a data bus cable (5), characterized in that the method additionally comprises the steps of determining an operating state of the connection device (1) in which the connection device (1) has been connected to a power supply and a certain time has not yet elapsed after connection to the power supply, assigning another function to the component (2) connected to the terminal (7a, 7b) when the operating state of the connection device (1) has been determined, the other function being a reset function that resets the connection device (1) to an initial state and being assigned to the operating state, and when determining the operating state, it being ascertained whether the time has already elapsed or not, and resetting the connection device (1) to the initial state if a switching signal is received from the component (2) connected to the terminal before the time has elapsed.

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