Lighting instrument control system

Abstract

To provide a lighting instrument control system that includes a plurality of lighting instruments, individually turns each lighting instrument on and off, and manages the lighting time of each lighting instrument.SOLUTION: A control unit has a first power supply unit that supplies power to a lighting instrument, a first communication unit that acquires information output from the lighting instrument, and an alarm unit. The lighting instrument has a light source using an LED and a second control unit. The second control unit has a drive unit that drives the light source, a second power supply unit that supplies power to the drive unit, a lighting time acquisition unit that acquires the lighting time of the light source, a lighting management unit that determines whether the lighting time is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and a second communication unit that outputs a determination result by the lighting management unit. A cable has a power line and a control line. The first power supply unit supplies power to the second power supply unit via the power line, and is connected to the first communication unit via the control line. The first communication unit obtains a determination result from the second communication unit. The alarm unit outputs an alarm when the lighting time is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and the drive unit prevents the light source from lighting or blinking when the lighting time is equal to or greater than the threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting control system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic control system for signal lights in a series circuit lighting facility. The automatic control system of Patent Document 1 is physically completely separate from the work circuit that supplies power to the signal lights and is electrically separated from the operation circuit by DC. Further, the automatic control system of Patent Document 1 can individually switch on and off the lights.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the automatic control system for signal lights described in Patent Document 1 cannot manage the lighting time of the signal lights. In recent years, lighting fixtures have been replaced from the conventional form to the form using LEDs. When the lighting time of an LED exceeds a certain time, even if there is no abnormality in the lighting fixture, the lighting fixture must be replaced. However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 cannot cope with such a situation.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a lighting control system that can individually control the lighting and blinking of a plurality of lighting fixtures and manage the lighting time of each lighting fixture in a facility equipped with the lighting fixtures.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the lamp control system according to the present invention is, for example, a lamp control system comprising a control unit and a plurality of lamps, wherein the plurality of lamps are connected to a cable connected to the control unit, the control unit having a first power supply unit that supplies power to the lamps, a first communication unit that acquires information output from the lamps, and an alarm unit that outputs an alarm, each of the lamps comprising a light source using an LED and a second control unit, the second control unit having a drive unit that drives the light source, a second power supply unit that supplies power to the drive unit, and an alarm unit that acquires the lighting time of the light source and when the lighting time The cable comprises a lighting management unit that determines whether the interval is above a threshold, and a second communication unit that outputs the determination result from the lighting management unit, the cable having a power line and a control line, the first power supply unit supplying power to the second power supply unit via the power line, the first communication unit and the second communication unit being connected via the control line, the first communication unit acquiring the determination result from the second communication unit, the alarm unit outputting an alarm when the lighting time is above a threshold, and the drive unit preventing the light source from lighting up or blinking when the lighting time is above a threshold.

[0007] According to the light control system of the present invention, even if multiple lights are connected to a cable connected to a control unit, each light can be individually turned on or off. Each light has a light source using an LED, a drive for the light source, and the operation time of the light source is obtained. It is determined whether the operation time is above a threshold, and the result of this determination is output from each light to the control unit. If the operation time is above the threshold, the alarm unit of the control unit outputs an alarm. In this way, the operation time of each light can be managed. Furthermore, if the operation time is above the threshold, the light source can be turned off, thereby ensuring compliance with safety measures for aircraft obstruction lights.

[0008] The control unit includes a light sensor and a drive signal generation unit that generates a pulse signal as a drive signal based on the measurement results of the light sensor. The second control unit includes a second storage unit that stores information about the light source. The first communication unit outputs the drive signal. The second communication unit acquires the drive signal and outputs it to the drive unit. When the drive signal is input, the drive unit may determine whether to light up or blink the light source based on the pulse width and pulse interval of the drive signal and the information about the light source, and light up or blink the light source based on the determination result. This eliminates the need to send complex signals from the first communication unit; that is, the same signal can be sent to multiple lights via control lines, allowing for a simpler configuration of the light control system (especially the control unit).

[0009] The second control unit includes a current detection unit that acquires the current flowing through the light source and detects whether the current is normal or not. If the current detection unit detects that the current is not normal, the drive unit turns off the light source, and the second communication unit outputs abnormal information indicating an abnormality in the light source. The first communication unit acquires the abnormal information and outputs it to the alarm unit, and the alarm unit may output an alarm when it receives the abnormal information. This eliminates the need for the control unit to monitor the current of multiple lights, thus simplifying the control unit. Furthermore, by monitoring the current value flowing through the light source for each light fixture (which will be a small value because it is an LED), there is no need to measure the current in the power line, resulting in a light fixture control system that is resistant to surges (overvoltage and overcurrent).

[0010] The system comprises an information processing device connected to the control unit by wire or wireless, and a terminal device connected to the information processing device by wire or wireless, the terminal device having an input unit and a display unit, the second communication unit outputting the lighting time, the first communication unit acquiring the lighting time, the control unit having a first storage unit that stores first lamp information including the location information and lighting time of the lamp for each lamp, the terminal device having a reception unit that accepts the selection of a location from the input unit, and the information processing device storing the first lamp information stored in the first storage unit. The information processing device includes a lamp information acquisition unit that acquires first lamp information, a third storage unit that stores second lamp information including the first lamp information, a third communication unit that acquires a reception position which is a position received by the reception unit, and an information acquisition unit that acquires specific lamp information which is lamp information corresponding to the reception position from the second lamp information based on the reception position, wherein the third communication unit outputs the specific lamp information to the terminal device, and the terminal device may have a display control unit that displays the specific lamp information output from the information processing device on the display unit. This allows the information processing device to centrally manage lamp information and provide lamp information (specific lamp information) for lamps at the location input from the terminal device.

[0011] The information processing device includes a lifespan calculation unit that calculates the remaining usage time of the light source for each lamp based on the lamp information, the third communication unit outputs the remaining usage time to the terminal device, and the display control unit may display the remaining usage time on the display unit. This allows the user to understand the remaining usage time via the terminal device. Note that the remaining usage time is synonymous with the predicted replacement time (which can be calculated based on the remaining usage time and average lighting time). [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, in a facility equipped with multiple traffic lights, it is possible to individually control the lighting time of each traffic light while simultaneously controlling the lighting and flashing of each light. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1]This is a schematic diagram of a lamp control system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the control unit 10. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a drive signal generated by the drive signal generation unit 13. [Figure 4] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the lamp 20. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of light source information D1, where (A) is an example of light source information D1a and (B) is an example of light source information D1b. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a lamp control system 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of control unit 10A. [Figure 8] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the information processing device 30. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the second traffic light information D2. [Figure 10] This is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the terminal device 60. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing how the terminal device 60 selects a location. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The traffic light control system of the present invention has multiple traffic lights connected to a cable connected to a control unit.

[0015] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a luminaire control system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The luminaire control system 1 mainly includes a control unit 10, a plurality of luminaires 20, and a cable 40. In this embodiment, the luminaire 20 has a plurality (here, 14) of luminaires 20a, 20b ··· 20n, but it is sufficient for the luminaire 20 to have at least two luminaires 20a, 20b.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the electrical configuration of the control unit 10. The control unit 10 includes a power supply unit 11, a light sensor 12, a speaker 17, and a control unit 19. The control unit 19 includes at least a drive signal generation unit 13, a communication unit 14, an alarm unit 15, and a storage unit 16 as software resources by an arithmetic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing information processing and a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory).

[0017] The power supply unit 11 supplies power to the luminaires. A power line 41 included in the cable 40 is connected to the power supply unit 11.

[0018] The light sensor 12 is an element that converts the light received by a light receiving element into electrical energy, for example, a photodiode. When the light sensor 12 is irradiated with light, a current having a magnitude substantially proportional to the intensity of the light flows. The light sensor 12 is connected to the drive signal generation unit 13, and the drive signal generation unit 13 detects the current flowing through the light sensor 12.

[0019] The drive signal generation unit 13 is a functional unit that generates a drive signal based on the measurement result of the light sensor 12. That is, if a current of a certain level or more is flowing through the light sensor 12, the drive signal generation unit 13 determines that it is daytime and does not generate a drive signal. Also, if a current of a certain level or more is not flowing through the light sensor 12, the drive signal generation unit 13 determines that it is nighttime and generates a drive signal. The drive signal generation unit 13 is connected to the communication unit 14 and outputs the drive signal to the communication unit 14.

[0020] Figure 3 shows an example of a drive signal generated by the drive signal generation unit 13. The drive signal generation unit 13 generates a pulse signal as a drive signal. The pulse width of the drive signal is T1, and the pulse interval is T2. In this embodiment, the pulse width T1 of the drive signal is longer than half of the pulse interval T2 (T1 > T2 / 2), but the form of the pulse signal is not limited to this.

[0021] The drive signal generation unit 13 may generate multiple types of drive signals (for example, multiple types of pulse signals with different pulse widths T1 and pulse intervals T2). Furthermore, the drive signals generated by the drive signal generation unit 13 are not limited to pulse signals; for example, step signals may also be generated. For instance, if the current value of the optical sensor 12 is above an arbitrary threshold, a pulse signal may be generated as the drive signal; otherwise, a step signal may be generated as the drive signal.

[0022] Returning to the explanation of Figure 2, the communication unit 14 (corresponding to the first communication unit of the present invention) is a functional unit that outputs a drive signal output from the drive signal generation unit 13 and acquires information output from the lamp 20. The control line 42 of the cable 40 is connected to the communication unit 14.

[0023] The alarm unit 15 is a functional unit that outputs an alarm based on information acquired by the communication unit 14. The alarm unit 15 is connected to the communication unit 14, and receives information acquired by the communication unit 14. For example, the alarm unit 15 outputs an alarm when it receives input via the communication unit 14 that the lighting management unit 52 (described in detail later) of the lamp 20 has determined that the lighting time of the light source 21 (described in detail later) is above a threshold.

[0024] The alarm unit 15 is connected to the speaker 17. When the alarm unit 15 receives input that the illumination time of the light source 21 is above a threshold, it outputs an alarm by sound or voice from the speaker 17. However, the form in which the alarm unit 15 outputs an alarm is not limited to this. For example, the alarm unit 15 may output an alarm by displaying text information on the display unit.

[0025] The memory unit 16 (corresponding to the first memory unit of the present invention) is a functional unit that stores various types of information. The memory unit 16 is connected to the communication unit 14, and information acquired by the memory unit 16 is input to it. For example, when the lighting time of the light source 21 is input to the memory unit 16 via the communication unit 14, the memory unit 16 stores that lighting time. The memory unit 16 also stores information that identifies the lamp 20 (for example, the lamp ID), and stores the lamp ID and the lighting time of that lamp in association. For example, if the lamp ID of lamp 20a is "0001" and the lighting time input from lamp 20a via the communication unit 14 is "100 hours", then the lamp ID "0001" and the lighting time "100 hours" are stored in the memory unit 16 in association.

[0026] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the lamp 20. Since lamps 20a, 20b, ..., 20n have the same configuration, the following explanation will use lamp 20a as an example.

[0027] The lamp 20a mainly comprises a light source 21, a power supply unit 22, and a control unit 50 (corresponding to the second control unit of the present invention). The control unit 50 has a computing device and a memory device for performing information processing, and as software resources, it has at least a drive unit 51, a lighting management unit 52, a storage unit 53, a current detection unit 54, and a communication unit 55.

[0028] The light source 21 is an LED and is connected to the control unit 50. The power supply unit 22 is connected to the drive unit 51 and is a functional unit that supplies power to the drive unit 51. A power line 41 is connected to the power supply unit 22, and power is supplied to the power supply unit 22 from the power supply unit 11 via the power line 41.

[0029] The memory unit 53 (corresponding to the second memory unit of the present invention) is a functional unit that stores various information, including information relating to the light source 21. Figure 5 shows an example of light source information D1, which is information relating to the light source 21, where (A) is an example of light source information D1a stored in the memory unit 53 of the lamp 20a, and (B) is an example of light source information D1b stored in the memory unit 53 of the lamp 20b.

[0030] Light source information D1a and T1b store, for example, the type (e.g., model), rated voltage, rated power, and lighting mode of the light source 21. The lighting mode refers to, for example, whether it is constantly lit or flashing, and in the case of flashing, it includes information about the frequency. Note that the information contained in light source information D1 is not limited to the type (e.g., model), rated voltage, rated power, and lighting mode, but may also include other items.

[0031] Returning to the explanation of Figure 4, the communication unit 55 (corresponding to the second communication unit of the present invention) is a functional unit that outputs and acquires various types of information. A control line 42 is connected to the communication unit 55, and the communication unit 55 and the communication unit 14 are connected via the control line 42.

[0032] The drive unit 51 is a functional unit that drives the light source 21. The drive unit 51 receives a drive signal output from the control unit 10 via the communication unit 55, and the drive unit 51 turns on or blinks the light source 21 based on the drive signal. When the drive signal is input, the drive unit 51 determines whether to turn on or blink the light source 21 based on the drive signal and information about the light source 21, and turns on or blinks the light source 21 based on the determination result. The drive unit 51 will be described in detail later.

[0033] The lighting management unit 52 is a functional unit that acquires the lighting time of the light source 21. The lighting management unit 52 is connected to the drive unit 51 and acquires the time that the drive unit 51 has lit the light source 21 from the drive unit 51. The lighting management unit 52 is also a functional unit that determines whether the acquired lighting time is above a threshold value.

[0034] If the lighting management unit 52 determines that the lighting time is equal to or greater than a threshold, the determination result is output from the lighting management unit 52 to the drive unit 51. If the drive unit 51 receives the determination result that the lighting time is equal to or greater than a threshold, that is, if the lighting time is equal to or greater than a threshold, the drive unit 51 prevents the light source 21 from lighting up or blinking.

[0035] Furthermore, the lighting management unit 52 is connected to the communication unit 55. When the lighting management unit 52 determines that the lighting time is above a threshold, the determination result is output from the lighting management unit 52 to the communication unit 55. When the communication unit 55 receives the determination result that the lighting time is above a threshold, it outputs the determination result. As a result, the communication unit 14 receives the determination result that the lighting time is above a threshold and outputs it to the alarm unit 15.

[0036] The current detection unit 54 is a functional unit that acquires the current flowing through the light source 21. The current detection unit 54 is connected to the drive unit 51 and acquires the current that the drive unit 51 supplies to the light source 21 from the drive unit 51.

[0037] Furthermore, the current detection unit 54 is a functional unit that detects whether the acquired current is normal or not. For example, the current detection unit 54 detects that there is an abnormality in the light source 21 if the current flowing through the light source 21 is not within a predetermined range.

[0038] Furthermore, when the current detection unit 54 detects that an abnormality has occurred in the light source 21, the current detection unit 54 outputs abnormality information to the drive unit 51. Once the drive unit 51 receives the abnormality information, it prevents the light source 21 from lighting up or blinking.

[0039] The current detection unit 54 is connected to the communication unit 55. When the current detection unit 54 detects that an abnormality has occurred in the light source 21, the current detection unit 54 outputs information indicating the abnormality of the light source 21 (hereinafter referred to as abnormality information) to the communication unit 55, and the communication unit 55 outputs the abnormality information.

[0040] Next, the functions of the lamp control system 1 will be described. When it gets dark and the amount of light illuminating the light sensor 12 decreases, and no current above a certain level flows to the light sensor 12, the drive signal generation unit 13 generates a drive signal, and the communication unit 14 outputs the drive signal. The drive signal is input to the drive unit 51 via the communication unit 55. In this embodiment, since all lamps 20 are connected by a single cable 40, a signal can be output to all lamps 20 simultaneously.

[0041] When a drive signal is input to the drive unit 51, the drive unit 51 determines whether to light up or blink the light source 21 based on the pulse width and pulse interval of the drive signal and information about the light source 21. For example, the drive unit 51 obtains information about the lighting mode from the light source information D1 stored in the storage unit 23.

[0042] For example, in the case of lamp 20a where the type of light source 21 is "XX3", the lighting mode is "on" according to the light source information D1. Therefore, the drive unit 51 of lamp 20a determines to turn on the light source 21 regardless of what drive signal is input.

[0043] For example, in the case of lamp 20b where the type of light source 21 is "XX6", according to the light source information D1, the lighting mode is blinking if the difference between the pulse interval T2 and pulse width T1 of the drive signal is greater than or equal to any time T3 (for example, 0.5 seconds), and on otherwise. Therefore, the drive unit 51 of lamp 20b calculates the difference between the pulse interval T2 and pulse width T1 of the input drive signal, and determines that the light source 21 should blink if the difference is greater than or equal to time T3, and on otherwise.

[0044] The drive unit 51 turns on or blinks the light source 21 based on the determination result determined in this way. While the drive unit 51 is turning on or blinking the light source 21, the lighting management unit 52 obtains the lighting time of the light source 21 and determines whether the lighting time is equal to or greater than a threshold.

[0045] If the lighting management unit 52 determines that the lighting time is above a threshold, the determination result is input to the alarm unit 15 via the communication units 55 and 14, and the alarm unit 15 outputs an alarm indicating that the lighting time is above a threshold. Also, if the lighting management unit 52 determines that the lighting time is above a threshold, the determination result is input from the lighting management unit 52 to the drive unit 51, and the drive unit 51 turns off the light source 21.

[0046] Furthermore, while the drive unit 51 is turning on or flashing the light source 21, the current detection unit 54 acquires the current flowing through the light source 21 and detects whether the acquired current is normal or not (whether or not there is an abnormality in the light source 21). For example, the current detection unit 54 calculates the current value flowing through the light source 21 based on the rated voltage and rated power stored in the memory unit 53, and if the current value flowing through the light source 21 is not included in any range centered on the calculated current value (for example, ±10%), it detects that there is an abnormality in the light source 21.

[0047] If the current detection unit 54 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the light source 21, the determination result is input to the alarm unit 15 via the communication units 55 and 14, and the alarm unit 15 outputs an alarm indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the light source 21. Also, if the current detection unit 54 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the light source 21, the determination result is input from the current detection unit 54 to the drive unit 51, and the drive unit 51 turns off the light source 21.

[0048] According to this embodiment, in a facility equipped with multiple light fixtures 20, the lighting time of each light fixture 20 can be managed while individually lighting and flashing each light fixture 20. If the light fixture 20 is an aircraft obstruction light and the light source 21 is an LED, for safety reasons, the light source 21 must be replaced if the lighting time exceeds a certain period, even if there is no abnormality. This embodiment can meet this requirement. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by turning off the light source 21 when it is determined that the lighting time exceeds a threshold, safety measures for aircraft obstruction lights can be complied with.

[0049] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the lamp 20 (control unit 50) determines whether to light up or blink the light source 21 based on the pulse width and pulse interval of the drive signal and the information about the light source 21 stored in the memory unit 23, so there is no need to send complex signals from the control unit 10. Therefore, it is sufficient to send the same signal to multiple lamps 20 via the control line 42, and the lamp control system 1 (especially the control unit 10) can be made into a simple configuration.

[0050] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the lamp 20 (control unit 50) determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the light source 21 based on the current flowing through the light source 21, multiple lamps 20 can be connected by power lines 41, and the lamp control system 1 can be made simpler in configuration. Also, since it is not necessary to monitor the current of multiple lamps 20 in the control unit 10, the control unit 10 can be simplified. In addition, although the current flowing through the light source 21 is reduced by using an LED for the light source 21, it is not necessary to measure the current of the power line 41 by monitoring the current value flowing through the light source 21 for each lamp 20 (control unit 50). Therefore, a lamp control system 1 that is resistant to surges can be made.

[0051] In this embodiment, the control unit 10 and the multiple lights 20 are connected by a cable 40 having a power line 41 and a control line 42. However, the power line 41 and the control line 42 may be on separate cables. In other words, the control unit 10 and the multiple lights 20 can be connected by a single power line 41 and a single control line 42. However, in order to maintain a configuration similar to the conventional form that does not use LEDs and to simplify wiring, it is desirable that the cable 40 includes both the power line 41 and the control line 42.

[0052] In this embodiment, the control unit 10 is provided with one cable 40, but the control unit 10 may be provided with multiple cables 40. In this case, it is sufficient that multiple traffic lights 20 are connected to each cable 40.

[0053] <Second Embodiment> The following describes a lamp control system 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Parts identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0054] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a traffic light control system 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The traffic light control system 1A mainly comprises a control unit 10A, a plurality of traffic lights 20, an information processing device 30, a cable 40, and a terminal device 60.

[0055] The information processing device 30 is, for example, a server device and is connected to the control unit 10A by wire or wireless connection. The terminal device 60 is, for example, a tablet terminal and is connected to the control unit 10A by wire or wireless connection.

[0056] The terminal device 60 has an input unit 61 and a display unit 62. In this embodiment, the input unit 61 and the display unit 62 are configured as an integrated touchscreen, but the form of the input unit 61 and the display unit 62 is not limited to this. For example, the input unit 61 may be a keyboard, a switch, etc., and the display unit 62 may be a display such as a liquid crystal or organic EL (electro-luminescence).

[0057] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the control unit 10A. The control unit 10A includes a power supply unit 11, an optical sensor 12, a speaker 17, and a control unit 19A. The control unit 19A includes a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for performing information processing, and a storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory), and as software resources, it includes at least a drive signal generation unit 13, a communication unit 14, an alarm unit 15, and a storage unit 16A.

[0058] The memory unit 16A is a functional unit that stores first lamp information for each lamp 20. The first lamp information includes information that identifies the lamp 20 (for example, lamp ID), the lighting time of the light source 21, and location information where the lamp 20 is installed (described in detail later).

[0059] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the information processing device 30. The information processing device 30 has a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing information processing, and a storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and as software resources, it has at least a lamp information acquisition unit 31, a storage unit 32, an information acquisition unit 33, a lifespan calculation unit 34, and a communication unit 35.

[0060] The communication unit 35 is a functional unit that communicates with the control unit 10A and the terminal device 60. For example, the communication unit 35 acquires the location (hereinafter referred to as the "received location") received by the receiving unit 65 (described in detail later) of the terminal device 60 and outputs it to the information acquisition unit 33.

[0061] The lamp information acquisition unit 31 is a functional unit that acquires the first lamp information stored in the storage unit 16A via the communication unit 14. The first lamp information acquired by the lamp information acquisition unit 31 is stored in the storage unit 32 and output to the lifespan calculation unit 34 via the storage unit 32.

[0062] The lifespan calculation unit 34 is a functional unit that calculates the remaining usage time of the light source 21 for each light fixture 20 based on the first light fixture information. The lifespan calculation unit 34 is also a functional unit that generates second light fixture information based on the calculated remaining usage time. For example, the lifespan calculation unit 34 determines the predicted replacement time of the light source 21 based on the calculated remaining usage time, adds this to the first light fixture information to create second light fixture information, and outputs it to the storage unit 32. As a result, the second light fixture information is stored in the storage unit 32.

[0063] Figure 9 shows an example of the second lamp information D2. The second lamp information D2 stores, for example, the type of light source 21, location information, start time of use, input voltage (voltage supplied to the light source 21), average current (average value of the current flowing through the light source 21), cumulative lighting time, most recent lighting start and end times, average lighting time, and predicted replacement time. These items are associated with the lamp 20 (lamp number in the second lamp information D2), that is, they are stored for each lamp 20.

[0064] The items added to the first lamp information in the second lamp information D2 are average lighting time, remaining usage time, and predicted replacement time. The average lighting time is calculated by the life calculation unit 34 based on the start date of use and the cumulative lighting time. The remaining usage time is calculated by the life calculation unit 34 based on the start date of use and the average lighting time. The predicted replacement time is also calculated by the life calculation unit 34 based on the remaining usage time and the average lighting time.

[0065] The information included in the second lamp information D2 is not limited to this and may include other items. For example, if the lamp 20 is installed on a transmission tower, the second lamp information D2 may include information about the transmission tower (such as the tower's tilt and vibration). The information about the transmission tower can be acquired by a sensor installed on the transmission tower and then acquired by the lamp information acquisition unit 31 via a network (not shown). Alternatively, for example, an imaging unit may be installed near the light source 21, and the second lamp information D2 may include an image captured by the imaging unit. The image can then be acquired by the lamp information acquisition unit 31 via a network (not shown).

[0066] Returning to the explanation of Figure 8, the information acquisition unit 33 is a functional unit that acquires lamp information corresponding to the reception position (hereinafter referred to as "specific lamp information") from the second lamp information D2 based on the reception position received by the reception unit 65. The information acquisition unit 33 is connected to the communication unit 35 and outputs the specific lamp information to the communication unit 35. The communication unit 35 outputs the specific lamp information to the terminal device 60.

[0067] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the terminal device 60. The terminal device 60 mainly consists of an input unit 61, a display unit 62, and a control unit 63. The control unit 63 has a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing information processing, and storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and as software resources, it has at least a reception unit 65, a display control unit 66, and a communication unit 67.

[0068] The reception unit 65 is a functional unit that receives input from the input unit 61. When a user performs an input operation to the input unit 61, a control signal corresponding to that input is generated and output to the reception unit 65. The reception unit 65 then performs calculation processing and control corresponding to that control signal. For example, if a map is displayed on the display unit 62, and an arbitrary location is selected on the map by the input unit 61, the reception unit 65 accepts that location selection.

[0069] The reception unit 65 is connected to the communication unit 67 and outputs the reception position to the communication unit 67. The communication unit 67 outputs the reception position to the information processing device 30.

[0070] The communication unit 67 is a functional unit that communicates with the information processing device 30. For example, the communication unit 67 acquires specific light fixture information output from the communication unit 35 and outputs it to the display control unit 66. The display control unit 66 is a functional unit that displays the specific light fixture information on the display unit 62.

[0071] Next, the functions of the light control system 1A will be described. The processing of the light fixture 20 (such as turning the light source 21 on, flashing, and off, determining the lighting time, and monitoring the current), the exchange of information between the control unit 10A and the light fixture 20, and the output of alarms by the control unit 10A are the same as those of the light control system 1, so the explanation will be omitted. The processing in the control unit 10A, the information processing device 30, and the terminal device 60 will be described below.

[0072] The lamp information acquisition unit 31 periodically acquires first lamp information from the control unit 10A, and the first lamp information is stored in the storage unit 32. The lifespan calculation unit 34 generates second lamp information D2 based on the first lamp information and stores it in the storage unit 32.

[0073] In the terminal device 60, when a user selects an arbitrary location on the map displayed on the display unit 62, the reception unit 65 acquires the reception location. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the location selection process. Since the input unit 61 and the display unit 62 are touchscreens, when a location P is selected by the user, the reception unit 65 acquires the location information (latitude and longitude) of location P as the reception location. The reception location is output to the information acquisition unit 33 via the communication units 67 and 35.

[0074] The information acquisition unit 33 acquires specific traffic light information corresponding to the reception location from the second traffic light information D2. For example, the information acquisition unit 33 acquires data from the second traffic light information D2 as specific traffic light information, which is associated with traffic light numbers that are included in a predetermined range that includes the reception location. The predetermined range is the range of the degree of error in location selection on the map (for example, 50m).

[0075] The information acquisition unit 33 outputs specific light fixture information to the communication unit 35. When the specific light fixture information is input to the terminal device 60 via the communication units 35 and 67, the display control unit 66 displays the specific light fixture information on the display unit 62.

[0076] According to this embodiment, the information processing device 30 centrally manages information on the traffic lights 20 and provides specific traffic light information (traffic light information of traffic lights 20 located at the location (reception location) entered into the terminal device 60) to the terminal device 60. In addition, the user can use the terminal device 60 to find out the remaining usage time and the predicted replacement time (synonymous with remaining usage time).

[0077] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design changes and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention are also included. Furthermore, in this invention, "approximately" is a concept that includes not only cases where the invention is strictly identical, but also errors and modifications that do not result in a loss of identity. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 1. 1A: Light control system 6: Terminal device 10, 10A: Control department 11: Power supply section 12: Light sensor 13: Drive signal generation unit 14: Communications Department 15: Alarm section 16, 16A: Storage section 20, 20a, 20b, 20n: Light equipment 21:Light source 23: Storage section 30: Information Processing Device 31:Light equipment information acquisition section 32: Storage section 33: Information acquisition department 34: Life calculation section 35: Communications Department 40: Cable 41: Power line 42: Control line 50: Control Unit 51: Drive unit 52:Lighting management department 53: Storage section 54: Current detection unit 55: Communications Department 56: Power supply section 60: Terminal device 61: Input section 62:Display section 63: Control Unit 65: Reception Department 66: Display Control Unit 67: Communications Department

Claims

1. A lighting control system comprising a control unit and a plurality of lighting units, the plurality of lighting units being connected to a cable connected to the control unit, The control unit has a first power supply unit that supplies power to the lamp, a first communication unit that acquires information output from the lamp, and an alarm unit that outputs an alarm, Each of the lamps has a light source using an LED and a second control unit, the second control unit includes a drive unit that drives the light source, a second power supply unit that supplies power to the drive unit, a lighting management unit that acquires a lighting time of the light source and determines whether the lighting time is equal to or greater than a threshold, and a second communication unit that outputs a result of the determination by the lighting management unit; The cable includes a power line and a control line, The first power supply unit supplies power to the second power supply unit via the power line, the first communication unit and the second communication unit are connected via the control line, The first communication unit acquires the determination result from the second communication unit, The warning unit outputs a warning when the lighting time is equal to or longer than a threshold value, The driving unit prevents the light source from turning on or blinking when the lighting time is equal to or longer than a threshold value. A lighting control system comprising:

2. The control unit has an optical sensor and a drive signal generation unit that generates a pulse signal as a drive signal based on a measurement result of the optical sensor, The second control unit has a second storage unit that stores information about the light source, The first communication unit outputs the drive signal, The second communication unit acquires the drive signal and outputs it to the drive unit; When the drive signal is input, the drive unit determines whether to turn on or blink the light source based on a pulse width and a pulse interval of the drive signal and information about the light source, and turns on or blinks the light source based on the determination result.

2. A lighting control system according to claim 1.

3. The second control unit includes a current detection unit that acquires a current flowing through the light source and detects whether the current is normal or not, When the current detection unit detects that the light source is not normal, the drive unit turns off the light source, and the second communication unit outputs abnormality information indicating an abnormality in the light source; The first communication unit acquires the abnormality information and outputs it to the alarm unit, The warning unit outputs a warning when the abnormality information is input.

3. A lighting control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. An information processing device connected to the control unit by wire or wirelessly, and a terminal device connected to the information processing device by wire or wirelessly, the terminal device has an input unit and a display unit, The second communication unit outputs the lighting time, The first communication unit acquires the lighting time, The control unit has a first storage unit that stores first lamp information including position information of the lamp and the lighting time for each lamp, the terminal device has a reception unit that receives a selection of a position from the input unit, The information processing device includes a lamp information acquisition unit that acquires the first lamp information stored in the first storage unit, a third storage unit that stores second lamp information including the first lamp information, a third communication unit that acquires a reception position that is a position accepted by the acceptance unit, and an information acquisition unit that acquires specific lamp information that is lamp information corresponding to the reception position from the second lamp information based on the reception position, The third communication unit outputs the specific lamp information to the terminal device, The terminal device has a display control unit that displays the specific lamp information output from the information processing device on the display unit.

3. A lighting control system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The information processing device includes a life calculation unit that calculates a remaining usage time of the light source for each of the lamps based on the lamp information, the third communication unit outputs the remaining usage time to the terminal device; The display control unit displays the remaining usage time on the display unit.

5. A lighting control system according to claim 4.

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