CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURING A PLURALITY OF LIGHTING DEVICES OF A LIGHTING SYSTEM - Patent application

Abstract

A control system for configuring a plurality of lighting devices is disclosed, the control system including: a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with the plurality of lighting devices, a configuration module configured to: for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, group different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups and communicate, via the one or more communication units, grouping information to the respective lighting device and cause each lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory, the grouping information indicating respective lighting control groups into which the different segments are grouped, and a control module configured to communicate, via the one or more communication units, broadcast commands to the plurality of lighting devices, the broadcast commands defining respective light settings for the respective lighting control groups.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system for configuring a plurality of lighting devices of a lighting system. The present invention further relates to a lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting devices and a control system. The present invention further relates to a method for configuring a plurality of lighting devices of a lighting system and a computer program for carrying out said method. [Background technology]

[0002] Current home systems include multiple controllable lighting devices. In such systems, the lighting devices can be controlled based on media content being rendered on a display. A user may, for example, play a movie or a game on the display of a display device (e.g., a television, a PC monitor, a tablet PC, a projector, etc.). The lighting devices may be controlled based on the media content being rendered on the display, for example, by analyzing the color of the image rendered on the display and controlling the lighting devices accordingly. Alternatively, the lighting devices may be controlled according to a light script that includes lighting control instructions preprogrammed for the lighting devices. The lighting control instructions are communicated to the lighting devices to control them in sync with the media content being rendered on the display. This brings the atmosphere of the movie or game to the user's room.

[0003] The lighting control instructions sent to the lighting devices depend on the location of the lighting devices relative to the display, the space, the user, etc., such that the location of an on-screen event (e.g., an explosion, a sunset, an object approaching from one side of the display, etc.) corresponds to the location of the light effect generated by the lighting devices. When such an on-screen event occurs, it is desirable for the lighting devices in the space to be controlled synchronously. This becomes difficult when the number of lighting devices increases in the space, especially when the lighting devices contain multiple individually controllable segments. For example, a light strip or a lighting tile contains such segments (each containing one or more light sources) that can be controlled individually. This requires that multiple control commands should be sent to different lighting devices to control the individually controllable segments. The disadvantage of this is that current (domestic) lighting control systems cannot cope with this amount of control commands, resulting in lighting devices (and their segments) not being controlled synchronously, light effects having latency, and / or transitions between light effects not being very smooth.

[0004] US 10834804 B1 discloses a device and related methods relating to configuring decorative lighting zones with a zone controller configured to independently control the lighting of the lighting zones, programming the zone controller to execute lighting commands received from a remote control, and automatically providing a remotely configurable lighting display in the lighting zones based on independently activating the lighting commands in the zone controller. The lighting commands may be lighting sequences. The lighting zones may be multi-color lights that display, for example, a time-varying artificial tree lighting pattern. In some examples, the zone controller may be a multi-zone controller configured to enable a remote control to independently program and activate multiple zones. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting control system capable of controlling a plurality of lighting devices, each of which comprises a plurality of individually controllable segments, in an improved manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, the object is to provide a control system for configuring a plurality of lighting devices of a lighting system, each lighting device comprising a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments, each segment comprising one or more light sources, the control system comprising: a communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of lighting devices; For each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, grouping different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups; and communicating, via one or more communication units, grouping information to each lighting device and causing each lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory, the grouping information indicating respective lighting control groups into which the different segments are grouped; a configuration module configured to: communicating, via one or more communication units, broadcast commands to the plurality of lighting devices, the broadcast commands defining respective light settings for the respective lighting control groups; A control module configured to: This is accomplished by a control system including:

[0007] Different individually controllable segments of different lighting devices are grouped into different lighting control groups. A lighting control group defines a group of segments that should be controlled as a group according to the same light setting. This grouping information is communicated to each lighting device to cause each lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory. This allows a lighting device to control the different segments accordingly when it receives a lighting control command targeted to a particular group. The control module communicates a broadcast command to each of the multiple lighting devices. The broadcast command defines a respective light setting for each lighting control group. This allows the lighting device to control one or more light sources of each segment according to the respective light setting. By sending a broadcast command (instead of unicast to individual lighting devices and / or their segments), the control of the different segments of different lighting devices is performed in a synchronized manner. Furthermore, due to the reduced number of commands, the latency of light effects is reduced and the transition between light effects is smoother. This control system therefore provides the advantages of improving the user experience of the lighting system and optimally using the network resources of the lighting system.

[0008] The configuration module may be configured to group different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups, such that at least one first segment of a first lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices and at least one second segment of a second lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices are grouped into the same lighting control group. The broadcast command may include light settings for the same lighting control group, such that one or more light sources of the at least one first segment (of the first lighting device) and one or more light sources of the at least one second segment are controlled according to the (same) light settings. This is beneficial, since different segments of different lighting devices are (synchronized) controlled by the same broadcast command.

[0009] The number of groups (in which segments of a lighting device should be grouped) may be limited. The maximum number of lighting control groups may be smaller than the number of segments of multiple lighting devices. Therefore, the configuration module may be configured to group at least two segments into the same lighting control group. The at least two segments may be segments of a single lighting device. Additionally or alternatively, the at least two segments may be segments of different lighting devices. The size (i.e., amount of data) of the broadcast command may be limited, thereby limiting the number of groups available (e.g., a maximum of 20 groups). Therefore, it may be necessary to group different segments into the same lighting control group.

[0010] The configuration module may further be configured to determine, for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, an adjustment level for one or more segments of the respective lighting device, the adjustment level defining an adjustment of a light output of one or more light sources of the respective segment, and to communicate the adjustment level to the respective lighting device to cause the respective lighting device to store the respective adjustment level in its memory. The lighting device may adjust the light output of one or more light sources of the respective segment when the segment is controlled based on the broadcast command according to a grouping. Such adjustment may be required, for example, when a light source is closer to an illuminated surface, when the reflective properties of the illuminated surface are different for different segments, when a segment is closer to a user and / or a media rendering device compared to other segments, etc. These adjustment levels may be different for different lighting devices (and segments). Storing the adjustment levels in the lighting device is beneficial because broadcast commands do not need to define these for different segments of different lighting devices. The broadcast command defines the light settings for all respective control groups, and the lighting device adjusts the light output of the respective segment only if an adjustment level exists in the respective memory for the respective segment. The adjustment level may define an adjustment of the color, brightness, and / or saturation of the light output.

[0011] Additionally or alternatively, the configuration module may be further configured to determine, for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, an adjustment level of the respective lighting device, the adjustment level defining an adjustment of a light output of a light source of the lighting device, and to communicate the adjustment level to the respective lighting device and cause the respective lighting device to store the respective adjustment level in its memory. Each lighting device may adjust the light output of one or more light sources of the lighting device when the segment is controlled based on the broadcast command according to the grouping. Such adjustments may be required depending on the distance to the illuminated surface, depending on the reflective properties of the illuminated surface, depending on the distance of the lighting device to the user and / or the media rendering device, etc. Another reason for applying adjustments is differences in light output characteristics between different lighting devices (e.g., different color rendering properties, differences in minimum / maximum brightness, etc.). These adjustment levels may be different for different lighting devices. Therefore, storing the adjustment levels in the lighting devices is beneficial because the light settings defined in the broadcast command are the same for all respective control groups, and the lighting devices adjust the light output of their light sources depending on the adjustment levels present in their respective memories. The adjustment level may define an adjustment to the color, brightness, and / or saturation of the light output.

[0012] The configuration module may further be configured to obtain information indicative of the location of the (segment of) the lighting device relative to the surface to be illuminated by the (respective segment of) the lighting device, and to determine the adjustment level based on the location of the (segment of) the lighting device relative to the surface to be illuminated by the (respective segment of) the lighting device. The information indicative of the location of the (segment of) the lighting device relative to the surface to be illuminated by the (respective segment of) the lighting device may be obtained, for example, from an indoor positioning system, based on user input received via a user interface, based on sensor input received from a sensor included in or in proximity to the lighting device, etc. These adjustment levels may be different for different lighting devices (and segments). Therefore, storing the adjustment levels in the lighting device is beneficial, since the light settings defined in the broadcast command are the same for all respective control groups, and the lighting device adjusts the light output of the light source only if an adjustment level exists in the respective memory for that lighting device (or respective segment).

[0013] The configuration module may be configured to determine the grouping of different segments into different lighting control groups based on the position of the lighting devices and / or their segments. The configuration module may be configured to determine the lighting control groups based on the position of the lighting devices and / or their segments relative to the space, relative to predefined positions in the space, relative to each other, relative to devices or objects, relative to a user, etc. Determining the groups based on the position of the segments is beneficial as it allows for grouping of adjacent segments. This may be even more beneficial if the maximum number of lighting control groups is limited.

[0014] The control system may further include a user interface configured to receive user input indicating a grouping of different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups. A user operating the control system may indicate the groups via the user interface.

[0015] A light setting defined by a broadcast command may include lighting control instructions to control light characteristics (e.g., brightness, color, saturation, beam shape / size / direction, etc.) of a segment of each lighting control group. In various examples, a light setting defined by a broadcast command may include an off-setting for each lighting control group, and another light setting defined by a broadcast command may include an on-setting for another lighting control group.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the object is to provide a method for producing a a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device including a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments, each segment including one or more light sources; A control system; A lighting system comprising: Each lighting device is Receive each grouping information, Each grouping information is stored in its own memory. Receive broadcast commands, determining which segments to control according to which light settings based on the control commands and based on the grouping information; and Controlling one or more light sources in each segment according to their respective light settings; This is achieved by a lighting system configured as follows.

[0017] Each lighting device may include a receiver for receiving the grouping information and the broadcast commands, which enables a lighting device to control different segments accordingly when it receives a lighting control command targeted to a particular group.

[0018] One or more of the plurality of lighting devices may be a light source array, which may be a one-dimensional array (e.g., an LED strip / string), a two-dimensional array (e.g., an LED tile), or a three-dimensional array (e.g., an LED cube).

[0019] According to a third aspect of the invention, the object is to provide a method for configuring a plurality of lighting devices of a lighting system, each lighting device comprising a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments, each segment comprising one or more light sources, the method comprising: For each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, grouping different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups; communicating, via one or more communication units, grouping information to each lighting device and causing each lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory, the grouping information indicating respective lighting control groups into which different segments are grouped; communicating, via one or more communication units, a broadcast command to a plurality of lighting devices, the broadcast command defining respective light settings for respective lighting control groups; This is achieved by a method comprising:

[0020] The method further comprises: receiving, by each of a plurality of lighting devices, respective grouping information; storing, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, respective grouping information in a memory thereof; receiving, by each of a plurality of lighting devices, a broadcast command; determining, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, which segments to control according to which light settings based on the control command and based on the grouping information; controlling, by each of a plurality of lighting devices, one or more light sources of each segment according to a respective light setting; may include:

[0021] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the above object is achieved by a computer program product for one or more computing devices, comprising computer program code for performing the method when the computer program product is executed on one or more processing units of the one or more computing devices, each step of the method may be performed by a corresponding (processing) element of the control / lighting system.

[0022] It should be understood that the lighting system, method and computer program may have similar and / or identical embodiments and advantages as the control system described above. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] The above and additional objects, features and advantages of the disclosed system, device and method will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of embodiments of the device and method, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: All figures are schematic and not necessarily to scale, and generally show only those parts necessary to clarify the invention, other parts may be omitted or merely suggested. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates generally an example of a lighting system including a control system and a plurality of lighting devices including individually controllable segments, each segment including a plurality of light sources. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates diagrammatically an example of grouping of different segments of the lighting device of FIG. 1 into different control groups. [Diagram 3]3a, 3b show schematic examples of a space including multiple lighting devices and sub-areas of the space illustrating lighting control groups. [Figure 4] 4a, 4b show schematic examples of a space containing multiple lighting devices and sub-areas of the space showing lighting control groups. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 illustrates generally an example of a lighting system in which portions of a display correspond to lighting control groups. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 illustrates diagrammatically a method for configuring multiple lighting devices of a lighting system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a lighting system 100 including a control system 102 and a plurality of lighting devices 200, 300. Each lighting device includes a memory 202, 302 and a plurality of individually controllable segments 210, 220, 230, 310, 320, 330, each segment including one or more light sources 212, 222, 232, 312, 322, 332 (e.g., LED light sources). Each lighting device further includes a receiver 204, 304 and a controller 206, 306 (e.g., one or more processors) operably coupled to the receiver, the memory, and the plurality of light sources. The lighting devices 206, 306 may be any type of lighting device including a plurality of individually controllable (addressable) lighting segments, each including one or more (LED) light sources. The lighting devices may be, for example, one-dimensional arrays (e.g., LED strips / strings), two-dimensional arrays (e.g., LED tiles), or three-dimensional arrays (e.g., LED cubes). The lighting devices may be integrated into peripheral devices such as keyboards, computer mice, game controllers, PC casings, etc. The control system 102 includes one or more communication units 104 configured to wirelessly communicate with multiple lighting devices, a configuration module 106, and a control module 108.

[0025] The control system 102 may be any type of control system for configuring and controlling the multiple lighting devices 200, 300 of the lighting system 100. In the example of FIG. 1, the configuration module 106 and the control module 108 are included in a single device (e.g., a central lighting control device such as a smartphone, a bridge, a hub, a remote server, etc.). It should be understood that this is an example and that depending on the system architecture, the configuration module 106, the control module 108, and one or more communication units 104 may be distributed in different devices. The configuration module 106 and the control module 108 may be included in separate devices, for example, each having its own communication unit 104 for communicating with the lighting devices 200, 300. The configuration module 106 and the control module 108 may run on one or more processors (e.g., circuits, microcontrollers, etc.) of the control system 102.

[0026] The control system 102 includes one or more communication units 104 configured to wirelessly communicate with the lighting devices 200, 300. The communication units may communicate configuration information (such as grouping information) and lighting control commands to the lighting devices 200, 300 to configure and control the lighting devices 200, 300. The communication units may include hardware to communicate via one or more wireless communication protocols, such as, for example, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Li-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G, or ZigBee. A particular communication technology may be selected based on the communication capability of the lighting devices, the power consumption of a communication driver for the wireless communication technology, and / or the communication range of the signal.

[0027] The control system 102 further includes a configuration module 106 for configuring the lighting devices 200, 300. The configuration module 106 is configured to group, for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices 200, 300, different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments 210, 220, 230, 310, 320, 330 into different lighting control groups. The configuration module 106 is further configured to communicate, via the one or more communication units 104, grouping information to the respective lighting devices and cause the respective lighting devices to store the respective grouping information in their memory, the grouping information indicating the respective lighting control groups into which the different segments are grouped. The configuration module 106 may, for example, associate the segments 210, 220, 230 of the first lighting device 200 with the respective lighting control groups and associate the segments 310, 320, 330 of the second lighting device 300 with the respective lighting control groups. This grouping information is communicated to the lighting devices 200, 300. The lighting devices 200, 300 are configured to receive the grouping information and store the associations of the different segments in their respective memories. The lighting device 200 may receive the associations of its segments 210, 220, 230 with the lighting control groups via its communication unit 204, and its controller 206 may store these associations in its memory 202. Similarly, the lighting device 300 may receive the associations of its segments 310, 320, 330 with the lighting control groups via its communication unit 304, and its controller 306 may store these associations in its memory 302. The configuration module 106 may be configured to update the grouping information (e.g., periodically, upon request of the lighting devices 200, 300, upon request of the lighting control device, upon request of a user, etc.) and to communicate the updated grouping information to the lighting devices 200, 300.

[0028] The lighting devices 200, 300 may be configured to store different sets of grouping information. The configuration module 106 may, for example, communicate a first grouping information to the lighting devices 200, 300 and communicate a second grouping information to the lighting devices 200, 300, both of which may be stored in the respective memories 202, 302. The lighting devices 200, 300 may be configured to receive a command (e.g., from the configuration module 106 or the control module 108) and activate one of the received grouping information. The first grouping information may, for example, relate to the control of the lighting devices based on a first media content (e.g., video content rendered on a display), and the second grouping information may, for example, relate to the control of the lighting devices based on a source different from the first media content (e.g., based on a second media content, based on a user's location, etc.). This is beneficial as it allows switching the grouping of segments by sending a command to the lighting devices 200, 300 to switch. Figure 2 shows another example of grouping segments into multiple lighting control groups. Here, the configuration module 102 may group different segments of the multiple individually controllable segments 210, 220, 230, 310, 320, 330 into different lighting control groups 410, 420, 430, 440, 450 such that at least one first segment 210 of the first lighting device 200 and at least one second segment 310 of the second lighting device 300 are grouped into the same lighting control group 410. 2, segments 220 are grouped into light control groups 420, segments 230 are grouped into light control groups 430, segments 320 are grouped into light control groups 440, and segments 330 are grouped into light control groups 450. This grouping information is communicated to the lighting devices 200, 300. The lighting devices 200, 300 are configured to receive the grouping information and to store the associations of the different segments in their respective memories 202, 306.The lighting device 200 may receive associations between its segments 210, 220, 230 and the respective lighting control groups 410, 420, 430 via its communication unit 204 and its controller 206 may store these associations in its memory 202. Similarly, the lighting device 300 may receive associations between its segments 310, 320, 330 and the respective lighting control groups 410, 440, 450 via its communication unit 304 and its controller 306 may store these associations in its memory 302.

[0029] The control system 102 further includes a control module 108 configured to communicate broadcast commands to the plurality of lighting devices 200, 300 via one or more communication units 104, the broadcast commands defining respective light settings for the respective lighting control groups. The broadcast commands are lighting control commands for controlling the light output of the light sources 212, 222, 232, 312, 322, 332 of the lighting devices 200, 300. The broadcast commands are addressed to the lighting devices 200, 300 and may include control instructions for controlling the light output of the light sources 212, 222, 232, 312, 322, 332 of the different lighting control groups. By sending broadcast commands (instead of unicast to individual lighting devices and / or segments thereof), the control of different segments of the different lighting devices 200, 300 is performed in a synchronized manner. The broadcast commands define the light settings (e.g. lighting control instructions for controlling one or more light characteristics of the light sources) of the respective lighting control groups. The broadcast command may include light settings for lighting control groups that are not associated with any segment of the first lighting device, but only with segments of the second lighting device. This is illustrated below. Referring again to Figure 2, Table 1 shows a schematic example of a broadcast command including light settings for different lighting control groups. TIFF2024504655000002.tif63141 When the first lighting device 200 receives a broadcast command, its controller 206 determines whether one or more segments are associated with one or more lighting control groups defined by the broadcast command. In this example, segment 210 is associated with lighting control group 410, segment 220 is associated with lighting control group 420, and segment 230 is associated with lighting control group 430. This grouping information is stored in memory 202. As a result, the controller 206 of the first lighting device 200 controls the light source of segment 210 according to light setting 1, controls the light source of segment 220 according to light setting 2, and controls the light source of segment 230 according to light setting 3. Similarly, when the second lighting device 300 receives a broadcast command, its controller 306 determines whether one or more segments are associated with one or more lighting control groups defined by the broadcast command. In this example, segment 310 is associated with lighting control group 410, segment 320 is associated with lighting control group 440, and segment 330 is associated with lighting control group 450. As a result, controller 306 of second lighting device 300 controls the light sources of segment 310 according to light setting 1, the light sources of segment 320 according to light setting 4, and the light sources of segment 330 according to light setting 5. In Table 1, the light settings are shown as numerical values ​​(which may correspond to lighting control values ​​stored in the memory of the lighting device), but other examples of light settings may include RGB values, XY values ​​of the CIE color spectrum, beam shape / size / direction control values, etc. Light settings defined by the broadcast command may include an off setting for a lighting control group. Communicating lighting control settings to lighting devices is known in the art and will not be discussed in detail.

[0030] The number of groups (in which segments of lighting devices 200, 300 should be grouped) may be limited. The maximum number of lighting control groups may be smaller than the number of segments of multiple lighting devices. For example, with reference to FIG. 2, the maximum number of lighting control groups may be five lighting control groups. Therefore, the configuration module 106 may be configured to group at least two segments into the same lighting control group. The at least two segments may be segments of different lighting devices (as shown in FIG. 2). Alternatively, the at least two segments may be segments of a single lighting device. The size (i.e., amount of data) of the broadcast command may be limited, thereby limiting the number of groups available (e.g., a maximum of 20 groups). Therefore, it may be necessary to group different segments into the same lighting control group.

[0031] The configuration module 106 may further be configured to determine, for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices 200, 300, an adjustment level of one or more segments of the respective lighting device, the adjustment level defining an adjustment of the light output of one or more light sources of the respective segment. Such adjustment may be required, for example, when a light source is closer to an illuminated surface, when the reflective properties of the illuminated surface are different for different segments, when a segment is closer to a user and / or a media rendering device compared to other segments, etc. The configuration module 106 may further be configured to communicate the adjustment level to the respective lighting device via the communication unit 104 and to cause the respective lighting device to store the respective adjustment level in its memory 202, 302. The lighting devices 200, 300 are configured to receive the respective adjustment levels via the respective receivers 204, 304 and to store the adjustment levels in the respective memories 202, 302. The controllers 206, 306 of the lighting devices 200, 300 may take the adjustment level into account when the segments are controlled based on broadcast commands according to grouping. Table 2 shows example adjustment levels for the segments 210 , 220 , 230 of the first lighting device 200 that may be stored in the memory 202 . TIFF2024504655000003.tif45136 When the first lighting device 200 receives the broadcast command, it controls its segments 210, 220, 230 according to the light settings defined by the broadcast command and applies the adjustments as defined in the memory. For example, the light settings defined in the broadcast command may be a first color for the first lighting control group (e.g., the first segment 210), a second color for the second lighting control group (e.g., the second segment 220), and a third color for the third lighting control group (e.g., the third segment 230), and the controller 206 of the first lighting device 200 may adjust the brightness of these segments accordingly (100% brightness for the light sources of the first segment 210, 80% brightness for the light sources of the second segment 220, and 60% brightness for the light sources of the third segment 230) with reference to Table 2. In the example of Fig. 2, the adjustment level is related to brightness. Other examples of the adjustment level may be adjustment of other light characteristics such as color, saturation, beam shape / size / direction, etc. of the light sources of the different segments. The configuration module 106 may further be configured to obtain information indicative of the location of the segments with respect to the surface to be illuminated by the respective segments, and to determine the adjustment level based on the location of the segments with respect to the surface to be illuminated by the respective segments. The information indicative of the location of the segments with respect to the surface to be illuminated by the respective segments may be obtained, for example, from an indoor positioning system, based on user input received via a user interface, based on sensor input received from a sensor included in or proximate to the lighting device, etc.

[0032] Additionally or alternatively, the configuration module 106 may be further configured to: determine, for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices 200, 300, an adjustment level of the respective lighting device, the adjustment level defining an adjustment of a light output of a light source of the lighting device, and to communicate the adjustment level to the respective lighting device and cause the respective lighting device to store the respective adjustment level in its memory. Each lighting device may adjust the light output of one or more light sources of the lighting device as described above when the segment is controlled based on the broadcast command according to the grouping.

[0033] The configuration module 106 may be configured to determine the grouping of different segments into different lighting control groups based on the position of the lighting device 200, 300 and / or its segments 210, 220, 230, 310, 320, 330. The configuration module 106 may further be configured to obtain position information indicative of the position of the lighting device 200, 300 and / or its segments 210, 220, 230, 310, 320, 330. The position information may be obtained, for example, from a positioning system such as an RF-based positioning system or a coded light positioning system, from the lighting device, via a user interface where a user can position the lighting device in a virtual space, etc. Techniques for obtaining the position of the lighting device are known in the art and will not be discussed in detail. The position information may indicate the position of the lighting device 200, 300 and / or its segments 210, 220, 230, 310, 320, 330 with respect to the space, with respect to objects, with respect to (media rendering) devices, with respect to the user, with respect to each other, etc. The configuration module 106 may be configured to determine grouping based on location information. For example, the configuration module 106 may group all segments located in a first sub-area of ​​the space in which the lighting devices are located into a first lighting control group, and all segments located in a second sub-area of ​​the space in which the lighting devices are located into a second lighting control group. Figures 3a, 3b and 4a, 4b show examples of grouping segments of lighting devices into different lighting control groups based on their location. In these examples, the squares of the lighting devices indicate the individually controllable segments of the lighting devices. For example, in Figure 3a, the segments of lighting devices 540, 542, 544 are grouped based on their location relative to the space. In Figure 3a, the space 500 includes five sub-areas 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, and based on the locations of the lighting devices 540, 542, 544, the configuration module 106 may group the individual segments accordingly.

[0034] The configuration module 106 is configured to obtain area information indicative of sub-areas of the space in which the lighting system 100 is installed, where each sub-area may define one or more lighting control groups. Segments of lighting devices located in these sub-areas may be grouped into lighting control groups accordingly. The sub-areas may be pre-defined or may be determined by the configuration module, for example based on user input or based on the location of objects, users and / or devices within the space.

[0035] The configuration module 106 may be configured to determine the number, location and / or size of the sub-areas based on information about the space 500 (e.g., dimensions, type of space, etc.), the location of objects, devices and / or users within the space 500. The location information of the object(s), user(s) and / or device(s) may be obtained, for example, from a positioning system, such as an RF-based positioning system or a coded light positioning system, via a user interface where the user can position devices and objects in the virtual space, etc. Techniques for obtaining the location of objects, users and / or devices are known in the art and will not be discussed in detail. For example, in FIG. 3a, the locations of the sub-areas may have been determined relative to the media rendering device 530. The sub-areas may be positioned relative to the media rendering device (i.e., a television in this example) such that there is a center sub-area 506, a front left sub-area 504, a rear left sub-area 502, a front right sub-area 508 and a rear right sub-area 510. FIG. 3B illustrates an example in which the location and size of the sub-areas are determined based on the location of an object 520 (i.e., a sofa) in the space 500. The size and location of the sub-areas 502′, 504′, 506′, 508′, 510′ are selected such that they surround the object 520 and substantially fill the space 500. Based on the locations of the lighting devices 540, 542, 544, the configuration module 106 may group the individual segments accordingly. In another example, a user may change the size and location of the sub-areas. FIG. 4a illustrates an example of a user input device 700 including a display 702 that renders a virtual representation of the space 500 of the example of FIG. 3a. In this example, a user adjusts the size of the sub-area 502 by providing a user input 704 (e.g., via a touch screen, via a peripheral device such as a computer mouse, etc.). FIG. 4b illustrates another example of a space that includes grid lines (which may be predefined, determined, user based, etc.) that divide the space into multiple sub-areas 601-615.Based on the locations of the lighting devices 540, 542, 544, the configuration module 106 may group the individual segments accordingly.

[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic example of portions of a display corresponding to light control groups. The configuration module 106 may be configured to determine light control groups for segments of lighting devices 920, 922, 924 based on their location relative to the display 530 (e.g., based on the location of the segments of the corresponding virtual representation relative to the location of the virtual representation of the display). In this example, the display 530 is divided into 14 portions 901-914, each corresponding to a light control group. The top two segments of the first lighting device 920 are grouped into light control groups 901, 914 based on their location, and the bottom two segments of the first lighting device 920 are grouped into control group 913 based on their location. The segments of the second lighting device 922 (which is shorter and has fewer segments than the first lighting device 920) are grouped into light control groups 906-908 based on their location. The segments of the third lighting device 924 are grouped into light control groups 908-913 based on their location. As a result, when the lighting devices are controlled based on the media content being rendered on the display 530, the light settings of the segments correspond to the colors of the media content.

[0037] The control system 102 may further include a user interface configured to receive user input indicating grouping of different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups. The user may provide input to adjust, for example, the size, number and / or location of the subareas 502, 504, 506, 508, 510 (see, for example, FIG. 4a). Alternatively, the user may select segments of different lighting devices (e.g., by selecting on the display 702), for example, to add the selected segments to a particular lighting control group. The user interface may enable the user to add or remove lighting control groups.

[0038] FIG. 6 illustrates generally an example of a method 800 for configuring a plurality of lighting devices of a lighting system, each lighting device including a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments, each segment including one or more light sources, the method comprising: For each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, grouping 802a, 802b different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups; communicating 804, via one or more communication units, grouping information to each lighting device and causing each lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory, the grouping information indicating respective lighting control groups into which different segments are grouped; communicating 810 a broadcast command to a plurality of lighting devices via one or more communication units, the broadcast command defining respective light settings for respective lighting control groups; Includes.

[0039] Further, the method comprises: receiving 806a, 806b, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, respective grouping information; storing 808a, 808b, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, respective grouping information in its memory; receiving 812a, 812b, by each of a plurality of lighting devices, a broadcast command; determining 814a, 814b, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, which segments to control according to which light settings based on the control command and based on the grouping information; controlling 816a, 816b, by each of a plurality of lighting devices, one or more light sources of each segment according to a respective light setting; may include:

[0040] Steps 802a, 802b, 804a, 804b and 810 may be performed by computer program code of the computer program product when the computer program product is executed on one or more processing units of a computing device, such as the configuration module 106 and the control module 108 of the control system 102. Steps 806a, 808a, 812a, 814a, 816a, 806b, 808b, 812b, 814b and 816b may be performed by computer program code of the computer program product when the computer program product is executed on one or more processing units of a respective computing device, such as the controllers 206, 306 of the lighting devices 200, 300.

[0041] Steps 802a and 804a may be performed by the configuration module 106 of the control system 102 for the first lighting device 200, and steps 802b and 804b may be performed by the configuration module 106 of the control system 102 for the second lighting device 300. Step 810 may be performed by the configuration module 106 of the control system 100. Steps 806a, 808a, 812a, 814a, and 816a may be performed by the controller 206 of the first lighting device 200, and steps 806b, 808b, 812b, 814b, and 816b may be performed by the controller 306 of the second lighting device 300.

[0042] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting of the invention, and that those skilled in the art can design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

[0043] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer or processing unit. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these means cannot be used to advantage.

[0044] Aspects of the invention may be embodied in a computer program product, which may be a collection of computer program instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device that may be executed by a computer. The instructions of the invention may be any interpretable or executable code mechanism, including, but not limited to, a script, an interpretable program, a dynamic link library (DLL), or a Java class. The instructions may be provided as a complete executable program, a partial executable program, a modification (e.g., an update) to an existing program, or an extension (e.g., a plug-in) to an existing program. Additionally, parts of the processing of the invention may be distributed across multiple computers or processors, or a "cloud."

[0045] Suitable storage media for storing computer program instructions include all forms of non-volatile memory, including, but not limited to, EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory devices, magnetic disks such as internal and external hard disk drives, removable disks and CD-ROM disks. The computer program may be distributed on such storage media or may be made available for downloading via HTTP, FTP, email or a server connected to a network such as the Internet.

Claims

1. 1. A control system for configuring a plurality of lighting devices of a lighting system, each lighting device including a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments, each segment including one or more light sources, the control system comprising: one or more communication units configured to wirelessly communicate with the plurality of lighting devices; For each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, grouping different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups; and communicating, via said one or more communication units, grouping information to each lighting device and causing each lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory, said grouping information indicating respective lighting control groups into which said different segments are grouped; a configuration module configured to: communicating a broadcast command to the plurality of lighting devices via the one or more communication units, the broadcast command defining respective light settings for the respective lighting control groups; A control module configured to: a control system.

2. 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein at least one first segment of a first lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices and at least one second segment of a second lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices are grouped into a same lighting control group.

3. 2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the number of groups is limited, a maximum number of lighting control groups being less than a number of segments of the plurality of lighting devices, and the configuration module is configured to group at least two segments into the same lighting control group.

4. The configuration module includes: determining, for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, an adjustment level of one or more segments of the respective lighting device, the adjustment level defining an adjustment of a light output of one or more light sources of the respective segment; and communicating the adjustment level to each lighting device and causing each lighting device to store the respective adjustment level in its memory; The control system of claim 1 configured to:

5. The configuration module includes: determining, for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, an adjustment level for the respective lighting device, the adjustment level defining an adjustment of a light output of a light source of the lighting device; and communicating the adjustment level to each lighting device and causing each lighting device to store the respective adjustment level in its memory; The control system of claim 1 configured to:

6. A control system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the adjustment level defines an adjustment of the colour, brightness and / or saturation of the light output.

7. 6. The control system of claim 4 or 5, wherein the configuration module is configured to obtain information indicative of a location of a lighting device relative to a surface to be illuminated by the respective lighting device, and to determine the adjustment level based on the location of the lighting device relative to the surface to be illuminated by the respective lighting device.

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the configuration module is configured to determine the grouping of the different segments into the different lighting control groups based on a location of a lighting device and / or its segments.

9. The control system of claim 1 , comprising a user interface configured to receive user input indicating the grouping of the different segments of the plurality of individually controllable segments into the different lighting control groups.

10. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the light settings defined by the broadcast command include an off setting for each lighting control group.

11. a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device including a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments, each segment including one or more light sources; A control system according to claim 1; 1. A lighting system comprising: Each lighting device is receiving said respective grouping information; storing said respective grouping information in its own memory; receiving the broadcast command; determining which segments to control according to which light settings based on the control commands and based on the grouping information; and controlling one or more light sources in each segment according to a respective light setting; The lighting system is configured as follows.

12. The lighting system of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the plurality of lighting devices is a light source array.

13. 1. A method of configuring a plurality of lighting devices of a lighting system, each lighting device including a memory and a plurality of individually controllable segments, each segment including one or more light sources, the method comprising: for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices, grouping different ones of the plurality of individually controllable segments into different lighting control groups; communicating, via one or more communication units, grouping information to each lighting device and causing each lighting device to store the respective grouping information in its memory, said grouping information indicating respective lighting control groups into which the different segments are grouped; communicating a broadcast command to the plurality of lighting devices via the one or more communication units, the broadcast command defining respective light settings for the respective lighting control groups; A method comprising:

14. The method comprises: receiving, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the respective grouping information; storing, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the respective grouping information in a memory thereof; receiving, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the broadcast command; determining, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, which segments to control according to which light settings based on the control command and based on the grouping information; controlling, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, one or more light sources in each segment according to a respective light setting; The method of claim 13, comprising:

15. 15. A computer program for one or more computing devices comprising computer program code for performing the method according to claim 13 or 14, when the computer program is executed by one or more processing units of said one or more computing devices.

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