Lighting operation apparatus and lighting system

Abstract

To provide a lighting operation apparatus and a lighting system that allow the voice operation of a lighting fixture to be intuitively performed.SOLUTION: A lighting operation apparatus for operating a lighting fixture includes: a storage unit that has character information about a wake word and an operation instruction; a voice acquisition unit that acquires a user's voice; a voice recognition unit configured to be able to recognize the wake word and the operation instruction from the voice based on the wake word and the operation instruction stored in the storage unit; and a transmission unit that transmits, to the lighting fixture, an operation signal for causing the operation instruction recognized by the voice recognition unit to be performed. The wake word is a name associated with the lighting fixture to be operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting control device and a lighting system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known voice response methods, apparatuses, and smart devices (smart speakers, etc.) that receive voice information sent by a user, determine whether the voice information contains a wake-up word (wake word), and if the wake word is present, output a response sound based on preset response rules (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] The smart device responds to a voice command sent by a user, and after receiving the voice command, can, for example, play a multimedia resource requested by the user. In such a smart device, the user needs to wake up the smart device with a specific wake-up word, and after being woken up, the smart device can respond to the voice command sent by the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-515913 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] By using the above-mentioned smart device, it is also possible to operate home appliances such as lighting fixtures by voice operation. However, in conventional smart devices, the wake words are the name of the smart device manufacturer or an original name, and these wake words cannot be changed. In other words, when a user operates a lighting fixture using a smart device, the user needs to utter a wake word that has nothing to do with the lighting fixture and then issue a voice command.

[0006] Furthermore, if a user uses a different smart device for each room or each home appliance to be operated, the user must remember a number of wake words that are unrelated to each operation and use them for each smart device, which creates the problem of being unable to intuitively operate lighting fixtures using voice commands.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a lighting control device and a lighting system that allow intuitive voice control of lighting fixtures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The lighting control device of the present invention is a lighting control device for operating a lighting fixture, and comprises a memory unit having text information related to a wake word and an operation instruction, a voice acquisition unit for acquiring a user's voice, a voice recognition unit configured to recognize the wake word and the operation instruction from voice based on the wake word and the operation instruction stored in the memory unit, and a transmission unit for transmitting an operation signal to the lighting fixture for executing the operation instruction recognized by the voice recognition unit, wherein the wake word is a name related to the lighting fixture to be operated.

[0009] In the lighting control device according to the present invention, the wake word may include a name related to a location where the lighting device to be controlled is installed.

[0010] In the lighting control device according to the present invention, the storage unit may store a wake word group made up of a plurality of different wake words.

[0011] In the lighting control device of the present invention, an arbitrary wake word may be selectable from the group of wake words, and the lighting control device may be configured to be activated when the selected wake word is recognized from voice.

[0012] The lighting control device according to the present invention may be configured to be activated when the voice recognition unit recognizes a wake word included in the group of wake words.

[0013] The storage unit may store a different operation object type in association with each wake word, and the transmission unit may be configured to be able to transmit an operation signal including the operation instruction and the operation object type.

[0014] The lighting system of the present invention is a lighting system comprising a lighting fixture and a lighting operation device for operating the lighting fixture, wherein the lighting operation device comprises a memory unit having text information related to a wake word and an operation instruction, a voice acquisition unit for acquiring a user's voice, a voice recognition unit configured to recognize the wake word and the operation instruction from voice based on the wake word and the operation instruction stored in the memory unit, and a transmission unit for transmitting an operation signal to the lighting fixture for executing the operation instruction recognized by the voice recognition unit, and wherein the wake word is a name related to the lighting fixture to be operated.

[0015] In the lighting system according to the present invention, the storage unit may store a wake word group made up of a plurality of different wake words.

[0016] In the lighting system of the present invention, the memory unit stores a different operation target type associated with each wake word, the transmission unit is configured to be able to transmit an operation signal including the operation instruction and the operation target type, and the lighting device is configured to execute the operation instruction based on the operation instruction when the operation target type received from the transmission unit is its own operation target type. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lighting control device and a lighting system that allow intuitive voice control of a lighting fixture. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a lighting system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a lighting operation device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a lighting fixture according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a wake word group according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation instruction group according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation instruction group according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation instruction group according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation instruction group according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation instruction group according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation instruction group according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation instruction group according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of installation of a lighting system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 13] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for operating the lighting system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for operating the lighting system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a synchronization method for the lighting system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 16] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for operating the lighting system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a lighting system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a wake word group according to the second embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the lighting system according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a lighting fixture of a modified example of the lighting system according to the first and second embodiments. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a modified example of the lighting system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. The drawings are schematic diagrams in which emphasis, omission, and ratio adjustments have been appropriately made to illustrate the present invention, and may differ from the actual shapes, positional relationships, and ratios.

[0020] [Overall configuration of the lighting system according to the first embodiment] First, a lighting system 1 according to a first embodiment will be outlined with reference to Fig. 1. The lighting system 1 according to the first embodiment is a lighting system including lighting fixtures 100-119 attached to any space in a building, and lighting operation devices 10 (10a-10c) for operating the lighting fixtures 100-119. The lighting system 1 according to the first embodiment further includes a wall switch (not shown) capable of operating the lighting fixtures 100-119. The lighting fixtures 100-119 are configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0021] 2, the lighting control device 10 is a lighting control device for controlling the lighting fixtures 100 to 119, and includes a memory unit 50 having text information related to a wake word and an operation instruction, a voice acquisition unit 20 for acquiring a user's voice, a main control unit 40 for controlling the lighting control device 10, and a communication unit 60 capable of communicating with the lighting fixtures 100 to 119. The lighting control device 10 further includes a manual operation unit 30 for accepting a manual operation instruction from the user. The main control unit 40 includes a voice recognition unit 42 configured to recognize the wake word and the operation instruction from a voice based on the wake word and the operation instruction stored in the memory unit 50. The communication unit 60 includes a transmission unit 62 for transmitting an operation signal to the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 for executing the operation instruction recognized by the voice recognition unit 42. The wake word is a name related to the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 to be operated.

[0022] Lighting system 1 according to the first embodiment is a system capable of controlling a plurality of lighting fixtures from one lighting control device, and is configured so that a user can operate lighting fixtures 100-119 by voice instructions via lighting control device 10. In the first embodiment, lighting fixtures 100-109 are shown as ceiling lights, lighting fixtures 110-114 are shown as downlights, and lighting fixtures 115-119 are shown as pendant lights, but the present invention is not limited to these, and lighting system 1 can employ any of a variety of lighting fixtures.

[0023] [Configuration of the lighting fixture according to the first embodiment] As shown in FIG. 3, the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 each include a receiving unit 120, a main control unit 140, a storage unit 150, a transmitting unit 160, and a light emitting unit 170. The receiving unit 120 is configured to be able to receive operation signals transmitted from the lighting control device 10 and other lighting fixtures, and the transmitting unit 160 is configured to be able to transmit the received operation signals to the receiving units 120 of the other lighting fixtures. The receiving unit 120 is also configured to be able to receive synchronization signals transmitted from the lighting control device 10 and other lighting fixtures, and the transmitting unit 160 is configured to be able to transmit the synchronization signals to a communication synchronization unit 64 (described later) of the lighting control device 10 and the receiving units 120 of the other lighting fixtures. Hereinafter, in this specification, the synchronization signal is a general term for a signal including information regarding synchronization between the lighting control device 10 and the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 and synchronization between the lighting fixtures. The information regarding synchronization is, for example, but is not limited to, a synchronization request, an authentication key, ID information, etc.

[0024] By providing such receiver 120 and transmitter 160, the lighting fixtures 100-119 can construct a mesh network as shown in Fig. 1, and can use multiple paths for communication. Even if the lighting fixtures 100-119 are out of communication range with each other, as long as they belong to the same network, they can communicate with each other by using multiple connections.

[0025] The light-emitting unit 170 of the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 includes a main light (not shown). The light-emitting unit 170 of the lighting fixtures 100 to 109 further includes an indirect light (not shown) and a night light (not shown). The main light and the indirect light have a dimming function and a color adjustment function, and are configured to be able to change the illuminance, color temperature, and light emission color of the main light and the indirect light. Hereinafter, in this specification, when the term "light-emitting unit 170" is simply mentioned, it is assumed that both the main light and the indirect light are included. The main light of the light-emitting unit 170 is configured to be able to adjust the illuminance and color temperature in 20 steps, but is not limited thereto.

[0026] The main control unit 140 includes a lighting control unit 142, a dimming control unit 144, a color adjustment control unit 146, and an ID identification unit 148. The lighting control unit 142 is configured to be capable of setting the on / off control and off reservation of the light-emitting unit 170. The dimming control unit 144 is configured to be capable of controlling the illuminance of the light-emitting unit 170. The color adjustment control unit 146 is configured to be capable of controlling the color temperature and emitted light color of the light-emitting unit 170. The ID identification unit 148 is configured to identify whether or not a device ID, which will be described later, included in the operation signal when the receiving unit 120 receives the operation signal matches a device ID recorded in the storage unit 150.

[0027] The storage unit 150 includes an ID 152 and a program 154. The ID 152 includes an ID unique to the lighting fixtures 100-119, as well as a device ID set by the lighting control device 10 and a network ID (described later). The ID unique to the lighting fixtures 100-119 is, for example, the serial number, manufacturing number, or MAC address of the lighting fixtures 100-119. The program 154 includes a control program for controlling the lighting control unit 142, the dimming control unit 144, and the color adjustment control unit 146 included in the main control unit 140, and a communication program for communicating and synchronizing with the lighting control device 10 and other lighting fixtures.

[0028] Furthermore, the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 are configured to be placed in a synchronous mode for synchronizing with the lighting operation device 10 by operating a wall switch (not shown).

[0029] Lighting devices 100-119 having such a configuration are configured to execute an operation instruction contained in an operation signal when the lighting device receives an operation signal transmitted from transmitter 62 of lighting operation device 10 or transmitter 160 of another lighting device and the device ID contained in the operation signal matches a device ID registered in ID 152 of storage unit 150. For example, if the operation instruction contained in the operation signal is an instruction to make the main light of light-emitting unit 170 brighter by one level, dimming control unit 144 of main control unit 140 controls the main light of light-emitting unit 170 to become brighter by one level based on program 154 in storage unit 150.

[0030] [Configuration of the lighting operation device according to the first embodiment] Next, a detailed configuration of the lighting operation device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The voice acquisition unit 20 includes a microphone and is configured to acquire voice uttered by the user and convert it into voice data of an electrical signal. The manual operation unit 30 includes a lighting operation unit (not shown), a dimming operation unit (not shown), a color adjustment operation unit (not shown), and a synchronization unit (not shown). The lighting operation unit is configured to be capable of operating the light-emitting units 170 of the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 to turn them on and off. The dimming operation unit is configured to be capable of operating the illuminance of the light-emitting units 170. The color adjustment operation unit is configured to be capable of operating the color temperature and light emission color of the light-emitting units 170. The synchronization unit is configured to be capable of changing the lighting operation device 10 to a synchronization mode when synchronizing with the lighting fixtures 100 to 119.

[0031] Storage unit 50 stores wake word group 52 consisting of a plurality of different wake words, operation instruction group 54 including operation instructions for operating lighting fixtures 100-119, and ID management 56. As shown in Fig. 4, wake word group 52 includes wake words "connect," "connected," and "remote control," as well as wake words "living room," "dining room," "kitchen," "bedroom," "entrance," "stairs," "washroom," "corridor," "study," and "reception room," which are names related to locations where the lighting fixtures to be operated are installed. Note that the wake words in wake word group 52 are not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and various arbitrary wake words can be adopted.

[0032] Operation instruction group 54 includes the voice commands and operation instructions shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 11. The voice commands shown in Fig. 5 relate to turning on, dimming, and adjusting the color of the main lighting of light-emitting unit 170 included in lighting fixtures 100 to 119 and the indirect lighting of light-emitting unit 170 included in lighting fixtures 100 to 109. The voice commands "Turn on", "Turn on the lights", and "Turn on the lights" transmit to lighting fixtures 100 to 119 an operation instruction for memory lighting to turn on the main lighting and indirect lighting at the illuminance and color temperature when they were last turned on. The voice commands "Turn off", "Turn off the lights", and "Turn off the lights" transmit to lighting fixtures 100 to 119 an instruction to turn off the main lighting and indirect lighting. The voice commands "Make it a little brighter" and "Make it a little darker" transmit once to lighting fixtures 100 to 119 a signal to make the main lighting one level brighter and one level darker, respectively. The voice commands "brighten" and "darken" respectively transmit signals to make the main lighting one level brighter and one level darker to the lighting fixtures 100-119 three times every 0.2 seconds. The voice command "whiten" transmits an instruction to the lighting fixtures 110-119 to turn the main lighting on in daylight white at maximum illuminance. The voice command "yellow" transmits an instruction to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to turn the main lighting on in warm white at maximum illuminance. The voice command "orange" transmits an instruction to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to turn the main lighting on incandescent white at maximum illuminance. The voice commands "make it a little whiter" and "make it a little orange" respectively transmit a signal to lower the color temperature of the main lighting one level and a signal to raise it one level once to the lighting fixtures 100-119. The voice commands "brighter" and "dimmer" send signals to make the main lighting one level brighter and one level dimmer, respectively, to the lighting fixtures 100-119 20 times every 0.2 seconds. The voice commands "whiter" and "orange" send signals to make the main lighting one level lower and one level higher, respectively, to the lighting fixtures 100-119 20 times every 0.2 seconds. The voice command "stop" stops sending a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 if the signal has been sent multiple times.

[0033] The voice commands shown in Fig. 6 relate to scene playback of the main lighting of the light-emitting unit 170 of the lighting fixtures 100-119. The voice commands "night light", "mini light", and "gentle" transmit a signal to turn on the night light of the light-emitting unit 170 of the lighting fixtures 100-109 and a signal to minimize the illuminance of the main lighting of the lighting fixtures 110-119. The voice commands "scene 1" and "morning light" transmit a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to adjust the brightness and color of the main lighting to an illuminance and color temperature suitable for morning, which is set as scene 1. The voice commands "scene 2" and "daytime light" transmit a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to adjust the brightness and color of the main lighting to an illuminance and color temperature suitable for daytime, which is set as scene 2. The voice commands "Scene 3" and "Getting Together" transmit signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to adjust the brightness and color of the main lighting to an illuminance and color temperature suitable for family get-togethers, which is set as Scene 3. The voice commands "Scene 4" and "Relax" transmit signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to adjust the brightness and color of the main lighting to an illuminance and color temperature suitable for relaxing at night, which is set as Scene 4. The voice commands "Turn Red," "Turn Green," and "Turn Blue" transmit signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to turn the main lighting on in red, green, and blue, respectively. The voice command "Color Loop" transmits a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to turn the main lighting on in a color loop that continuously changes color. The voice command "Stop Color Loop" transmits a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to stop the color loop illumination of the main lighting.

[0034] The voice commands shown in FIG. 7 relate to individual operations of the main lighting and indirect lighting of the light-emitting unit 170 provided in the lighting fixtures 100-109. The voice commands "Turn on main lighting" and "Turn off main lighting" transmit signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to turn on and off the main lighting of the light-emitting unit 170, respectively. The voice commands "Turn on side lighting" and "Turn off side lighting" transmit signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to turn on and off the indirect lighting of the light-emitting unit 170, respectively. The voice commands "Brighten the side lighting" and "Darken the side lighting" transmit signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to make the indirect lighting one level brighter and one level darker, respectively. The voice command "Color loop side lighting" transmits a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to turn on the indirect lighting in a color loop. The voice command "Stop side lighting" transmits a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to stop the color loop lighting of the indirect lighting. The voice command "ceiling buzzer" transmits to the lighting fixtures 100-119 a signal to turn on or off the buzzer sound (response sound) that sounds when the lighting fixtures 100-119 respond to an operation.

[0035] 8 relate to timer-turning off of the lighting devices 100-119. The voice commands "Turn off in 5 minutes", "Turn off in 10 minutes", "Turn off in 15 minutes", "Turn off in 30 minutes", "Turn off in 45 minutes", "Turn off in 60 minutes", and "Turn off in 1 hour" transmit to the lighting devices 100-119 a timer-turning signal for turning off the light-emitting unit 170 in 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and 1 hour, respectively. The voice command "timer off" transmits to the lighting devices 100-119 a signal for canceling the timer-turning off setting that was set for the lighting devices 100-119.

[0036] The voice commands shown in Fig. 9 relate to scene settings for the main lighting of the light-emitting unit 170 provided in the lighting fixtures 100-119. The voice command "set lower limit" sends a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to set the lower limits of the brightness and color temperature of the main lighting to the current illuminance and color temperature. The voice command "cancel lower limit" sends a signal to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to cancel the lower limit settings of the illuminance and color temperature of the main lighting. The voice commands "register to scene 1" and "register to morning light" send signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to register the current illuminance and color temperature settings of the main lighting as scene 1. The voice commands "register to scene 2" and "register to daylight" send signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to register the current illuminance and color temperature settings of the main lighting as scene 2. The voice commands “Register to Scene 3” and “Register to Gathering” send signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to register the current illuminance and color temperature settings of the main lighting as Scene 3. The voice commands “Register to Scene 4” and “Register to Relaxation” send signals to the lighting fixtures 100-119 to register the current illuminance and color temperature settings of the main lighting as Scene 4.

[0037] The voice commands shown in FIG. 10 relate to the settings of the lighting control device 10. The voice commands "Turn on the buzzer" and "Turn off the buzzer" respectively turn on and off the buzzer sound (response sound) of the lighting control device 10. The buzzer sound of the lighting control device 10 includes a wake word detection sound in addition to the buzzer sound when transmitting an operation signal. The voice commands "Send ID" and "Receive ID" respectively send a network ID to another lighting control device and receive it from another lighting control device. The voice command "Register fixture" changes the lighting control device 10 to a synchronous mode. The voice command "Unregister fixture" cancels the synchronization of a lighting fixture that is synchronized with the lighting control device 10.

[0038] 11 are related to changing the operation instruction waiting time and wake word of the lighting control device 10. The voice commands "Wake up 5 seconds", "Wake up 10 seconds", "Wake up 30 seconds" and "Wake up 1 minute" change the operation instruction waiting time after the wake word recognition of the lighting control devices 10a to 10c to 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds and 1 minute, respectively. The voice commands "Change to Connect", "Change to Connected", "Change to Remote Control", "Change to Living Room", "Change to Dining Room", "Change to Kitchen", "Change to Bedroom", "Change to Hallway", "Change to Stairs", "Change to Washroom", "Change to Corridor", "Change to Study" and "Change to Reception Room" change the setting wake word of the lighting control device 10, which will be described later, to Connect, Connected, Remote Control, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, Hallway, Stairs, Washroom, Corridor, Study and Reception Room, respectively.

[0039] Note that wake word group 52 and operation instruction group 54 are not limited to the above-mentioned configurations, and various arbitrary configurations can be adopted. For example, a configuration having an area where the user can set an arbitrary wake word and voice command (operation instruction), and a configuration where the user can change the wake word and voice command (operation instruction) stored in wake word group 52 and operation instruction group 54 to an arbitrary wake word and voice command (operation instruction) can be exemplified.

[0040] The ID management 56 includes a unique ID of the lighting operation device 10, such as a serial number, a manufacturing number, or a MAC address, and a network ID and a device ID as IDs to be set for the lighting fixtures 100-119.

[0041] A network ID is a unique ID commonly assigned to all lighting fixtures participating in the same network. When constructing a mesh network, using this network ID makes it possible to exclude lighting fixtures with different network IDs from the network. A different network ID is usually assigned to each lighting control device, and a network is formed for each network ID. For example, multiple lighting fixtures 100-104 synchronized with lighting control device 10a form network A, and multiple lighting fixtures 105-109 synchronized with lighting control device 10b form network B.

[0042] By setting the network ID, it is possible for the same network ID to be shared among multiple lighting control devices. For example, when a network ID is shared between lighting control device 10a and lighting control device 10b, multiple lighting fixtures 100-104 synchronized with lighting control device 10a and multiple lighting fixtures 105-109 synchronized with lighting control device 10b form a single network A'.

[0043] The device ID is a unique ID for identifying the lighting control device 10 synchronized with the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 within the network. In the first embodiment, the device ID uses a MAC address, which is a unique ID of the lighting control device 10, but is not limited to this and various arbitrary configurations can be adopted. An individual device ID is assigned to each lighting control device 10 and cannot be shared with other lighting control devices.

[0044] By setting a device ID for each of the lighting fixtures 100-119 separately from the network ID, for example, even if multiple lighting fixtures 100-109 belong to the same network A', multiple lighting fixtures 100-104 that are synchronized with lighting control device 10a can only execute operation instructions from lighting control device 10a, and multiple lighting fixtures 105-109 that are synchronized with lighting control device 10b can only execute operation instructions from lighting control device 10b.

[0045] The main control unit 40 includes a voice recognition unit 42 and a selection unit 44. The selection unit 44 is configured to be able to select a wake word from the wake word group 52 in the storage unit 50. Specifically, the selection unit 44 is configured to select one wake word from the wake word group 52 in the storage unit 50 when the user sets a wake word for the lighting control device 10, and set the selected wake word as the wake word for the lighting control device 10. Hereinafter, in this specification, a wake word set in this manner is referred to as a set wake word. Note that, in the first embodiment, there is one set wake word, but this is not limited thereto, and a configuration in which a plurality of set wake words can be set is also possible.

[0046] The voice recognition unit 42 receives the voice data converted into an electrical signal by the voice acquisition unit 20, and determines whether the voice data includes the set wake word and a voice command in the operation instruction group 54 of the storage unit 50. The main control unit 40 having such a configuration is configured to be able to generate an operation signal including a device ID in the ID management 56 of the storage unit 50 and an operation instruction in the operation instruction group 54 corresponding to the recognized voice command, when the voice recognition unit 42 recognizes the set wake word and the voice command from the voice data.

[0047] The communication unit 60 includes a transmission unit 62 and a communication synchronization unit 64, and is configured to be able to communicate with the lighting fixtures 100-119. The transmission unit 62 is configured to be able to transmit an operation signal, which includes an operation instruction generated by the main control unit 40 and a device ID (the type of lighting fixture to be operated), to the reception unit 120 of the lighting fixtures 100-119. The communication synchronization unit 64 is configured to be able to transmit and receive network IDs with other lighting operation devices, and transmit and receive synchronization signals with the lighting fixtures 100-119.

[0048] Lighting operation device 10 having such a configuration is configured to be able to select an arbitrary wake word from wake word group 52 in storage unit 50, and is configured to be activated when the selected wake word (predefined wake word) is recognized from voice. Furthermore, lighting operation device 10 is configured to enter an operation instruction standby state in which it can recognize voice commands by recognizing the predefined wake word and activating.

[0049] Here, an installation example of the lighting system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Note that Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an installation example of the lighting system according to the first embodiment, and the configuration such as the installation location and the synchronization state is not limited to this.

[0050] Lighting fixtures 100, 101, 105, 106, and 110 to 114 are installed in the living room and are each synchronized with lighting control device 10a. Lighting fixtures 115 to 119 are installed in the dining room and are each synchronized with lighting control device 10b. Lighting fixtures 104 and 109 are installed in the bedroom and are each synchronized with lighting control device 10c. Lighting fixtures 102, 103, 107, and 108 are installed in the kitchen, study, entrance, and bathroom, respectively, and are not synchronized with lighting control devices 10a to 10c. The wake words set for lighting control devices 10a to 10c are "living room", "dining room", and "bedroom", respectively.

[0051] Since the network ID of lighting control device 10a is registered in ID 152 of storage unit 150, lighting fixtures 100, 101, 105, 106, and 110-114 form mesh network a. Similarly, lighting fixtures 115-119 form network b, and lighting fixtures 104 and 109 form network c. In this state, when a user activates lighting control device 10a with wake word "living room" and causes it to recognize a voice command "turn on", an operation signal is transmitted in a relay manner to lighting fixtures 100, 101, 105, 106, and 110-114 of network a, and the main lights of light-emitting units 170 of lighting fixtures 100, 101, 105, 106, and 110-114 are turned on in memory, as described below. At this time, the operation signal is not transmitted to lighting fixtures that do not belong to network a.

[0052] When lighting control devices 10a and 10b share a network ID, lighting devices 100, 101, 105, 106, and 110-119 form network a'. In this state, when a user activates lighting control device 10a with the wake word "living room" and has it recognize the voice command "turn on", an operation signal is transmitted to lighting devices 100, 101, 105, 106, and 110-119 of network a. Then, since the device ID of lighting control device 10a is registered in ID 152 of storage unit 150, lighting devices 100, 101, 105, 106, and 110-114 turn on the main light of light-emitting unit 170. On the other hand, the lighting fixtures 115 to 119 synchronized with the lighting operation device 10b do not execute the operation instruction even when they receive the operation signal, because the network ID of the lighting operation device 10a is not registered in the ID 152 of the memory unit 150, and the main light of the light-emitting unit 170 does not turn on.

[0053] In this way, lighting system 1 allows the user to select a wake word from wake word group 52 that corresponds to the installation locations of lighting fixtures 100-119, making it possible to intuitively operate lighting fixtures 100-119 by, for example, simply issuing a voice command along with the name of the installation location of lighting fixtures 100-119.

[0054] In addition, the lighting system 1 having such a configuration is connected to the lighting control device 10 and the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 in an offline environment using a local network, and can be used without connecting to the Internet, so that it is easier to set up and can shorten the time from voice recognition to execution of operation compared to a lighting system using an Internet connection. Note that, for communication between the lighting control device 10 and the lighting fixtures 100 to 119, Bluetooth (registered trademark), which is a short-range wireless communication standard in the 2.4 GHz band, is preferably used, but is not limited to this. For example, ZigBee (registered trademark), Wi-Fi Direct, EnOcean, etc., which are short-range wireless communication technologies, can also be used.

[0055] Furthermore, in the lighting system 1 according to the first embodiment, in addition to the lighting operation device 10, a control device such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a smart speaker can also be used as an operation device for the lighting fixtures 100-119.

[0056] [Description of Operation of Lighting System According to First Embodiment] The operation of lighting system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 16. First, the procedure for synchronizing lighting control device 10 and lighting fixtures 100 to 119 will be described. Fig. 15 is an example of a flowchart showing a series of steps in a synchronization method. In the synchronization operation according to the first embodiment, first, lighting fixtures 100 to 119 (lighting fixture 100 in the first embodiment) are put into synchronization mode by operating a wall switch (S40 in Fig. 15). Lighting fixture 100 in synchronization mode starts to detect lighting control device 10 (lighting control device 10a in the first embodiment) that can be synchronized (S41 in Fig. 15).

[0057] On the other hand, the lighting operation device 10a is operated to cause the lighting operation device 10a to enter the synchronous mode (S31 in FIG. 15). Here, the lighting operation device 10a may be set to the synchronous mode by operating a synchronization unit included in the manual operation unit 30 of the lighting operation device 10, or may be set to the synchronous mode by a voice operation to be described later.

[0058] The lighting control device 10a, which has entered the synchronization mode, transmits a security authentication key and ID information including the network ID and device ID of ID management 56 in storage unit 50 to the lighting fixture 100 (S33 in FIG. 15). If the lighting fixture 100 detects the lighting control device 10a (YES in S42 in FIG. 15), it receives the security authentication key and ID information transmitted from the lighting fixture 100. If the lighting fixture 100 does not detect the lighting control device 10a (NO in S42 in FIG. 15), it ends the synchronization mode (S44 in FIG. 15).

[0059] Having received the security authentication key and ID information, the lighting device 100 registers the security authentication key in the storage unit 150, and registers the received ID information in ID 152 of the storage unit 150 (S43 in FIG. 15). Finally, the lighting control device 10a and the lighting device 100 end the synchronization mode (S34, S44 in FIG. 15). Thereafter, the lighting devices that have the same network ID stored in ID 152 of the storage unit 150 establish a mesh network using known technology. A series of synchronization operations for the lighting system 1 according to the first embodiment are performed through the above steps.

[0060] Next, a procedure for executing an operation instruction (voice operation method) of the lighting system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 13, 14 and 16. Figs. 13, 14 and 16 are examples of a flowchart showing a series of voice operations of the lighting system 1. In lighting operations according to the first embodiment, first, a voice uttered by a user is acquired by the voice acquisition unit 20 of a lighting operation device (lighting operation device 10a in the first embodiment) (S1 in Fig. 13). The voice acquisition unit 20 converts the acquired voice into voice data of an electrical signal, and transmits the voice data to a voice recognition unit 42 provided in a main control unit 40 of the lighting operation device 10a.

[0061] The voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40 of the lighting operation device 10a identifies whether the voice data sent from the voice acquisition unit 20 is voice data indicating the set wake word. If the voice recognition unit 42 determines that the voice data is not the set wake word (NO in S2 of FIG. 13), the lighting operation device 10a does not react to the user's voice and does not enter a standby state for an operation instruction. If the voice recognition unit 42 determines that the voice data is the set wake word (YES in S2 of FIG. 13), the lighting operation device 10a starts up (S3 of FIG. 13) and enters a standby state for an operation instruction.

[0062] When a voice is uttered by the user within a predetermined operation instruction waiting time, the voice acquisition unit 20 of the lighting operation device 10a acquires the voice, converts it into voice data, and transmits the voice data to the voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40. The voice recognition unit 42 identifies whether or not the voice data sent from the voice acquisition unit 20 corresponds to any of the voice commands included in the operation instruction group 54 of the storage unit 50. When the voice recognition unit 42 determines that the voice command is not one of the operation instructions group 54 (NO in S4 of FIG. 13) and the timeout has not occurred (NO in S6 of FIG. 13), the lighting operation device 10 enters the operation instruction waiting state again, and when the voice command of the operation instruction group 54 is not detected within the predetermined operation instruction waiting time (NO in S4 of FIG. 13) and the timeout has occurred (YES in S6 of FIG. 13), the operation instruction waiting state ends.

[0063] On the other hand, if the voice recognition unit 42 of the main controller 40 of the lighting operation device 10a determines that the acquired voice data is one of the voice commands included in the operation instruction group 54 of the storage unit 50 (YES in S4 of FIG. 13), the main controller 40 executes the following process according to the voice command. First, if the voice command recognized by the voice recognition unit 42 of the main controller 40 of the lighting operation device 10a is a voice command related to the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 in the operation instruction group 54 shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 9 (Nos. 1 to 63 in S5 of FIG. 13), the main controller 40 reads out an operation instruction corresponding to the voice command from the operation instruction group 54 of the storage unit 50, and generates an operation signal including the operation instruction and a device ID from the ID management 56 of the storage unit 50.

[0064] Transmitter 62 of communication unit 60 of lighting control device 10a transmits the operation signal generated by main control unit 40 to a lighting fixture having the same network ID and device ID as those of lighting control device 10a, that is, a lighting fixture that is synchronized with lighting control device 10a and is installed in a location closest to lighting control device 10a (lighting fixture 100 in the first embodiment) (S10 in FIG. 16).

[0065] In the first embodiment, the lighting operation device 10 is described on the assumption that it recognizes one voice command and generates an operation signal, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the lighting operation device 10 may be configured to recognize multiple voice commands in a standby state for an operation instruction, generate multiple operation signals in response to the respective voice commands, or generate an operation signal including multiple operation instructions, and transmit the operation signals to the lighting devices 100-119.

[0066] The lighting device 100 receives the operation signal transmitted from the lighting operation device 10 at the receiving unit 120 (S11 in FIG. 16). Having received the operation signal, the lighting device 100 transmits the operation signal to a lighting device (lighting device 101 in the first embodiment) on the same network as the lighting device 100 (S12 in FIG. 16). Simultaneously with or after transmitting the operation signal, each control unit of the main control unit 140 of the lighting device 100 executes the instructions contained in the operation signal in accordance with the operation instruction (S13 in FIG. 16).

[0067] The lighting fixture 101 receives the operation signal transmitted from the lighting fixture 100 at the receiving unit 120 (S21 in FIG. 16). Having received the operation signal, the lighting fixture 101 transmits the operation signal to other lighting fixtures on the same network (S22 in FIG. 16). Simultaneously with or after transmitting the operation signal, the ID identification unit 148 of the main control unit 140 of the lighting fixture 101 determines whether the device ID included in the received operation signal matches the device ID registered in ID 152 of the storage unit 150. If the device ID in the operation signal matches the device ID in ID 152 (YES in FIG. 16, S23), the lighting fixture 101 causes each control unit of the main control unit 140 to execute the instruction in accordance with the operation instruction included in the operation signal (S24 in FIG. 16).

[0068] On the other hand, if the device ID included in the operation signal received by lighting device 101 does not match the device ID of ID 152 stored in memory 150 (NO in S23 of FIG. 16), lighting device 101 ends the operation without executing the operation instruction included in the operation signal. Thereafter, if there are other lighting devices forming a network with lighting device 100 and lighting device 101, the same procedure is repeated.

[0069] Next, if the voice command recognized by the voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40 of the lighting operation device 10a is a voice command related to the lighting operation device 10 in the operation instruction group 54 shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 (No. 64 to 86 in S5 of Fig. 13) and is a voice command other than No. 68 (NO in S30 of Fig. 13), the main control unit 40 reads out an operation instruction corresponding to the voice command from the operation instruction group 54 of the storage unit 50 and executes the operation instruction (S32 in Fig. 13). If the voice command recognized by the voice recognition unit 42 is the voice command of No. 68 (YES in S30 of Fig. 13), the lighting operation device 10 goes into a synchronization mode (S31 in Fig. 15) and starts to detect lighting fixtures that can be synchronized (S33 in Fig. 15). A series of voice operations of the lighting system 1 according to the first embodiment are performed by the above steps.

[0070] [Advantages of the lighting control device and lighting system according to the first embodiment] As described above, lighting operation device 10 according to the first embodiment is a lighting operation device for operating lighting devices 100-119, and includes memory unit 50 having text information related to a wake word and an operation instruction, voice acquisition unit 20 for acquiring a user's voice, voice recognition unit 42 configured to be able to recognize the wake word and the operation instruction from the voice based on the wake word and the operation instruction stored in memory unit 50, and transmission unit 62 for transmitting an operation signal to lighting devices 100-119 for executing the operation instruction recognized by voice recognition unit 42. The wake word is a name related to the lighting devices 100-119 to be operated.

[0071] The lighting control device 10 of the first embodiment has such a configuration, and thus has the advantage that the wake word is the name of the lighting device 100-119 to be operated, so that the lighting device 100-119 can be intuitively controlled by voice by uttering the wake word and an operation instruction.

[0072] Furthermore, in lighting control device 10 according to the first embodiment, the wake word includes a name related to the location where lighting devices 100-119 to be operated are installed. This configuration has the advantage that the wake word of lighting control device 10 used in the location where lighting devices 100-119 are installed can be intuitively understood.

[0073] Furthermore, in lighting control device 10 according to the first embodiment, memory unit 50 stores wake word group 52 consisting of a plurality of different wake words. With this configuration, lighting control device 10 has the advantage of being able to use a plurality of different wake words.

[0074] Furthermore, lighting control device 10 according to the first embodiment is configured to allow an arbitrary wake word to be selected from wake word group 52, and is configured to be activated when the selected wake word is recognized from voice. This configuration has the advantage that, when multiple lighting control devices 10 are used, different set wake words can be used depending on the location where each lighting control device 10 is used or the lighting devices 100-119 that are to be controlled by each lighting control device 10.

[0075] [Overall configuration of lighting system according to the second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, parts that perform the same functions as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. As shown in Fig. 17, a lighting system 1' according to the second embodiment is a lighting system including lighting fixtures 100'-119' that can be installed in any space of a building, and a lighting operation device 10' that can operate the lighting fixtures 100'-119'.

[0076] [Configuration of the lighting fixture according to the second embodiment] The lighting fixtures 100' to 119' each include a receiving unit 120, a transmitting unit 160, and a light emitting unit 170 similar to those of the lighting fixtures 100 to 119 according to the first embodiment. The lighting fixtures 100' to 119' each further include a main control unit 140' and a storage unit 150'. The main control unit 140' includes a lighting control unit 142, a dimming control unit 144, a color adjustment control unit 146, and an ID identification unit 148'. When the receiving unit 120 receives an operation signal, the ID identification unit 148' is configured to identify whether or not a device ID and a group ID (operation target type) described later included in the operation signal match a device ID and a group ID recorded in the storage unit 150. The storage unit 150' includes an ID 152' and a program 154. The ID 152' includes a device ID, a network ID, and a group ID set by the lighting operation device 10' in addition to an ID unique to the lighting fixtures 100' to 119'.

[0077] The lighting fixtures 100'-119' having such a configuration are configured to execute an operation instruction based on the operation signal when they receive an operation signal from the transmitter 62 of the lighting control device 10' and the transmitter 160 of another lighting fixture and the device ID and group ID (operation target type) included in the operation signal are the device ID and group ID (operation target type) of the lighting fixture registered in the memory unit 150.

[0078] [Configuration of lighting operation device according to the second embodiment] The lighting operation device 10' includes a voice acquisition unit 20 and a manual operation unit 30 similar to those of the lighting operation device 10 according to the first embodiment. The lighting operation device 10' further includes a main control unit 40', a storage unit 50', and a communication unit 60'. The main control unit 40' includes a voice recognition unit 42 and a selection unit 44'. The storage unit 50' includes a wake word group 52', an operation instruction group 54, and an ID management unit 56', and stores a different group ID (operation target type) associated with each wake word. The communication unit 60' includes a transmission unit 62 and a communication synchronization unit 64 similar to those of the communication unit 60 according to the first embodiment, and is configured to be able to transmit an operation signal including an operation instruction of the operation instruction group 54 and a group ID (operation target type).

[0079] ID management 56' in storage unit 50' has a group ID in addition to a configuration similar to ID 56 in the first embodiment. Furthermore, wake word group 52' in storage unit 50' has a plurality of wake words similar to wake word group 52 in the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 18, and each wake word is stored in association with a group ID. The group ID is a unique ID for specifying a lighting device for executing an operation instruction for each wake word in wake word group 52' recognized by voice recognition unit 42 of main controller 40'.

[0080] In the second embodiment, the wake word "connect" is associated with a group ID of A. The wake word "connected" is associated with a group ID of B. The wake word "remote control" is associated with a group ID of C. The wake word "living room" is associated with a group ID of D. The wake word "dining room" is associated with a group ID of E. The wake word "kitchen" is associated with a group ID of F. The wake word "bedroom" is associated with a group ID of G. The wake word "Entrance" is associated with a group ID of H. The wake word "Stairs" is associated with a group ID of I. The wake word "Bathroom" is associated with a group ID of J. The wake word "Hallway" is associated with a group ID of K. The wake word "Study" is associated with a group ID of L. The wake word "Reception room" is associated with a group ID of M. Note that group IDs are not limited to consecutive alphabets, and various arbitrary configurations can be adopted.

[0081] Here, the advantages of setting a group ID will be described. For example, a plurality of lighting fixtures that participate in the same network and are synchronized with the lighting control device 10' have the same device ID, so that when an operation signal is transmitted from the lighting control device 10', all of the lighting fixtures execute an operation instruction. However, by setting a different group ID to the lighting fixtures in addition to the network ID and device ID, only the lighting fixtures that have the same group ID registered as the group ID of the operation signal transmitted from the lighting control device 10' execute the operation instruction. Furthermore, by associating such a group ID with a wake word, it becomes possible to specify the lighting fixtures that execute an operation instruction for each wake word.

[0082] The voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40' receives the voice data converted into an electric signal by the voice acquisition unit 20, and determines whether the voice data includes a wake word in the wake word group 52' in the storage unit 50' and a voice command in the operation instruction group 54 in the storage unit 50. The selection unit 44' of the main control unit 40' is configured to be able to select a wake word from the wake word group 52' in the storage unit 50. Specifically, the selection unit 44 is configured to, when the voice recognition unit 42 recognizes any wake word in the wake word group 52' from the voice data, select the recognized wake word from the wake word group 52 in the storage unit 50, and start up the lighting operation device 10' based on the selected wake word.

[0083] The main control unit 40' is configured to generate an operation signal including, when the voice recognition unit 42 recognizes one of the wake words in the wake word group 52' in the memory unit 50' and a voice command in the operation instruction group 54 from the voice data, the device ID in the ID management 56' in the memory unit 50', an operation instruction in the operation instruction group 54 corresponding to the recognized voice command, and a group ID associated with the wake word selected by the selection unit 44'.

[0084] The lighting control device 10' having such a configuration is configured to be activated when the voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40' recognizes a wake word included in the wake word group 52' in the storage unit 50'.

[0085] With the above configuration, lighting system 1' is configured so that the user can select a wake word from wake word group 52 for each lighting fixture depending on where lighting fixtures 100-119 are installed, and so that one lighting control device 10' can recognize multiple wake words depending on where lighting fixtures 100-119 are installed, and can transmit a different operation signal for an operation target for each wake word. For example, using one lighting control device 10' installed in a living room, a lighting fixture installed in the living room can be operated with a voice command using the wake word "living room," and a lighting fixture installed in a location away from the living room, for example, in the kitchen, can be operated with a voice command using the wake word "kitchen."

[0086] [Description of Operation of Lighting System According to Second Embodiment] The operation of the lighting system 1' according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that the description of the operation overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. First, the synchronization procedure between the lighting operation device 10' and the lighting fixtures 100' to 119' will be described. The synchronization procedure between the lighting operation device 10' and the lighting fixtures 100' to 119' is generally the same as that according to the first embodiment, but the lighting operation device 10' transmits ID information including a group ID in addition to the network ID and device ID of the ID management 56' in the storage unit 50' to the lighting fixture 100' in S33 of FIG. 15. The lighting fixture 100' receives the ID information transmitted from the lighting operation device 10' and registers the ID information in the ID 152 in the storage unit 150 (S43 of FIG. 15). Thereafter, synchronization is performed in the same procedure as in the first embodiment.

[0087] Next, a procedure for executing an operation instruction (voice operation method) of the lighting system 1' according to the second embodiment will be described. In lighting operation according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a voice uttered by a user is acquired by the voice acquisition unit 20 of the lighting operation device 10' (S1 in FIG. 13). The voice acquisition unit 20 converts the acquired voice into voice data of an electrical signal, and transmits the voice data to a voice recognition unit 42 provided in a main control unit 40' of the lighting operation device 10'.

[0088] The voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40' of the lighting operation device 10' identifies whether the voice data sent from the voice acquisition unit 20 is voice data indicating any one of the wake words included in the wake word group 52' of the storage unit 50'. If the voice recognition unit 42 determines that the voice data does not indicate any one of the wake words of the wake word group 52' (NO in S2 of FIG. 13), the lighting operation device 10' does not react to the user's voice and does not enter an operation instruction standby state. If the voice recognition unit 42 determines that the voice data indicates any one of the wake words of the wake word group 52' (YES in S2 of FIG. 13), the selection unit 44' selects the wake word of the wake word group 52 identified by the voice recognition unit 42. Then, the lighting operation device 10' starts up based on the selected wake word (S3 of FIG. 13) and enters an operation instruction standby state.

[0089] When a voice is uttered by the user within a predetermined operation instruction waiting time, the voice acquisition unit 20 of the lighting operation device 10a acquires the voice, converts it into voice data, and transmits the voice data to the voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40. The voice recognition unit 42 identifies whether or not the voice data sent from the voice acquisition unit 20 corresponds to any of the voice commands included in the operation instruction group 54 of the storage unit 50. When the voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40' determines that the voice data is any of the voice commands included in the operation instruction group 54 of the storage unit 50' (YES in S4 of FIG. 13), the lighting operation device 10' executes the following process according to the voice command.

[0090] First, if the voice command recognized by voice recognition unit 42 of main control unit 40' of lighting operation device 10' is a voice command related to lighting fixtures 100-119 in operation instruction group 54 shown in Figures 5-9 (Nos. 1-63 in S5 of Figure 13), main control unit 40' reads out an operation instruction corresponding to the voice command from operation instruction group 54 in storage unit 50, and generates an operation signal. The generated operation signal includes the operation instruction, the device ID in ID management 56 of storage unit 50, and the group ID associated with the wake word selected by selection unit 44.

[0091] Transmitter 62 of communication unit 60' of lighting operation device 10' transmits the operation signal generated by main control unit 40' to a lighting fixture having the same network ID and device ID as those of lighting operation device 10', that is, a lighting fixture that is synchronized with lighting operation device 10' and is installed in a location closest to lighting operation device 10' (lighting fixture 100' in the second embodiment) (S10 in FIG. 16).

[0092] The lighting device 100' receives the operation signal transmitted from the lighting operation device 10' at the receiving unit 120 (S11 in FIG. 16). Having received the operation signal, the lighting device 100' transmits the operation signal to a lighting device (lighting device 101' in the second embodiment) on the same network as the lighting device 100' (S12 in FIG. 16). Simultaneously with or after transmitting the operation signal, the ID identification unit 148' of the main control unit 140' of the lighting device 100' determines whether the device ID and group ID included in the received operation signal match the device ID and group ID of ID 152' registered in the memory unit 150'.

[0093] If the device ID and group ID in the operation signal received by lighting device 100' match the device ID and group ID registered in ID 152', each control unit of main controller 140' in lighting device 100' executes the operation instruction included in the operation signal (S13 in FIG. 16). On the other hand, if the device ID and group ID in the operation signal received by lighting device 100' do not match the device ID and group ID registered in ID 152' in memory unit 150', lighting device 100' terminates operation without executing the operation instruction included in the operation signal.

[0094] The lighting fixture 101' receives the operation signal transmitted from the lighting fixture 100' at the receiving unit 120 (S21 in FIG. 16). Having received the operation signal, the lighting fixture 101' transmits the operation signal to other lighting fixtures on the same network (S22 in FIG. 16). Simultaneously with or after transmitting the operation signal, the ID identification unit 148' of the main control unit 140' of the lighting fixture 101' determines whether the device ID and group ID included in the received operation signal match the device ID and group ID registered in ID 152' of the storage unit 150'. If the device ID and group ID of the operation signal match the device ID and group ID registered in ID 152 (YES in S23 in FIG. 16), the lighting fixture 101' causes each control unit of the main control unit 140' to execute the instruction content in accordance with the operation instruction included in the operation signal (S24 in FIG. 16).

[0095] On the other hand, if the device ID and group ID of the operation signal received by the lighting device 101' do not match the device ID and group ID registered in ID 152' in the storage unit 150' (NO in S23 of FIG. 16), the lighting device 101' terminates operation without executing the operation instruction included in the operation signal. Thereafter, if there are other lighting devices forming a network with the lighting device 100' and the lighting device 101', the same procedure is repeated.

[0096] When the voice command recognized by the voice recognition unit 42 of the main control unit 40' of the lighting operation device 10' is a voice command related to the lighting operation device 10' of the operation instruction group 54 shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 (Nos. 64 to 86 in S5 of Fig. 13), the same procedure as in the first embodiment is executed. A series of voice operations of the lighting system 1' according to the second embodiment is executed by the above steps.

[0097] [Advantages of the lighting system according to the second embodiment] As described above, like the first embodiment, the lighting control device 10' of the second embodiment has the advantage that the wake word is the name of the lighting devices 100'-119' to be operated, and therefore lighting devices 100'-119' can be intuitively controlled by voice by uttering the wake word and an operation instruction.

[0098] In addition, like the first embodiment, the lighting control device 10' of the second embodiment has an advantage that the wake word includes the name of the location where the lighting devices 100'-119' to be operated are installed, thereby making it possible to intuitively understand the wake word of the lighting control device 10' to be used in the installation location of the lighting devices 100'-119'.

[0099] Furthermore, in the lighting control device 10' according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the memory unit 50' stores a wake word group 52' consisting of a plurality of different wake words, thereby providing the advantage that a plurality of different wake words can be used.

[0100] Furthermore, lighting control device 10' according to the second embodiment is configured to be activated when a wake word included in wake word group 52' is recognized by voice recognition unit 42. With this configuration, lighting control device 10' has the advantage of being able to be activated in response to a plurality of different wake words.

[0101] In lighting control device 10' according to the second embodiment, memory unit 50' stores a different operation target type (group ID) associated with each wake word, and transmission unit 62 is configured to be able to transmit an operation signal including an operation instruction and an operation target type. With this configuration, lighting control device 10' has the advantage that it can specify lighting devices 100'-119' to be operated for each wake word, and can control each of a plurality of groups of lighting devices 100'-119' using one lighting control device 10'.

[0102] [Variations] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-mentioned embodiments. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0103] For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the wake word is described as including the name of the location where the lighting device 100-119 to be operated is installed, but is not limited to this. For example, the wake word may be the name of the lighting device, such as "ceiling light," "downlight," or "pendant light."

[0104] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the storage unit 50 of the lighting control device 10 has been described as storing the wake word group 52 consisting of a plurality of different wake words, but this is not limited thereto. The storage unit 50 of the lighting control device 10 may be provided with only one wake word.

[0105] In the above-described first embodiment, lighting control device 10 is configured to be able to select an arbitrary wake word from wake word group 52, and is configured to be activated when the selected wake word is recognized from voice, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, lighting control device 10 may be configured to always be in standby for an operation instruction, and to transmit an operation instruction to lighting devices 100-119 when a set wake word is recognized. That is, lighting control device 10, 10' is configured to recognize a wake word and a voice command from a series of voice data, and generate an operation signal simultaneously with activation.

[0106] In the above-described second embodiment, the lighting operation device 10′ is described as being configured to be activated when the voice recognition unit 42 recognizes a wake word included in the wake word group 52′, but this is not limited thereto.

[0107] In the above-described second embodiment, the memory unit 50′ of the lighting operation device 10′ is described as storing a different operation object type (group ID) associated with each wake word, and the transmission unit 62 is configured to be able to transmit an operation signal including an operation instruction and an operation object type, but this is not limited to the above.

[0108] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the building in which the lighting devices 100-119, 100'-119' are installed is described as a house, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lighting system 1 can be used in various buildings such as commercial facilities such as stores, museums, and offices.

[0109] In the first and second embodiments described above, lighting system 1 and lighting system 1' have been described as including lighting operation devices 10, 10' and lighting fixtures 100-119, 100'-119', but are not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Figs. 19 and 20, lighting system 1'' includes lighting fixtures 200-219, and lighting fixtures 200-219 have both the function of lighting operation devices 10, 10' and the function of lighting fixtures 100-119, 100'-119'. Lighting fixtures 200-219 include a voice acquisition unit 220, a receiving unit 230, a main control unit 240, a storage unit 250, a communication unit 260, and a light-emitting unit 270. The main control unit 240 includes a lighting control unit 241, a dimming control unit 242, a dimming control unit 243, an ID identification unit 244, a voice recognition unit 245, and a selection unit 246. The storage unit 250 includes a wake word group 252, an operation instruction group 253, a program 254, and an ID management unit 255. The communication unit 260 includes a transmission unit 262 and a communication synchronization unit 264.

[0110] In the second embodiment described above, it has been assumed that lighting fixtures 100'-119' are configured to be able to register only one group ID, but this is not limiting. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 21 , lighting fixtures 100'-119' may be able to have multiple group IDs set for each lighting fixture. In the example of FIG. 21 , lighting fixtures 100', 110', and 111' have group IDs B, D, and E set, and therefore execute an operation instruction when the wake words are "connected," "living room," and "dining room." Lighting fixtures 101', 105', and 115' have group IDs B and D set, and therefore execute an operation instruction when the wake words are "connected" and "living room." Lighting fixture 102' has group IDs B and F set, and therefore executes an operation instruction when the wake words are "connected" and "kitchen." Lighting fixture 103' has group ID L set, and therefore executes an operation instruction when the wake word is "study." Lighting fixtures 104' and 109' have a set group ID of G, so they execute an operation instruction when the wake word is "bedroom". Lighting fixture 106' has a set group ID of B and E, so they execute an operation instruction when the wake word is "connected" and "dining". Lighting fixture 107' has a set group ID of H, so they execute an operation instruction when the wake word is "entrance". Lighting fixture 108' has a set group ID of J, so they execute an operation instruction when the wake word is "washroom". Lighting fixtures 112' to 114' have a set group ID of K, so they execute an operation instruction when the wake word is "corridor". Lighting fixtures 116' to 119' have a set group ID of I, so they execute an operation instruction when the wake word is "stairs".

[0111] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the manual operation unit 30 of the lighting operation device 10, 10' has been described as including a synchronization unit, but is not limited thereto, and various arbitrary configurations can be adopted as long as the lighting operation device 10, 10' can be changed to the synchronous mode. For example, the lighting operation device 10, 10' may be configured such that the lighting operation device 10, 10' can be changed to the synchronous mode by operating the lighting operation unit of the manual operation unit 30.

[0112] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the device ID is described as being the ID unique to the lighting control device 10, 10', but this is not limiting. For example, the unique ID of the lighting fixtures 100-119, 100'-119' may be used as the device ID. In this case, the lighting fixtures 100-119, 100'-119' transmit the unique ID of the ID 152, 152' in the memory unit 150, 150' to the lighting control device 10, 10', and the lighting control device 10, 10' receives the device ID transmitted from the lighting fixtures 100-119, 100'-119' and registers the device ID in the ID management unit 56, 56' in the memory unit 50, 50'.

[0113] In the above-described second embodiment, the operation object type is described as a group ID, but is not limited to this. For example, when lighting operation device 10' synchronizes with lighting devices 100'-119', lighting operation device 10' may set a wake word from wake word group 52' in storage unit 50 to lighting devices 100'-119', and transmit an operation signal including the wake word as the operation object type and an operation instruction.

[0114] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the lighting control device 10' is assumed to be configured to recognize one wake word and generate an operation signal including a group ID associated with the wake word, but is not limited thereto. For example, the lighting control device 10' may be configured to recognize a plurality of different wake words from voice data, such as "living room, dining room" or "living room and dining room", and generate an operation signal including a plurality of different group IDs associated with the recognized wake words. In such a configuration, as described above, it is particularly preferable that the operation instruction waiting time (e.g., 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute) of the lighting control device 10' is configured to be changeable, and this makes it difficult for a problem of insufficient operation instruction waiting time to occur when performing voice operation by issuing a plurality of different wake words to occur, and the advantage that voice operation can be performed with ample time becomes prominent.

[0115] In the first and second embodiments described above, wake word group 52, 52' of lighting control device 10, 10' may further include a wake word having a name related to a greeting. In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which greetings and operation instructions are associated with each other and stored in advance. For example, lighting control device 10, 10' may have wake word "good morning" and be configured to transmit an operation signal to lighting devices 100-119, 100'-119' when it recognizes the wake word, to turn on the main lights of lighting devices 100-119, 100'-119' at an illuminance and color temperature suitable for the morning, without issuing a voice command. Furthermore, lighting control device 10, 10' may have a wake word "good night" and be configured to be able to transmit to lighting device 100-119, 100'-119' an operation signal that turns on the main lights of lighting device 100-119, 100'-119' as a night light when the wake word is recognized. Furthermore, lighting control device 10, 10' may have a wake word "I'm leaving" and be configured to be able to transmit to lighting device 100-119, 100'-119' an operation signal that turns off the main lights of lighting device 100-119, 100'-119' when the wake word is recognized. Furthermore, lighting control device 10, 10' may be provided with a wake word "I'm back," and may be configured to be able to transmit an operation signal to lighting devices 100-119, 100'-119' to memory light the main lights of lighting devices 100-119, 100'-119' when the wake word is recognized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1,1',1' Lighting System 10,10a~10c,10′ Lighting operation equipment 20 Voice Acquisition Unit 30 Manual operation section 40,40' Main control section 42 Voice Recognition Unit 44,44 Selection section 50,50′ storage section 52,52′ Wake word group 54 Operation instructions group 56,56′ ID management 60,60′ Communication section 62 Transmitter 64 Communication Synchronization Section 100~119,100′~119′ Lighting equipment 120 Receiving unit 140, 140' Main control unit 142 Lighting control unit 144 Dimming control unit 146 Color matching control section 148,148′ ID Identification Section 150,150′ storage section 152,152′ ID 154 Programs 200~219 Lighting equipment 220 Voice Acquisition Unit 230 Receiving unit 240 Main control unit 241 Lighting control unit 242 Light control unit 243 Color matching control section 244 ID Identification Unit 245 Voice Recognition Unit 246 Selection Section 250 Storage section 252 wake words 253 Operation instructions group 254 Programs 255 ID management 260 Communications Department 262 Transmitter 264 Communication Synchronization Unit

Claims

1. A lighting control device for controlling a lighting fixture, A storage unit having text information related to a wake word and an operation instruction; A voice acquisition unit that acquires a user's voice; a voice recognition unit configured to recognize the wake word and the operation instruction from a voice based on the wake word and the operation instruction stored in the storage unit; a transmission unit that transmits to the lighting device an operation signal for executing the operation instruction recognized by the voice recognition unit; Equipped with The wake word is a name of a lighting device to be operated. A lighting control device characterized by:

2. The wake word includes a name of a place where a lighting device to be operated is installed. The lighting control device according to claim 1 .

3. The storage unit stores a wake word group consisting of a plurality of different wake words. The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The device is configured to be able to select an arbitrary wake word from the group of wake words, and is configured to be activated when the selected wake word is recognized from voice. The lighting control device according to claim 3.

5. The device is configured to be activated when the voice recognition unit recognizes a wake word included in the wake word group. The lighting control device according to claim 3.

6. The storage unit stores a different operation target type in association with each wake word, The transmission unit is configured to be able to transmit an operation signal including the operation instruction and the type of the operation target. The lighting control device according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

7. A lighting system including a lighting fixture and a lighting control device for controlling the lighting fixture, The lighting control device includes: A storage unit having text information related to a wake word and an operation instruction; A voice acquisition unit that acquires a user's voice; a voice recognition unit configured to recognize the wake word and the operation instruction from a voice based on the wake word and the operation instruction stored in the storage unit; a transmission unit that transmits to the lighting device an operation signal for executing the operation instruction recognized by the voice recognition unit; Equipped with The wake word is a name of a lighting device to be operated. A lighting system comprising:

8. The storage unit stores a wake word group consisting of a plurality of different wake words.

8. A lighting system according to claim 7.

9. The storage unit stores a different operation target type in association with each wake word, the transmission unit is configured to be able to transmit an operation signal including the operation instruction and the operation target type, The lighting device is configured to execute the operation instruction based on the operation signal when the operation object type received from the transmission unit is the lighting device's own operation object type.

9. A lighting system according to claim 8.

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