Illumination control method, program, illumination control system, and illumination system

Abstract

To provide an illumination control method capable of easily reducing the man-hours required for generating dynamic lighting patterns emitted from one or more light sources.SOLUTION: The illumination control method is an illumination control method executed by one or more processors. The method includes an acquisition step (S1) and a generation step (S2). In the acquisition step, one or more images are acquired. In the generation step, dynamic illumination patterns from one or more light sources are generated based on the acquired one or more images.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting control method, a program, a lighting control system, and a lighting system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a video display device. In this video display device, a controller analyzes data that is the basis of a screen stored in a memory, determines the emission color of lighting corresponding to a screen selected by an operation of an operation means, and causes lighting at a location associated with the operation of the operation means to emit light of the determined emission color.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a lighting control method and the like that can easily reduce the man-hours required for generating a dynamic emission pattern irradiated from one or more light sources.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A lighting control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a lighting control method to be executed by one or more processors, and includes an acquisition step and a generation step. In the acquisition step, one or more images are acquired. In the generation step, a dynamic emission pattern irradiated from one or more light sources is generated based on the one or more acquired images.

[0006] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes one or more processors to execute the lighting control method.

[0007] The lighting control system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit and a generation unit. The acquisition unit acquires one or more images. The generation unit generates a dynamic light emission pattern to be emitted from one or more light sources based on the acquired one or more images.

[0008] The lighting system according to one aspect of the present invention includes the lighting control system, the one or more light sources, and a housing that houses the lighting control system and the one or more light sources. The one or more light sources are one light source in which a plurality of individually controllable light emitting elements are arranged in an array.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] The lighting control method and the like of the present invention have an advantage that it is easy to reduce the man-hours required for generating a dynamic lighting pattern to be emitted from one or more light sources.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

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Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below shows a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangements and connection forms of the components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims are described as optional components.

[0012] Also, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily drawn precisely. Therefore, for example, the scales etc. in each figure do not necessarily match. Also, in each figure, substantially the same configuration is denoted by the same reference numeral, and overlapping explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0013] Also, in this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements, terms indicating the shape of elements, and numerical ranges are not expressions representing only a strict meaning, but are expressions meaning that they include substantially equivalent ranges, for example, differences of about several percent.

[0014] (Embodiment) [Lighting System] First, the configuration of the lighting system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a lighting system 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first housing 111 (described later) of the lighting system 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration including the lighting system 100 according to the embodiment.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lighting system 100 is one lighting device 10 that houses a light source 12, a driving unit 13, a heat sink 14, a lens barrel 15, and a lighting control system 2 in a housing 11. In the embodiment, the housing 11 has a cylindrical first housing 111 that houses the light source 12 and the driving unit 13, and a rectangular parallelepiped second housing 112 that houses the lighting control system 2. Note that the housing 11 may be composed of one housing.

[0016] The lighting device 10 is, for example, a spotlight and is attached to a wiring fixture (for example, a wiring duct or a hanging ceiling, etc.) provided on the ceiling or the wall. Note that the lighting device 10 is not limited to a spotlight and may be, for example, a downlight or a ceiling light.

[0017] The light source 12 is, for example, a light source that emits white light. The light source 12 has a plurality of light emitting elements 121 (see FIG. 3) arranged in a two-dimensional matrix. The plurality of light emitting elements 121 are regularly arranged in a matrix of M rows and N columns. Here, M and N are natural numbers with at least one of them being 2 or more. M may be equal to N, or M may not be equal to N. The arrangement intervals in the row direction and the column direction of the light emitting elements 121 may be the same or different. In the embodiment, the outer shape of the range in which the plurality of light emitting elements 121 are arranged is rectangular, but may be other shapes such as circular.

[0018] Each light emitting element 121 includes, for example, a blue light emitting element and a yellow phosphor. In each light emitting element 121, the yellow phosphor is arranged on the light emitting side (front) of the blue light emitting element. The blue light emitting element is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). More specifically, the blue light emitting element is, for example, a fine LED with a size of 100 μm × 100 μm or less. The yellow phosphor is a phosphor that is excited by blue light and emits yellow light. Each light emitting element 121 emits white light as a mixed light of blue light and yellow light. The yellow phosphor is, for example, a YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) - based phosphor, but is not limited thereto.

[0019] Note that the yellow phosphor may be provided to cover a plurality of blue light-emitting elements. For example, with respect to a plurality of blue light-emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, a yellow phosphor that entirely covers the plurality of blue light-emitting elements may be arranged.

[0020] The driving unit 13 drives the light source 12. Specifically, the driving unit 13 drives each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 independently of each other (that is, individually) according to the control information received from the control unit 223 of the lighting control system 2 described later. As a result, the lighting, extinguishing, light emission intensity, light emission time, etc. of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 are individually controlled. For example, by individually controlling the lighting and extinguishing of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121, illumination light with light and dark areas can be emitted for each area. Then, when the illumination light is irradiated on, for example, a wall surface, a light emission pattern corresponding to the light and dark can be imaged on the wall surface.

[0021] As described above, in the embodiment, since the driving unit 13 drives each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 independently of each other, it is not necessary to provide a liquid crystal device or a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) in the housing 11 like a general projector, and it is easy to realize miniaturization of the lighting device 10.

[0022] The driving unit 13 is realized by, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The driving unit 13 supplies a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) modulated current to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121. Then, the driving unit 13 can change the light emission intensity of each light-emitting element 121 and realize a dimming function by adjusting the pulse width of the current supplied to each light-emitting element 121. Note that the dimming method is not limited to the PMW modulation method, and may be another modulation method such as an amplitude modulation or phase modulation method.

[0023] In the embodiment, the drive unit 13 is mounted together with the light source 12 on a single substrate (not shown). The substrate is, for example, a rigid substrate, but may also be a flexible substrate. The substrate is provided with, for example, pattern wirings for supplying current from the drive unit 13 to each of a plurality of light emitting elements 121. Note that the substrate on which the drive unit 13 is mounted and the substrate on which the light source 12 is mounted may be separate from each other.

[0024] The heat sink 14 is made of, for example, metal and is integrally provided on the metal housing 11 (here, the first housing 111). On one surface of the heat sink 14, the substrate on which the light source 12 and the drive unit 13 are mounted is directly or indirectly fixed via an insulating member or the like. Thereby, the heat sink 14 and the substrate are thermally connected, and the heat generated by the light source 12 and the drive unit 13 is dissipated through the heat sink 14. For fixing the heat sink 14 to the substrate, fixing members such as an adhesive or screws are used.

[0025] The lens barrel 15 is an optical member including one or more lenses 151. In the embodiment, the lens barrel 15 adds a predetermined optical effect to the light emitted from the light source 12 so that the light emission pattern based on the illumination light forms an image on the wall surface located in the front, and emits the light forward.

[0026] In the embodiment, the lens barrel 15 has a barrel body and one or more lenses 151 (here, two lenses 151) fixed to the barrel body. Note that the number, shape, outer diameter, etc. of the lenses 151 included in the lens barrel 15 are appropriately determined according to, for example, the functions required for the lens barrel 15. In the embodiment, the lens barrel 15 is movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the light source 12 (the position in the front-rear direction can be adjusted). Thereby, according to the distance between the illumination device 10 and the wall surface irradiated with the illumination light, the position of the lens barrel 15 can be adjusted so that the light emission pattern based on the illumination light forms an image on the wall surface. That is, in the embodiment, the illumination device 10 can adjust the focus of the light emission pattern based on the illumination light.

[0027] [Illumination control system] Next, the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the lighting control system 2 includes a communication unit 21, a processing unit 22, a storage unit 23, and a power supply unit 24. Note that the lighting control system 2 only needs to include a processing unit 22 (an acquisition unit 221 and a generation unit 222, which will be described later), and does not necessarily need to include the communication unit 21, the storage unit 23, and the power supply unit 24.

[0028] The communication unit 21 communicates with a control terminal 3, which will be described later. In the embodiment, the communication unit 21 communicates with the control terminal 3 wirelessly. Specifically, the communication unit 21 communicates with the control terminal 3 via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) using Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication unit 21 is realized by, for example, an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes the signal received by the antenna.

[0029] The processing unit 22 is realized by, for example, an LSI (Large Scale Integration) which is an integrated circuit (IC: Integrated Circuit). Note that the integrated circuit is not limited to the LSI, and may be a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. In the embodiment, the processing unit 22 is a microcontroller. The microcontroller includes, for example, a non-volatile memory in which a program is stored, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, and a processor for executing the program. Further, the processing unit 22 may be a programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a reconfigurable processor in which the connection and setting of circuit cells in the LSI can be reconfigured. The functions executed by the processing unit 22 may be realized by software or hardware.

[0030] In the embodiment, the processing unit 22 has a function as an acquisition unit 221, a function as a generation unit 222, and a function as a control unit 223. That is, the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 221, a generation unit 222, and a control unit 223.

[0031] The acquisition unit 221 acquires one or more images P1 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Here, each of the one or more images P1 is an image showing a light emission pattern to be irradiated from the light source 12 and includes one or more objects Ob1 (see FIG. 6). Each of the one or more objects Ob1 includes, for example, a point, a line, or a two-dimensional figure such as a triangle or a circle. Note that each of the one or more images P1 may be a still image or a moving image. For example, the one or more images P1 may include a moving image that repeats a certain pattern like sunlight filtering through the trees.

[0032] In the embodiment, the acquisition unit 221 acquires one or more images P1 by acquiring irradiation parameters transmitted from the control terminal 3. Specifically, when the user A1 (see FIG. 7) inputs a designation of one or more images P1 in the control terminal 3, the control terminal 3 transmits one or more irradiation parameters corresponding to the one or more images P1 to the communication unit 21 of the illumination control system 2. Then, the acquisition unit 221 indirectly acquires one or more images P1 by acquiring the one or more irradiation parameters received by the communication unit 21. Here, the one or more irradiation parameters are parameters indicating the positions and luminances of the one or more objects Ob1 in the one or more images P1. Therefore, it can be said that the acquisition unit 221 can indirectly acquire one or more images P1 because it can reproduce the one or more images P1 by acquiring the one or more irradiation parameters.

[0033] Note that the control terminal 3 may transmit the one or more images P1 to the communication unit 21 of the illumination control system 2 instead of the irradiation parameters corresponding to the one or more images P1. In this case, the acquisition unit 221 directly acquires one or more images P1 by acquiring the one or more images P1 received by the communication unit 21.

[0034] The generation unit 222 generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 (see FIG. 8) to be irradiated from one or more light sources 12 (one light source 12 in the embodiment) based on the one or more images P1 acquired by the acquisition unit 221. Here, the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is a pattern in which one or more objects Ob1 included in each of the one or more images P1 change over time. In other words, the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is an animation in which feature amounts such as the position, shape, luminance, number, size, rotation angle, roundness of corners, or degree of penumbra at the ends of the one or more objects Ob1 change for each frame.

[0035] Examples of the generation of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 by the generation unit 222 are listed below. In the embodiment, the generation unit 222 generates the dynamic light emission pattern B1 according to the first example shown below.

[0036] In the first example, as a premise, the acquisition unit 221 acquires a first image P11 that is the starting point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 and a second image P12 that is the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1. In other words, in the first example, the one or more images P1 include the first image P11 and the second image P12. Then, the generation unit 222 generates one or more interpolation images P2 (see FIG. 5) that change from the first image P11 to the second image P12, and generates the dynamic light emission pattern B1 based on the first image P11, the one or more interpolation images P2, and the second image P12. In other words, when generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1, the generation unit 222 generates one or more interpolation images P2 corresponding to each of the one or more missing frames among all the frames of the dynamic light emission pattern B1. Then, the generation unit 222 generates the dynamic light emission pattern B1 that starts from the first image P11 and reaches the second image P12 through the one or more interpolation images P2 as time elapses.

[0037] Hereinafter, a specific example of the first example will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the input of one or more images P1 in the control terminal 3 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the generation of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 by the generation unit 222 of the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment.

[0038] In the example shown in FIG. 4, user A1 performs an input to specify one or more images P1 by arranging one or more images P1 on the timeline TL1 displayed on the display unit 31 by operating the control terminal 3. Here, user A1 arranges two images P1 on the timeline TL1. By arranging the two images P1 in this way, in the control terminal 3, the left image P1 among the two images P1 is recognized as the first image P11 that is the starting point of the dynamic light emission pattern, and the right image P1 is recognized as the second image P12 that is the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern.

[0039] When the control terminal 3 receives an input specifying the first image P11 and the second image P12, it converts the first image P11 and the second image P12 into the lighting parameters corresponding to the first image P11 and the lighting parameters corresponding to the second image P12, respectively, and transmits the converted lighting parameters to the communication unit 21 of the lighting control system 2. As a result, the acquisition unit 221 of the lighting control system 2 acquires the first image P11 and the second image P12 as one or more images P1.

[0040] Then, the generation unit 222 generates one or more interpolation images P2 based on the first image P11 and the second image P12 acquired by the acquisition unit 221. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the first interpolation image P21 and the second interpolation image P22 are generated as one or more interpolation images P2 for simplicity of explanation, but a larger number of interpolation images P2 may be generated according to the frame rate of the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the generation unit 222 generates the first interpolation image P21 at time t1 (t0 < t1 < t3) and the second interpolation image P22 at time t2 (t1 < t2 < t3), with the starting point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 being time t0 and the ending point being time t3 (>t0). Here, the generation unit 222 generates the first interpolation image P21 and the second interpolation image P22 on the assumption that each object Ob1 included in the image P1 linearly changes in position and size from the starting point to the ending point.

[0042] More specifically, since the rectangular first object Ob11 included in the image P1 moves from the starting point to the ending point upward from below, the generation unit 222 generates the first interpolated image P21 and the second interpolated image P22 so that the first object Ob11 moves linearly upward from below as time elapses. Also, since the circular second object Ob12 included in the image P1 moves from the starting point to the ending point downward from above, the generation unit 222 generates the first interpolated image P21 and the second interpolated image P22 so that the second object Ob12 moves linearly downward from above as time elapses.

[0043] As described above, in the first example, by specifying the first image P11 that is the starting point and the second image P12 that is the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 by the user A1, one or more missing interpolated images P2 are automatically generated, so it is easy to reduce the man-hours required to generate the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0044] In the second example, on the premise that the acquisition unit 221 further acquires one or more third images that are one or more intermediate points between the starting point and the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1. In other words, in the second example, the one or more images P1 further include one or more third images. For example, the user A1 can perform an input for specifying the third image by operating the control terminal 3 to arrange an additional image P1 between the first image P11 and the second image P12 on the timeline TL1.

[0045] Then, the generation unit 222 generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 based on one or more third images. That is, in the second example, similar to the first example, when generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1, the generation unit 222 generates one or more interpolation images P2 corresponding to one or more missing frames among all the frames of the dynamic light emission pattern B1. Then, the generation unit 222 generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 that starts from the first image P11, passes through one or more interpolation images P2 and one or more third images as time elapses, and reaches the second image P12. The one or more interpolation images P2 generated by the generation unit 222 in the second example include, for example, when there is one third image, one or more interpolation images P2 included between the first image P11 and the third image, and one or more interpolation images P2 included between the third image and the second image P12.

[0046] As described above, in the second example, by the user A1 designating one or more third images that are one or more intermediate points of the dynamic light emission pattern B1, one or more interpolation images P2 that are missing in the process of passing through the one or more third images are automatically generated, so it is easy to generate a dynamic light emission pattern B1 with a more complex movement specified.

[0047] In the third example, on the premise that the acquisition unit 221 further acquires a function that designates the change of one or more images P1 over time. Here, the function can include, for example, the feature amounts (such as size, etc.) of each of one or more objects Ob1 as variables, and in addition to a function showing a linear change such as a linear function, a function showing a non-linear change such as a quadratic function. For example, the user A1 can perform an input for designating a function by operating the control terminal 3 to select any one function from a plurality of functions, or input a character string or expression indicating the function. Note that the user A1 may designate a function for each feature amount that the object Ob1 has. For example, the user A1 may designate a linear function for the size of the object Ob1 and a quadratic function for the position of the object Ob1.

[0048] Then, the generation unit 222 generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 based on the function acquired by the acquisition unit 221. That is, in the third example, the generation unit 222 does not simply linearly change the feature amount as in the first and second examples, but generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 that changes according to the acquired function. For example, when it is specified that the size of the object Ob1 changes according to a quadratic function, the generation unit 222 generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 such that the size of the object Ob1 changes according to the quadratic function in the process from the first image P11 to the second image P12.

[0049] As described above, in the third example, by specifying a function indicating the change of one or more images P1 over time by the user A1, a dynamic light emission pattern B1 in which one or more images P1 change according to the function is automatically generated. Therefore, it is easy to generate a dynamic light emission pattern B1 that specifies more complex movements.

[0050] The control unit 223 controls one or more light sources 12 to irradiate the dynamic light emission pattern B1 generated by the generation unit 222 from the one or more light sources 12. In the embodiment, the control unit 223 controls the light source 12 in which a plurality of light emitting elements 121 that can be individually controlled are arranged in an array to irradiate the dynamic light emission pattern B1 from the light source 12.

[0051] Hereinafter, the control by the control unit 223 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the control by the control unit 223 of the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 6, the grid represents a plurality of light emitting elements 121 arranged in a two-dimensional array. Further, the grid shown in FIG. 6 substantially matches the size of each image P1. In other words, the control unit 223 normalizes each image P1 so that the two-dimensional array in which the plurality of light emitting elements 121 are arranged substantially matches the size of each image P1. As a result, a plurality of pixels included in each image P1 and a plurality of light emitting elements 121 in the two-dimensional array correspond to each other one-to-one. For example, the pixel at the upper left corner of each image P1 corresponds to the light emitting element 121 at the upper left corner in the two-dimensional array.

[0052] The control unit 223 identifies, for each frame based on the dynamic light emission pattern B1, two or more light emitting elements 121 respectively corresponding to two or more pixels constituting one or more objects Ob1 in each image P1. In the example shown in FIG. 6, two or more light emitting elements 121 are identified by identifying one or more light emitting elements 121 respectively corresponding to one or more pixels constituting the rectangular first object Ob11 in the first image P11 and one or more light emitting elements 121 respectively corresponding to one or more pixels constituting the circular second object Ob12. Further, the control unit 223 determines, for each frame, the luminance of each of the two or more light emitting elements 121 based on the pixel values of the two or more pixels. Then, the control unit 223 generates control information based on the identified two or more light emitting elements 121 and the luminance of each of the two or more light emitting elements 121.

[0053] The control information includes, for each frame, information regarding the lighting, extinguishing, and emission intensity of each of the plurality of light emitting elements 121. For example, the emission intensity can be represented by an 8-bit numerical value in the range from 0% (extinguished) to 100% (lit at the maximum emission intensity). The control unit 223 generates, as control information, array data including data representing the emission intensity of each light emitting element 121 in 8 bits for each row of the plurality of light emitting elements 121. Here, the control unit 223 generates, as control information, array data in which the emission intensity of the two or more light emitting elements 121 has a value greater than 0% and the emission intensity of the remaining light emitting elements 121 is 0%.

[0054] Then, the control unit 223 outputs the generated control information to the driving unit 13. The driving unit 13 drives the plurality of light emitting elements 121 individually according to the received control information. Here, the driving unit 13 lights only the two or more light emitting elements 121 and extinguishes the remaining light emitting elements 121 for each frame. Thereby, the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is irradiated from the light source 12, and the illumination light irradiated from the light source 12 is irradiated onto, for example, a wall surface, so that the dynamic light emission pattern B1 can be imaged on the wall surface.

[0055] The storage unit 23 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the processing unit 22. The storage unit 23 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0056] The power supply unit 24 supplies operating power to the lighting control system 2 and the drive unit 13. The power supply unit 24 has, for example, an AC-DC converter circuit, converts the AC power supplied from the commercial power supply 4 into DC power, and supplies the converted DC power to each part of the lighting control system 2 and the drive unit 13.

[0057] [Control terminal] Next, the control terminal 3 according to the embodiment will be described. The control terminal 3 is a portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, for example. In the embodiment, the control terminal 3 is a tablet terminal. Note that the control terminal 3 may be a device fixed to a wall or the like, or a device such as a desktop or laptop personal computer.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 3, the control terminal 3 includes a display unit 31, an input reception unit 32, a processing unit 33, and a transmission unit 34.

[0059] The display unit 31 displays one or more images P1 specified by the user A1. The display unit 31 is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display panel.

[0060] The input reception unit 32 receives an input for designating one or more images P1 by user A1. For example, the input reception unit 32 receives an input for designating one or more images P1 by reading one or more images P1 stored in an external storage device such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory prepared by user A1 from the external storage device by an operation of user A1. Further, for example, the input reception unit 32 may receive an input for designating one or more images P1 by downloading one or more images P1 via the Internet by an operation of user A1. Further, for example, the input reception unit 32 may receive an input for designating one or more images P1 by reading one or more images P1 from a plurality of images previously stored in the memory of the control terminal 3 by an operation of user A1.

[0061] The processing unit 33 is realized by, for example, an LSI which is an integrated circuit. Note that the integrated circuit is not limited to an LSI, and may be a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. In the embodiment, the processing unit 33 is a microcontroller. The microcontroller includes, for example, a non-volatile memory in which a program is stored, a volatile memory which is a temporary storage area for executing the program, an input / output port, and a processor for executing the program. Further, the processing unit 33 may be a programmable FPGA or a reconfigurable processor in which the connection and setting of circuit cells in the LSI can be reconfigured. The functions executed by the processing unit 33 may be realized by software or by hardware.

[0062] In the embodiment, the processing unit 33 executes a process of converting each of the one or more images P1 received by the input reception unit 32 into one or more illumination parameters and causing the transmission unit 34 to transmit the converted one or more illumination parameters to the communication unit 21 of the illumination control system 2. Note that the processing unit 33 may execute a process of causing the transmission unit 34 to transmit the one or more images P1 received by the input reception unit 32 to the communication unit 21 of the illumination control system 2 without converting them into one or more illumination parameters.

[0063] The transmission unit 34 communicates with the lighting system 100 (lighting device 10). In the embodiment, the transmission unit 34 communicates wirelessly with the lighting device 10. Specifically, the transmission unit 34 communicates with the lighting device 10 via BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). The transmission unit 34 is realized by, for example, an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes the signal received by the antenna.

[0064] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a usage example of the control terminal 3 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 7, the area surrounded by the broken line represents the irradiable range of the light source 12. Also, in FIG. 7, the light emission pattern corresponding to the first image P11 is imaged on the wall surface, but actually, the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is imaged on the wall surface (see FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 7, when the user A1 inputs a designation of one or more images P1 on the control terminal 3, a dynamic light emission pattern B1 is generated based on the one or more images P1, and the generated dynamic light emission pattern B1 is irradiated from the light source 12. Thereby, a dynamic light emission pattern B1 based on the illumination light is imaged on the wall surface.

[0065] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 imaged on the wall surface. In FIG. 8, starting from the light emission pattern corresponding to the first image P11, through the light emission pattern corresponding to the first interpolation image P21 and the light emission pattern corresponding to the second interpolation image P22, the light emission pattern corresponding to the second image P12 is continuously imaged on the wall surface, representing the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0066] [Operation] Hereinafter, the operation of the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment.

[0067] First, the acquisition unit 221 of the lighting control system 2 acquires one or more images P1 (S1). In the embodiment, as already described, when the user A1 inputs a designation of one or more images P1 on the control terminal 3, one or more lighting parameters corresponding to each of the one or more images P1 are transmitted from the control terminal 3 to the communication unit 21 of the lighting control system 2. Then, the acquisition unit 221 indirectly acquires one or more images P1 by acquiring the one or more lighting parameters received by the communication unit 21. Here, the acquisition unit 221 acquires, as one or more images P1, a first image P11 that is the starting point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 and a second image P12 that is the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0068] Next, the generation unit 222 of the lighting control system 2 generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 to be irradiated from one or more light sources 12 (here, one light source 12) based on the one or more images P1 acquired by the acquisition unit 221 (S2). In the embodiment, as already described, when generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1, the generation unit 222 generates one or more interpolation images P2 corresponding to one or more frames that are lacking among all the frames of the dynamic light emission pattern B1. Then, the generation unit 222 generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 that starts from the first image P11, passes through one or more interpolation images P2 as time elapses, and reaches the second image P12.

[0069] Then, the control unit 223 of the lighting control system 2 controls one or more light sources 12 (here, one light source 12) to irradiate the dynamic light emission pattern B1 generated by the generation unit 222 from the one or more light sources 12 (S3). In the embodiment, as already described, the control unit 223 generates control information based on the dynamic light emission pattern B1 generated by the generation unit 222 and outputs the generated control information to the drive unit 13. The drive unit 13 individually drives a plurality of light emitting elements 121 included in the light source 12 according to the received control information. As a result, the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is irradiated from the light source 12, and the illumination light irradiated from the light source 12 is irradiated onto, for example, a wall surface, so that the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is imaged on the wall surface.

[0070] [Advantages] Next, the advantages of the lighting control system 2 (lighting control method) according to the embodiment will be described. As described above, since the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment automatically generates the dynamic light emission pattern B1 based on the acquired one or more images P1, it is not necessary to prepare all the images P1 required for the dynamic light emission pattern B1. For this reason, the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment has an advantage that it is easy to reduce the man-hours required for generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1 irradiated from one or more light sources 12.

[0071] For example, in conventional lighting effects, when performing an effect using a dynamic light emission pattern, a video serving as the source of the dynamic light emission pattern must be prepared in advance. In contrast, if the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment prepares, for example, several static lighting patterns, the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is automatically generated based on these static lighting patterns, so that the man-hours required for generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1 are reduced.

[0072] Also, in conventional lighting effects, when performing an effect using a dynamic light emission pattern, one or more lighting devices must be manually moved so as to trace the video. In contrast, since the lighting control system 2 according to the embodiment automatically performs control to irradiate the generated dynamic light emission pattern B1 from one or more light sources 12, there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the man-hours required for an effect using the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0073] [Other Modifications, etc.] As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the generation unit 222 may generate a dynamic light emission pattern B1 by calculating the change over time in the feature amounts of one or more objects Ob1 (in other words, the feature amounts that each of the one or more images P1 has). For example, the generation unit 222 may calculate the change over time in the size of one object Ob1, and generate a dynamic light emission pattern B1 such that the size of the object Ob1 changes over time. In this aspect, it is not necessary to generate one or more images corresponding to each of the one or more frames that are lacking in all the frames of the dynamic light emission pattern B1, so it is easy to reduce the processing load.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the change over time in one or more images P1 in the dynamic light emission pattern B1 may be a continuous change or a discrete change. For example, in the dynamic light emission pattern B1, the position of an arbitrary object Ob1 may be a different position for each frame.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the generation unit 222 may generate a dynamic light emission pattern B1 from one image P1. For example, when the acquisition unit 221 acquires one image P1 and a function indicating the change over time in the image P1, the generation unit 222 may generate a dynamic light emission pattern B1 such that the image P1 changes according to the function.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the control unit 223 of the illumination control system 2 may perform anti-aliasing processing on the one or more images P1 acquired by the acquisition unit 221. In this case, since the edges in each of the one or more images P1 are less conspicuous, the contour of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is likely to be smooth.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the light source 12 is a light source that emits white light, but is not limited thereto. For example, the light source 12 may be a light source that emits light of a color other than white. Further, the light source 12 is not limited to a light source that emits monochromatic light, and may be a light source 12 having a color mixing function capable of emitting light of various colors under the control of the illumination control system 2.

[0079] In the above embodiment, although the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 included in the light source 12 can all adjust the light-emitting intensity, it is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 can all be controlled only to turn on and off, and the light-emitting intensity during lighting may always be constant.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the heat sink 14 is provided integrally with the housing 11, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the heat sink 14 may be a separate body from the housing 11 and may be fixed to the housing 11 by a predetermined means (for example, welding, adhesion, or fastening with bolts, etc.). In this case, the housing 11 may be made of, for example, resin.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the wireless communication between the lighting device 10 and the control terminal 3 may be, for example, short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). Also, the wireless communication method (communication standard) may be communication via a wide-area communication network such as the Internet. Further, the communication between the lighting device 10 and the control terminal 3 may be wired communication. The wired communication is, for example, power line carrier communication (PLC) or communication using a wired LAN.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the UI (User Interface) for designating and inputting one or more images P1 in the control terminal 3 may be a UI dedicated to the lighting control system 2 or a general-purpose UI using a web browser or the like. The web browser is, for example, Microsoft Edge (registered trademark), Google Chrome (registered trademark), or Safari (registered trademark).

[0083] In the above embodiment, the control terminal 3 is not included in the components of the lighting system 100, but it may be included in the components of the lighting system 100.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the lighting control system 2 is the processing unit 22 provided in the lighting device 10, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the lighting control system 2 may be the processing unit 33 provided in the control terminal 3. Further, the lighting control system 2 may be composed of the processing unit 33 provided in the control terminal 3 and the processing unit 22 provided in the lighting device 10.

[0085] When the lighting control system 2 is composed only of the processing unit 22 of the lighting device 10 as in the embodiment, there is an advantage that the communication amount can be easily reduced because it is not necessary to transmit data indicating the dynamic light emission pattern B1 from the control terminal 3 to the communication unit 21 of the lighting device 10. Further, in this case, for example, when using a relatively long dynamic light emission pattern B1, there is an advantage that the consumption amount of the storage of the control terminal 3 can be easily reduced because it is not necessary to store data indicating the dynamic light emission pattern B1 in the control terminal 3.

[0086] Further, when the lighting control system 2 is composed only of the processing unit 33 of the control terminal 3, for example, when generating one or more interpolation images P2, by using an Animation API (Application Programming Interface) or the like in a web browser, it is expected to speed up the calculation by using the graphic acceleration function provided in the hardware. Note that the process of generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is executed by a different processing mechanism from the process of receiving an input for designating one or more images P1, so the screen displayed on the display unit 31 is not easily locked.

[0087] Further, when the lighting control system 2 is composed of both the processing unit 22 of the lighting device 10 and the processing unit 33 of the control terminal 3, while displaying the dynamic light emission pattern B1 generated on the display unit 31 of the control terminal 3, the dynamic light emission pattern B1 can be irradiated from one or more light sources 12. Therefore, in this case, there is an advantage that it is easy for the user A1 to confirm whether or not the appearance of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 displayed on the display unit 31 of the control terminal 3 matches the dynamic light emission pattern B1 imaged on the wall surface.

[0088] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the series of processes executed by the lighting control system 2 is not limited to the processing unit 22 provided in the lighting device 10 and the processing unit 33 provided in the control terminal 3, and may be executed by an external device other than the lighting device 10 and the control terminal 3, for example. In this case, the external device may be equipped with, for example, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) model, and the above series of processes may be executed by the AI model. In this aspect, since the computational load in the processing unit 22 provided in the lighting device 10 or the processing unit 33 provided in the control terminal 3 can be reduced, compared with the case where the above series of processes are executed by the processing units 22 and 33, an effect of reducing the delay time from receiving an input for specifying one or more images P1 to the one or more light sources 12 emitting light can be expected.

[0089] Further, the AI model may generate a dynamic light emission pattern B1 by recognizing an object included in the acquired one or more images P1 and generating one or more interpolated images P2 according to the characteristics of the recognized object. For example, when the object included in the one or more images P1 is a bird, the AI model may generate one or more interpolated images P2 depicting the bird flapping its wings. Also, for example, when the object included in the one or more images P1 is a person, the AI model may generate one or more interpolated images P2 depicting the person walking.

[0090] For example, the above-described process is executed according to the following procedure. First, an AI model for image analysis recognizes an object included in the acquired one or more images P1. Second, according to the recognition result of the AI model for image analysis, a generation AI model corresponding to the object is called. For example, when the recognition result indicates that the object is a bird, the generation AI model corresponding to the bird is called. Third, the generation AI model generates one or more interpolated images P2. Note that these AI models for image analysis and generation AI models may be integrated as one AI model.

[0091] By having the AI model execute the above-described processing, for example, the workload of the producer of the content including the object is reduced, so that it becomes easier for the producer to work while enjoying it, and there is an advantage that it is easy to increase the pleasure of creating the second image P12 that is the end point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0092] Also, in the above embodiment, the processing executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. Also, the order of a plurality of processes may be changed, or a plurality of processes may be executed in parallel.

[0093] Also, in the above embodiment, the lighting system 100 is realized as one lighting device 10, but is not limited thereto. For example, the lighting system 100 may be realized as a plurality of devices.

[0094] Also, for example, the processing described in the above embodiment may be realized by centralized processing using a single device (system), or may be realized by distributed processing using a plurality of devices. Also, the processor that executes the program corresponding to the processing described in the above embodiment may be singular or plural. That is, centralized processing or distributed processing may be performed.

[0095] Also, in the above embodiment, all or part of the components such as the generation unit 222 may be configured by dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a semiconductor memory.

[0096] Also, components such as the generation unit 222 may be configured by one or more electronic circuits. Each of the one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0097] One or more electronic circuits may include, for example, semiconductor devices, ICs, or LSIs, etc. The IC or LSI may be integrated on one chip or on multiple chips. Here, although referred to as an IC or LSI, the name may change depending on the degree of integration and may be called a system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Also, an FPGA programmed after the manufacture of the LSI can be used for the same purpose.

[0098] In addition, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be implemented by a system, device, method, integrated circuit, or computer program. Alternatively, it may be implemented by a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as an optical disk, HDD, or semiconductor memory in which the computer program is stored. Also, it may be implemented by any combination of a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0099] In addition, forms obtained by applying various modifications conceivable by those skilled in the art to the above embodiments, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions in the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

[0100] (Summary) As described above, the lighting control method according to the first aspect is a lighting control method executed by one or more processors, and includes an acquisition step (S1) and a generation step (S2). In the acquisition step, one or more images P1 are acquired. In the generation step, based on the one or more acquired images P1, a dynamic light emission pattern B1 to be emitted from one or more light sources 12 is generated.

[0101] According to such a lighting control method, since it is not necessary to prepare all the images P1 required for the dynamic light emission pattern B1, there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the man-hours required for generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1 irradiated from one or more light sources 12.

[0102] Also, for example, in the lighting control method according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the one or more images P1 include a first image P11 that is the starting point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1 and a second image P12 that is the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1. In the generation step, one or more interpolation images P2 that change from the first image P11 to the second image P12 are generated, and the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is generated based on the first image P11, the one or more interpolation images P2, and the second image P12.

[0103] According to such a lighting control method, by the user A1 designating the first image P11 that is the starting point and the second image P12 that is the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1, one or more missing interpolation images P2 are automatically generated, so there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the man-hours required for generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0104] Also, for example, in the lighting control method according to the third aspect, in the second aspect, the one or more images P1 further include one or more third images that are one or more intermediate points between the starting point and the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern B1. In the generation step, the dynamic light emission pattern B1 is generated based further on the one or more third images.

[0105] According to such a lighting control method, by the user A1 designating one or more third images that are one or more intermediate points of the dynamic light emission pattern B1, one or more missing interpolation images P2 are automatically generated in the process of passing through the one or more third images, so there is an advantage that it is easy to generate a more complexly moving dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0106] Further, for example, in the lighting control method according to the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, in the acquisition step, a function for specifying a change in one or more images P1 over time is further acquired. In the generation step, a dynamic light emission pattern B1 is generated based on the acquired function.

[0107] According to such a lighting control method, by specifying a function indicating the change in one or more images P1 over time by user A1, a dynamic light emission pattern B1 in which one or more images P1 change according to the function is automatically generated. Therefore, there is an advantage that it is easy to generate a dynamic light emission pattern B1 specifying a more complex movement.

[0108] Further, for example, in the lighting control method according to the fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, in the generation step, a dynamic light emission pattern B1 is generated by calculating the change over time of the feature amount of each of one or more images P1.

[0109] According to such a lighting control method, there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the processing load because it is not necessary to generate one or more images corresponding to one or more frames that are lacking in all frames of the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0110] Further, for example, in the lighting control method according to the sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, one or more images P1 include a moving image that repeats a certain pattern.

[0111] According to such a lighting control method, there is an advantage that it is easier to perform various lighting effects compared to the case where one or more images P1 include only still images.

[0112] Further, for example, the lighting control method according to the seventh aspect further has a control step (S3) of irradiating the generated dynamic light emission pattern B1 from one or more light sources 12 by controlling one or more light sources 12 in any one of the first to sixth aspects.

[0113] According to such a lighting control method, since the control for irradiating the generated dynamic light emission pattern B1 from one or more light sources 12 is automatically performed, there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the man-hours required for the production using the dynamic light emission pattern B1.

[0114] Further, for example, in the lighting control method according to the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, one or more light sources 12 are one light source in which a plurality of individually controllable light emitting elements 121 are arranged in an array.

[0115] According to such a lighting control method, compared with the case of controlling a plurality of light sources 12, since the desired dynamic light emission pattern B1 can be irradiated from the light source 12 by individually controlling the plurality of light emitting elements 121, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to adjust the position and orientation of the light source 12.

[0116] Further, for example, the program according to the ninth aspect causes one or more processors to execute the lighting control method according to any one of the first to eighth aspects.

[0117] According to such a program, there is an advantage that the same effect as any one of the first to eighth lighting control methods can be achieved.

[0118] Further, for example, the lighting control system 2 according to the tenth aspect includes an acquisition unit 221 and a generation unit 222. The acquisition unit 221 acquires one or more images P1. The generation unit 222 generates a dynamic light emission pattern B1 to be irradiated from one or more light sources 12 based on the acquired one or more images P1.

[0119] According to such a lighting control system 2, since it is not necessary to prepare all the images P1 required for the dynamic light emission pattern B1, there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the man-hours required for generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1 to be irradiated from one or more light sources 12.

[0120] Further, for example, the lighting system 100 according to the eleventh aspect includes the lighting control system 2 according to the tenth aspect, one or more light sources 12, and a housing 11 that houses the lighting control system 2 and the one or more light sources 12. The one or more light sources 12 are one light source 12 in which a plurality of light emitting elements 121 that can be individually controlled are arranged in an array.

[0121] According to such a lighting system 100, since it is not necessary to prepare all the images P1 required for the dynamic light emission pattern B1, there is an advantage that it is easy to reduce the man-hours required for generating the dynamic light emission pattern B1 irradiated from one light source 12. Further, according to such a lighting system 100, compared with the case of controlling a plurality of light sources 12, by individually controlling the plurality of light emitting elements 121, a desired dynamic light emission pattern B1 can be irradiated from the light source 12, so there is an advantage that it is not necessary to adjust the position and orientation of the light source 12.

Explanation of Signs

[0122] 100 Lighting system 11 Housing 12 Light source 121 Light emitting element 2 Lighting control system 221 Acquisition unit 222 Generation unit 223 Control unit A1 User B1 Dynamic light emission pattern Ob1 Object P1 Image P11 First image P12 Second image P2 Interpolation image

Claims

1. A lighting control method for causing one or more processors to execute, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring one or more images; a generation step of generating a dynamic light emission pattern to be emitted from one or more light sources based on the acquired one or more images. A lighting control method.

2. The one or more images include a first image that is a starting point of the dynamic light emission pattern and a second image that is an ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern, and in the generation step, one or more interpolation images that change from the first image to the second image are generated, and the dynamic light emission pattern is generated based on the first image, the one or more interpolation images, and the second image. The lighting control method according to claim 1.

3. The one or more images further include one or more third images that are one or more intermediate points between the starting point and the ending point of the dynamic light emission pattern, and in the generation step, the dynamic light emission pattern is generated based on the one or more third images as well. The lighting control method according to claim 2.

4. In the acquisition step, a function for specifying a change over time of the one or more images is further acquired, and in the generation step, the dynamic light emission pattern is generated based on the acquired function. The lighting control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. In the generation step, the dynamic light emission pattern is generated by calculating a change over time of a feature amount included in each of the one or more images. The lighting control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The one or more images include a moving image that repeats a certain pattern. The lighting control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The method further includes a control step of causing the one or more light sources to emit the generated dynamic light emission pattern by controlling the one or more light sources. The lighting control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. The one or more light sources are one light source in which a plurality of individually controllable light emitting elements are arranged in an array. The lighting control method according to claim 7.

9. Causing one or more processors to execute the lighting control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A program.

10. An acquisition unit that acquires one or more images; a generation unit that generates a dynamic light emission pattern to be emitted from one or more light sources based on the acquired one or more images. A lighting control system.

11. The lighting control system according to claim 10, the one or more light sources, a housing that houses the lighting control system and the one or more light sources, and the one or more light sources are one light source in which a plurality of individually controllable light emitting elements are arranged in an array, lighting system.

Images