Illumination device

Abstract

To provide an illumination device which can inspect a battery according to an inspection schedule.SOLUTION: An illumination device 10 includes a battery 14, an inspection unit 22, and a time measuring unit 25. The inspection unit 22 inspects the battery 14 on the basis of an inspection schedule. The time measuring unit 25 allows counting based on the power source frequency of AC power and counting based on a real-time clock. The time measuring unit 25 measures an inspection schedule by counting based on the power source frequency when the AC power is being flown, and measures time of the inspection schedule by counting based on the real-time clock when the AC power is being stopped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a lighting device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, disaster prevention lighting devices such as emergency lights and induction lights are equipped with a battery for lighting the light source during a power outage, and the battery is inspected to check the state of deterioration or abnormality of the battery.

[0003] For battery inspection, there is an automatic inspection function that performs inspection at a preset time using a timer function. In this case, the inspection schedule is timed based on the count by the timer function. However, since the inspection interval becomes long, an error in the count by the timer function becomes a problem, and there is a concern that the battery cannot be inspected at the time based on the inspection schedule.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a lighting device capable of inspecting a battery at a time based on an inspection schedule.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The lighting device according to the embodiment includes a battery, an inspection unit, and a timing unit. The inspection unit inspects the battery based on an inspection schedule. The timing unit enables counting based on the power supply cycle of AC power and counting based on a real-time clock. The timing unit measures the inspection schedule by counting based on the power supply cycle when AC power is supplied, and measures the inspection schedule by counting based on the real-time clock when there is a power outage of the AC power.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the embodiment, it can be expected that the battery is inspected at a time based on the inspection schedule.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the lighting device will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] The lighting device of the present embodiment is applied to, for example, an emergency light that lights up during a power outage, a guiding light that lights up and indicates for evacuation guidance on an evacuation route, and other disaster prevention lighting devices.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a lighting device 10. The lighting device 10 includes a housing 11, a power supply unit 12 disposed within the housing 11, a light source 13 that is a load, and a battery 14 that is an object to be inspected.

[0012] The power supply unit 12 operates by AC power when AC power from an AC power supply E is supplied, and operates by the power of the battery 14 when there is a power outage of the AC power.

[0013] The light source 13 emits visible light. In the case of an emergency light, it is used for emergency lighting during a power outage. In the case of an induction lamp, it is used for lighting the induction panel. The light source 13 uses a light-emitting element, which is a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED or an organic EL, for example. The light source 13 is not limited to a light-emitting element, and other light source types such as a lamp may be used.

[0014] The battery 14 uses a rechargeable secondary battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, or a lithium-ion battery, for example.

[0015] In addition, the power supply unit 12 includes a power supply unit 16 that lights the light source 13 and charges and discharges the battery 14, an operation unit 17 such as an inspection switch, a display unit 18 such as a monitor lamp, a communication unit 19 that communicates with the outside, a control unit 20 that controls the power supply unit 12, and the like.

[0016] The power supply unit 16 includes a lighting unit 22 that lights the light source 13 and a charging unit 23 that charges the battery 14. When alternating current power is supplied, in the case of an emergency light, the lighting unit 22 keeps the light source 13 in an off state. In the case of an induction lamp, the lighting unit 22 supplies the lighting power obtained by converting the alternating current power to the light source 13 to light it at the normal brightness. On the other hand, during a power outage, in both the case of an emergency light and an induction lamp, the lighting unit 22 supplies the lighting power obtained by converting the power of the battery 14 to the light source 13 to light it. The charging unit 23 charges the battery 14 with alternating current power.

[0017] The operation unit 17 includes an inspection switch that manually instructs an inspection and is arranged at a position where it can be operated from the outside of the housing 11.

[0018] The display unit 18 is a monitor lamp composed of a plurality of, for example, light-emitting elements and is arranged at a position where it can be visually recognized from the outside of the housing 11. The monitor lamp displays the inspection result of the battery 14 in a lighting color or a lighting form such as off, continuous lighting, or blinking.

[0019] The communication unit 19 includes an optical signal communication unit that transmits and receives optical signals using infrared rays as a medium. Further, the communication unit 19 may include a wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates with other lighting devices 10, external terminals 30, etc. The external terminal 30 is a remote control or the like that transmits and receives optical signals and wireless signals using an optical medium such as infrared rays, and includes an operation unit and a display unit. The external terminal 30 can communicate bidirectionally with the communication unit 19, instruct the start of inspection, receive the inspection result, and display the state of the battery 14 on the screen of the display unit.

[0020] Further, the control unit 20 has functions of a timing unit 25, an inspection unit 26 that inspects the battery 14, and a storage unit 27 that stores various information.

[0021] The timing unit 25 has a clock function that provides time information including date and time, and a timer function that counts elapsed time information.

[0022] As a timer function, the timing unit 25 enables counting based on the power cycle of AC power and counting based on a real-time clock (RTC). The power cycle of AC power is one cycle of AC power, for example, 0.02 seconds when the frequency of AC power is 50 Hz. The real-time clock is provided by an integrated circuit such as an IC that constitutes the control unit 20 or a real-time clock IC incorporated in the control unit 20, and operates with the power supplied to the control unit 20 (control power obtained by converting AC power to DC by the power supply unit 16 or power from the battery 14), or power from a dedicated battery such as a button battery.

[0023] The timing unit 25 measures the inspection schedule and inspection time in any one of the count patterns 1 to 3 shown in FIGS. 2(a) to (c). The count pattern of the timing unit 25 may be preset at the time of factory shipment of the lighting device 10, or may be arbitrarily changed and set at the time of installation or after installation of the lighting device 10. In FIG. 2, the real-time clock is denoted as RTC.

[0024] In Pattern 1, when AC power is energized, the inspection schedule is timed by counting based on the power supply cycle, when the AC power is cut off, the inspection schedule is timed by counting based on the real-time clock, and when inspecting, the inspection time is timed by counting based on the power supply cycle.

[0025] In Pattern 2, when AC power is energized, the inspection schedule is timed by counting based on the power supply cycle, when the AC power is cut off, the inspection schedule is timed by counting based on the real-time clock, and when inspecting, the inspection time is timed by counting based on the real-time clock.

[0026] In Pattern 3, when the AC power is energized and cut off, the inspection schedule is timed by counting based on the real-time clock, and when inspecting, the inspection time is timed by counting based on the real-time clock. Further, when the AC power is in the energized state during energization and inspection, counting based on the power supply cycle and counting based on the real-time clock are performed in parallel. Then, the count based on the power supply cycle and the count based on the real-time clock are compared, and if an error occurs, the error of the count based on the real-time clock is corrected by the count based on the power supply cycle.

[0027] Also, the inspection unit 26 performs inspection of the battery 14 based on a preset inspection schedule or an instruction for manual inspection from the external terminal 30 or the operation unit 17. In the inspection, the light source 13 is lit by the power of the battery 14, and the power of the battery 14 is discharged for a predetermined inspection time. The voltage of the battery 14 is detected, and by comparing the detected voltage of the battery 14 with a predetermined threshold value, it is determined whether the battery 14 is normal, deteriorated, or abnormal.

[0028] The storage unit 27 may use a non-volatile memory that retains the stored content even when the power is cut off, for example. The storage unit 27 stores the set inspection schedule information.

[0029] Next, the operation of the lighting device 10 will be described.

[0030] When installing or after installing the lighting device 10, the control unit 20 sets the inspection schedule included in the signal transmitted by the operation of the external terminal 30 by the operator, or the inspection schedule input by the operation of the operation unit 17 by the operator, and stores it in the storage unit 27.

[0031] The external terminal 30 transmits an inspection schedule including inspection date and time and inspection period, and further transmits the time information possessed by the external terminal 30.

[0032] In the input of the inspection schedule by the operation of the operation unit 17, for example, a predetermined operation such as pressing the inspection switch for a predetermined time or more is used as the setting mode. In this setting mode, each time the inspection switch is pressed once, or according to the time for which the inspection switch is continuously pressed, the inspection period until the day of performing the inspection such as several days later or several hours later is set as the inspection schedule. Also, after setting the inspection schedule, the setting mode is canceled by a predetermined operation such as pressing the inspection switch for a predetermined time or more again, or the setting mode is automatically canceled by no operation for a predetermined time.

[0033] When AC power is supplied to the lighting device 10, the power supply unit 12 operates by the AC power, supplies control power from the power supply unit 16 to the control unit 20, and charges the battery 14 by the charging unit 23. When the lighting device 10 is an emergency light, the lighting unit 22 does not operate. Also, in the case of an induction lamp, the lighting unit 22 converts the AC power into lighting power and supplies it to the light source 13 to turn on the light.

[0034] During power-on, when the counting pattern of the timing unit 25 is set to, for example, pattern 1, the inspection schedule is timed by counting based on the power supply cycle.

[0035] Also, when there is a power outage of the AC power supplied to the lighting device 10, in both the case of an emergency light and an induction lamp, the lighting unit 22 converts the power from the battery 14 into lighting power and supplies it to the light source 13 to turn on the light source 13.

[0036] At the time of a power outage, the timing unit 25 switches from counting based on the power supply cycle to counting based on the real-time clock to continue the timing of the inspection schedule.

[0037] Also, when power is restored after a power outage, it returns to the operation at the time of energization of the above-described AC power. The timing unit 25 switches from counting based on the real-time clock to counting based on the power supply cycle to continue the timing of the inspection schedule.

[0038] Further, when the timing of the lighting schedule by the timing unit 25 is completed and it reaches the time (inspection start time or inspection start time) based on the lighting schedule, the inspection unit 26 automatically inspects the battery 14. In the inspection, the light source 13 is lit by the power of the battery 14, and the power of the battery 14 is discharged for a predetermined inspection time. By detecting the voltage of the battery 14 and comparing the detected voltage of the battery 14 with a predetermined threshold value, it is determined whether the battery 14 is normal, deteriorated, or abnormal.

[0039] When the timing of the current inspection schedule by the timing unit 25 is completed, the automatic continuation function starts the timing of the inspection schedule for, for example, the inspection date and time one year later or the next inspection schedule after the next inspection period.

[0040] At the time of inspection, the timing unit 25 times the inspection schedule by counting based on the power supply cycle.

[0041] By the way, when comparing the count of the inspection schedule by the timing unit 25 with the count based on the power supply cycle and the count based on the real-time clock, the count based on the power supply cycle has a smaller error and accurate counting is possible.

[0042] Emergency lights and induction lights such as the lighting device 10 are products in which AC power is constantly energized, and they use the power of the battery 14 only during a power outage. Therefore, as in Pattern 1, when AC power is energized, the inspection schedule is timed by counting based on the power supply cycle, and when AC power is interrupted due to a power outage, the inspection schedule is timed by counting based on the real-time clock. As a result, the error between the time counted and the actual time is small, and the battery 14 can be inspected at the accurate time based on the inspection schedule.

[0043] Even during inspection, by timing the inspection time by counting based on the power supply cycle when AC power is energized, the error between the inspection time counted and the actual inspection time is small, and the battery 14 can be inspected at the accurate inspection time.

[0044] When the inspection operation of the battery 14 is completed, the inspection result is stored in the storage unit 27 and displayed on the display unit 18. After the inspection operation is completed, it returns to the normal state when the above-mentioned AC power is energized.

[0045] Then, when the operator sends a signal requesting the inspection result to the lighting device 10 by operating the external terminal 30, the inspection result stored in the storage unit 27 of the lighting device 10 is transmitted from the lighting device 10 to the external terminal 30, and the inspection result can be confirmed on the external terminal 30 or a personal computer that has transferred data from the external terminal 30. Also, the inspection result can be confirmed by visually checking the display unit 18 of the lighting device 10.

[0046] Also, by timing the inspection time by counting based on the power supply cycle during inspection, the inspection time can be accurately timed. Therefore, the voltage data of the battery 14 based on the inspection time can be obtained with higher accuracy.

[0047] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, regarding the inspection results, the previous voltage data and the current voltage data are compared, and the change amount of the discharge curve of the battery 14 from the previous time to the current time can be obtained more accurately. By referring to this change amount, the degree of deterioration of the battery 14 can be quantified and the remaining life can be predicted, and the remaining life prediction can be notified to the external terminal 30 or the personal computer. Based on the remaining life prediction of this battery 14, a new battery 14 to be replaced can be prepared or the replacement work schedule can be planned in advance, improving convenience.

[0048] Further, when the count pattern is set to pattern 2, the timing unit 25 times the inspection schedule by counting based on the real-time clock during inspection for the above-described pattern 1. At the time of this inspection, a pseudo power failure state is set, and the power of the battery 14 is discharged to operate the power supply unit 16, the control unit 20, etc. Therefore, by timing the inspection schedule by counting based on the real-time clock also in the timing unit 25, the inspection of the battery 14 can be performed in the same state as during a power failure.

[0049] Further, when the count pattern is set to pattern 3, the timing unit 25 times the inspection schedule by counting based on the real-time clock during energization of AC power, during a power failure, and during inspection for the above-described pattern 1. Further, during energization and inspection in the AC power-on state, counting based on the power supply cycle is performed in parallel with counting based on the real-time clock. Then, the count based on the power supply cycle and the count based on the real-time clock are compared, and if an error has occurred, the error of the count based on the real-time clock is corrected by the count based on the power supply cycle. In this way, by correcting the error of the count based on the real-time clock by the count based on the power supply cycle, the error between the time based on the count based on the real-time clock and the actual time is small, and the inspection of the battery 14 can be performed at the accurate time based on the inspection schedule.

[0050] Note that in the count pattern 3, since the inspection time during inspection is relatively short, the inspection schedule may be timed either by the count based on the power cycle or the count based on the real-time clock, which can reduce the load on the control unit 20.

[0051] And in the lighting device 10 configured as described above, the timing unit 25 enables the count based on the power cycle of the AC power and the count based on the real-time clock. When the AC power is energized, the inspection schedule is timed by the count based on the power cycle, and when the AC power is out of power, the inspection schedule is timed by the count based on the real-time clock. Therefore, the inspection of the battery 14 can be carried out at the accurate time based on the set inspection schedule.

[0052] The timing unit 25 can accurately time the inspection time by timing the inspection time by the count based on the power cycle during the inspection of the battery 14. Therefore, the voltage data of the battery 14 based on the inspection time can be obtained with higher accuracy.

[0053] When inspecting the battery 14, the timing unit 25 can inspect the battery 14 in the same state as during a power outage by timing the inspection time by the count based on the real-time clock in response to a pseudo power outage state.

[0054] Also, by performing the count based on the power cycle and the count based on the real-time clock in parallel, the error of the count based on the real-time clock can be corrected by the count based on the power cycle, or the inspection schedule can be continuously timed by the other count even if a problem occurs in either one of the counts.

[0055] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0056] 10 Lighting device 14 Battery 25 Timing unit 26 Inspection unit

Claims

1. a battery; an inspection unit configured to inspect the battery based on an inspection schedule; a timing unit capable of performing a count based on a power supply cycle of AC power and a count based on a real-time clock, timing the inspection schedule by the count based on the power supply cycle when the AC power is energized, and timing the inspection schedule by the count based on the real-time clock when the AC power is de-energized; A lighting device, characterized by comprising the above components.

2. The timing unit times the inspection time by a count based on the power supply cycle when the battery is inspected by the inspection unit. The lighting device according to Claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The timing unit times the inspection time by a count based on the real-time clock when the battery is inspected by the inspection unit. The lighting device according to Claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. The timing unit performs the count based on the power supply cycle and the count based on the real-time clock in parallel when the AC power is energized. The lighting device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

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