Tunnel lighting control device

The tunnel lighting control device addresses power consumption issues in conventional systems by using dual light-receiving units and a control unit to adjust brightness, maintaining safety and efficiency even during malfunctions.

JP2025126826APending Publication Date: 2025-08-29PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024023244
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-02-19
Publication Date
2025-08-29

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional tunnel lighting control systems increase power consumption significantly during malfunctions by turning all lights to maximum brightness for safety, which is inefficient and wasteful.

Method used

A tunnel lighting control device with first and second light-receiving units measuring brightness at opposite tunnel entrances, a control unit adjusting brightness based on received information, and a mode determining unit to handle failures, ensuring appropriate brightness adjustment even when one unit fails, thereby reducing power consumption.

Benefits of technology

The device maintains appropriate tunnel brightness and reduces power consumption by adjusting lighting levels based on functional light-receiving units, ensuring safety and efficiency even during malfunctions.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a tunnel lighting control device capable of suppressing increase in power consumption even when a system fails.SOLUTION: A tunnel lighting control device includes: a first light receiving unit 5 for measuring brightness of a one end side tunnel pit mouth T2a; a second light receiving unit 6 for measuring brightness of the other end side tunnel pit mouth T2b; and a control unit 30 for adjusting brightness in a tunnel T. The control unit 30 includes: a reception unit 31; a transmission unit 36; and a mode determination unit 35 that determines an operation state of a light receiving unit 2. When one of first brightness information and second brightness information cannot be received by the reception unit 31, the mode determination unit 35 determines a light receiving unit failure mode. When the light receiving unit failure mode is determined, the transmission unit 36 transmits a dimming signal to first lighting 3a on one end side tunnel pit mouth T2a and second lighting 3b on the other end side tunnel pit mouth T2b so as to have brightness corresponding to received brightness information among the first brightness information or the second brightness information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tunnel lighting control device used to control lighting in a tunnel provided on a road. [Background technology]

[0002] When a driver enters a tunnel from outside, if there is a difference in brightness between the inside and outside of the tunnel, the driver will feel a sudden change in brightness. At this time, the human eye cannot adjust to the brightness, making it difficult to see correctly ahead in the direction of travel, which can affect the safe passage of tunnel users.

[0003] To mitigate such effects, a lighting control system is known that gradually reduces the illumination of lighting fixtures from a brightness corresponding to the outdoor brightness at the tunnel entrance to the depths of the tunnel (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-45538 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In such conventional lighting control systems, in the event of a malfunction, all lights in the tunnel are turned on at maximum brightness for safety reasons. However, this type of control means that all lights in the tunnel are turned on at maximum brightness from the time the malfunction is detected until recovery, which poses a problem of significantly increasing power consumption.

[0006] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and has an object to provide a tunnel lighting control device that can suppress an increase in power consumption even when a malfunction occurs in the lighting control system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a tunnel lighting control device that includes a first light-receiving unit that measures a first brightness at a tunnel entrance on one end side, a second light-receiving unit that measures a second brightness at a tunnel entrance on the other end side opposite the one end side, and a control unit that adjusts the brightness inside the tunnel based on at least one of the first brightness measured by the first light-receiving unit and the second brightness measured by the second light-receiving unit. The control unit includes a receiving unit that receives first brightness information and second brightness information, which are brightness information from the first light-receiving unit and the second light-receiving unit, a transmitting unit that transmits a dimming signal to the lighting inside the tunnel based on at least one of the first brightness information and the second brightness information, and a mode determining unit that determines the operating states of the first light-receiving unit and the second light-receiving unit. The mode determining unit determines a light-receiving unit failure mode when the receiving unit fails to receive one of the first brightness information and the second brightness information. When the light receiving unit is determined to be in a failure mode, the transmitter transmits a dimming signal to the first lighting at the tunnel entrance side at one end and the second lighting at the tunnel entrance side at the other end based on the received brightness information, either the first brightness information or the second brightness information, so that the brightness corresponds to the received brightness information, thereby achieving the desired purpose. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tunnel lighting control device that can suppress an increase in power consumption even when a system failure occurs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a tunnel lighting control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing control of the automatic light adjusting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the control of the automatic light adjusting device in the light receiving unit failure mode. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing brightness divisions (dimming levels) in the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the drawings described in the embodiments are schematic diagrams, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit the components.

[0011] (Embodiment 1) A tunnel lighting control device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of a tunnel lighting control device according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an automatic light control device 1 that measures the brightness of a tunnel entrance T2 is provided outside a tunnel T as the tunnel lighting control device. In this embodiment, the entrance of the tunnel T at the tunnel entrance T2 is referred to as one-end tunnel entrance T2a, and the exit of the tunnel T is referred to as the other-end tunnel entrance T2b. In other words, one end of the tunnel T is the one-end tunnel entrance T2a, and the other end that corresponds to the one end and is opposite is the other-end tunnel entrance T2b. Note that the notations "entrance" and "exit" are merely examples, and the entrance and exit may be reversed depending on the direction of travel of the vehicle, but even in this case, the operation of the automatic light control device 1 is not affected.

[0012] The automatic light adjusting device 1 is a device that measures the brightness at the tunnel entrance T2 and adjusts the brightness of the lighting 3 installed inside the tunnel according to the measured brightness. By adjusting the brightness of the lighting 3 according to the brightness at the tunnel entrance T2, the automatic light adjusting device 1 suppresses a decrease in forward visibility for the driver of a vehicle 4 traveling from outside the tunnel T to inside the tunnel T or from inside the tunnel T to outside the tunnel T. Of the multiple lighting devices 3, the lighting installed on one end side, the tunnel entrance T2a side, is referred to as the first lighting device 3a, and the lighting installed on the other end side, the tunnel entrance T2b side, is referred to as the second lighting device 3b.

[0013] The automatic light control device 1 includes a light receiving unit 2, an input unit 32, and a control unit 30.

[0014] The light receiving unit 2 is installed outside the tunnel entrance T2 and measures the brightness of the tunnel entrance T2 illuminated by light from the sun S. Information about the measured brightness is transmitted to the control unit 30 as brightness information. The light receiving unit 2 may, for example, measure the brightness of the tunnel entrance T2 as a luminance value (cd / m 2 ) can be used. When a luminance type light receiving unit is used, the light receiving unit 2 measures the luminance within a circular field of view with a visual angle of 20 degrees from just before the tunnel entrance T2 to the center of the tunnel entrance T2. There are no restrictions on the installation location of the light receiving unit 2, but it is generally installed 150 m before the tunnel entrance T2. The brightness information is information about the brightness of the tunnel entrance T2 detected by the light receiving unit 2, and it varies depending on the type of light receiving unit. Brightness or illuminance, etc., are used.

[0015] The light receiving section 2 includes a first light receiving section 5 and a second light receiving section 6.

[0016] The first light receiving unit 5 is provided outside the one-end tunnel entrance T2a and measures a first brightness, which is the brightness of the one-end tunnel entrance T2a. Information about the first brightness measured by the first light receiving unit 5 is transmitted to the control unit 30 as first brightness information.

[0017] The second light receiving unit 6 is provided outside the other end tunnel entrance T2b corresponding to the one end tunnel entrance T2a, and measures a second brightness, which is the brightness of the other end tunnel entrance T2b. Information about the second brightness measured by the second light receiving unit 6 is transmitted to the control unit 30 as second brightness information.

[0018] The light receiving unit 2 is connected to the control unit 30 (described later) via wire or wireless communication. The light receiving unit 2 and the control unit 30 are preferably provided as separate units. By providing them as separate units, even if the light receiving unit 2 breaks down, it is possible to adjust the brightness of the light 3 within the control unit 30.

[0019] The input unit 32 is a member that allows input of brightness relationship information between the first brightness information and the second brightness information. The input unit 32 includes input buttons, a touch display, or the like, and an administrator of the automatic light-adjusting device 1 or the like inputs brightness relationship information corresponding to the installation location of the automatic light-adjusting device 1 using the input unit 32. The input brightness relationship information is transmitted to a memory unit 33 (see FIG. 2 ) of the control unit 30. The input unit 32 may be configured integrally with the control unit 30, or, for example, may be configured by attaching an operation button as the input unit 32 to a portion of the surface of the control unit 30. The brightness relationship information corrects the brightness difference between the one-end tunnel entrance T2a and the other-end tunnel entrance T2b, and is used in a light-receiving unit failure mode, which will be described later. The brightness relationship information will be described in detail in the light-receiving unit failure mode, which will be described later.

[0020] The control unit 30 will now be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 30.

[0021] The control unit 30 adjusts the brightness of the lighting 3 inside the tunnel T based on the brightness measured by the light receiving unit 2. The control unit 30 includes a receiving unit 31, a memory unit 33, a calculation unit 34, a mode determination unit 35, a transmission unit 36, and a timing unit 37.

[0022] The receiving unit 31 receives the first brightness information measured by the first light receiving unit 5 and the second brightness information measured by the second light receiving unit 6. The received brightness information is transmitted to the mode determining unit .

[0023] The storage unit 33 stores the light / dark relation information input by the input unit 32 .

[0024] The mode determination unit 35 determines the operating states of the first light receiving unit 5 and the second light receiving unit 6. Information about the determined operating state is used to determine the dimming level and for malfunction determination, which will be described later. Specifically, the mode determination unit 35 determines the normal operating mode when the receiving unit 31 receives both the first brightness information and the second brightness information, and determines the light receiving unit malfunction mode when the receiving unit 31 receives only one of the first brightness information and the second brightness information. As will be described in detail later, the normal operating mode is an operating mode in which the brightness of the first lighting on the one-end tunnel entrance T2a side is adjusted based on the first brightness information measured by the first light receiving unit 5, and the brightness of the second lighting on the other-end tunnel entrance T2b side is adjusted based on the second brightness information measured by the second light receiving unit 6. Furthermore, the light receiving unit malfunction mode is an operating mode in which the brightness of the first lighting and the second lighting is adjusted based on the received brightness information from the first brightness information or the second brightness information, so that the brightness corresponds to the received brightness information. It is a mode.

[0025] When the receiving unit 31 receives only one of the first brightness information or the second brightness information (light-receiving unit failure mode), the calculation unit 34 calculates adjusted brightness information corresponding to the brightness information that was not received, based on the light-dark relation information stored in the storage unit 33 and the received brightness information of the first brightness information or the second brightness information. The calculated adjusted brightness information is transmitted to the mode determination unit 35 and used to determine the dimming level in the light-receiving unit failure mode.

[0026] The adjusted brightness information is brightness information calculated based on the received brightness information of the first brightness information or the second brightness information and the light-dark relation information, and is brightness information corresponding to the brightness information that was not received.

[0027] The timing unit 37 acquires the time when the receiving unit 31 received the brightness information, and transmits information related to the acquired time to the mode determination unit 35. The time acquired by the timing unit 37 is associated with the brightness information received by the receiving unit 31, and the mode determination unit 35 determines the dimming level. The determined dimming level is transmitted from the transmitting unit 36 ​​to the lighting control unit 40 and reflected in the tunnel lights 3. The timing unit 37 measures the current time in real time.

[0028] The transmitting unit 36 ​​acquires information relating to the dimming level determined by the calculating unit 34, and transmits the information to a lighting control unit 40 that is provided in the tunnel T as a separate component from the automatic dimming device 1.

[0029] The automatic light control device 1 has the above configuration.

[0030] The lighting control unit 40 controls the brightness of the lights 3 in the tunnel T based on the information on the dimming level transmitted from the transmission unit 36.

[0031] Next, the operation of the automatic light adjusting device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the control of the automatic light adjusting device 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the control of the automatic light adjusting device in a light receiving unit failure mode.

[0032] First, the first light receiving unit 5 measures the first brightness of the tunnel entrance T2a on one end side, and the second light receiving unit 6 measures the second brightness of the tunnel entrance T2b on the other end side (step S1). The measured first brightness information and second brightness information are transmitted to the receiving unit 31 of the control unit 30.

[0033] The mode determination unit 35 determines the operation mode to be executed by the automatic light control device 1 based on whether the receiving unit 31 receives the first brightness information and the second brightness information at regular time intervals (step S2).

[0034] If the receiving unit 31 receives both the first brightness information and the second brightness information (Yes in step S2), the mode determining unit 35 determines that the normal operation mode is selected. Details of the normal operation mode will be described later.

[0035] On the other hand, if the receiving unit 31 cannot receive brightness information from the light receiving unit 2 (No in step S2), the mode determination unit 35 determines whether either or both of the first light receiving unit 5 and the second light receiving unit 6 are faulty based on whether only one of the brightness information, either the first brightness information from the first light receiving unit 5 or the second brightness information from the second light receiving unit 6, has been received (step S7).

[0036] Specifically, in step S7, the first brightness information can be received from the first light receiving unit 5, but the second brightness information can be received from the second light receiving unit 5. If the second brightness information cannot be received from the light receiving unit 6, or if the second brightness information can be received from the second light receiving unit 6 but the first brightness information cannot be received from the first light receiving unit 5, it is determined that the light receiving unit 2 that generates the brightness information that cannot be received has failed. Then, it is determined whether to proceed to step S8 or step S9 in the failure mode. If the result of the failure determination is that only one of the first light receiving unit 5 or the second light receiving unit 6 has failed (Yes in step S7), it is determined that the light receiving unit has failed (step S8). The light receiving unit has failed in detail below.

[0037] On the other hand, if neither the first brightness information from the first light-receiving unit 5 nor the second brightness information from the second light-receiving unit 6 can be received (No in step S7), it is determined that both the first light-receiving unit 5 and the second light-receiving unit 6 are malfunctioning. In this case, the brightness of the light 3 cannot be determined based on the brightness information from the light-receiving unit 2. Therefore, the mode determination unit 35 transmits a dimming signal to the transmission unit 36 ​​to turn on the light 3 at maximum brightness. The transmission unit 36 ​​then transmits the dimming signal to the lighting control unit 40, and the lighting control unit 40 maximizes the brightness of the light 3 (step S9).

[0038] First, the normal operation mode will be described. The normal operation mode is a mode that is executed when both the first brightness information and the second brightness information are received. In the normal operation mode, the brightness of the first lighting on the one-end tunnel entrance T2a side is adjusted based on the first brightness information measured by the first light-receiving unit 5, and the brightness of the second lighting on the other-end tunnel entrance T2b side is adjusted based on the second brightness information measured by the second light-receiving unit 6.

[0039] In the normal operation mode, the receiver 31 receives the first brightness information measured by the first light receiver 5 and the second brightness information measured by the second light receiver 6, and transmits the received brightness information to the mode determination unit 35 (step S3). In addition, the timer 37 obtains the time when the receiver 31 received the brightness information, and transmits the time to the mode determination unit 35 (step S4).

[0040] The mode determination unit 35 determines the brightness of the illumination 3 based on the brightness information received from the light receiving unit 2 (step S5).

[0041] Finally, the brightness determined in step S5 is transmitted from the transmitter 36, and the light 3 is dimmed via the lighting control unit 40 (step S6).

[0042] A specific method for determining the brightness of the lighting 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing brightness classifications (dimming levels) in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an example of a dimming table showing the correspondence between brightness information and levels. In this embodiment, the dimming levels used to control the lighting 3 are set to 10 levels from "1" to "10." The dimming levels here are obtained by classifying brightness information in order from darkest to brightest according to brightness, starting from dimming level "1." For example, if the received brightness information is 500 cd / m 2, the dimming level is set to "3." In this way, the dimming table in the normal operation mode shows brightness information and the corresponding dimming levels. Each dimming level corresponds to the brightness of the lighting 3, and during dimming control, the lighting 3 is dimmed to the brightness corresponding to each dimming level. The lighting 3 is dimmed separately on the one end side of the tunnel entrance T2a and the other end side of the tunnel entrance T2b. For example, if the first brightness information is 700 cd / m 2 , the second brightness information is 580cd / m 2 In this case, the first lighting 3a on the one end side of the tunnel entrance T2a is set to a brightness of dimming level "4", and the second lighting 3b on the other end side of the tunnel entrance T2b is set to a brightness of dimming level "3".

[0043] Finally, the transmitter 36 transmits a dimming signal relating to the brightness determined in step S5, and dims the light 3 via the lighting control unit 40 (step S6).

[0044] The above is the method for controlling the brightness of the lighting 3 in the normal operation mode.

[0045] Next, the case of the light receiving unit failure mode (No in step S2 and Yes in step S7) will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the control of the automatic light adjusting device in the light receiving unit failure mode.

[0046] First, even if the light receiving unit failure mode is determined, brightness information (step S1a) and time (step S2a) are acquired in the same manner as in normal measurement. Whether or not it is a specific time period is determined based on the acquired time (step S3a). The time range of the specific time period can be arbitrarily set by the administrator using the input unit 32, and information about the set specific time period is stored in the storage unit 33. For example, the specific time period can be set to be a nighttime period from sunset to sunrise.

[0047] First, the flow when the determination in step S3a is "No," that is, when the time is outside the specific time period, will be described.

[0048] Here, since it is determined that the light receiving unit failure mode has occurred, either the first light receiving unit 5 or the second light receiving unit 6 is unable to receive a signal due to a failure or the like. Therefore, it is determined whether a signal is being received from the first light receiving unit 5 (step S5a). At this time, if step S5a returns "Yes," it can be determined that the second light receiving unit 6 has failed, and if it returns "No," it can be determined that the first light receiving unit 5 has failed.

[0049] If step S5a is "Yes", it is determined whether the input unit 32 is in the initial setting (step S6a). The initial setting means that the setting value of the input unit 32 is "0". Here, the setting of the input unit 32 in the light receiving unit failure mode will be described.

[0050] In the light-receiving unit failure mode, when either the first light-receiving unit 5 or the second light-receiving unit 6 is faulty, the brightness information of the non-failed light-receiving unit is used to determine the dimming level of the lighting 3 on the faulty side. In this case, the lighting on the faulty light-receiving unit side may be controlled using the same brightness information as the brightness information of the non-failed light-receiving unit, but if it is known in advance that there is a difference in brightness between the tunnel entrance T2a on one end side and the tunnel entrance T2b on the other end side, settings for correcting the difference in brightness are made in the input unit 32. The settings made in the input unit 32 are stored in the memory unit 33.

[0051] In this embodiment, a dimming level is used to correct the difference. The dimming level setting will be described. This involves shifting the dimming level of the non-failed light-receiving unit by a set level. Specifically, the dimming level to be shifted can be set to any level (e.g., "-9" to "+9"). For example, assume that if the first light-receiving unit 5 fails, the dimming level of the second light-receiving unit 6 is shifted by "+1." If the first light-receiving unit 5 fails and the dimming level of the second light-receiving unit 6 is "5," the dimming level of the first light-receiving unit 5 is set to "6." Note that the dimming level "0" is the initial setting. This setting value for shifting the dimming level of one light-receiving unit to an arbitrary dimming level relative to the dimming level of the other light-receiving unit is the brightness-dark relationship information. Furthermore, the brightness information calculated by the calculation unit 34 based on the received brightness information and the brightness-dark relationship information is the adjusted brightness information. In the above example, the adjusted brightness information is brightness information corresponding to the dimming level "6." When the dimming stage is changed, if the upper limit of the dimming stage is reached when moving to any dimming stage, the dimming stage of the dimming unit on the faulty side will be set to the upper limit value; similarly, if the lower limit of the dimming stage is reached, the dimming stage of the dimming unit on the faulty side will be set to the lower limit value.

[0052] If the answer is "Yes" in step S6a, that is, if the setting is the initial setting, the light-dark relation information is "0", so the adjusted lightness information is the same as the lightness information of the first light receiving unit 5. Therefore, in this case, the dimming level of the faulty second light receiving unit 6 is set to the same dimming level as the dimming level of the healthy first light receiving unit 5 (step S7a). That is, the brightness of the lights 3 (first lights 3a and second lights 3b) on both the one-end tunnel entrance T2a side and the other-end tunnel entrance T2b side is determined based on the first brightness information from the first light receiving unit 5. Thereafter, the lights 3 are dimmed based on the set dimming level (step S14a).

[0053] On the other hand, if step S6a returns "No," the dimming level used to control the second light 3b on the second light receiving unit 6 side is determined based on the first brightness information from the healthy first light receiving unit 5 and the brightness-dark relationship information stored in the memory unit 33. If step S6a returns "No," the second light receiving unit 6 is faulty. The first brightness information from the first light receiving unit 5 is used to determine the dimming level used to control the first light 3a on the one-end tunnel entrance T2a side (step S8a). The dimming level used to control the second light 3b on the other-end tunnel entrance T2b side is determined based on the first brightness information and the brightness-dark relationship information stored in the memory unit 33, and the calculation unit 34 calculates adjustment brightness information. The calculation is then performed based on the calculated adjustment brightness information (step S9a). The light 3 is then dimmed based on the set dimming level (step S14a).

[0054] On the other hand, if step S5a is "No", it can be determined that the first light receiving unit 5 is malfunctioning.

[0055] If step S5a is "No", it is determined whether the input unit 32 is in the initial setting (step S10a).

[0056] If step S7a returns "Yes," i.e., if the setting is the initial setting, the brightness relation information is "0," and therefore the adjusted brightness information is the same brightness information as that of the second light-receiving unit 6. Therefore, in this case, the dimming level of the faulty first light-receiving unit 5 is set to the same dimming level as that of the healthy second light-receiving unit 6 (step S11a). That is, the brightness of the lights 3 (first light 3a and second light 3b) on both the one-end tunnel entrance T2a side and the other-end tunnel entrance T2b side is determined based on the second brightness information from the second light-receiving unit 6. Thereafter, the lights 3 are dimmed based on the set dimming level (step S14a).

[0057] On the other hand, if step S10a returns "No," the dimming level used to control the first lighting 3a on the first light receiving unit 5 side is determined based on the brightness information from the second light receiving unit 6 that is not malfunctioning and the brightness-dark relationship information stored in the memory unit 33. If step S10a returns "No," the first light receiving unit 5 is malfunctioning. The second brightness information from the second light receiving unit 6 is used to determine the dimming level used to control the second lighting 3b on the other-end tunnel entrance T2b side (step S12a). The dimming level used to control the first lighting 3a on the one-end tunnel entrance T2a side is determined by calculating adjustment brightness information in the calculation unit 34 based on the second brightness information and the brightness-dark relationship information stored in the memory unit 33. The dimming level is then determined based on the calculated adjustment brightness information (step S13a). The lighting 3 is then dimmed based on the set dimming level (step S14a).

[0058] Next, a case where the determination in step S3a is "Yes," that is, the time when the light receiving unit 2 acquires the brightness information, falls within a specific time period that has been set in advance, will be described. In this case, the dimming level to be used for controlling the lights 3 on the one end tunnel entrance T2a side and the other end tunnel entrance T2b side is determined based on the acquired time. The dimming level for the specific time period can be arbitrarily set by the administrator using the input unit 32. For example, it may be set to the lowest dimming level uniformly, or the dimming level may be set in stages according to the time of day. This setting is made in order to ensure appropriate lighting brightness for the specific time period (for example, at night). If brightness is corrected using the light-dark relationship information set in the input unit 32 even at night, there is a risk that the lights 3 will be brighter than necessary. For example, if the light-dark relationship information is that the dimming level of the first light receiving unit 5 is "+2" relative to the dimming level of the second light receiving unit 6, In this case, suppose the first light-receiving unit 5 fails during a dark period at night. In this case, because the surroundings are dark, the dimming level is set to "1" based on the second brightness information of the second light-receiving unit 6. If the dimming level used to control the first light 3a at the one-end tunnel entrance T2a is set using the light-dark relationship information, the dimming level becomes "3." However, in reality, because it is nighttime and the surroundings are dark, it is preferable to set the brightness of the first light 3a at the one-end tunnel entrance T2a side to the dimming level "1." Therefore, at night, the dimming level of the light 3 is determined based on the time of day without using the light-dark relationship information.

[0059] The above is an explanation of the light receiving unit failure mode. By performing the above control, it is possible to determine the dimming level to be used to control the lighting 3 even if either the first light receiving unit 5 or the second light receiving unit 6 fails.

[0060] As described above, the tunnel lighting control device according to this embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0061] (1) The tunnel lighting control device includes a first light-receiving unit 5 that measures a first brightness at a one-end tunnel entrance T2a, a second light-receiving unit 6 that measures a second brightness at an other-end tunnel entrance T2b opposite the one-end tunnel entrance T2a, and a control unit 30 that adjusts the brightness inside the tunnel T based on at least one of the first brightness measured by the first light-receiving unit 5 and the second brightness measured by the second light-receiving unit 6. The control unit 30 includes a receiving unit 31 that receives first brightness information and second brightness information, which are brightness information from the first light-receiving unit 5 and the second light-receiving unit 6, a transmitting unit 36 ​​that transmits a dimming signal to the lights 3 inside the tunnel T based on at least one of the first brightness information and the second brightness information, and a mode determining unit 35 that determines the operating states of the first light-receiving unit 5 and the second light-receiving unit 6. The mode determining unit 35 determines a light-receiving unit failure mode when the receiving unit 31 cannot receive one of the first brightness information and the second brightness information. When the transmitter 36 determines that the light receiving unit is in failure mode, it transmits a dimming signal to the first lighting 3a on the one end side of the tunnel entrance T2a and the second lighting 3b on the other end side of the tunnel entrance T2b based on the received brightness information, either the first brightness information or the second brightness information, so that the brightness corresponds to the brightness information.

[0062] With this configuration, even if one of the two light receiving units is faulty, the brightness of the lights 3 inside the tunnel T can be adjusted based on the brightness measured by the non-failed light receiving unit. Therefore, even in the event of a malfunction in the lighting system inside the tunnel T, such as when one of the light receiving units malfunctions, it is possible to ensure brightness inside the tunnel T without turning on all the lights 3, and it is possible to maintain appropriate brightness inside the tunnel T while suppressing an increase in power consumption.

[0063] (2) In the tunnel lighting control device, the mode determination unit 35 determines that the tunnel is in the normal operation mode when the receiving unit 31 receives both the first brightness information and the second brightness information. If the normal operation mode is determined, the transmitting unit 36 ​​transmits dimming signals to the first lighting unit 3a and the second lighting unit 3b so that the first lighting unit 3a has a first brightness corresponding to the first brightness information and the second lighting unit 3b has a second brightness corresponding to the second brightness information. This configuration allows the lighting units to individually dim the lights to provide appropriate brightness for each tunnel entrance based on the brightness information received by each receiving unit. This therefore provides greater safety for users of the tunnel T.

[0064] (3) The tunnel lighting control device includes an input unit 32 for inputting brightness relation information between the first brightness information and the second brightness information. The control unit 30 includes a memory unit 33 for storing the brightness relation information input by the input unit 32, and a calculation unit for calculating adjusted brightness information corresponding to the brightness information not received based on the brightness relation information and the received brightness information of the first brightness information or the second brightness information. The system further includes an output unit 34. When the mode determination unit 35 determines that the light-receiving unit is in a malfunction mode, the transmitter unit 36 ​​determines the dimming signal to be transmitted based on the received first brightness information or second brightness information and the adjusted brightness information. With this configuration, the brightness information of the malfunctioning light-receiving unit can be adjusted using the input brightness-dark relationship information, and the lighting can be dimmed to provide appropriate brightness for each tunnel entrance. This can therefore provide greater safety for users of the tunnel T.

[0065] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component or each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0066] In the first embodiment, a luminance-type light receiving unit is used as the light receiving unit 2, but this is not limiting. For example, an illuminance-type light receiving unit that measures illuminance may be used. The illuminance-type light receiving unit measures the brightness of the tunnel entrance T2 in illuminance values ​​(unit: lx). Specifically, the illuminance-type light receiving unit is installed near the tunnel entrance T2 and measures the illuminance of the vertical plane at the tunnel entrance T2 to measure the brightness of the light from the sun S irradiating the tunnel entrance T2. Information about the measured brightness is transmitted to the control unit 30 as brightness information. The dimming level is determined based on this brightness information and a dimming table corresponding to the illuminance type stored in the memory unit 33. Since the illuminance-type light receiving unit can perform measurements even when installed near the tunnel entrance, it can be installed even if the road shape before the tunnel entrance T2 is complex. Furthermore, the illuminance-type light receiving unit has an inexpensive and simple configuration, which reduces installation costs. Regardless of which light receiving unit is used, the same type of light receiving unit is used on one end and the other end. For example, it is not preferable to use a combination of different types of light receiving units in one tunnel, such as an illuminance type at one end and a brightness type at the other end.

[0067] In the first embodiment, the dimming step is used to set the correction of the difference in the light receiving unit failure mode, but this is not limiting. For example, the correction may be set using a measured luminance value.

[0068] Specifically, the dimming level used to control the lighting 3 on the side of the failed light receiving unit is determined using a value obtained by applying a correction to the brightness information of the light receiving unit that is not malfunctioning. The correction is set to add or subtract a predetermined value to or from the received brightness information. For example, if the first light receiving unit 5 malfunctions, the second brightness information of the second light receiving unit 6 is adjusted to 100 cd / m 2 In this case, if the first light receiving unit 5 fails and the luminance value of the second light receiving unit 6 at that time is 250 cd / m 2 , the luminance value of the first light receiving section 5 is 150 cd / m 2 Furthermore, if the lower limit of the dimming stage is reached when the arbitrary value is subtracted, the dimming stage of the malfunctioning light-receiving unit is set to the lower limit dimming stage.

[0069] In the first embodiment, the dimming level of the light 3 is always determined based on the brightness information in the normal operation mode, but this is not limited to this. For example, as performed in the light-receiving unit failure mode, the dimming level may be set based on the time of day rather than the brightness information during a specific time period. This reduces the operating time of the light-receiving unit 2, resulting in an automatic dimming device 1 that can be used for a long period of time. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] The tunnel lighting control device according to the present invention makes it possible to reduce the amount of power used in tunnel lighting, and is useful as a lighting control device used in road tunnels and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] T-Tunnel T2 Tunnel Portal T2a One end tunnel entrance T2b Tunnel entrance at other end S sun 1 Automatic light control device 2 Light receiving section 3. Lighting 3a First lighting 3b Second lighting 4 vehicles 5 First light receiving section 6 Second light receiving section 30 Control Unit 31 Receiving unit 32 Input section 33 Storage section 34 Calculation section 35 Mode determination section 36 Transmitter 37 Timing section 40 Lighting control unit

Claims

1. a first light receiving unit for measuring a first brightness at the one end side tunnel entrance; a second light receiving unit that measures a second brightness at an entrance of the tunnel at the other end opposite to the entrance of the tunnel at the one end; a control unit that adjusts brightness inside the tunnel based on at least one of the first brightness measured by the first light receiving unit and the second brightness measured by the second light receiving unit, The control unit a receiving unit that receives first brightness information and second brightness information, which are information on brightness, from the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit; a transmitter that transmits a dimming signal to the lighting in the tunnel based on at least one of the first brightness information and the second brightness information; a mode determination unit that determines the operating states of the first light receiving unit and the second light receiving unit, The mode determination unit determining a light receiving unit failure mode when the receiving unit cannot receive either the first brightness information or the second brightness information; The transmission unit If it is determined that the light receiving unit is in a failure mode, based on the received brightness information of the first brightness information or the second brightness information, a dimming signal is transmitted to the first lighting on the one end side tunnel entrance side and the second lighting on the other end side tunnel entrance side so that the brightness corresponds to the received brightness information. Tunnel lighting control device.

2. The mode determination unit determining that the operation mode is a normal operation mode when the receiving unit receives both the first brightness information and the second brightness information; The transmission unit when it is determined that the normal operation mode is selected, transmitting a dimming signal to the first lighting and the second lighting so that the first lighting has a first brightness corresponding to the first brightness information and the second lighting has a second brightness corresponding to the second brightness information.

2. The tunnel lighting control device according to claim 1.

3. an input unit for inputting brightness relationship information between the first brightness information and the second brightness information, The control unit a storage unit that stores the light-dark relation information input by the input unit; a calculation unit that calculates adjusted lightness information corresponding to lightness information that has not been received based on the light-dark relation information and received lightness information from the first lightness information or the second lightness information, When the mode determination unit determines that the light receiving unit is in a failure mode, the light control signal to be transmitted by the transmission unit is determined based on the received first brightness information or second brightness information and the adjusted brightness information.

2. The tunnel lighting control device according to claim 1.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Luminaire at tunnel entrance

    JP2013045538A