Lighting device, lighting system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a lighting device capable of changing the capacity of a storage part for storing beacon information according to a situation.SOLUTION: The lighting device 30 includes the wireless communication unit 32 that receives the beacon information transmitted by the beacon transmitter 20 and including the identification information of the beacon transmitter 20, the buffer area 34a in which the received beacon information is stored, and the control unit 33 that dynamically changes the size of the buffer area 34a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Lighting devices with wireless communication functions are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a lighting device equipped with a wireless communication unit that can easily check and report whether the wireless communication unit is normal or malfunctioning. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-85281 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The lighting device of Patent Document 1 detects (receives) a beacon signal (hereinafter also referred to as beacon information) and transitions to a management mode. In the beacon information reception process, the beacon information is temporarily stored in a storage unit such as a main memory device. Here, it is difficult to appropriately determine the capacity of the storage unit to be secured in order to perform the beacon information reception process.

[0005] The present invention provides a lighting device and the like that can change the capacity of a storage unit that stores beacon information according to the situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A lighting device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first communication unit that receives beacon information transmitted by a beacon transmitter, the beacon information including identification information of the beacon transmitter, a storage unit that stores the received beacon information, and a control unit that dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit.

[0007] A lighting system according to one aspect of the present invention includes the lighting device and a gateway device, and the gateway device includes a second communication unit that receives the beacon information from the lighting device and a memory unit that stores the received beacon information.

[0008] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed by a lighting device, and includes the steps of receiving beacon information transmitted by a beacon transmitter, the beacon information including identification information of the beacon transmitter, and dynamically changing the capacity of a storage unit in which the received beacon information is stored.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing the lighting device to execute the information processing method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The lighting device and the like of the present invention can change the capacity of the storage unit in which the beacon information is stored according to the situation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a lighting system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a space to which the lighting system according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of an operation example of the lighting system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of beacon information stored in the buffer area. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen showing the positions of beacon transmitters. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of table information for changing the capacity of the buffer area according to the number of people information. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of table information for changing the capacity of the buffer area according to current time information. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of table information for changing the capacity of the buffer area according to day of the week information. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of changing the capacity of the buffer area based on the free space in the buffer area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection forms, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0013] It should be noted that the drawings are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily strict illustrations. In addition, in the drawings, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions may be omitted or simplified.

[0014] (Embodiment) [composition] First, the configuration of a lighting system according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a lighting system according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a space to which a lighting system according to an embodiment is applied.

[0015] The lighting system 10 is a system that can brightly illuminate the space 90, estimate the position of the beacon transmitter 20 in the space 90, and visualize the position of the beacon transmitter 20 in the space 90. The beacon transmitter 20 is primarily carried by a person who uses the space 90, but may also be attached to an object located in the space 90. In other words, the position of the beacon transmitter 20 can be considered to be the position of the person carrying the beacon transmitter 20, or the position of the object to which the beacon transmitter 20 is attached.

[0016] The space 90 is, for example, an office space, and the people who use the space 90 are, for example, workers who work in the office space. The space 90 may also be a space in a factory or a space in a medical institution, and there are no particular limitations on the type of space the space 90 is.

[0017] 1, a lighting system 10 includes a plurality of beacon transmitters 20, a plurality of lighting devices 30, a gateway device 40, a server device 50, an information terminal 60, and an access control system 70. The plurality of lighting devices 30 and the gateway device 40 form a wireless mesh network. The wireless mesh network may also include a relay device (a communication node without a lighting function) not shown.

[0018] The beacon transmitter 20 is a communication terminal carried by a person using the space 90, and transmits beacon information (in other words, a beacon signal or an advertisement signal). The beacon information includes identification information of the beacon transmitter 20 that transmits the beacon information. The beacon transmitter 20 may be a communication terminal whose main function is to transmit the beacon information, or may be a general-purpose information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The beacon transmitter 20 includes a transmitter 21.

[0019] The transmitter 21 periodically transmits beacon information at predetermined time intervals. Specifically, the transmitter 21 is a wireless communication circuit (wireless communication module) that transmits beacon information in accordance with a communication standard (communication protocol) such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy).

[0020] The lighting device 30 is a so-called base light that is installed on the ceiling of the space 90 to illuminate the interior space. The specific form of the lighting device 30 is not particularly limited, and the lighting device 30 may be a ceiling light, a downlight, a spotlight, or the like. The lighting device 30 includes a light-emitting unit 31, a wireless communication unit 32, a control unit 33, a main memory unit 34, and an auxiliary memory unit 35.

[0021] The light-emitting unit 31 emits light into the space 90 so that the lighting device 30 can illuminate the space 90. The light-emitting unit 31 is realized by a light-emitting module using an LED as a light-emitting element, and emits, for example, white light. The light-emitting unit 31 may also be realized by a light-emitting module using other light-emitting elements such as a semiconductor laser, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence), or an inorganic EL.

[0022] The wireless communication unit 32 is a wireless communication circuit that enables the lighting device 30 to receive beacon information from the beacon transmitter 20. The wireless communication unit 32 is also a wireless communication circuit that transmits the received beacon information to the gateway device 40 through a wireless mesh network. The wireless communication unit 32 receives the beacon information from the beacon transmitter 20 in accordance with a communication standard such as BLE. The wireless communication unit 32 also transmits the beacon information to the gateway device 40 in accordance with a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) Mesh.

[0023] The control unit 33 controls the light emission state (such as dimming state or color adjustment state) of the light emitting unit 23. The control unit 33 also adds the received signal strength of the beacon information to the beacon information received by the wireless communication unit 32 and temporarily stores the beacon information in the main memory unit 34. The control unit 33 also adds identification information of the lighting device 30 to the beacon information read from the main memory unit 34 and transmits the beacon information to the gateway device 40 using the wireless communication unit 32. The control unit 33 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor or a dedicated circuit. The functions of the control unit 33 are realized when hardware such as the microcomputer or processor constituting the control unit 33 executes a computer program (software) stored in the auxiliary memory unit 35.

[0024] The main memory unit 34 is a main storage device that temporarily stores information for the control unit 33 to execute information processing. The main memory unit 34 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory. The main memory unit 34 can also be referred to as a random access memory (RAM) or a volatile storage device. The main memory unit 34 includes a buffer area 34a (an example of a storage unit) in which beacon information is temporarily stored (buffered) and a working area 34b used for information processing other than the transmission and reception of beacon information. Information processing other than the transmission and reception of beacon information refers to control of the light-emitting unit 31 (hereinafter also referred to as lighting control), etc., and the working area 34b is used for buffering control signals transmitted within the wireless mesh network for lighting control (control of the light-emitting unit 31). The working area 34b can be considered to be the remaining area excluding the buffer area 34a. The main memory unit 34 may be realized by a single piece of hardware or by multiple pieces of hardware.

[0025] The auxiliary storage unit 35 is an auxiliary storage device that stores computer programs executed by the control unit 33. The auxiliary storage unit 35 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary storage unit 35 can also be called a ROM (Read Only Memory), a non-volatile storage device, or an internal storage.

[0026] The gateway device 40 transmits the beacon information received from the plurality of lighting devices 30 to the server device 50. The gateway device 40 includes a wireless communication unit 41, a communication unit 42, an information processing unit 43, and a storage unit 44.

[0027] The wireless communication unit 41 is a wireless communication circuit that enables the gateway device 40 to receive beacon information from the plurality of lighting devices 30. The wireless communication unit 41 receives the beacon information from the plurality of lighting devices 30 in accordance with a communication standard such as BLE, for example.

[0028] The communication unit 42 is a communication circuit for the gateway device 40 to transmit beacon information to the server device 50. The communication unit 42 may be a wired communication circuit for performing wired communication, or may be a wireless communication circuit for performing wireless communication.

[0029] The information processing unit 43 performs information processing for transmitting the beacon information received from the plurality of lighting devices 30 to the server device 50. The information processing unit 43 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor or a dedicated circuit. The functions of the information processing unit 43 are realized by hardware such as a microcomputer or processor constituting the information processing unit 43 executing a computer program (software) stored in the storage unit 44.

[0030] The storage unit 44 is a storage device that stores the beacon information received by the communication unit 42, the computer program executed by the information processing unit 43, etc. The storage unit 44 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0031] The server device 50 is a device that identifies (estimates) the position of the beacon transmitter 20 in the space 90 based on the beacon information received from the gateway device 40. The server device 50 may be an edge server installed in a facility including the space 90 or in the vicinity thereof, or may be a cloud server installed outside the facility including the space 90. The server device 50 includes a communication unit 51, an information processing unit 52, and a storage unit 53.

[0032] The communication unit 51 is a communication circuit that enables the server device 50 to receive beacon information from the gateway device 40. The communication unit 51 may be a wired communication circuit that performs wired communication, or may be a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication.

[0033] The information processing unit 52 performs information processing to identify (estimate) the position of the beacon transmitter 20 in the space 90 based on the beacon information received by the communication unit 51. The information processing unit 52 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor or a dedicated circuit. The functions of the information processing unit 52 are realized by hardware such as a microcomputer or processor constituting the information processing unit 52 executing a computer program (software) stored in the storage unit 53.

[0034] The storage unit 53 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the information processing unit 52. The storage unit 53 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0035] The information terminal 60 is an information terminal used by viewers such as people using the space 90. The information terminal 60 communicates with the server device 50 to display the position of the beacon transmitter 20 identified by the server device 50. The information terminal 60 is a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, but may also be a stationary information terminal such as a personal computer. The information terminal 60 includes a display unit 61.

[0036] The display unit 61 displays an image (display screen) that indicates the position of the beacon transmitter 20. The display unit 61 is realized by a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, for example.

[0037] The entrance / exit control system 70 manages the number of people located in the space 90. The entrance / exit control system 70 is equipped with a camera that captures images of the space 90, and manages the entry and exit of people in the space 90 and the number of people located in the space 90 based on the image information obtained from the camera.

[0038] The access control system 70 may be a system equipped with a card reader installed at the entrance to the space 90. In this case, a person using the space 90 unlocks the entrance door by reading their ID card with the card reader, and the access control system 70 manages the ID card reading history information by the card reader. In this case as well, the access control system 70 can manage people entering and exiting the space 90, the number of people located in the space 90, and the like.

[0039] [Example of operation] As described above, the lighting system 10 can estimate and visualize the position of the beacon transmitter 20 in the space 90. An example of the operation of such a lighting system 10 will be described below. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of an example of the operation of the lighting system 10. Note that in the following example of the operation, an example of identifying the position of one beacon transmitter 20 (a person carrying the beacon transmitter 20) will be described, but the positions of other multiple beacon transmitters 20 can be identified in a similar manner. Furthermore, the lighting device 30 shown in FIG. 3 means any one of one or more lighting devices 30 that were able to receive beacon information emitted by the beacon transmitter 20.

[0040] The transmitter 21 of the beacon transmitter 20 carried by a person located in the space 90 periodically transmits beacon information. The beacon information includes identification information of the beacon transmitter 20.

[0041] The wireless communication unit 32 of the lighting device 30 located near the beacon transmitter 20 receives beacon information from the beacon transmitter 20 (S11). The control unit 33 measures the received signal strength (RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the received beacon information (S12).

[0042] Next, the control unit 33 adds the received signal strength measured in step S12 to the beacon information (identification information of the beacon transmitter 20) received in step S11, and temporarily stores the information in the buffer area 34a of the main storage unit 34 (S13). In other words, the control unit 33 buffers the beacon information. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of beacon information stored in the buffer area 34a. Note that Fig. 4 shows a plurality of pieces of beacon information corresponding to a plurality of beacon transmitters 20.

[0043] Note that it is sufficient that only the latest beacon information is transmitted to gateway device 40, and if beacon information having the same identification information as the beacon information received in step S11 is already stored in buffer area 34a, control unit 33 overwrites the beacon information. That is, if the identification information included in the first beacon information received in step S11 matches the identification information included in the second beacon information already stored in buffer area 34a, control unit 33 overwrites the second beacon information with the first beacon information. Overwriting the second beacon information with the first beacon information means deleting the second beacon information from buffer area 34a and then storing the first beacon information in buffer area 34a.

[0044] The control unit 33 reads out the beacon information stored in the buffer area 34a and adds the identification information of the lighting device 30 to the read out beacon information (S14). The control unit 33 transmits the beacon information to which the identification information of the lighting device 30 has been added to the gateway device 40 using the wireless communication unit 32 (S15). The beacon information is transmitted to the gateway device 40 through the wireless mesh network. That is, the beacon information may reach the gateway device 40 directly from the lighting device 30, or may reach the gateway device 40 via another lighting device 30 or a relay device.

[0045] Thereafter, the control unit 33 deletes the beacon information that has been completely transmitted to the gateway device 40 from the buffer area 34a (S16). The processes of steps S14 to S16 are performed periodically at predetermined time intervals.

[0046] In step S15, the wireless communication unit 41 of the gateway device 40 receives the beacon information. The processes of steps S14 to S16 are performed in each of the one or more lighting devices 30 that were able to receive the beacon information in step S11, and the beacon information is transmitted from each of the one or more lighting devices 30 to the gateway device 40. The information processing unit 43 of the gateway device 40 transmits the beacon information received from each of the plurality of lighting devices 30 to the server device 50 using the communication unit 42 (S17). The process of step S17 is performed periodically at predetermined time intervals.

[0047] The communication unit 51 of the server device 50 receives the beacon information. The information processing unit 52 identifies the position of the beacon transmitter 20 based on the received beacon information and the arrangement information of the plurality of lighting devices 30 stored in advance in the storage unit 53 (S18). The position of the beacon transmitter 20 is specifically the three-dimensional coordinates of the beacon transmitter 20.

[0048] As described above, the beacon information received in step S17 associates the identification information of the lighting device 30 with the identification information of the beacon transmitter that transmitted the beacon information received by the lighting device 30, and the received signal strength of the beacon information of the lighting device 30. On the other hand, the placement information associates the identification information of the lighting device 30 with the installation position (three-dimensional coordinates) of the lighting device 30.

[0049] The information processing unit 52 can identify the installation position (three-dimensional coordinates) of the lighting device 30 that received the beacon information by comparing the identification information of the lighting device 30 included in the beacon information with the placement information. Here, the received signal strength of the beacon information measured in step S12 can be considered as an estimated distance of the lighting device 30 from the beacon transmitter 20 that transmitted the beacon information.

[0050] For example, if three lighting devices 30 receive beacon information in step S11, the information processing unit 52 can identify the estimated distance from each of the three installation positions corresponding to the three lighting devices 30 to the beacon transmitter 20. This allows the information processing unit 52 to identify (estimate) the position of the beacon transmitter 20 based on the triangulation algorithm.

[0051] Any existing algorithm may be used as a method for identifying the location of the beacon transmitter 20 based on the received signal strength. For example, the information processing unit 52 may determine, as the location of the beacon transmitter 20, the installation location of the lighting device 30 with the strongest received signal among the one or more lighting devices 30 that were able to receive beacon information in step S11.

[0052] The position of the beacon transmitter 20 is periodically identified, and history information (time-series data) of the position of the beacon transmitter 20 is stored in the storage unit 53. The viewer communicates with the server device 50 using the information terminal 60 and receives position information of the beacon transmitter 20 at a desired timing from the server device 50 (S19), thereby being able to display the position of the beacon transmitter 20 on the display unit 61 (S20). FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for the position of the beacon transmitter 20. Note that if the storage unit 53 associates the identification information of the beacon transmitter 20 with the identification information of the person carrying the beacon transmitter 20, the information processing unit 52 can include the person's identification information (such as a name) in the position information. In this case, the person's identification information can be displayed on the display screen.

[0053] As described above, the lighting system 10 can estimate and visualize the position of the beacon transmitter 20 in the space 90.

[0054] [Example 1: Dynamically changing the buffer area capacity] When many beacon transmitters 20 are located in the space 90, the wireless communication unit 32 of the lighting device 30 receives a large amount of beacon information, and it is possible that not all of the received beacon information can be stored in the buffer area 34a. If the capacity of the buffer area 34a is fixedly increased to prevent this from occurring, the capacity of the working area 34b will be relatively small. Since the working area 34b is used for buffering control signals transmitted via the wireless mesh network for lighting control (control of the light-emitting unit 31), if the capacity of the working area 34b is small, the execution speed of the lighting control will decrease, and the response of the lighting control may be slow.

[0055] Therefore, the control unit 33 dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on the number information indicating the number of beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90 in which the lighting device 30 is installed. Specifically, the control unit 33 dynamically increases or decreases the capacity of the buffer area 34a. More specifically, the capacity in this case means the maximum capacity.

[0056] In other words, the number information is information whose contents, such as numerical values, change depending on the number of beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90. The number information is, for example, number-of-people information indicating the number of people located in the space 90, which is transmitted from the entrance / exit management system 70 to the lighting device 30 via the gateway device 40. As described above, since the beacon transmitters 20 are mainly carried by people, the number of people indicated by the number-of-people information can be said to roughly indicate the number of beacon transmitters 20.

[0057] The control unit 33, for example, periodically acquires number of people information and changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a each time the number of people information is acquired. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of table information for changing the capacity of the buffer area 34a according to the number of people information. The table information of Fig. 6 is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage unit 35. In the table information of Fig. 6, the number of people indicated by the number of people information and the capacity of the buffer area 34a are defined so that the larger the number of people indicated by the number of people information, the larger the capacity of the buffer area 34a, and the smaller the number of people indicated by the number of people information, the smaller the capacity of the buffer area 34a.

[0058] Each time the control unit 33 acquires the number of people information, it changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on the table information in Fig. 6. As a result, when it is estimated that there are many beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90, the capacity of the buffer area 34a increases, thereby preventing beacon information from being missed, and when it is estimated that there are few beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90, the capacity of the buffer area 34a decreases and the working area 34b increases, thereby improving the responsiveness of lighting control.

[0059] The number of people information may be transmitted to the lighting device 30 via the route indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 1, without going through the gateway device 40.

[0060] [Example 2: Dynamically changing the buffer area capacity] Furthermore, the amount information may be current time information provided by a clock (such as a real time clock (RTC)) built into the lighting device 30.

[0061] The control unit 33, for example, periodically acquires current time information and changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a according to the time period to which the current time indicated by the acquired current time information belongs. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of table information for changing the capacity of the buffer area 34a according to the current time information. The table information in Fig. 7 is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage unit 35.

[0062] In the table information shown in Fig. 7, the capacity of the buffer area 34a is specified for each time period. The designer of the lighting system 10 investigates the number of people in the space 90 for each time period, and creates the table information of Fig. 7 so that the capacity of the buffer area 34a increases as the number of people increases in the time period, and decreases as the number of people decreases in the time period.

[0063] Each time the control unit 33 acquires current time information, it changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on the table information in Fig. 7. As a result, when it is estimated that there are many beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90, the capacity of the buffer area 34a increases, thereby preventing beacon information from being missed, and when it is estimated that there are few beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90, the capacity of the buffer area 34a decreases and the working area 34b increases, thereby improving the responsiveness of lighting control.

[0064] [Example 3: Dynamically changing the buffer area capacity] Furthermore, the quantity information may be day-of-week information provided by a clock built into the lighting device 30. The control unit 33, for example, periodically acquires the day-of-week information and changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a according to the day of the week indicated by the acquired day-of-week information. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of table information for changing the capacity of the buffer area 34a according to the day-of-week information. The table information in FIG. 8 is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage unit 35.

[0065] In the table information shown in Fig. 8, the capacity of the buffer area 34a is specified for each day of the week. The designer of the lighting system 10 investigates the number of people in the space 90 for each day of the week, and creates the table information of Fig. 8 so that the capacity of the buffer area 34a increases on days with more people and decreases on days with fewer people.

[0066] Each time the control unit 33 acquires day-of-week information, it changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on the table information in Fig. 8. As a result, when it is estimated that there are many beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90, the capacity of the buffer area 34a increases, thereby preventing beacon information from being missed, and when it is estimated that there are few beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90, the capacity of the buffer area 34a decreases and the working area 34b increases, thereby improving the responsiveness of lighting control.

[0067] [Example 4: Dynamically changing the buffer area capacity] Furthermore, the quantity information may be information indicating the number of pieces of beacon information obtained by referring to the buffer area 34a.

[0068] The control unit 33 acquires the amount information by, for example, checking the number of pieces of beacon information actually stored in the buffer area 34a, and, for example, immediately after deleting the beacon information in step S16, changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a in accordance with the number of pieces of beacon information stored before the deletion. Specifically, the control unit 33 changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a so that the capacity of the buffer area 34a increases as the number of pieces of beacon information stored before the deletion increases.

[0069] As a result, when it is estimated that there are many beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90, the capacity of the buffer area 34a increases, thereby preventing beacon information from being missed, and when it is estimated that there are few beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90, the capacity of the buffer area 34a decreases and the working area 34b increases, thereby improving the responsiveness of lighting control.

[0070] [Example 5: Dynamically changing the buffer area capacity] Furthermore, the control unit 33 may dynamically change the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on the free space in the buffer area 34a instead of the volume information. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of changing the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on the free space in the buffer area 34a.

[0071] The control unit 33 identifies the free space in the buffer area 34a by referring to the buffer area 34a, for example, immediately before transmitting the beacon information in step S15 in Fig. 3. The bar graph in (a) of Fig. 9 shows the capacity of the buffer area 34a, with the hatched portions being in use (i.e., where beacon information is stored) and the white portions being free space.

[0072] If the control unit 33 determines that the identified free space is smaller than the predetermined space, it deletes the beacon information in step S16 and then increases the capacity of the buffer area 34a. Specifically, the control unit 33 increases the capacity of the buffer area 34a so that the free space assumed to be stored in the buffer area 34a when the same number of beacon information as in FIG. 9(a) is stored matches the predetermined space. In other words, if the free space in the buffer area 34a is smaller than the predetermined space, the control unit 33 changes the capacity of the storage unit so that the free space in the buffer area 34a matches the predetermined space. The predetermined space is determined empirically or experimentally as appropriate. The predetermined space may be determined based on the data size of the beacon information, such as a space equivalent to a predetermined number of pieces of beacon information. The predetermined number means one or more.

[0073] In this way, if the capacity of the buffer area 34a is increased so that the available capacity becomes the predetermined capacity when it is determined that the available capacity is less than the predetermined capacity, the loss of beacon information is suppressed.

[0074] If the control unit 33 determines that the identified free space is larger than a predetermined space, the control unit 33 may maintain the capacity of the buffer area 34a without changing it, or may decrease the capacity of the buffer area 34a. In other words, if the free space in the buffer area 34a increases from the predetermined space, the control unit 33 may change the capacity of the storage unit so that the free space in the buffer area 34a becomes the predetermined space.

[0075] In this way, if it is determined that the free space is greater than the predetermined space, and the capacity of the buffer area 34a is reduced so that the free space becomes the predetermined space, the working area 34b increases, thereby improving the responsiveness of the lighting control.

[0076] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the process of identifying the position of the beacon transmitter 20 may be executed by the gateway device 40 instead of the server device 50. In this case, the lighting system 10 does not need to include the server device 50.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the beacon information transmitted by the lighting device 30 includes the received signal strength in order to identify the position of the beacon transmitter 20. However, if a parameter other than the received signal strength is used to identify the position of the beacon transmitter 20, the beacon information transmitted by the lighting device 30 does not need to include the received signal strength.

[0078] For example, the position of the beacon transmitter 20 may be identified based on a method using the reception angle of the beacon information, which is called AoA (Angle of Arrival) or AoD (Angle of Departure).The position of the beacon transmitter 20 may also be identified using the time of arrival (ToA) of the beacon information.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the beacon transmitter 20 has been described as being mainly carried by a person, but it may also be attached to a movable object (mobile body) other than a person. For example, if the space 90 is a space in a factory, the beacon transmitter 20 may be attached to a forklift or a pallet (a platform for carrying cargo), etc. Furthermore, if the space 90 is a space in a medical institution, the beacon transmitter 20 may be attached to medical equipment, etc.

[0080] [Effects, etc.] Hereinafter, examples of inventions that can be obtained from the disclosure of this specification will be given, and the effects and the like that can be obtained from the exemplified inventions will be explained.

[0081] Invention 1 is a lighting device 30 including a wireless communication unit 32 that receives beacon information transmitted by a beacon transmitter 20, the beacon information including identification information of the beacon transmitter 20, a buffer area 34a in which the received beacon information is stored, and a control unit 33 that dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a. The wireless communication unit 32 is an example of a first communication unit, and the buffer area 34a is an example of a storage unit.

[0082] Such a lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a in which the beacon information is stored depending on the situation.

[0083] Invention 2 is the lighting device 30 of Invention 1, in which the control unit 33 dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on quantity information indicating the number of beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90 in which the lighting device 30 is installed.

[0084] Such a lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a in accordance with the quantity information.

[0085] Invention 3 is the lighting device 30 of Invention 2, in which the wireless communication unit 32 receives volume information transmitted by an external system, and the control unit 33 dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on the received volume information.

[0086] Such a lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a in accordance with the amount information provided from an external system.

[0087] Invention 4 is the lighting device 30 of Invention 3, in which the beacon transmitter 20 is carried by a person located in the space 90, and the external system transmits, as number-of-people information, number-of-people information indicating the number of people located in the space 90. In this case, the external system is, for example, an entrance / exit management system 70.

[0088] The lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34 a in accordance with the number of people information provided from an external system that manages the number of people present in the space 90 .

[0089] Invention 5 is the lighting device 30 of Invention 2, in which the beacon transmitter 20 is carried by a person located in the space 90, the number of people located in the space 90 varies depending on the time of day, and the control unit 33 acquires current time information as number-of-people information and dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a depending on the time period to which the current time indicated by the acquired current time information belongs.

[0090] Such a lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a according to current time information (current time zone).

[0091] Invention 6 is the lighting device 30 of Invention 2, in which the beacon transmitter 20 is carried by a person located in the space 90, the number of people located in the space 90 varies depending on the day of the week, and the control unit 33 acquires day of the week information as number-of-people information and dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a depending on the day of the week indicated by the acquired day of the week information.

[0092] Such a lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a according to the day of the week information.

[0093] Invention 7 is the lighting device 30 of Invention 2, wherein the control unit 33 acquires, as the quantity information, the number of pieces of beacon information obtained by referring to the buffer area 34a.

[0094] Such a lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34 a depending on the number of beacon transmitters 20 .

[0095] Invention 8 is the lighting device 30 of any of Inventions 1 to 7, wherein the control unit 33 overwrites the second beacon information with the first beacon information when the identification information included in the first beacon information received by the wireless communication unit 32 matches the identification information included in the second beacon information stored in the buffer area 34a.

[0096] Such lighting device 30 stores only the latest beacon information among a plurality of pieces of beacon information containing the same identification information in the buffer area 34a, thereby making it possible to suppress an increase in the amount of usage of the buffer area 34a.

[0097] Invention 9 is the lighting device 30 of Invention 1, wherein when the free space in the buffer area 34a becomes smaller than a predetermined capacity, the control unit 33 dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a so that the free space in the buffer area 34a becomes the predetermined capacity.

[0098] When the free space in the buffer area 34a decreases, the lighting device 30 increases the capacity of the buffer area 34a, thereby preventing a shortage of the capacity of the buffer area 34a.

[0099] A tenth aspect of the present invention is the lighting device 30 of the ninth aspect, wherein the predetermined capacity is a capacity equivalent to a predetermined number of pieces of beacon information.

[0100] Such a lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a so that at least a capacity equivalent to a predetermined number of pieces of beacon information is secured as free space.

[0101] Invention 11 is the lighting device 30 of Invention 1, in which, when the free space in the buffer area 34a increases beyond a predetermined capacity, the control unit 33 dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a so that the free space in the buffer area 34a becomes the predetermined capacity.

[0102] When the free space in the buffer area 34a increases, the lighting device 30 reduces the capacity of the buffer area 34a, thereby preventing a shortage of capacity in areas other than the buffer area 34a (such as the working area 34b).

[0103] Invention 12 is a lighting system 10 including the lighting device 30 of any one of Inventions 1 to 11 and a gateway device 40, the gateway device 40 including a wireless communication unit 41 that receives beacon information from the lighting device 30 and a storage unit 44 that stores the received beacon information. The wireless communication unit 41 is an example of a second communication unit.

[0104] Such a lighting system 10 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a in which the beacon information is stored depending on the situation.

[0105] Invention 13 is the lighting system 10 of Invention 12, wherein the gateway device 40 includes a communication unit 42 that receives abundance information indicating the number of beacon transmitters 20 located in the space 90 in which the lighting device 30 is installed, the abundance information being transmitted by an external system, the wireless communication unit 41 transmits the abundance information received by the communication unit 42 to the lighting device 30, the wireless communication unit 32 receives the abundance information transmitted by the wireless communication unit 41, and the control unit 33 dynamically changes the capacity of the buffer area 34a based on the abundance information received by the wireless communication unit 32. The communication unit 42 is an example of a third communication unit.

[0106] Such a lighting system 10 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a in response to quantity information provided from an external system.

[0107] Invention 14 is an information processing method executed by a lighting device 30, the information processing method including the steps of receiving beacon information transmitted by a beacon transmitter 20, the beacon information including identification information of the beacon transmitter, and dynamically changing the capacity of a buffer area 34a in which the received beacon information is stored.

[0108] Such an information processing method makes it possible to change the capacity of the buffer area 34a in which the beacon information is stored depending on the situation.

[0109] A fifteenth aspect of the present invention is a program for causing the lighting device 30 to execute the information processing method of the fourteenth aspect of the present invention.

[0110] According to such a program, the lighting device 30 can change the capacity of the buffer area 34a in which the beacon information is stored depending on the situation.

[0111] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0112] For example, in the above embodiment, the lighting system is realized by a plurality of devices, but it may be realized as a single device. For example, the lighting system may be realized as a single device corresponding to a beacon transmitter, a lighting device, a gateway device, or a server device. When the lighting system is realized by a plurality of devices, the components of the lighting system may be allocated to the plurality of devices in any manner.

[0113] Furthermore, the method of communication between the devices in the above-described embodiment is not particularly limited, and a relay device (not shown) may be involved in the communication between the devices.

[0114] In the above embodiments, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. For example, in the above embodiments, some or all of the processing described as being performed by the server device may be performed by the gateway device. Furthermore, the order of multiple processing operations may be changed, or multiple processing operations may be performed in parallel.

[0115] In the above-described embodiments, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for that component, or by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0116] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0117] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0118] For example, the present invention may be realized as the beacon transmitter, lighting device, gateway device, server device, or lighting system of the above-described embodiments. Also, the present invention may be realized as a method executed by a computer of these devices or systems, as a program (computer program product) for causing a computer to execute the method, or as a non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0119] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art would think of, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 10. Lighting System 20 Beacon Transmitter 21 Communications Department 23 Light-emitting part 30 Lighting equipment 31 Light-emitting part 32, 41 Radio Communication Department 33 Control Unit 34 Main memory 34a Buffer Area 34b Working area 35 Auxiliary storage 40 Gateway Device 42, 51 Communications Department 43, 52 Information Processing Section 44, 53 Storage section 50 Server device 60 Information terminal 61 Display section 70 Entrance / Exit Control System 90 space

Claims

1. a first communication unit that receives beacon information transmitted by a beacon transmitter, the beacon information including identification information of the beacon transmitter; a storage unit in which the received beacon information is stored; a control unit that dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit, Lighting equipment.

2. The control unit dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit based on quantity information indicating a quantity of the beacon transmitters located in a space in which the lighting device is installed. The lighting device according to claim 1 .

3. the first communication unit receives the quantity information transmitted by an external system, The control unit dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit based on the received volume information.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2.

4. The beacon transmitter is carried by a person located in the space, The external system transmits number-of-people information indicating the number of people located in the space as the number-of-people information.

4. The lighting device according to claim 3.

5. The beacon transmitter is carried by a person located in the space, The number of people located in the space varies depending on the time of day, the control unit acquires current time information as the volume information, and dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit according to a time zone to which the current time indicated by the acquired current time information belongs.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2.

6. The beacon transmitter is carried by a person located in the space, The number of people located in the space varies depending on the day of the week, the control unit acquires day of the week information as the quantity information, and dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit according to the day of the week indicated by the acquired day of the week information.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2.

7. the control unit acquires, as the quantity information, the number of pieces of beacon information obtained by referring to the storage unit.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2.

8. the control unit overwrites the second beacon information with the first beacon information when identification information included in the first beacon information received by the first communication unit matches identification information included in the second beacon information stored in the storage unit. The lighting device according to claim 1 .

9. when the free space of the storage unit falls below a predetermined capacity, the control unit dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit so that the free space of the storage unit becomes the predetermined capacity; The lighting device according to claim 1 .

10. The predetermined capacity is a capacity corresponding to a predetermined number of pieces of beacon information.

10. The lighting device according to claim 9.

11. when the free space of the storage unit exceeds a predetermined capacity, the control unit dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit so that the free space of the storage unit becomes the predetermined capacity; The lighting device according to claim 1 .

12. The lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a gateway device; The gateway device a second communication unit that receives the beacon information from the lighting device; a storage unit for storing the received beacon information; Lighting system.

13. the gateway device includes a third communication unit that receives quantity information indicating a number of the beacon transmitters located in a space in which the lighting device is installed and that is transmitted by an external system; the second communication unit transmits the quantity information received by the third communication unit to the lighting device; the first communication unit receives the quantity information transmitted by the second communication unit, the control unit dynamically changes the capacity of the storage unit based on the quantity information received by the first communication unit.

13. The lighting system of claim 12.

14. An information processing method performed by a lighting device, comprising: receiving beacon information transmitted by a beacon transmitter, the beacon information including identification information of the beacon transmitter; and dynamically changing the capacity of a storage unit in which the received beacon information is stored. Information processing methods.

15. A program for causing the lighting device to execute the information processing method according to claim 14.

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