Lighting management system, lighting management method

Abstract

This facilitates the management of exposure conditions for materials displayed in the exhibition area. [Solution] The system includes an exposure amount calculation unit that determines the amount of exposure based on the exposure time and illuminance of the exhibition area where the exhibited items are displayed, determined by a lighting device, a determination unit that determines whether the amount of exposure has reached a threshold value which is lower than a reference exposure amount which is the upper limit of the amount of exposure for a specified period for the exhibited items displayed in the exhibition area, and an output unit that outputs an alert signal when the amount of exposure reaches the threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting management system and a lighting management method.

Background Art

[0002] In lighting used in museums, art galleries, etc. (hereinafter also simply referred to as museums), lighting equipment that does not contain harmful components such as ultraviolet rays and infrared rays emitted from the lighting and maintains an appropriate brightness for viewing exhibition materials is being used. Also, lighting technologies that can enhance the texture and three-dimensionality of exhibition materials with characteristics in color and form while preventing damage to the exhibition materials are being provided. A mechanism is also implemented in which lighting with an illuminance set in a work space for document sorting and document handling operations is lit only during work by detecting the presence or absence of a person using an infrared sensor.

[0003] Conventionally, fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps have been used in museums, and since these light sources emit ultraviolet rays and infrared rays, they may damage the materials. On the other hand, in recent years, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) for exhibits with a suppressed peak wavelength of light emitted from the light source and individually dimmable have been developed, enabling viewing while suppressing damage to the exhibition materials.

[0004] The materials exhibited in a museum can be viewed for their characteristic parts and original colors by devising the lighting method according to the materials and forms that make up the materials. In order to realize such an exhibition, there are exhibition cases in which dimmable lighting is attached to the exhibition case to enable a more aesthetically pleasing exhibition. Thus, in museums, research has been conducted on visible devices while considering the reduction of damage to materials and the ability to preserve them well.

[0005] Recently, there has been an increase in "display storage facilities" that incorporate exhibition areas in addition to their primary function as storage. Ideally, storage facilities should maintain an illumination environment of 50 lux or less at all times, and for materials that are highly responsive to light and prone to degradation, an annual exposure of 15,000 lux·h / y is recommended. However, when an exhibition area is added to a storage space, the likelihood of exceeding these recommended values ​​increases. Furthermore, because museum exhibits differ in their sensitivity to light depending on their properties and the materials used, the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Illuminating Engineering Institute of Japan have established recommended standards for exhibition lighting and annual exposure levels for each type of exhibit material. Therefore, museum curators manage the exposure levels of exhibited materials by determining the daily exposure time, illuminance, and the number of days per year the exhibit can be displayed, based on the recommended annual exposure levels for each exhibit material. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-159214 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, some museums face challenges such as staff shortages and inconsistent levels of curator knowledge regarding the exhibits, and lighting is not always strictly calculated and managed. For example, if a museum is open for 7 hours a day and exhibits materials with an appropriate illumination level of 100 lux, then keeping the annual exposure to 15,000 lux·h / y would allow for an exhibition period of approximately 21.4 days. However, instead of calculating and considering the exhibition schedule to this extent, it is sometimes managed more roughly, such as "the exhibition period is approximately 20 days." Currently, technologies exist for lighting used in museums that cut out ultraviolet and infrared radiation to suppress damage to exhibits. However, it is not easy to manage the exposure conditions caused by lighting, etc., while understanding the environment in which museum exhibits are illuminated, and while adhering to the required exhibition schedule as described above.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a lighting management system, a lighting management system, and a lighting management method that can easily manage the exposure conditions of materials displayed in an exhibition area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is an illumination management system having: an exposure amount calculation unit that calculates the exposure amount based on the exposure time and illuminance of the exhibition area where the exhibited items are displayed being illuminated by a lighting device; a determination unit that determines whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold value which is lower than a reference exposure amount which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for a specified period of time for the exhibited items displayed in the exhibition area; and an output unit that outputs an alert signal when the exposure amount reaches the threshold.

[0010] (2) One aspect of the present invention is a lighting management system comprising: an illuminance sensor that detects the brightness of light including at least one of the light that illuminates an exhibition area where stored items are displayed by a lighting device and external light that reaches the exhibition area from a light source other than the lighting device; a determination unit that determines whether the illuminance based on the detection result obtained from the illuminance sensor exceeds a recommended illuminance corresponding to the stored items displayed in the exhibition area; and an output unit that outputs an alert signal when the illuminance based on the detection result exceeds the recommended illuminance. In (2) above, the system includes an exposure amount calculation unit that calculates the exposure amount based on the exposure time by at least one of the illumination by the lighting device or the external light and the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor, and a determination unit that determines whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold value which is lower than the reference exposure amount, which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for a specified period for the exhibited items in the exhibition area, and the output unit may output an alert signal when the exposure amount reaches the threshold.

[0011] (3) Another aspect of the present invention is a lighting management method performed by a computer, which includes determining the exposure amount based on the exposure time and illuminance of the exhibition area where the exhibited items are displayed illuminated by a lighting device, determining whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold value which is lower than a reference exposure amount which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for the exhibited items displayed in the exhibition area over a specified period, and outputting an alert signal when the exposure amount reaches the threshold.

[0012] (4) Another aspect of the present invention is a lighting management method performed by a computer, which includes detecting the brightness of light, which includes at least one of the light that illuminates the exhibition area where the stored items are displayed by a lighting device and external light that reaches the exhibition area from a light source other than the lighting device, using an illuminance sensor, determining whether the illuminance based on the detection result obtained from the illuminance sensor exceeds the recommended illuminance corresponding to the stored items displayed in the exhibition area, and outputting an alert signal if the illuminance based on the detection result exceeds the recommended illuminance. In (4) above, the exposure amount is determined based on the exposure time by at least one of the illumination by the lighting device or the external light and the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor, and the output of the alert signal includes determining whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold value which is lower than the reference exposure amount, which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for a specified period for the exhibited items in the exhibition area, and outputting the alert signal may include outputting the alert signal when the exposure amount reaches the threshold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As described above, this invention makes it easy to manage the exposure conditions of materials displayed in an exhibition area. Furthermore, according to one aspect of this invention, it becomes possible to understand the exposure conditions of materials displayed in a museum by lighting, etc., and to manage them so as not to exceed a standard exposure level. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the control device 10. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of management data. [Figure 4] This graph shows the relationship between exposure amount and display time. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control device 10. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the content displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 20. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the configuration of a lighting management system S used for exhibition areas that are affected by light from outside. [Figure 8] This is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the control device 10a. [Figure 9]It is a diagram showing the state where the light shielding device SH is deployed.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, a lighting management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. ≪First Embodiment≫ FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting management system according to an embodiment of this invention. The lighting management system S manages the exposure status of materials displayed in a museum. The museum may be any of an art museum, a science museum, an aquarium, a botanical garden, a zoo, a literary museum, an archive, a memorial hall, etc. where exhibits such as materials are displayed. Also, the museum may be a museum in a concept distinct from an art museum etc., but in this embodiment, the case where it is a museum as a concept encompassing an art museum etc. will be described as an example. The materials may be any of books, classics, ancient documents, photographs, paintings, drawings, lacquerware, dyed textiles, glass, metals, etc.

[0016] A storage SR is provided in the museum. The light environment of the storage SR is an environment that is not affected by light from the outside (such as lighting in the surrounding space and natural light from windows) with respect to the display area TA and has no large fluctuations. The storage SR stores various materials, and for at least some of the materials, while being stored, they are made in a state where they can be appreciated by visitors who come to the museum. Such a storage method or display method may be called a visible storage, a display type storage, a storage display, etc. Also, in a "visible storage", preservation and display are contradictory actions. If importance is attached to preservation, it is better not to expose to light, and if importance is attached to display, it is necessary to expose to light. In the "visible storage" to which the lighting management system S of this embodiment is applied, the lighting device is turned off when there is no visitor, and the lighting device is turned on when there is a visitor.

[0017] The storage facility SR is comprised of a storage area SA and an exhibition area TA. Materials stored in storage area SA are not open to visitors, while materials stored in exhibition area TA are open to visitors and can be viewed. Exhibition area TA is equipped with display shelves DS, on which materials are displayed. Multiple shelves DS may be provided in the vertical direction. Here, the exhibition area TA may be part of the storage room SR, or an exhibition space may be provided near the storage room SR and that exhibition space may be used as the exhibition area TA.

[0018] The lighting management system S includes a lighting device L, a sensor SE, a management device 10, and a terminal device 20. The lighting device L is installed near the display shelves DS in the exhibition area TA and illuminates the materials displayed on the display shelves DS. The lighting device L is communicatively connected to the control device 10 and can turn on and off the light source based on control signals from the control device 10, and can also be turned on according to the set illuminance specified by the control signals from the control device 10. There may be one or more lighting devices L. If multiple lighting devices L are provided, they may be placed in different sections of the exhibition area where the materials are displayed. A section is an individual area into which the exhibition area TA is divided. One or more materials are displayed in one section.

[0019] The sensor SE is installed near the exhibition area TA and detects whether or not there are visitors near the exhibition area TA. The sensor SE may use any of the following types of sensors: a motion sensor that uses infrared light to detect the presence or absence of people; a sensor that uses a camera to capture images of the monitoring area and performs image processing to determine if the captured data contains images corresponding to people; or a load sensor that detects the load on the floor from the soles of a person's feet as they walk. The sensor SE is communicatively connected to the management device 10 and outputs the detection results to the lighting management system S. When the sensor SE detects the presence of a visitor, the lighting management system S sends a control signal to the lighting device L to turn on the light source. This allows the lighting device L to turn on its light source in response to the arrival of a visitor in the exhibition area TA, illuminating the exhibits. When the sensor SE detects that the visitor has left the exhibition area TA, the lighting management system S sends a control signal to the lighting device L to turn off the light source. This allows the lighting device L to turn off the light source, preventing light from illuminating the exhibits. The sensor SE may be a single unit or multiple units. If multiple sensor SEs are installed, they may be installed so that each horizontal section of the exhibition area TA has a different detection area. This allows for individual on / off control of the lighting device L for each section of the exhibition area TA.

[0020] In this context, each exhibit in a museum may be susceptible to damage due to light, depending on its properties and characteristics. For example, some exhibits are sensitive to light, while others are not. For sensitive exhibits, there are recommended upper limits on illuminance, such as 50 Lx or 150 Lx, to reduce damage. In this embodiment, the lighting management system S assigns an appropriate illuminance level to each section (exhibition location) of the "display storage area," according to the exhibited materials. The lighting device L has a dimming function that allows it to turn on the light source to achieve the set illuminance. As a result, the lighting management system S can turn on the lighting device in each section to the set illuminance for that section only when a visitor is detected by the sensor SE.

[0021] The terminal device 20 is communicatively connected to the management device 10 and receives various data output from the management device 10. The terminal device 20 may be any of the following: a smartphone, tablet, external monitor, or PC (personal computer). There may be one terminal device 20 or multiple terminal devices. If the terminal device 20 is a portable electronic device, it is carried by a museum staff member (e.g., a curator) and receives various data from the management device 10 at any location within the museum, displaying it on a screen visible to the staff member. If the terminal device 20 is an external monitor, it is installed in the museum's control room, etc., and can receive various data from the management device 10 and display it on a screen visible to the staff member in the control room. Furthermore, if the management device 10 functions as a cloud server provided by a cloud computing service, the terminal device 20 may be configured to log in remotely (such as from the headquarters of the company operating the museum, which is located in a different location from the museum, or from a location where the terminal device 20 is used when museum staff work from home, etc.) rather than from the management room, receive various data from the management device 10, and display it on the display screen.

[0022] The lighting device L, sensor SE, and terminal device 20 may each be connected to the management device 10 by wire, by wireless, or by both wire and wireless connections.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the management device 10. The management device 10 may be a physical server or a cloud server provided by a cloud computing service. The management device 10 includes a communication unit 101, a storage unit 102, an exposure amount calculation unit 103, a determination unit 104, a light control unit 105, an output unit 106, and a control unit 107. The communication unit 101 communicates with the lighting device L, the sensor SE, and the terminal device 20.

[0024] The memory unit 102 stores management data. Figure 3 shows an example of management data. Management data includes, for example, section ID, document ID, set illuminance, and reference exposure amount. The section ID is identification information that uniquely identifies a section. Based on the section ID, it is possible to identify which section within the exhibition area (TA) it is. A document ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies a document. Based on the document ID, it is possible to determine which of the stored documents it is.

[0025] The set illuminance is determined according to the material and characteristics of the material. The set illuminance may also be the upper limit of the recommended illuminance according to the material and characteristics of the material. Such set illuminance may be determined based on lighting standards and guidelines. For example, the Illuminating Engineering Institute of Japan's indoor lighting standards recommend a 50 Lx illuminance for textiles, Japanese paintings, etc., and a 150 Lx illuminance for oil paintings, frescoes, etc., displayed in exhibition areas. Based on such standards, the recommended illuminance appropriate to the material may be used as the set illuminance.

[0026] The standard exposure level may vary depending on the material and characteristics of the material. The standard exposure level may also be the upper limit of the cumulative illuminance within a specified period. Such a standard exposure level may be referred to as annual exposure level, annual cumulative illuminance, limit exposure level, etc., in standards and guidelines for museum lighting.

[0027] When materials displayed in the exhibition area TA are swapped with materials stored in the storage area SA, the set illumination and standard exposure amount corresponding to the swapped materials are stored in association with the section ID of the section being swapped. When rewriting management data in conjunction with the swap of displayed materials in this way, the rewriting may be made based on the operation content entered from the terminal device 20.

[0028] The storage unit 102 is composed of a storage medium, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access read / write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or any combination of these storage media. This storage unit 102 can, for example, use non-volatile memory.

[0029] Returning to Figure 2, the exposure calculation unit 103 determines the exposure based on the exposure time and illuminance of the exhibition area where the stored items are displayed, which is illuminated by the lighting device. The exposure time illuminated by the lighting device may be the illumination time, which is the time the light source of the lighting device is turned on. If it is assumed that the storage facility SR is not affected by external light on the exhibition area TA, the exposure calculation unit 103 may determine the exposure based on (1) below. Exposure amount = lighting time × illuminance .....(1)

[0030] The exposure amount calculation unit 103 accumulates such exposure amounts for the period during which the lighting device L is turned on and stores them in the storage unit 102. The exposure amount calculation unit 103 may also calculate such exposure amounts for each section of the exhibition area TA, or for the entire exhibition area TA. Furthermore, the exposure amount calculation unit 103 may also calculate and accumulate the brightness (illuminance) that reaches the exhibition area TA due to lights that are on, such as emergency exit signs, when the lighting device L is turned off.

[0031] Figure 4 is a graph showing the relationship between exposure amount and display time. The vertical axis represents exposure time, and the horizontal axis represents exhibition time. If the materials are continuously illuminated at the recommended illuminance from opening to closing time, as in the conventional practice, the amount of exposure will increase regardless of the number of visitors or their observation patterns (e.g., waveform 300). On the other hand, in the management device 10 of this embodiment, the illuminance of the lighting device L is changed according to whether or not there are visitors in the storage room SR and whether or not the exposure amount exceeds a threshold. Therefore, by turning on the lights only when there are visitors and changing the illuminance according to whether or not the exposure amount exceeds the threshold Ex2, it is possible to create an effect while minimizing exposure. Furthermore, there are variations in how often visitors visit the storage facility (SR) and how long they stay. This allows for a reduction in exposure, making it possible to maximize the display while monitoring the exposure using the control device 10, ensuring it does not exceed the standard exposure level. For example, when using the control device 10, by adjusting the light in response to the exposure reaching the threshold Ex2 at time Ta, the increase in exposure becomes more gradual compared to conventional methods, as shown in waveform 301. This makes it possible to extend the time to reach the standard exposure level Ex1 from time Tb to time Tc. If the period from time T0, when the exhibition starts, to time Tc exceeds one year, it becomes possible to ensure that the standard exposure level is not exceeded throughout the year, thus enabling continuous exhibition. Furthermore, when using the management device 10, the exhibition period is dynamically determined according to the visitor status and observation conditions of each exhibit. The cumulative exposure amount can also be adjusted to always ensure it does not exceed the standard exposure amount by determining whether it exceeds the standard exposure amount over a certain period in the past (for example, one year). Therefore, by managing the exposure amount so that it does not exceed the standard exposure amount, it becomes possible to continuously exhibit exhibits, eliminating the need to change exhibits due to exposure levels. This allows for the management of exhibits while reducing the effort required for changing them.

[0032] The determination unit 104 determines whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold value, which is lower than the reference exposure amount, which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for a specified period for the exhibited items in the exhibition area. The threshold value may be stored in advance in the storage unit 102. The threshold value may also be stored in the storage unit 102 by being input from the terminal device 20 by a museum staff member.

[0033] When the determination unit 104 determines that the exposure amount has reached a threshold, the dimming unit 105 dims the lighting device L to reduce the exposure amount. When dimming the lighting device L, the dimming unit 105 may dim the lighting device L by reducing the illuminance of the lighting device L, or by shortening the period during which the lighting device L is turned on.

[0034] The output unit 106 outputs an alert signal when the exposure amount reaches the threshold. The output unit 106 may output an alert signal to a terminal device 20 used by an administrator managing the exhibition area.

[0035] The control unit 107 controls each part of the management device 10.

[0036] Such a lighting management system S can be used in museums where materials of various materials are exhibited or stored. It can understand the material and characteristics of the materials, and for each material, it can count the illuminance and lighting time during the exhibit based on the exhibit location and standard exposure level. It can then calculate and visualize the remaining lighting time relative to the standard exposure level of each material, and manage the lighting so that it does not exceed a certain exposure level. Furthermore, if a certain exposure level (e.g., a threshold) is exceeded, the lighting management system S can notify the exhibitor to replace the exhibited material via an alert and can also adjust the lighting.

[0037] The communication unit 101, exposure amount calculation unit 103, determination unit 104, dimming unit 105, output unit 106, and control unit 107 of the management device 10 may be composed of a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a dedicated electronic circuit. Furthermore, the management device 10 may be composed of a single computer, and at least one of the functions included in the management device 10 (for example, the exposure amount calculation unit 103, the determination unit 104, the dimming unit 105, the output unit 106, and the control unit 107) may be provided on a server device connected to the management device 10 via a communication network. Thus, the management device 10 may be a physical server or a cloud server provided by a cloud computing service.

[0038] Next, we will explain the operation of the lighting management system S described above. Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control device 10. The control unit 107 of the management device 10 stores management data in the storage unit 102 based on the content of the operation input from the terminal device 20. After the exhibition area TA is opened, the control unit 107 of the management device 10 receives the detection results from the sensor SE and turns on the light source of the lighting device L at a predetermined brightness (e.g., 50 Lx) if a visitor is present in the exhibition area TA, and turns off the light source of the lighting device L if no visitor is present in the exhibition area TA. The control unit 107 uses the sensor SE to detect whether or not a visitor is present at regular intervals (e.g., every few seconds). This on / off control of the light source of the lighting device L based on the detection results from the sensor SE is performed continuously while the exhibition is running.

[0039] The exposure amount calculation unit 103 detects whether or not the lighting device L is lit (step S101). If the lighting device L is turned off (step S101-NO), the exposure amount calculation unit 103 executes the process of step S101 again after a certain waiting time has elapsed. On the other hand, if the lighting device L is lit (step S101-YES), the exposure amount calculation unit 103 calculates the exposure amount based on the illuminance and lighting time, and stores the obtained exposure amount in the storage unit 102 (step S103). Here, the exposure amount calculation unit 103 counts the lighting time and stores the exposure amount based on the cumulative count value and the illuminance of the lighting in the storage unit 102.

[0040] Once the exposure amount is calculated, the determination unit 104 determines whether or not the exposure amount has reached a threshold (step S104). If it is determined that the exposure amount has not reached a threshold (step S104-NO), the control unit 107 proceeds to step S101. On the other hand, if it is determined that the exposure amount has reached a threshold (step S104-YES), the output unit 106 causes the terminal device 20 to send an alert signal via the communication unit 101 along with the section ID in which the exposure amount has reached the threshold (step S105). As a result, a message indicating which section's exposure amount has reached the threshold is displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 20. Here, the output unit 106 may also include a message prompting a change of exhibit in the alert signal output to the terminal device 20. In this case, the display screen of the terminal device 20 will show which section's exposure amount has reached the threshold, as well as a message prompting a change of exhibit. The museum staff (e.g., curators) check the message displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 20 and take various actions to replace the exhibited material with another material in the collection.

[0041] Furthermore, when it is determined that the exposure amount has reached a threshold, the dimming unit 105 dims the light (step S106). This dimming may involve, for example, changing the set illuminance of the lighting device L from 50 Lx to 40 Lx (or 35 Lx, etc.), or shortening the time the lighting device L is on. Shortening the on time may also involve shortening the time interval at which the control unit 107 acquires the detection result of the sensor SE. Shortening the time interval at which the sensor SE acquires the detection result allows for quick detection of visitors leaving the exhibition area TA and shortens the time until the light source of the lighting device L is turned off, thereby reducing the instances where the lighting device L is on even when there are no visitors.

[0042] Figure 6 shows an example of the content displayed on the display screen of the terminal device 20. The display screen 600 shows an image 601 that allows the user to understand the arrangement of multiple materials displayed in the exhibition area TA. The display screen 600 also shows status data that allows the user to understand the exposure status of the materials. For example, status data 611 is displayed near material 610, and status data 621 is displayed near material 620. Status data 611 and 621 each include the name of the document, the set illuminance, the reference exposure amount, and the remaining exposure time (remaining illumination time). This status data, along with an alert signal, is transmitted from the output unit 106 of the management device 10 to the terminal device 20 and displayed. The illumination time may be determined by the exposure amount calculation unit 103 by dividing the difference between the reference exposure amount and the exposure amount by the set illuminance. The set illuminance used to determine the illumination time may be the currently set illuminance.

[0043] The available illumination time can be determined by calculating the time it takes to reach a standard exposure level, based on the trend of changes in exposure levels from the start date and time of the exhibition to the present, assuming continued exposure. The available illumination time may be calculated by the control unit 107 and transmitted to the terminal device 20.

[0044] Museum staff can refer to the status data displayed on the terminal device 20 to understand the exposure status of the materials, and also consider the remaining exposure time to determine when to swap the exhibited materials with those stored in the storage area SA. Furthermore, this status data may be displayed only for materials to which an alert signal has been sent, or, regardless of an alert signal, the output unit 106 of the management device 10 may transmit the name of the material, the set illuminance, the reference exposure amount, and the remaining exposure time for each material to the terminal device 20 at regular intervals for display.

[0045] According to the embodiment described above, when the exposure amount corresponding to the lighting time and the illuminance reaches a certain exposure amount (e.g., a threshold) relative to the reference exposure amount, a message based on an alert signal is displayed on the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 that outputs this alert may be a smartphone used by a museum staff member, or it may be an external monitor installed in the museum's control room. Furthermore, the message output may not only be displayed on the screen, but may also be output by voice, or it may be notified via email or a messaging app to terminal devices connected to the management device 10 via a network, or it may be linked with external devices or services via an API (Application Programming Interface).

[0046] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when the exposure amount approaches the standard exposure amount, not only is an alert displayed and notification made, but the lighting device L is also automatically dimmed to reduce its illuminance. This prevents the exposure amount from reaching the standard exposure amount before the scheduled end time of the exhibition. Alternatively, if there is a possibility that the exposure amount will exceed the standard exposure amount, instead of reducing the illuminance, the lighting in that section may be completely turned off.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the set illuminance and standard exposure amount may be entered by a museum staff member via the input screen of the terminal device 20, either by inputting a numerical value or selecting a numerical value, and stored in the memory unit 102. Alternatively, by selecting the material of the exhibit from a pull-down menu displayed on the input screen of the terminal device 20, preset recommended values ​​for each exhibit may be written to the management data as the set illuminance.

[0048] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the management device 10 may be equipped with a machine learning function to generate a trained model by learning the frequency and trends of viewing, and by inputting the exposure amount from the current exhibition start date and time into the trained model, it may predict when the standard exposure amount will be reached and change the timing of issuing an alert (change the threshold), or it may adjust the lighting to reduce the illumination based on the prediction result so as not to reach the standard exposure amount, thereby leveling out the exposure amount.

[0049] ≪Second Embodiment≫ Although the lighting management system S in the above-described embodiment was described as being used in an environment where ambient light does not reach the exhibition area TA, it may also be used in an environment where ambient light does reach. Figure 7 shows the configuration of the lighting management system Sa when the lighting environment of the exhibition area is affected by external light. External light reaching the exhibition area TA includes, for example, sunlight (700) and light (710) from electronic devices such as signage installed in the surrounding area (SN). In the first embodiment described above, we explained the case where the exhibition area TA is in an environment less affected by ambient light. However, in some museums, the exhibition area TA may be installed in an environment affected by ambient light. For example, in the case of a building designed and constructed as a museum, it is possible to design and construct the exhibition area TA in advance to be in an environment less affected by ambient light. However, there are cases where a building was constructed without the intention of being used as a museum and is later used as one. In such cases, it may be difficult to install the exhibition area TA in an area unaffected by ambient light. Therefore, in the case of a display storage area, the exhibition area TA may be in a situation where it is exposed to ambient light. Also, depending on the materials' light resistance and the museum's exhibition method, the exhibition area TA may be installed in an environment with a certain degree of brightness in order to beautifully display the colors and textures of the materials or to reproduce the colors and textures intended by the creators.

[0050] The lighting management system Sa includes a management device 10a, multiple lighting devices L (e.g., lighting devices L1, L2, L3, etc.), multiple illuminance sensors IS (e.g., illuminance sensors IS1, IS2, IS3, etc.), a terminal device 20, and a light-shielding device SH.

[0051] The control device 10a is connected to multiple lighting devices L (L1, L2, L3), etc., and multiple illuminance sensors IS (IS1, IS2, IS3) in a way that allows them to communicate with each other. The illuminance sensors IS (IS1, IS2, IS3) detect the brightness of light that includes at least one of the following: the light illuminating the exhibition area where the stored items are displayed by the lighting device L, and the external light reaching the exhibition area from a light source other than the lighting device L. The external light may be natural light, light from a lighting device other than the lighting device L installed in the exhibition area TA (such as a lighting device installed in the corridor, a lighting device installed on the ceiling, or a lighting device installed in a room near the storage room). A single illuminance sensor may be provided, or multiple illuminance sensors IS may be provided at different locations near the exhibition area TA. In this case, an illuminance sensor IS may be provided for each section, and each section may be configured to detect its own illuminance.

[0052] Here, each section of the exhibition area TA is equipped with one lighting device and one illuminance sensor. More specifically, the section where material M1 is displayed is equipped with lighting device L1 and illuminance sensor IS1. Lighting device L1 illuminates the section where material M1 is displayed, and illuminance sensor IS1 detects the brightness in the vicinity of the section where material M1 is displayed. Similarly, the section where material M3 is displayed is equipped with lighting device L3 and illuminance sensor IS3. Lighting device L3 illuminates the section where material M3 is displayed, and illuminance sensor IS3 detects the brightness in the vicinity of the section where material M3 is displayed.

[0053] Shading equipment SH refers to equipment that can block external light, such as blinds and curtains. In recent years, such shading equipment, such as blinds and curtains, can be automatically controlled by building management systems. By using shading equipment with such control functions in the lighting management system Sa, the shading equipment SH is controlled based on control signals from the management device 10a.

[0054] Figure 8 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the control device 10a. In the control device 10a, the same reference numerals are used for functions similar to those of the control device 10 shown in Figure 2, and their descriptions are omitted. Functions that are different from those of the control device 10a will be described. The exposure amount calculation unit 103a determines the exposure amount based on the exposure time, which is due to at least one of illumination from the lighting device L or ambient light, and the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor. The exposure amount calculation unit 103a may also determine the exposure amount by integrating the exposure time and the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor.

[0055] The determination unit 104a determines whether the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor exceeds the recommended illuminance for the exhibited items in the exhibition area. The determination unit 104a may also have the functions of the determination unit 104 described above. The dimming unit 105a may dim the lighting device L based on the determination result of the determination unit 104a if the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor exceeds the recommended illuminance. For example, if the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor exceeds the recommended illuminance, and dimming without driving the shielding equipment SH prevents the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor from exceeding the recommended illuminance, the dimming unit 105a may only perform dimming. Furthermore, if dimming alone would exceed the recommended illuminance, the dimming unit 105a may drive the shielding equipment SH. Alternatively, it may drive the shielding equipment SH and dim the light. Furthermore, the dimming unit 105a may be configured to dim when an alert signal is output.

[0056] The output unit 106 may also output an alert signal if the illuminance based on the detection result obtained from the illuminance sensor IS exceeds the recommended illuminance.

[0057] The prediction unit 108 predicts when the brightness based on the detection result of the illuminance sensor IS and the exposure amount based on the exposure time will reach the reference exposure amount.

[0058] The shielding control unit 109 outputs a control signal to the shielding equipment SH when it is predicted that the exposure amount will reach a standard exposure amount within a certain period of time, thereby driving the shielding equipment SH and shielding the exhibition area from external light with a shielding object. The certain period of time may be any period, but for example, it may be set to one year. Furthermore, the shielding control unit 109 activates the shielding equipment SH when the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor exceeds the recommended illuminance according to the nature and characteristics of the materials, thereby shielding the exhibition area from outside light. Figure 9 shows the state in which the shading device SH is deployed. For example, if the shading device SH is a blind, the blind is lowered and the angle of the flap is changed so that it is difficult for outside light to reach the area, thereby blocking the light. If the shading device SH is a curtain, the curtain is driven to close, thereby blocking the light. By blocking external light in this way, the amount of ambient light (in this case, sunlight at 700) reaching the exhibited materials in the TA exhibition area can be reduced, and the time it takes for the exposure to reach the standard exposure level can be extended. Furthermore, if the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor exceeds the recommended illuminance level, the shielding device SH is activated to block out external light, thereby preventing the illuminance from exceeding the recommended level. In this case, if the illuminance of the light source SN of electronic devices such as signage is set to be sufficiently lower than the illuminance of the lighting device L, the impact on the materials in the exhibition area TA will be minimal. In that case, it is not necessary to provide shading equipment SH to block the light reaching the exhibition area TA from the electronic devices SN, but if the impact of the light reaching the exhibition area TA from the electronic devices SN is to be considered, shading equipment SH may be provided.

[0059] In this type of lighting management system Sa, museum staff input information about the materials of the exhibits to be displayed in the exhibition area TA, as well as the sections in which they will be displayed, via the terminal device 20 before the exhibition begins. Based on this, the control unit 107 stores this data as management data in the storage unit 102, based on the information input from the terminal device 20. The exposure amount calculation unit 103a calculates the available illumination time for each section by dividing the difference between the reference exposure amount and the exposure amount by the current set illuminance. The control unit 107 may output the calculated available illumination time to the terminal device 20 to display the available illumination time for each section. The determination unit 104 determines whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold set relative to the reference exposure amount. If the exposure amount has reached the threshold, the output unit 106 causes an alert signal to be sent to the terminal device 20.

[0060] Furthermore, when the exposure level reaches a threshold, the shielding control unit 109 outputs a control signal to the shielding equipment SH, thereby driving the shielding device SH to block external light from reaching the exhibition area. This reduces the amount of external light reaching the exhibition area TA after the exposure level exceeds the threshold, preventing the exposure level from reaching the standard exposure level before the scheduled end time of the exhibition. In addition, when the exposure level reaches a threshold, the dimming unit 105 may lower the set illuminance. In this way, the brightness of each section, including ambient light, is measured by its respective illuminance sensors IS (IS1, IS2, IS3), making it possible to constantly monitor the illuminance, including ambient light, near the exhibits and the lighting time of the lighting devices L (L1, L2, L3). Furthermore, even when exhibiting exhibits in environments where they reach the exhibition area TA, dimming or shading can be performed according to the exposure conditions, reducing deterioration and damage caused by light.

[0061] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the sensor SE of the first embodiment may be provided. When the sensor SE is provided, the lighting management system S turns off the lighting device L and drives the shielding equipment SH to block out ambient light when the sensor SE detects that there are no visitors near the exhibition area TA. Alternatively, when the lighting management system S detects that there are visitors near the exhibition area TA using the sensor SE, it may turn on the lighting device L to illuminate at a set illuminance and drive the shielding equipment SH to prevent blocking out ambient light. In addition, when the shielding equipment SH is driven to prevent blocking out ambient light, the exposure amount may be determined based on the brightness detected by the illuminance sensor near the area where the exhibited materials are displayed and the exposure time, and if it is predicted that the exposure amount will reach a standard exposure amount within a certain period, the shielding equipment SH may be driven to block out ambient light from the exhibition area with a shield.

[0062] In the second embodiment, the determination unit 104 may predict whether the exposure amount is likely to reach a standard exposure amount within a certain period (for example, within one year) based on the detection results of the illuminance sensors IS installed at each exhibition location and the illuminance of natural light according to the weather based on information obtained from external services such as weather forecasts. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the dimming unit 105 may be configured to dim the light until closing time for the day when the exposure amount approaches the standard exposure amount (when the exposure amount reaches a threshold). This makes it possible to continue the exhibition until closing time, and to carry out various measures such as changing exhibits during closing time. Furthermore, the dimming unit 105 may dim the light when the exposure amount approaches the standard exposure amount (when the exposure amount reaches a threshold) until the next period for changing the exhibit arrives. This makes it possible to maintain the exhibit until the next exhibit change, and the exhibit change can be performed when the time for changing the exhibit arrives. Furthermore, the dimming unit 105 may dim the lights until the next time the exhibit can be changed, and during the dimming process, if the exposure amount exceeds the standard exposure amount, the lighting device L may be turned off.

[0063] ≪How to determine the threshold≫ Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the threshold value may be determined by the following method (A).

[0064] <(A): Situation of museum staff> The control unit 107 may determine a threshold based on the period during which museum staff can change the exhibits displayed in the exhibition area and the degree of exposure, so that an alert is output before the changeover period, and write the threshold to the storage unit 102. For example, the management device 10 obtains from the terminal device 20 or the like the dates on which museum staff can change exhibits. The dates on which exhibit changes can be made can include the museum's closing days, the period during which the exhibit change is scheduled, etc.

[0065] ≪How to change the brightness setting≫ In the first and second embodiments described above, when dimming, the choice of which illuminance setting to change to, and the resulting illuminance setting, may be determined by the method described in (B1) below.

[0066] <(B1): When using AI (Artificial Intelligence)> The dimming unit 105 may predict when the standard exposure level will be reached based on the arrival status (frequency and trend) of visitors coming to the exhibition area, and determine the threshold based on the predicted result. For example, the prediction unit 108 of the management device 10 may generate a trained model by training a learning device with data representing the visitor status of past visitors to the exhibition area (data showing the number of visitors for each day since the start of the exhibition) and data showing the relationship between the exposure amount for each day since the start of the exhibition as training data. The control unit 107 may then input the number of days since the start of the exhibition and the number of visitors into the generated trained model to obtain the future exposure amount and predict when the exposure amount will reach a standard exposure amount. Furthermore, if the predicted future exposure amount will reach the standard exposure amount before a certain period (e.g., one year), the control unit 107 may determine a threshold so that an alert is output before the predicted exposure amount reaches the standard exposure amount. Furthermore, if it is predicted that the predicted future exposure amount will reach the standard exposure amount before a certain period (for example, one year), the dimming unit 105 may change to lower the set illuminance according to the predicted exposure amount, thereby leveling out the exposure amount and preventing it from increasing. Furthermore, the learning method used by the learning device may be any of the following: machine learning, deep learning, etc.

[0067] Furthermore, the control device 10 may use a learning function to determine the set illuminance. For example, the control device 10 may predict a set illuminance such that the exposure amount does not exceed a standard exposure amount during the exhibition period, and turn on the light source of the lighting device L based on the predicted set illuminance. This makes it possible to suppress the illuminance from the lighting device L and level it out during the exhibition period.

[0068] In the first and second embodiments described above, the lighting management system S was described as being used for a "display storage facility" that has an exhibition function. However, it may also be used for lighting equipment in general storage facilities that are solely for preservation and management and do not have an exhibition function. In storage facilities that are solely for preservation and management, lighting is not used for exhibition purposes, but curators and others may turn on the lights to check and manage the materials.

[0069] Furthermore, according to the first and second embodiments described above, the workload of curators can be reduced in museums, art galleries, etc., by automatically managing the lighting for exhibited and stored materials. In addition, strict control of lighting can suppress deterioration and damage to materials. Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the light source of the lighting device is turned off when there are no visitors in the display storage area, thus avoiding the lighting in the storage area being on at all times. Also, by dimming the light when there is a possibility of reaching the standard exposure level, the possibility of deterioration such as deformation, discoloration, and fading of colored parts of the materials can be reduced. In addition, since the dimming of the lighting device that illuminates the materials and the output of alert signals to the terminal device 20 can be performed, the management burden on museum staff such as curators can be reduced, thus reducing the management burden in museums where there is a shortage of curators.

[0070] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, if a certain level of brightness is required to perform various management tasks on materials in the storage facility, the lighting device L may be turned on to an illuminance appropriate for the task (e.g., 500 Lx) that is higher than the set illuminance. In this case, the exposure amount calculation unit 103 may calculate the exposure amount to include the exposure amount resulting from turning on the lighting device L at an illuminance appropriate for the task. This makes it possible to manage the exposure amount so as not to exceed the standard exposure amount, taking into account the amount of exposure in situations different from those of exhibition.

[0071] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the exhibition period may be taken into consideration. For example, when the dimming unit 105 adjusts the dimming in response to the exposure reaching a standard exposure, it changes the set illuminance to a lower value. In this case, the changed set illuminance may be predetermined or determined on a case-by-case basis. If determined on a case-by-case basis, for example, the dimming unit 105 changes the set illuminance to such a value that the exposure does not exceed the standard exposure by the end of the planned exhibition period, based on the exposure since the start of the exhibition of the collection, the remaining exhibition period during which the collection will be displayed in the exhibition area, and the standard exposure. For example, the dimming unit 105 may use the value obtained by calculating the difference between the standard exposure and the exposure and dividing it by the exhibition time until the end of the exhibition period as the set illuminance. This ensures that the longer the remaining exhibition period when the exposure reaches the standard exposure, the lower the set illuminance will be compared to the set illuminance before the exposure reached the standard exposure, and the shorter the remaining exhibition period, the lower the set illuminance will be compared to the set illuminance before the exposure reached the standard exposure.

[0072] For example, if there are only a few days left in the exhibition period and the exposure has reached 80% of the standard exposure, the set illuminance can be halved. If there is only one day left in the exhibition period and the exposure has reached 80% of the standard exposure, the set illuminance can be maintained or slightly reduced (10%, 20%, etc.). Such changes to the set illumination level may be updated at regular intervals after the exposure reaches the standard exposure level. For example, if the frequency of visitor attendance does not fluctuate much and remains relatively constant, the rate at which the exposure accumulates can be estimated (predicted), so the interval for changing the set illumination level may be made somewhat longer. On the other hand, if the frequency of visitor attendance fluctuates greatly, the rate at which the exposure accumulates is difficult to estimate (predict), so the interval for changing the set illumination level may be made shorter. Furthermore, if the number of visitors is high on certain days of the week, the set illumination level may be determined according to the number of times and timing of those days of the week that will occur during the remaining exhibition period.

[0073] The management device 10 in the above-described embodiment may be implemented using a computer. In that case, the program for implementing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Moreover, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside a computer system that acts as a server or client in such cases. Furthermore, the above-mentioned program may be for implementing a part of the above-mentioned function, or it may be a program that can implement the above-mentioned function in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or it may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0074] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 10,10a Management device 20 Terminal devices 101 Communications Department 102 Storage section 103,103a Exposure amount calculation unit 104 Judgment section 105 Dimming section 106 Output section 107 Control Unit 108 Prediction Section 109 Shielding Control Unit DS display shelf Ex1 Reference exposure Ex2 threshold IS1, IS2, IS3 Illuminance Sensors L1,L2,L3 lighting equipment SE Sensor S,Sa Lighting Management System SA Storage Area SH shielding device SN electronic equipment SR Storage TA Exhibition Area

Claims

1. An exposure calculation unit that determines the amount of exposure based on the exposure time and illuminance of the exhibition area where the stored items are displayed, illuminated by a lighting device, A determination unit that determines whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold value that is lower than the standard exposure amount, which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for a specified period for the exhibited items in the aforementioned exhibition area, Output unit that outputs an alert signal when the exposure amount reaches the threshold. A lighting management system having

2. An illuminance sensor that detects the brightness of light including at least one of the following: light illuminating the exhibition area where the collection is displayed by a lighting device, and external light reaching the exhibition area from a light source other than the lighting device. A determination unit that determines whether the illuminance, based on the detection results obtained from the illuminance sensor, exceeds the recommended illuminance for the exhibited items in the aforementioned exhibition area, The output unit outputs an alert signal when the illuminance based on the detection results exceeds the recommended illuminance. A lighting management system having

3. An exposure amount calculation unit that determines the amount of exposure based on the exposure time, which is exposed by at least one of the illumination from the lighting device or the external light, and the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor, The exhibition area has a determination unit that determines whether or not the exposure amount has reached a threshold value that is lower than the standard exposure amount, which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for a specified period for the exhibited items. The output unit outputs an alert signal when the exposure amount reaches the threshold. The lighting management system according to claim 2.

4. When the aforementioned alert signal is output, the dimming unit dims the lighting device to reduce the exposure amount. A lighting management system according to claim 1 or claim 3, having the following features.

5. The dimming unit is The lighting is dimmed by reducing the illuminance of the lighting device or by shortening the period during which the lighting device is turned on. The lighting management system according to claim 4.

6. A prediction unit predicts whether the exposure amount, based on the brightness detected by the illuminance sensor and the exposure time, will reach the reference exposure amount. Based on the predicted prediction results, if it is predicted that the exposure amount will reach the standard exposure amount within the predetermined period, a shielding control unit is provided to shield the exhibition area from external light using a shielding object. A lighting management system according to claim 3, having the following features.

7. The output unit is, The alert signal is output to a terminal device used by the administrator managing the exhibition area. The lighting management system according to claim 1.

8. A lighting management method performed by a computer, The amount of exposure is determined based on the exposure time and illuminance of the exhibition area where the collection is displayed, illuminated by the lighting equipment. For the exhibited items in the aforementioned exhibition area, it is determined whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold value that is lower than the standard exposure amount, which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for a specified period. An alert signal is output when the exposure amount reaches the threshold. A lighting management method that includes the following.

9. A lighting management method performed by a computer, The brightness of the light, which includes at least one of the following: the light illuminating the exhibition area where the collected items are displayed by the lighting device, and the external light reaching the exhibition area from a light source other than the lighting device, is detected by an illuminance sensor. The system determines whether the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor exceeds the recommended illuminance for the exhibited items in the aforementioned exhibition area. If the illuminance based on the detection results exceeds the recommended illuminance, an alert signal will be output. A lighting management method that includes the following.

10. The amount of exposure is determined based on the exposure time, which is exposed by at least one of the illumination provided by the lighting device or the external light, and the illuminance obtained from the illuminance sensor. This includes determining whether the exposure amount has reached a threshold value that is lower than the reference exposure amount, which is the upper limit of the exposure amount for a specified period for the exhibited items in the aforementioned exhibition area. Outputting the alert signal includes outputting an alert signal when the exposure amount reaches the threshold. The lighting control method according to claim 9.

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