Lighting equipment, lighting control equipment

Abstract

The present invention provides a lighting device that can illuminate an object by adjusting the brightness and darkness with a desired resolution. [Solution] The lighting device comprises a control unit that determines a control value corresponding to a dimming value by referring to the correspondence between a dimming value for adjusting the brightness of light emitted from a light source and a control value corresponding to the dimming value, and a drive unit that generates a drive signal based on the control value determined by the control unit and supplies it to the light source. The correspondence includes a first correspondence between a dimming value having a first setting resolution and a control value associated with the dimming value having the first setting resolution, and a second correspondence between a dimming value having a second setting resolution different from the first setting resolution and a control value associated with the dimming value having the second setting resolution, wherein the second correspondence is generated based on the first correspondence, and the control unit selects either the first correspondence or the second correspondence to determine the control value corresponding to the dimming value.

Claims

1. A storage unit that stores the correspondence between a dimming value for adjusting the brightness of light emitted from a light source and a control value corresponding to the dimming value, A control unit that determines a control value corresponding to the dimming value by referring to the aforementioned correspondence relationship, The drive unit generates a current having a current value corresponding to a control value determined by the control unit and supplies it to the light source, The dimming value includes a first dimming value having a first resolution for specifying the brightness of light, and a second dimming value having a second resolution different from the first resolution for specifying the brightness of light. The control value includes a first control value associated with the first dimming value and a second control value associated with the second dimming value. The control unit selectively switches between a first correspondence relationship, in which the correspondence between the first dimming value and the first control value is determined according to brightness, and a second correspondence relationship, in which the correspondence between the second dimming value and the second control value is determined according to brightness, and determines the control value. The correspondence described in the second above is: The process involves calculating the darkest current value within a predetermined brightness range by referring to the correspondence between the first dimming value and the current value which is pre-associated with the first dimming value to satisfy a linear relationship with the first dimming value, and also calculating the brightest current value within the predetermined brightness range. A process of associating the darkest current value with a second darkest dimming value for specifying the darkest within the predetermined brightness range, and associating the brightest current value with a second brightest dimming value for specifying the brightest within the predetermined brightness range, A process of associating the minimum current value determined by the specifications of the light source with the minimum control value usable by the control unit, associating the maximum current value determined by the specifications of the light source with the maximum control value usable by the control unit, and determining the correspondence between the current value and the second control value such that the current value and the second control value satisfy a linear relationship. A process to calculate a second darkest control value corresponding to the darkest current value by referring to the correspondence between the current value and the second control value, and to calculate a second brightest control value corresponding to the brightest current value, A process for determining a second correspondence relationship that shows the correspondence between the second dimming value and the second control value, by associating the second dimming value with the second dimming control value and associating the second brightest dimming value with the second brightest dimming control value, such that the second dimming value and the second control value satisfy a linear relationship. A lighting device, predetermined by [something].

2. A storage unit that stores the correspondence between a dimming value for adjusting the brightness of light emitted from a light source and a control value corresponding to the dimming value, A control unit that determines a control value corresponding to the dimming value by referring to the aforementioned correspondence relationship, The drive unit generates a current having a current value corresponding to a control value determined by the control unit and supplies it to the light source, The dimming value includes a first dimming value having a first resolution for specifying the brightness of light, and a second dimming value having a second resolution different from the first resolution for specifying the brightness of light. The control value includes a first control value associated with the first dimming value and a second control value associated with the second dimming value. The control unit, A narrow-range correspondence relationship in which the correspondence between the first dimming value and the first control value is defined according to brightness, comprising a plurality of narrow-range correspondence relationships corresponding to each of a plurality of different narrow-range brightness ranges, A wide-area correspondence relationship in which the correspondence between the second dimming value and the second control value is defined according to brightness, wherein the wide-area correspondence relationship has a wide-area brightness range that includes all regions of the multiple narrow-area brightness ranges which are different from each other, Selectively switch between them and determine the control value, The aforementioned wide-area correspondence is, A process to calculate the darkest current value among the multiple narrow ranges of brightness and darkness, and to calculate the brightest current value for each of the multiple narrow ranges of brightness and darkness, by referring to a first dimming value and current value that shows the correspondence between the first dimming value and the current value that is pre-associated with the first dimming value to satisfy a linear relationship with respect to the first dimming value, A process to determine the correspondence between the second dimming value and the current value, which involves associating the darkest current value with a second dimming value for specifying the darkest of the multiple narrow ranges of brightness and darkness, and associating the brightest current value with a second dimming value for specifying the brightest of the multiple narrow ranges of brightness and darkness, and determining the correspondence between the second dimming value and the current value. For each of the aforementioned multiple narrow ranges of light and dark, a process is performed to determine the correspondence between the current value and the second control value such that the current value and the second control value satisfy a linear relationship, by associating the minimum current value determined by the specifications of the light source with the minimum control value usable by the control unit, and associating the maximum current value determined by the specifications of the light source with the maximum control value usable by the control unit, For each of the aforementioned multiple narrow ranges of brightness and darkness, the process involves calculating a second darkest control value corresponding to the darkest current value by referring to the correspondence between the current value and the second control value, and calculating a second brightest control value corresponding to the brightest current value. A process to determine the wide-area correspondence relationship, which shows the correspondence between the second dimming value and the second control value, by associating the second darkest dimming value with the second darkest control value and associating the second brightest dimming value with the second brightest control value for each of the multiple narrow ranges of brightness and darkness, such that the second dimming value and the second control value satisfy a linear relationship, A lighting device, predetermined by [something].

3. A storage unit that stores the correspondence between a dimming value for adjusting the brightness of light emitted from a light source and a control value corresponding to the dimming value, A control unit that determines a control value corresponding to the dimming value by referring to the aforementioned correspondence relationship, The drive unit generates a current having a current value corresponding to a control value determined by the control unit and supplies it to the light source, The dimming value includes a first dimming value having a first resolution for specifying the brightness of light, and a second dimming value having a second resolution different from the first resolution for specifying the brightness of light. The control value includes a first control value associated with the first dimming value and a second control value associated with the second dimming value. The aforementioned storage unit is A narrow-range correspondence relationship in which the correspondence relationship between the first dimming value and the first control value is determined according to brightness, comprising a plurality of narrow-range correspondence relationships corresponding to each of a plurality of different narrow-range brightness ranges, The correspondence between the second dimming value and the second control value is defined according to the brightness, for each of the plurality of narrow brightness ranges, and the wide-area correspondence relationship having a wide brightness range that includes all of the plurality of narrow brightness ranges is stored as the correspondence relationship. The aforementioned drive unit is A plurality of maximum current value defining units that define the maximum current value that can be supplied to the light source, corresponding to each of the plurality of narrow-range correspondences, It has a selection unit that selects one of the multiple maximum current value defining units, The control unit, In accordance with the second dimming value, the selection unit is made to select one of the multiple maximum current value defining units, A lighting device that, according to the second dimming value, selects a correspondence relationship for a narrow range of brightness and darkness from among the wide-area correspondence relationships.

4. Each of the aforementioned narrow ranges of brightness and darkness has a darkest dimming value, a brightest dimming value, and at least one intermediate dimming value between the darkest dimming value and the brightest dimming value. The control unit controls each of the plurality of narrow areas of light and dark, The range of brightness from the darkest dimming value to the intermediate dimming value is defined as a single narrow range of brightness. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the range of brightness from the intermediate dimming value to the darkest dimming value is defined as another narrow range of brightness, and the wide-area correspondence is determined accordingly.

5. The minimum current value determined by the specifications of the light source is less than or equal to the current value for the darkest setting. The maximum current value determined by the specifications of the light source is greater than or equal to the current value of the most bright light source. The minimum control value usable by the control unit is less than or equal to the second darkest control value. The lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maximum control value usable by the control unit is greater than or equal to the second brightest control value.

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