Dimming method and dimming system using a single dimmer

Abstract

A single dimmer allows the operator to intuitively and easily switch between multiple functions, including dimming and color temperature adjustment. [Solution] The system comprises a single dimmer C3 and a control device L. The dimmer C3 includes an adjustment mechanism D3 and a switch S3 for turning the power on and off. The control device L includes a microcontroller M programmed with multiple adjustment items, including dimming and color adjustment, related to the light-emitting element E and its light emission. The microcontroller M detects the output signal from a predetermined on / off operation of the switch S3 to set the adjustment items, and the microcontroller M detects the operation value of the adjustment mechanism to adjust the light emission state of the light-emitting element E according to the set adjustment items. The adjustment items may include the fluctuation period of the brightness and darkness of the light emission of the light-emitting element E, and the fluctuation range of the brightness and darkness. The microcontroller M may be programmed to reset the adjustment items to dimming, or to blink the light emission of the light-emitting element E when setting or resetting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dimming method and a dimming system. In particular, it relates to a dimming method and a dimming system using a single dimmer having a function of adjusting two or more dimming items for one dimmer.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in the emission of various colors of light, the development and improvement of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have advanced. In the control of LED lighting, not only the dimming function of adjusting the brightness of illumination light but also the color adjustment function of adjusting the color tone of illumination light has attracted attention.

[0003] The adjustment of the brightness of illumination light and the color tone of illumination light is usually performed through a dimmer (dimming controller) attached so as to be embedded in the inner wall surface. When performing adjustment operations for two items of dimming and color adjustment by the dimmer, two systems of input from the dimmer are required, and it was common to install a plurality of dimmers. Therefore, there was a problem that the wiring of the dimmer became complicated and the installation space for the dimmer was also required for a plurality of them.

[0004] To solve this problem, a dimmer (dimming controller) has been proposed that provides an adjustment mechanism having a slider and a dial function for one dimmer, and assigns the dimming function to the slider and the color adjustment function to the dial (Patent Document 1). In addition, a dimming and color adjustment control device having a plurality of functions has been proposed by continuously rotating one dial of one dimmer in the forward and reverse directions and switching between the dimming operation state and the dimming and color adjustment operation state according to the number of times the index of the dial reciprocates in a certain section (Patent Document 2).

[0005] However, the dimming controller in Patent Document 1 relies on two mechanical means, a slider and a knob, for dimming and color tuning functions, respectively. In principle, it is still a dimmer that requires two input systems, and the problem of complex wiring remains. Furthermore, there were limitations to miniaturizing the controller, particularly from the standpoint of ensuring the sliding range of motion of the slider. In addition, the dimming and color tuning control device in Patent Document 2 relies on an analog method that associates the switching of the operating state with the continuous rotation of a dial in the forward and reverse directions. This requires the operator to become accustomed to visually observing the dial or to the feel of rotating it with their fingertips, making it difficult to intuitively confirm the completion of the operation. Moreover, the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are limited to dimming and color tuning as adjustment items. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-171179 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-91614 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Against this backdrop, the inventors have developed a dimming method and dimming system that allows operators to intuitively switch between multiple operation items such as dimming and color adjustment, compared to conventional dimmers (dimming controllers), and that can also be equipped with multi-functional adjustment functions not limited to dimming and color adjustment, thereby achieving advanced functionality, miniaturization, and simplified wiring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The dimming method of the present invention is a method using a single dimmer and control device, wherein the dimmer comprises an adjustment mechanism and a switch for turning the power on and off, and the control device comprises a light-emitting element and a microcontroller programmed with a plurality of adjustment items including dimming and color adjustment related to the light emission of the light-emitting element, the operator performs a predetermined on / off operation using the switch, the microcontroller detects the output signal from the on / off operation to set the adjustment items, the operator performs an adjustment operation on the adjustment mechanism, the microcontroller detects the operation value from the adjustment operation to adjust the light emission state of the light-emitting element according to the set adjustment items. Here, the term "control device" in the present invention includes a dimming driver or a DC power supply device.

[0009] The dimming system of the present invention is a system comprising a single dimmer and a control device, wherein the dimmer comprises an adjustment mechanism and a switch for turning the power on and off, and the control device comprises a light-emitting element and a microcontroller programmed with a plurality of adjustment items including dimming and color adjustment related to the light emission of the light-emitting element, the microcontroller sets the adjustment items by detecting the output signal from a predetermined on / off operation of the switch, and the microcontroller adjusts the light emission state of the light-emitting element according to the set adjustment items by detecting the operating value of the adjustment mechanism.

[0010] Furthermore, the adjustment parameters of the dimming method and dimming system of the present invention may include the fluctuation period and / or fluctuation range of the brightness of the light-emitting element.

[0011] Furthermore, the microcontroller of the dimming method and dimming system of the present invention may be programmed to reset the adjustment item to dimming if there is no operation of the switch and adjustment mechanism for a certain period of time.

[0012] Furthermore, the microcontroller of the dimming method and dimming system of the present invention may be programmed to blink the light-emitting element when an adjustment item is set or when an adjustment item is reset to dimming mode. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The dimming method and dimming system of the present invention allow an operator to intuitively and easily switch between multiple operation items such as dimming and color temperature adjustment using a single dimmer.

[0014] Furthermore, the dimming method and dimming system of the present invention can adjust not only the dimming and color temperature, but also the fluctuation period and / or range of the brightness and darkness of the light emitted by the light-emitting element.

[0015] Furthermore, the dimming method and dimming system of the present invention can improve user convenience if the microcontroller is programmed to reset the adjustment items to the basic mode, dimming, when there is no operation of the switch and adjustment mechanism for a certain period of time.

[0016] Furthermore, if the microcontroller of the present invention is programmed to blink the light-emitting element when an adjustment item is set or when an adjustment item is reset to dimming mode, the dimming method and dimming system of the present invention can alert the operator to the setting and reset of the adjustment item, thereby improving the operator's convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a typical dimmer switch. [Figure 2] (1) A schematic diagram showing the configuration of the dimmer of the present invention (Embodiment 1) (2) A state transition diagram of Embodiment 1 [Figure 3] (1) A schematic diagram showing the configuration of the dimmer of the present invention (Embodiment 2) (2) A state transition diagram of Embodiment 2 [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the figures.

[0019] The conventional main dimmer (Fig. 1) consisted of a dimmer C1 for performing dimming operations and a dimmer C2 for performing color temperature adjustment operations. In this dimmer, the brightness of the illumination light by the light-emitting element E was adjusted (dimming) according to the input level set by rotating the dial D1 of the dimmer C1, and the color tone of the illumination light by the light-emitting element E was adjusted (color temperature adjustment) according to the input level set by rotating the dial D2 of the dimmer C2. In addition, in the dimmer controller of Patent Document 1, the dimmer C1 and the dimmer C2 are assigned to a slider and a dial of a single adjustment mechanism respectively, but there are mechanically two input systems. For example, if the dial D1 is regarded as a slider, it will be understood that the configuration is not different from the conventional main dimmer.

[0020] [Embodiment 1] The dimmer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention consists of a single dimmer C3 for performing dimming operations and color temperature adjustment operations, as shown in Fig. 2(1). The dial D3 acts as an input level adjuster. By rotating the dial D3, the resistance value of the variable resistor is changed, and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signals with different signal levels are output as DC through the input circuit and transmitted to the microcomputer (microcontroller) M. The switch S3 not only controls the ON / OFF of the power supply of the control device L by turning on and off the supply of AC power (AC) to the control device L, but also controls the output of the PWM signal from the dimmer C to the microcomputer M by repeating the on and off operations multiple times under predetermined conditions.

[0021] The operating principle for switching between dimming and color tuning by repeatedly switching switch S3 on and off is that a microcontroller M programmed in the desired mode detects the output signal from the on / off operation of switch S3 via the AC input detection circuit, recognizes the switch in the operating state (mode), and outputs the corresponding signal for dimming or color tuning through the output circuit. The microcontroller M controls the output using the received signal level as the parameter for the "brightness (lightness / darkness)" of the illumination light from the light-emitting element E of the control device L in the dimming operation state, and as the parameter for the "color tone (incandescent to daylight)" of the illumination light in the color tuning operation state. In other words, when the dimming operation state set by the microcontroller M by operating switch S3 is reached, the brightness of the illumination light is adjusted by rotating dial D3, and similarly, when the color tuning operation state is reached, the color tone of the illumination light is adjusted by rotating dial D3.

[0022] The switching between the dimming operation state and the color adjustment operation state of the dimmer according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be explained below with reference to an example shown in Figure 2(2). First, when you turn on switch S3, the basic mode, which is the dimming operation state, is activated ("Dimming"). Next, from that state, (i) If you switch S3 on and off within a certain time (for example, 2 seconds) ("switch on / off operation"), you will transition to the color adjustment operation state ("color adjustment"), (ii) Furthermore, if the switch S3 is turned on and off [off, on, off, on] within a certain period of time (for example, 2 seconds) ("switch on / off operation"), the device will transition to the dimming operation state (i.e., return to the dimming operation state) ("dimming"), (iii) Alternatively, if the dial D3 and switch S3 remain idle for a certain period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) while in the color adjustment state ("no operation for a certain period of time"), the state will return to the dimming state (be reset) ("dimming"). The microcontroller M can be programmed in this way.

[0023] Furthermore, for the convenience of the operator, the microcontroller M can be programmed to flash the light-emitting element E to alert the operator ("flashing notification") when the operating state changes, and / or when the operating state is reset to the basic mode (dimming operation state) after a certain period of inactivity.

[0024] [Embodiment 2] The operating states that can be programmed into the microcontroller M are not limited to just two: dimming and color adjustment. For example, the configuration and operation of a dimmer according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, in which the number of operating items is increased to four by adding period and amplitude to dimming and color adjustment, will be described below.

[0025] Regarding the brightness of the light emitted by the light-emitting element E of the control device L (illumination light), two operating states can be added: a periodic operation state in which the brightness is varied by a set period relative to a certain brightness (reference value), and an amplitude operation state in which the brightness is varied by a set amplitude. By increasing the period (raising the input level of dial D3), the change in brightness of the illumination light per unit time becomes gentler, and by increasing the amplitude (same as above), the range of variation in brightness of the illumination light becomes larger, making the difference between brightness and darkness clearer. The reference value of brightness can be changed in the dimming operation state.

[0026] Furthermore, it is possible to program an even larger number of operation items into the microcontroller M, if desired. Figures 3(1) and (2) show the configuration diagram and state transition diagram, generalized with n as the number of operation items. In this case, it will be clear that the effects of avoiding wiring complexity and miniaturizing the dimmer are significant compared to conventional main dimmers C1 and C2.

[0027] In this invention, the switching of adjustment items is performed by a digital on / off operation called switch S3. Therefore, compared to the dimming and color temperature control device in Patent Document 2, which requires the operator to visually observe the dial or become accustomed to the feel of rotating the dial, the operation can be made simpler and more reliable for the operator.

[0028] In this specification, LED lighting (LED elements) has been described as the illumination means for the control device. However, it goes without saying that other light-emitting materials that may be widely commercialized in the future, such as COB (chip-on-board) light-emitting elements and organic EL (electro-luminescence) light-emitting elements (OLED) (Organic Light Emitting Diode), can also be used, as long as they achieve the objectives of the present invention. Furthermore, although the explanation has been based on the assumption of a PWM type control device, the present invention is not limited to this, as long as it achieves the objectives of the present invention. Furthermore, although a dial-type (rotational) adjustment mechanism is exemplified in this embodiment, a slider-type (sliding) mechanism or the like may also be used. [Industrial applicability]

[0029] This invention is useful in the field of lighting applications. In particular, it is suitable for use in lighting living spaces such as living rooms in residences, lighting in retail stores, and lighting in event spaces. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] C1, C2, C3 dimmer D1, D2, D3 Dials L Control Unit E-light-emitting element M Microcontroller S3 Switch

Claims

1. A dimming method using a single dimmer and control device, The dimmer is equipped with an adjustment mechanism and a switch for turning the power on and off. The control device comprises a light-emitting element and a microcontroller programmed with a plurality of adjustment items, including dimming and color tuning, related to the light emission of the light-emitting element. The switch performs a predetermined on / off operation, and the microcontroller detects the output signal resulting from the on / off operation to set the adjustment item. A dimming method comprising performing an adjustment operation on the adjustment mechanism, and having the microcontroller detect the operation value resulting from the adjustment operation to adjust the light emission state of the light-emitting element according to the set adjustment item.

2. The dimming method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment item includes the period and / or range of variation of the brightness of the light emitted.

3. The dimming method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to reset the adjustment item to dimming if the switch and the adjustment mechanism are not operated for a certain period of time.

4. The dimming method according to claim 3, wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to blink the light when the setting is made or when the reset is performed.

5. A dimming system comprising a single dimmer and control unit, The dimmer is equipped with an adjustment mechanism and a switch for turning the power on and off. The control device comprises a light-emitting element and a microcontroller programmed with a plurality of adjustment items, including dimming and color tuning, related to the light emission of the light-emitting element. The microcontroller sets the adjustment item by detecting the output signal resulting from a predetermined on / off operation of the switch. A dimming system that adjusts the light emission state of the light-emitting element according to the set adjustment item by detecting the operating value of the adjustment mechanism in the microcontroller.

6. The dimming system according to claim 5, wherein the adjustment item includes the period and / or range of the variation in brightness of the light emitted.

7. The dimming system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to reset the adjustment item to dimming if the switch and the adjustment mechanism are not operated for a certain period of time.

8. The dimming system according to claim 7, wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to blink the light when the setting is made or when the reset is performed.

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