Lighting sign structures and lighting sign structure monitoring systems

Abstract

It is possible to accurately determine abnormalities in the faceplates of lighting sign structures without conducting long-term observations. [Solution] The signboard 1 is equipped with a frame-shaped frame 10, and a display panel 11a is mounted opposite to the frame 10, providing an internal space within the signboard 1. The frame-shaped frame 10 is composed of four side panels 11b on the top, bottom, left, and right. Inside the internal space of the signboard 1, there is a lighting fixture 12 and a monitoring unit 13 equipped with a sensor 13a. The lighting fixture 12 is set to light up at night, and the monitoring unit 13 determines any abnormalities in the display panel 11a based on the amount of light received by the sensor 13a during the period when the lighting fixture 12 is lit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an illuminated sign structure having a lighting fixture provided therein, and more particularly to an illuminated sign structure capable of detecting an abnormality in a display face plate of the illuminated sign structure and an illuminated sign structure monitoring system.

Background Art

[0002] Illuminated sign structures are used as media for conveying information and issuing alerts. A signboard is known as one type of illuminated sign structure. A signboard can provide information such as a store name, store location, promotion, and advertisement. Although signboards are installed throughout urban areas, they may be damaged due to aging or external factors. When a signboard is damaged, parts of the signboard or the structures constituting the signboard may fall, and therefore, there is a demand for monitoring abnormalities in the display face plate of the signboard. As a conventional system capable of detecting abnormalities in the display face plate of a signboard, an internally illuminated structure monitoring system is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The internally illuminated structure monitoring system disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an illuminance detection unit that detects illuminance inside the internally illuminated structure, and a determination unit that determines an abnormality of the face plate based on detected illuminance caused by sunlight that passes through the face plate of the internally illuminated structure during the daytime and is detected by the illuminance detection unit.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The internally illuminated structure monitoring system disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects the illuminance caused by sunlight that passes through the panel of an internally illuminated structure during the day and is detected by an illuminance detection unit. However, since the illuminance of sunlight changes depending on the weather, such as sunny or cloudy days, it is not possible to accurately determine abnormalities in the panel unless a reference illuminance is determined based on the detected illuminance over a long period of time. In other words, setting a reference illuminance is difficult, and in order to set a reference illuminance, conventional internally illuminated structure monitoring systems perform long-term observations when determining abnormalities in the panel. Thus, there was a problem in that detecting abnormalities in the display panels of conventional signs required long-term observations.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an illuminated sign structure and an illuminated sign structure monitoring system that can accurately determine abnormalities in the display panel of an illuminated sign structure without conducting long-term observations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The lighting sign structure of the present invention, which can achieve the above-mentioned objectives, comprises at least a display panel, a lighting fixture provided inside, a sensor provided inside for receiving light from the inside, and a determination unit for determining whether the display panel is abnormal or not, the determination unit being primarily characterized by determining the abnormality of the display panel based on the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the lighting fixture is lit. Furthermore, the present invention, which can achieve the above-mentioned objectives, comprises a lighting sign structure comprising at least a display panel, a lighting fixture provided inside, a sensor that receives light from the inside, and a transmitting unit that transmits information on the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the lighting fixture is lit, and a monitoring unit comprising a receiving unit that receives information on the amount of light transmitted from the transmitting unit, and a determination unit that determines whether the display panel is abnormal or not, the determination unit being primarily characterized by determining the abnormality of the display panel based on the amount of light received by the receiving unit.

[0008] In the illuminated sign structure and the illuminated sign structure monitoring system of the present invention, the sensor is an RGB sensor that detects the count values ​​of red, green, and blue color signals, and the light quantity may be the total count value of the color signals detected by the RGB sensor. Furthermore, in the illuminated sign structure and the illuminated sign structure monitoring system of the present invention, the sensor may be an illuminance sensor that detects illuminance, and the amount of light may be the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor. Furthermore, in the illuminated sign structure and the illuminated sign structure monitoring system of the present invention, a reference value unit is further provided in which a reference value is set based on the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the display panel is in a normal state and the lighting fixture is lit, and the determination unit determines an abnormality in the display panel by comparing the reference value of the reference value unit with the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the lighting fixture is lit. Furthermore, in the illuminated sign structure and the illuminated sign structure monitoring system of the present invention, a notification unit may be provided, and if the determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the display panel, the notification unit may notify the outside that there is an abnormality in the display panel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the illuminated sign structure and illuminated sign structure monitoring system of the present invention, abnormalities in the display panel are determined based on the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the lighting fixture is illuminated. This makes it possible to accurately determine abnormalities in the display panel without conducting long-term observations. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the structure of a sign according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a signboard according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This graph shows the change over time of the total RGB count detected by the RGB sensor of the sign in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]This graph shows the rate of change in the total RGB count value with respect to the coverage rate of the display panel in a sign according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This graph shows a comparison of the rate of change between the total RGB count value and illuminance with respect to the coverage rate of the display panel in a sign according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting sign structure monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <Illumination sign structure according to an embodiment of the present invention> The illuminated sign structure of the embodiment of the present invention is a medium for conveying information or drawing attention, and a sign is known as one type of illuminated sign structure. Therefore, an embodiment in which the illuminated sign structure is, for example, a sign will be described. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the structure of sign 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, which is an illuminated sign structure of the embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 shows a functional block diagram showing the configuration of sign 1 of the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the signboard 1 of the embodiment of the present invention consists of a frame 10 and two display panels 11a arranged facing each other, and is a rectangular parallelepiped with an internal space, supported on the ground by cylindrical pillars 15. The two display panels 11a are rectangular in shape with a large surface area and display text and images such as the store name, store location, advertisements, etc. The frame 10 is frame-shaped and consists of four side panels 11b: left and right side panels 11b and top and bottom side panels 11b, which are vertically elongated rectangular shapes. Specifically, the upper end of the left side panel 11b is connected to one end of the upper side panel 11b, the upper end of the right side panel 11b is connected to the other end of the upper side panel 11b, the lower end of the left side panel 11b is connected to one end of the lower side panel 11b, and the lower end of the right side panel 11b is connected to the other end of the lower side panel 11b, thus forming a frame. The four side panels 11b are made of metal plates, generally aluminum alloy plates, but may also be made of plastic plates. The two display panels 11a are made of light-transmitting plastic, such as acrylic or polycarbonate plates, and the above-mentioned characters and figures are inscribed on their surfaces. The outer edges of the two display panels 11a are watertightly fixed to the frame 10, and the two display panels 11a are held in place by the frame 10.

[0012] The internal space of the sign 1, configured in this way, houses a lighting fixture 12 and a monitoring unit 13 equipped with a sensor 13a. The lighting fixture 12 is positioned almost in the center of the internal space of the sign 1 and is a lighting fixture such as a fluorescent lamp or LED (Light Emitting Diode) light, which is turned on at night, and the emitted light passes through the display panel 11a and is emitted to the outside. This makes it possible to see the characters and figures written on the display panel 11a even at night. In other words, the sign 1 is an internally illuminated sign. The monitoring unit 13, equipped with a sensor 13a, is positioned near the side panel 11b, which does not cast a shadow even when the lighting fixture 12 in the internal space of the sign 1 is turned on, and detects abnormalities in the display panel 11a of the sign 1. When the monitoring unit 13 detects an abnormality in the display panel 11a, it displays a message to that effect or notifies a pre-set notification destination that an abnormality has been detected in the display panel 11a. The sensor 13a in the monitoring unit 13 receives light from the internal space of the sign 1. Sensor 13a can be an RGB sensor capable of detecting three pigments: red, green, and blue, or an illuminance sensor capable of detecting illuminance. When sensor 13a is an RGB sensor, the count values ​​for red (R), green (G), and blue (B) are used as the light intensity, and when sensor 13a is an illuminance sensor, the illuminance is used as the light intensity. The RGB count values ​​are values ​​that specify a color, and are expressed in a concatenated format by arranging red, green, and blue in that order. In commonly used 24-bit color (full color), each color is represented by 8 bits, with 256 levels of integers from 0 to 255.

[0013] Figure 2 shows a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of signboard 1, which includes the configuration of the monitoring unit 13. As shown in Figure 2, the monitoring unit 13 receives R, G, and B count values ​​or illuminance information from sensor 13a as light quantity information to detection unit 13c. Detection unit 13c detects the R, G, and B count values ​​or illuminance as light quantity only during the period when the lighting fixture 12 is lit, and supplies it to determination unit 13d. Determination unit 13d compares a reference value set in reference value unit 13e with the total RGB count value, which is the sum of the R, G, and B count values ​​supplied from detection unit 13c, or the illuminance, and determines that an abnormality has occurred in the display panel 11a of signboard 1 when the total RGB count value or illuminance falls below the reference value. Here, if the display panel 11a is misaligned from the frame 10, damaged, or soiled, the proportion of light emitted from the lighting fixture 12 reflected from the inner surface of the display panel 11a decreases, causing the total RGB count value or illuminance to decrease. When the total RGB count value or illuminance falls below the standard value, it is determined that the display panel 11a is misaligned, damaged, or soiled, and that there is an abnormality in the display panel 11a of signboard 1. Also, if the display panel 11a becomes yellowed or faded, the total RGB count value or illuminance will decrease. In this case as well, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the display panel 11a of signboard 1. The total RGB count value is a value that approximates the illuminance, as will be described later. If the determination unit 13d determines that an abnormality has occurred in the display panel 11a, a notification signal to that effect is supplied from the determination unit 13d to the notification unit 13f. When the notification unit 13f receives the notification signal from the determination unit 13d, it displays a message indicating that an abnormality has been detected in the display panel 11a, or sends an email to a pre-set email address informing the recipient that an abnormality has been detected in the display panel 11a. The signboard 1 is equipped with a power supply to illuminate the lighting fixture 12 and a power supply to operate the monitoring unit 13. In the signboard 1 of the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1, the power supply unit 14 is located in the peripheral area of ​​the internal space of the signboard 1 to serve as these power supplies. In this case, the power supply unit 14 may consist of one power supply, or it may consist of two power supplies: one for supplying power to the lighting fixture 12 and another for supplying power to the monitoring unit 13.

[0014] Next, assuming the display panel 11a is in a normal state and the sensor 13a is an RGB sensor, Figure 3 shows a graph of the change in the total RGB count value, which is the amount of light received by the sensor 13a, over time. As shown in Figure 3, the horizontal axis represents time, showing 48 hours, or two days, and the vertical axis represents the total RGB count value, which is the amount of light received by the RGB sensor. Referring to Figure 3, the lighting fixture 12 is turned on at 18:00 and turned off at 5:00 the following day. The weather on the first day is assumed to be sunny, and the total RGB count value from 5:00 to 18:00, when the lighting fixture 12 is not turned on, is the total RGB count value based on sunlight transmitted through the display panel 11a and received by the sensor 13a. The total RGB count value increases as the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, and then gradually decreases, so the total RGB count value from 5:00 to 18:00 changes significantly in accordance with the movement of the sun. Furthermore, the weather on the second day was described as cloudy, and the total RGB count value from 5:00 to 18:00 showed a tendency for the total RGB count value to increase as the sun reached its highest point in the sky, and then gradually decrease thereafter. The total RGB count value from 5:00 to 18:00 changed significantly in a manner different from that of sunny weather, depending on the movement of the sun and the amount of cloud cover. In contrast, the total RGB count value from 18:00, when the lighting fixture 12 is lit, until 5:00 the following day is found to be almost constant, regardless of whether it is a sunny first day or a cloudy second day. This is because the total RGB count value from 18:00 to 5:00 the following day is based on the total RGB count value received by the sensor 13a from the emitted light from the lighting fixture 12 and the emitted light reflected from the inner surface of the display panel 11a. Since the emitted light from the lighting fixture 12 is constant, the total RGB count value is also constant.

[0015] In the monitoring unit 13 of the signboard 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the total RGB count value, which is the amount of light received by the sensor 13a, is detected by the detection unit 13c only during the period from 18:00 when the lighting fixture 12 is turned on to 5:00 the next day, the detected total RGB count value is sent to the determination unit 13d, and the determination unit 13d compares the reference value set in the reference value unit 13e with the total RGB count value, thereby monitoring whether an abnormality has occurred in the display panel 11a. Then, from 5:00 to 18:00 when the lighting fixture 12 is not turned on, the detection unit 13c is configured not to detect the total RGB count value sent from the sensor 13a, and the monitoring unit 13 stops the monitoring operation. In this case, the reference value set in the reference value unit 13e is set based on the constant total RGB count value from 18:00 to 5:00 the next day, so that the reference value can be set in a short time. That is, after visually confirming that no abnormality has occurred in the display panel 11a, the reference value can be set in the reference value unit 13e based on the constant total RGB count value from 18:00 to 5:00 the next day. Therefore, in the signboard 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the abnormality of the display panel 11a can be accurately determined without performing long-term observation. It should be noted that, in the monitoring unit 13, it is conceivable that the total RGB count value detected by the detection unit 13c based on the fact that sunlight in the daytime transmits through the display panel 11a and is received by the sensor 13a is sent from the detection unit 13c to the determination unit 13d to determine the abnormality of the display panel 11a. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, even when no abnormality occurs in the display panel 11a, the total RGB count value based on daytime sunlight varies greatly, and the variation pattern differs depending on weathers and seasons. When the total RGB count value changes with the passage of time, it is difficult to determine the reference value to be set in the reference value unit 13e. In this case, it is necessary to grasp and analyze the variation pattern through long-term observation, and then set a reference value capable of detecting the abnormality of the display panel 11a in the reference value unit 13e. As described above, in the signboard 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, by monitoring an abnormality of the display panel 11a during a period in which the lighting fixture 12 is turned on, the abnormality of the display panel 11a can be accurately determined through short-time observation without long-term observation.

[0016] The sensor 13a can be an RGB sensor or an illuminance sensor, so the RGB sensor and the illuminance sensor will be briefly described below. The RGB sensor receives incident light with photodiodes, and detects the amount of received light for each of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). In a typical RGB sensor, the sensitivity wavelength range of blue (B) is 400nm to 540nm, with a peak at about 460nm; the sensitivity wavelength range of green (G) is 480nm to 600nm, with a peak at about 540nm; the sensitivity wavelength range of red (R) is 590nm to 720nm, with a peak at about 620nm. Further, the illuminance sensor uses a phototransistor or a photodiode as a light-receiving element, and detects received light as a current corresponding to illuminance. A typical illuminance sensor has light-receiving characteristics matching the sensitivity (luminosity) perceived by the human eye, and maintains uniform luminosity-based light-receiving characteristics even when the type of light source differs.

[0017] If an abnormality occurs in the display panel 11a, the display panel 11a will be misaligned, damaged, or become dirty. Therefore, the state of an abnormal display panel 11a can be simulated by the state of the display panel 11a not covering the entire mounting surface of the frame 10. Thus, the rate of change in the total RGB count value and illuminance with respect to the display panel cover rate will be explained, where the rate at which the display panel 11a covers the mounting surface of the frame 10 is defined as the display panel cover rate. Figure 4 shows a graph of the rate of change in the total RGB count value and illuminance with respect to the single-sided display panel cover rate. The single-sided display panel cover rate is defined as the rate at which the remaining display panel 11a covers the mounting surface of the frame 10 when one of the two display panels 11a covers the entire mounting surface of the frame 10. Also, in the case shown in Figure 4, an RGB sensor and an illuminance sensor are provided as sensors 13a, and the RGB sensor and the light receiving sensor have the light receiving characteristics described above. As shown in Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents the coverage rate of one side of the display panel [%], and the vertical axis represents the rate of change. The rate of change is the rate of change of the total RGB count value and the illuminance, with 1 being the value when the coverage rate of one side of the display panel is 100%. The total RGB count value is the total RGB count value detected by the detection unit 13c after the RGB sensor among the sensors 13a receives light, and the illuminance is the illuminance detected by the detection unit 13c after the illuminance sensor among the sensors 13a receives light.

[0018] In Figure 4, the total RGB count value when the display panel 11a is blue is shown in the "CF:B-RGB" graph, and the illuminance in that case is shown in the "CF:B-illum" graph. Similarly, the total RGB count value when the display panel 11a is white is shown in the "CF:W-RGB" graph, and the illuminance in that case is shown in the "CF:W-illum" graph. Referring to Figure 4, CF:B-RGB and CF:B-illum have similar rates of change. When the single-sided coverage of the display panel is 0%, i.e., one side of the display panel 11a is gone, the rate of change is approximately 0.7. The rate of change increases gradually until the single-sided coverage of the display panel reaches 40%, then increases sharply in the range of 40% to 70% single-sided coverage, and then increases gradually once the single-sided coverage exceeds 70%. In this case, the change rate is approximately 0.8 when the single-sided coverage rate of the display panel is 50%, and approximately 0.92 when the single-sided coverage rate of the display panel is 70%. Furthermore, CF:W-RGB and CF:W-illum are said to have similar rates of change. When the single-sided coverage of the display panel is 0%, meaning that one side of the display panel 11a is gone, the rate of change is approximately 0.54. The rate of change increases gradually until the single-sided coverage of the display panel reaches 40%, then increases sharply in the range of 40% to 70% of the single-sided coverage of the display panel, and increases gradually once it exceeds 70%. At this point, the rate of change is approximately 0.68 when the single-sided coverage of the display panel is 50%, and approximately 0.89 when the single-sided coverage of the display panel is 70%. Referring to the graph shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that the rate of change changes according to the coverage rate of one side of the display panel, indicating that the monitoring unit 13 in the signboard 1 of the embodiment of the present invention can accurately determine abnormalities in the display panel 11a. Furthermore, referring to the graph in Figure 4, the RGB total count value and illuminance show similar rates of change, meaning that sensor 13a can be replaced with an illuminance sensor instead of an RGB sensor. Note that Figure 4 shows the cases where the display panel 11a is blue and white, but it has been confirmed that the rate of change is the same when the display panel 11a is green or red as when it is blue.

[0019] Next, Figure 5 shows a graph comparing the rate of change between the total RGB count value and illuminance with respect to the coverage rate of one side of the display panel. In this case as well, the RGB sensor and the illuminance sensor are provided as sensor 13a. As shown in Figure 5, the horizontal axis represents the coverage rate of one side of the display panel [%], and the vertical axis represents the rate of change. The rate of change represents the rate of change of the total RGB count value and the illuminance, with 1 being the value when the coverage rate of one side of the display panel is 100%. The total RGB count value is the total RGB count value detected by the detection unit 13c after the RGB sensor among the sensors 13a receives light, and the illuminance is the illuminance detected by the detection unit 13c after the illuminance sensor among the sensors 13a receives light. In Figure 5, the graph of the total RGB count value is shown as "RGB," and the graph of the illuminance is shown as "illum." Referring to Figure 5, when the coverage rate of one side of the display panel is 0%, the rate of change of RGB is approximately 0.52, and the rate of change of illum is approximately 0.53. Until the coverage rate of one side of the display panel is 40%, RGB and illum increase similarly, and when the coverage rate of one side of the display panel is 40%, they have almost the same value of approximately 0.6. The rate of change for RGB and illum increases significantly in the range where the display panel's single-sided coverage is between 40% and 70%, and then increases more gradually when the display panel's single-sided coverage exceeds 70%. In this range, when the display panel's single-sided coverage is 50%, the rate of change for RGB is approximately 0.7 and for illum is approximately 0.68, and when the display panel's single-sided coverage is 70%, the rate of change for RGB and illum is almost the same, at approximately 0.9. As shown in Figure 5, the RGB total count value and illuminance exhibit similar rates of change and patterns of change, indicating that sensor 13a can be replaced with an illuminance sensor instead of an RGB sensor. Although a signboard 1 was used as an example of the illuminated sign structure in the embodiment of the present invention, the illuminated sign structure in the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a signboard; any illuminated sign structure equipped with a display panel and an internal lighting fixture is acceptable.

[0020] <Monitoring system for lighting sign structures according to an embodiment of the present invention> The Illuminated Sign Structure Monitoring System 100 of the embodiment of the present invention is an illumination sign structure monitoring system that remotely monitors abnormalities in the display panel of an illumination sign structure used to convey information or provide warnings. A functional block diagram showing the configuration of the Illuminated Sign Structure Monitoring System 100 of the embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 6(a), and a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the monitoring unit 113 in the Illuminated Sign Structure Monitoring System 100 is shown in Figure 6(b). In the Illuminated Sign Structure Monitoring System 100 of the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 6(a), an example is shown in which the illumination sign structure is a signboard 2. As shown in Figure 6(a), the illuminated sign structure monitoring system 100 of the embodiment of the present invention consists of a signboard 2 and a cloud 112, and the signboard 2 transmits information from the signboard 2 to the cloud 112 via a base station 111. The structure of the signboard 2 is the same as that of the signboard 1 of the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1, and although a detailed explanation is omitted, it consists of a frame and two display panels arranged facing each other, and is a rectangular parallelepiped with an internal space. The internal space of the signboard 2 houses a lighting fixture 22 and a detection unit 23 equipped with a sensor 23a. The lighting fixture 22 is located almost in the center of the internal space of the signboard 2 and is a lighting fixture such as a fluorescent lamp or LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting fixture that is lit at night, and the emitted light passes through the display panels and is emitted to the outside. As a result, the characters and figures written on the display panels can be seen even at night. The detection unit 23, which is equipped with sensor 23a, is positioned in a part of the interior space of the signboard 2 that does not cast a shadow even when the lighting fixture 22 inside the signboard 2 is turned on, and detects abnormalities in the display panel of the signboard 2.

[0021] The sensor 23a provided in the detection unit 23 receives light from the internal space of the signboard 2. The sensor 23a can be an RGB sensor capable of detecting three pigments: red, green, and blue, or an illuminance sensor. If the sensor 23a is an RGB sensor, the count values ​​of R, G, and B are used as the light intensity, and if the sensor 23a is an illuminance sensor, the illuminance is used as the light intensity. As shown in Figure 6(a), the detection unit 23 receives R, G, and B count values ​​or illuminance information from the sensor 23a as light quantity information and sends it to the control unit 23b. The control unit 23b detects the R, G, and B count values ​​or illuminance as light quantity only while the lighting fixture 22 is lit, and transmits the detected light quantity information from the communication unit 23c. The signboard 2 is equipped with a power supply to light up the lighting fixture 22 and a power supply to operate the detection unit 23. In the signboard 2 shown in Figure 6(a), the power supply unit 24 is located in the peripheral area of ​​the internal space of the signboard 2 to serve as these power supplies. In this case, the power supply unit 24 may consist of one power supply, or it may consist of two power supplies: one to supply power to the lighting fixture 22 and another to supply power to the detection unit 23.

[0022] Light intensity information transmitted from the communication unit 23c of signboard 2 is received by the monitoring unit 113 of the cloud 112 via the base station 111. The monitoring unit 113 has the configuration shown in Figure 6(b), and the light intensity information received by the receiving unit 121 of the monitoring unit 113 is sent to the determination unit 122. The determination unit 122 compares the reference value set in the reference value unit 123 with the total RGB count value or illuminance, which is the sum of the R, G, and B count values ​​of the light intensity information received by the receiving unit 121, and determines that an abnormality has occurred in the display panel of signboard 2 when the total RGB count value or illuminance falls below the reference value. Here, if the display panel is misaligned from the frame, damaged, or dirty, the proportion of light emitted from the lighting fixture 22 reflected by the inner surface of the display panel decreases, causing the total RGB count value or illuminance to decrease. Consequently, when the total RGB count value or illuminance falls below the standard value, it indicates that the display panel has shifted, been damaged, or become dirty, and it can be determined that there is an abnormality in the display panel of sign 2. Furthermore, if the display panel becomes yellowed or faded, the total RGB count value or illuminance will also decrease. In this case as well, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the display panel of sign 2. As mentioned above, the total RGB count value is an approximate value of the illuminance.

[0023] If the determination unit 122 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the display panel, a notification signal to that effect is supplied from the determination unit 122 to the notification unit 124. When the notification signal is sent from the determination unit 122, the notification unit 124 sends an email to a pre-set notification recipient informing them that an abnormality has been detected in the display panel, or displays a notification at the notification recipient indicating that an abnormality has been detected in the display panel. In the illuminated sign structure monitoring system 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, when the display panel is in a normal state and the sensor 23a is an RGB sensor, the graph of the change in the total RGB count value, which is the amount of light received by the sensor 23a, over time is as shown in Figure 3, so the explanation is omitted. Furthermore, in the illuminated sign structure monitoring system 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, when the rate at which one side of the display panel covers the mounting surface of the frame is defined as the display panel single-sided coverage rate, the graph of the RGB total count value and the rate of change in illuminance with respect to the display panel single-sided coverage rate is as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, an explanation will be omitted, but as shown in the graph in Figure 4, the rate of change changes according to the display panel single-sided coverage rate, which indicates that the monitoring unit 113 in the illuminated sign structure monitoring system 100 of the embodiment of the present invention can accurately determine abnormalities in the display panel remotely. Furthermore, in the illuminated sign structure monitoring system 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, the graph comparing the rate of change between the total RGB count value and illuminance with respect to the coverage rate of one side of the display panel is as shown in Figure 5, so its explanation will be omitted. [Industrial applicability]

[0024] The illuminated sign structure of the embodiment of the present invention described above uses a signboard as an example, but is not limited to a signboard. Any illuminated sign structure equipped with a display panel on which characters or figures are displayed and lighting fixtures in the internal space can be applied to the illuminated sign structure of the embodiment of the present invention, which allows for monitoring of the display panel. Such an illuminated sign structure can also be fitted with the illuminated sign structure monitoring system of the embodiment of the present invention, which allows for remote monitoring of the display panel. Furthermore, in the illuminated sign structure of the embodiment of the present invention described above, the monitoring unit equipped with a sensor is placed approximately in the center of the lower side panel 11b, but it is not limited to this, and may be placed in any part of the internal space where it does not cast a shadow even when the lighting fixture is turned on. In addition, the sign used as the illuminated sign structure of the embodiment of the present invention is supported by a support column, but it is not limited to this, and may be a sign installed on a wall or a sign placed on the ground. Also, the shape of the sign can be a vertically elongated or horizontally elongated rectangular parallelepiped or a cube. In the illuminated sign structure monitoring system of the embodiment of the present invention described above, if the light intensity information transmitted from one sign is sent to the cloud, instead of the light intensity information transmitted from one sign being sent to the cloud, then abnormalities in the display panels of each of the multiple signs can be remotely monitored. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0025] 1 Signboard, 2 Signboard, 10 Frame, 11a Display Panel, 11b Side Panel, 12 Lighting Fixture, 13 Monitoring Unit, 13a Sensor, 13c Detection Unit, 13d Judgment Unit, 13e Reference Value Unit, 13f Notification Unit, 14 Power Supply Unit, 15 Support Column, 22 Lighting Fixture, 23 Detection Unit, 23a Sensor, 23b Control Unit, 23c Communication Unit, 24 Power Supply Unit, 100 Lighting Sign Structure Monitoring System, 111 Base Station, 112 Cloud, 113 Monitoring Unit, 121 Receiving Unit, 122 Judgment Unit, 123 Reference Value Unit, 124 Notification Unit

Claims

1. At least a display panel and Lighting fixtures installed inside, A sensor is installed inside that receives light from the inside, A determination unit for determining whether the display panel is abnormal or not, A lighting sign structure comprising the above, wherein the determination unit determines an abnormality in the display panel based on the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the lighting fixture is lit.

2. The lighting sign structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor is an RGB sensor that detects the count values ​​of red, green, and blue color signals, and the light quantity is the total count value of the color signals detected by the RGB sensor.

3. The lighting sign structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor is an illuminance sensor for detecting illuminance, and the amount of light is the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor.

4. Furthermore, the lighting sign structure according to claim 1 is characterized in that it includes a reference value unit in which a reference value is set based on the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the display panel is in a normal state and the lighting fixture is lit, and the determination unit determines an abnormality in the display panel by comparing the reference value of the reference value unit with the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the lighting fixture is lit.

5. Furthermore, it is equipped with a news department, The lighting sign structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that if the determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the display panel, the notification unit notifies the outside that there is an abnormality in the display panel.

6. A lighting sign structure comprising at least a display panel, a lighting fixture provided inside, a sensor that receives light from inside, and a transmitting unit that transmits information on the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the lighting fixture is lit, A monitoring unit comprising a receiving unit that receives light intensity information transmitted from the transmitting unit, and a determination unit that determines whether or not the display panel is abnormal, A lighting sign structure monitoring system comprising the determination unit, wherein the determination unit determines an abnormality in the display panel based on the amount of light received by the receiving unit.

7. The lighting sign structure monitoring system according to claim 6, characterized in that the sensor is an RGB sensor that detects the count values ​​of red, green, and blue color signals, and the light quantity is the total count value of the color signals detected by the RGB sensor.

8. The lighting sign structure monitoring system according to claim 6, characterized in that the sensor is an illuminance sensor for detecting illuminance, and the amount of light is the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor.

9. Furthermore, the monitoring unit includes a reference value unit in which a reference value is set based on the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the display panel is in a normal state and the lighting fixture is lit. The lighting sign structure according to claim 6, characterized in that the determination unit determines an abnormality in the display panel by comparing the reference value of the reference value unit with the amount of light received by the sensor during the period when the lighting fixture is lit.

10. Furthermore, the monitoring unit is equipped with a notification unit, The lighting sign structure monitoring system according to any one of 6 to 9, characterized in that if the determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the display panel, the notification unit notifies the outside that there is an abnormality in the display panel.

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