System and method including a controller for controlling lighting devices

Abstract

A system is disclosed that includes a plurality of lighting devices and a controller configured to control the operation of each of the plurality of lighting devices. Each lighting device is configured to store data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses and / or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by operations performed on the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime. The controller is configured to control the operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one measure of potential environmental impact derived from the stored data of each of the plurality of lighting devices. Related methods are also disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system including a plurality of lighting devices and a controller configured to control the operation of each of the plurality of lighting devices, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on a measure of resource usage and / or potential environmental impact associated with the lighting device. The present invention further relates to a related method.

Background Art

[0002] A light generation system may include a plurality of light sources, or lighting devices, and their operations may be controlled individually. Thereby, the light emission of each light source or lighting device in the system may be controlled, for example, by a controller or control device that may be included in the light generation system. Such a light source or lighting device may include, for example, one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), or may be constituted by one or more LEDs.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology that can be used to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of a product. The product life cycle may include the following stages: (1) extraction of raw materials required for the product, (2) processing related to the production of the product (e.g., manufacturing), (3) shipping or transportation of the product, (4) use of the product by the user, and (5) disposal of the product at the end of the life cycle. LCA may also be called Life Cycle Analysis. The stages of the product life cycle may include upstream processes (e.g., suppliers) and downstream processes (e.g., waste management) related to the production of the product (e.g., production of raw materials, auxiliary materials, operational materials, etc.), use, and disposal (e.g., waste incineration, etc.). To assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the entire life cycle of a product, all relevant inputs from the environment (e.g., ore, crude oil, water, land use, etc.) and emissions into the atmosphere, water, and soil (e.g., carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, etc.) may be considered. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides guidelines and requirements for conducting Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.

[0004] LCA methodologies and, potentially similar methodologies, can be used to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the entire lifecycle of lighting devices, such as lighting devices containing or composed of one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The inventors have recognized that it is desirable to consider the potential environmental impacts associated with lighting devices in the operation of a system including such lighting devices, thereby potentially reducing the potential environmental impacts that may be associated with one or more of the lighting devices in the system.

[0005] In view of the above, the object of interest of the present invention is to provide means for facilitating or enabling the reduction of potential environmental impacts that may be associated with one or more lighting devices included in a system comprising multiple lighting devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To address this concern and at least one of the other concerns, a system and method are provided by the independent claim. Preferred embodiments are defined by the dependent claims.

[0007] The present invention is defined by the attached independent and dependent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a system comprising a plurality of lighting devices and a controller configured to control the operation of each of the plurality of lighting devices, wherein each lighting device is configured to store data indicating one or more natural resource uses, the data including an inventory table detailing the resource uses of each lighting device accumulated to date during the lifetime of each lighting device, the controller is configured to obtain the stored data for each of the plurality of lighting devices, determine at least one environmental impact value for each lighting device derived from the stored data for each lighting device by applying a transformation function to the data indicating one or more natural resource uses for each of the plurality of lighting devices, and control the operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the at least one environmental impact value determined for each of the plurality of lighting devices.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a method in a system including a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device configured to store data indicating one or more natural resource uses, the data including an inventory table recording the resource uses of each lighting device accumulated to date during the lifetime of each lighting device, the method comprising: obtaining the stored data for each of the plurality of lighting devices; determining at least one environmental impact value for each of the plurality of lighting devices derived from the stored data for each lighting device by applying a transformation function to the data indicating one or more natural resource uses (101); and controlling the operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the at least one environmental impact value determined for each of the lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices (102).

[0010] The aforementioned environmental impact may also be expressed as potential environmental impact. Natural resource usage and resource usage may be expressed interchangeably.

[0011] In some embodiments, (natural) resource use includes inputs and outputs relating to each resource type, where the resource type is, for example, at least one of water, fuel, copper, nickel, adhesives, plastics, metals, iron, aluminum, phosphors, paper, or other packaging materials. In some embodiments, natural resource use includes physical and tangible resources.

[0012] In one embodiment, a system is provided. The system includes a plurality of lighting devices and a controller. The controller is configured to control the operation of each of the plurality of lighting devices. Each lighting device is configured to store (and optionally obtain) data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by operations performed on the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime. For each of the plurality of lighting devices, the controller is configured to determine at least one of at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one measure of potential environmental impact for the lighting device, derived from (or derivable from, or based on) the stored data for the lighting device. The at least one measure of potential environmental impact for the lighting device may be derived from data indicating one or more natural resource uses. The controller is configured to control the operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one measure of potential environmental impact determined for each of the plurality of lighting devices.

[0013] In one embodiment, a method in a system is provided. The system includes a plurality of lighting devices. Each lighting device is configured to store (and optionally obtain) data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by operations performed on the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime. The method includes determining, for each of the plurality of lighting devices, at least one of at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one measure of potential environmental impact for the lighting device, which is derived from (or can be derived from or based on) the stored data for the lighting device. The method includes controlling the operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one measure of potential environmental impact determined for each of the lighting devices.

[0014] In one embodiment, a computer program is provided. The computer program, when executed by one or more processors of a system controller according to the first embodiment, includes instructions causing the controller to perform the method according to the second embodiment.

[0015] The at least one resource use measure and at least one potential environmental impact measure determined for each of multiple lighting devices may, for example, be values ​​representing at least one resource use and at least one potential environmental impact, respectively. The larger the at least one potential environmental impact measure or value for a lighting device, the greater the at least one potential environmental impact of that lighting device may be. Thus, when comparing two lighting devices having different measures or values ​​for at least one potential environmental impact, the lighting device with the largest measure or value for at least one potential environmental impact may be considered the less environmentally sustainable of the two lighting devices.

[0016] By configuring each lighting device to store (and optionally obtain) data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by the operation of the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime, and by controlling the operation of at least one of the multiple lighting devices based on at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one measure of potential environmental impact determined for each of the multiple lighting devices, the operation of multiple lighting devices can be controlled in a manner dependent on the (e.g., estimated) environmental impact of each lighting device. This opens up new areas of lighting device control. For example, it enables control schemes in which the operation of lighting devices in a system considered environmentally sustainable may take precedence over the operation of lighting devices in a system considered not environmentally sustainable, or at least less environmentally sustainable. For example, two lighting devices in a lighting system may provide a specific lighting function (e.g., ambient lighting), and if the first lighting device is considered environmentally sustainable, but the second lighting device is not (or if the second lighting device has at least one greater measure or value of potential environmental impact than the first lighting device), then the first lighting device may be operated to provide the lighting function, but the second lighting device may not. Another exemplary application is street lighting. The on-up of streetlights may be triggered by presence detection, such that the streetlights are turned on to emit light when the presence of one or more people is detected in the vicinity of a group of streetlights. However, if the lighting function can be adequately achieved by one streetlight in the group of streetlights, only the streetlight considered environmentally sustainable in the group of streetlights may be turned on. In another example, the operation of lighting devices may be controlled based on resource usage characteristics.For example, if each of the system's lighting devices can provide a relatively energy-intensive lighting function (e.g., entertainment lighting), only the lighting device(s) in the system whose resource usage measure or value does not exceed a (e.g., predefined) threshold may be operated to provide that lighting function. Other lighting devices in the system may not be operated to provide that lighting function because, as indicated by exceeding a (predefined) threshold for at least one resource usage measure or value, they may have already had relatively high resource usage (e.g., energy) (during their lifetime). In another example, the operation of a lighting device(s) in the system that is considered more environmentally unsustainable, or at least less environmentally unsustainable, than other lighting devices in the system may take precedence over the operation of other lighting devices in the system. This may be done, for example, by controlling the lighting device(s) in the system that is considered environmentally unsustainable, or at least less environmentally unsustainable, to perform lighting tasks that significantly reduce the reliability of electronic equipment, in order to shorten the lifetime of the lighting device(s) in the system that is considered environmentally unsustainable, or at least less environmentally unsustainable, while ensuring that other lighting devices in the system do not need to perform such tasks. One example is activating streetlights in extremely cold weather conditions. For example, suppose a system includes, for example, six lighting devices (e.g., streetlights), and at least three lighting devices must be operational to meet lighting regulations. In this case, three lighting devices in the system that are less environmentally sustainable than the other three lighting devices in the system may be controlled to activate, so that the other lighting devices do not need to activate in such cold weather conditions. As a result, the electronics of the three lighting devices in the system that are less environmentally sustainable than the other three lighting devices in the system will degrade faster than the electronics of the other lighting devices, which may lead to the three lighting devices in the system that are less environmentally sustainable failing sooner than the other lighting devices.

[0017] Lighting device control may be performed under one or more constraints, which may, for example, indicate what types of control behavior are permissible to the system's user. For example, the system may include two lighting devices of the same type, such as two identical Hue lamps, which may be located in a home. The user may set a constraint (for example, on the controller) that one of the two lighting devices should be used to provide decorative lighting, emitting light with a relatively low brightness at all times during the night (i.e., regardless of whether its presence is detected or not), while the other lighting device should be used to provide a relatively high luminous flux in a specific location (e.g., in a hallway to provide functional lighting), and this device may only be activated when its presence is detected.

[0018] Each or any of the lighting devices may be configured to repeatedly acquire and store data at different points in time showing at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by the operation of the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime, and such acquired data may be added to existing stored data or used to update or maintain existing stored data. Thus, each or any of the lighting devices may be configured to acquire and further actively maintain data.

[0019] For each or any of the multiple lighting devices, at least one measure of the lighting device's potential environmental impact may be derived from data indicating the use of one or more natural resources in the stored data of the lighting device using an LCA method. Alternatively or additionally, at least one measure of the lighting device's potential environmental impact may also be derived from data indicating the use of one or more natural resources in the stored data of the lighting device using any methodology similar to the LCA methodology. Thus, even if one or more embodiments disclosed herein are described by reference to (e.g., by using) the LCA method or LCA methodology, it should be understood that such embodiments may additionally or alternatively utilize any other method or methodology similar to the LCA method and methodology. At least one measure or value of the potential environmental impact of each of the multiple lighting devices may be derived, for example, by transforming, for example, a transformation function, the data indicating the use of one or more natural resources in the stored data of the lighting device. Such a transformation or transformation function may be predefined and, for example, depend on the LCA methodology that may be used. Thus, the transformation or transformation function may be defined by or as part of the LCA methodology that may be used. The transformation or transformation function may be stored in the controller, for example, in its memory. The transformation or transformation function may conform to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines and requirements for implementing LCA, for example, in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. The transformation function may be multiplied, for example, by data indicating the use of one or more natural resources in the stored data of the lighting device and their respective characteristic coefficients. Such characteristic coefficients may be derived, for example, from the ILCD International Life Cycle Data system of the European Platform on LCA (EPLCA) of the European Commission. See, for example, the ILCD Handbook (ISBN 978-92-79-19092-6; doi:10.2788 / 38479).

[0020] For each or any of a plurality of lighting devices, data showing at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by the operation of the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime may also relate to at least one of the manufacturing, transportation, storage, installation, use, or disposal of the lighting device. The data may be obtained from various entities involved in the operation of the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime, for example, various entities involved in the manufacturing, transportation, storage, installation, use, and / or disposal of the lighting device. In the context of this application, disposal of a lighting device may mean, or involve, the recycling and / or refurbishment of the lighting device. Data relating to the manufacturing of a lighting device may include data relating to, or showing, the use of natural resources necessary to manufacture the lighting device. Data relating to the installation of a lighting device may include data showing one or more potential environmental impacts caused by external conditions during the installation of the lighting device. For example, if the lighting device is a streetlamp installed in a tunnel, and the installation of the streetlamp results in traffic congestion on roads inside and near the tunnel, an environmental impact may occur and may be shown in the data.

[0021] For each or any of a plurality of lighting devices, data showing at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by operations performed on the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime may include, for example, LCA data, or may consist of LCA data. The LCA data may be provided, for example, in an "LCA data file." The LCA data or LCA data file may be associated with a Life Cycle Inventory of the lighting device, which may conform to or be based on the LCA methodology. The LCA data or LCA data file may include data (e.g., a list) on one or more (e.g., natural) resource uses caused by operations performed on the lighting device from its manufacture to the present time in the lifetime of the lighting device. Such data or lists may be called an inventory, inventory data, or inventory table. According to the LCA methodology, potential environmental impacts may be determined (e.g., calculated) based on one or more resource uses (e.g., based on the inventory table). One or more embodiments disclosed herein are described with reference to “LCA data” or “LCA data file,” but it should be understood that this does not necessarily limit the disclosed embodiments to LCA methods and methodologies. Rather, the disclosed embodiments may additionally or alternatively utilize any other method or methodology similar to LCA methods and methodologies.In the context of this application, expressions such as "data indicative of at least one of one or more natural resources usage or one or more potential environmental impacts which is caused by operations carried out in relation to the lighting device from its manufacture and during its lifetime," "LCA data," and "LCA data file" can be used interchangeably without loss of generality.

[0022] The LCA methodology can consider the environmental impacts throughout the entire lifecycle of a product (e.g., a lighting device), which may include one or more of the following stages: (1) raw material extraction, (2) processing (e.g., manufacturing), (3) transportation, (4) use, and (5) disposal at the end of the life of the lighting device. As mentioned above, the LCA methodology may use a lifecycle inventory. A lifecycle inventory includes data about the product, which quantifies all relevant inputs and outputs of the product during the above stages. Such data is often estimated.

[0023] Each or any of the multiple lighting devices may be configured to store data (for example, in the lighting device's memory) related to the lifecycle inventory, for example in the form of an "LCA data file." For each or any of the multiple lighting devices, the data may be updated during various stages of the LCA, and the lighting device may be configured so that the data can be accessed or retrieved by a user at any point in time, for example, at the end of the lighting device's lifecycle or when the lighting device is sold secondhand. When accessed or retrieved, the data provides accumulated inventory data to date, which can then be converted (for example, using a standardized algorithm according to the LCA method) into a measure of potential environmental impact (for various impact categories). This allows for an accurate understanding of the environmental impact of individual lighting devices.

[0024] An LCA data file for a lighting device may essentially include a table listing resource usage during the different stages (1) to (5) described above. The LCA data file may include multiple fields, each field may include inputs or outputs related to a particular resource type. Resource types may be selected as appropriate. Examples of resource types include electricity, electrical energy, water, fuel, copper, nickel, adhesives, plastics, metals, iron, aluminum, phosphors, paper or other packaging materials, fossil fuels, etc. LCA for lighting devices is often performed theoretically. Data representing inputs and outputs at each stage of the lighting device's lifecycle to establish a lifecycle inventory may be estimated on average, particularly for the usage stage. For example, theoretically, a 17W light bulb may operate at an average of 1000 lumens for 3 hours a day. However, due to the capabilities of current "smart" bulbs, actual daytime usage of a bulb can vary significantly. For example, the same light bulb might operate at low power consumption for 8 hours a day using a motion sensor, dim into "entertainment mode" for 2 hours each night, and emit a bright, functional light at maximum intensity for as long as the user is studying on a given day. Even with the same light bulb, the environmental impact can differ at each moment from the initial use phase to the end of the bulb's lifespan. For example, even when comparing lamps of the same type, one lamp may have a greater environmental impact than another. A lamp equipped with a security feature may have a greater environmental impact than one without that feature.

[0025] In light of the above, it may be beneficial to save and / or update the LCA data file of the lighting device during its operation, and the data may be stored locally on the lighting device, for example. For example, at the end of the life of the lighting device, the data stored on the lighting device may be retrieved (for example, if the lighting device is left in a disposal site or recycled or refurbished). Thus, the accurate environmental impact of the lighting device over the duration of its life cycle can be determined (e.g., calculated). The data stored on the lighting device may be retrieved to obtain inventory data. The inventory data may then be characterized in terms of a common unit of at least one measure of the lighting device's potential environmental impact, e.g., carbon dioxide equivalent, or other common units. The measure may represent the environmental issue(s) of concern to which the Life Cycle Inventory analysis results may be assigned. At least one potential environmental impact may include, or consist of, one or more of the following: global warming potential (e.g., expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent) or natural resources depletion.

[0026] As described above, for each or any of the plurality of lighting devices, a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device may be derived by converting data indicating one or more natural resource usages in the stored data of the lighting device to data indicating one or more natural resource usages in the stored data of the lighting device, for example, by applying a conversion function. The conversion or conversion function may be predefined and may depend, for example, on the LCA methodology that can be used. For example, there are many greenhouse gases (e.g., resources) emitted. By creating a list of the greenhouse gases emitted, resource usage (e.g., an inventory table) can be provided. By using the LCA methodology, the carbon dioxide equivalent value of each greenhouse gas (i.e., the amount of heat absorbed by the greenhouse gas expressed as a multiple of the amount of heat absorbed by the same mass of carbon dioxide) can be determined. Subsequently, the total carbon dioxide equivalent value can be used to represent an environmental impact measure or value, for example, a global warming potential. This can be done similarly for other environmental impacts, for example, fossil fuel usage, etc.

[0027] As described above, each or any lighting device may be configured to store and further actively maintain data (e.g., LCA inventory data). The data may be obtained and added to the existing stored data, or used to update or maintain the existing stored data, at or during the different stages (1)-(5) described above, particularly at or during stages (1)-(4).

[0028] For example, in stages (1) and (2), data may be uploaded to the lighting device (e.g., its memory) during the production stage of the lighting device, or optionally when the lighting device is put into use, for example, in the form of an LCA data file. In this case, the data, e.g., the LCA data file, would represent resource usage (inputs and outputs) for the raw material sourcing stage and the processing (e.g., manufacturing) stage. The resources required during the raw material sourcing and processing stages of the lighting device are generally known by the manufacturer. Therefore, the manufacturer may store a pre-filled LCA data file containing inventory data for stages (1) and (2) in the lighting device, or update the inventory data in an existing (e.g., empty) LCA data file already present in the lighting device. This may be done at the end of the processing stage (e.g., when the lighting device is shipped from the factory). In another example, inventory data for the raw material sourcing and processing stages may be stored or updated by a network entity, such as the manufacturer's backend server, when the lighting device is first connected to the network entity. Lighting devices may be associated with a unique identifier that allows network entities, such as backend servers, to send corresponding data to the lighting devices (for example, firmware updates).

[0029] For example, in stage (3), the lighting device may then be delivered and transported to the customer. For example, upon installation of the lighting device, the LCA data file may be updated with the resource usage during the transportation phase. The update may depend, for example, on whether the lighting device is delivered by an electric truck or a gasoline truck, whether the lighting device is transported by rail or by ship, what happens to the packaging of the lighting device after installation, whether additional resources (such as adhesives, aluminum rails, etc.) are required to install the lighting device, etc. The resource usage during installation may be estimated, for example, by the person installing the lighting device, or may be actively monitored, in which case the person may appropriately update the LCA data file in the lighting device. For example, the lighting device may transmit its serial number and / or geographical location to a network entity such as the manufacturer's backend server, and the network entity may return the resource usage during transportation known for the serial number and / or, optionally, the estimated resource usage during transportation between the last known location of the lighting device (e.g., the distribution center) and the geographical location of the lighting device. According to another example, the person installing the lighting device may update the LCA data file with the resource usage during the transportation phase. Thereby, the person installing the lighting device may have a predefined estimate of the resource usage during the transportation phase. The manufacturer may provide a questionnaire to fill in to the person installing the lighting device so that the resource usage during the transportation phase can be accounted for by estimation and automatically calculated. The questions in the questionnaire may relate, for example, to the driving distance until the lighting device reaches the recipient, whether the vehicle used to deliver the lighting device is electric, etc. If possible, a part of the resource usage during the transportation phase may be obtained from the tracking database of a distributor that can be used, such as DHL or United Parcel Service (UPS).

[0030] For example, during stage (4), i.e., during the usage stage, the data files stored in the lighting device may be continuously updated. The data obtained during the usage stage may be dominated by the energy consumption of the lighting device (fossil fuels or green energy). The lighting device may be able to measure its own energy use.

[0031] Each or any of the lighting devices may be configured such that the data stored in the lighting device can be accessed or retrieved at any time, for example, by the owner of the lighting device during the use phase, or by the manufacturer of the lighting device during the raw material extraction phase and / or processing phase.

[0032] The controller may be configured to obtain information for each lighting device regarding whether it is currently powered by electricity from renewable or non-renewable energy sources. For example, an entity that can update the LCA data file for each or any of the lighting devices during the usage phase may access such information and include it in the LCA data file for the lighting device(s). In this way, a more accurate environmental impact can be determined when LCA (inventory) data is converted into environmental impact. For example, the consumption of energy from solar or wind-based energy sources may have a different impact on the global warming potential and / or abiotic resource depletion than the consumption of energy from coal or gas-based energy sources.

[0033] As described above, according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, for each lighting device, at least one of at least one resource usage measure or at least one potential environmental impact measure of the lighting device is determined (e.g., by a controller) from stored data of the lighting device, and the operation of at least one of the multiple lighting devices is controlled (e.g., by a controller) based on at least one resource usage measure and / or at least one potential environmental impact measure determined for each lighting device of the multiple lighting devices. Thus, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, the operation of the multiple lighting devices can be controlled depending on the (e.g., estimated) environmental impact of each lighting device, determined by one or more LCA methodologies.

[0034] Multiple lighting devices may be controlled (e.g., by a controller) such that any lighting device whose value representing at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact exceeds a threshold is not operated, while the other lighting devices(s) of the multiple lighting devices are operated. The threshold may represent a value of at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device, such that if a lighting device exceeds this value, that lighting device is selected not to be considered environmentally sustainable. The other lighting devices(s) of the multiple lighting devices may be controlled as a group such that the operation of each of the other lighting devices is controlled similarly. In the context of this application, similarly controlling lighting devices may mean that the lighting devices operate to provide the same lighting function or functionality, for example, so that lighting devices in the form of Hue lamps provide the same ambient lighting function. Furthermore, similarly controlling lighting devices may mean that each lighting device is controlled to achieve the same or substantially the same overall light effect (which may also be called a light scene). Therefore, controlling lighting devices similarly does not necessarily mean that all lighting devices are controlled to emit light with the same characteristics such as intensity, color, and dynamics (although this may be the case). Lighting devices may be controlled to emit light with different characteristics while achieving the same or substantially the same overall lighting effect. For example, in entertainment lighting, different lamps may be controlled to emit light with different characteristics based on their spatial position, but the overall effect may be the same (e.g., a sunset scene).

[0035] Each or any of the multiple lighting devices may be configured to selectively provide one or more lighting functions when in operation. The multiple lighting devices may be controlled (e.g., by a controller) so that only lighting devices whose values ​​for at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact do not exceed a threshold operate to provide one or more of their lighting functions. This means that other lighting devices(s) whose values ​​for at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact exceed a threshold do not have to operate to provide one or more of their lighting functions. As described above, the threshold may be a value for at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device, and if a lighting device exceeds this value, that lighting device is selected not to be considered environmentally sustainable. In this way, users of the multiple lighting devices may be discouraged from using lighting devices that are not considered environmentally sustainable because they cannot provide one or more of their lighting functions.

[0036] As described above, each or any of the lighting devices may be configured to selectively provide one or more lighting functions when operated. The average or sum of values ​​representing at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact determined for each of the multiple lighting devices may be determined (e.g., by a controller). The multiple lighting devices may be controlled (e.g., by a controller) so that if the average or sum exceeds a threshold, the multiple lighting devices are not operated, or one or more selected lighting functions of the multiple lighting devices are prevented from being used while the multiple lighting devices are operating, or one or more selected lighting functions of the multiple lighting devices are degraded while the multiple lighting devices are operating. As described above, the threshold may represent a value of at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device, such that if the value is exceeded for a lighting device, that lighting device is selected not to be considered environmentally sustainable.

[0037] By controlling multiple lighting devices so that they do not operate if their average or sum exceeds a threshold, multiple lighting devices do not need to be grouped with other additional lighting devices (which may or may not be included in the system and may be considered environmentally sustainable). In this way, in the grouping of lighting devices, it can be achieved that lighting devices considered environmentally sustainable within a group do not operate, or that lighting devices considered (e.g., very) environmentally sustainable are not grouped with lighting devices considered (e.g., significantly) unsustainable.

[0038] Users of multiple lighting devices may be discouraged from using a group of lighting devices (i.e., multiple lighting devices) if the group is not an environmentally sustainable group, by controlling multiple lighting devices such that one or more selected lighting functions of the multiple lighting devices are reduced or prevented from being used while the lighting devices are operating if the average or sum exceeds a threshold. For example, if the average or sum exceeds a threshold, the maximum intensity of light emitted by each lighting device of the multiple lighting devices and / or the operating power of each lighting device of the multiple lighting devices may be limited.

[0039] The average or sum of values ​​representing at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact determined for each of the multiple lighting devices may be determined (e.g., by a controller). If the average or sum does not exceed a threshold, the multiple lighting devices may be controlled as a group (e.g., by a controller) so that the operation of each of the multiple lighting devices is controlled similarly. If the average or sum exceeds a threshold, the multiple lighting devices may be controlled individually (e.g., by a controller) rather than as a group. In this way, it can be achieved that if the multiple lighting devices as a group are considered environmentally sustainable, they are controlled as a group (similarly), and otherwise, each of the multiple lighting devices is controlled individually. This can be used to ensure that only lighting devices considered environmentally sustainable are controlled as a group, or that the group of lighting devices itself meets the requirements for environmental sustainability, or that environmentally unsustainable lighting devices are not controlled as a group. As described above, the threshold may represent a value of at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device, such that if a lighting device exceeds this value, it is selected not to be considered environmentally sustainable.

[0040] For each lighting device, information may be available as to whether the lighting device is currently powered by electrical energy from renewable energy sources (which may also be called "green energy") or by electrical energy from non-renewable energy sources (which may also be called "grey energy"). Such information may be obtained, for example, by a controller. Therefore, the controller may be configured to obtain such information. Multiple lighting devices may be controlled (for example, by a controller) such that lighting devices(s) whose values ​​for at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact exceed a threshold operate only when they are currently powered by electrical energy from renewable energy sources, and lighting devices(s) whose values ​​for at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact do not exceed a threshold operate when they are currently powered by electrical energy from non-renewable energy sources. As described above, the threshold may represent a value for at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device, such that if a lighting device exceeds this value, it is selected not to be considered environmentally sustainable. In this way, a lighting device(s) considered environmentally sustainable may operate (e.g., only when currently powered by electricity from non-renewable energy sources), and a lighting device(s) considered environmentally unsustainable (or at least less environmentally sustainable) may operate (e.g., only when currently powered by electricity from renewable energy sources). In this way, lighting devices with low environmental sustainability and lighting devices with high environmental sustainability can be brought closer together in terms of their environmental impacts.

[0041] According to one implementation example, the controller may determine for each of several lighting devices whether it is currently powered by green energy or gray energy. If the lighting device is currently powered by gray energy, it may control only the lighting devices whose at least one potential environmental impact measure or value does not exceed a threshold to provide lighting functionality. If the lighting device is currently powered by green energy, it may control only the lighting devices whose at least one potential environmental impact measure or value exceeds a threshold to provide lighting functionality. This allows lighting devices with low environmental sustainability and lighting devices with high environmental sustainability to be brought closer together in terms of their environmental impacts.

[0042] The controller may be configured to obtain a value for each lighting device that represents the emission intensity of the electrical energy currently supplied to that lighting device. The value representing the emission intensity of the electrical energy currently supplied to the lighting device may, for example, be a value representing the carbon intensity of the electrical energy currently supplied to the lighting device, and may consist of, for example, carbon intensity per kilowatt-hour or a similar quantity. The controller may be configured to obtain (e.g., receive or acquire) a value representing the emission intensity of the electrical energy currently supplied to the lighting device from, for example, some entity that provides estimates of the emission intensity (e.g., carbon intensity) of electricity consumed in power systems across different regions of the country in which the lighting device is used. The controller may be configured to control multiple lighting devices such that, only if the emission intensity of the electrical energy currently supplied to the lighting device(s) does not exceed a threshold emission intensity value, lighting devices(s) whose values ​​representing at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact exceed a threshold value are operated, and if the emission intensity of the electrical energy currently supplied to the lighting device(s) does exceed a threshold emission intensity value, lighting devices(s) whose values ​​representing at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact do not exceed a threshold value are operated. As described above, the threshold may represent a value of at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact of a lighting device, such that if a lighting device exceeds this value, the lighting device is not considered environmentally sustainable.

[0043] As mentioned above, for each lighting device, at least one of at least one measure of resource use or at least one measure of potential environmental impact of the lighting device may be determined (e.g., by a controller) from the stored data of the lighting device. The determination of at least one measure of the (currently accrued) potential environmental impact of the lighting device can be carried out in several ways.

[0044] For example, for each lighting device, at least one measure of the lighting device's potential environmental impact may be determined (e.g., by the controller) as follows: For each lighting device, stored data for the lighting device may be obtained (e.g., received or acquired), and at least one measure of the lighting device's potential environmental impact may be determined based on data in the stored data for the lighting device that indicates the use of one or more natural resources. Thus, for example, the controller may obtain stored data from each lighting device (e.g., including an inventory table containing a list of resource uses), and then determine (e.g., calculate) at least one measure of the lighting device's potential environmental impact based on that data.

[0045] Thus, according to one implementation example, the controller may obtain (read, determine, or poll) a stored data file for each of the multiple lighting devices. As mentioned above, the data file may show the resource usage for the lighting device at each stage of the lighting device's lifecycle, and the data file may include a list of resources and multiple entries defining the resource usage of each listed resource at each stage of the lighting device's lifecycle. The controller may then convert the resource usage of the lighting device at each stage of the lighting device's lifecycle into a measure of at least one potential environmental impact of the lighting device (e.g., based on an LCA methodology). In this way, for example, it may be determined that the Global Warming Potential of the first lighting device among the multiple lighting devices is X, the Global Warming Potential of the second lighting device among the multiple lighting devices is Y, the Global Warming Potential of the third lighting device among the multiple lighting devices is Z, and so on, where X, Y, and Z may be values ​​representing the Global Warming Potential.

[0046] Alternatively or additionally, at least one measure of potential environmental impact for each lighting device may be determined by the respective lighting device. Each lighting device may be configured to determine at least one measure of potential environmental impact for the lighting device based on data indicating the use of one or more natural resources in the stored data for the lighting device. A controller may be configured to determine at least one measure of potential environmental impact for each lighting device by obtaining (e.g., receiving or acquiring) at least one measure of potential environmental impact for the lighting device that has been determined by the lighting device.

[0047] Thus, according to one implementation example, a stored data file for each of a plurality of lighting devices may show the resource usage for that lighting device at each stage of the lighting device's lifecycle, and the data file may include a list of resources and multiple entries that define the resource usage of the listed resources at each stage of the lighting device's lifecycle, respectively. Each of the plurality of lighting devices may convert its resource usage at each stage of its lifecycle into at least one measure of its potential environmental impact (e.g., based on an LCA methodology). The controller may then obtain (read or determine) for each of the plurality of lighting devices at least one measure of its potential environmental impact that has already been determined "locally" by that lighting device.

[0048] For each of the multiple lighting devices, at least one measure of the potential environmental impact of each lighting device may be determined based on data indicating the use of one or more natural resources in the stored data of the lighting device (e.g., by the controller or by the lighting device itself), for example using an LCA method.

[0049] At least one potential environmental impact may include, or consist of, one or more of the following: for example, a global warming potential, or abiotic depletion of natural resources.

[0050] The controller may include, for example, a user interface, or may be comprised of a user interface device. The controller may be configured to obtain (e.g., receive or acquire) an indication of the threshold as described above. For example, the controller's user interface may be configured to receive user input indicating the threshold.

[0051] According to one or more other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the system may include a user interface device that includes a controller and means for providing information or instructions to a user, such as a display that provides visual instructions or feedback. However, means for providing other types of instructions or feedback, such as audible, are also possible. A measure of at least one resource usage and / or at least one measure of a potential environmental impact for a plurality of lighting devices, e.g., values ​​representing at least one resource usage and / or at least one potential environmental impact, respectively, derived from stored data for each of the lighting devices, may be presented to the user via the display. The controller may be configured to determine suggestions to the user on how to control the plurality of lighting devices based on the determined measures or values, and to show such suggestions to the user via the display. For example, if any of the determined measures or values ​​exceed a predetermined threshold (value), the controller may be configured to generate an alert to the user, e.g., a visual alert via the display, and / or suggestions to the user on how to control the plurality of lighting devices. The controller may be configured to aggregate the determined measures or values ​​and to show the aggregated measure or value of at least one potential environmental impact to the user via the display.

[0052] The controller may be connected to each of the multiple lighting devices. For example, each or any of the multiple lighting devices may include a processor configured to store (and optionally retrieve) data. In one embodiment, the master lighting device among the multiple lighting devices may include the controller. For each or any of the multiple lighting devices, data may be stored in the lighting device, for example, in memory that may be included in the lighting device. Alternatively or additionally, for each or any of the multiple lighting devices, data may be stored in other entities accessible by the lighting device and / or controller, for example, entities included in a communication network to which the lighting device(s) and / or controller may be connected.

[0053] Each or any of the multiple lighting devices may, for example, include one or more LEDs, or be composed of one or more LEDs.

[0054] The controller may include, for example, one or more processors, control units, control devices, etc., each or any of these may include, for example, any suitable central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., or any combination thereof, or may be composed of such. The controller, or one or more control units, control devices, etc., may optionally be capable of executing software instructions stored in a computer program product, for example, in the form of memory. The memory may include, for example, any combination of read-and-write memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The memory may also include persistent storage, which may be, for example, magnetic memory, optical memory, solid-state memory, or remotely mounted memory, or any combination thereof.

[0055] The controller, or one or more control units, control devices, etc., may include, for example, driver circuits (e.g., LED driver circuits) for controlling the power supply to each lighting device and / or controlling the operation of each lighting device. The driver circuits may include, for example, driver circuits configured to drive (or control the operation of) each lighting device. The controller, or one or more controllers, control units, control devices, etc., may be configured to control the operation of each lighting device by, for example, transmitting at least one control signal or control message to each lighting device.

[0056] In one embodiment, the present invention may provide a system comprising a plurality of electronic devices and a controller configured to control the operation of each of the plurality of electronic devices, wherein each electronic device is configured to obtain and store data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by operations performed with respect to the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime, and the controller is configured to determine for each electronic device at least one of at least one measure of resource use or at least one measure of potential environmental impact for the electronic device derived from the stored data of the electronic device, and to control the operation of at least one of the plurality of electronic devices based on the at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one measure of potential environmental impact determined for each of the plurality of electronic devices. Thus, the principles of one or more embodiments of the present invention are applicable not only to systems comprising a plurality of lighting devices, but may also be applied similarly or in the same manner as described herein to systems comprising one or more types of electronic devices other than lighting devices.

[0057] Further objects and advantages of the present invention are described below by illustrating embodiments. It should be noted that the present invention relates to all possible combinations of the features enumerated in the claims. Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when considering the following description and appended claims. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various features of the present invention can be combined to produce embodiments other than those described below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0058] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. All drawings are schematic and not necessarily to scale, and generally only the parts necessary to illustrate embodiments of the present invention are shown, with other parts omitted or merely suggested. [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic flowchart of the method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0059] The present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. However, the invention may be carried out in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments of the invention described herein. Rather, these embodiments of the invention are provided as examples so that this disclosure may convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, unless otherwise noted, the same reference numeral indicates the same or similar components having the same or similar function.

[0060] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] The lighting system 10 includes multiple lighting devices 1 to 6. The number of lighting devices shown in Figure 1 is illustrative, and it should be understood that system 10 may include fewer or more lighting devices than those shown in Figure 1. In principle, system 10 may include any number of lighting devices.

[0062] Each of the lighting devices 1 to 6 may be configured to emit light, as schematically shown by the arrows in Figure 1. Each of the lighting devices 1 to 6 may be controllable with respect to its operation, for example, one or more characteristics of the emitted light, for example, the light spectrum of the emitted light. For this purpose, each or any of the lighting devices 1 to 6 may include, for example, at least one tunable light source (not shown in Figure 1), and at least one tunable light source may be controllable with respect to at least the wavelength of the light emitted by at least one tunable light source. Alternatively or additionally, each of the lighting devices 1 to 6 may be controllable with respect to other characteristics of its operation, for example, the intensity of the emitted light, the operating power, etc.

[0063] System 10 includes a controller 8 which may be configured to control the operation of each of the multiple lighting devices 1 to 6. Figure 1 shows a wireless connection between the controller 8 and the lighting devices 1 to 6, but it should be understood that the controller 8 and the lighting devices 1 to 6 may be connected via one or more wired and / or wireless connections, for example, by any suitable wired and / or wireless connections known in the art. The controller 8 may be configured to control the operation of each of the lighting devices 1 to 6 by, for example, transmitting at least one control signal or control message to each of the lighting devices 1 to 6.

[0064] As described herein, each lighting device 1-6 may be configured to store (and optionally obtain) data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by operations performed with respect to lighting devices 1-6 from their manufacture to their lifetime. For each or any of the multiple lighting devices 1-6, the data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by operations performed with respect to lighting devices 1-6 from their manufacture to their lifetime may, for example, relate to at least one of the manufacturing, transportation, storage, installation, use, or disposal of lighting devices 1-6. As described herein, the data may be obtained from various entities involved in operations performed with respect to each lighting device 1-6 from their manufacture to their lifetime, for example, various entities (not shown in Figure 1) involved in the manufacturing, transportation, storage, installation, use, and / or disposal of each lighting device 1-6.

[0065] The controller 8 may be configured to determine, for each lighting device 1 to 6, at least one of at least one resource use measure and / or at least one potential environmental impact measure for the lighting device 1 to 6, derived from the stored data of the lighting device 1 to 6. For each lighting device 1 to 6, at least one potential environmental impact measure for the lighting device 1 to 6 may be derived, for example, from data showing the use of one or more natural resources in the stored data of the lighting device 1 to 6, using a life cycle assessment method. The controller 8 may be configured to control the operation of at least one of the lighting devices 1 to 6 based on the at least one resource use measure and / or at least one potential environmental impact measure determined for each of the lighting devices 1 to 6.

[0066] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of Method 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Method 100 is performed in or in relation to a system comprising a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device being configured to store data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses or one or more potential environmental impacts caused by operations performed on the lighting device from its manufacture to its lifetime. Method 100 includes, in 101, determining for each lighting device at least one of at least one measure of resource use or at least one measure of potential environmental impact for the lighting device, which is derived from the stored data for the lighting device. In 102, the operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is controlled based on at least one measure of resource use and / or at least one measure of potential environmental impact determined for each lighting device of the plurality of lighting devices. Method 100 may then terminate.

[0067] Although the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and the above description, such illustrations should be considered descriptive or illustrative and not limiting, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed. By examining the drawings, this disclosure and the accompanying claims, other variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood by those skilled in the art and can be performed in carrying out the claimed invention. In the claims, the word “including” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude plural. The mere fact that certain means are enumerated in different dependent claims does not indicate that combinations of these means cannot be used advantageously. No reference numeral in the claims should be construed as limiting in scope.

Claims

1. Multiple lighting devices, A controller configured to control the operation of each of the multiple lighting devices, A system that includes, Each lighting device is configured to store data indicating the use of one or more natural resources, and the data includes an inventory table that records the resource use of each lighting device accumulated to date during the lifetime of each lighting device. The aforementioned controller, To obtain the stored data for each of the plurality of lighting devices, For each of the plurality of lighting devices, a conversion function is applied to the data indicating the use of one or more natural resources to determine at least one environmental impact value for each lighting device derived from the stored data for that lighting device, wherein the conversion function depends on the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, and The operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices is controlled based on the at least one environmental impact value determined for each of the plurality of lighting devices. A system configured in such a way.

2. The aforementioned controller, Controlling the plurality of lighting devices such that, of the plurality of lighting devices, at least one lighting device whose environmental impact value exceeds a threshold is not operated, and the other lighting devices of the plurality of lighting devices are operated. The system according to claim 1, configured as follows.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the other lighting devices among the plurality of lighting devices as a group such that the operation of each of the other lighting devices among the plurality of lighting devices is controlled in the same manner.

4. Each lighting device is configured to selectively provide one or more lighting functions when in operation, and the controller is configured to provide one or more lighting functions. Controlling the plurality of lighting devices such that only the lighting devices among the plurality of lighting devices whose environmental impact value does not exceed a threshold operate to provide one or more of the lighting functions of said lighting device. The system according to claim 1, configured as follows.

5. Each lighting device is configured to selectively provide one or more lighting functions when in operation, and the controller is configured to provide one or more lighting functions. Determine the average or sum of the at least one environmental impact value determined for each of the plurality of lighting devices, and If the average value or sum exceeds a threshold, the plurality of lighting devices are controlled so that the plurality of lighting devices are not operated, or so that one or more selected lighting functions of the plurality of lighting devices are prevented from being used while the plurality of lighting devices are operating, or so that one or more selected lighting functions of the plurality of lighting devices are reduced while the plurality of lighting devices are operating. The system according to claim 1, configured as follows.

6. The aforementioned controller, Determine the average or sum of values ​​representing at least one resource use and / or at least one potential environmental impact determined for each of the plurality of lighting devices. If the average value or sum does not exceed a threshold, the multiple lighting devices are controlled as a group so that the operation of each of the multiple lighting devices is controlled similarly, and If the average value or sum exceeds the threshold, the multiple lighting devices are controlled individually, rather than as a group. The system according to claim 1, configured as follows.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each lighting device is configured to repeatedly obtain and store data indicating at least one of one or more natural resource uses at different points in time, and the obtained data is used to add to or update or maintain existing stored data.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the conversion function is predefined and stored in the controller.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the conversion function is configured to multiply the stored data indicating the use of one or more natural resources by the respective characteristic coefficients of the life cycle assessment methodology.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the at least one environmental impact is the global warming potential or the depletion of natural resources.

11. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein each lighting device includes a memory for locally storing the data.

12. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the plurality of lighting devices include a master lighting device, and the master lighting device includes the controller.

13. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the controller includes a user interface, and the user interface is configured to receive user input indicating the threshold.

14. A method in a system including multiple lighting devices, wherein each lighting device is configured to store data indicating the use of one or more natural resources, the data includes an inventory table that records the resource use of each lighting device accumulated to date during the lifetime of each lighting device, and the method is To obtain the stored data for each of the aforementioned plurality of lighting devices, For each of the plurality of lighting devices, a conversion function is applied to the data indicating the use of one or more natural resources to determine at least one environmental impact value for each lighting device derived from the stored data for that lighting device. Controlling the operation of at least one of the plurality of lighting devices based on the at least one environmental impact value determined for each of the plurality of lighting devices, Methods that include...

15. A computer program that, when executed by one or more processors of a controller of a system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, includes instructions causing the controller to perform the method according to claim 14.

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