Lighting controller, lighting system and control method

Abstract

To provide a lighting controller, a lighting system, and a control method capable of reducing the load of communication processing on a lighting device.SOLUTION: A lighting controller 101 includes: an acquisition unit 111 that acquires unique first ID information possessed by each of a plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 among the plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 each connected to a power line 501 and a plurality of communication devices each connected to the power line 501; a notification unit 112 that notifies each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 of a logical network to which the lighting device belongs based on the acquired multiple pieces of first ID information; and a control unit 130 that controls the plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line 501.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting controller, a lighting system including the same, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] A system using power line communication for communication between a master station device and a slave station device has been disclosed (Patent Document 1). Also, in a lighting system including a plurality of communication devices, a plurality of lighting devices, and a lighting controller that controls the plurality of lighting devices, power line communication may be used for communication between the plurality of communication devices, the plurality of lighting devices, and the lighting controller. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-313595 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned lighting system, an imaging device such as a web camera may be used as a communication device. Generally, in power line communication, signals transmitted to a communication device such as an imaging device and signals transmitted from the communication device (i.e., signals related to the communication device) tend to be larger in volume and more frequent than signals transmitted to a lighting device.

[0005] Therefore, when multiple communication devices and multiple lighting devices are connected to one power line in the above lighting system, there is a problem that the load on the communication processing of the lighting devices increases due to signals related to the communication devices, which are signals unrelated to the lighting devices.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a lighting controller, a lighting system, and a control method that can reduce the communication processing load of a lighting device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a lighting controller in one embodiment of the present invention includes: an acquisition unit that acquires unique first ID information possessed by each of a plurality of lighting devices, each of which is connected to a power line, and a plurality of communication devices, each of which is connected to the power line; a notification unit that notifies each of the plurality of lighting devices of a logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information; and a control unit that controls the plurality of lighting devices based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a lighting system according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-described lighting controller, the plurality of lighting devices, and the plurality of communication devices.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a lighting system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of lighting controllers, a plurality of lighting devices each connected to a power line, and a plurality of communication devices each connected to the power line, wherein one of the plurality of lighting controllers has an acquisition unit that acquires first ID information unique to each of the plurality of lighting devices and second ID information unique to each of the plurality of communication devices, and a notification unit that notifies each of the plurality of lighting devices and each of the plurality of communication devices of a logical network to which the lighting device and the communication device belong based on the acquired plurality of first ID information and the acquired plurality of second ID information, and each of the plurality of lighting controllers has a control unit that controls the plurality of lighting devices and the plurality of communication devices for each of the logical networks by performing power line communication via the power line.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a control method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an acquisition step of acquiring unique first ID information possessed by each of a plurality of lighting devices, each of which is connected to a power line, and a plurality of communication devices, each of which is connected to the power line; a notification step of notifying each of the plurality of lighting devices of a logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information; and a control step of controlling the plurality of lighting devices based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a lighting controller, a lighting system, and a control method are realized that can reduce the communication processing load of a lighting device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an operation example of a first operation of the lighting system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example of the second operation of the lighting system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation example of a first operation of the lighting system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an operation example of the second operation of the lighting system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a lighting system according to a modification of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection forms, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0014] It should be noted that the drawings are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily strict illustrations. In addition, in the drawings, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions may be omitted or simplified.

[0015] (Embodiment 1) [composition] First, a lighting system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0017] The lighting system 1 is a system that mainly controls, by power line communication, a plurality of lighting devices 201 to 203. In this embodiment, a plurality of image capturing devices 601 and 602 are also controlled by power line communication.

[0018] The lighting system 1 includes a communication controller 100, a lighting controller 101, lighting devices 201 to 203 as a plurality of lighting devices, imaging devices 601 and 602 as a plurality of communication devices, an AC power supply 301, and a power line 501.

[0019] In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, three lighting devices 201 to 203 are illustrated, but the number of lighting devices included in the lighting system 1 may be two or more. Similarly, two imaging devices 601 and 602 are illustrated, but the number of imaging devices (communication devices) included in the lighting system 1 may be two or more. This also applies to the other embodiments and modified examples of the other embodiments.

[0020] The lighting devices 201 to 203 are lighting devices used in the lighting system 1 and emit illumination light. Each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 is connected to a power line 501.

[0021] The imaging devices 601 and 602 are an example of a plurality of communication devices, such as a web camera. Examples of the communication devices may include a power meter, an alarm device, an IP phone, and a detection device such as a sensor. The communication devices may be devices other than those described above as long as they can communicate with other devices using power line communication. The communication devices are devices different from the lighting devices. Each of the imaging devices 601 and 602 is connected to the power line 501.

[0022] The lighting controller 101 is a control device that controls the multiple lighting devices 201 to 203. The lighting controller 101 is connected to a power line 501. The lighting controller 101 controls the lighting devices 201 to 203 by performing power line communication via the power line 501. The lighting controller 101 is a dedicated device for the lighting system 1, but may also be a general-purpose device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal.

[0023] The communication controller 100 is a control device that controls the imaging devices 601 and 602, which are multiple communication devices. The communication controller 100 is connected to a power line 501. The communication controller 100 controls the imaging devices 601 and 602 by performing power line communication via the power line 501. The communication controller 100 is a dedicated device for the lighting system 1, but may also be a general-purpose device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0024] The power line 501 is connected to the AC power supply 301. The AC power supply 301 supplies AC power to the power line 501. In other words, the lighting controller 101, the communication controller 100, the lighting devices 201 to 203, and the imaging devices 601 and 602 receive AC power from the AC power supply 301 via the power line 501.

[0025] Further, the lighting controller 101 will be described in detail.

[0026] The lighting controller 101 includes a communication unit 110, a reception unit 120, a control unit 130, and a storage unit 140.

[0027] The communication unit 110 is a communication module (communication circuit) that enables the lighting controller 101 to perform power line communication with the lighting devices 201 to 203. The communication unit 110 includes an acquisition unit 111 and a notification unit 112.

[0028] The acquisition unit 111 acquires first ID information (for example, a MAC address) unique to each of the lighting devices 201-203.

[0029] The notification unit 112 notifies each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of unique first ID information. For example, the acquisition unit 111 acquires the MAC address of the lighting device 201, and the notification unit 112 notifies the lighting device having the acquired MAC address (lighting device 201) of the logical network to which the lighting device itself (lighting device 201) belongs, using the acquired MAC address as the destination.

[0030] The logical network is, for example, a virtual local area network (VLAN). In this embodiment, a plurality of VLANs are provided, and the plurality of VLANs include a first VLAN and a second VLAN.

[0031] The reception unit 120 is a device that receives input operations from a user of the lighting system 1. The reception unit 120 is an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel, for example.

[0032] The control unit 130 performs information processing for controlling the lighting devices 201-203 based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line 501. More specifically, the control unit 130 controls the communication unit 110 to notify the lighting devices 201-203 of control signals, thereby controlling the lighting devices 201-203. The control unit 130 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor.

[0033] The control signals are signals for controlling the lighting devices 201 to 203. The control signals are at least one of a dimming signal for changing the state of illumination light (light intensity, color temperature, etc.) of the lighting devices 201 to 203 and a response signal for causing the lighting devices 201 to 203 to respond with information possessed by the lighting devices 201 to 203. The information possessed by the lighting devices 201 to 203 includes the cumulative lighting time of each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 and first ID information unique to each of the lighting devices 201 to 203.

[0034] Here, the information processing performed by the control unit 130 will be described.

[0035] The control unit 130 performs a process of determining that each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 belongs to one of a plurality of VLANs, which are examples of logical networks. Here, the user uses the reception unit 120 to perform an input operation indicating which of the plurality of VLANs each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 belongs to, and the control unit 130 performs the above process based on the input operation received by the reception unit 120 from the user.

[0036] Examples of VLANs to which the lighting devices 201 to 203 belong are shown below. Table 1 shows a first example of VLANs to which the lighting devices 201 to 203 belong.

[0037] [Table 1]

[0038] In the first example, lighting devices 201 and 202 form a first VLAN, and lighting device 203 forms a second VLAN.

[0039] As shown in Table 1, one lighting device belongs to one logical network. In other words, one lighting device does not belong to multiple logical networks.

[0040] Furthermore, the control signal notified by the notifying unit 112 includes information indicating the logical network to which the lighting device controlled by the control signal (that is, the lighting device to be controlled) belongs.

[0041] The storage unit 140 is a storage device that stores programs executed by the control unit 130 and various information used to perform the information processing. The storage unit 140 is realized by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0042] Further, the lighting device 201 will be described in detail.

[0043] The lighting device 201 includes a control unit 210, a communication unit 220, a light source unit 230, and a storage unit 240. Although the diagram shows only the configuration of the lighting device 201 out of the three lighting devices 201 to 203, the lighting devices 202 and 203 also have the same configuration as the lighting device 201, and therefore will not be shown or described here.

[0044] The light source unit 230 is a light source that is turned on by power supplied to the lighting device 201 (that is, a light source that emits illumination light), and is, for example, an LED light source.

[0045] The control unit 210 is a processing unit that performs information processing for controlling the light source unit 230 etc. The control unit 210 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor.

[0046] The storage unit 240 is a storage device that stores programs executed by the control unit 210, etc. The storage unit 240 stores first ID information unique to the device itself (here, the lighting device 201). The unique first ID information is information for identifying the lighting device 201 from other lighting devices and communication devices. Here, the unique first ID information is a MAC address as described above, but is not limited to this. The storage unit 240 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory. For simplicity, the unique first ID information may be simply referred to as first ID information hereinafter.

[0047] The communication unit 220 is a communication module (communication circuit) for the lighting device 201 to perform power line communication with the lighting controller 101.

[0048] Here, the information processing performed by the control unit 210 will be described.

[0049] For example, in the lighting device 201, the communication unit 220 acquires a control signal notified from the notification unit 112 of the lighting controller 101. If the control signal is a dimming signal, the control unit 210 performs control so that the state (light intensity, color temperature, etc.) of the illumination light emitted by the light source unit 230 changes in accordance with the acquired control signal.

[0050] Next, a detailed description will be given of the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the communication controller 100. Here, for simplicity, the description will be given using the imaging device 601, but since the imaging device 602 has the same configuration as the imaging device 601, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] In this embodiment, the communication controller 100 controls the imaging device 601 by performing power line communication via the power line 501. More specifically, the following is done.

[0052] The communication controller 100 notifies the image capturing device 601 of the control signal. The image capturing device 601 acquires the notified control signal and is controlled in accordance with the acquired control signal.

[0053] For example, if the control signal notified from the communication controller 100 is a response signal for causing the imaging device 601 to respond with information possessed by the imaging device 601, the imaging device 601 responds by notifying the communication controller 100 of the information possessed by the imaging device 601. Note that the information possessed by the imaging device 601 is, for example, information indicating a moving image captured by the imaging device 601, which is a web camera.

[0054] Furthermore, the control signal sent from the communication controller 100 does not include information indicating logical networks such as the first VLAN and second VLAN.

[0055] Next, two operations relating to the control method for lighting system 1 in this embodiment configured as above will be described. Here, the control of lighting devices 201 to 203 will be mainly described.

[0056] [Example of operation] The first operation is an operation (hereinafter referred to as the first operation) for constructing a logical network when the lighting system 1 is installed. This first operation is what is called an operation when a logical network is set up.

[0057] Fig. 2 is a flowchart of an example of a first operation of the lighting system 1 according to the present embodiment. Note that Fig. 2 mainly illustrates the operation of the lighting controller 101.

[0058] The notification unit 112 notifies all lighting devices connected to the power line 501 (that is, lighting devices 201 to 203) of an ID information response signal, which is an example of a response signal, as a control signal (step S10).

[0059] The ID information response signal is a signal that causes the lighting device that has received this ID information response signal to notify (respond) a signal indicating its own unique first ID information to the lighting controller 101. Therefore, the communication unit 220 of each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 that has received the ID information response signal responds by notifying the lighting controller 101 of a signal indicating the MAC address, which is the own unique first ID information of the lighting device.

[0060] Next, the acquiring unit 111 acquires the first ID information unique to each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 (step S12). More specifically, the acquiring unit 111 acquires a signal indicating the MAC address notified by each of the lighting devices 201 to 203.

[0061] Furthermore, the control unit 130 determines the logical network to which each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 belongs (step S14).

[0062] The control unit 130 may determine the logical networks to which each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 belongs, for example, by having the reception unit 120 receive an input operation from the user. At this time, the reception unit 120 receives an input operation indicating that each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 has been associated with the logical network to which each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 belongs. In the first example, this input operation indicates that the lighting devices 201 and 202 belong to a first VLAN, and the lighting device 203 belongs to a second VLAN.

[0063] Furthermore, the notification unit 112 notifies each of the lighting devices 201-203 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information (step S16). That is, the notification unit 112 notifies the lighting device having the acquired MAC address (each of the lighting devices 201-203) of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, using the acquired MAC address as the destination.

[0064] Here, a lighting device (for example, lighting device 201) that has been notified of the logical network to which it belongs performs the following process. For example, in the lighting device 201, information indicating the notified logical network (first VLAN) is stored in the storage unit 240. Therefore, the lighting devices 201 to 203 can identify the logical network to which it belongs based on the logical network stored in the storage unit 240.

[0065] The second operation is an operation (second operation) in which the lighting devices 201 to 203 are controlled by the lighting controller 101 after the logical network is constructed. The control unit 130 controls the lighting devices 201 to 203 based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line 501. At this time, the imaging devices 601 and 602 are also controlled by the communication controller 100.

[0066] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example of the second operation of the lighting system 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0067] In the second operation, the lighting device 203 belonging to the second VLAN, which is an example of a logical network, is assumed to be the lighting device to be controlled. In other words, the lighting devices 201 and 202 belonging to the first VLAN are lighting devices other than the lighting devices to be controlled.

[0068] First, the lighting controller 101 transmits a control signal (step S20). Here, the control unit 130 causes the communication unit 110 to transmit a control signal indicating a logical network. The notification unit 112 transmits the control signal to the lighting devices 203 belonging to the second VLAN via the power line 501, for example by broadcast.

[0069] The control signal is a signal for controlling the light emission mode of the lighting device that received the control signal. As described above, the control signal also includes information indicating the logical network to which the lighting device (here, lighting device 203) that is the control target of the control signal belongs. This logical network is the second VLAN.

[0070] In this embodiment, each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 is connected to the power line 501. Therefore, all of the lighting devices 201 to 203 receive the control signal notified from the notification unit 112 (lighting controller 101) (step S22). That is, both the lighting device to be controlled (lighting device 203) and the lighting devices other than the lighting devices to be controlled (lighting devices 201 and 202) receive the control signal.

[0071] In this operation example, the imaging devices 601 and 602 are also controlled by the communication controller 100 as described above. That is, the communication controller 100 notifies the imaging devices 601 and 602 of control signals via the power line 501. Therefore, in step S22, the lighting devices 201 to 203 also acquire the control signals notified from the communication controller 100.

[0072] Here, each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 determines whether or not a logical network is indicated in the acquired control signal (step S23).

[0073] As described above, the control signal notified from the notification unit 112 (lighting controller 101) includes information indicating a logical network. Furthermore, the control signal notified from the communication controller 100 does not include information indicating a logical network.

[0074] Therefore, when each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 receives a control signal notified from the lighting controller 101, it determines that the received control signal indicates a logical network. Furthermore, when each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 receives a control signal notified from the communication controller 100, it determines that the received control signal does not indicate a logical network.

[0075] Furthermore, if a logical network is indicated in the acquired control signal (Yes in step S23), each of the lighting devices 201-203 performs the following process. Each of the lighting devices 201-203 determines whether the logical network indicated in the acquired control signal is the logical network to which the lighting device itself belongs (step S24). More specifically, each of the lighting devices 201-203 determines whether the logical network stored in the storage unit 240 of the lighting device itself matches the logical network (here, the second VLAN) indicated in the acquired control signal.

[0076] Here, lighting device 203 belonging to the second VLAN determines that the logical network (second VLAN) indicated by the control signal is the logical network (second VLAN) to which the lighting device itself belongs. Also, lighting devices 201 and 202 belonging to the first VLAN determine that the logical network (second VLAN) indicated by the control signal is not the logical network (first VLAN) to which the lighting device itself belongs.

[0077] That is, in step S24, each of the lighting devices 201 to 203 determines whether or not it is a control target to be controlled by the control signal notified from the lighting controller 101.

[0078] Furthermore, a case where the logical network indicated by the acquired control signal is the logical network to which the device itself belongs (Yes in step S24), that is, a case where the acquired control signal is related to the device itself, will be described.

[0079] In this case, the lighting device 203 to be controlled is controlled in accordance with the acquired control signal (step S26).

[0080] Furthermore, the following describes the cases where the acquired control signal does not indicate a logical network (No in step S23) and where the logical network indicated by the acquired control signal is not the logical network to which the device belongs (No in step S24). These two cases refer to cases where the acquired control signal is not related to the device.

[0081] In this case, the lighting device discards the acquired control signal (step S28). In other words, if the acquired control signal is not related to the lighting device itself, the lighting device discards the control signal and is not controlled according to the control signal.

[0082] [Effects, etc.] In this embodiment, the lighting controller 101 includes an acquisition unit 111, a notification unit 112, and a control unit 130. The acquisition unit 111 acquires unique first ID information possessed by each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 among the lighting devices 201 and 202 and the communication devices (imaging devices 601 and 602). Each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 and each of the imaging devices 601 and 602 are connected to a power line 501. The notification unit 112 notifies each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired pieces of first ID information. The control unit 130 controls the lighting devices 201 and 202 based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line 501.

[0083] As a result, in this embodiment, by performing the process of step S16, the lighting devices 201 to 203 can identify the logical network to which they belong.

[0084] Furthermore, the control unit 130 controls the lighting devices 201-203 based on the logical network. More specifically, the control unit 130 controls the lighting devices 201-203 by causing the communication unit 110 to notify the lighting devices 201-203 of a control signal indicating the logical network. As shown in steps S23 and S24 of FIG. 3 , each of the lighting devices 201-203 determines whether the control signal notified by the notification unit 112 is relevant to the lighting device itself, based on the logical network to which the lighting device itself belongs. If the control signal is relevant to the lighting device itself, the lighting devices 201-203 are controlled according to the control signal. Furthermore, if each of the lighting devices 201-203 receives a control signal unrelated to the lighting device itself, the lighting devices 201-203 discard the control signal, i.e., do not perform information processing on the control signal. Therefore, the lighting devices 201-203 according to this embodiment have a reduced information processing load compared to when a control signal unrelated to the lighting device itself is not discarded and information processing on the control signal is required, for example, by the control unit 130.

[0085] Therefore, lighting controller 101 according to this embodiment can reduce the communication processing load on lighting devices 201-203.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, only lighting device 203, which is the control target and belongs to the second VLAN, is controlled by the control signal. On the other hand, lighting devices 201 and 202, which belong to the first VLAN, are not controlled because they discard the control signal even if they receive it. In this way, in this embodiment, control unit 130 can also control lighting devices 201 to 203 for each logical network (here, VLAN).

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control method by the lighting controller 101 includes an acquisition step, a notification step, and a control step. The acquisition step acquires first ID information unique to each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 among the lighting devices 201 and 202 and the communication devices (imaging devices 601 and 602). Each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 and each of the imaging devices 601 and 602 are connected to a power line 501. The notification step notifies each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired pieces of first ID information. The control step controls the lighting devices 201 and 202 based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line 501.

[0088] Such a control method can reduce the communication processing load of the lighting devices 201-203.

[0089] (Embodiment 2) [composition] The configuration of a lighting system 1a according to the second embodiment will be described below.

[0090] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting system 1a according to this embodiment.

[0091] Lighting system 1a differs from lighting system 1 according to embodiment 1 mainly in that it does not include communication controller 100 and lighting device 203, and in that it includes lighting controller 101a and detection devices 701 and 702.

[0092] The lighting system 1a is a system that controls a plurality of lighting devices and a plurality of communication devices via power line communication.

[0093] The lighting system 1a includes a lighting controller 101a, lighting devices 201 and 202 as a plurality of lighting devices, imaging devices 601 and 602 and detection devices 701 and 702 as a plurality of communication devices, an AC power supply 301, and a power line 501.

[0094] The image capturing devices 601 and 602 are an example of a plurality of communication devices, such as a web camera, etc. Each of the image capturing devices 601 and 602 is connected to the power line 501.

[0095] The detection devices 701 and 702 are an example of a plurality of communication devices, and are, for example, sensors, and in this case, human presence sensors. Each of the detection devices 701 and 702 is connected to the power line 501.

[0096] Lighting controller 101a is a control device that controls lighting devices 201 and 202, imaging devices 601 and 602, and detection devices 701 and 702. In the present embodiment, lighting devices 201 and 202, imaging devices 601 and 602, and detection devices 701 and 702 may be collectively referred to as a plurality of controlled devices. Lighting controller 101a is connected to power line 501. Lighting controller 101a controls a plurality of controlled devices by performing power line communication via power line 501. Lighting controller 101a is a dedicated device for lighting system 1a, but may also be a general-purpose device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal.

[0097] Further, the lighting controller 101a will be described in detail.

[0098] The lighting controller 101a includes a communication unit 110a, a reception unit 120, a control unit 130a, and a storage unit 140.

[0099] The communication unit 110a is a communication module (communication circuit) for the lighting controller 101a to perform power line communication with a plurality of controlled devices. The communication unit 110a includes an acquisition unit 111a and a notification unit 112a.

[0100] The acquisition unit 111a acquires first ID information (e.g., MAC address) unique to each of the lighting devices 201 and 202. The acquisition unit 111a also acquires second ID information (e.g., MAC address) unique to each of the multiple communication devices (the image capture devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702).

[0101] The notification unit 112a notifies each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information.

[0102] The notifying unit 112a notifies each of the communication devices of the logical network to which the communication device belongs, based on the acquired second ID information. For example, the acquiring unit 111a acquires the MAC address of the imaging device 601, and the notifying unit 112a notifies the controlled device (imaging device 601) having the acquired MAC address of the logical network to which the device (imaging device 601) belongs, using the acquired MAC address as the destination.

[0103] The control unit 130a performs information processing for controlling a plurality of controlled devices for each logical network by performing power line communication via the power line 501. More specifically, the control unit 130a controls the plurality of controlled devices by controlling the communication unit 110a to notify control signals to the plurality of controlled devices. The control unit 130a is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor.

[0104] Here, the information processing performed by the control unit 130a will be described.

[0105] The control unit 130a performs a process of determining that each of the plurality of controlled devices belongs to one of a plurality of VLANs, which are examples of logical networks. Here, a user uses the reception unit 120 to perform an input operation indicating which of the plurality of VLANs each of the plurality of controlled devices belongs to, and the control unit 130a performs the above process based on the input operation received by the reception unit 120 from the user.

[0106] Examples of VLANs to which each of the multiple controlled devices belongs are shown below. Table 2 is a table showing a second example of VLANs to which each of the multiple controlled devices belongs. Table 3 is a table showing a third example of VLANs to which each of the multiple controlled devices belongs. Table 4 is a table showing a fourth example of VLANs to which each of the multiple controlled devices belongs.

[0107] [Table 2]

[0108] [Table 3]

[0109] [Table 4]

[0110] In the second and fourth examples, the plurality of VLANs includes a first VLAN and a second VLAN, and in the third example, the plurality of VLANs includes a first VLAN, a second VLAN, and a third VLAN.

[0111] In the second example, the lighting devices 201 and 202 form a first VLAN, and the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detecting devices 701 and 702 form a second VLAN.

[0112] That is, in the second example, all of the lighting devices 201 and 202 belong to the same logical network (first VLAN), and all of the multiple communication devices (imaging devices 601 and 602 and detecting devices 701 and 702) belong to another identical logical network (second VLAN) that is different from the first VLAN.

[0113] In the third example, the lighting devices 201 and 202 form a first VLAN, the imaging devices 601 and 602 form a second VLAN, and the detecting devices 701 and 702 form a third VLAN.

[0114] That is, in the third example, the logical networks to which each of the multiple communication devices belongs differ depending on the type of the communication device. The same type of imaging devices 601 and 602 belong to the same logical network (second VLAN), and the same type of detecting devices 701 and 702 belong to another identical logical network (third VLAN) different from the second VLAN.

[0115] In the fourth example, the lighting device 201, the image capturing device 601, and the detection device 701 form a first VLAN, and the lighting device 202, the image capturing device 602, and the detection device 702 form a second VLAN.

[0116] The control signal notified from the notifying unit 112a also includes information indicating the logical network to which the controlled device controlled by the control signal (that is, the controlled device to be controlled) belongs.

[0117] Furthermore, the imaging device 601, which is a web camera, will be described in detail.

[0118] The imaging device 601 includes a control unit 610, a communication unit 620, an imaging unit 630, and a storage unit 640. Of the two imaging devices 601 and 602, only the configuration of the imaging device 601 is shown in this diagram, but the imaging device 602 also has the same configuration as the imaging device 601, so its illustration and description will be omitted.

[0119] The imaging unit 630 is a solid-state imaging element that captures moving images using power supplied to the imaging device 601. The solid-state imaging element converts incident light into an electrical video signal and outputs it.

[0120] The control unit 610 is a processing unit that performs information processing for controlling the imaging unit 630 etc. The control unit 610 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor.

[0121] The storage unit 640 is a storage device that stores programs executed by the control unit 610, etc. The storage unit 640 stores second ID information unique to its own device (here, the imaging device 601). The unique second ID information is information for identifying the imaging device 601 from other lighting devices and other communication devices. Here, the unique second ID information is a MAC address as described above, but is not limited to this. The storage unit 640 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory. For simplicity, the unique second ID information may be simply referred to as second ID information hereinafter.

[0122] The communication unit 620 is a communication module (communication circuit) for the imaging device 601 to perform power line communication with the lighting controller 101a.

[0123] Here, the information processing performed by control unit 610 will be described.

[0124] For example, in the imaging device 601, the communication unit 620 acquires the control signal notified by the notification unit 112a of the lighting controller 101a.

[0125] An example of the control signal is a response signal for causing the imaging device 601 to respond with information about the moving images held by the imaging device 601. When the communication unit 620 of the imaging device 601 acquires the response signal, the control unit 610 causes the communication unit 620 to notify the lighting controller 101a of the information about the moving images held by the imaging device 601.

[0126] Further, the details of the detection device 701, which is a human sensor, will be described.

[0127] The detection device 701 includes a control unit 710, a communication unit 720, a detection unit 730, and a storage unit 740. Of the two detection devices 701 and 702, only the configuration of the detection device 701 is shown in this figure, but since the detection device 702 also has the same configuration as the detection device 701, its illustration and description will be omitted.

[0128] The detection unit 730 is configured to be able to detect infrared rays using power supplied to the detection device 701. The detection unit 730 detects infrared rays originating from a person and outputs a signal related to the detection result.

[0129] The control unit 710 is a processing unit that performs information processing for controlling the detection unit 730 etc. The control unit 710 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor.

[0130] The storage unit 740 is a storage device that stores programs executed by the control unit 710, etc. The storage unit 740 stores second ID information unique to the device itself (here, the detection device 701). The unique second ID information is information for identifying the detection device 701 from other lighting devices and other communication devices. Here, the unique second ID information is a MAC address as described above, but is not limited to this. The storage unit 740 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory or the like.

[0131] The communication unit 720 is a communication module (communication circuit) that enables the detection device 701 to perform power line communication with the lighting controller 101a.

[0132] Here, the information processing performed by the control unit 710 will be described.

[0133] For example, in the detection device 701, the communication unit 720 acquires the control signal notified from the notification unit 112a of the lighting controller 101a.

[0134] An example of the control signal is a response signal for causing the detection device 701 to respond with information relating to the detection result held by the detection device 701. In the detection device 701, when the communication unit 720 acquires the response signal, the control unit 710 causes the communication unit 720 to notify the lighting controller 101a of the information relating to the detection result held by the detection device itself.

[0135] Next, two operations relating to the control method of the lighting system 1a in this embodiment configured as above will be described.

[0136] [Example of operation] First, a first operation is performed, which is an operation for constructing a logical network when the lighting system 1a is installed.

[0137] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of an example of a first operation of the lighting system 1a according to the present embodiment. Note that Fig. 5 mainly illustrates the operation of the lighting controller 101a.

[0138] The notifying unit 112a notifies all controlled devices connected to the power line 501 of an ID information response signal, which is an example of a response signal, as a control signal (step S10a). The ID information response signal is a signal that causes a lighting device that has acquired this ID information response signal to notify (respond) to the lighting controller 101a of a signal indicating its own unique first ID information. The ID information response signal is also a signal that causes a communication device that has acquired this ID information response signal to notify (respond) to the lighting controller 101a of a signal indicating its own unique second ID information.

[0139] Therefore, the communication unit 220 of each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 that has received the ID information response signal responds by notifying the lighting controller 101a of a signal indicating the MAC address, which is the unique first ID information, of that device. Similarly, the communication unit (i.e., communication unit 620 or communication unit 720) of each of the multiple communication devices that has received the ID information response signal responds by notifying the lighting controller 101a of a signal indicating the MAC address, which is the unique second ID information, of that device.

[0140] Next, the acquiring unit 111a acquires the first ID information and the second ID information unique to each of the plurality of controlled devices (step S12a). More specifically, the acquiring unit 111a acquires a signal indicating the MAC address notified by each of the plurality of controlled devices.

[0141] Furthermore, the control unit 130a determines the logical network to which each of the plurality of controlled devices belongs (step S14a).

[0142] The control unit 130a may determine the logical network to which each of the multiple controlled devices belongs, for example, by having the reception unit 120 receive an input operation from a user. At this time, the reception unit 120 receives an input operation indicating that each of the multiple controlled devices is associated with the logical network to which each of the multiple controlled devices belongs. As an example, in the second example, this input operation indicates that the lighting devices 201 and 202 belong to a first VLAN, and the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702 belong to a second VLAN.

[0143] Furthermore, the notification unit 112a notifies each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information (step S16a).

[0144] Furthermore, in step S16a, the notifying unit 112a notifies each of the plurality of communication devices of the logical network to which the communication device belongs, based on the plurality of pieces of second ID information acquired. That is, the notifying unit 112a notifies the lighting devices having the acquired MAC addresses (the lighting devices 201 and 202) of the logical network to which the device belongs, using the acquired MAC addresses as destinations. Similarly, the notifying unit 112a notifies the communication devices having the acquired MAC addresses (the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702) of the logical network to which the device belongs, using the acquired MAC addresses as destinations.

[0145] Here, the controlled device (for example, the imaging device 601) that has been notified of the logical network to which it belongs performs the following process: In the imaging device 601, information indicating the notified logical network is stored in the storage unit 640. In other words, the controlled device can identify the logical network to which it belongs based on the logical network stored in its own storage unit (storage unit 240, 640, or 740).

[0146] Next, after the logical network is constructed, a second operation is performed in which the plurality of controlled devices are controlled by the lighting controller 101a. The control unit 130a performs power line communication via the power line 501 to control the plurality of controlled devices for each logical network.

[0147] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example of the second operation of the lighting system 1a according to the present embodiment.

[0148] Here, the VLAN to which each of the multiple controlled devices belongs is the second example, and both the first state and the second state will be described. The first state is a state in which multiple controlled devices belonging to the first VLAN (i.e., lighting devices 201 and 202) are to be controlled. The second state is a state in which multiple controlled devices belonging to the second VLAN (i.e., imaging devices 601 and 602 and detection devices 701 and 702) are to be controlled.

[0149] First, the lighting controller 101a notifies a control signal (step S20a). Here, the control unit 130a causes the communication unit 110a to notify the control signal indicating a logical network. Note that the notification unit 112a notifies the control signal via the power line 501, for example, by broadcast, so that the control signal is notified to each of all controlled devices connected to the power line 501. This control signal includes information indicating the logical network to which the controlled device controlled by the control signal belongs.

[0150] All of the controlled devices receive the control signal notified from the notifying unit 112a (lighting controller 101a) (step S22a).

[0151] Each of the plurality of controlled devices determines whether the logical network indicated by the acquired control signal is the logical network to which the device itself belongs (step S24a). More specifically, each of the plurality of controlled devices determines whether the logical network stored in the storage unit 240, 640 or 740 of the device itself matches the logical network indicated by the acquired control signal.

[0152] That is, in step S24a, each of the plurality of controlled devices determines whether it is a control target to be controlled by the control signal notified from the lighting controller 101a.

[0153] Furthermore, a case where the logical network indicated by the acquired control signal is the logical network to which the device itself belongs (Yes in step S24a), that is, a case where the acquired control signal is related to the device itself, will be described.

[0154] In this case, the plurality of controlled devices to be controlled are controlled in accordance with the acquired control signal (step S26a).

[0155] For example, in the first state, lighting devices 201 and 202 belonging to the first VLAN are to be controlled. At this time, in step S24a, each of lighting devices 201 and 202 determines that the logical network indicated by the acquired control signal is the logical network to which the lighting device itself belongs. Furthermore, in step S26a, each of lighting devices 201 and 202 is controlled in accordance with the acquired control signal.

[0156] Furthermore, if the logical network indicated by the acquired control signal is not the logical network to which the device belongs (No in step S24a), that is, if the acquired control signal is not related to the device.

[0157] In this case, the plurality of controlled devices discard the acquired control signal (step S28a). If the acquired control signal is a control signal that is not related to the plurality of controlled devices, the plurality of controlled devices discard the control signal and are not controlled according to the control signal.

[0158] For example, in the second state, the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702 belonging to the second VLAN are to be controlled, and the lighting devices 201 and 202 belonging to the first VLAN are not to be controlled. At this time, in step S24a, each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 determines that the logical network indicated by the acquired control signal is not the logical network to which the lighting device itself belongs. Furthermore, in step S28a, each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 discards the acquired control signal and is not controlled according to the control signal.

[0159] The controlled devices that are the control targets are controlled according to the control signal when the logical network indicated by the control signal is the logical network to which the devices themselves belong. On the other hand, the other controlled devices that are not the control targets discard the control signal when the logical network indicated by the control signal is not the logical network to which the devices themselves belong, and are therefore not controlled according to the control signal. In other words, since information processing related to the control signal is not performed, the information processing load is reduced in the controlled devices according to this embodiment.

[0160] Therefore, lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment can reduce the communication processing load of a plurality of controlled devices (a plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 and a plurality of communication devices).

[0161] Furthermore, the VLANs to which the plurality of controlled devices belong may be as shown in the second to fourth examples.

[0162] In the second example, all of the lighting devices 201 and 202 belong to the same logical network (first VLAN). Also, all of the multiple communication devices (imaging devices 601 and 602 and detecting devices 701 and 702) belong to another same logical network (second VLAN) that is different from the first VLAN. In other words, the lighting devices 201 and 202 and the multiple communication devices (imaging devices 601 and 602 and detecting devices 701 and 702) belong to different logical networks.

[0163] As a result, if multiple communication devices are to be controlled and lighting devices 201 and 202 are not to be controlled, lighting devices 201 and 202 discard the control signal and are therefore not controlled in accordance with the control signal. As described above, signals related to communication devices (here, for example, control signals) tend to be larger in volume and more frequent than signals related to lighting devices 201 and 202. In other words, in this case, lighting devices 201 and 202 do not perform information processing related to the larger in volume and more frequent control signals.

[0164] Therefore, lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment can reduce the communication processing load of a plurality of controlled devices (a plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202).

[0165] In the third example, the logical networks to which each of the multiple communication devices belongs differ depending on the type of communication device. That is, the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detecting devices 701 and 702 belong to different logical networks.

[0166] As a result, when the imaging devices 601 and 602 are to be controlled and the detection devices 701 and 702 are not to be controlled, the detection devices 701 and 702 discard the control signals and are therefore not controlled according to the control signals. For example, signals (here, for example, control signals) related to the imaging devices 601 and 602 may be larger in volume and more frequent than those of the detection devices 701 and 702. In other words, in this case, the detection devices 701 and 702 do not process information related to the larger in volume and more frequent control signals.

[0167] Therefore, lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment can reduce the communication processing load of a plurality of controlled devices (detection devices 701 and 702).

[0168] In the fourth example, a first VLAN is constructed with the lighting device 201, the imaging device 601, and the detection device 701, and a second VLAN is constructed with the lighting device 202, the imaging device 602, and the detection device 702. In this case, the communication priority of the lighting device 201, the imaging device 601, and the detection device 701 (hereinafter referred to as the first communication priority) is different from the communication priority of the lighting device 202, the imaging device 602, and the detection device 702 (hereinafter referred to as the second communication priority). In this case, the logical network to which each of the multiple communication devices belongs is different depending on the communication priority of the communication device.

[0169] For example, in a facility where the lighting system 1a is installed, if the lighting device 201, the imaging device 601, and the detection device 701 are installed along an emergency evacuation route, the first communication priority may be higher than the second communication priority. Therefore, in an emergency, control signals to the lighting device 201, the imaging device 601, and the detection device 701 are notified with higher priority than control signals to the lighting device 202, the imaging device 602, and the detection device 702. In other words, the logical networks to which each of the multiple communication devices belongs differ depending on the communication priority of the communication device, so that the control unit 130a can control multiple controlled devices for each of multiple controlled devices with the same communication priority. For example, in an emergency, controlled devices with high communication priorities that form a single logical network can be controlled collectively.

[0170] In step S20a, the first to third processes may be performed when the lighting controller 101a notifies a control signal. The first to third processes will be described for the second example shown in Table 2 above. Here, the control unit 130a controls both a plurality of controlled devices (lighting devices 201 and 202) belonging to the first VLAN and a plurality of controlled devices (imaging devices 601 and 602 and detecting devices 701 and 702) belonging to the second VLAN.

[0171] First, the first process will be described. In the first process, the control unit 130a may control a plurality of controlled devices by performing power line communication at different timings for each logical network.

[0172] For example, the control unit 130a causes the notification unit 112a to notify the control signal for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 belonging to the first VLAN at a first timing. The control unit 130a also causes the notification unit 112a to notify the control signal for controlling the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702 belonging to the second VLAN at a second timing different from the first timing. The control signal for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 includes information indicating the first VLAN, which is the logical network to which the lighting devices 201 and 202 belong as the control targets. Similarly, the control signals for controlling the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702 include information indicating the second VLAN, which is the logical network to which the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702 belong as the control targets.

[0173] This prevents the control signals for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 from colliding with and being lost in power line communication, and the control signals for controlling the image capturing devices 601 and 602 and the detecting devices 701 and 702 are thereby prevented from colliding with and being lost in power line communication, thereby improving the communication stability of the power line communication by the lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment.

[0174] Next, the second process will be described. In the second process, the control unit 130a may determine a different communication priority for each logical network, and control a plurality of controlled devices based on the determined communication priority.

[0175] The control unit 130a may determine different communication priorities for each logical network by, for example, having the reception unit 120 receive an input operation from a user. At this time, the reception unit 120 receives an input operation indicating that each of the plurality of logical networks is associated with its respective communication priority. Here, as an example, the communication priority of the first VLAN is higher than the communication priority of the second VLAN. Furthermore, when all controlled devices are controlled, control signals for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 belonging to the first VLAN are notified at a first timing. Thereafter, control signals for controlling the imaging devices 601 and 602 and the detecting devices 701 and 702 belonging to the second VLAN are notified at a second timing that is later than the first timing.

[0176] This further reduces the possibility of the control signals for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 and the control signals for controlling the image capture devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702 colliding with each other and being lost during power line communication, thereby further improving the communication stability of the power line communication by the lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment.

[0177] Furthermore, in the second process, the control unit 130a may perform the following process.

[0178] The control unit 130a may determine a logical network to which a device with a lower communication frequency belongs among the plurality of controlled devices, so that the logical network has a higher communication priority. The devices with a lower communication frequency are, for example, the lighting devices 201 and 202.

[0179] As a result, in lighting controller 101a according to the present embodiment, the stability of communication between lighting devices 201 and 202 via power line communication is further improved.

[0180] Next, the third process will be described. In the third process, the control unit 130a may determine a different communication frequency for each logical network, and control a plurality of controlled devices based on the determined communication frequencies.

[0181] The control unit 130a may determine different communication frequencies for each logical network by, for example, having the reception unit 120 receive an input operation from the user. At this time, the reception unit 120 receives an input operation indicating that each of the plurality of logical networks is associated with its respective communication frequency. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the communication frequency of the first VLAN is higher than the communication frequency of the second VLAN. In this case, the control unit 130a performs the following process. The control unit 130a causes the notification unit 112a to notify, at a first timing, a control signal for controlling a lighting device belonging to a VLAN with a lower communication frequency, and at a second timing that is later than the first timing, a control signal for controlling a lighting device belonging to a VLAN with a higher communication frequency. In other words, the communication priority of a VLAN with a lower communication frequency is higher than the communication priority of a VLAN with a higher communication frequency.

[0182] This prevents the control signals for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 from colliding with and being lost in power line communication, and the control signals for controlling the image capturing devices 601 and 602 and the detecting devices 701 and 702 are thereby prevented from colliding with and being lost in power line communication, thereby improving the communication stability of the power line communication by the lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment.

[0183] [Effects, etc.] In this embodiment, the lighting controller 101a includes an acquisition unit 111a, a notification unit 112a, and a control unit 130a. The acquisition unit 111a acquires unique second ID information from each of the multiple communication devices (imaging devices 601 and 602 and detection devices 701 and 702). The notification unit 112a notifies each of the multiple lighting devices 201 and 202 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired multiple pieces of first ID information. The notification unit 112a notifies each of the multiple communication devices of the logical network to which the communication device belongs, based on the acquired multiple pieces of second ID information. The control unit 130a controls the multiple lighting devices 201 and 202 and the multiple communication devices for each logical network by performing power line communication via the power line 501.

[0184] As a result, in this embodiment, by processing step S16a, multiple controlled devices (lighting devices 201 and 202, imaging devices 601 and 602, and detection devices 701 and 702) can identify the logical network to which they belong.

[0185] Furthermore, the control unit 130a controls the multiple controlled devices for each logical network. In this embodiment, the control unit 130a controls the multiple controlled devices by controlling the communication unit 110a to notify the multiple controlled devices of a control signal. The control signal includes information indicating the logical network to which the controlled device, which is the control target of the control signal, belongs. The multiple controlled devices that are the control targets are controlled according to the control signal if the logical network indicated by the control signal is the logical network to which the controlled devices belong. On the other hand, the other multiple controlled devices that are not the control targets discard the control signal if the logical network indicated by the control signal is not the logical network to which the controlled devices belong, and are therefore not controlled according to the control signal. In other words, information processing regarding the control signal is not performed. Therefore, control signals unrelated to the controlled devices are not discarded, and the information processing load for the control signal is reduced in the multiple controlled devices according to this embodiment compared to a case where information processing regarding the control signal is required, for example, by the control unit 130a.

[0186] Therefore, lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment can reduce the communication processing load of a plurality of controlled devices (a plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 and a plurality of communication devices).

[0187] In this embodiment, all of the lighting devices 201 and 202 belong to the same logical network, and all of the communication devices belong to another same logical network that is different from the same logical network.

[0188] As a result, lighting devices 201 and 202 do not perform information processing on control signals (e.g., signals related to communication devices) that are larger in volume and more frequently transmitted. Therefore, lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment can reduce the communication processing load on multiple controlled devices (multiple lighting devices 201 and 202).

[0189] In this embodiment, the logical network to which each of the plurality of communication devices belongs differs depending on the type of the communication device.

[0190] As a result, for example, the detection devices 701 and 702 do not process information related to control signals that are larger in volume and more frequent (for example, signals related to the image capture devices 601 and 602). Therefore, the lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment can reduce the communication processing load on the multiple controlled devices (the detection devices 701 and 702).

[0191] In this embodiment, the logical network to which each of the plurality of communication devices belongs differs depending on the communication priority of the communication device.

[0192] This allows the control unit 130a to control a plurality of controlled devices for each of a plurality of controlled devices having the same communication priority.

[0193] In this embodiment, the control unit 130a controls the plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 and the plurality of communication devices by performing power line communication at different timings for each logical network.

[0194] This prevents the control signals for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 from colliding with and being lost in power line communication, and the control signals for controlling the image capturing devices 601 and 602 and the detecting devices 701 and 702 are thereby prevented from colliding with and being lost in power line communication, thereby improving the communication stability of the power line communication by the lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment.

[0195] In this embodiment, the control unit 130a determines a different communication priority for each logical network, and controls the plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 and the plurality of communication devices based on the determined communication priority.

[0196] This further reduces the possibility of the control signals for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 and the control signals for controlling the image capture devices 601 and 602 and the detection devices 701 and 702 colliding with each other and being lost during power line communication, thereby further improving the communication stability of the power line communication by the lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment.

[0197] In this embodiment, the control unit 130a determines a logical network to which a device with a lower communication frequency belongs, such as the lighting devices 201 and 202 and the communication devices, so that the communication priority is higher.

[0198] As a result, in lighting controller 101a according to the present embodiment, the stability of communication between lighting devices 201 and 202 via power line communication is further improved.

[0199] In this embodiment, the control unit 130a determines a different communication frequency for each logical network, and controls the plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 and the plurality of communication devices based on the determined communication frequencies.

[0200] This prevents the control signals for controlling the lighting devices 201 and 202 from colliding with and being lost in power line communication, and the control signals for controlling the image capturing devices 601 and 602 and the detecting devices 701 and 702 are thereby prevented from colliding with and being lost in power line communication, thereby improving the communication stability of the power line communication by the lighting controller 101a according to this embodiment.

[0201] In this embodiment, the lighting system 1a includes a lighting controller 101a, a plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202, and a plurality of communication devices.

[0202] The lighting system 1a including the lighting controller 101a can reduce the communication processing load of a plurality of controlled devices (a plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 and a plurality of communication devices).

[0203] (Modification of the second embodiment) The configuration of a lighting system 1b according to a modification of the second embodiment will be described below.

[0204] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting system 1b according to a modified example of the present embodiment.

[0205] Lighting system 1b has the same configuration as lighting system 1a, except that it includes two lighting controllers 101b and 102b. That is, lighting system 1b includes lighting controllers 101b and 102b, lighting devices 201 and 202 as multiple lighting devices, imaging devices 601 and 602 and detection devices 701 and 702 as multiple communication devices, AC power supply 301, and power line 501.

[0206] In this modification, the lighting devices 201 and 202, the imaging devices 601 and 602, and the detecting devices 701 and 702 may also be collectively referred to as a plurality of controlled devices.

[0207] In this modification, the VLANs to which the plurality of controlled devices belong are as shown in the second example.

[0208] 7 shows the configurations of two lighting controllers 101b and 102b. The lighting controller 102b has the same configuration as the lighting controller 101b.

[0209] The lighting controllers 101b and 102b are connected to a power line 501.

[0210] Each of the lighting controllers 101b and 102b according to this modification has a control unit 130b that controls a plurality of controlled devices that belong to a plurality of logical networks. The control unit 130a according to the second embodiment controls a plurality of controlled devices for each logical network, in other words, controls the controlled devices that belong to a plurality of logical networks. However, the control unit 130b according to this modification controls a plurality of controlled devices that belong to one logical network.

[0211] That is, lighting controllers 101b and 102b are provided so that one logical network corresponds to one lighting controller on a one-to-one basis. Each of lighting controllers 101b and 102b controls a controlled device that belongs to a corresponding logical network. The same number of lighting controllers as the number of logical networks are provided.

[0212] For example, control unit 130b of lighting controller 101b controls a plurality of controlled devices (lighting devices 201 and 202) belonging to the first VLAN. Similarly, control unit 130b of lighting controller 102b controls a plurality of controlled devices (imaging devices 601 and 602 and detecting devices 701 and 702) belonging to the second VLAN.

[0213] For lighting controller 101b, the controlled devices (lighting devices 201 and 202) belonging to the first VLAN are the control targets. For lighting controller 102b, the controlled devices (imaging devices 601 and 602 and detecting devices 701 and 702) belonging to the second VLAN are the control targets.

[0214] In addition, it is preferable that one of the lighting controllers 101b and 102b is a main unit and the other is a secondary unit. In this example, the lighting controller 101b is the main unit.

[0215] The lighting system 1b according to this modification differs from the lighting system 1a in the following points in the first and second operations.

[0216] First, the first operation is as follows.

[0217] In step S10a, the notification unit 112a of the master lighting controller 101b notifies all controlled devices of an ID information response signal. In step S12a, the acquisition unit 111a of the master lighting controller 101b acquires unique first ID information and unique second ID information.

[0218] In step S14a, the control unit 130b of the lighting controller 101b, which is the master, determines a logical network to which each of the plurality of controlled devices belongs. Also, in step S14a, the control unit 130b of the lighting controller 101b, which is the master, determines one logical network to which each of the lighting controllers 101b and 102b corresponds.

[0219] It is preferable that the control unit 130b of the lighting controller 101b determines the logical network to which each controlled device belongs, for example, by the reception unit 120 receiving an input operation from the user.

[0220] Similarly, the control unit 130b of the lighting controller 101b may determine one logical network to which each of the lighting controllers 101b and 102b corresponds when the reception unit 120 receives the input operation from the user. This input operation indicates each of the lighting controllers 101b and 102b and one logical network to which each of the lighting controllers 101b and 102b corresponds.

[0221] In step S16a, the notification unit 112a of the lighting controller 101b notifies each of the lighting devices 201 and 202 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information. Also in step S16a, the notification unit 112a notifies each of the plurality of communication devices of the logical network to which the communication device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of second ID information.

[0222] At this time, the notification unit 112a of the lighting controller 101b, which is the main unit, notifies the acquisition unit 111a of the lighting controller 102b, which is the secondary unit, of one logical network (here, the second VLAN) that the lighting controller 102b supports.

[0223] Furthermore, in the lighting controller 102b, which is the secondary device, information indicating the notified logical network is stored in the storage unit 140. Similarly, in the lighting controller 101b, which is the primary device, information indicating the determined logical network (here, the first VLAN) to which the lighting controller 101b corresponds is stored in the storage unit 140.

[0224] Further, in the second operation, the following occurs.

[0225] In this modification, each of lighting controllers 101b and 102b performs the second operation process shown in Fig. 6. The control signal sent from notification unit 112a of lighting controller 101b includes information indicating a first VLAN, which is a logical network to which lighting devices 201 and 202 to be controlled belong. Having received this control signal, lighting devices 201 and 202 are controlled in accordance with this control signal. The control signal sent from notification unit 112a of lighting controller 102b includes information indicating a second VLAN, which is a logical network to which imaging devices 601 and 602 and detection devices 701 and 702 to be controlled belong. Having received this control signal, imaging devices 601 and 602 and detection devices 701 and 702 are controlled in accordance with this control signal.

[0226] As described above, in this modification, lighting system 1b includes multiple lighting controllers 101b and 102b, multiple lighting devices 201 and 202, and multiple communication devices. Each of the multiple lighting devices 201 and 202 is connected to power line 501, and each of the multiple communication devices is also connected to power line 501. Of the multiple lighting controllers 101b and 102b, lighting controller 101b includes an acquisition unit 111a and a notification unit 112a. The acquisition unit 111a acquires unique first ID information possessed by each of the multiple lighting devices 201 and 202, and unique second ID information possessed by each of the multiple communication devices. Based on the acquired pieces of first ID information, notification unit 112a notifies each of the multiple lighting devices 201 and 202 of the logical network to which the lighting device belongs. Based on the acquired pieces of second ID information, notification unit 112a notifies each of the multiple communication devices of the logical network to which the communication device belongs. Each of the plurality of lighting controllers 101b and 102b has a control unit 130b that performs power line communication via a power line 501 to control the plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 and the plurality of communication devices for each logical network.

[0227] As a result, lighting system 1b including lighting controllers 101b and 102b can reduce the communication processing load of a plurality of controlled devices (a plurality of lighting devices 201 and 202 and a plurality of communication devices).

[0228] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiment and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0229] In addition, in the above-described embodiments and modifications, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. When two devices communicate with each other in the above-described embodiments, a relay device (not shown) may be interposed between the two devices.

[0230] The order of the processes described in the flowcharts of the above-described embodiment and modifications is merely an example. The order of the processes may be changed, and the processes may be executed in parallel.

[0231] In the above-described embodiments, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for that component, or by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0232] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0233] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0234] For example, the present invention may be realized as a control method executed by a computer, or as a program for causing a computer to execute such a control method. Furthermore, the present invention may be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0235] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art would think of, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0236] 1. Lighting system 101 Lighting Controller 111 Acquisition Department 112 Notification Department 130 Control Unit 201, 202, 203 Lighting equipment 501 Power Lines

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires unique first ID information possessed by each of a plurality of lighting devices, each of which is connected to a power line, and a plurality of communication devices, each of which is connected to the power line; a notification unit that notifies each of the plurality of lighting devices of a logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information; a control unit that controls the plurality of lighting devices based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line, the acquisition unit acquires second ID information unique to each of the plurality of communication devices; the notification unit notifies each of the plurality of lighting devices and each of the plurality of communication devices of the logical network to which each of the lighting devices and each of the communication devices belongs, based on the acquired plurality of first ID information and the acquired plurality of second ID information; the control unit controls the lighting devices and the communication devices for each of the logical networks by performing power line communication via the power line; the control unit controls the lighting devices and the communication devices by performing power line communication at different timings for each of the logical networks; The control unit determining a different communication priority for each of the logical networks; controlling the lighting devices and the communication devices based on the determined communication priorities; The control unit determines the communication priority such that the logical network to which a device with a lower communication frequency belongs among the plurality of lighting devices and the plurality of communication devices has a higher communication priority. Lighting controller.

2. all of the lighting devices belong to the same logical network; All of the plurality of communication devices belong to another same logical network that is different from the same logical network. The lighting controller of claim 1 .

3. The logical network to which each of the plurality of communication devices belongs varies depending on the type of the communication device. The lighting controller of claim 1 .

4. A lighting controller according to any one of claims 1 to 3; the plurality of lighting devices; the plurality of communication devices; Lighting system.

5. a plurality of lighting controllers; a plurality of lighting devices each connected to a power line; and a plurality of communication devices each connected to the power line; One of the plurality of lighting controllers an acquisition unit that acquires first ID information unique to each of the plurality of lighting devices and second ID information unique to each of the plurality of communication devices; a notification unit that notifies each of the plurality of lighting devices and each of the plurality of communication devices of a logical network to which each of the lighting devices and each of the communication devices belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information and the acquired plurality of pieces of second ID information, Each of the plurality of lighting controllers a control unit that controls the lighting devices and the communication devices for each of the logical networks by performing power line communication via the power line; the control unit included in each of the plurality of lighting controllers controls the plurality of lighting devices and the plurality of communication devices by performing power line communication at different timings for each of the logical networks; The control unit included in each of the plurality of lighting controllers includes: determining a different communication priority for each of the logical networks; controlling the lighting devices and the communication devices based on the determined communication priorities; The control unit included in each of the plurality of lighting controllers determines the communication priority so that the logical network to which a device with a lower communication frequency among the plurality of lighting devices and the plurality of communication devices belongs has a higher communication priority. Lighting system.

6. an acquiring step of acquiring first ID information unique to each of a plurality of lighting devices, each of which is connected to a power line, and a plurality of communication devices, each of which is connected to the power line; a notification step of notifying each of the plurality of lighting devices of a logical network to which the lighting device belongs, based on the acquired plurality of pieces of first ID information; a control step of controlling the plurality of lighting devices based on the logical network by performing power line communication via the power line; the acquiring step acquires second ID information unique to each of the plurality of communication devices; the notifying step notifies each of the plurality of lighting devices and each of the plurality of communication devices of the logical network to which each of the lighting devices and each of the communication devices belongs, based on the plurality of pieces of first ID information and the plurality of pieces of second ID information obtained; the control step controls the lighting devices and the communication devices for each of the logical networks by performing power line communication via the power line; the control step controls the lighting devices and the communication devices by performing power line communication at different timings for each of the logical networks; The control step determining a different communication priority for each of the logical networks; controlling the lighting devices and the communication devices based on the determined communication priorities; The control step determines the communication priority so that the logical network to which a device with a lower communication frequency among the plurality of lighting devices and the plurality of communication devices belongs has a higher communication priority. Control method.

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