Detection sensors and lighting systems

Abstract

To provide a detection sensor capable of detecting a position of a detection object in a predetermined space.SOLUTION: A detection sensor includes a first radar and a second radar. Each of the first and second radars are based on the FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) system. Regarding a position of a detection object in a first detection range of a predetermined space, the first radar detects first angle information regarding an angle based on a first virtual line passing through the first radar. Regarding a position of a detection object in a second detection range of a predetermined space, the second radar detects second angle information regarding an angle based on a second virtual line passing through the second radar. The first and second detection ranges at least partially overlap mutually. Each of the first and second radars is disposed such that the first and second virtual lines cross mutually.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a detection sensor and a lighting system. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent No. 6745489 (Patent Document 1) discloses a detection device that detects the state of a detection target, such as approach, departure, and passage of the detection target. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6745489 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the detection device disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not detect the position of the detection target in a predetermined space.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its object is to provide a detection sensor and lighting system that can detect the position of a detection target in a predetermined space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A detection sensor according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first radar and a second radar. Each of the first and second radars is an FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) radar. The first radar detects first angle information relating to an angle based on a first virtual line passing through the first radar, with respect to the position of a detection target in a first detection range in a predetermined space. The second radar detects second angle information relating to an angle based on a second virtual line passing through the second radar, with respect to the position of the detection target in a second detection range in the predetermined space. The first and second detection ranges at least partially overlap each other. The first and second radars are arranged so that the first and second virtual lines intersect each other.

[0007] In this detection sensor, first angle information relating to an angle based on a first virtual line passing through the first radar is detected, and second angle information relating to an angle based on a second virtual line passing through the second radar is detected. With this detection sensor, the first and second virtual lines intersect with each other, so the position of the first and second angle information can be identified to detect the position of the detection target.

[0008] In the above detection sensor, the first detection range is divided into a plurality of first zones, the plurality of first zones are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the first virtual line, the first angle information indicates a first zone among the plurality of first zones in which the detection target is located, the second detection range is divided into a plurality of second zones, the plurality of second zones are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the second virtual line, the second angle information indicates a second zone among the plurality of second zones in which the detection target is located, and the detection sensor may further include a control unit that determines that the detection target is located in an area where the first zone in which the detection target is located and the second zone in which the detection target is located overlap.

[0009] This detection sensor can detect the position of the detection target by searching for an area where a first zone in which the detection target is located and a second zone in which the detection target is located overlap.

[0010] The detection sensor may further include a control unit board on which a control unit is mounted, a first radar board on which a first radar is mounted and connected to the control unit board via a first cable, a second radar board on which a second radar is mounted and connected to the control unit board via a second cable, and a housing that accommodates the control unit board, the first radar board, and the second radar board.

[0011] According to this detection sensor, since each board is housed in a single housing, the detection sensor can be easily mounted.

[0012] In the above detection sensor, the control unit may divide the area where the first and second detection ranges overlap into multiple areas, and in each divided area, sequentially search for an area where the first zone where the detection target is located and the second zone where the detection target is located overlap.

[0013] According to this detection sensor, the influence of noise is suppressed, and therefore the accuracy of detecting the position of the detection target can be improved.

[0014] In the above detection sensor, the control unit may control each of the first and second radars so that sweeping of the frequency of the transmission wave of the first radar and sweeping of the frequency of the transmission wave of the second radar are repeatedly performed with a rest period in between.

[0015] According to this detection sensor, for example, a pause is inserted between the timing at which the frequency sweep by the first radar ends and the timing at which the frequency sweep by the second radar starts, thereby making it possible to suppress radio wave interference between the reflected wave received by the first radar and the transmitted wave transmitted by the second radar.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lighting system including the above-described detection sensor, a plurality of lighting devices, and a control device. Each of the plurality of lighting devices is arranged in a predetermined space. The control device controls each of the plurality of lighting devices. The detection sensor transmits a detection result signal indicating the position of the detection target in the predetermined space to the control device.

[0017] According to this lighting system, each lighting device can be controlled according to the position of a detection target in a predetermined space. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a detection sensor and a lighting system that can detect the position of a detection target in a predetermined space. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic view of a lighting system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration of a detection sensor. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the electrical configuration of a first radar. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a first radar and a second radar in a detection sensor. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the physical connection relationship between the first radar, the second radar, and a control unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic electrical configuration of the lighting device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic electrical configuration of a control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the detection range of the first radar from above. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the detection range of the first radar from the side. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the detection range of the second radar from above. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing both the detection range of the first radar and the detection range of the second radar from above. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of changes in the frequencies of transmitted waves and received waves in a detection sensor. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a frequency control operation of each radar in the detection sensor. [Figure 14]10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for detecting the position of a detection target by a detection sensor. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the control device. [Figure 16] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the control device. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of each lighting device. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for sequentially processing detection results in each divided area. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a detection sensor including three radars. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] An embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, each drawing is drawn schematically with objects appropriately omitted or exaggerated.

[0021] [1. Configuration] <1-1. Overall configuration of lighting system> Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a lighting system 10 according to the present embodiment, in which an interior of a room 15 with a transparent ceiling is shown from above.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the lighting system 10 includes a detection sensor 100, a plurality of lighting devices 200, and a control device 300. The detection sensor 100 is attached to, for example, the ceiling of a room. The detection sensor 100 includes a first radar 110 and a second radar 120, and is configured to detect the position of a person (an example of a detection target) in a room 15 (an example of a predetermined space). Each of the first radar 110 and the second radar 120 is configured, for example, by an FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) radar. The detection sensor 100 detects the position of the person in the room 15 based on the detection results of both the first radar 110 and the second radar 120. The specific detection mechanism will be described later.

[0023] A signal indicating the position of a person in the room 15 (hereinafter also referred to as a "detection result signal") is transmitted from the detection sensor 100 to the control device 300. For example, the detection result signal may be transmitted directly from the detection sensor 100 to the control device 300. Alternatively, the detection result signal may be transmitted indirectly from the detection sensor 100 to the control device 300 via one or more lighting devices 200.

[0024] The control device 300 controls each of the plurality of lighting devices 200 based on the received detection result signal. For example, the control device 300 turns on one or more lighting devices 200 that are located near the position of the person indicated by the detection result signal, and turns off the other lighting devices 200. That is, the control device 300 directly or indirectly transmits a control signal (hereinafter also referred to as a "lighting control signal") for realizing such control to each lighting device 200. This realizes efficient lighting control according to the situation in the room 15. The lighting system 10 will be described in detail below.

[0025] <1-2. Configuration of the detection sensor> Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the electrical configuration of the detection sensor 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the detection sensor 100 includes a first radar 110, a second radar 120, a control unit 160, a communication unit 130, a remote control signal receiving unit 140, and a power supply unit 150.

[0026] As described above, each of the first radar 110 and the second radar 120 is configured by, for example, an FMCW radar in the detection sensor 100. The first radar 110 and the second radar 120 have, for example, the same configuration as each other.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the electrical configuration of the first radar 110. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the first radar 110 includes a transmitting antenna 113, receiving antennas 114 and 115, a communication unit 116, and a control circuit 118. The transmitting antenna 113 is configured to transmit a transmission wave whose frequency (transmission frequency) changes over time. That is, the transmitting antenna 113 is configured to transmit a transmission wave according to, for example, the FMCW system. Each of the receiving antennas 114 and 115 is configured to receive a reception wave whose frequency (reception frequency) changes over time. That is, each of the receiving antennas 114 and 115 is configured to receive a reception wave whose frequency (reception frequency) changes over time according to, for example, the FMCW system.

[0028] The control circuit 118 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The control circuit 118 is configured to control each component in the first radar 110 in accordance with information processing. The control circuit 118 detects the position of a person in the room 15 based on, for example, the transmission frequency of the transmitting antenna 113, the reception frequency of the receiving antenna 114, and the reception frequency of the receiving antenna 115. Note that the function realized by the control circuit 118 may be realized by one circuit or multiple circuits.

[0029] The communication unit 116 is configured to communicate with the control unit 160 (FIG. 2). For example, the communication unit 116 transmits a signal indicating the detection result by the first radar 110 to the control unit 160. Note that the communication between the communication unit 116 and the control unit 160 may be wired communication or wireless communication.

[0030] 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the first radar 110 and the second radar 120 in the detection sensor 100. As shown in FIG. 4, a virtual line VL1 extending in a direction (X direction) perpendicular to the direction (Y direction) in which the receiving antennas 114, 115 are aligned in the first radar 110, and a virtual line VL2 extending in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the direction (X direction) in which the receiving antennas 114, 115 are aligned in the second radar 120, are orthogonal to each other. That is, in the detection sensor 100, the first radar 110 and the second radar 120 are arranged so that the virtual lines VL1, VL2 are orthogonal to each other. Note that the virtual lines VL1, VL2 do not necessarily need to be orthogonal to each other, as long as they intersect with each other.

[0031] 2 again, the control unit 160 includes, for example, a CPU, RAM, and ROM. The control unit 160 is configured to control each component in the detection sensor 100 in accordance with information processing. The control unit 160 generates a detection result signal based on a signal indicating the detection result by the first radar 110 and a signal indicating the detection result by the second radar 120. Note that, as will be described in detail later, the signal indicating the detection result by the first radar 110 indicates the position of the person in the Y direction (FIGS. 1 and 4), and the signal indicating the detection result by the second radar 120 indicates the position of the person in the X direction.

[0032] The communication unit 130 is configured to communicate directly or indirectly with, for example, each of the plurality of lighting devices 200 and the control device 300. The communication unit 130 transmits, for example, a detection result signal directly or indirectly to each of the plurality of lighting devices 200 and the control device 300. The communication unit 130 is capable of, for example, wired communication or wireless communication. Examples of wireless communication include communication using the 920 MHz band, the 2.4 GHz band, and the 5 GHz band. Examples of communication standards that realize such communication include Bluetooth (registered trademark), including BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), ZigBee (registered trademark), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0033] The remote control signal receiving unit 140 is configured to receive signals instructing various settings related to the detection sensor 100 from a remote control (not shown) external to the detection sensor 100. The power supply unit 150 is configured to convert alternating current (AC) power supplied from a commercial power source (100V) into direct current (DC) power and supply the DC power to each component of the detection sensor 100.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the physical connection relationship between the first radar 110, the second radar 120, and the control unit 160. As shown in FIG. 5, the first radar 110 is mounted on a first radar board 112, and the second radar 120 is mounted on a second radar board 122. The control unit 160 is mounted on a control unit board 162. The control unit board 162 is connected to each of the first radar board 112 and the second radar board 122 via a cable 172. The cable 172 connecting the first radar board 112 and the control unit board 162 is an example of a first cable, and the cable 172 connecting the second radar board 122 and the control unit board 162 is an example of a second cable. The cable 172 is capable of communication compliant with, for example, SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface). As a result, the control unit 160 is electrically connected to each of the first radar 110 and the second radar 120. Moreover, the first radar board 112, the second radar board 122, and the control unit board 162 are housed in the same housing 170. Since each board included in the detection sensor 100 is housed in one housing 170, the detection sensor 100 can be easily mounted.

[0035] <1-3. Lighting equipment configuration> 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating the electrical configuration of lighting device 200. As shown in FIG. 6, lighting device 200 includes a communication unit 210, a light source unit 220, a power supply unit 230, and a control unit 240.

[0036] The communication unit 210 is configured to communicate directly or indirectly with, for example, the detection sensor 100, the other lighting devices 200, and the control device 300. The communication unit 210 transmits and receives, for example, detection result signals and lighting control signals. The communication unit 210 is capable of wired communication or wireless communication. Examples of wireless communication include communication using the 920 MHz band, the 2.4 GHz band, and the 5 GHz band. Examples of communication standards that realize such communication include Bluetooth (registered trademark), including BLE, ZigBee (registered trademark), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0037] The light source unit 220 is configured to emit light by receiving power supply from the power supply unit 230. The light source unit 220 is configured, for example, by an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The power supply unit 230 is configured to convert alternating current (AC) power supplied from a commercial power source (100V) into direct current (DC) power and supply the DC power to each component of the lighting device 200.

[0038] The control unit 240 includes, for example, a CPU, RAM, and ROM. The control unit 240 is configured to control each component within the lighting device 200 in accordance with information processing. For example, when the control unit 240 receives a lighting control signal, the control unit 240 controls the light source unit 220 in accordance with the lighting control signal. Furthermore, for example, when the control unit 240 receives a detection result signal, the control unit 240 controls the communication unit 210 to transmit the detection result signal to another lighting device 200 or the control device 300.

[0039] <1-4. Configuration of the control device> 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating the electrical configuration of the control device 300. As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 300 includes a display unit 310, a communication unit 320, a power supply unit 330, a storage unit 340, and a control unit 350.

[0040] The display unit 310 is configured to display an image. The display unit 310 displays, for example, information indicated by the detection result signal (for example, information indicating the position of a person in the room 15). The display unit 310 is configured, for example, by a monitor such as a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) monitor.

[0041] The communication unit 320 is configured to communicate directly or indirectly with, for example, the detection sensor 100 and each of the plurality of lighting devices 200. The communication unit 320 receives, for example, a detection result signal and transmits a lighting control signal. The communication unit 320 is capable of, for example, wired communication or wireless communication. Examples of wireless communication include communication using the 920 MHz band, the 2.4 GHz band, and the 5 GHz band. Examples of communication standards that realize such communication include Bluetooth (registered trademark), including BLE, ZigBee (registered trademark), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0042] The power supply unit 330 is configured to convert alternating current (AC) power supplied from a commercial power source (100V) into direct current (DC) power and supply the DC power to each component of the control device 300. The memory unit 340 is configured to store various data. For example, the memory unit 340 continuously stores the contents of the detection result signal received from the detection sensor 100. The memory unit 340 is configured by, for example, at least a part of a ROM, a RAM, an EEPROM, a hard disk drive, and a solid state drive.

[0043] The control unit 350 includes, for example, a CPU, RAM, and ROM. The control unit 350 is configured to control each component in the control device 300 in accordance with information processing. The control unit 350 generates a lighting control signal, for example, based on the received detection result signal. For example, the control unit 350 generates a lighting control signal to turn on one or more lighting devices 200 that are present near the position of the person indicated by the detection result signal, and to turn off the other lighting devices 200.

[0044] [2. Mechanism for detecting the position of the target] As described above, the first radar 110 detects the position of a person in the Y direction (FIGS. 1 and 4), and the second radar 120 detects the position of a person in the X direction. Below, we will first explain a method for detecting the position of a person by the first radar 110 and a method for detecting the position of a person by the second radar 120, and then explain a method for detecting the position of a person in the room 15 (FIG. 1).

[0045] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the detection range A1 of the first radar 110 from above. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the detection range A1 of the first radar 110 from the side. With reference to Figs. 8 and 9, the detection range A1 is divided into a plurality of first zones Z1 (e.g., first zones No. 1-10) arranged in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the virtual line VL1. The first radar 110 detects in which of the plurality of first zones Z1 a person is present.

[0046] In the first radar 110, the receiving antennas 114 and 115 are arranged in the Y direction with a virtual line VL1 between them. The virtual line VL1 passes through the center between the receiving antennas 114 and 115. Therefore, the difference in the reception frequencies between the receiving antennas 114 and 115 varies depending on the angle (e.g., angles An1, An2, An3, and An4) of the person's location relative to the virtual line VL1. That is, the difference in the reception frequencies between the receiving antennas 114 and 115 varies depending on which of the multiple first zones Z1 the person is located in. Therefore, the control circuit 118 of the first radar 110 can detect which of the multiple first zones Z1 the person is located in based on the difference in the reception frequencies between the receiving antennas 114 and 115. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the presence of the detection target 400 is detected in the first zone Z1 of first zone No. 2. A signal indicating the detection result by the first radar 110 is transmitted from the first radar 110 to the control unit 160. The detection result by the first radar 110 is an example of first angle information.

[0047] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the detection range A2 of the second radar 120 from above. Referring to Fig. 10, the detection range A2 is divided into a plurality of second zones Z2 (e.g., second zones No. 1-10) arranged in a direction (X direction) perpendicular to the virtual line VL2. The second radar 120 detects in which of the plurality of second zones Z2 a person is present.

[0048] In the second radar 120, the receiving antennas 114 and 115 (FIG. 4) are arranged in the X direction with a virtual line VL2 between them. The virtual line VL2 passes through the center between the receiving antennas 114 and 115. Therefore, the difference in the reception frequencies between the receiving antennas 114 and 115 varies depending on the angle of the person's location relative to the virtual line VL2. That is, the difference in the reception frequencies between the receiving antennas 114 and 115 varies depending on which of the multiple second zones Z2 the person is located in. Therefore, the control circuit 118 of the second radar 120 can detect which of the multiple second zones Z2 the person is located in based on the difference in the reception frequencies between the receiving antennas 114 and 115. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the presence of the detection target 400 is detected in the second zone Z2 of second zone No. 9. A signal indicating the detection result by the second radar 120 is transmitted from the second radar 120 to the control unit 160. The detection result by the second radar 120 is an example of second angle information.

[0049] In this way, the control unit 160 of the detection sensor 100 receives a signal indicating the detection result by the first radar 110 (for example, a signal indicating first zone No. 2) and a signal indicating the detection result by the second radar 120 (for example, a signal indicating second zone No. 9). The control unit 160 detects the position of the detection target 400 in the room 15 based on the signal indicating the detection result by the first radar 110 and the signal indicating the detection result by the second radar 120.

[0050] 11 is a diagram showing both the detection range A1 of the first radar 110 and the detection range A2 of the second radar 120 from above. Referring to FIG. 11, the detection range A1 and the detection range A2 at least partially overlap each other. The control unit 160 receives, for example, a signal indicating the first zone No. 2 (an example of first angle information) and a signal indicating the second zone No. 9 (an example of second angle information), and determines that the detection target 400 is located in the area where the first zone No. 2 and the second zone No. 9 overlap. In this manner, the detection sensor 100 detects the position of a person (an example of the detection target 400) in the room 15.

[0051] [3. Operation] <3-1. Operation of the detection sensor> As described above, the detection sensor 100 includes the first radar 110 and the second radar 120. If both the first radar 110 and the second radar 120 emit radio waves at the same time, radio wave interference will occur. In the detection sensor 100, in order to suppress radio wave interference, the timing at which the first radar 110 emits radio waves differs from the timing at which the second radar 120 emits radio waves. Hereinafter, first, the radio wave transmission operations of the first radar 110 and the second radar 120 will be described, and then the operation of the detection sensor 100 to detect the position of the detection target 400 will be described.

[0052] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the transitions in frequency of the transmitted wave and the received wave in the detection sensor 100. Referring to Fig. 12, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents frequency. Furthermore, waveform W1 represents the transition of the transmitted wave, and waveform W2 represents the transition of the received wave.

[0053] For example, from time t0 to t1, the second radar 120 emits a transmission wave of frequency f1. At time t1, the second radar 120 stops transmitting the transmission wave, and the first radar 110 starts transmitting the transmission wave. From time t1 to t2 (sweep time), the frequency of the transmission wave of the first radar 110 is swept, and, for example, the frequency of the transmission wave increases from f1 to f2. When the sweep time ends, the frequency of the transmission wave of the first radar 110 decreases from f2 to f1.

[0054] During the time t2-t3 (pause time), the frequency of the transmission wave by the first radar 110 is fixed to f1. The pause time is, for example, a time period sufficient for reception of the reception wave corresponding to the transmission wave transmitted during the sweep time (e.g., time t1-t2) to be completed, and is, for example, approximately the same as the sweep time. When the pause time ends, transmission of the transmission wave by the first radar 110 is stopped, and transmission of the transmission wave by the second radar 120 is started.

[0055] During the period from t3 to t4 (sweep time), the frequency of the transmission wave of the second radar 120 is swept, and for example, the frequency of the transmission wave increases from f1 to f2. When the sweep time ends, the frequency of the transmission wave by the second radar 120 decreases from f2 to f1.

[0056] During the time t4-t5 (pause time), the frequency of the transmission wave by the second radar 120 is fixed to f1. The pause time is, for example, a time period sufficient for reception of the reception wave corresponding to the transmission wave transmitted during the sweep time (e.g., time t3-t4) to be completed, and is, for example, approximately the same as the sweep time. When the pause time ends, transmission of the transmission wave by the second radar 120 is stopped, and transmission of the transmission wave by the first radar 110 is started.

[0057] In this way, according to the detection sensor 100, the first radar 110 and the second radar 120 alternately operate, thereby suppressing radio wave interference between the first radar 110 and the second radar 120. Furthermore, according to the detection sensor 100, a pause is inserted between the timing at which the first radar 110 finishes sweeping the frequency and the timing at which the second radar 120 starts sweeping the frequency, thereby suppressing radio wave interference between the reflected wave received by the first radar 110 and the transmitted wave transmitted by the second radar 120.

[0058] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the frequency control operation of each radar in the detection sensor 100. The process shown in this flowchart is repeatedly executed by the control unit 160 of the detection sensor 100.

[0059] 13, the control unit 160 controls the first radar 110 to start sweeping the transmission wave and transmit the transmission wave (step S100), for example. The control unit 160 determines whether the sweep time has elapsed (step S110). If it is determined that the sweep time has not elapsed (NO in step S110), the control unit 160 controls the first radar 110 to continue sweeping the transmission wave and transmitting the transmission wave.

[0060] On the other hand, if it is determined that the sweep time has elapsed (YES in step S110), the control unit 160 controls the first radar 110 to lower the frequency of the transmission wave (for example, frequency f1 in FIG. 7) and stop sweeping the frequency (step S120). The control unit 160 determines whether the pause time has elapsed (step S130). If it is determined that the pause time has not elapsed (NO in step S130), the control unit 160 controls the first radar 110 to continue transmitting the transmission wave with the lowered frequency.

[0061] On the other hand, if it is determined that the pause time has elapsed (YES in step S130), the control unit 160 controls the first radar 110 to stop transmitting the transmission wave, and controls the second radar 120 to start sweeping the transmission wave and transmit the transmission wave (step S140). The control unit 160 determines whether the sweep time has elapsed (step S150). If it is determined that the sweep time has not elapsed (NO in step S150), the control unit 160 controls the second radar 120 to continue sweeping the transmission wave and transmitting the transmission wave.

[0062] On the other hand, if it is determined that the sweep time has elapsed (YES in step S150), the control unit 160 controls the second radar 120 to lower the frequency of the transmission wave and then stop sweeping the frequency (step S160). The control unit 160 determines whether the pause time has elapsed (step S170). If it is determined that the pause time has not elapsed (NO in step S170), the control unit 160 controls the second radar 120 to continue transmitting the transmission wave with the lowered frequency. On the other hand, if it is determined that the pause time has elapsed (YES in step S170), the process returns to step S100. That is, in the detection sensor 100, the sweeping of the frequency of the transmission wave of the first radar 110 and the sweeping of the frequency of the transmission wave of the second radar 120 are repeatedly performed with the pause time in between.

[0063] 14 is a flowchart showing a procedure for detecting the position of the detection target 400 in the detection sensor 100. The control unit 160 of the detection sensor 100 repeatedly executes the process shown in this flowchart.

[0064] 14, the control unit 160 acquires first angle information (e.g., information indicating a first zone Z1 in which the detection target 400 exists) from the first radar 110 (step S200). The control unit 160 acquires second angle information (e.g., information indicating a second zone Z2 in which the detection target 400 exists) from the second radar 120 (step S210). The control unit 160 determines that the detection target 400 is located in an area where the first zone Z1 in which the detection target 400 exists and the second zone Z2 in which the detection target 400 exists overlap (step S220). The control unit 160 controls the communication unit 130 to directly or indirectly transmit a detection result signal indicative of the position of the detection target 400 to the control device 300 (step S230).

[0065] <3-2. Operation of the control device> Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the control device 300. As shown in Fig. 15, the detection result signal transmitted by the detection sensor 100 is received by the control device 300 via, for example, multiple lighting devices 200. The control device 300 generates a lighting control signal based on the received detection result signal, and transmits the lighting control signal directly or indirectly to each of the multiple lighting devices 200.

[0066] For example, the control device 300 may transmit to each lighting device 200 a lighting control signal that turns on one or more lighting devices 200 that are present near the position of the person indicated by the detection result signal and turns off the other lighting devices 200. Furthermore, for example, the control device 300 may transmit to each lighting device 200 a lighting control signal that makes the illuminance of one or more lighting devices 200 that are present near the position of the person indicated by the detection result signal higher than the illuminance of the other lighting devices 200.

[0067] 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 300. The process shown in this flowchart is repeatedly executed by the control unit 350 of the control device 300.

[0068] 16, control unit 350 determines whether or not a detection result signal has been received via communication unit 320 (step S300). If it is determined that a detection result signal has not been received (NO in step S300), control unit 350 waits until a detection result signal is received.

[0069] On the other hand, if it is determined that a detection result signal has been received (YES in step S300), the control unit 350 generates a lighting control signal based on the received detection result signal and controls the communication unit 320 to transmit the lighting control signal directly or indirectly to each lighting device 200 (step S310).

[0070] <3-3. Operation of lighting device> 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of each lighting device 200. The process shown in this flowchart is repeatedly executed by the control unit 240 of the lighting device 200.

[0071] 17, control unit 240 determines whether or not a lighting control signal has been received via communication unit 210 (step S400). If it is determined that a lighting control signal has not been received (NO in step S400), control unit 240 waits until a lighting control signal is received.

[0072] On the other hand, if it is determined that a lighting control signal has been received (YES in step S400), control unit 240 controls light source unit 220 based on the received lighting control signal, and also controls communication unit 210 to transmit lighting control signals to other lighting devices 200 (step S410). In this way, according to lighting system 10, the lighting of each lighting device 200 is controlled according to the position of a person in room 15, for example, and therefore power waste can be reduced.

[0073] [4. Features] As described above, the detection sensor 100 according to this embodiment includes the first radar 110 and the second radar 120. Each of the first radar 110 and the second radar 120 is an FMCW radar. The first radar 110 detects first angle information relating to an angle based on a virtual line VL1 passing through the first radar 110, with respect to the position of the detection target 400 in a detection range A1 of the room 15. The second radar 120 detects second angle information relating to an angle based on a virtual line VL2 passing through the second radar 120, with respect to the position of the detection target 400 in a detection range A2 of the room 15. The detection ranges A1 and A2 at least partially overlap each other. The first radar 110 and the second radar 120 are arranged so that the virtual lines VL1 and VL2 intersect with each other.

[0074] The detection sensor 100 detects first angle information relating to an angle based on the virtual line VL1, and detects second angle information relating to an angle based on the virtual line VL2. According to the detection sensor 100, since the virtual lines VL1 and VL2 intersect with each other, the position of overlap between the first and second angle information can be identified to detect the position of the detection target 400.

[0075] 5. Other Embodiments The concept of the above embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above. An example of another embodiment to which the concept of the above embodiment can be applied will be described below.

[0076] <5-1> In the above embodiment, the position of the detection target 400 is detected by processing the detection results for the entire overlapping region of the detection ranges A1 and A2 collectively. However, the detection results for the entire overlapping region of the detection ranges A1 and A2 do not necessarily have to be processed collectively. For example, the overlapping region of the detection ranges A1 and A2 may be divided into multiple regions, and the detection results may be processed sequentially in each divided region. That is, in each divided region, the overlapping region between the first zone Z1 where the detection target 400 is located and the second zone Z2 where the detection target 400 is located may be searched sequentially.

[0077] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a procedure for sequentially processing detection results in each divided region. As shown in FIG. 18, the overlapping region of the detection ranges A1 and A2 is divided into regions T1, T2, T3, and T4. In this example, the detection sensor 100A processes the detection results in the order of regions T1, T2, T3, and T4. For example, when processing region T1, the detection sensor 100A filters information in regions T2, T3, and T4 using filter F1. This makes it possible to suppress noise that is likely to occur when, for example, multiple detection targets 400 are present in the room 15.

[0078] <5-2> In the above embodiment, the detection sensor 100 includes two radars. However, the number of radars included in the detection sensor 100 is not limited to two. For example, the detection sensor 100 may include three or more radars.

[0079] Fig. 19 is a diagram schematically illustrating a detection sensor 100B including three radars. As shown in Fig. 19, the detection sensor 100B includes a first radar 110, a second radar 120, and a third radar 500. A virtual line VL3 extending in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement of the receiving antennas 114 and 115 in the first radar 110, a virtual line VL4 extending in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement of the receiving antennas 114 and 115 in the second radar 120, and a virtual line VL5 extending in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement of the receiving antennas 114 and 115 in the third radar 500 intersect with each other. Such a configuration may also be used.

[0080] <5-3> In the above embodiment, each of the detection ranges A1 and A2 is divided into 10 zones. However, the number of zones is not limited to 10. Each of the detection ranges A1 and A2 may be divided into 9 or fewer zones, or into 11 or more zones.

[0081] <5-4> In the above embodiment, various settings of the detection sensor 100 are performed through a remote control. However, the various settings of the detection sensor 100 do not necessarily have to be performed through a remote control. The various settings of the detection sensor 100 may be performed through, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or a notebook PC (Personal Computer).

[0082] <5-5> In addition, in the above-described embodiment, part of the processing performed by the control device 300 may be executed by an external server (including a cloud server). For example, a detection result signal received by the control device 300 may be transmitted to an external server, and a lighting control signal may be generated in the server. Also, by accessing the server, for example, information on the position of people in each room may be displayed on the screen of a user's smartphone. Also, such information may be displayed on digital signage.

[0083] The above describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention. That is, the detailed description and the accompanying drawings are disclosed for the purpose of illustrative explanation. Therefore, some of the components described in the detailed description and the accompanying drawings may be non-essential components for solving the problems. Therefore, just because these non-essential components are described in the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, it should not be immediately recognized that these non-essential components are essential.

[0084] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention in all respects. Various improvements and modifications can be made to the above-described embodiment within the scope of the present invention. In other words, when implementing the present invention, specific configurations can be appropriately adopted depending on the embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 lighting system, 15 indoors, 100, 100A, 100B detection sensor, 110 first radar, 112 first radar board, 113 transmitting antenna, 114, 115 receiving antenna, 116, 130, 210, 320 communication unit, 118 control circuit, 120 second radar, 122 second radar board, 140 remote control signal receiving unit, 150, 230, 330 power supply unit, 160, 240, 350 control unit, 162 control unit board, 170 housing, 172 cable, 200 lighting device, 220 light source unit, 300 control device, 310 display unit, 340 memory unit, 400 detection target, 500 third radar, A1, A2 detection range, An1, An2, An3, An4 angle, F1 Filter, T1, T2, T3, T4 area, VL1, VL2, VL3, VL4, VL5 virtual line, W1, W2 waveform, Z1 first zone, Z2 second zone.

Claims

1. A first radar; a second radar; each of the first and second radars is a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar, the first radar detects first angle information relating to an angle with respect to a first virtual line passing through the first radar, with respect to a position of a detection target in a first detection range in a predetermined space; the second radar detects second angle information relating to an angle with respect to a second virtual line passing through the second radar, with respect to a position of the detection target in a second detection range in the predetermined space; the first and second detection ranges at least partially overlap one another; the first and second radars are disposed so that the first and second virtual lines intersect with each other; The first detection range is divided into a plurality of first zones; the plurality of first zones are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the first virtual line, the first angle information indicates a first zone in which the detection target is located among the plurality of first zones; the second detection range is divided into a plurality of second zones; the plurality of second zones are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the second virtual line, the second angle information indicates a second zone in which the detection target is located among the plurality of second zones, The detection sensor further includes a control unit that determines that the detection target is located in an area where a first zone in which the detection target is located and a second zone in which the detection target is located overlap.

2. a control unit substrate on which the control unit is mounted; a first radar board on which the first radar is mounted and connected to the control board via a first cable; a second radar board on which the second radar is mounted and connected to the control unit board via a second cable; The detection sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing that houses the control unit board, the first radar board, and the second radar board.

3. 2. The detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the control unit divides the area where the first and second detection ranges overlap into a plurality of areas, and sequentially searches for an area in each divided area where a first zone in which the detection target is located and a second zone in which the detection target is located overlap.

4. 2. The detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls each of the first and second radars so that a sweep of the frequency of the transmission wave of the first radar and a sweep of the frequency of the transmission wave of the second radar are repeatedly performed with a rest period therebetween.

5. The detection sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a plurality of lighting devices arranged in the predetermined space; a control device that controls each of the plurality of lighting devices, The detection sensor transmits a detection result signal indicating the position of the detection target in the predetermined space to the control device.

6. A first radar; a second radar; each of the first and second radars is a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar, the first radar detects first angle information relating to an angle with respect to a first virtual line passing through the first radar, with respect to a position of a detection target in a first detection range in a predetermined space; the second radar detects second angle information relating to an angle with respect to a second virtual line passing through the second radar, with respect to a position of the detection target in a second detection range in the predetermined space; the first and second detection ranges at least partially overlap one another; Each of the first and second radars includes a detection sensor disposed so that the first and second virtual lines intersect with each other; a plurality of lighting devices arranged in the predetermined space; a control device that controls each of the plurality of lighting devices, The detection sensor transmits a detection result signal indicating the position of the detection target in the predetermined space to the control device.

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