Light emission control device

Abstract

To provide a light-emitting device that is compact and excellent in portability, regardless of whether being used alone or used in plurality.SOLUTION: A light-emitting device comprises: a light-emitting unit; a battery for supplying electric power to the light-emitting unit; control means for controlling the light emission state of the light-emitting unit; and a plurality of first electrical connection units for conveying electric power from the outside and a control signal for controlling the light emission of the light-emitting unit. The first electrical connection units include at least a pair of mutually connectable connection units conforming to the same standard. The light-emitting device can emit light and control light emission alone, and the first electrical connection units are used to connect a plurality of light-emitting devices and thereby can collectively control the plurality of connected light-emitting devices.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light-emitting control device. Regarding

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when taking still images or videos, when the amount of light for illuminating a subject such as indoors is small and it is difficult to take pictures, an auxiliary light source such as a flash light-emitting device or a lighting light is used. A flash light-emitting device is a so-called strobe in which a xenon tube or the like is used for the light-emitting part, and it can generate a large amount of light, but it can only emit light for a time of several millimeters to several hundred millimeters per second, so it can be used for taking still images but not for taking videos. Therefore, for lighting lights used for video shooting, in the past, krypton lights, tungsten lights, etc. were used, but since the power consumption was large, a large battery was required to drive them with a battery, which was inconvenient to carry.

[0003] Recently, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) with extremely low power consumption have been used as lighting lights for light sources, and they have become smaller and more portable. Since an LED is a semiconductor light-emitting element, it has low power consumption, but its price was high, so its applications were limited at first. However, in recent years, the price of LEDs has dropped significantly, and furthermore, high-brightness white light can be emitted by LEDs, so they have become widely popular. Furthermore, since they can operate with a small battery, the degree of freedom in configuration is high, so lighting fixtures with various configurations from flashlights to automotive headlamps have been commercialized using LEDs.

[0004] However, although high-brightness white light can be emitted by LEDs, the brightness of a single LED is lower than that of a conventional tungsten light. For this reason, for example, in Patent Document 1, an auxiliary light for an imaging device that obtains a required amount of light using a plurality of unit light-emitting bodies that emit light by LEDs is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-048188 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the auxiliary light for imaging devices described in Patent Document 1 had poor portability because multiple unit light emitters were connected by cables. Furthermore, it was not possible to change the number of unit light emitters, for example, by using individual unit light emitters. In addition, a separate control unit was required to control the light emission of each unit light emitter, which contributed to its large size.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a light-emitting device that is compact and highly portable, whether used individually or in combination with other devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a light-emitting device comprising: a plurality of light-emitting devices each comprising: a light-emitting unit; a battery for supplying power to the light-emitting unit; control means for controlling the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit; and a plurality of first electrical connection units for transmitting power from an external source and transmitting control signals for controlling the light emission of the light-emitting unit; and a holding member capable of holding the plurality of light-emitting devices, wherein the first electrical connection units each comprise at least one pair of connection units of the same standard that can be connected to each other; the plurality of light-emitting devices each capable of emitting light and controlling light emission independently; and capable of being controlled collectively by directly or indirectly connecting to each other using the first electrical connection units; and each having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, with one first electrical connection unit on each of the four sides substantially perpendicular to the light emission direction, one being a plug and three being jacks; and the holding member comprises a second electrical connection unit that can be connected to the first electrical connection unit and a third electrical connection unit that can be electrically connected to an external device. Each of the multiple light-emitting devices can be held by connecting the first electrical connection to the second electrical connection, and the holding member is T-shaped, with the second electrical connection at the horizontal axis end, and has a fourth electrical connection of the same standard at the top and bottom ends of the T, each of which can be electrically connected, with one end being a plug and the other a jack, and a second holding member is I-shaped, with the second electrical connection at one end and the fourth electrical connection at the other end, The light emission control of each of the multiple light-emitting devices connected to enable centralized control is performed by one of the multiple light-emitting devices or by an external control device connected to the holding member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, a light-emitting device that is compact and highly portable can be provided whether used individually or in combination with other devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a five-view drawing of a light-emitting device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view showing the inside of the light-emitting device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows a light-emitting unit formed by connecting multiple light-emitting devices according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates a method for incorporating the light-emitting unit shown in Figure 3(a) into the holding member according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates the configuration of a T-shaped arm as a holding member according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates the configuration of a ring arm as a retaining member according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates the configuration of a T-shaped joint arm as a holding member according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an I-shaped joint arm used as a holding member according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows a grip member used as an auxiliary member connected to a T-shaped joint arm or an I-shaped joint arm. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the connection configuration of two light-emitting devices using a holding member consisting of one T-shaped joint arm and one grip member. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the connection configuration of three light-emitting devices using a holding member consisting of one T-shaped joint arm, one I-shaped joint arm, and one grip member. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the connection configuration of four light-emitting devices using a holding member consisting of two T-shaped joint arms and one grip member. [Figure 13] This diagram shows the connection configuration of seven light-emitting devices using a holding member consisting of two T-shaped joint arms, one I-shaped joint arm, and one grip member. [Figure 14] This is an external view of the light-emitting device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (Example 1) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a light-emitting device 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the inside of the light-emitting device 100, where FIG. 2(a) is a view seen from the back side, and FIG. 2(b) is a view seen from the light-emitting part side. 101 is a light-emitting surface, and 102 is a first electrical connection part for making an electrical connection (102a is a plug connector, and 102b, c, and d are jack connectors). The first electrical connection part includes at least one pair of connection parts of the same standard that can be connected to each other by the plug connector 102a and the jack connectors 102b, c, and d. The light-emitting device 100 is in the form of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and the first electrical connection part is provided on each of the four side surfaces that are substantially orthogonal to the light-emitting direction, one being a plug and three being jacks.

[0013] In this embodiment, the first electrical connection part uses a USB type C connector, but it is not limited to this as long as it is a connection configuration for transmitting power and a control signal for light emission control from the outside.

[0014] 103 is a circuit board, 104 is a light source, an LED, 105 is a power switch, 106a and 106b are operation buttons for changing the operating state of the device such as the light emission amount, and 107 is an arithmetic unit for controlling the light emission state of the LED 104. 108 is an internal memory for storing setting information and the like, and 109 is a battery for supplying power.

[0015] First, the operation in a single unit will be described using FIGS. 1 and 2. When the power switch 105 is turned on, power is supplied from the battery 109 to the circuit board 103 to activate the arithmetic unit 107. The internal memory 108 stores information on how to operate, reads out the setting information from here, and operates the circuit board 103 according to it to cause the LED 104 to emit light. In this embodiment, the LED 104 is configured such that the emission color can be changed. Although a plurality of LEDs 104 are arranged, by arranging light sources of several emission colors such as not only white light but also primary color lights such as red, green, and blue, and amber-based light emission, it is possible to emit light in various colors or emit light at different color temperatures. The light emission state can be changed by using the operation buttons 106a and 106b.

[0016] Next, we will explain the case where multiple light-emitting devices 100 are connected.

[0017] As shown in Figure 3(a), the first electrical connection (102a) of light-emitting device 100 is connected to the first electrical connection (202b) of light-emitting device 200. Next, the first electrical connection (302a) of light-emitting device 300 is connected to the first electrical connection (402b) of light-emitting device 400. Then, the first electrical connection (202a) of light-emitting device 200 is connected to the first electrical connection (302b) of light-emitting device 300, and the first electrical connection (402a) of light-emitting device 400 is connected to the first electrical connection (102b) of light-emitting device 100 simultaneously. As a result, the light-emitting devices (four light-emitting devices 100, 200, 300, and 400) are connected to each other, and a single light-emitting unit is formed.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3(b), by placing light-emitting device 500 between light-emitting devices 100 and 400, and light-emitting device 600 between light-emitting devices 200 and 300, six light-emitting devices 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 can be connected to form a single light-emitting unit.

[0019] When multiple devices are connected in this way, all of the connected devices can be controlled collectively by any one of the four or six light-emitting devices. For example, the changeable setting information for light-emitting devices 200, 300, and 400 is also displayed on the setting information display unit (not shown) of light-emitting device 100, and the settings can be changed collectively using the operation buttons 106a and 106b. Settings that would be time-consuming to set individually, such as the light intensity, light color, and timing of light emission with a time difference, can be set all at once, making operation easy.

[0020] Furthermore, while it is possible to use the system with only multiple light-emitting devices connected, as shown in Figure 3, a retaining member 11 as shown in Figure 4 can also be used, considering the need to fix it to a tripod or camera accessory shoe. The retaining member 11 holds the light-emitting unit assembled as shown in Figure 3(a) with a roughly frame-shaped lower frame 110 and upper frame 111. Figure 4(a) shows the retaining member 11 in a holding state, and Figure 4(b) shows the retaining member 11 in a non-holding state. The inner surface (inside) of the lower frame 110 is provided with a second electrical connection part 110a that can be electrically connected to the light-emitting device 100. The light-emitting unit can be held by attaching the light-emitting unit to the lower frame 110, covering it with the upper frame 111, and securing it with the left and right mounting knobs 112a and 112b. When the light-emitting unit is assembled, the first electrical connection part 102c and the second electrical connection part 110a of the light-emitting device 100 are connected. Furthermore, the light-emitting devices 100, 200, 300, and 400, which are located inside the lower frame 110, can be controlled by external control means (not shown) for controlling them. In addition, to supplement the batteries 109 provided in the light-emitting devices 100, 200, 300, and 400, a large-capacity battery may be provided inside the lower frame 110 so that power can be supplied from the second electrical connection part 110a. In addition, a third electrical connection part 110b is attached to the lower frame 110 to enable communication with and power supply to external devices. In this embodiment, for simplicity, a connection part of the same specifications as the first electrical connection part 102 is used, but it is not limited to this as long as it can communicate and supply power.

[0021] (Example 2) Figure 5 shows a holding member according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, where Figure 5(a) shows the assembled state and Figure 5(b) shows the method of connecting the light-emitting device 100 to the holding member. Components with the same reference numerals as in Embodiment 1 perform the same function.

[0022] The T-shaped holding member, the T-arm 120, is equipped with second electrical connection parts 120c at both ends (horizontal axis ends) of the T-shaped horizontal arm portion 120a, which can be connected to the first electrical connection parts (102a, 202a) provided on the light-emitting devices 100 and 200. In other words, multiple light-emitting devices can be connected to the T-arm 120. Furthermore, the horizontal arm portion 120a and vertical arm portion 120b of the T-arm 120 are made of flexible members that can be freely deformed, allowing the position and direction of the light-emitting devices 100 and 200 to be changed in various ways. This enables appropriate light distribution to the subject.

[0023] Furthermore, the T-shaped arm 120 is equipped with external control means (not shown) for controlling the light emission of the light-emitting devices 100 and 200, allowing for the control of the light emission of the light-emitting devices 100 and 200. In addition, to supplement the batteries 109 provided in the light-emitting devices 100 and 200, a large-capacity battery may be installed inside the T-shaped arm 120 so that power can be supplied from the second electrical connection part 120c. Moreover, a third electrical connection part (not shown) as shown in Figure 4 may be provided to allow for further power supply and light emission control from the outside.

[0024] Figure 6 shows different forms of holding members. Figure 6(a) is a front view of a connection configuration using an octagonal ring arm 130, viewed from the direction of light emission. Figure 6(b) is a perspective view of the connection configuration using an octagonal ring arm 130. The ring arm 130 has an octagonal ring shape and is equipped with a second electrical connection part (not shown) on each side, so that a light-emitting device can be attached to each side. A handle 130a is provided on the back of the ring arm 130 to support the ring arm 130. In addition, an external control means (not shown) is provided inside, similar to the T-shaped arm 120, which can control the light emission of the eight light-emitting devices. A battery and a third electrical connection part may also be provided. With this configuration, light can be emitted in a ring shape, and it becomes possible to take pictures with a camera lens positioned in the central opening.

[0025] Figure 7 shows a retaining member with a similar configuration to that shown in Figure 5. Figure 7(a) is a view of the T-shaped joint arm 140 from diagonally above, and Figure 7(b) is a view of the T-shaped joint arm 140 from diagonally below. Similar to the T-shaped arm 120 described above, the T-shaped joint arm 140 has a second electrical connection part 140c at the tip of the horizontal arm portion 140a. The upper (T-shaped top) and lower (lower end) portions are each equipped with a fourth electrical connection part (jack side 140f, plug side 140g). Around the fourth electrical connection part 140g is a rotating mounting member 140d with an internal female thread, which can be connected to the male thread portion 140e cut around the fourth electrical connection part (140f). The horizontal arm portion 140a and vertical arm portion 140b of the T-shaped joint arm 140 are made of flexible members that can be freely deformed, similar to the T-shaped arm 120.

[0026] Figure 8 shows a retaining member with a similar form to that shown in Figure 7. Figure 8(a) is a view of the I-shaped I-joint arm 150 from diagonally above, and Figure 8(b) is a view of the I-shaped I-joint arm 150 from diagonally below. The I-joint arm 150 is equipped with a second electrical connection part 150c at the upper part (one end) and a fourth electrical connection part 150g at the lower part (the other end), and is equipped with a mounting member 150d, similar to the T-joint arm 140. The vertical arm portion 150b is made of a flexible member that can be freely deformed, similar to the vertical arm portion 140b of the T-joint arm 140.

[0027] Figure 9 shows a grip member 160, which is an auxiliary device used in connection with a T-shaped joint arm 140 or an I-shaped joint arm 150. The grip member 160 is equipped with an electrical connection part 160f and a mounting member 160e at its upper part. Inside the grip member 160 is an external control means (not shown) for controlling the light emission of the light-emitting device 100. Furthermore, a battery for power supply and a third electrical connection part as shown in Figure 4 may be provided for communication with external devices and power supply to the grip member 160.

[0028] Here, Figures 10 to 13 show examples of use in which the light-emitting device 100 is connected using the holding members and auxiliary devices shown in Figures 7 to 9.

[0029] Figure 10 shows a configuration using one T-shaped joint arm 140, with light-emitting devices 100 and 200 connected to both ends of the lateral arm portion 140a, a grip member 160 connected to the bottom, and a cap 170 for protecting the contact terminals attached to the top. In this configuration, the subject can be illuminated from two directions by the light-emitting devices 100 and 200.

[0030] Figure 11 shows a configuration using a T-shaped joint arm 140 and an I-shaped joint arm 150. By connecting the I-shaped joint arm 150 instead of the cap 170 in Figure 10, the light-emitting devices 100, 200, and 300 can be connected. By connecting them in this way, the subject can be illuminated from three directions.

[0031] Figure 12 shows a configuration in which two T-shaped joint arms 140 are connected. In this configuration, the I-shaped joint arm 150 in Figure 11 is replaced with a T-shaped joint arm 240. This configuration allows for the connection of light-emitting devices 100, 200, 300, and 400, enabling illumination of the subject from four directions.

[0032] Figure 13 shows a configuration using T-shaped joint arms 140 and 240 and I-shaped joint arm 150. Light-emitting devices 500 and 600 are connected to light-emitting devices 100 and 200 using the first electrical connection part 102, and the light intensity can be increased at the two lower locations. This configuration allows the subject to be illuminated from five directions.

[0033] In any of the connection configurations shown in Figures 10 to 13, the light emission may be controlled using an external control means housed within the grip member 160, or using the control means of the light emission devices 100 and 200. Alternatively, it may be controlled by an external device connected to a third electrical connection part provided on the grip member 160.

[0034] Furthermore, although the arm shape was described as T-shaped or I-shaped in this embodiment, various other shapes are possible for the arm, such as Y-shaped or L-shaped. These shapes are not limited to those described in this embodiment, as long as they adopt a similar form to that of this embodiment.

[0035] (Example 3) Figure 14 shows a light-emitting device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Components with the same reference numerals as those in Embodiment 1 perform the same function.

[0036] As described in Examples 1 and 2, when multiple light-emitting devices are connected and used, one possible control method is to control all light-emitting devices as a single light-emitting body using the same control method. Alternatively, it is also possible to control the amount and color of light emitted from each of the multiple light-emitting devices individually. In that case, it is necessary to specify which control device to control and how.

[0037] Therefore, the light-emitting device 100 can be assigned an individual identification number, which is an identifier for individual recognition. By pressing and holding operation button 106a, the individual identification number displayed on the ID display unit 113 (ID assignment means) can be changed. After setting the desired number by operating operation buttons 106a and 106b, press and hold operation button 106b to confirm the number. ID assignment is possible through this operation.

[0038] With this configuration, even in a unit equipped with multiple light-emitting devices, the light-emitting state can be individually changed by giving instructions based on the individual identification number. The individual identification number is set using the operating member 106, but it may also be possible to set it from an externally connected device.

[0039] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 Light-emitting devices 101 Light-emitting surface 102a, 202a, 302a, 402a First electrical connection part (plug side) 102b~d, 202b~d, 302b~d, 402b~d First electrical connection point (jack side) 103 Circuit board 104 LED 105 Power switch 106 Operating member 107 Arithmetic equipment 108 internal memory 109 Batteries 110 Bottom frame 110a Second electrical connection 110b Third electrical connection 111 Upper frame 112a, 112b Mounting knob 113 ID display section 120 T-shaped arm 120c Second electrical connection 130 Ring Arm 130a Handle 140,240 T-type joint arm 140a Lateral arm 140b Vertical arm 140c Second electrical connection 140d Mounting component 140e Male threaded section 140f Fourth electrical connection point (jack side) 140g Fourth electrical connection point (plug side) 150 Type I Joint Arm 150b Vertical arm 150c Second electrical connection 150d Mounting component 150g Fourth electrical connection 160 Grip component 160e Mounting component 160f Electrical connection 170 Cap

Claims

1. A plurality of light-emitting devices each comprising: a light-emitting unit; a battery for supplying power to the light-emitting unit; control means for controlling the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit; and a plurality of first electrical connection units for transmitting power from an external source and transmitting control signals for controlling the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit. A holding member capable of holding the plurality of light-emitting devices, A light-emitting control device equipped with, The first electrical connection part comprises at least one pair of connection parts of the same standard that can be connected to each other. The plurality of light-emitting devices are, Each can emit light and control its emission independently, and By connecting them directly or indirectly using the first electrical connection part, they can be controlled together, Each is in the form of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped, and each of the four sides having the first electrical connection part, one on each side that is roughly perpendicular to the direction of light emission, one being a plug and three being jacks. The holding member comprises a second electrical connection portion that can be connected to the first electrical connection portion and a third electrical connection portion that can be electrically connected to an external device, and each of the plurality of light-emitting devices can be held by connecting the first electrical connection portion to the second electrical connection portion. The retaining member comprises a first retaining member to which multiple retaining members can be connected, the first retaining member having a T-shape and a second electrical connection part at the horizontal axis end, and a fourth electrical connection part of the same standard that can be electrically connected at the top and bottom ends of the T-shape, with one end being a plug and the other a jack; and a second retaining member having an I-shape and a second electrical connection part at one end and a fourth electrical connection part at the other end. The light emission control of each of the multiple light-emitting devices connected to enable unified control is performed by one of the multiple light-emitting devices or by an external control device connected to the holding member. A light emission control device characterized by the following:

2. The light-emitting control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the shape of the arm portion of the first and second holding members can be bent and deformed.

Images