control system

Abstract

To provide a control system which does not require a user to operate an operation unit to light up an operation screen.SOLUTION: A control system of the present disclosure has an apparatus for switching an operational state according to the presence or absence of a person, and includes: an operation unit having an operation screen for operating the apparatus; and a person detector for detecting a person in a target area including the apparatus. The control system performs reception processing of receiving detection information of a person from the detector, and screen lighting-up processing of lighting up the screen operation of the operation unit when the detection information shows that a person is detected in the area in which the operation unit is set.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a control system.

Background Art

[0002] If the backlight of an operation screen such as a liquid crystal switch or the display LED lamp of an operation switch is kept lit at all times, it consumes power. Therefore, for the purpose of energy saving, there is a function to automatically turn off the light when there is no operation for a certain period. In that case, when an operation is performed again, it is necessary to relight the backlight or the LED lamp.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for recognizing that a person has touched by means of a capacitance sensor or a piezoelectric sensor on an operation screen of a remote control for operating the operating state of a device, and relighting the backlight of the operation screen that is turned off. In that case, the brightness of the room is detected by a sensor provided in the remote control, and further determination between day and night is made. Thereby, the brightness of the backlight can be adjusted appropriately according to each of day and night.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the above method, in order to light the operation screen in the off state, the user needs to touch the operation screen once. For example, even if the desired operation is only to press the ON / OFF button of the operation, it is necessary to touch the operation screen twice, and there is a risk that the user will feel bothered.

[0006] This disclosure aims to provide a control system that eliminates the need for the user to operate an operating device to illuminate the operation screen, in order to solve the aforementioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure is a control system that includes equipment for switching operating states depending on the presence or absence of people, An operating device equipped with an operation screen for operating the aforementioned device, A person detection device that connects to people in the target area including the aforementioned equipment, Learning data for learning the installation location of the aforementioned operating device, Equipped with, A reception process that receives human detection information from the aforementioned human detection device, If the detection information indicates the detection of a person in the installation area of ​​the control device, a screen illumination process is performed to illuminate the operation screen of the control device. A process for detecting that the aforementioned operating device has been used, An extraction process to extract areas where human movement is detected during a predetermined time period from before the operating device is used until the operating device is used, A learning process in which the areas extracted by the extraction process are used to train the training data, It is preferable to configure it to perform the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the embodiments of this disclosure, it is possible to provide a control system that does not require the user to operate an operating device in order to illuminate the operation screen. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration example of a control system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the target area of ​​the image sensor according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the arrangement of an image sensor, a lighting fixture, and an operating device according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart of the operation device lighting control performed by the controller according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0010] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. In the control system 100, the controller [1] is installed inside the lighting control panel or on the ceiling. The controller [1] collects information from the terminal devices connected to itself, and performs lighting control to change the lighting state of the lighting fixture [2] according to the collected information. Here, the lighting state includes the on / off, dimming, and color temperature states of the light source provided in the lighting fixture [2]. In lighting control, the controller [1] stores a plurality of target values of the lighting state, and selects a suitable target value according to the information collected from the terminal devices. Further, lighting control data for realizing the selected target value is transmitted to the lighting fixture [2].

[0011] Note that the terminal devices are a general term for the lighting fixture [2] and the image sensor [3], operation device [4], and illuminance sensor [5] described later. However, the types and numbers of the terminal devices are not limited to the example in FIG. 1, and may be appropriately determined according to the usage environment of the control system 100.

[0012] In addition, the controller [1] performs lighting control of the operation screen of the operation device [4] (hereinafter referred to as operation device lighting control) based on the human detection information from the image sensor [3].

[0013] Furthermore, the controller [1] transmits its own operation information or the information collected from the terminal devices to the upper system. Also, it plays a role of receiving and executing a control command from the upper system.

[0014] The The lighting fixture 2 changes the lighting state by receiving lighting control data from the controller 1. Wired communication as shown in FIG. 1 is used for the communication between the lighting fixture 2 and the controller 1. Alternatively, wireless communication may be used.

[0015] The image sensor 3 is mainly installed on the ceiling, and the mounted camera acquires an imaging image in the floor surface direction and detects a person existing in the target area. Then, it determines the presence or absence of changes from the periodically captured imaging image, and detects the entry of a person into the target area, the movement of a person, the stay and absence, the passage, the number of people, etc.

[0016] Hereinafter, the information on the entry of a person into the target area, the movement of a person, the stay and absence, the passage, and the number of people detected by the image sensor 3 is collectively referred to as detection information.

[0017] The image sensor 3 further transmits the detection information to the controller 1. Thereby, in the controller 1, control can be performed on the lighting fixture 2 and the operator 4 responsible for the target area of the image sensor 3 that transmitted the detection information.

[0018] The operator 4 includes a display and a backlight, and irradiates the display with the backlight to display buttons, characters, etc. on the screen. The operator 4 is, for example, a liquid crystal switch. The operator 4 is installed on a wall surface or the like that can be reached by the user's hand. The operator 4 operates the lighting fixture 2 so that the desired lighting state input by the user via the operation screen is realized.

[0019] When the controller 1 and the terminal device are connected by wired communication as shown in FIG. 1, the operator 4 is powered through the controller 1 to which the commercial power supply is connected. Alternatively, when the controller 1 performs wireless communication with the terminal device, the operator 4 itself may be connected to the commercial power supply or may be driven by a battery.

[0020] If there are multiple lighting fixtures 2, the operator 4 stores the address number of each lighting fixture 2. Operation buttons for each lighting fixture 2 are displayed on the operation screen, and the operation content of each button is transmitted to the corresponding lighting fixture 2 via a signal with the address number.

[0021] Furthermore, the control unit 4 can also control the lighting status of a group consisting of multiple lighting fixtures 2 all at once. In this case, the control unit 4 stores the group number assigned to the multiple lighting fixtures 2. A button for controlling the group all at once is displayed on the operation screen.

[0022] Furthermore, the control unit 4 can also control the lighting state collectively, using multiple groups as units. Moreover, it can store and execute frequently used lighting control patterns.

[0023] Unlike push-button wall switches, the operator 4 envisioned in this disclosure allows for free layout of the number, shape, size, and arrangement of buttons on the operation screen. Furthermore, because multiple screens can be created and pages can be switched between for operation, a large number of buttons can be incorporated. In addition, the operator 4 allows for the input of text on the operation screen to display the names of each button. Moreover, multiple buttons placed on the operation screen can be controlled simultaneously. Furthermore, features such as clock and schedule functions, enabling automatic operation at pre-set times, can be incorporated.

[0024] The illuminance sensor 5 is mainly installed on the ceiling and detects reflected light from the desk surface and floor surface of the target area using its light-receiving unit, measuring the relative illuminance value. The measured illuminance value is transmitted to the controller 1. This allows the controller 1 to compare the received illuminance value with the target illuminance and perform lighting control so that the illuminance value from the illuminance sensor 5 approaches the target illuminance.

[0025] The configurator 6 controls the controller 1 and the terminal devices. The configurator 6 can be, for example, a wireless remote control, a personal computer, or a mobile terminal. The configurator 6 exchanges data with the controller 1 and the terminal devices via infrared communication. Alternatively, data may be exchanged using the wired communication shown in Figure 1 that connects the controller 1 and the terminal devices. Alternatively, wireless communication and a communication line between the controller 1 and the higher-level system may be used.

[0026] As described above, in the control system 100 of this disclosure, the controller 1 controls the lighting fixtures 2 within the target area based on information from the image sensor 3 and the illuminance sensor 5. As an example of lighting control, target dimming rates are set to 70% and 5% respectively when a person is present or moving, and the lighting state is changed to achieve these target values. This allows the lighting fixtures 2 to be turned on at the minimum dimming rate necessary for walking when movement is detected, and to be increased to the brightness necessary for a person to work when presence is detected. The target values ​​for the dimming rates can be arbitrarily set by the administrator, and a setting device 6 is used for setting them.

[0027] <Variations> Alternatively, illuminance detection may be performed by the image sensor 3 instead of the illuminance sensor 5. In this case, illuminance detection can be performed by detecting the brightness of the target area from the captured image and calculating the relative illuminance from the reference illuminance.

[0028] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the control system 100 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. The wired communication unit 11 of the controller 1 is the part that communicates with terminal devices such as the lighting fixture 2 and the image sensor 3. The calculation unit 16 is the part that performs the main calculation processing for lighting control and the control of the control device described above. The date and time information management unit 12 is the part that executes the schedule control processing described later. The higher-level communication unit 14 is the part that communicates with a higher-level system that sends control commands to the controller 1. The storage unit 15 is the part that stores various setting contents. The information stored in the storage unit 15 includes the address number assigned to the lighting fixture 2, the group number, the address number of the control device 4, and the maximum time for screen illumination hold time described later. The infrared communication unit 13 is the part that communicates with the setting device 6. Note that if the setting device 6 is connected to the controller 1 by a wired communication line, the infrared communication unit 13 may not be necessary.

[0029] In the control of the control unit's illumination, the wired communication unit 11 of the controller 1 performs a process to receive human detection information from the image sensor 3 (hereinafter referred to as the reception process). Furthermore, if the detection information indicates human movement in the area where the control unit 4 is installed, the calculation unit 16 performs a process to illuminate the operation screen of the control unit 4 (hereinafter referred to as the screen illumination process). Furthermore, the wired communication unit 11 sends an operation screen illumination command to the control unit 4.

[0030] On the other hand, if the detection information indicates at least one of the presence or absence of a person in the installation area of ​​the control unit 4, the calculation unit 16 executes a process to turn off the operation screen (hereinafter referred to as the screen off process). Furthermore, the wired communication unit 11 transmits an operation screen off command.

[0031] In this way, the controller 1 determines whether a person is moving, staying, or absent in the installation area of ​​the control unit 4 based on the detection information from the image sensor 3, and controls the operation unit's lighting based on the determination result.

[0032] However, after the controller 1 determines human movement from the detection information and lights up the operation screen of the control unit 4, it will not send a command to turn off the operation screen for a predetermined period of time, even if the human detection information changes from "staying" to "not staying," and will keep the screen lit. This prevents the operation screen of the control unit 4 from frequently turning on and off, even if people frequently enter the target area of ​​the image sensor 3 and the detection information switches between "moving" and "staying" many times. This eliminates concerns that users may find unpleasant.

[0033] The wired communication unit 21 of the lighting fixture 2 is the part that communicates with the controller 1. The calculation unit 23 is the part that performs calculation processing for communication and control of the lighting of the light source. The memory unit 22 is the part that stores various setting values. The lighting control unit 25 is the part that controls the lighting unit 26 based on the lighting control data received from the controller 1. The lighting unit 26 is the part that is equipped with a light source such as an LED. The infrared communication unit 24 is the part that communicates with the setting device 6 and other devices via infrared and exchanges control commands and setting information. Note that if the setting device 6 is connected via a wired communication line, the infrared communication unit 24 is not necessary. However, it is desirable to have the infrared communication unit 24 installed in order to set an address number or group number on the lighting fixture 2 installed on the ceiling.

[0034] Furthermore, lighting fixture 2 has a separate power supply unit, and the lights can be turned off by switching off the power. In addition, lighting fixture 2 may be equipped with a control unit that controls the LED drive power supply based on the received lighting control data. The LED drive power supply may receive the lighting control data in this unit.

[0035] The image detection unit 32 of the image sensor 3 is the part that captures an image of the target area using a camera. The image analysis unit 33 is the part that analyzes the captured image and detects people in the target area. If a change is detected in the detection status of people in the target area, the image analysis unit 33 notifies the controller 1 of the detection information via the wired communication unit 31. The storage unit 34 is the part that stores various settings. The calculation unit 35 is the part that performs communication and data processing. Since the image sensor 3 is installed on the ceiling, it is desirable to equip it with an infrared communication unit 36 ​​so that various settings can be performed.

[0036] The wired communication unit 41 of the operating device 4 receives an operation screen on command or an operation screen off command from the controller 1. The display unit 42 is equipped with a display and backlight and displays buttons or characters. The display control unit 43 turns the backlight of the display unit 42 on or off based on the operation screen on command or operation screen off command. Furthermore, the display control unit 43 controls the content displayed on the display. The input analysis unit 44 detects when the surface of the display is touched. The calculation unit 45 processes the information from the input analysis unit 44 to transmit the control content of the operating device 4 to the controller 1. Furthermore, the calculation unit 45 confirms the content to be displayed on the display. The storage unit 46 stores various data and the current display state of the display.

[0037] The communication unit 61 of the setting device 6 is the part that performs infrared communication with the controller 1 or terminal equipment. The communication of the communication unit 61 may be wired or wireless. The operation unit 62 is the interface for the administrator when performing setting work, such as a PC keyboard or remote control buttons. The display unit 63 is the display for checking the operation content or the results of the monitoring. The calculation unit 64 is the part that controls and converts communication, operation, and display. The storage unit 65 is the part that stores the set data and monitored data. Unless otherwise specified, all settings of the controller 1 and terminal equipment, as well as monitoring of the current status, as described in this disclosure can be performed by the setting device 6.

[0038] As described above, in the control system 100 of this disclosure, the controller 1 controls the lighting of the lighting fixture 2 and the operation of the operation device 4 based on detection information from the image sensor 3. This allows the user to turn on the operation screen without having to operate the operation device 4.

[0039] As mentioned above, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the operation screen is turned off after a period of inactivity, the user must touch the screen of the control unit 4 once to turn on the display when they want to operate it again. As a solution to this, there is a technology that installs a motion sensor on the control unit 4 itself to detect the presence or absence of a user and automatically switches the backlight of the operation screen on and off. However, installing a motion sensor on the control unit 4 increases costs. Furthermore, general pyroelectric sensors will detect movement even if a person is far away from the control unit 4 as long as it is within the detection range, which may cause the backlight to turn on unnecessarily.

[0040] In contrast, the control system 100 of this disclosure includes a lighting fixture 2 that switches its operating state depending on the presence or absence of people, and an image sensor 3 that detects people in the target area including the lighting fixture 2. By using the detection information from the image sensor 3 to control the lighting of the operation screen of the control unit 4, it becomes unnecessary to install a motion sensor or the like solely for the purpose of controlling the lighting of the operation screen of the control unit 4.

[0041] In a control system equipped with a human detection sensor such as the image sensor 3, the controller 1 controls the lighting before the user does, based on the detection information, so the user will not use the operator 4 very often. However, the user may use the operator 4 if they want to turn on the lighting fixture 2 before the person enters the area targeted by the image sensor 3, or if they want to turn it off immediately upon exiting. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the operator 4 of this disclosure is equipped with many functions, including batch operation of a group of multiple lighting fixtures 2, batch operation of multiple groups, and a scheduling function. For these reasons, even if the image sensor 3 is present in the control system 100 of this disclosure, it is expected that the operator 4 will be used frequently.

[0042] <Variations> As explained in Figure 2, controller 1 stores the address number, group number, and address number of the operator 4 assigned to the lighting fixture 2. Using this, controller 1 may perform operator lighting control and lighting control simultaneously. In this case, controller 1 identifies the address number or group number of the lighting fixture 2 operated by operator 4 from the address number of operator 4 designated for operator lighting control. This allows controller 1 to command a target dimming rate for the lighting fixture 2 with the identified address number individually, or simultaneously for multiple lighting fixtures 2 included in the identified group number.

[0043] Furthermore, as explained in Figure 2, the image sensor 3 detected people entering, moving, staying, leaving, passing through, and the number of people within the target area. In addition to these, the direction of people's movement may also be detected. In this case, the controller 1 determines from the detection information that a person has moved in the direction where the control unit 4 is installed, and performs a screen-on process. On the other hand, if it determines that a person has moved in a direction where the control unit 4 is not installed, it performs a screen-off process. This allows the operation screen to remain off when a person is moving away from the control unit 4, thereby achieving further energy savings.

[0044] Determining the direction of a person's movement within such a target area can be achieved by using the image sensor 3 to set a two-dimensional coordinate system with an origin and positive and negative X and Y axes in the captured image, thereby identifying the person's position.

[0045] Furthermore, the control panel illumination control described in Figure 2 may also have a function to enable or disable it in conjunction with the clock and schedule functions installed in the controller 1. In this configuration, the administrator sets information on time zones such as early morning and nighttime, as well as date information such as days of the week and holidays, for the controller 1. This prevents the control panel 4's screen from lighting up due to false detection by the image sensor 3 when no one is present, such as at night or on holidays. This prevents unnecessary power consumption.

[0046] Figure 3 is a plan view showing the target area of ​​the image sensor 3 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. Here, an image is shown when the image sensor 3 is installed on the ceiling and the built-in camera captures images in the direction of the floor. In the case of an image sensor 3 with typical performance, the target area is 7.2m x 7m of the floor surface, as shown in Figure 3. Within the target area, the image sensor 3 uses a 0.9m x 0m square as one detection point and detects a person at each detection point. In Figure 3, one side of the target area contains 8 rows of detection points, and the target area contains a total of 64 detection points. Note that multiple human bodies may be detected within a single detection point.

[0047] The image sensor 3 divides the 64 detection points contained in the target area into four blocks of 16 points each, and notifies the controller 1 of the detection information for each block.

[0048] Possible methods for detecting people include detecting movement within each detection point, or detecting movement by observing the transfer of a person's presence information between adjacent detection points.

[0049] The image sensor 3 can simultaneously detect the status of multiple people in a single block. Therefore, in a single block, one person may be detected as staying in place while another is detected as moving. If the image sensor 3 detects movement at any one detection point, it determines that a person is moving in that block and notifies the controller 1 of the detection information. This allows the controller 1 to prepare for the possibility that the person detected as moving may operate the control unit 4 and illuminate the control unit 4's operation screen.

[0050] However, for the purpose of lighting control, it is more convenient to determine that a block is occupied when both presence and movement are detected, in order to maintain a high dimming rate. Therefore, in this case, it is desirable for the image sensor 3 to notify the controller 1 separately of detection information for lighting control and detection information for control device illumination control.

[0051] Furthermore, the camera mounted on image sensor 3 is equipped with a wide-angle lens, enabling it to capture a wide area. However, if detection of a wide area is not required, the unnecessary area can be designated as a detection-free zone, narrowing down the target area. In addition, the sides of the target area can be arbitrarily set to 6.4m, 7.2m, 9.0m, etc.

[0052] Furthermore, since the camera's imaging range varies depending on the height at which it is installed, the camera's installation height can be entered as an initial setting during installation to adjust the image to obtain a target area of ​​the desired size. Additionally, the height of objects detected by the image sensor 3, such as the floor, desk surface, or head height of a seated person, can be selected from options such as 0.7m or 1.2m.

[0053] The number of detection points, combinations, detection exclusion zones, and camera settings included in each block can be configured using the configurator 6.

[0054] As described above, the image sensor 3 in this disclosure divides the target area into multiple blocks and notifies the controller 1 of human detection information for each block.

[0055] <Variations> Figure 3 illustrates the target area for an image sensor 3 with typical performance. However, with an even higher-performance image sensor 3, for example, a target area of ​​7.2m x 7m can be divided into a total of 256 points with 16 columns on each side for detection.

[0056] In Figure 3, the image sensor 3 is shown to notify the controller 1 separately of detection information for lighting control and detection information for control device illumination control. However, instead of detection information for control device illumination control, data on the absence, movement, and presence of a person before determination may be notified. Alternatively, data directly instructing the controller 1 to turn the control device 4 on or off may be notified. Alternatively, a flag representing the person's status may be added to the detection information for lighting control. This allows the controller 1 to be notified when there is a change in either the presence status for lighting control data or the movement status for control device illumination control data.

[0057] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the image sensor 3, lighting fixtures 2, and operating device 4 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. In Figure 4, the target area of ​​the image sensor 3 is divided into four blocks, and four lighting fixtures 2 are installed in each block. If the performance of the image sensor 3 is high and the number of blocks can be increased, it is also possible to install one lighting fixture 2 in each block and perform more detailed lighting control for each block.

[0058] The four lighting fixtures 2 installed in one block are assigned the same group number. This allows for lighting control, such as turning on all four lighting fixtures 2 in a group simultaneously, if a person is detected at even one of the 16 detection points within the target block.

[0059] The first method for assigning group numbers to lighting fixtures 2 installed in each block is as follows: the image sensor 3 assigns a group number and transmits the group information indicating the assignment, along with the detection information for each block, to the controller 1 each time. If the controller 1 has already stored the group number assignment information for the lighting fixtures 2 installed in each block, the image sensor 3 does not need to transmit the above-mentioned group information to the controller 1 each time; it only needs to notify the controller 1 of the detection information for each block.

[0060] Alternatively, as a second method, the image sensor 3 does not assign groups, but only notifies the controller 1 of the detection information for each block. In this case, the controller 1 manages the group assignment.

[0061] Furthermore, in Figure 4, the control unit 4 is installed within the target area of ​​the image sensor 3. Information about the block in which the control unit 4 is installed is set in the controller 1 by the administrator. The controller 1 stores the block in which the control unit 4 is installed and the address of the control unit 4. Note that the control unit 4 does not necessarily have to be installed within the target area of ​​the image sensor 3; for example, it may be installed on a wall adjacent to the target area.

[0062] As described above, the controller 1 of this disclosure stores the area where the operator 4 is installed as an operator 4 installation block.

[0063] <Variations> Figure 4 illustrates that information about the control unit 4 installation block is set by the administrator. However, machine learning may be used to automatically identify the control unit 4 installation block. In this case, the controller 1 is equipped with training data to learn the installation locations of the control unit 4. Furthermore, the controller 1 performs a process to detect when the control unit 4 is used and an extraction process to extract areas where human movement is detected during a predetermined time until the control unit 4 is used. Furthermore, it performs a learning process to train the training data with the areas extracted by the extraction process. By using this automatic identification function, the initial setup of the control unit 4 installation block by the administrator may be omitted. Alternatively, the administrator may perform the initial setup, and then the system may be optimized through learning to narrow the range of the control unit 4 installation block.

[0064] Furthermore, Figure 4 illustrates that the target area of ​​the image sensor 3 is divided into multiple blocks, with one group number assigned to each block, and that at least one block is designated by the administrator as the control unit 4 installation block. However, in addition to the four blocks described in Figure 4, a dedicated installation block for the control unit 4 may also be installed.

[0065] There, the administrator selects multiple detection points from the target area of ​​the image sensor 3 and sets them as dedicated installation blocks for the control unit 4. Note that the dedicated installation blocks for the control unit 4 may partially overlap with the four blocks used for lighting control.

[0066] As shown in Figure 4, if the block for lighting control and the block for controlling the operation device are the same, the lighting control block has a wide range, so even if human movement is detected at a detection point far from the operation device 4, the operation device 4 will light up. In contrast, by providing a dedicated installation block for the operation device 4, the area related to controlling the operation device can be minimized.

[0067] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the control of the operating device illumination performed by the controller 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. First, the wired communication unit 11 of the controller 1 receives detection information from the image sensor 3 (step S01). The calculation unit 16 determines whether the block included in the received detection information is an operating device 4 installation block (step S02). If it is an operating device 4 installation block, it further determines whether the state of the person in that block is moving (step S03). If the state of the person is moving, there is a possibility that the person is operating the operating device 4. Therefore, the calculation unit 16 retrieves the address number information of the operating device 4 from the storage unit 15 (step S04). Furthermore, it sends an operation screen illumination command to the operating device 4 via the wired communication unit 11 (step S05). Furthermore, the calculation unit 16 sets the management state of the operating device 4 installation block to the moving state (step S06).

[0068] Furthermore, the calculation unit 16 determines whether or not there is a notification of detection information from the image sensor 3 indicating the absence or presence of a person in the control unit 4 installation block (step S07). If no notification is received, the calculation unit 16 continues management assuming that a person is moving in the control unit 4 installation block. On the other hand, if the calculation unit 16 receives a notification from the image sensor 3 indicating that a person has become absent or present in the installation block, it executes a measurement process to start counting the screen illumination time (step S08). Furthermore, it determines whether there is a notification of detection information indicating the movement of a person in the control unit 4 installation block before the screen illumination time has elapsed for a predetermined period of time (step S09). If the screen illumination time has elapsed for a predetermined period of time without any notification, the calculation unit 16 sends an operation screen off command to the control unit 4 via the wired communication unit 11 (step S10).

[0069] On the other hand, if a notification of a change to a moving state is received from the image sensor 3 before a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the screen illumination time count, the calculation unit 16 resets the screen illumination time count. Furthermore, it changes the management state to the moving state (step S06).

[0070] On the other hand, if the person in the installation block of the control unit 4 is not moving in step S03, the controller 1 does not process the control unit 4. This allows the control unit 4's operation screen to be turned off when the person is absent, or when they are sitting in a chair or standing still and working.

[0071] As explained above using the flowchart, the controller 1 of this disclosure performs control of the operation device illumination.

[0072] <Variations> Figure 5 illustrates that the controller 1 counts the screen illumination duration. However, the image sensor 3 may manage the screen illumination duration and notify the controller 1. Furthermore, since it is more convenient to set the illumination duration of the lighting fixture 2 in lighting control, the controller 1 may manage the durations for both lighting control and control of the control device illumination.

[0073] As described above, Embodiment 1 of this disclosure provides a control system 100 in which the user does not need to operate the control device 4 to light up the operation screen.

[0074] <Variations> The operator 4 may be a remote control equipped with a display. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to wall switches commonly used for lighting control, and power consumption can be reduced by controlling the illumination of LED lamps or the like that mounted on the wall switch to indicate the operating status. This point is common to all of the following embodiments.

[0075] The image sensor 3 envisioned for use in this disclosure is described as being capable of determining whether a person enters, moves, stays or is absent, passes through, and the number of people within a target area. Such detailed detection of a person's state can be achieved, for example, by using a camera such as a CMOS as the image sensor and performing detailed image processing on the captured image. From this point of view, the person detection method using the image sensor 3 envisioned for use in this disclosure differs from a general pyroelectric sensor that detects the temperature difference between an object and the background and detects the presence of a person when the heat source object moves. However, the image sensor 3 only needs to be capable of detecting people and does not necessarily need to determine whether a person enters, moves, stays or is absent, passes through, or the number of people. A person detection device such as a pyroelectric sensor or a thermal image sensor may also be used. In that case as well, the controller 1 can perform the above-described control of the indicator light according to the person detection information.

[0076] Embodiment 2. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a control system 200 according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure. The control system 200 has a configuration in which the controller 1 shown in Embodiment 1 and the image sensor 3 are integrated. In this case, the controller 1 is installed on the ceiling. Since the image sensor 3 is often installed in the center of the target area, it is desirable that the location where the controller 1 is installed is also the same.

[0077] In the configuration of Embodiment 2, the effort required to install the image sensor 3 and the cost of wiring are eliminated. Furthermore, communication between the controller 1 and the image sensor 3 is unnecessary, leading to a reduction in communication traffic. In this embodiment as well, the communication means between the controller 1, lighting fixture 2, and operating device 4 may be either wired or wireless communication.

[0078] Embodiment 3. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a control system 300 according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. In the control system 300, the system configuration below the controller 1 is the same as in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2. In the control system 300, a gateway device 7 is connected to the upper side of the controller 1. Furthermore, a central management device 8 is connected to the gateway device 7.

[0079] The gateway device 7 plays a role in converting the communication method between the control system 300 and other systems, and can convert the communication method of the control system 300 to a communication method that includes open standards such as BACnet.

[0080] The central control device 8 performs settings, operations, and status monitoring related to lighting control. By including the central control device 8, various settings performed by the setting device 6 in Embodiment 1, as well as various settings when performing control device lighting, can be performed from a higher-level system.

[0081] In Embodiment 3 of this disclosure, detection information from the image sensor 3 is notified to the central management device 8. The central management device 8 manages the air conditioning control system in addition to the control system 300. The air conditioning control system includes air conditioning equipment, an air conditioning controller 9, and an air conditioning remote control 10. The air conditioning controller 9 stores the address number of the air conditioning remote control 10 in association with the information of the installation block. This makes it possible to control the illumination of the operation screen of the air conditioning remote control 10, similar to the control of the control panel illumination described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Controller, 2 Lighting fixture, 3 Image sensor, 4 Operating unit, 5 Illuminance sensor, 6 Setting unit, 7 Gateway device, 8 Central management device, 9 Air conditioning controller, 10 Air conditioning remote control, 11 Wired communication unit, 12 Date and time information management unit, 13 Infrared communication unit, 14 Higher-level communication unit, 15 Memory unit, 16 Calculation unit, 21 Wired communication unit, 22 Memory unit, 23 Calculation unit, 24 Infrared communication unit, 25 Lighting control unit, 26 Lighting unit, 31 Wired communication unit, 32 Image detection unit, 33 Image analysis unit, 34 Memory unit, 35 Calculation unit, 36 Infrared communication unit, 41 Wired communication unit, 42 Display unit, 43 Display control unit, 44 Input analysis unit, 45 Calculation unit, 46 Memory unit, 61 Communication unit, 62 Operation unit, 63 Display unit, 64 Calculation unit, 65 Memory unit, 100 control system, 200 control system, 300 control system

Claims

1. A control system equipped with a device that switches the operating state depending on whether there are people or not, An operating device equipped with an operation screen for operating the aforementioned device, A person detection device that connects to people in the target area including the aforementioned equipment, Learning data for learning the installation location of the aforementioned operating device, Equipped with, A reception process that receives human detection information from the aforementioned human detection device, If the detection information indicates the detection of a person in the installation area of ​​the control device, a screen illumination process is performed to illuminate the operation screen of the control device. A process for detecting that the aforementioned operating device has been used, An extraction process to extract areas where human movement is detected during a predetermined time period from before the operating device is used until the operating device is used, A learning process in which the areas extracted by the extraction process are used to train the training data, A control system configured to perform the following actions.

2. The control system according to claim 1, further configured to perform a screen-off process to turn off the operation screen if the detection information does not indicate the detection of a person in the installation area of ​​the operating device.

3. In the aforementioned screen turning-off process, A measurement process for measuring time, If no new detection information indicating the detection of a person is notified before the time measured by the measurement process exceeds a predetermined time, the operation screen is turned off. The control system according to claim 2, including the following:

4. The person detection device further detects the movement, presence, and absence of people. The screen illumination process is performed when the detection information indicates the movement of a person in the installation area of ​​the control unit. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the screen light-off process is performed when the detection information indicates at least one of the presence or absence of a person in the installation area of ​​the operating device.

5. The person detection device further detects the direction of movement of the person, If the detection information indicates that a person is moving in the direction in which the control device is installed, the screen illumination process is executed. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the screen-off process is executed when the detection information indicates that a person is moving in a direction where the operating device is not installed.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the device is a lighting fixture.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the equipment is an air conditioning unit.

8. The control system according to claim 1, further comprising a process for disabling the screen illumination process depending on at least one of the date and time.

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