Lighting system, control method, and program

Abstract

A lighting system (1) comprises: a first lighting fixture (10) and a second lighting fixture (20), which each have a plurality of light-emitting elements (12) arranged in an array; and a control terminal (100). The control terminal (100) is provided with: a display unit (101) that displays an operated region (50A) having a shape corresponding to a third area (30A) obtained by integrating a first area (10A) which the first lighting fixture (10) irradiates with light and a second area (20A) which the second lighting fixture (20) irradiates with light; an operation receiving unit (101) that receives a selection operation for selecting a partial region of the operated region (50A); and a control unit (103) that, on the basis of the received selection operation, causes light emission by at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements (12) which are provided to each of the first lighting fixture (10) and the second lighting fixture (20), to thereby irradiate, with light, a part of the third area (30A) corresponding to the partial region.

Description

Lighting system, control method and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting system, a control method, and a program.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a mapping technique that enables lighting control of multiple lighting fixtures. Marks associated with the multiple lighting fixtures are displayed on the display unit of an operation terminal. The multiple lighting fixtures can be controlled based on the marks.

[0003] JP 2019-36400 A

[0004] In recent years, lighting fixtures have been developed that have multiple light-emitting elements arranged in an array. To illuminate only a specific area within the lighting fixture's illumination range, such lighting fixtures turn on only the light-emitting elements corresponding to that area. Selection of the specific area is performed using a control terminal separate from the lighting fixture, but performing this selection for each of multiple lighting fixtures individually is one factor that hinders user convenience. The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 is based solely on the technical concept of how to illuminate a single lighting fixture, and cannot be said to be designed from the perspective of improving usability by allowing the user to focus on how to effectively manage the illuminated area. It is desirable to reduce the burden on users of having to be aware of the installation location of lighting fixtures and the settings for each lighting fixture, and to tailor control so that usability is limited to operating only the desired illuminated area.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a lighting system, control method, and program that can improve user convenience by providing a service that improves usability by reducing the burden of having to be aware of the installation location of lighting fixtures and the settings for each fixture, allowing users to concentrate on how to effectively manage the illuminated area.

[0006] A lighting system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a first lighting fixture and a second lighting fixture having a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in an array, and a control terminal. The control terminal comprises a display unit that displays an operated area having a shape corresponding to a third area that combines a first area onto which the first lighting fixture emits light and a second area onto which the second lighting fixture emits light, an operation receiving unit that receives a selection operation to select a portion of the operated area, and a control unit that, based on the received selection operation, causes at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements of each of the first lighting fixture and the second lighting fixture to emit light, thereby irradiating light onto a portion of the third area that corresponds to the portion of the third area.

[0007] A control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a control method for a first lighting device and a second lighting device executed by a computer, wherein each of the first lighting device and the second lighting device has a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in an array, and the control method includes: a display step of displaying an operated area having a shape corresponding to a third area that combines a first area onto which the first lighting device emits light and a second area onto which the second lighting device emits light; a reception step of receiving a selection operation that selects a portion of the operated area; and an illumination step of illuminating at least some of the plurality of light-emitting elements of each of the first lighting device and the second lighting device based on the received selection operation, thereby illuminating a portion of the third area that corresponds to the portion of the third area.

[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention can be realized as a program that causes a computer to execute the control method, or as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing the program.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily rearrange the illumination areas of multiple lighting fixtures into a single illumination area, thereby reducing the burden of having to be aware of the installation positions of lighting fixtures and the settings for each fixture, and allowing users to concentrate on how to effectively manage the illumination area.From the perspective of providing a service that improves usability, it is possible to provide a lighting system, control method, and program that can improve user convenience.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a first area of ​​a first lighting device and an example of a second area of ​​a second lighting device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a third area obtained by integrating the first area and the second area of ​​FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a first operation screen displayed on a UI unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a second operation screen displayed on a UI unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a third operation screen displayed on a UI unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the first area and the second area according to an embodiment are entirely illuminated. FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a fourth operation screen displayed on a UI unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the first area and the second area according to an embodiment are illuminated, and first and second frame lines, first and second squares are projected. FIG. 9A is an explanatory diagram illustrating a fifth operation screen displayed on a UI unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram showing a case where a portion of the third area according to the embodiment is illuminated. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a sixth operation screen displayed on the UI unit according to Modification 1. FIG. 11A is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth operation screen displayed on the UI unit according to Modification 1. FIG. 11B is a schematic diagram showing an illumination state for the third area according to Modification 1. FIG. 12A is an explanatory diagram showing a seventh operation screen displayed on the UI unit according to Modification 1. FIG. 12B is a schematic diagram showing an illumination state for the third area according to Modification 1. FIG. 13A is an explanatory diagram showing an eighth operation screen displayed on the UI unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 13B is a schematic diagram showing a case where a portion of the third area according to Modification 1 is illuminated. FIG. 14A is an explanatory diagram showing another projection form according to Modification 2. FIG. 14B is an explanatory diagram showing another projection form according to Modification 2. FIG. 14C is an explanatory diagram showing another projection form according to Modification 2.

[0011] Below, a lighting system, a control method, a program, etc. according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below shows a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangements and connection forms, steps, step orders, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not recited in independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0012] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. Therefore, for example, the scales and the like do not necessarily match in each figure. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same configurations are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0013] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements, terms indicating the shape of elements such as rectangle or circle, and numerical ranges are not expressions that only express a strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a substantially equivalent range, for example, a difference of about a few percent.

[0014] Furthermore, in this specification, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" do not refer to the number or order of components unless otherwise specified, but are used for the purpose of avoiding confusion between and distinguishing between components of the same type.

[0015] (Embodiment) [Outline of Lighting System] First, an outline of a lighting system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, lighting system 1 is a system that controls the lighting aspects of a lighting space. The lighting space is a space illuminated by one or more lighting fixtures, and is, for example, an indoor space such as a room in a building. A plurality of lighting fixtures are fixed to the ceiling, walls, or the like of the lighting space. In the following description, a case where a first lighting fixture 10 and a second lighting fixture 20 illuminate the lighting space will be illustrated as an example, but three or more lighting fixtures may also illuminate the lighting space.

[0017] Lighting system 1 can control each of first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20 based on operation input from a user via UI unit 101 of control terminal 100. For example, when a user wants to illuminate a desired area, the user can simply set the area via UI unit 101 of control terminal 100 without having to specifically specify the lighting fixtures that will illuminate the area.

[0018] Specifically, lighting system 1 includes control terminal 100, first lighting fixture 10, and second lighting fixture 20.

[0019] Control terminal 100 is a control device that controls the lighting of first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20. Lighting control includes not only turning the lights on and off, but also control related to the lighting, such as dimming, color adjustment, and changing the lighting area (lighting range). In this embodiment, control terminal 100 controls the lighting based on operation input from a user. Control terminal 100 is connected to each of first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20 via a network so that they can communicate with each other. The communication is wireless or wired.

[0020] The control terminal 100 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, or may be an operation terminal fixed to a wall or the like, or a stationary computer device, or the like.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the control terminal 100 includes a UI (user interface) unit 101 , an acquisition unit 102 , and a control unit 103 .

[0022] The UI unit 101 is a component that displays an operation screen that can be operated by the user and accepts operation input from the user. In other words, the UI unit 101 is an example of a display unit and an example of an operation reception unit. Specifically, the UI unit 101 is a touch panel display that both accepts and displays operation input. Alternatively, the UI unit 101 may include a display dedicated to display (another example of a display unit) and input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, and microphone (another example of an operation reception unit).

[0023] The acquisition unit 102 receives and acquires position information indicating a partial area within the illumination space. The acquisition unit 102 may acquire a plurality of pieces of position information for the partial area within the illumination space. In this case, the plurality of pieces of position information may be represented as two-dimensional areas or three-dimensional areas. The acquisition unit 102 may further acquire at least one target value of the brightness of the partial area, and the size, shape, and color of the illumination area that illuminates the partial area.

[0024] Brightness is represented by, for example, illuminance. Alternatively, brightness may be represented by luminous intensity. Color is represented by, for example, color temperature. Alternatively, color may be represented by color information such as RGB.

[0025] The acquisition unit 102 acquires position information indicating the position (partial area) selected by the user based on the selection operation received by the UI unit 101 .

[0026] Control unit 103 controls UI unit 101, acquisition unit 102, and first and second lighting devices 10 and 20. Specifically, control unit 103 causes at least some of a plurality of light-emitting elements 12 (described later) included in each of first and second lighting devices 10 and 20 to emit light based on the received selection operation, thereby irradiating light onto a portion corresponding to the partial area. Control unit 103 may also cause at least some of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 to emit light based on a target value acquired by acquisition unit 102. A specific control method of control unit 103 will be described later.

[0027] The acquisition unit 102 and the control unit 103 are each realized, for example, by an LSI (Large Scale Integration), which is an integrated circuit (IC). The integrated circuit is not limited to an LSI and may be a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. For example, the acquisition unit 102 and the control unit 103 may be one or more microcontrollers. The microcontroller includes, for example, a non-volatile memory in which a program is stored, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, input / output ports, a processor that executes the program, and the like. The acquisition unit 102 and the control unit 103 may also be a programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a reconfigurable processor that allows connection and configuration of circuit cells within the LSI. The functions performed by the acquisition unit 102 and the control unit 103 may be realized by software or hardware.

[0028] The first lighting fixture 10 and the second lighting fixture 20 each have a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in an array. Here, the specific configuration of the first lighting fixture 10 will be described as an example, but the same applies to the second lighting fixture 20.

[0029] The first lighting device 10 has a lighting circuit 11 and an array light source 13 including a plurality of light-emitting elements 12 arranged in an array (two-dimensionally).

[0030] The lighting circuit 11 controls the light emission of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12. The lighting circuit 11 turns on and off, dims, and adjusts the color of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 based on control commands transmitted from the control unit 103. The lighting circuit 11 is realized, for example, by an ASIC. The lighting circuit 11 supplies a PWM-modulated current to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12. By adjusting the pulse width of the current supplied to each light-emitting element 12, the light emission intensity of each light-emitting element 12 can be changed, thereby achieving a dimming function. The dimming method is not particularly limited, and may be an amplitude modulation method, a phase modulation method, or the like.

[0031] Each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 is a μLED. A μLED is a minute LED with a maximum width of less than 100 μm. The light-emitting elements 12 may be miniLEDs, laser light-emitting elements, or organic EL elements. A miniLED is an LED with a maximum width of 100 μm or more and 200 μm or less. The plurality of light-emitting elements 12 may also be LEDs with a maximum width of more than 200 μm.

[0032] Light-emitting element 12 emits light in response to a current supplied from lighting circuit 11. Light-emitting element 12 includes, for example, a blue LED and a yellow phosphor disposed on the light-emitting side of the blue LED. The yellow phosphor is excited by a portion of the blue light emitted by the blue LED, causing it to emit yellow light. Light-emitting element 12 emits white light as a mixture of the blue light and the yellow light.

[0033] The plurality of light-emitting elements 12 are mounted on a substrate. The substrate is a rigid substrate, but may also be a flexible substrate. The substrate is provided with pattern wiring for electrically connecting each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 to the lighting circuit 11.

[0034] The plurality of light-emitting elements 12 are arranged in a 256 x 256 array within a planar region of a predetermined size on the substrate. The planar region in which the light-emitting elements 12 are arranged is, for example, a rectangular region of 3 mm x 3 mm. Note that the number of light-emitting elements 12 and the size of the region in which they are arranged are merely examples and are not particularly limited. By arranging the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 within a narrow region, it is possible to reduce the size of the projection lens (not shown) or improve the light capture efficiency.

[0035] The array light source 13 also has a dimming function and a color adjustment function. For example, each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 can change its light-emitting intensity according to the amount of current supplied from the lighting circuit 11. For example, the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 may include a plurality of types of light-emitting elements that emit white light with different color temperatures. By adjusting the light-emitting intensities of the plurality of types of light-emitting elements, the array light source 13 can emit white light with a desired color temperature.

[0036] The plurality of light-emitting elements 12 may include a red LED that emits red light, a green LED that emits green light, and a blue LED that emits blue light, thereby enabling the array light source 13 to emit colored light other than white light.

[0037] [Control Method] Next, a description will be given of a control method for lighting system 1. In this control method, a third area formed by combining a first area to which first lighting device 10 emits light and a second area to which second lighting device 20 emits light is registered in advance in control terminal 100 as an area to be operated.

[0038] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a first area 10A of a first lighting device 10 and an example of a second area 20A of a second lighting device 20 according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a third area 30A formed by combining the first area 10A and the second area 20A of Fig. 2 .

[0039] As shown in Fig. 2, the first area 10A and the second area 20A are arranged in different ranges in the lighting space. The first area 10A and the second area 20A may partially overlap, be adjacent to each other, or be separated from each other. As shown in Fig. 3, the third area 30A controls the first area 10A and the second area 20A. In the control method for lighting system 1, the first lighting device 10 and the second lighting device 20 are controlled collectively by using the same coordinates for the first area 10A and the second area 20A.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, in step S1, the control unit 103 recognizes lighting fixtures to be integrated. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a first operation screen G1 displayed on the UI unit 101 according to an embodiment. In the following description, each component included in each screen is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) object that can be operated by the user. Examples of operations performed by the user on GUI objects include touch operations, long press operations, drag operations, and pinch-in / pinch-out operations.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5 , in step S1, control unit 103 recognizes the lighting fixtures to be integrated. Specifically, control unit 103 controls UI unit 101 to display first operation screen G1. Four buttons B1 (light a, light b, light c, and light d) representing four lighting fixtures are displayed on first operation screen G1. By touching or otherwise operating the buttons B1, the user can select the lighting fixtures to be integrated. The user selects the lighting fixtures to be integrated by touching or otherwise operating the buttons B1 on UI unit 101. For example, in FIG. 5 , "light a" corresponds to first lighting fixture 10, and "light b" corresponds to second lighting fixture 20. Accordingly, control unit 103 recognizes that first area 10A of first lighting fixture 10 and second area 20A of second lighting fixture 20 are to be integrated.

[0042] In step S2, the control unit 103 recognizes the layout of the first area 10A and the first area 10A. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a second operation screen G2 displayed on the UI unit 101 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in step S2, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display the second operation screen G2. The second operation screen G2 displays a first layout 25, a second layout 26, and a free layout 27. The first layout 25 is a layout in which the first area 10A and the first area 10A are arranged vertically. The second layout 26 is a layout in which the first area 10A and the first area 10A are arranged horizontally. The free layout 27 is a layout in which the user can arbitrarily input the layout of the first area 10A and the first area 10A. The user selects one of the first layout 25, the second layout 26, and the free layout 27 (the first layout 25 in this embodiment) by touching the UI unit 101, for example. Accordingly, the control unit 103 recognizes that the first area 10A and the second area 20A are arranged in the first layout 25. Note that in the layout display in the free layout 27, it may be possible to try out enlargement, reduction, sliding movement, rotational movement, deformation, and the like, which will be described in step S3 below.

[0043] In step S3, the control unit 103 performs fine adjustments to the layout of the first area 10A and the second area 20A. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing a third operation screen G3 displayed on the UI unit 101 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7A , in step S3, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display the third operation screen G3. The third operation screen G3 displays a frame line L10 indicating the outline of the first area 10A and a frame line L20 indicating the outline of the second area 20A. Each of the frame lines L10 and L20 can be enlarged, reduced, slid, rotated, transformed, and the like by touching or the like.

[0044] At this time, the control unit 103 controls the first lighting fixture 10 and the second lighting fixture 20 to turn on all of the light-emitting elements 12 provided in each of the first lighting fixture 10 and the second lighting fixture 20. Alternatively, instead of turning on all of the light-emitting elements 12, only a number of light-emitting elements 12 sufficient to emit light beams of a visible width corresponding to each of the frame lines L10 and L20 are turned on. In other words, the first area 10A and the second area 20A are illuminated so that at least the boundary between them is visible. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the first area 10A and the second area 20A according to the embodiment are entirely illuminated. In FIG. 7B, the unilluminated outer portions are indicated by dot hatching. A first frame line 10B and a second frame line 20B representing the outline of the first area 10A and the second area 20A are also projected onto the first area 10A and the second area 20A, respectively. The three horizontally long recesses on the wall illuminated by the first area 10A and the second area 20A in FIG. 7B are illustrated as examples of bookshelves or product display areas on the wall of a store.

[0045] The user touches or otherwise operates each of the frame lines L10, L20 in the third operation screen G3 while viewing the actually illuminated first area 10A and second area 20A. This fine-tunes the shape, size, and positional relationship of each of the frame lines L10, L20 to match the actual shape, size, and positional relationship of the first area 10A and second area 20A. Accordingly, the control unit 103 recognizes the shape, size, and positional relationship of the first area 10A and second area 20A after fine-tuning.

[0046] In step S4, control unit 103 corrects the relative distortion between first area 10A and second area 20A. Fig. 8A is an explanatory diagram showing a fourth operation screen G4 displayed on UI unit 101 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8A, in step S4, control unit 103 controls UI unit 101 to display fourth operation screen G4. In fourth operation screen G4, a first zoom-out button B11 and a first zoom-in button B12 are arranged within frame line L10, and a second zoom-in button B21 and a second zoom-in button B22 are arranged within frame line L20.

[0047] At this time, control unit 103 controls first lighting device 10 and second lighting device 20 to project first frame lines 10B and second frame lines 20B as well as first squares 10C and second squares 20C onto first area 10A and second area 20A. Fig. 8B is a schematic diagram showing a state in which first area 10A and second area 20A according to the embodiment are illuminated and first frame lines 10B and second frame lines 20B and first squares 10C and second squares 20C are projected.

[0048] For example, when first reduce button B11 is touched or otherwise operated, control unit 103 controls first lighting device 10 so that the spacing between first squares 10C decreases while maintaining the size of first area 10A. On the other hand, when first expand button B12 is touched or otherwise operated, control unit 103 controls first lighting device 10 so that the spacing between first squares 10C increases while maintaining the size of first area 10A.

[0049] Similarly, when second reduction button B21 is touched or otherwise operated, control unit 103 controls second lighting device 20 to narrow the spacing between second squares 20C while maintaining the size of second area 20A. On the other hand, when second expansion button B22 is touched or otherwise operated, control unit 103 controls second lighting device 20 to widen the spacing between second squares 20C while maintaining the size of second area 20A. For example, with a single touch operation, the spacing between first squares 10C or second squares 20C is reduced or expanded by a predetermined amount (e.g., about several percent of the reference spacing). In other words, the more times the touch operation is performed, the greater the reduction or expansion amount.

[0050] The user touches the first reduction button B11, the first enlargement button B12, the second reduction button B21, and the second enlargement button B22 while visually viewing the projected first frame line 10B and second frame line 20B and the first and second squares 10C and 20C. This allows the user to correct the spacing between the first squares 10C and the second squares 20C so that they are equal. The reduction or enlargement amount of the first squares 10C from before the correction to after the correction is a first correction value. Similarly, the reduction or enlargement amount of the second squares 20C from before the correction to after the correction is a second correction value. In other words, the first reduction button B11 and the first enlargement button B12 are examples of a first correction unit into which a first correction value is input, and the second reduction button B21 and the second enlargement button B22 are examples of a second correction unit into which a second correction value is input.

[0051] In step S5, the control unit 103 combines the first area 10A and the second area 20A to create the third area 30A. Specifically, the control unit 103 creates the shape, size, and positional relationship of the third area 30A based on the shape, size, and positional relationship of the first area 10A and the second area 20A after fine-tuning. The control unit 103 then converts the coordinates of the first area 10A and the coordinates of the second area 20A based on the coordinates of the third area 30A to make them consistent. Based on the conversion result, the control unit 103 calculates the coordinates in the third area 30A corresponding to each light-emitting element 12 of the first lighting device 10 and the second lighting device 20, and associates them. When performing this association, the control unit 103 also reflects the first correction value and the second correction value to correct the relative distortion between the first area 10A and the second area 20A.

[0052] In step S6, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display the operated area 50A having a shape corresponding to the third area 30A (display step). Specifically, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display the fourth operation screen G4.

[0053] 9A is an explanatory diagram showing a fifth operation screen G5 displayed on the UI unit 101 according to the embodiment. On the fifth operation screen G5, an operated area 50A and an adjustment area 55A are displayed.

[0054] The outline of operated area 50A corresponds to the outline of third area 30A created in step S5. Operated area 50A is defined in a two-dimensional coordinate system. Two-dimensional coordinates within operated area 50A correspond to positions in third area 30A. In FIG. 9A , the area of ​​operated area 50A corresponding to first area 10A (first lighting device 10) and the area corresponding to second area 20A (second lighting device 20) are separated by a two-dot chain line. This two-dot chain line may or may not actually be displayed.

[0055] In step S7, the control unit 103 performs illumination corresponding to the operation on the operated area 50A. Specifically, when the user performs a touch operation or the like on a predetermined position on the operated area 50A, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display an instruction illumination range H1 at that predetermined position. The shape, size, etc. of the instruction illumination range H1 may be determined, for example, by a touch operation, a long press operation, a drag operation, a pinch-in / pinch-out operation, etc. on the operated area 50A. The shape of the instruction illumination range H1 may be, for example, a circle, a polygon, a free-form curve, a character, a symbol, etc.

[0056] As the instructed illumination range H1 is displayed, the acquisition unit 102 acquires position information within the instructed illumination range H1. The control unit 103 determines the coordinates of the third area 30A that correspond to the position information within the instructed illumination range H1. The control unit 103 selects only the light-emitting elements 12 that correspond to the coordinates of the third area 30A from among the light-emitting elements 12 of the first lighting device 10 and the light-emitting elements 12 of the second lighting device 20, and causes them to emit light. As a result, light is irradiated onto the portion of the third area 30A that corresponds to the instructed illumination range H1 (control step).

[0057] 9B is a schematic diagram illustrating a case where a part of the third area 30A according to the embodiment is illuminated. In the operated area 50A in FIG. 9A, three horizontally long designated illumination ranges H1 are arranged vertically. In FIG. 9B, three actual illumination ranges H2 are illuminated to correspond to the three designated illumination ranges H1.

[0058] The adjustment area 55A is an area for adjusting the instructed illumination range H1. The adjustment area 55A includes a brightness adjustment object 551, a first shape adjustment object 552, a size adjustment object 553, and a second shape adjustment object 554.

[0059] The brightness adjustment object 551 is a GUI object for adjusting the brightness of the designated illumination range H1 and the actual illumination range H2. The brightness adjustment object 551 is a slider, but is not limited to this. The brightness adjustment object 551 may also be a text box, a radio button, a drop-down list, or the like.

[0060] The first shape adjustment object 552 is a GUI object for adjusting the longitudinal direction of the designated illumination range H1 and the actual illumination range H2. The first shape adjustment object 552 is a slider, but is not limited to this. The first shape adjustment object 552 may also be a text box, a radio button, a drop-down list, or the like.

[0061] The size adjustment object 553 is a GUI object for adjusting the sizes of the designated illumination range H1 and the actual illumination range H2. The size adjustment object 553 is a slider, but is not limited to this. The size adjustment object 553 may also be a text box, a radio button, a drop-down list, or the like.

[0062] The second shape adjustment object 554 is a GUI object for adjusting the shapes of the designated illumination range H1 and the actual illumination range H2 between a circle and a square. The second shape adjustment object 554 is a slider, but is not limited to this. The second shape adjustment object 554 may also be a text box, a radio button, a drop-down list, or the like.

[0063] When the user activates the instructed illumination range H1 by performing a touch operation or the like, the range switches to a state where it is possible to operate the brightness adjustment object 551, the first shape adjustment object 552, the size adjustment object 553, and the second shape adjustment object 554. When the user again performs a touch operation or the like on the instructed illumination range H1 in the active state, the range switches to a state where it is impossible to operate the brightness adjustment object 551, the first shape adjustment object 552, the size adjustment object 553, and the second shape adjustment object 554.

[0064] While visually checking the actual illumination range H2, the user can adjust the actual illumination range H2 to any brightness, shape, or position by directly deforming and moving the instructed illumination range H1 in the operated area 50A or by touching each object in the adjustment area 55A. Thus, the operations up to setting the instructed illumination range H1 are an example of a selection operation for selecting a partial area of ​​the operated area 50A. This selection operation is accepted by the UI unit 101 (acceptance step). In this embodiment, the acceptance step and the control step are included in step S7.

[0065] Note that if the user touches designated illumination range H1 to activate it and then touches the trash can icon, control unit 103 controls UI unit 101 to erase designated illumination range H1. In response to this, control unit 103 controls first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20 to turn off light-emitting elements 12 corresponding to designated illumination range H1. Furthermore, the processes from step S1 to step S5 may be performed only once after first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20 are installed. The items set in this process are reflected in subsequent control methods.

[0066] [Modifications] Next, modifications of the embodiment will be described. In the following description, parts equivalent to those in the above embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof may be omitted.

[0067] (Modification 1) In Modification 1, a case will be described in which the operated area 50A is further divided. The division process is executed after step S5.

[0068] In the division process, the control unit 103 first recognizes the number of divisions of the operated area 50A. Specifically, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display a sixth operation screen G6. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth operation screen G6 displayed on the UI unit 101 according to Variation 1. On the sixth operation screen G6, buttons B31 to B35 indicating the number of divisions are displayed. The user selects one of the buttons B31 to B35 by touching the UI unit 101 (in this embodiment, button B32 (number of divisions = 2)). This causes the control unit 103 to recognize the number of divisions of the operated area 50A. In the following description, each divided unit of the operated area 50A may also be referred to as a "canvas." When button B35 is selected, a separate text box is displayed, and the user inputs the number of divisions into that text box. In this manner, buttons B31 to B35 are an example of a division unit into which a division instruction to divide the operated area 50A into multiple parts is input. The dividing section may also be a text box, a drop-down list, or the like.

[0069] Next, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display the sixth operation screen G6. Fig. 11A is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth operation screen G6 displayed on the UI unit 101 according to the first modification.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 11A , the sixth operation screen G6 pre-displays the operated area 50A. The sixth operation screen G6 also displays a line L15 indicating the boundary between the first area 10A and the second area 20A. The sixth operation screen G6 also displays a first dividing frame line L31 that overlaps the operated area 50A. The first dividing frame line L31 is a frame line for setting the first canvas 31A. By performing a touch operation or the like, the first dividing frame line L31 can be used to enlarge, reduce, slide, rotate, transform, and the like within the operated area 50A.

[0071] At this time, the control unit 103 controls the first lighting fixture 10 and the second lighting fixture 20 to turn on only the light-emitting elements 12 that correspond to the first dividing frame line L31 among the light-emitting elements 12 of the first lighting fixture 10 and the second lighting fixture 20. This is illuminated in the lighting space as the first canvas 31A.

[0072] 11B is a schematic diagram showing an illumination state of the third area 30A according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. 11B, a portion of the third area 30A corresponding to the first canvas 31A is illuminated. In addition, the outline of the third area 30A and the canvas 31A, a line L15, may be projected.

[0073] While viewing the illuminated canvas 31A, the user can adjust the canvas 31A to any size, shape, and position by touching the first dividing frame line L31 in the sixth operation screen G6. In Fig. 11B, the canvas 31A is adjusted to fit on the wall surface.

[0074] Next, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display the seventh operation screen G7. Fig. 12A is an explanatory diagram showing the seventh operation screen G7 displayed on the UI unit 101 according to the first modification.

[0075] 12A , the seventh operation screen G7 pre-displays the operated area 50A and a first dividing frame line L31. The seventh operation screen G7 also displays a line L15 indicating the boundary between the first area 10A and the second area 20A. The word "Set" is displayed within the first dividing frame line L31 of the seventh operation screen G7, and a second dividing frame line L32 is displayed outside the first dividing frame line L31 and overlaps the operated area 50A.

[0076] The second dividing frame line L32 is a frame line for setting the second canvas. The second dividing frame line L32 is set so that it cannot enter the first dividing frame line L31. By performing a touch operation or the like, the second dividing frame line L32 can be enlarged, reduced, slid, rotated, transformed, etc. outside the first dividing frame line L31 within the operated area 50A.

[0077] At this time, the control unit 103 controls the first lighting fixture 10 and the second lighting fixture 20 to turn on only the light-emitting elements 12 that correspond to the second dividing frame line L32 among the light-emitting elements 12 of the first lighting fixture 10 and the second lighting fixture 20. This is illuminated in the lighting space as the second canvas 32A.

[0078] 12B is a schematic diagram showing an illumination state of the third area 30A according to Modification Example 1. As shown in FIG. 12B, a portion of the third area 30A corresponding to the second canvas 32A is illuminated. In addition, the outlines of the third area 30A and the canvases 31A and 32A, namely, the line L15, may be projected.

[0079] While viewing the illuminated canvas 32A, the user can adjust the canvas 32A to any size, shape, and position by touching the second dividing frame line L32 in the seventh operation screen G7. In Fig. 11B, the canvas 32A is adjusted to fit on the tabletop.

[0080] Next, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display a first operated area 51A having a shape corresponding to the canvas 31A and a second operated area (not shown) having a shape corresponding to the canvas 32A. Specifically, the control unit 103 controls the UI unit 101 to display an eighth operation screen G8.

[0081] 13A is an explanatory diagram showing an eighth operation screen G8 displayed on the UI unit 101 according to an embodiment. The eighth operation screen G8 displays a first operated area 51A and an adjustment area 55A. The first operated area 51A and the second operated area can be switched using tabs. In FIG. 13A, the first operated area 51A corresponds to a wall tab, and the second operated area corresponds to a table tab.

[0082] The outline of the first operated area 51A corresponds to the outline of the canvas 31A. The first operated area 51A is defined in a two-dimensional coordinate system. Two-dimensional coordinates within the first operated area 51A correspond to positions on the canvas 31A.

[0083] Although not shown in the figure, when the tab is switched, the outline of the second operated area corresponds to the outline of the canvas 32A. The second operated area is defined in a two-dimensional coordinate system. Two-dimensional coordinates within the second operated area correspond to positions on the canvas 32A. In this way, the first operated area 51A and the second operated area are examples of areas divided based on a division instruction.

[0084] Next, control unit 103 performs illumination corresponding to the operation on first operation area 51A and second operation area 51A. For example, when the user performs a touch operation or the like on a predetermined position in first operation area 51A, control unit 103 controls UI unit 101 to display designated illumination range H1 at that predetermined position. Accordingly, acquisition unit 102 acquires position information within designated illumination range H1. Control unit 103 calculates coordinates of canvas 31A corresponding to the position information within designated illumination range H1. Control unit 103 extracts only the light-emitting elements 12 corresponding to the coordinates on canvas 31A from among the light-emitting elements 12 of first lighting device 10 and the light-emitting elements 12 of second lighting device 20, and causes them to emit light. As a result, light is irradiated onto the portion of canvas 31A corresponding to designated illumination range H1. Here, a case where a touch operation or the like is not performed on only first operation area 51A is illustrated, but the same applies to the second operation area.

[0085] Fig. 13B is a schematic diagram showing a case where a part of the third area 30A according to Modification Example 1 is illuminated. In the first operated region 51A in Fig. 13A, three horizontally long designated illumination ranges H1 are arranged vertically, but in Fig. 13B, three actual illumination ranges H2 are illuminated to correspond to the three designated illumination ranges H1.

[0086] In this way, since a selection operation is accepted for each of the first operated area 51A and the second operated area, the actual illumination range H2 of each of the canvases 31A and 32A can be easily set.

[0087] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, when correcting the relative distortion between the first area 10A and the second area 20A, the first frame lines 10B and the second frame lines 20B as well as the first squares 10C and the second squares 20C are projected onto the first area 10A and the second area 20A. However, any projection configuration may be used as long as the relative distortion between the first area 10A and the second area 20A can be corrected. FIGS. 14A to 14C are explanatory diagrams showing other projection configurations according to Variation 2. FIG. 14A shows a projection configuration in which some lines of the squares are displayed as auxiliary lines thinner than the other lines. FIG. 14B shows a projection configuration in which scales are added to the frame lines. FIG. 14C shows a projection configuration in which dots are added to key parts. The dashed lines in FIG. 14C may or may not be projected.

[0088] [Summary] As described above, lighting system 1 according to the first aspect of the present invention includes, for example, first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20 having a plurality of light-emitting elements 12 arranged in an array, and control terminal 100. Control terminal 100 includes: a display unit (UI unit 101) that displays operated area 50A having a shape corresponding to third area 30A that combines first area 10A to which first lighting fixture 10 emits light and second area 20A to which second lighting fixture 20 emits light; an operation reception unit (UI unit 101) that receives a selection operation to select a portion of operated area 50A; and control unit 103 that, based on the received selection operation, causes at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 included in each of first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20 to emit light, thereby irradiating the portion of third area 30A that corresponds to the portion.

[0089] This allows the user to operate operated area 50A, which has a shape corresponding to third area 30A that combines first area 10A and second area 20A, and allows control unit 103 to collectively control first lighting device 10 and second lighting device 20. In other words, the user can, with a simple operation, illuminate any part of third area 30A with first lighting device 10 and second lighting device 20. This improves user convenience.

[0090] A lighting system according to a second aspect of the present invention is the lighting system according to the first aspect, wherein the operation reception unit (UI unit 101) includes a first correction unit (first reduction button B11 and first enlargement button B12) to which a first correction value for the first area 10A is input, and a second correction unit (second reduction button B21 and second enlargement button B22) to which a second correction value for the second area 20A is input. The control unit 103 corrects the relative distortion of the first area 10A and the second area 20A based on the first correction value and the second correction value.

[0091] In this way, the user inputs the first correction value and the second correction value from the first correction unit and the second correction unit, thereby correcting the relative distortion between the first area 10A and the second area 20A, so that the operation on the operated region 50A can be more accurately reflected in the third area 30A.

[0092] A lighting system according to a third aspect of the present invention is the lighting system according to the first or second aspect, and the operation receiving unit (UI unit 101) has a division unit (buttons B31 to B35) into which a division instruction to divide the operated area 50A into multiple areas is input, and receives a selection operation for each of the divided areas (first operated area 51A, second operated area) based on the division instruction.

[0093] According to this, a selection operation can be accepted for each divided area based on a division instruction, which can further improve user convenience.

[0094] A control method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a computer-executed method for controlling first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20. First lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20 each have a plurality of light-emitting elements 12 arranged in an array. The control method includes: a display step of displaying an operated area 50A having a shape corresponding to a third area 30A that combines first area 10A to which first lighting fixture 10 emits light and second area 20A to which second lighting fixture 20 emits light; a receiving step of receiving a selection operation to select a portion of operated area 50A; and an illumination step of illuminating a portion of third area 30A corresponding to the portion of third area 30A by causing at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements 12 included in each of first lighting fixture 10 and second lighting fixture 20 to emit light based on the received selection operation.

[0095] This allows the user to operate operated area 50A, which has a shape corresponding to third area 30A that combines first area 10A and second area 20A, and allows control unit 103 to collectively control first lighting device 10 and second lighting device 20. In other words, the user can, with a simple operation, illuminate any part of third area 30A with first lighting device 10 and second lighting device 20. This improves user convenience.

[0096] A program according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute the control method according to the fourth aspect.

[0097] This can improve user convenience in the same way as the above control method.

[0098] (Others) Although the lighting system, control method, etc. according to the present invention have been described based on the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0099] For example, in the above embodiment, the first reduction button B11 and the first enlargement button B12 are exemplified as the first correction unit into which the first correction value is input, and the second reduction button B21 and the second enlargement button B22 are exemplified as the second correction unit into which the second correction value is input. However, the first correction value and the second correction value may be acquired automatically. Specifically, a camera provided in the control terminal captures images of the first frame line 10B and the second frame line 20B and the first square 10C and the second square 20C shown in FIG. 8 . Based on the captured image, the control unit 103 calculates and acquires the first correction value and the second correction value such that the spacing between the first square 10C and the second square 20C are equal. In this case, the camera and the control unit 103 are the first correction unit and the second correction unit. In this way, the first correction unit and the second correction unit may be configured separately from the UI unit 103, which is the operation reception unit.

[0100] The wireless communication between control terminal 100 and first and second lighting fixtures 10 and 20 may be short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or a wireless local area network (LAN). Alternatively, the wireless communication method (communication standard) may be communication via a wide area network such as the Internet. Furthermore, wired communication may be performed between control terminal 100 and first and second lighting fixtures 10 and 20 instead of or in addition to wireless communication. Specifically, the wired communication may be communication using power line communication (PLC) or a wired LAN.

[0101] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. The order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be performed in parallel. The allocation of the components included in the lighting system 1 to multiple devices is one example. For example, a component included in one device may be included in another device.

[0102] For example, the processing described in the above embodiments may be realized by centralized processing using a single device (system), or may be realized by distributed processing using multiple devices. Furthermore, the processor that executes the program may be a single processor or multiple processors. That is, centralized processing or distributed processing may be performed.

[0103] In the above-described embodiments, all or some of the components such as the control unit may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a semiconductor memory.

[0104] Furthermore, the components such as the control unit may be configured with one or more electronic circuits, each of which may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0105] The one or more electronic circuits may include, for example, a semiconductor device, an IC, or an LSI. The IC or LSI may be integrated on a single chip or on multiple chips. Although the IC or LSI is referred to here as an IC or LSI, the name may vary depending on the degree of integration, and may be called a system LSI, a VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or an ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Also, an FPGA that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured can be used for the same purpose.

[0106] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, or a computer program. Alternatively, the present invention may be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as an optical disk, a HDD, or a semiconductor memory on which the computer program is stored. Alternatively, the present invention may be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0107] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art would think of, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of the present invention.

[0108] 1 Lighting system 10 First lighting device 10A First area 12 Light-emitting element 13 Array light source 20 Second lighting device 20A Second area 30A Third area 50A Operated area 51A First operated area 100 Control terminal 101 UI unit (display unit, operation reception unit) 103 Control unit B11 First reduction button (first correction unit) B12 First enlargement button (first correction unit) B21 Second reduction button (second correction unit) B22 Second enlargement button (second correction unit) B31, B32, B33, B34, B35 Button (division unit) H1 Indicated illumination range H2 Actual illumination range

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising: a first lighting fixture and a second lighting fixture having a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in an array; and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal comprises: a display unit that displays an operated area having a shape corresponding to a third area which is a combination of a first area to which the first lighting fixture irradiates light and a second area to which the second lighting fixture irradiates light; an operation receiving unit that receives a selection operation to select a portion of the operated area; and a control unit that, based on the received selection operation, causes at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements of each of the first lighting fixture and the second lighting fixture to emit light, thereby irradiating light onto a portion of the third area which corresponds to the portion of the third area.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the operation receiving unit includes a first correction unit to which a first correction value for the first area is input, and a second correction unit to which a second correction value for the second area is input, and the control unit corrects the relative distortion of the first area and the second area based on the first correction value and the second correction value.

3. A lighting system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the operation receiving unit includes a division unit to which a division instruction to divide the operated area into multiple areas is input, and the selection operation is received for each area divided based on the division instruction.

4. A control method for a first lighting device and a second lighting device executed by a computer, wherein each of the first lighting device and the second lighting device has a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in an array, the control method including: a display step of displaying an operated area having a shape corresponding to a third area which is a combination of a first area to which the first lighting device irradiates light and a second area to which the second lighting device irradiates light; a reception step of receiving a selection operation for selecting a portion of the operated area; and an illumination step of irradiating light onto a portion of the third area which corresponds to the portion of the third area by causing at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements of each of the first lighting device and the second lighting device to emit light based on the received selection operation.

5. A program for causing the computer to execute the control method according to claim 4.

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