Device, terminal device, illumination system, control method, illumination control system, illumination control method, and program

Abstract

This device is provided with: an input unit into which an instruction is input, the instruction being for controlling a light pattern illuminated onto an illumination target by causing one or more light sources to emit one or more spotlights; and an illumination control unit that, by selectively controlling each of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the instruction inputted into the input unit, outputs an instruction for controlling the illumination light pattern projected on the illumination target by the one or more spotlights.

Description

Apparatus, terminal device, lighting system, control method, lighting control system, lighting control method, and program

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

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a lighting system including a plurality of lighting fixtures arranged in a lighting area and a terminal device. The terminal device includes an acquisition unit that acquires drawing data, which is image data showing the arrangement of the plurality of lighting fixtures in the lighting area, and an assignment unit that assigns at least one of an identifier and specifications of each of the plurality of lighting fixtures in the acquired drawing data.

[0003] JP 2017-162700 A

[0004] There is a demand for terminal devices that are easier for users to operate than conventional technologies.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a device or the like that allows a user to easily operate a terminal device.

[0006] An apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an input unit to which instructions are input for controlling the light pattern irradiated onto an object to be illuminated by one or more spot illumination lights by causing one or more light sources to emit one or more spot illumination lights, and an illumination control unit that outputs the instructions for controlling the illumination light pattern projected onto the object to be illuminated by the one or more spot illumination lights by selectively controlling each of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the instructions input to the input unit.

[0007] A terminal device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an input unit to which the instructions for controlling a plurality of light sources capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights toward an object to be irradiated are input, an illumination control unit that outputs the instructions for controlling an illumination light pattern projected onto the object to be irradiated by one or more spot illumination lights by selectively controlling each of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the instructions input to the input unit, a display unit that displays an illumination object image showing the object to be irradiated, and a display control unit that controls the display unit to display an illumination image showing the illumination light pattern that illuminates the object to be irradiated in accordance with the instructions, superimposed on the image of the object to be irradiated.

[0008] An illumination system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a terminal device and a plurality of light sources capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights onto the illumination object.

[0009] A control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes inputting an instruction to an input unit to control a plurality of light sources capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights toward an irradiation object; an illumination control unit selectively controlling each of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the instruction input to the input unit to control an illumination light pattern projected onto the irradiation object by the one or more spot illumination lights; a display unit displaying an illumination object image showing the irradiation object; and a display control unit controlling the display unit to display an illumination image showing the illumination light pattern illuminating the irradiation object in accordance with the instruction superimposed on the irradiation object image.

[0010] In a lighting control system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus is included in the lighting control system and includes a lighting control unit that controls the illumination pattern of one or more light objects illuminated by one or more light sources onto an illumination target, and an authority setting unit that sets operation authority for controlling the illumination pattern of the one or more light objects to one terminal device that is capable of inputting operations that become the instructions for controlling the lighting control unit.

[0011] A lighting control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a lighting control unit controlling the illumination patterns of one or more light objects illuminated by one or more light sources onto an illumination target, a terminal device receiving operation input for controlling the lighting control unit, and an authority setting unit setting operation authority for controlling the illumination patterns of the one or more light objects for one terminal device that is capable of inputting operation input that serves as the instruction for controlling the lighting control unit.

[0012] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute a control method.

[0013] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program that enables a computer to execute a lighting control method.

[0014] According to the device etc. of the present disclosure, it becomes easier for the user to operate the terminal device.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration including a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a lighting device in the lighting system according to an embodiment, and an illumination light pattern of spot illumination light emitted from the lighting device onto an illumination object. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating a combination of a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional array and an illumination image superimposed on an illumination object image. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a user's operating tool for operating a terminal device and a device selection screen displayed on a display unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another device selection screen. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an illumination range selection screen. FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating a device selection screen displayed on a display unit. FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating an illumination range selection screen displayed on a display unit. FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating a device selection screen in which the illumination range has been moved. FIG. 7D is a diagram illustrating a device image on the device selection screen displayed on a display unit. FIG. 7E is a diagram illustrating a setting screen for setting a device image on the device selection screen displayed on a display unit. FIG. 7F is a diagram illustrating a state in which a device image on the device selection screen displayed on a display unit is duplicated. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating an illumination light pattern of spot illumination light emitted onto an illumination object by a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 8B is another diagram showing an illumination light pattern of spot illumination light emitted to an illumination object by a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a grouping button displayed when setting grouping on a device selection screen. FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a device selection screen when setting grouping. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation example 3 of a terminal device according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is another diagram showing an illumination light pattern of spot illumination light emitted to an illumination object by a lighting device of a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of a lighting control system according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including a lighting control system according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which a first user sets an illumination pattern of a light object to be irradiated to an illumination area using a first terminal device, and a second user sets an illumination pattern of a light object to be irradiated to an illumination area using a second terminal device, a first range and virtual objects displayed on the first terminal device, and a second range and virtual objects displayed on the second terminal device.Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the lighting control system when obtaining the operation authority of the light object. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the lighting control system when a user sets an irradiation pattern of the light object using a terminal device. Fig. 17 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which a first user sets an irradiation pattern of the light object to be irradiated on an irradiation range using a first terminal device, and a first range and a virtual object displayed on the first terminal device.

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangements and connection forms, steps, step sequences, 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 not recited in the independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0017] 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.

[0018] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements, terms indicating the shape of elements, 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.

[0019] First Embodiment <Configuration and Functions> First, the configuration and functions of a lighting system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3B.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a lighting system 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including the lighting system 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3A is a diagram showing a lighting device 10 in the lighting system 100 according to embodiment 1 and an illumination light pattern of spot illumination light emitted from the lighting device 10 to an illumination object. Fig. 3B is a diagram showing a combination of a plurality of light-emitting elements 121 arranged in a two-dimensional array and an illumination image superimposed on an image of an illumination object. The illumination light pattern is an example of a light pattern.

[0021] 1 to 3A, a lighting system 100 is a system for controlling the lighting aspects of an illumination space. The illumination space is a space illuminated by one or more lighting devices 10, and is, for example, an indoor space such as a room in a building. A plurality of lighting devices 10 are fixed to the ceiling, walls, etc. of the illumination space.

[0022] The lighting system 100 includes a lighting device 10 and a terminal device 30. Fig. 1 and other figures illustrate a case where the lighting system 100 includes a plurality of lighting devices 10. In other words, the lighting system 100 may include one or more lighting devices 10.

[0023] 3A, the lighting device 10 can emit one or more spot illumination lights onto an object to be illuminated. Therefore, one lighting device 10 can emit multiple spot illumination lights to simultaneously project multiple illumination light patterns onto the object to be illuminated.

[0024] Here, the illumination object may be a wall, floor, ceiling, shelf, stand, or the like illuminated with spot illumination light, or may be a commodity or object of appreciation placed thereon.

[0025] The lighting device 10 is, for example, a spotlight, and is attached to a wiring fixture (for example, a wiring duct or a ceiling hook) provided on a ceiling or wall. The lighting device 10 is not limited to a spotlight, and may be, for example, a downlight or a ceiling light. The lighting device 10 may be an example of a light source.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3A, the lighting device 10 includes a housing 11, a light-emitting module 12, a drive unit 13, a heat sink 14, a lens barrel 15, and a lighting control system 2.

[0027] The housing 11 is a container that houses the light-emitting module 12, the drive unit 13, the heat sink 14, and the lens barrel 15. The housing 11 has a cylindrical first housing 111 that houses the light-emitting module 12 and the drive unit 13, and a rectangular parallelepiped second housing 112 that houses the lighting control system 2. The lighting control system 2 may be housed in the first housing 111. The housing 11 may also be formed as a single housing 11.

[0028] The light-emitting module 12 emits, for example, white light. The light-emitting module 12 is composed of a plurality of light-emitting elements 121 arranged in an array. Specifically, the light-emitting module 12 has a plurality of light-emitting elements 121 arranged in a two-dimensional matrix and a wavelength converter. The plurality of light-emitting elements 121 are regularly arranged in a matrix of M rows and N columns. Here, at least one of M and N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. M may be equal to N, or M may not be equal to N. The arrangement intervals of the light-emitting elements 121 in the row direction and the column direction may be the same or different. In the embodiment, the outer shape of the area in which the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 are arranged is rectangular, but may be another shape, such as circular. The light-emitting module 12 may be an example of a light source, and the light-emitting elements 121 may be an example of a light source.

[0029] Each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 is, for example, a blue light-emitting element that emits blue light. Note that green light-emitting elements that emit green light and / or red light-emitting elements that emit red light may also be used. In each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121, a yellow phosphor is disposed on the light-emitting side of the blue light-emitting element as an example of a wavelength converter. The blue light-emitting element is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Specifically, the blue light-emitting element is, for example, a minute LED with a size on the order of several hundred μm. The yellow phosphor is a phosphor that is excited by blue light and emits yellow light. Each light-emitting element 121 emits white light as a mixture of blue light and yellow light. The yellow phosphor is, for example, a YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet)-based phosphor, but is not limited to this.

[0030] The yellow phosphor may be provided so as to cover the plurality of blue light-emitting elements. For example, a yellow phosphor may be disposed so as to entirely cover the plurality of blue light-emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional matrix.

[0031] The driver 13 supplies a current for driving the light-emitting module 12. Specifically, the driver 13 supplies a current for driving each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 independently (i.e., individually) according to control information received from a controller 222 of the lighting control system 2 (described later). This allows the on / off, light-emitting intensity, light-emitting time, and other aspects of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 to be individually controlled. For example, by individually controlling the on / off of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121, it is possible to emit spot illumination light with different brightness levels for each region. Then, by irradiating an illumination object with the spot illumination light, an illumination light pattern corresponding to the brightness levels can be formed on the illumination object.

[0032] Here, the illumination light pattern is a light rendering pattern projected by spot illumination light projected onto an illumination object. The illumination light pattern is projected onto the illumination object, thereby rendering the illumination light pattern on the illumination object.

[0033] As described above, in the embodiment, the driving unit 13 drives each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 independently of one another, so there is no need to provide a liquid crystal device or a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) inside the housing 11 as in a general projector, which makes it easier to achieve a compact illumination device 10.

[0034] The driver 13 is realized by, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The driver 13 supplies a current modulated by pulse width modulation (PWM) to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121. The driver 13 adjusts the pulse width of the current supplied to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 to change the light emission intensity of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121, thereby achieving a dimming function. Note that the dimming method is not limited to PWM modulation, and may be another modulation method such as amplitude modulation or phase modulation.

[0035] In the embodiment, the driving unit 13 is mounted on a single substrate (not shown) together with the light-emitting module 12. The substrate is, for example, a rigid substrate, but may also be a flexible substrate. The substrate is provided with, for example, pattern wiring for supplying current from the driving unit 13 to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 121. Note that the substrate on which the driving unit 13 is mounted and the substrate on which the light-emitting module 12 is mounted may be separate.

[0036] The heat sink 14 is made of, for example, metal, and is provided integrally with the metal housing 11. A substrate on which the light-emitting module 12 and the drive unit 13 are mounted is fixed to one surface of the heat sink 14 directly or indirectly via an insulating member or the like. This thermally connects the heat sink 14 and the substrate, allowing heat generated by the light-emitting module 12 and the drive unit 13 to be dissipated via the heat sink 14. A fixing member such as an adhesive or screws is used to fix the heat sink 14 to the substrate.

[0037] Lens barrel 15 is an optical member including one or more lenses 151. In the embodiment, lens barrel 15 applies a predetermined optical effect to the light emitted from light-emitting module 12 and emits the light forward so that spot illumination light, which forms an illumination light pattern, forms an image on an illumination object located in front of the light-emitting module 12. Specifically, the light emitted by light-emitting element 121 passes through lens barrel 15 and becomes spot illumination light.

[0038] In the embodiment, the lens barrel 15 includes a barrel body and one or more lenses 151 fixed to the barrel body. Two lenses 151 are illustrated in FIG. 3A . The number, shape, outer diameter, and other factors of the lenses 151 included in the lens barrel 15 are determined as appropriate, for example, depending on the functionality required of the lens barrel 15. In the embodiment, the lens barrel 15 is movable in the forward and backward directions relative to the light-emitting module 12. This allows the position of the lens barrel 15 to be adjusted in accordance with the distance between the lighting device 10 and the illumination object illuminated by the spot illumination light, so that an illumination light pattern based on the spot illumination light is formed on the illumination object. In other words, in the embodiment, the lighting device 10 is capable of adjusting the focus of the illumination light pattern based on the spot illumination light.

[0039] The lighting control system 2 includes a first communication unit 21, a first processing unit 22, a first storage unit 23, and a power supply unit 24. It is sufficient that the lighting control system 2 includes at least the first processing unit 22, and it is not necessary that the lighting control system 2 includes the first communication unit 21, the first storage unit 23, and the power supply unit 24.

[0040] The first communication unit 21 communicates with the terminal device 30 via wired or wireless communication. In the present embodiment, the first communication unit 21 communicates wirelessly with the terminal device 30 via an access point AP. Specifically, when the first communication unit 21 communicates wirelessly with the terminal device 30, the first communication unit 21 may use short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The wireless communication method (communication standard) may be communication via a wide-area communication network such as the Internet. The communication between the first communication unit 21 and the terminal device 30 may be wired communication. The wired communication may be communication using power line communication (PLC) or a wired LAN, for example. The first communication unit 21 is realized by, for example, an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes a signal received by the antenna.

[0041] The first processing unit 22 is realized, for example, by an LSI (Large Scale Integration), which is an integrated circuit (IC). The integrated circuit is not limited to an LSI, but may be a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. In the embodiment, the first processing unit 22 is a microcontroller. 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, and a processor that executes the program. The first processing unit 22 may also be a programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a reconfigurable processor in which the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI can be reconfigured. The functions performed by the first processing unit 22 may be realized by software or hardware.

[0042] The first processing unit 22 includes an acquisition unit 221 and a control unit 222 .

[0043] The acquisition unit 221 acquires a control instruction for controlling the lighting device 10 based on an instruction input to the input unit 32 from the terminal device 30 via the first communication unit 21. The control instruction is an instruction input by a user to realize an illumination light pattern to be projected on an illumination object. The control instruction includes, for example, an instruction to project an illumination light pattern that imitates a figure handwritten by the user on the illumination object, an instruction to project an illumination light pattern that imitates a figure selected by the user on the illumination object, etc.

[0044] In the embodiment, the terminal device 30 has an input unit 32 that receives input by detecting the movement of the operating object, and the acquisition unit 221 acquires a control instruction by detecting a user operation using the operating object. Specifically, when the terminal device 30 detects a user operation, a control instruction based on the operation is transmitted from the terminal device 30 to the first communication unit 21 of the lighting control system 2. Then, the acquisition unit 221 acquires the control instruction received by the first communication unit 21. Here, the operating object is a user's finger, a pen, a pointing device such as a mouse, or the like.

[0045] The control unit 222 controls the plurality of individually controllable light-emitting elements 121 based on the control instructions acquired by the acquisition unit 221, thereby causing the light-emitting module 12 to emit light that becomes the illumination light pattern.

[0046] Specifically, the grid shown in FIG. 3B represents a plurality of light-emitting elements 121 arranged in a two-dimensional array. The grid generally corresponds to the illumination range displayed on the terminal device 30 that issues the control instruction. In other words, the control unit 222 normalizes the illumination image within the illumination range so that the two-dimensional array in which the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 are arranged generally corresponds to the illumination range displayed on the terminal device 30 that issues the control instruction. This results in a one-to-one correspondence between the plurality of pixels included in the illumination image and the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 in the two-dimensional array. For example, the pixel at the upper left corner of the illumination range corresponds to the light-emitting element 121 at the upper left corner of the two-dimensional array. Here, the illumination image is an image that simulates (shows) an illumination light pattern formed when an actual illumination target is irradiated with actual spot illumination light.

[0047] The control unit 222 determines the illumination light pattern based on the control instruction. Specifically, the control unit 222 identifies one or more pixels corresponding to the illumination image within the illumination range and one or more corresponding light-emitting elements 121. The control unit 222 also determines the luminance of each of the one or more light-emitting elements 121 based on the pixel values ​​of the one or more pixels. The control unit 222 then generates control information based on the identified one or more light-emitting elements 121 and the luminance of each of the one or more light-emitting elements 121. Here, the control information includes information regarding the on / off, light-emitting intensity, light-emitting time, etc. of each of the multiple light-emitting elements 121.

[0048] The control unit 222 then outputs the generated control information to the drive unit 13. The drive unit 13 individually drives the multiple light-emitting elements 121 in accordance with the received control information. That is, the drive unit 13 supplies current to one or more of the multiple light-emitting elements 121 indicated in the control information to turn them on, and does not supply current to the remaining light-emitting elements 121 indicated in the control information to turn them off. As a result, light that becomes spot illumination light is irradiated from the light-emitting module 12, and the spot illumination light irradiated from the lighting device 10 is irradiated onto, for example, an illumination object, thereby forming an illumination light pattern on the illumination object.

[0049] The first storage unit 23 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the first processing unit 22. The first storage unit 23 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0050] The power supply unit 24 supplies operating power to the lighting control system 2 and the light-emitting module 12. The power supply unit 24 has, for example, an AC-DC converter circuit, converts AC power supplied from the commercial power source 4 into DC power, and supplies the converted DC power to each component of the lighting control system 2 and the light-emitting module 12.

[0051] Next, the terminal device 30 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0052] The terminal device 30 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. In the embodiment, the terminal device 30 is a tablet terminal. Note that the terminal device 30 may also be, for example, a device fixed to a wall or the like, or a device such as a desktop or laptop personal computer. The terminal device 30 is an example of a device.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 30 includes a display unit 31, an input unit 32, a second processing unit 33, a second storage unit 34, and a second communication unit 35.

[0054] The display unit 31 displays an irradiation target image showing an irradiation target, an illumination image showing an illumination light pattern to be irradiated onto the irradiation target, etc. The display unit 31 can also display a figure handwritten by the user by tracing the display screen of the display unit 31.

[0055] The display unit 31 is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display panel, etc. In the embodiment, the display unit 31 is realized by a touch panel display having a touch sensor as the input unit 32.

[0056] The input unit 32 detects a user operation and inputs the user operation to the input unit 32. Specifically, the input unit 32 detects the movement of an operating object that touches the display screen of the display unit 31. As a result, the input unit 32 acquires a control instruction based on the user input.

[0057] When a user wants to irradiate an irradiation object with a desired illumination light pattern, the user inputs a control instruction to the input unit 32 to execute the desired illumination light pattern for illuminating the irradiation object, or inputs a control instruction to execute the illumination light pattern set in the input unit 32. The input unit 32 outputs a control instruction based on the setting input by the user to the illumination control unit 133 and the display control unit 134.

[0058] The second processing unit 33 is realized, for example, by an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is not limited to an LSI, and may be a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. In the embodiment, the second processing unit 33 is a microcontroller. 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, and a processor that executes the program. The second processing unit 33 may also be a programmable FPGA or a reconfigurable processor in which the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI can be reconfigured. The functions performed by the second processing unit 33 may be realized by software or hardware.

[0059] The second processing unit 33 includes a display control unit 134 and an illumination control unit 133 .

[0060] The display control unit 134 acquires the irradiation target image by having the first communication unit 21 receive the irradiation target image transmitted from the external device. The display control unit 134 can also acquire the irradiation target image from a secondary storage device such as a flash memory by having the user connect the secondary storage device to the terminal device 30. The irradiation target image is an image showing the irradiation target. For example, the irradiation target image may be an image of the irradiation target itself, or may be a virtual image imitating the irradiation target. Here, the external device is another mobile terminal, another device fixed to a wall or the like, or another device such as a personal computer.

[0061] The display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31. Specifically, the display control unit 134 acquires, from the input unit 32, a control instruction input by the user to the input unit 32. In response to the control instruction, the display control unit 134 draws the acquired irradiation target image by superimposing it on an illumination image that indicates an illumination light pattern that illuminates the irradiation target. The display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display the drawn image by superimposing it on the irradiation target image. That is, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display an illumination image that simulates an illumination range in which one or more spot illumination lights can be irradiated onto the irradiation target image. As a result, the display unit 31 displays the irradiation target image and the illumination image. Because the illumination image is displayed on the display unit 31 superimposed on the irradiation target image, the user can grasp the position, size, brightness, pattern, and shape of the illumination image by looking at the irradiation target image and the illumination image.

[0062] Furthermore, the user can adjust the position, size, brightness, pattern, and shape of the illumination image by inputting a control instruction to the input unit 32. Specifically, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to superimpose the illumination image, the position, size, brightness, pattern, and shape of which have been adjusted, on the illumination target image in response to the control instruction from the user's operating object, and to display the drawn image. In this way, the user can adjust the position, size, brightness, pattern, and shape, etc. of the illumination image by using the terminal device 30. Furthermore, the user can adjust the position, size, brightness, pattern, and shape, etc. of the illumination image so that they change periodically by using the terminal device 30. In other words, the display control unit 134 can display the illumination image on the display unit 31 as a still image and a moving image.

[0063] The lighting control unit 133 outputs control instructions for controlling the multiple lighting devices 10. Specifically, when a control instruction capable of controlling an illumination light pattern projected on an illumination target by one or more spot illumination lights by selectively controlling each of the multiple light-emitting elements 121 is input to the input unit 32, the lighting control unit 133 outputs the input control instruction. The control instruction is associated with the set illumination image. The illumination image simulates an illumination light pattern that would be produced if spot illumination light were emitted from the lighting device 10 onto the illumination target. Therefore, the illumination image is associated with the lighting device 10 emitting the spot illumination light, as well as the position, size, brightness, pattern, shape, and the like on the illumination target image. In the present embodiment, the lighting control unit 133 outputs the control instruction to the second communication unit 35, causing the second communication unit 35 to transmit the control instruction to the first communication unit 21 of the lighting device 10. As a result, the lighting device 10 can form an illumination light pattern by emitting one or more spot illumination lights based on the control instruction onto the illumination target.

[0064] The second storage unit 34 stores illumination control data for projecting an illumination light pattern onto an object to be illuminated. The illumination control data includes preset data and data set by the user. The second storage unit 34 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the second processing unit 33. The second storage unit 34 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory. The second storage unit 34 is an example of a storage unit.

[0065] The second communication unit 35 communicates with the lighting device 10 and the external device. In the embodiment, the second communication unit 35 communicates wirelessly with the lighting device 10 and the external device. When the second communication unit 35 communicates wirelessly between the lighting device 10 and the external device, the second communication unit 35 may use short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or a wireless local area network (LAN). The wireless communication method (communication standard) may be communication via a wide area communication network such as the Internet. The communication between the second communication unit 35 and the lighting device 10 and the external device may be wired communication. The wired communication may be communication using power line communication (PLC) or a wired LAN, for example. The second communication unit 35 is realized by, for example, an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes signals received by the antenna.

[0066] In this embodiment, the irradiation position, size, brightness, pattern, shape, etc. of the illumination light pattern can be adjusted by using the terminal device 30 having the above-described configuration and functions. Furthermore, by using the terminal device 30, the irradiation position, size, brightness, pattern, shape, etc. of the illumination light pattern can be adjusted so that they change dynamically or continuously. In other words, in this embodiment, not only still-image-like effects but also moving-image-like effects can be produced by the illumination light pattern.

[0067] <Operation Example 1> Next, an operation example performed by the lighting system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8B.

[0068] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a user's operating body operating the terminal device 30 and a device selection screen displayed on the display unit 31. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another device selection screen. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an irradiation range selection screen. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the background image of the irradiation target is omitted to avoid complicating the drawings. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing the device selection screen displayed on the display unit 31. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing the irradiation range selection screen displayed on the display unit 31. FIG. 7C is a diagram showing the device selection screen after the irradiation range has been moved. FIG. 7D is a diagram showing a device image on the device selection screen displayed on the display unit 31. FIG. 7E is a diagram showing a setting screen for setting a device image on the device selection screen displayed on the display unit 31. FIG. 7F is a diagram showing a state in which a device image on the device selection screen displayed on the display unit 31 is duplicated. FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an illumination light pattern of spot illumination light emitted to an irradiation target by the lighting system 100 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8B is another diagram showing an illumination light pattern of spot illumination light emitted to an irradiation target by the lighting system 100 according to embodiment 1.

[0069] Here, a case where a user sets a desired illumination light pattern using the terminal device 30 will be described.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8B, the display control unit 134 of the terminal device 30 can cause the display unit 31 to display a device selection screen and an irradiation range selection screen.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 4 , the device selection screen displays multiple device images A1-A4 superimposed on an illumination target image, which is the background of the device selection screen, and illumination areas that actual lighting devices 10 corresponding to the multiple device images A1-A4 can illuminate with spot illumination light. On the device selection screen, the display control unit 134 can move the illumination area or change the device images A1-A4. In FIG. 4 , the display control unit 134 displays the multiple device images A1-A4 and the dashed illumination areas that each device image A1-A4 can illuminate on the display unit 31. Here, the multiple device images A1-A4 are images that simulate the lighting devices 10. The multiple device images A1-A4 are associated with the multiple lighting devices 10 in a one-to-one correspondence. The display control unit 134 can also display lighting images on the device selection screen. Icons representing lighting devices 10 and lighting images are displayed together on the device selection screen. This allows the user to visually recognize what light pattern each lighting device 10 that creates the spatial effect will project onto the illumination target.

[0072] Therefore, the user selects a desired irradiation range from among a plurality of irradiation ranges on the device selection screen displayed on the display unit 31 .

[0073] 4 and 5, the device selection screen displays an illumination target image and an illumination image superimposed on the illumination target image. For example, the user selects an illumination range including device image A3 and an illumination range including device image A4. As shown in FIG. 5, the display control unit 134 may cause the display unit 31 to display a device selection screen showing the illumination range including the circular illumination image corresponding to device image A3 and the illumination range including the rectangular illumination image corresponding to device image A4, both selected by the user.

[0074] 5, at least one of the illumination image and the illumination range can be operated. That is, when the user inputs a control instruction to change the illumination light pattern by operating the illumination image on the display screen of the display unit 31, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to change the illumination image that imitates the illumination light pattern based on the control instruction input to the input unit 32. Furthermore, when the user inputs a control instruction to change the position of the illumination range by operating the illumination range on the display screen of the display unit 31, the display control unit 134 may control the display unit 31 to move the illumination range within the illumination target image in response to the control instruction input to the input unit 32.

[0075] At this time, the illumination control unit 133 transmits a control instruction to the illumination device 10 linked to the illumination image. As a result, the plurality of light-emitting elements 121 of the illumination device 10 are selectively controlled in accordance with the control instruction. This control changes the irradiation direction of the spot illumination light emitted by the illumination device 10 linked to the illumination image, thereby changing the position of the illumination light pattern of the spot illumination light irradiated onto the illumination target. When the irradiation direction of the spot illumination light changes, the illumination light pattern may move (transition) continuously from a point before the change to a point after the change, or the illumination light pattern may move instantaneously from the point before the change to the point after the change.

[0076] Subsequently, when the user further selects the irradiation range displayed on the device selection screen (by tapping the input unit 32), an irradiation range selection screen is displayed on the display unit 31 as shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, the display control unit 134 displays the irradiation range selection screen and the device selection screen side by side on the display unit 31. Note that when the irradiation range displayed on the device selection screen is selected, the display control unit 134 may display the irradiation range selection screen on the display unit 31 as a screen separate from the device selection screen.

[0077] The illumination range selection screen allows the user to set the size, brightness, pattern, color tone, and shape of the illumination image corresponding to the selected illumination range including the device image A3 and the illumination range including the device image A4, as well as set dynamic changes and continuous changes. The illumination range selection screen is not limited to selecting the two illumination ranges described above. For example, the display control unit 134 can display a state in which one or more illumination ranges have been selected on the illumination range selection screen. Furthermore, the illumination range selection screen is not limited to displaying the illumination images in the same positional relationship as shown on the device selection screen. For example, the display control unit 134 can display a list display, tile display, or other display format on the illumination range selection screen. FIG. 6 illustrates settings for the shape, brightness, pattern, and hue (e.g., color temperature) of the illumination image.

[0078] The shape of the illumination image is not limited to the circular and polygonal shapes shown in Figures 5 and 6. For example, the shape of the illumination image may be other known shapes. The hue is not limited to the color temperature. The hue may be any color tone that can be expressed using at least one of red light, green light, and blue light.

[0079] Another example of setting an illumination light pattern will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7E.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 7A, the device selection screen shows two illumination ranges as examples. When the user selects the edit button displayed for one of the illumination ranges (by tapping the input unit 32), the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display the illumination range selection screen shown in Fig. 7B. Using this illumination range selection screen, the user can set the position, size, brightness, pattern, color tone, shape, etc. of the illumination image, set dynamic changes to these, or set continuous changes to these.

[0081] 7C , when the user selects one of the two irradiation ranges displayed on the device selection screen (by dragging the input unit 32), the dragged irradiation range can be freely moved. In FIG. 7C , the dragged irradiation range is moved so as to approach the other irradiation range. In FIG. 7C , the direction in which one irradiation range moves is indicated by an arrow.

[0082] Although two illumination ranges are described in FIGS. 7A to 7C, this is merely an example, and the same applies to three or more illumination ranges.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 7D , the device selection screen can display device images. Specifically, the device selection screen can arrange device images in association with the illumination range, so that when using multiple lighting devices 10, the device images corresponding to each lighting device 10 can be visually grasped. While Fig. 7D shows one device image on the device selection screen, multiple device images can also be displayed on the device selection screen. Furthermore, if the background of the device selection screen is an illumination target image showing the installation location of each lighting device 10, the device images corresponding to each lighting device 10 can be more visually grasped.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 7E, the device selection screen allows users to configure device image settings. Device image settings include options for "Illumination Settings," "Copy Settings," "Export Settings," "Load Settings," "Delete Device," and "Cancel." "Illumination Settings" allows users to transition to an input mode screen where they can configure various spotlight settings using a finger, stylus, mouse, or keyboard. "Copy Settings" displays the dialog shown in FIG. 7F, allowing users to select the lighting device 10 to copy settings from. "Export Settings" allows users to save data from the editing screen to a local download folder. Data exported using Export Settings can be loaded using Load Settings. "Load Settings" allows users to load locally saved data and load lighting settings saved for other lighting devices 10 and scenes. "Delete Device" allows users to delete the settings of the lighting device 10 corresponding to the selected icon mark along with the icon mark. "Cancel" cancels the current operation and returns users to the screen display where they can operate again.

[0085] As shown in Fig. 7F, when "Copy Settings" is selected in Fig. 7E, the device selection screen allows the user to select the lighting device 10 to copy settings from. In Fig. 7E, "Lighting Device_1" and "Lighting Device_2" are available, and the user can select either of the lighting devices 10 to copy settings from.

[0086] When a user sets the size, brightness, pattern, color tone, shape, etc. of the illumination image on the illumination range selection screen, or sets dynamic changes or continuous changes in these settings, the illumination light pattern of the spot illumination light irradiated on the actual illumination target also changes. For example, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B , when a user changes the shape of the right-side illumination image from circular to rectangular on the illumination range selection screen, the display control unit 134 displays the rectangular illumination image on the illumination range selection screen on the display unit 31, and the illumination control unit 133 sends a control instruction via the second communication unit 35 to the illumination device 10 associated with the device image indicating that the shape of the illumination image is rectangular, thereby changing the illumination light pattern of the spot illumination light irradiated on the illumination target by the illumination device 10 to rectangular. As a result, the illumination light pattern of the right-side illumination target changes from circular to rectangular. The second processing unit 33 stores the illumination light pattern set in this way in the second storage unit 34 as illumination control data.

[0087] In this way, in the lighting system 100, changes in the lighting image on the illumination target image displayed on the display unit 31 can be linked with changes in the lighting light pattern formed on the actual illumination target. In other words, the display control unit 134 can synchronize the display of the lighting image on the display unit 31 by superimposing it on the illumination target image, with the lighting control unit 133 selectively controlling each of the multiple light-emitting elements 121 in response to a control instruction to project the lighting light pattern onto the illumination target. This allows the user to set the lighting light pattern for the illumination target.

[0088] <Operation Example 2> Next, an operation example performed by the lighting system 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 9A and 9B etc.

[0089] Fig. 9A is a diagram showing a grouping button that is displayed when setting grouping on the device selection screen. Fig. 9B is a diagram showing the device selection screen when setting grouping. Fig. 9B (a) shows the state before setting grouping. Fig. 9B (b) shows the state after setting grouping. In Fig. 9B (a) and (b), the multiple lighting devices 10 include one or more first lighting devices and one or more second lighting devices. In the device selection screen in Fig. 9B (b), the first lighting device is represented by device image A1, the second lighting device is represented by device image A2, and the device images A1 and A2 are grouped.

[0090] Here, a case will be described in which a user sets a desired illumination light pattern by grouping a plurality of lighting devices 10 using the terminal device 30.

[0091] First, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7C, the user selects (drags) one of the two illumination ranges and moves the dragged illumination range to a predetermined position.

[0092] Next, the user selects a desired irradiation range to be grouped from among the multiple irradiation ranges on the device selection screen displayed on the display unit 31. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9A , the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display a grouping button on the device selection screen. That is, one irradiation range and the other irradiation range become groupable. The grouping button is a button that allows the user to decide to group two or more selected irradiation ranges into one group. Note that while FIG. 9A describes two irradiation ranges, this is merely an example, and the same applies to three or more irradiation ranges.

[0093] Next, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the user selects one irradiation range and the other irradiation range and turns on the grouping button (input into the input unit 32), the input unit 32 groups the one irradiation range and the other irradiation range.

[0094] 4 and 9B (b), the user determines a grouping of an illumination area including a device image A1 associated with a first illumination device that projects a first illumination light pattern onto an illumination object and an illumination area including a device image A2 associated with a second illumination device that projects a second illumination light pattern onto an illumination object. That is, the user selects an illumination area including the device image A1 and an illumination area including the device image A2 and inputs the selection to the input unit 32, whereby the input unit 32 accepts the grouping of the first illumination image showing the first illumination light pattern and the second illumination image showing the second illumination light pattern. As a result, the second processing unit 33 sets the first illumination image and the second illumination image as one group.

[0095] 9B (b) illustrates a case where the second processing unit 33 sets two first illumination images and two second illumination images as one group. Because one illumination device 10 can simultaneously form multiple illumination light patterns, the grouping is not limited to one first illumination image and one second illumination image.

[0096] When the grouping is decided, as shown in Figure 4, the display control unit 134 resets the grouped device images A1 and A2, the dashed line illumination range of device image A1, and the dashed line illumination range of device image A2 to an integrated range on the device selection screen and displays it on the display unit 31.

[0097] At this time, the second processing unit 33 stores the grouping information in the second storage unit 34. The grouping information includes (1) the grouped first illumination images and second illumination images, and (2) a set range that is a combination of an illumination range in which the one or more first illumination devices can illuminate the illumination object with spot illumination light and an illumination range in which the one or more second illumination devices can illuminate the illumination object with spot illumination light.

[0098] When the user selects a group via the input unit 32, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 9B , the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display a first illumination image showing a first illumination light pattern and a second illumination image showing a second illumination light pattern superimposed on the irradiation target image on the device selection screen. On this device selection screen, the positions of the first illumination image showing the grouped first illumination light pattern and the second illumination image showing the grouped second illumination light pattern can be set. For example, on the device selection screen, when the user selects (drags) a group displayed on the device selection screen, the user can move the integrated range including the grouped first illumination images and second illumination images. Note that on the device selection screen, the grouped first illumination images and second illumination images may be moved within the integrated range. In other words, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to operate the integrated range while displaying the first illumination image and the second illumination image superimposed on the irradiation target image in response to a control instruction. At this time, the illumination control unit 133 transmits a control instruction to the first illumination device linked to the first illumination image and the second illumination device linked to the second illumination image. As a result, the illumination control unit 133 controls a first illumination light pattern projected on the illumination object by spot illumination light emitted by one or more first illumination devices and a second illumination light pattern projected on the illumination object by spot illumination light emitted by one or more second illumination devices. This control changes the irradiation directions of the spot illumination light emitted by the first illumination device linked to the first illumination image and the second illumination device linked to the second illumination image, thereby changing the positions of the first illumination light pattern and the second illumination light pattern of the spot illumination light irradiated on the illumination object together or individually.

[0099] On the illumination range selection screen, the position, size, brightness, pattern, color tone, shape, etc. of the first illumination image and the second illumination image corresponding to the grouped device images A1 and A2 can be set, and dynamic changes and continuous changes can be set.

[0100] When the user sets the position, size, brightness, pattern, color tone, shape, etc. of the first illumination image and the second illumination image on the illumination range selection screen, or sets dynamic changes or continuous changes therein, the first illumination light pattern and the second illumination light pattern of the spot illumination light irradiated onto the actual illumination object also change. For example, although not shown in the drawings, when the user changes the shape of the first illumination image and the second illumination image from circular to rectangular on the illumination range selection screen, the display control unit 134 causes the display unit 31 to display the first illumination image and the second illumination image changed to rectangular on the illumination range selection screen, and the illumination control unit 133 sends a control instruction indicating that the shapes of the first illumination image and the second illumination image are rectangular via the second communication unit 35 to the first illumination device and the second illumination device linked to the device images A1 and A2, thereby changing the first illumination light pattern and the second illumination light pattern of the spot illumination light irradiated onto the illumination object by the first illumination device and the second illumination device to rectangular. As a result, the first illumination light pattern and the second illumination light pattern of the illumination object change from circular to rectangular.

[0101] In other words, the display control unit 134 groups the first illumination image and the second illumination image, and the illumination control unit 133 controls the first illumination device and the second illumination device so that the first illumination light pattern and the second illumination light pattern are projected in conjunction with each other onto the illuminated object.

[0102] In the lighting system 100, changes in the grouped first lighting image and second lighting image on the illumination target image displayed on the display unit 31 can be linked with changes in the first lighting light pattern and second lighting light pattern formed on the actual illumination target. This allows synchronization between the display control unit 134 superimposing the first lighting image and the second lighting image on the illumination target image and displaying them on the display unit 31, and the lighting control unit 133 controlling the first lighting device and the second lighting device in accordance with a control instruction to project the first lighting light pattern and the second lighting light pattern on the illumination target. The second processing unit 33 stores the illumination light pattern set in this manner in the second storage unit 34 as lighting control data.

[0103] Although the grouping setting on the device selection screen has been mainly described here, the present invention is not limited to this. The input unit 32 may accept a grouping of the first illuminated image and the second illuminated image on the device selection screen, thereby allowing the grouping of the first illuminated image and the second illuminated image to be set. The grouping of the first illuminated image and the second illuminated image is the same as described above. This allows the user to set an illumination light pattern for the illumination target.

[0104] <Operation Example 3> Next, an example of an operation performed by a control method and a program will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0105] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation example 3 of the terminal device 30 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 11 is another diagram showing an illumination light pattern of spot illumination light emitted onto an illumination object by the illumination device 10 of the lighting system 100 according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 11, the spot illumination light is irradiated onto a specific illumination object among a plurality of illumination objects.

[0106] Here, a case will be described in which a user sets a desired illumination light pattern using illumination control data.

[0107] 10 and 11 , the user selects lighting control data for lighting in a desired lighting light pattern from a database of lighting control data stored in the terminal device 30. At this time, the user inputs a control instruction into the input unit 32 to reconfigure the lighting control data so that an lighting light pattern matching the shape of a specific illumination target placed at a predetermined position can be produced. As a result, the user's control instruction is input into the input unit 32 (S11).

[0108] Next, the lighting control unit 133 selectively controls each of the plurality of lighting devices 10 by outputting the control instruction input to the input unit 32 to each of the plurality of lighting devices 10 (S12). Specifically, the lighting control unit 133 transmits the control instruction based on the lighting control data to the lighting devices 10 via the second communication unit 35. As a result, the lighting devices 10 are controlled based on the control instruction, as shown in Fig. 11, and can project an illumination light pattern onto a specific illumination target using spot illumination light.

[0109] Next, in synchronization with the emission of the spot illumination light, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display an illumination image indicating an illumination light pattern to be projected onto a specific illumination object in accordance with the illumination control data, superimposed on the illumination object image (S13). This allows the user to recognize the illumination light pattern projected onto the specific illumination object in step S12, and also to recognize the illumination object image displayed on the display unit 31 and the illumination image superimposed on the illumination object image in step S13.

[0110] Then, the control method and program ends the flowchart of FIG.

[0111] <Operational Effects> The operational effects of the terminal device 30, the lighting system 100, the control method, and the program according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[0112] However, while a user operates each of the multiple lighting fixtures via a terminal device, it may be difficult for the user to determine which lighting fixture is illuminating which part of the lighting area. In this case, if the user wants to create a lighting area with a desired lighting pattern, the user must operate all of the multiple lighting fixtures via the terminal device to determine which lighting fixture is illuminating which part of the lighting area, and then set the lighting pattern for each of the multiple lighting fixtures.

[0113] As described above, the device of Technology 1 in this embodiment includes an input unit to which instructions are input for controlling the light pattern irradiated onto the irradiation object by emitting one or more spot illumination lights from one or more light sources, and an illumination control unit that outputs instructions for controlling the illumination light pattern projected onto the irradiation object by the one or more spot illumination lights by selectively controlling each of the multiple light sources in accordance with the instructions input to the input unit.

[0114] Therefore, this device makes it easier for the user to operate the terminal device.

[0115] As described above, the device described in Technology 1 in this embodiment is a terminal device 30 of Technology 2, which includes: an input unit 32 to which instructions (control instructions) for controlling a plurality of light sources (the lighting device 10, the light-emitting module 12, and the light-emitting element 121) capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights onto an irradiation object are input; an illumination control unit 133 that generates control information for controlling an illumination light pattern projected on the irradiation object by the one or more spot illumination lights by selectively controlling each of the plurality of light sources (the lighting device 10, the light-emitting module 12, and the light-emitting element 121) in accordance with the instructions (control instructions) input to the input unit 32; a display unit 31 that displays an illumination object image showing the irradiation object; and a display control unit 134 that controls the display unit 31 to display an illumination image showing the illumination light pattern that illuminates the irradiation object in accordance with the instructions (control instructions) so as to be superimposed on the irradiation object image.

[0116] According to this, the illumination control unit 133 selectively controls each of the multiple light sources (illumination device 10, light-emitting module 12, light-emitting element 121) in response to a control instruction, thereby projecting an illumination light pattern onto the illumination object. Furthermore, when the illumination light pattern is projected onto the illumination object, the display control unit 134 can display the illumination object image and the illumination image on the display unit 31. Therefore, the user can recognize the illumination light pattern projected onto the illumination object by inputting a control instruction to the input unit 32 while recognizing the illumination object image and the illumination image displayed on the display unit 31.

[0117] This makes it easier for the user to operate the terminal device 30 and set the illumination light pattern, and as a result, the user feels as if they are operating the illumination light pattern itself, without having to recognize which lighting device 10 is projecting the illumination light pattern onto the object to be illuminated.

[0118] The terminal device 30 of Technique 3 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in Technique 2. In this case, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display an irradiation range in which one or more spot illumination lights can be irradiated onto the irradiation target, superimposed on the irradiation target image.

[0119] This allows the illumination range to be displayed on the display unit 31 in a state where it is superimposed on the image of the illumination target, so that the user can grasp the illumination range into which the illumination device 10 can irradiate spot illumination light. Therefore, the user can set an illumination light pattern that illuminates the illumination target within the illumination range via the screen.

[0120] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 of Technology 4 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in Technology 3. In this case, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 so that at least one of the illumination image and the illumination range can be manipulated in response to an instruction (control instruction) input to the input unit 32, and the illumination control unit 133 selectively controls each of the multiple light sources (the illumination device 10, the optical module 12, and the light-emitting element 121) in response to the instruction (control instruction).

[0121] According to this, if the user sets the terminal device 30 to change the illumination light pattern by manipulating the illumination image on the display screen, the illumination control unit 133 selectively controls each of the multiple light sources (illumination device 10, light-emitting module 12, light-emitting element 121) in accordance with this operation. Also, if the user moves the illumination range on the display screen of the terminal device 30, the illumination control unit 133 can move the illumination range on the display screen of the terminal device 30 in accordance with this movement so that it matches the illumination range in real space. Therefore, the user can operate both the illumination image and the illumination range, making it easier to set the illumination light pattern by operating the terminal device 30.

[0122] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 of Technique 5 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in any one of Techniques 1 to 4. In this case, the display control unit 134 synchronizes the display of the illumination image on the illumination target image on the display unit 31 with the illumination control unit 133 selectively controlling each of the multiple light sources (illumination device 10, light-emitting module 12, light-emitting element 121) in accordance with an instruction (control instruction) to project the illumination light pattern onto the illumination target.

[0123] This allows the illumination light pattern projected onto the illuminated object to be changed in accordance with the change in the illumination image by changing the position, size, brightness, pattern, shape, etc. of the illumination image displayed on the display unit 31.

[0124] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 of Technology 6 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in any one of Technologies 1 to 5. In this case, the multiple light sources (illumination device 10, light-emitting module 12, light-emitting element 121) include one or more first light sources (first illumination device, light-emitting element 121) and one or more second light sources (second illumination device, light-emitting element 121). Furthermore, the illumination control unit 133 controls a first illumination light pattern projected on the illumination object by spot illumination light emitted by the one or more first light sources (first illumination device, light-emitting element 121) and a second illumination light pattern projected on the illumination object by spot illumination light emitted by the one or more second light sources (second illumination device, light-emitting element 121). Then, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display a first illumination image showing the first illumination light pattern and a second illumination image showing the second illumination light pattern superimposed on the illumination object image.

[0125] This allows multiple illumination images to be displayed superimposed on the image of the illumination target, so that multiple illumination light patterns to be projected onto the illumination target can be set by setting multiple illumination images on the same screen, making it easier for the user to operate the terminal device 30 and allowing multiple illumination light patterns to be set simultaneously.

[0126] Furthermore, the user can simultaneously grasp a plurality of illumination light patterns.

[0127] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 of Technology 7 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in Technology 6. In this case, the display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to superimpose and display grouping information including (1) the grouped first illumination image and second illumination image, and (2) a set range that combines an illumination range in which one or more first light sources (first illumination devices, light-emitting elements 121) can illuminate the illumination object with spot illumination light and an illumination range in which one or more second light sources (second illumination devices, light-emitting elements 121) can illuminate the illumination object with spot illumination light on the illumination object.

[0128] This allows the user to group multiple lighting images on the operation terminal, and thus allows the user to set the grouped lighting images all at once, making it easier for the user to operate the terminal device 30.

[0129] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 of Technology 8 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in Technology 7. In this case, the display control unit 134 groups the first illumination image and the second illumination image, and the illumination control unit 133 controls the first light source and the second light source so that the first illumination light pattern and the second illumination light pattern are projected in conjunction with each other on the illumination object.

[0130] According to this, by setting a plurality of grouped illumination images collectively, it is possible to collectively change the illumination light patterns of the spot illumination lights emitted onto the illumination target by the plurality of illumination devices 10. This makes it easier for the user to operate the terminal device 30.

[0131] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 of Technique 9 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in any one of Techniques 1 to 8. In this case, the terminal device 30 includes a storage unit (second storage unit 34) that stores illumination control data for projecting an illumination light pattern onto an illumination object. The illumination control unit 133 selectively controls each of the multiple light sources based on the illumination control data. The display control unit 134 controls the display unit 31 to display an illumination image indicating the illumination light pattern to be projected onto the illumination object in accordance with the illumination control data, superimposed on the illumination object image.

[0132] This allows lighting control data set by the user to be stored, allowing the user to implement lighting patterns using the set lighting control data and even reset the lighting control data, thereby realizing lighting patterns that meet the user's needs.

[0133] The terminal device 30 of Technique 10 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in any one of Techniques 1 to 9. In this case, the terminal device 30 includes an acquisition unit (first communication unit 21, acquisition unit 221) that acquires an irradiation target image.

[0134] This makes it possible to obtain an illumination target image on which an illumination image can be superimposed. Therefore, the user can set an illumination light pattern while viewing the illumination target image and the illumination image, which makes it easier for the user to set an illumination light pattern compared to when operating the illumination image without an illumination target image.

[0135] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 of Technique 11 in this embodiment is the terminal device 30 described in any one of Techniques 1 to 10. In this case, the plurality of light sources (the lighting device 10, the light-emitting module 12, the light-emitting element 121) includes a plurality of light-emitting elements 121 arranged in an array.

[0136] This makes it possible to easily change the shape of the illumination light pattern by individually controlling the plurality of light emitting elements 121 .

[0137] In addition, the lighting system 100 of Technology 12 in this embodiment includes the terminal device 30 described in any one of Technologies 1 to 11 and a plurality of light sources capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights to an object to be illuminated.

[0138] This lighting system 100 also provides the same effects as the terminal device 30 described above.

[0139] Furthermore, the control method of technique 13 in this embodiment includes inputting instructions (control instructions) to the input unit 32 to control a plurality of light sources capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights onto the irradiation object, selectively controlling each of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the instructions (control instructions) inputted to the input unit 32, thereby controlling the illumination control unit 133 to control the illumination light pattern projected onto the irradiation object by the one or more spot illumination lights, displaying an illumination object image showing the irradiation object by the display unit 31, and controlling the display control unit 134 to display an illumination image showing the illumination light pattern illuminating the irradiation object in accordance with the instructions (control instructions) superimposed on the irradiation object image.

[0140] This control method also provides the same effects as the terminal device 30 described above.

[0141] The program of Technique 14 in this embodiment is a program that causes a computer to execute the control method described in Technique 13.

[0142] Second Embodiment <Configuration> First, the configuration of a lighting control system 1 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0143] Fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view of a lighting control system 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration including the lighting control system 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 14 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which a first user sets an irradiation pattern of a light object to be irradiated onto an irradiation area using a first terminal device 210, and a second user sets an irradiation pattern of a light object to be irradiated onto an irradiation area using a second terminal device 220, as well as a first area and virtual objects displayed on the first terminal device 210 and a second area and virtual objects displayed on the second terminal device 220. The irradiation pattern is an example of a light pattern.

[0144] 12 , the lighting control system 1 is a system that controls the lighting aspects of an illumination space. The illumination space is a space illuminated by one or more lighting devices 10, and may be an indoor space such as a room, corridor, ceiling, wall, or floor in a building, or an outdoor space such as an exterior wall, ground, or installed object of a building. The lighting control system 1 is an example of a device.

[0145] The lighting control system 1 includes one or more lighting devices 10, an authority assignment system 4, and a terminal device 3. In this embodiment, the lighting control system 1 includes a plurality of lighting devices 10.

[0146] The lighting device 10 can emit one or more spot illumination lights onto an illumination target. By emitting a plurality of spot illumination lights, the lighting device 10 can simultaneously project a plurality of light objects illuminated on the illumination target. The lighting device 10 may be an example of a light source.

[0147] The light object is a light effect pattern projected by spot illumination light projected onto an illumination target. When the light object is projected onto the illumination target, the illumination target is effected by the light object.

[0148] The illumination target may be a wall, floor, ceiling, shelf, stand, or the like illuminated with spot illumination light, or may be a commodity or object of appreciation placed thereon.

[0149] The lighting device 10 is, for example, a spotlight, and is attached to a wiring fixture (for example, a wiring duct or a ceiling hook) provided on a ceiling or a wall. Note that the lighting device 10 is not limited to a spotlight, and may be, for example, a downlight or a ceiling light.

[0150] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the lighting device 10 has a light-emitting module 120, a drive control unit 226, a lighting control unit 222, a first communication unit 223, a first storage unit 224, and a power supply unit 225.

[0151] The light emitting module 120 emits, for example, white light. The light emitting module 120 has a plurality of light emitting elements 120a arranged in an array and a substrate 120b on which the plurality of light emitting elements 120a are arranged.

[0152] Specifically, the light-emitting module 120 has a plurality of light-emitting elements 120a arranged in a two-dimensional matrix and a wavelength converter. The plurality of light-emitting elements 120a are regularly arranged in a matrix of M rows and N columns. Here, at least one of M and N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. M may be equal to N, or M may not be equal to N. The arrangement intervals of the light-emitting elements 120a in the row direction and the column direction may be the same or different. In the embodiment, the outer shape of the area in which the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a are arranged is rectangular, but it may be another shape, such as circular. The light-emitting module 120 may be an example of a light source.

[0153] Each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a is, for example, a blue light-emitting element that emits blue light. Note that green light-emitting elements that emit green light and / or red light-emitting elements that emit red light may also be used. In each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a, a yellow phosphor is disposed on the light-emitting side of the blue light-emitting element as an example of a wavelength converter. The blue light-emitting element is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Specifically, the blue light-emitting element is, for example, a minute LED with a size on the order of several hundred micrometers. The yellow phosphor is a phosphor that is excited by blue light and emits yellow light. Each light-emitting element 120a emits white light as a mixture of blue light and yellow light. The yellow phosphor is, for example, a YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet)-based phosphor, but is not limited thereto. The light-emitting element 120a is an example of a light source.

[0154] The yellow phosphor may be provided so as to cover the plurality of blue light-emitting elements. For example, a yellow phosphor may be disposed so as to entirely cover the plurality of blue light-emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional matrix.

[0155] The light-emitting module 120 can also adjust the light intensity and color. For example, the light-emitting intensity of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a can be changed according to the amount of current supplied from the drive control unit 226. For example, the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a 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 light-emitting module 120 can emit white light with a desired color temperature.

[0156] The plurality of light-emitting elements 120a are mounted on a substrate 120b. The substrate 120b is a rigid substrate, but may be a flexible substrate. The substrate 120b is provided with pattern wiring for electrically connecting each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a to the drive control unit 226.

[0157] The drive control unit 226 supplies a current to the light-emitting module 120 to drive the light-emitting module 120. Specifically, the drive control unit 226 supplies a current to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a to drive them independently (i.e., individually) in accordance with a control signal received from the illumination control unit 222. This allows the on / off, light-emitting intensity, light-emitting period, and other aspects of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a to be individually controlled. For example, by individually controlling the on / off of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a, it is possible to emit spot illumination light with varying brightness. Then, by irradiating an illumination target with the spot illumination light, it is possible to form an image of a light object on the illumination target according to the brightness and darkness.

[0158] The drive control unit 226 is realized by, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The drive control unit 226 supplies a current modulated by pulse width modulation (PWM) to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a. The drive control unit 226 then adjusts the pulse width of the current supplied to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a, thereby changing the light emission intensity of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a and achieving a dimming function. Note that the dimming method is not limited to PWM modulation, and may be other modulation methods such as amplitude modulation or phase modulation.

[0159] The drive control unit 226 drives one or more light-emitting elements 120a identified by the illumination control unit 222 so as to project a light object with different brightness levels on the illumination target. Specifically, the drive control unit 226 identifies one or more light-emitting elements 120a to be turned on, as indicated in the illumination control data, based on the illumination control data stored in the first storage unit 224, and adjusts the current supplied to the identified one or more light-emitting elements 120a. The illumination control data is data that indicates the shape, light emission intensity, hue, pattern, position, size, etc. of the light object to be illuminated on the illumination target.

[0160] The lighting device 10 also includes one or more optical elements such as lenses. The optical element is a projection lens or the like that projects light emitted by one or more light-emitting elements 120a driven by the drive control unit 226 forward. When the optical element is a projection lens, the optical element applies a predetermined optical effect to the light emitted from the light-emitting module 120 and projects it forward so that the light emitted by the one or more light-emitting elements 120a is imaged as spot illumination light on an illumination object located in front of the light-emitting element 120a. In other words, the light emitted by the light-emitting element 120a becomes spot illumination light after passing through one or more optical elements. The lighting device 10 is also capable of adjusting the focus of an illumination pattern based on the spot illumination light.

[0161] The lighting control unit 222 is 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. In the embodiment, the lighting control unit 222 is a microcontroller. 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, an input / output port, and a processor that executes the program. The lighting control unit 222 may also be a programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a reconfigurable processor that allows the connections and settings of circuit cells in the LSI to be reconfigured. The functions performed by the lighting control unit 222 may be realized by software or hardware.

[0162] The lighting control unit 222 can control the irradiation pattern of one or more light objects irradiated onto an irradiation target by one or more lighting devices 10, based on the control instruction received by the first communication unit 223. In other words, the lighting control unit 222 causes the light-emitting module 120 to emit light by individually controlling the multiple light-emitting elements 120a.

[0163] The control instruction is an instruction input by the user to the input unit in order to project a desired light object onto the irradiation target. The control instruction includes, for example, an instruction to project a figure handwritten by the user onto the irradiation target, an instruction to select lighting control data stored in the storage unit by the user and project the selected lighting control data as a light object onto the irradiation target, etc.

[0164] The lighting control unit 222 normalizes the virtual object displayed within the virtual range so that the multiple light-emitting elements 120a arranged in a two-dimensional matrix generally coincide with the virtual range displayed on the operation screen 3a of the terminal device 3 that issues the control instructions. This results in a one-to-one correspondence between the multiple pixels included in the virtual object and the multiple light-emitting elements 120a arranged in the two-dimensional matrix. Here, the virtual object is an image displayed on the operation screen 3a of the terminal device 3, and is an image that simulates a light object formed when actual spotlight is irradiated onto an actual illumination target. The virtual range is a virtual range that simulates the illumination range, i.e., a virtual range that corresponds to the illumination range, and is the limit range within which the virtual object can be moved on the operation screen 3a of the display unit 31. The illumination range is the limit range within which a single lighting device 10 can project a light object. When multiple lighting devices 10 are installed, the illumination range is the limit range within which the multiple lighting devices 10 can project a light object.

[0165] The illumination control unit 222 identifies one or more pixels corresponding to a virtual object within the virtual range and one or more corresponding light-emitting elements 120a. The illumination control unit 222 also determines the light emission intensity of each of the one or more light-emitting elements 120a based on the pixel values ​​of the one or more pixels that make up the virtual object. The illumination control unit 222 then generates a control signal based on the identified one or more light-emitting elements 120a and the determined light emission intensity of each of the one or more light-emitting elements 120a. The control signal includes the on / off, light emission intensity, light emission period, etc. of each of the multiple light-emitting elements 120a, and is a signal that the illumination control unit 222 outputs to the drive control unit 226 to control the lighting of the light-emitting elements 120a.

[0166] The illumination control unit 222 then outputs the generated control signal to the drive control unit 226. The drive control unit 226 individually drives the multiple light-emitting elements 120a in accordance with the acquired control signal. That is, the drive control unit 226 supplies current to one or more of the multiple light-emitting elements 120a indicated in the control signal to turn them on, and does not supply current to the remaining light-emitting elements 120a indicated in the control signal to turn them off. As a result, light that becomes spot illumination light is emitted from the light-emitting module 120, and the spot illumination light is irradiated onto an illumination object, thereby forming an image of a light object on the illumination object. That is, a light object irradiated with the spot illumination light is projected onto the illumination object.

[0167] The lighting control unit 222 can control the shape, light emission intensity, hue (e.g., color temperature), pattern, position, size, etc. of the light object so that they change periodically. In other words, the lighting control unit 222 can project still image light objects and moving image light objects onto the illumination target. Therefore, the lighting control unit 222 can display the shape, light emission intensity, hue, pattern, position, size, etc. of the light object on the illumination target so that they change dynamically. In other words, in this embodiment, not only still image-like presentations but also moving image-like presentations are possible.

[0168] The first communication unit 223 can wirelessly communicate with the terminal device 3. In the present embodiment, the first communication unit 223 can wirelessly communicate via an access point. Specifically, when the first communication unit 223 wirelessly communicates with the terminal device 3, the first communication unit 223 may use short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The wireless communication method (communication standard) may be communication via a wide-area communication network such as the Internet. The communication between the first communication unit 223 and the terminal device 3 may be wired communication. The wired communication may be communication using power line communication (PLC) or a wired LAN, for example. The first communication unit 223 is realized by, for example, an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes a signal received by the antenna.

[0169] The first storage unit 224 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the illumination control unit 222. The first storage unit 224 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0170] The first storage unit 224 stores illumination control data for projecting a light object, for which an illumination pattern is set, onto an illumination target.

[0171] The power supply unit 225 supplies operating power to the lighting control unit 222 and the light-emitting module 120. The power supply unit 225 has, for example, an AC-DC converter circuit, converts AC power supplied from the commercial power source 5 into DC power, and supplies the converted DC power to the lighting control unit 222 and the light-emitting module 120.

[0172] Next, the authority assignment system 4 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0173] The authority assignment system 4 may include an authority setting unit 41 and an assignment unit 42. The authority assignment system 4 may be, for example, an information processing function of a cloud server. The authority assignment system 4 may also be a control processing circuit mounted on the lighting device 10. In this case, the lighting device 10 is provided with a separate control processing circuit. Furthermore, the authority assignment system 4 may be a separate device that is independent from the lighting device 10 and the terminal device 3. FIG. 13 illustrates a case where the authority assignment system 4 is separate from the lighting device 10 and the terminal device 3.

[0174] The authority setting unit 41 can set authority for the terminal device 3 used by the user to operate the light objects that the lighting device 10 irradiates on an irradiation target. For example, when a user accesses the authority assignment system 4 using a terminal device 3 on which a dedicated application is installed, the terminal device 3 requests, from the authority setting unit 41, operation authority for one or more light objects that a specific lighting device 10 can irradiate on an irradiation target. The authority setting unit 41 can set operation authority, which is an instruction for controlling the irradiation pattern of one or more light objects, for the terminal device 3 operated by the user. The one or more light objects set by the authority setting unit 41 for the terminal device 3 are set only for one terminal device 3. Therefore, when operation authority is set for another terminal device 3, it is set for one or more other light objects. Only one terminal device 3 can obtain operation authority for one light object.

[0175] The authority setting unit 41 can transfer the operation authority granted to the terminal device 3 to another terminal device 3. In other words, the user may operate the terminal device 3 to transfer the operation authority of one or more light objects possessed by the terminal device 3 to another terminal device 3. The other terminal device 3 will be able to operate the one or more light objects it has acquired. Furthermore, when a terminal device 3 transfers the operation authority to another terminal device 3, the terminal device 3 will no longer be able to operate the one or more transferred light objects.

[0176] When a terminal device 3 transfers operation authority to two or more terminal devices 3, the authority setting unit 41 stops the transfer of operation authority to the terminal device 3 to which the operation authority is being transferred. In other words, it is possible to prevent two or more terminal devices 3 (operation IDs) from being linked to one light object.

[0177] The allocating unit 42 sets a virtual range that simulates an illumination range that one or more lighting devices 10 can illuminate on an illumination target. The allocating unit 42 allocates, to a terminal device 3 for which operation authority has been set, a range within the set virtual range that the terminal device 3 can operate, and can limit the range of operation authority for each operation ID uniquely assigned to the terminal device 3. The operation ID is, for example, an IP address, but may also be a device ID or the like.

[0178] 14 , when operation authority is set for the first terminal device 210, the assigning unit 42 assigns a range within the virtual range in which operation by the first terminal device 210 is permitted as a first range, and can limit the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3. When operation authority is set for the second terminal device 220, the assigning unit 42 assigns a range within the virtual range in which operation by the second terminal device 220 is permitted as a second range, and can limit the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the assigned terminal device 3. When the assigning unit 42 assigns the first range to the first terminal device 210 and the second range to the second terminal device 220, the first range and the second range do not need to overlap, or may overlap at least partially. The width, size, shape, position within the virtual range, etc. of the first range and the second range are appropriately set by the assigning unit 42 depending on the number of people operating the light object.

[0179] The ranges (ranges in which operations are permitted) assigned to each of the multiple terminal devices 3 may be set in advance, or the assigned ranges may be set as appropriate.

[0180] The display unit 31a of the first terminal device 210 for which operation authority has been set displays the first range assigned to the first terminal device 210. The first range of the first terminal device 210 corresponds to the "range corresponding to the first range" of the illumination range indicated by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 14 . The display unit 31b of the second terminal device 220 for which operation authority has been set displays the second range assigned to the second terminal device 220. The second range of the second terminal device 220 corresponds to the "range corresponding to the second range" of the illumination range indicated by the dashed-two-dot line in FIG. 14 . To avoid confusion, in the lighting control system 1, the second range is not displayed on the first terminal device 210, and the first range is not displayed on the second terminal device 220.

[0181] Although the first range is displayed on the operation screen 3 a of the display unit 31 a of the first terminal device 210, the entire virtual range may be displayed instead. In this case, the first range is displayed within the virtual range on the operation screen 3 a of the display unit 31 a.

[0182] Similarly, the second range is displayed on the operation screen 3 a of the display unit 31 b of the second terminal device 220, but the entire virtual range may also be displayed. In this case, the second range is also displayed within the virtual range on the operation screen 3 a of the display unit 31 b.

[0183] The first terminal device 210 can receive an operation input that is an instruction to control the irradiation pattern of a first light object for which operation authority is set within the first range, and the second terminal device 220 can receive an operation input that is an instruction to control the irradiation pattern of a second light object for which operation authority different from that of the first light object is set within the second range.

[0184] Next, the terminal device 3 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0185] 12 and 13 , the terminal device 3 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. In the embodiment, the terminal device 3 is a tablet terminal. Note that the terminal device 3 may be, for example, a device fixed to a wall or the like, or a device such as a desktop or laptop personal computer.

[0186] The terminal devices 3 include a first terminal device 210 and a second terminal device 220. In this embodiment, two terminal devices 3 are illustrated, but this is merely an example, and the terminal devices 3 may include a third or subsequent terminal device 3. Because the first terminal device 210 and the second terminal device 220 have the same configuration and function, in this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, they may be simply referred to as the terminal device 3 as a general term including the first terminal device 210 and the second terminal device 220.

[0187] The terminal device 3 can accept an operation input that serves as an instruction to control the irradiation pattern of a light object. That is, the terminal device 3 can accept an operation input that serves as an instruction to control the irradiation pattern of a light object for which operation authority has been set. Once the terminal device 3 has the operation authority for the light object, the user can operate the light object for which operation authority has been set and which is emitted by the lighting device 10 via the terminal device 3.

[0188] The terminal device 3 can receive and acquire lighting control data of a light object transmitted from an external device. Furthermore, when a secondary storage device such as a flash memory is connected by a user, the terminal device 3 can acquire lighting control data from the secondary storage device. Here, the external device may be another mobile terminal, another device fixed to a wall or the like, or another personal computer.

[0189] The terminal device 3 includes a display unit 31, an input unit 32, a display control unit 33, a second storage unit 34, and a second communication unit 35. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the display unit 31 a of the first terminal device 210 and the display unit 31 b of the second terminal device 220 may be collectively referred to simply as the display unit 31.

[0190] The display unit 31 displays a virtual object that virtually imitates a light object that is to be irradiated onto an irradiation target.

[0191] When the user performs an input operation of tracing the operation screen 3a of the display unit 31, the display unit 31 can display characters, figures, pictures, etc. handwritten by the user.

[0192] The display unit 31 is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display panel, etc. In the embodiment, the display unit 31 is realized by a touch panel display having a touch sensor as the input unit 32.

[0193] The input unit 32 detects a user's operation and inputs the user's operation. Specifically, the input unit 32 detects the movement of an operating object touching the operation screen 3a of the display unit 31. That is, the input unit 32 accepts input by detecting the movement of the operating object. Here, the operating object is the user's finger, a pen, a pointing device such as a mouse, or the like. The input unit 32 acquires a control instruction based on the user's operation input.

[0194] When a user wants to project a desired light object onto an illumination target, the user can input a control instruction indicating the desired light object to the input unit 32. The user can also select lighting control data stored in the second storage unit 34 and input a control instruction for executing the selected lighting control data via the input unit 32.

[0195] The input unit 32 outputs a control instruction based on the user's operation input to the second communication unit 35. As a result, the second communication unit 35 transmits the control instruction to the lighting device 10 via the authority assignment system 4. Note that the second communication unit 35 can also transmit the control instruction directly to the lighting device 10. In this case, the lighting device 10 may have a function of determining whether the terminal device 3 has the operation authority and whether the light object can be operated based on the operation ID of the terminal device 3.

[0196] The display control unit 33 is realized, for example, by an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. Note that the integrated circuit is not limited to an LSI, and may be a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. In the embodiment, the display control unit 33 is a microcontroller. 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, and a processor that executes the program. Furthermore, the display control unit 33 may be a programmable FPGA or a reconfigurable processor that allows the connections and settings of circuit cells in the LSI to be reconfigured. The functions performed by the display control unit 33 may be realized by software or hardware.

[0197] The display control unit 33 can control the display unit 31. Specifically, the display control unit 33 controls the display unit 31 to display a setting image for adjusting the irradiation pattern of the light object, a virtual object imitating the light object of the irradiation pattern input via the input unit 32, and the like. For example, when a user operates the setting image via the input unit 32 to input (adjust) the irradiation pattern of the light object, the display control unit 33 controls the display unit 31 to change the virtual object in conjunction with the user's operation input. The setting image is, for example, an image that allows the user to set the shape, light emission intensity, hue, pattern, position, size, and the like of the virtual object. The display unit 31 displays ranges (first range and second range) that the user can operate to input to adjust the irradiation pattern of the light object, as well as the virtual object, so that the user can grasp the shape, light emission intensity, hue, pattern, position, size, and the like of the virtual object.

[0198] The display control unit 33 can display the virtual object so that its shape, light emission intensity, hue, pattern, position, size, etc. change periodically. That is, the display control unit 33 can cause the display unit 31 to display the virtual object as a still image or a moving image. Therefore, the display control unit 33 can display the virtual object so that its shape, light emission intensity, hue, pattern, position, size, etc. change dynamically. In the present embodiment, the display control unit 33 can cause the display unit 31 to perform not only a still image-like presentation but also a moving image-like presentation. In this case, the illumination control unit 222 controls the drive control unit 226 so that the light emission state of the plurality of light-emitting elements 120a changes in conjunction with changes in the virtual object displayed on the display unit 31.

[0199] The second storage unit 34 stores illumination control data for projecting a light object, for which an illumination pattern is set, onto an illumination target. The illumination control data includes data set in advance and data set by the user.

[0200] The second storage unit 34 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the display control unit 33. The second storage unit 34 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory. The second storage unit 34 may store the above-mentioned lighting control data.

[0201] The second communication unit 35 communicates with the lighting device 10 and the external device. In the embodiment, the second communication unit 35 communicates wirelessly with the lighting device 10 and the external device. When the second communication unit 35 communicates wirelessly between the lighting device 10 and the external device, the second communication unit 35 may use short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or a wireless local area network (LAN). The wireless communication method (communication standard) may be communication via a wide area communication network such as the Internet. The communication between the second communication unit 35 and the lighting device 10 and the external device may be wired communication. The wired communication may be communication using power line communication (PLC) or a wired LAN, for example. The second communication unit 35 is realized by, for example, an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes signals received by the antenna.

[0202] <Operation Example 1> Next, a first operation example performed by the lighting control system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Specifically, a method in which a user obtains the operation authority for a light object using the terminal device 3 will be described.

[0203] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the lighting control system 1 when obtaining the operation authority for a light object.

[0204] First, as shown in FIG. 15 , a user accesses the authority assignment system 4 using a terminal device 3 on which a dedicated application is installed. A connection request for the user to obtain operation authority for one or more optical objects is input to the input unit 32 of the terminal device 3. The terminal device 3 makes a connection request for operation authority for one or more optical objects to the authority setting unit 41 of the authority assignment system 4 (S11a). The connection request for operation authority includes an operation ID for identifying the terminal device 3. The authority setting unit 41 associates the operation ID with one or more optical objects to which the operation authority has been assigned. In other words, the authority setting unit 41 assigns operation authority for controlling the irradiation pattern of one or more optical objects to each operation ID of the terminal device 3, which is assigned individually and independently, and associates the operation ID with the optical object.

[0205] Next, when the authority setting unit 41 acquires a connection request for operation authority from the terminal device 3, it sets operation authority for the terminal device 3 to operate the light objects that the lighting device 10 irradiates onto the illumination target (S12a). The authority setting unit 41 stores the device ID included in the connection request acquired from the terminal device 3 in a database. The authority setting unit 41 transmits an operation permission notification to the terminal device 3 for which the operation authority has been set. By receiving the operation permission notification, the terminal device 3 can operate one or more light objects for which the operation authority has been set.

[0206] Then, the lighting control system 1 ends the flowchart of FIG.

[0207] This allows the operation terminal to adjust the illumination pattern of the light object.

[0208] 16 and 17, a second operation example performed by the lighting control system 1 will be described. Specifically, a method in which a user sets an irradiation pattern of a light object using the terminal device 3 will be described.

[0209] Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the lighting control system 1 when a user sets an irradiation pattern of a light object using the terminal device 3. This operation example assumes that the terminal device 3 has acquired operation authority. Fig. 17 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which a first user sets an irradiation pattern of a light object to be irradiated on an irradiation range using the first terminal device 210, and a first range and a virtual object displayed on the first terminal device 210.

[0210] 16 , a user accesses the authority assignment system 4 using a terminal device 3 on which a dedicated application is installed. The authority assignment system 4 acquires an operation ID assigned to the terminal device 3 and one or more light objects associated with the operation ID. The assignment unit 42 of the authority assignment system 4 sets a virtual range simulating an illumination range that one or more lighting devices 10 can illuminate on an illumination target, based on the accessed terminal device 3 (S21).

[0211] Next, the allocation unit 42 allocates, to the terminal device 3 for which the operation authority has been set, a range within the set virtual range that the terminal device 3 can operate, and limits the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3 (S22). The allocation unit 42 associates the operation ID of the terminal device 3, one or more light objects, and the range that the terminal device 3 can operate.

[0212] 17 , when only the first terminal device 210 is accessing the authority assignment system 4, the assignment unit 42 assigns to the first terminal device 210, for which operation authority has been set, a first range within the set virtual range that the first terminal device 210 can operate, thereby restricting the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3. Note that the first range is at least a part of the virtual range, but since only the first terminal device 210 is accessing in FIG. 17 , the assignment unit 42 may set the entire virtual range as the first range.

[0213] In this case, when a second terminal device 220 accesses the authority assignment system 4 in addition to the first terminal device 210, the assignment unit 42 assigns to the second terminal device 220, for which operation authority has been set, a second range within the set virtual range that the second terminal device 220 can operate, thereby limiting the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3. Note that although the second range is at least a part of the virtual range, the assignment unit 42 may set the entire virtual range to the first range. In this case, the assignment unit 42 may set the entire virtual range to the second range for the second terminal device 220 without narrowing the first range.

[0214] 14 , in another example, a first terminal device 210 and a second terminal device 220 access the authority assignment system 4. The assignment unit 42 assigns, to the first terminal device 210 for which operation authority has been set, a first range within the virtual range in which the first terminal device 210 can operate, and limits the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3. Furthermore, the assignment unit 42 assigns, to the second terminal device 220 for which operation authority has been set, a second range within the virtual range in which the second terminal device 220 can operate, and limits the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3.

[0215] The first range and the second range do not have to overlap. For example, the allocation unit 42 may divide the virtual range into two, and set one as the first range and the other as the second range.

[0216] The first range and the second range may overlap at least partially. For example, the allocating unit 42 may set a part of the virtual range as the first range, and set a part of the virtual range as the second range so as to overlap at least partially with the first range.

[0217] The allocation unit 42 transmits the allocated range, which is a range in which the terminal device 3 can be operated, to the terminal device 3. For example, the allocation unit 42 transmits a first range to the first terminal device 210 and a second range to the second terminal device 220.

[0218] Next, the display control unit 33 of the terminal device 3 displays the range assigned by the assignment unit 42 of the authority assignment system 4 and one or more virtual objects on the display unit 31 (S23). Specifically, the display control unit 33 of the terminal device 3 acquires the range assigned by the assignment unit 42 of the authority assignment system 4, and displays the acquired range on the display unit 31, and also displays one or more virtual objects for which the user has operation authority on the display unit 31 so as to be superimposed on the range. As a result, the range assigned by the assignment unit 42 and the virtual objects arranged in the range are displayed on the operation screen 3a of the display unit 31.

[0219] 14 , a first range and a virtual object are displayed on the display unit 31 a of the first terminal device 210, and a second range and a virtual object are displayed on the display unit 31 b of the second terminal device 220. The second range is not displayed on the display unit 31 a of the first terminal device 210, while the first range is not displayed on the display unit 31 b of the second terminal device 220. This prevents a mixture of operations between a first user who adjusts the irradiation pattern of a light object by inputting an operation to the input unit 32 of the first terminal device 210 and a second user who adjusts the irradiation pattern of a light object by inputting an operation to the input unit 32 of the second terminal device 220.

[0220] In addition, in order to allow the user to know which range of the illuminated range and which light object the user can operate, the authority assignment system 4 may control the lighting device 10 to emit light to indicate the operable range and light object.

[0221] The user administrator may be able to view the operable ranges and light objects assigned to all terminal devices 3 .

[0222] Furthermore, when the user performs an operation input on the terminal device 3, the virtual object displayed on the display unit 31 of the terminal device 3 changes, and the light object formed on the actual illumination target also changes in tandem. That is, the display control unit 33 causes the display unit 31 to display the change in the virtual object, and the illumination control unit 222 selectively controls each of the multiple light-emitting elements 120a in accordance with a control instruction based on the user's operation input, thereby synchronizing the change in the light object with the light object being projected onto the illumination target. This allows the user to adjust the light object while simultaneously viewing the light object displayed on the illumination target and the virtual object on the display unit 31.

[0223] Furthermore, since the authority assignment system 4 links the operation ID of the terminal device 3 with one or more light objects and the range in which the terminal device 3 can operate, it does not respond in any way to a connection request from a terminal device 3 with a different operation ID.

[0224] Then, the lighting control system 1 ends the flowchart of FIG.

[0225] This allows both users to adjust the irradiation pattern of the light object within the range assigned to each terminal device 3 by operating and inputting to the input unit 32.

[0226] <Effects> The effects of the terminal device 3, lighting control system 1, control method, and program according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[0227] The prior art discloses an operation assistance device that determines to which of a plurality of users operation information for an operation surface operable by a plurality of users is to be associated.

[0228] However, in conventional operation assistance devices, when multiple users want to operate a projector using user terminals, each user must first be associated with the corresponding user terminal and then operate the operation surface one by one. Therefore, when multiple users operate a projector, it becomes difficult for each user to operate smoothly. Therefore, it is conceivable to associate each terminal operated by multiple users on the operation surface of the multiple terminals. In this case, there is a problem that operations conflict between the users, making it impossible for any user to operate the projector, and making operation cumbersome.

[0229] As described above, the device of technique 15 in this embodiment is a lighting control system 1 of technique 15, which is included in a lighting control system and includes a lighting control unit 222 that controls the irradiation pattern of one or more light objects irradiated by one or more light sources (lighting devices 10) onto an irradiation target, and an authority setting unit 41 that sets operation authority for controlling the irradiation pattern of the one or more light objects to one terminal device 3 that is capable of inputting operations that serve as instructions for controlling the lighting control unit 222.

[0230] According to this, since the operation authority of one or more light objects can be set for the terminal device 3, only the authorized terminal device 3 can operate the first light object. Therefore, it becomes possible for multiple users to operate the lighting device 10 simultaneously without causing conflicts between their operations.

[0231] Therefore, according to the present disclosure, multiple users can simultaneously operate the lighting device 10 without causing conflict between their operations.

[0232] Furthermore, the lighting control system 1 of Technique 16 in this embodiment is the lighting control system 1 described in Technique 15. In this case, the authority setting unit 41 grants operation authority to control the irradiation pattern of one or more light objects for each operation ID of the terminal device 3 that is individually and independently given.

[0233] According to this, each operation ID is given the authority to operate one or more light objects, so that multiple users can simultaneously operate the lighting device 10 without conflicting with each other in their operations.

[0234] Furthermore, a lighting control system 1 according to Technology 17 of the present embodiment is the lighting control system 1 described in Technology 16. In this case, the terminal device 3 includes a first terminal device 210, and is configured to set a virtual range simulating an irradiation range in which one or more light sources (lighting devices 10) can irradiate an irradiation target, and to assign to the first terminal device 210 a first range within the set virtual range that can be operated by the first terminal device 210, and to limit the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3, and the first terminal device 210 accepts an operation input as an instruction to control the irradiation pattern of a first light object, for which authority is set, among one or more light objects, within the first range.

[0235] According to this, the allocation unit 42 can allocate a first range that can be operated to the first terminal device 210 and limit the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3, so that the user can adjust the irradiation pattern of the first light object within this first range.

[0236] Furthermore, a lighting control system 1 according to Technology 18 of the present embodiment is the lighting control system 1 according to Technology 17. In this case, a plurality of light objects are projected onto the illumination target, the terminal device 3 includes a second terminal device 220, the assigning unit 42 assigns a second range within the set virtual range that can be operated by the second terminal device 220 to the second terminal device 220, and limits the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3, and the second terminal device 220 accepts an operation input that is an instruction to control the illumination pattern of the second light object, for which authority is set, among the plurality of light objects, within the second range.

[0237] According to this, operation authority is given to each of the first terminal device 210 and the second terminal device 220, and it becomes possible to control the irradiation pattern of the light object for which operation authority is given to each terminal device 3. Therefore, it becomes possible for multiple users to operate the lighting device 10 simultaneously without causing conflict between their operations.

[0238] Furthermore, a lighting control system 1 according to Technique 19 of the present embodiment is the lighting control system 1 according to Technique 18. In this case, when the allocation unit 42 allocates the first range to the first terminal device 210 and the allocation unit 42 allocates the second range to the second terminal device 220, the first range and the second range at least partially overlap.

[0239] According to this, since the first range and the second range can be set so that they at least partially overlap, a certain range in which a user can operate can be secured even if the illumination range is narrow. Furthermore, by assigning an operation range in which a user can operate to each terminal device 3 and restricting the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3, multiple users can operate the lighting device 10 simultaneously without conflicting operations.

[0240] Furthermore, the lighting control system 1 of Technique 20 in this embodiment is the lighting control system 1 described in Technique 18. In this case, when the allocation unit 42 allocates the first range to the first terminal device 210 and the allocation unit 42 allocates the second range to the second terminal device 220, the first range and the second range do not overlap.

[0241] This allows the first range and the second range to be set so as not to overlap, thereby preventing the first light object operated by the first user via the first terminal device 210 from overlapping the second light object operated by the second user via the second terminal device 220 in the illumination range. This allows each user to project a light object with a desired illumination pattern onto the illumination target at a different location in the illumination range, improving usability. Furthermore, by assigning an operable operation range to each user and restricting the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3, multiple users can simultaneously operate the lighting device 10 without conflicting with each other.

[0242] Furthermore, a lighting control system 1 according to Technology 21 of the present embodiment is the lighting control system 1 according to any one of Technology 18 to Technology 20. In this case, the lighting control system 1 includes one or more light sources (lighting devices 10), a first terminal device 210 having a display unit 31a that displays an assigned first range, and a second terminal device 220 having a display unit 31b that displays an assigned second range.

[0243] This means that even if a first range is assigned to the first terminal device 210 and a second range is assigned to the second terminal device 220, the first user using the first terminal device 210 and the second user using the second terminal device 220 can operate the lighting device 10 simultaneously without causing conflict between their operations.

[0244] Furthermore, the lighting control system 1 of Technique 22 in this embodiment is the lighting control system 1 described in any one of Techniques 15 to 21. In this case, the authority setting unit 41 can transfer the operation authority granted to the terminal device 3 to another terminal device 3.

[0245] This allows another user to use the unused light object to project the light object onto an illumination target.

[0246] Furthermore, the lighting control system 1 of Technology 23 in this embodiment is the lighting control system 1 described in Technology 22. In this case, when a terminal device 3 attempts to transfer operation authority to a plurality of other terminal devices 3, the authority setting unit 41 stops the transfer of operation authority to the terminal device 3 that is attempting to transfer the operation authority.

[0247] This makes it possible to prevent multiple operation authorities from being set for one light object.

[0248] Furthermore, the lighting control method of technique 24 in this embodiment includes the lighting control unit 222 controlling the irradiation patterns of one or more light objects irradiated onto an irradiation target by one or more light sources (lighting devices 10), the terminal device 3 accepting operation inputs that serve as instructions for controlling the lighting control unit 222, and the authority setting unit 41 setting operation authority for controlling the irradiation patterns of the one or more light objects for one terminal device 3 that is capable of receiving operation inputs that serve as instructions for controlling the lighting control unit 222.

[0249] This lighting control method also provides the same effects as the lighting control system 1 described above.

[0250] Further, the program of Technique 25 in this embodiment is a program that enables a computer to execute the lighting control method described in Technique 24.

[0251] This program also provides the same effects as the lighting control system 1 described above.

[0252] (Other Modifications) The device, terminal device, lighting system, control method, lighting control system, lighting control method, and program according to the present disclosure have been described above based on the above-mentioned embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. As long as the modifications do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications that would occur to those skilled in the art may also be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0253] For example, on the device selection screen related to the device, terminal device, lighting system, control method, and program in the above-described embodiments, the movement of the illumination range may be made automatic by utilizing data acquired by a sensor such as a camera mounted on or connected to the terminal device 30.

[0254] Furthermore, an illumination image that serves as an illumination light pattern may be set within the illumination range on the device selection screen and the illumination range selection screen related to the device, terminal device, lighting system, control method, and program of the above-described embodiments. In other words, the display control unit 134 may be able to control the display unit 31 so as to operate the illumination image (illumination light pattern) within the illumination range in response to an instruction input to the input unit 32.

[0255] Furthermore, in the device, terminal device, lighting system, control method, and program according to the above-described embodiments, the respective illumination ranges may be displayed in an overlapping manner on the display unit 31 so that they can be distinguished. That is, the display control unit 134 may cause the display unit 31 to display multiple illumination ranges so that they overlap.

[0256] Furthermore, in the device, terminal device, lighting system, control method, and program according to the above-described embodiments, the input unit 32 may accept information such as a "name" or an "IP address" as information for identifying each illumination range. In this case, the display control unit 134 may control the display unit 31 to display the information such as a "name" or an "IP address" as information for identifying each illumination range superimposed on the illumination target image. The display unit 31 may also be controlled to display the information for identifying the illumination range superimposed on the illumination target image so as to indicate (accompany) the illumination range. This allows the user to easily identify the actually installed lighting device 10 from the information for identifying the illumination range displayed on the display unit 31, for example, when replacing the lighting device 10 or correcting the position and orientation of the lighting device 10.

[0257] Furthermore, in the device, terminal device, lighting system, control method, and program in the above-described embodiments, the user inputs information into the terminal device 30 to adjust the display content on the display screen to match the range and position of the illumination light pattern irradiated by the lighting device 10 onto the object to be irradiated. However, for example, the imaging unit of the terminal device 30 may capture images of multiple illumination light patterns being irradiated onto the object to be irradiated, and the display control unit 134 may automatically adjust the display content on the display screen based on the images captured by the imaging unit.

[0258] Furthermore, the lighting device 10 used in the device, terminal device, lighting system, control method, and program in the above-described embodiments may be a movable lighting fixture equipped with a drive mechanism for adjusting pan, tilt, and focus.

[0259] For example, in the device, lighting control system 1, lighting control method, and program according to the above-described embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14 , when the first terminal device 210 adjusts the irradiation pattern of a first light object and the second terminal device 220 adjusts the irradiation pattern of a second light object, the allocation unit 42 of the lighting control system 1 may further allocate a third range of the set virtual range to a third terminal device having operation authority, thereby restricting the range of operation authority for each operation ID of the terminal device 3. In other words, the allocation unit 42 may further add a range that another terminal device 3 can operate. In this case, the third user inputs an operation to the input unit 32 of the third terminal device while viewing the virtual pattern within the third range displayed on the third terminal device. This adjusts the irradiation pattern of the third light object.

[0260] Furthermore, in the device, lighting control system 1, lighting control method, and program according to the above-described embodiments, when there are two lighting devices 10, for example, the allocation unit 42 may grant the first terminal device 210 the authority to operate one lighting device 10, and may grant the second terminal device 220 the authority to operate the other lighting device 10. In other words, the allocation unit 42 may grant operation authority to the terminal device 3 for each lighting device 10. Note that the allocation unit 42 may grant operation authority to one terminal device 3 for each of two or more lighting devices 10.

[0261] In the devices, terminal devices, lighting systems, control methods, lighting control systems, lighting control methods, and programs described in the above embodiments, the division of functional blocks in the block diagrams is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be moved to another functional block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in time-sharing by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0262] The order in which the steps in the flowchart are executed is merely an example for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and other orders may be used. Also, some of the steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps.

[0263] In addition, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by making various modifications to the above embodiments that a person skilled in the art would think of, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the embodiments within the scope that does not deviate from the intent of this disclosure.

[0264] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Lighting control system (device) 3 Terminal device (device) 10 Lighting device (light source) 12 Light-emitting module (light source) 30 Terminal device 31 Display unit 31a Display unit of first terminal device 31b Display unit of second terminal device 32 Input unit 34 Second memory unit (memory unit) 41 Authority setting unit 42 Assignment unit 100 Lighting system 121 Light-emitting element (light source) 133 Lighting control unit 134 Display control unit 221 Acquisition unit 210 First terminal device 220 Second terminal device

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: an input unit to which instructions are input for controlling a light pattern irradiated onto an object by emitting one or more spot illumination lights from one or more light sources; and an illumination control unit that outputs the instructions for controlling an illumination light pattern projected onto the object by the one or more spot illumination lights by selectively controlling each of the multiple light sources in accordance with the instructions input to the input unit.

2. The device according to claim 1 is a terminal device comprising: an input unit to which the instructions for controlling a plurality of light sources capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights onto an irradiation object are input; an illumination control unit which outputs the instructions for controlling an illumination light pattern projected on the irradiation object by the one or more spot illumination lights by selectively controlling each of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the instructions input to the input unit; a display unit which displays an illumination object image showing the irradiation object; and a display control unit which controls the display unit to display an illumination image showing the illumination light pattern that illuminates the irradiation object in accordance with the instructions, superimposed on the irradiation object image.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display an illumination range in which one or more of the spot illumination lights can be irradiated onto the illumination object, superimposed on the illumination object image.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit so as to manipulate at least one of the illumination image and the illumination range in response to the instruction input to the input unit, and the illumination control unit selectively controls each of the multiple light sources in response to the instruction.

5. A terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the display control unit causes the illumination image to be superimposed on the image of the object to be irradiated and displayed on the display unit, and the illumination control unit selectively controls each of the multiple light sources in response to the instruction to project the illumination light pattern onto the object to be irradiated, synchronized.

6. The terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the multiple light sources include one or more first light sources and one or more second light sources, the lighting control unit controls a first lighting light pattern projected on the illuminated object by the spot lighting light emitted by the one or more first light sources and a second lighting light pattern projected on the illuminated object by the spot lighting light emitted by the one or more second light sources, and the display control unit controls the display unit to display a first lighting image indicating the first lighting light pattern and a second lighting image indicating the second lighting light pattern superimposed on the illuminated object image.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display grouping information including (1) the first illumination image and the second illumination image which have been grouped, and (2) a set range which is a combination of an illumination range in which one or more of the first light sources can illuminate the illumination object with the spot illumination light and an illumination range in which one or more of the second light sources can illuminate the illumination object with the spot illumination light, superimposed on the illumination object image.

8. The terminal device according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit groups the first illumination image and the second illumination image, and the illumination control unit controls the first light source and the second light source so that the first illumination light pattern and the second illumination light pattern are projected in conjunction with each other on the illuminated object.

9. A terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a memory unit which stores lighting control data for projecting the lighting light pattern onto the irradiation object, wherein the lighting control unit selectively controls each of the plurality of light sources based on the lighting control data, and the display control unit controls the display unit to display the lighting image indicating the lighting light pattern projected onto the irradiation object in accordance with the lighting control data, superimposed on the irradiation object image.

10. The terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising an acquisition unit for acquiring the image of the irradiation object.

11. The terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the plurality of light sources include a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in an array.

12. A lighting system comprising: a terminal device according to any one of claims 2 to 4; and a plurality of light sources capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights onto the object to be illuminated.

13. A control method including: inputting, into an input unit, instructions for controlling a plurality of light sources capable of emitting one or more spot illumination lights onto an irradiation object; a lighting control unit controlling an illumination light pattern projected onto the irradiation object by the one or more spot illumination lights by selectively controlling each of the plurality of light sources in accordance with the instructions inputted into the input unit; a display unit displaying an irradiation object image showing the irradiation object; and a display control unit controlling the display unit to display, in accordance with the instructions, an illumination image showing the illumination light pattern illuminating the irradiation object, superimposed on the irradiation object image.

14. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 13.

15. The device according to claim 1 is included in a lighting control system and comprises: a lighting control unit that controls the irradiation pattern of one or more light objects irradiated by one or more light sources onto an irradiation target; and an authority setting unit that sets operation authority for controlling the irradiation pattern of one or more of the light objects to one terminal device capable of inputting operations that become the instructions for controlling the lighting control unit.

16. The lighting control system according to claim 15, wherein the authority setting unit grants operation authority for controlling the irradiation pattern of one or more of the light objects for each operation ID of the terminal device that is individually and independently given.

17. The lighting control system according to claim 16, wherein the terminal device includes a first terminal device, and is provided with an assignment unit that sets a virtual range simulating an irradiation range in which one or more of the light sources can irradiate the irradiation object, assigns a first range within the set virtual range that the first terminal device can operate to the first terminal device, and limits a range of operation authority for each operation ID, and the first terminal device accepts an operation input that is the instruction for controlling the irradiation pattern of a first light object, for which authority is set, among the one or more light objects, within the first range.

18. A lighting control system as described in claim 17, wherein a plurality of the light objects are projected onto the illuminated object, the terminal device includes a second terminal device, the allocation unit allocates to the second terminal device a second range within the set virtual range that the second terminal device can operate, and limits the range of operation authority for each of the operation IDs, and the second terminal device accepts an operation input that is the instruction for controlling the illumination pattern of a second light object, for which authority is set, among the plurality of light objects, within the second range.

19. A lighting control system as described in claim 18, wherein when the allocation unit allocates the first range to the first terminal device and the allocation unit allocates the second range to the second terminal device, the first range and the second range at least partially overlap.

20. A lighting control system as described in claim 18, wherein when the allocation unit allocates the first range to the first terminal device and when the allocation unit allocates the second range to the second terminal device, the first range and the second range do not overlap.

21. A lighting control system as described in any one of claims 18 to 20, comprising: one or more light sources; a first terminal device having a display unit that displays the assigned first range; and a second terminal device having a display unit that displays the assigned second range.

22. A lighting control system according to any one of claims 15 to 20, wherein the authority setting unit is capable of transferring the operating authority granted to the terminal device to another terminal device.

23. The lighting control system of claim 22, wherein, when the terminal device attempts to transfer operating authority to a plurality of other terminal devices, the authority setting unit stops the transfer of operating authority to the terminal device to which the operating authority is to be transferred.

24. A lighting control method comprising: a lighting control unit controlling the irradiation pattern of one or more light objects irradiated by one or more light sources onto an irradiation target; a terminal device receiving operation input serving as instructions for controlling the lighting control unit; and an authority setting unit setting operation authority for controlling the irradiation pattern of one or more of the light objects for one terminal device capable of inputting operation input serving as the instructions for controlling the lighting control unit.

25. A program capable of causing a computer to execute the lighting control method according to claim 24.

Images