Illumination design support system and illumination design support method

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of reducing the time required for illumination design for a target facility. This illumination design support system (1) comprises an input unit (31), a storage unit (22), an estimation unit (211), and a generation unit (212). The input unit (31) receives inputs of request information and facility information. The storage unit (22) stores a plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure after an illumination design using one or more luminaires. The estimation unit (211) estimates a second spatial structure that is a spatial structure of the target facility (100) on the basis of the facility information. The generation unit (212) generates space information, about the target facility (100) after the illumination design, on the basis of the request information. The generation unit (212) reads a first spatial structure similar to the second spatial structure, among the plurality of first spatial structures stored in the storage unit (22), as a similar structure from the storage unit (22), and generates space information on the basis of structure information that is information pertaining to the similar structure.

Description

Lighting design support system and lighting design support method

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a lighting design support system and a lighting design support method, and more particularly to a lighting design support system and a lighting design support method that support the lighting design of a target facility.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a lighting simulation method using the Internet, in which floor plan information input as a floor plan through an Internet terminal is converted into a three-dimensional image and displayed on the screen of the Internet terminal, lighting fixtures selected according to the floor plan information are compositely displayed on the three-dimensional image, and the lighting effect of the lighting fixtures is simulated.

[0003] The lighting simulation method described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it takes a long time to simulate the lighting effect, and therefore it takes a long time to present the lighting effect. In other words, the lighting simulation method described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it takes a long time to design the lighting.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-334119

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a lighting design support system and a lighting design support method that can shorten the time required for lighting design of a target facility.

[0006] A lighting design support system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a lighting design support system that supports lighting design of a target facility. The lighting design support system includes an input unit, a storage unit, an estimation unit, and a generation unit. The input unit receives input of request information, which is information related to a user's requests, and facility information, which is information related to the target facility. The storage unit stores a plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure after the lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures. The estimation unit estimates a second spatial structure, which is a spatial structure of the target facility, based on the facility information received by the input unit. The generation unit generates spatial information of the target facility after the lighting design based on the request information received by the input unit. The generation unit reads out from the storage unit a first spatial structure that is similar to the second spatial structure from the plurality of first spatial structures stored in the storage unit as a similar structure. The generation unit generates the spatial information based on structural information, which is information related to the similar structure.

[0007] A lighting design support system according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a lighting design support system that supports lighting design of a target facility. The lighting design support system includes an input unit, a storage unit, and a generation unit. The input unit accepts input of facility information, which is information about the target facility, and fixture information, which is information about first lighting fixtures. The storage unit stores a plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure after the lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures. The generation unit generates spatial information of the target facility after the lighting design. The generation unit reads out, from the storage unit, a first spatial structure similar to a second spatial structure, which is a spatial structure of the target facility, from the plurality of first spatial structures stored in the storage unit as a similar structure. The generation unit extracts, from the similar structure, a similar lighting fixture, which is a second lighting fixture similar to the first lighting fixture, from the one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure. The generation unit generates the spatial information in which the first lighting fixture is arranged in the second spatial structure based on positional information of the similar lighting fixtures in the similar structure.

[0008] A lighting design support method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a lighting design support method for supporting lighting design of a target facility. The lighting design support method includes an input step, an estimation step, and a generation step. The input step accepts input of request information, which is information regarding a user's requests, and facility information, which is information regarding the target facility. The estimation step estimates a spatial structure of the target facility based on the facility information accepted in the input step. The generation step generates spatial information of the target facility after the lighting design based on the request information accepted in the input step. The generation step reads out, from a storage unit that stores a plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure after the lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures, a first spatial structure that is similar to a second spatial structure, which is the spatial structure of the target facility, as a similar structure. The generation step generates the spatial information based on structural information, which is information regarding the similar structure.

[0009] A lighting design support method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a lighting design support method for supporting lighting design of a target facility. The lighting design support method includes an input step and a generation step. The input step accepts input of facility information, which is information about the target facility, and fixture information, which is information about first lighting fixtures. The generation step generates spatial information of the target facility after the lighting design. The generation step reads, from a storage unit that stores a plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure after the lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures, a first spatial structure similar to a second spatial structure, which is a spatial structure of the target facility, as a similar structure. The generation step extracts, from the similar structure, a similar lighting fixture, which is a second lighting fixture similar to the first lighting fixture, from the one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure. The generation step generates the spatial information in which the first lighting fixture is arranged in the second spatial structure based on positional information of the similar lighting fixtures in the similar structure.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a lighting design support system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an information terminal used in the lighting design support system displaying a first image as facility information. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an information terminal used in the lighting design support system displaying a second image as request information. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of output from the information terminal used in the lighting design support system. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a lighting design support method executed by the lighting design support system. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a generation unit of a lighting design support system according to a second modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of output from an information terminal used in a lighting design support system according to a third modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of output from an information terminal used in a lighting design support system according to a fourth modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a control unit of a lighting design support system according to a fifth modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an information terminal used in the lighting design support system displaying a first image as facility information. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an information terminal used in the lighting design support system of the same embodiment, displaying a second image as request information. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example output of the information terminal used in the lighting design support system of the same embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a lighting design support system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an information terminal used in the lighting design support system of the same embodiment, displaying a first image as facility information. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an information terminal used in the lighting design support system of the same embodiment, displaying a second image as fixture information. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example output of an information terminal used in the lighting design support system of the same embodiment. FIGS. 17A to 17C are schematic diagrams explaining the operation of a generation unit of the lighting design support system of the same embodiment. FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a lighting design support method executed by the lighting design support system of the same embodiment. FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a generation unit of a lighting design support system according to a first modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing an example output of an information terminal used in the lighting design support system according to a second modification of the second embodiment.

[0011] Hereinafter, a lighting design support system and a lighting design support method according to embodiments 1 and 2 will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings referred to in the following embodiments 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams, and the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensions, and the size and thickness ratios between the components do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

[0012] First Embodiment (1) Overview First, an overview of a lighting design support system 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0013] The lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment is a system for supporting the lighting design of a target facility 100. The target facility 100 is, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an individual unit in an apartment building, or a non-residential facility such as an office, a store, a school, or a nursing home. In this embodiment, as an example, the target facility 100 is an individual unit or room in an apartment building. Furthermore, in this embodiment, "lighting design" includes the selection of one or more lighting fixtures to be installed in the target facility 100, the placement of the one or more lighting fixtures in the target facility 100, and the setting of the illuminance of the one or more lighting fixtures.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment includes an input unit 31, a storage unit 22, an estimation unit 211, and a generation unit 212. The input unit 31 receives input of request information In2 (see FIG. 3 ), which is information related to a user's request, and facility information In1 (see FIG. 2 ), which is information related to a target facility 100. The storage unit 22 stores a plurality of first spatial structures 201 (see FIG. 4 ), each of which is a spatial structure after a lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures 101 (see FIG. 4 ). The estimation unit 211 estimates a second spatial structure 202 (see FIG. 2 ), which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, based on the facility information In1 received by the input unit 31. The generation unit 212 generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 4 ), which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100 after a lighting design, based on the request information In2 received by the input unit 31. More specifically, the generation unit 212 reads out from the storage unit 22, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure 201 that is similar to the second spatial structure 202, from among the multiple first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22. Then, the generation unit 212 generates spatial information In3 based on structural information that is information related to the first spatial structure 201 read out from the storage unit 22 as a similar structure. Here, in the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment, the structural information includes image information (data of a second image Im2, described below) related to the first spatial structure 201 (similar structure). Then, the generation unit 212 generates spatial information In3 based on the image information.

[0015] In the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment, the generation unit 212 reads out from the storage unit 22 a first spatial structure 201 that is similar to the second spatial structure 202 from among the plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22 as a similar structure, and generates the spatial information In3 based on the structural information that is information about the similar structure read out from the storage unit 22. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to generate the spatial information In3 compared to simulating the lighting effect of lighting fixtures. In other words, the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment makes it possible to reduce the time required to design lighting for the target facility 100.

[0016] (2) Details Next, components of the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0017] As described above, the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment is a system that supports the lighting design of a target facility 100. As shown in FIG. 1 , the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a server device 2, an information terminal 3, and a detection device 4. The information terminal 3 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer owned by a user. In the present embodiment, as an example, the information terminal 3 is a tablet terminal (see FIGS. 2 to 4 ). The detection device 4 is installed in the target facility 100.

[0018] (2.1) Server Device The server device 2 can be realized, for example, by a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, the server device 2 functions as a computer system by having one or more processors execute a program recorded in one or more memories of the computer system. Here, the program is pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, but it may also be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the server device 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0020] (2.1.1) Control Unit The control unit 21 performs overall control of the server device 2. The control unit 21 is electrically connected to each of the storage unit 22 and the communication unit 23. The control unit 21 controls the storage unit 22 to store information in the storage unit 22 and to read information from the storage unit 22. The control unit 21 also controls the communication unit 23 to cause the communication unit 23 to communicate between the information terminal 3 and the detection device 4. The control unit 21 includes an estimation unit 211 and a generation unit 212.

[0021] The estimation unit 211 estimates a second spatial structure 202 (see FIG. 2 ), which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, based on facility information In1 (see FIG. 2 ) received by an input unit 31 of the information terminal 3, which will be described later. The facility information In1 is information related to the target facility 100. More specifically, the facility information In1 includes, for example, data of a first image Im1 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, as shown in FIG. 2 . In the example of FIG. 2 , one first image Im1 captured of a room (e.g., a living room) in the target facility 100 is displayed on the display unit 30, but multiple first images Im1 may be displayed on the display unit 30. The multiple first images Im1 may be images captured multiple times of a room in the target facility 100 from different directions, or may be images captured of multiple rooms in the target facility 100.

[0022] Furthermore, the estimation unit 211 acquires the detection results of the detection device 4 as facility information In1. The detection device 4 is installed in the target facility 100 and acquires (detects) three-dimensional spatial information of the target facility 100. That is, the facility information In1 includes the detection results of the detection device 4 installed in the target facility 100. Then, the estimation unit 211 estimates the second spatial structure 202 based on data of one first image Im1 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 and the three-dimensional spatial information from the detection device 4. This makes it possible to improve the estimation accuracy of the second spatial structure 202 by the estimation unit 211 compared to a case in which the second spatial structure 202 is estimated based only on the data of the first image Im1.

[0023] The second spatial structure 202 estimated by the estimation unit 211 is, for example, a three-dimensional spatial structure. In this embodiment, the estimation unit 211 estimates the second spatial structure 202 based on the data of the first image Im1 and the three-dimensional spatial information from the detection device 4, making it possible to estimate a three-dimensional spatial structure with high accuracy. Note that the second spatial structure 202 estimated by the estimation unit 211 is not limited to a three-dimensional spatial structure and may be, for example, a two-dimensional spatial structure. In this case, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the estimation unit 211.

[0024] The generation unit 212 generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 4) of the target facility 100 after the lighting design based on the request information In2 (see FIG. 3) received by the input unit 31 of the information terminal 3. The request information In2 is information related to the user's request. More specifically, the request information In2 includes, for example, data of a second image Im2 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, as shown in FIG. 3. The second image Im2 is, for example, an image captured of a space in which the user's requested lighting design (lighting plan) has been performed.

[0025] More specifically, the generation unit 212 reads out from the storage unit 22, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure 201 that is similar to the second spatial structure 202, from among a plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22 (described later), and generates spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 based on structural information that is information about the first spatial structure 201 that is the similar structure read out from the storage unit 22. In the present embodiment, as an example, the structural information includes image information about the first spatial structure 201 (similar structure). More specifically, the structural information includes data of a second image Im2 as the image information. Then, the generation unit 212 generates spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 based on the data of the second image Im2 as the image information. The spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 generated by the generation unit 212 includes data of a third image Im3, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 . The third image Im3 is an image of the first spatial structure 201 read out from the memory unit 22 as a similar structure to the second spatial structure 202, which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, and is an image after lighting design in which one or more lighting fixtures 101 are installed.

[0026] (2.1.2) Storage Unit The storage unit 22 includes, for example, a memory such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 22 stores a plurality of first spatial structures 201. Each of the plurality of first spatial structures 201 is a spatial structure after lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures 101 (see FIG. 4 ). That is, one or more lighting fixtures 101 are installed in each of the plurality of first spatial structures 201.

[0027] (2.1.3) Communication Unit The communication unit 23 includes a communication interface for communicating with the information terminal 3. The communication unit 23 communicates with, for example, a communication unit 34 of the information terminal 3 (described later) via a network such as the Internet. The communication unit 23 receives (acquires) the request information In2 and facility information In1 accepted by the input unit 31 of the information terminal 3 by communicating with the communication unit 34. The communication unit 23 also transmits the spatial information In3 generated by the generation unit 212 by communicating with the communication unit 34. The spatial information In3 is information regarding the spatial structure of the target facility 100 after the lighting design. The information terminal 3 displays the spatial information In3 received by the communication unit 34 on the display unit 30. In this embodiment, the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 corresponds to the output unit 32. That is, the lighting design assistance system 1 further includes an output unit 32 that outputs the spatial information In3. This makes it possible to notify the user of the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design.

[0028] (2.2) Information Terminal As described above, the information terminal 3 is, for example, a tablet terminal owned by a user. The information terminal 3 can be realized, for example, by a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, the information terminal 3 functions as the information terminal 3 when one or more processors execute a program recorded in one or more memories of the computer system. Here, the program is pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, but it may also be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the information terminal 3 includes an input unit 31, an output unit 32, a control unit 33, a communication unit 34, and a storage unit 35.

[0030] (2.2.1) Input Unit The input unit 31 accepts input of request information In2 and facility information In1. As described above, the request information In2 is information related to the user's request, and the facility information In1 is information related to the target facility 100. In the example of FIG. 3 , the second image Im2 includes four images each of which captures a different facility. When the user selects one of the four images, the input unit 31 accepts the selected image as request information In2. In this embodiment, since the information terminal 3 is a tablet terminal, the input unit 31 is configured by a touch panel of the tablet terminal.

[0031] For example, if the desired information includes options such as "stylish space" and "modern space," the user can imagine a space corresponding to each option from these options. However, it is difficult to imagine an intermediate space between "stylish space" and "modern space." In such a case, it is preferable to select the desired space from the second image Im2 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0032] The input unit 31 also receives input for modifying the spatial information In3 output from the output unit 32 (display unit 30). In the present embodiment, as an example, the modification input received by the input unit 31 makes it possible to change the type of lighting fixture 101 included in the spatial information In3, delete it, add it, or change its position. This allows the spatial information In3 presented by the lighting design support system 1 to be modified to suit the user's preferences.

[0033] (2.2.2) Output Unit The output unit 32 outputs the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 generated by the generation unit 212. In this embodiment, the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 generated by the generation unit 212 is displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 (see FIG. 4 ). That is, in this embodiment, the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 corresponds to the output unit 32 of the lighting design assistance system 1. In this way, by displaying the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 for which lighting design has been completed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, it is possible to provide the user with a visual image of the target facility 100 after lighting design.

[0034] The display unit 30 as the output unit 32 may directly display the third image Im3 read from the storage unit 22, or may display the third image Im3 processed in accordance with at least one of the facility information In1 and the request information In2. Furthermore, the display unit 30 may superimpose (combine) one or more lighting devices 101 included in the third image Im3 onto (overlap) the second image Im2 as the request information In2 received by the input unit 31.

[0035] (2.2.3) Control Unit The control unit 33 performs overall control of the information terminal 3. The control unit 33 is electrically connected to each of the input unit 31, the output unit 32, the communication unit 34, and the storage unit 35. The control unit 33 acquires the request information In2, the facility information In1, and the correction information from the input unit 31. The control unit 33 controls the output unit 32 to output (display) the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design on the output unit 32 (display unit 30). The control unit 33 controls the communication unit 34 to cause the communication unit 34 to communicate with the communication unit 23 of the server device 2. The control unit 33 controls the storage unit 35 to store information in the storage unit 35 and read information from the storage unit 35.

[0036] (2.2.4) Communication Unit The communication unit 34 includes a communication interface for communicating with the server device 2. The communication unit 34 communicates with, for example, the communication unit 23 of the server device 2 via a network such as the Internet. The communication unit 34 receives the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design, which is generated by the generation unit 212, by communicating with the communication unit 23. The communication unit 34 also transmits the request information In2, facility information In1, and correction information received by the input unit 31 by communicating with the communication unit 23.

[0037] (2.2.5) Storage Unit The storage unit 35 includes, for example, a memory such as a ROM, a RAM, an EEPROM, etc. The storage unit 35 stores, for example, the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design.

[0038] (2.3) Detection Device The detection device 4 includes, for example, one or more sensors installed in the target facility 100. The one or more sensors include, for example, at least one of a LiDAR and a camera. The detection device 4 has a communication function. The detection device 4 transmits detection results from the one or more sensors to the server device 2 by communicating with the server device 2. The detection results transmitted from the detection device 4 to the server device 2 include distance information and the like that specifies the size of each space in the target facility 100.

[0039] (3) Lighting Design Support Method Next, a lighting design support method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The lighting design support method according to the first embodiment is executed, for example, by the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment. Note that the entity that executes the lighting design support method is not limited to the lighting design support system 1.

[0040] The lighting design support method according to the first embodiment is a lighting design support method for supporting the lighting design of a target facility 100 (see FIG. 1 ). As shown in FIG. 5 , the lighting design support method includes an input step ST1, an estimation step ST2, and a generation step ST3. In the input step ST1, request information In2 (see FIG. 3 ), which is information related to a user's request, and facility information In1 (see FIG. 2 ), which is information related to the target facility 100, are received. In the estimation step ST2, the spatial structure of the target facility 100 is estimated based on the facility information In1 received in the input step ST1. In the generation step ST3, spatial information In3 (see FIG. 4 ), of the target facility 100 after the lighting design, is generated based on the request information In2 received in the input step ST1. More specifically, in the generation step ST3, a first spatial structure 201 similar to a second spatial structure 202 (see FIG. 2 ), which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, is read from the storage unit 22 as a similar structure from among a plurality of first spatial structures 201 (see FIG. 4 ) stored in the storage unit 22. Then, in generation step ST3, spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design is generated based on the structural information, which is information about similar structures, read from the storage unit 22. Each of the multiple first spatial structures 201 is a spatial structure after the lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures 101 (see FIG. 4 ). Here, as described above, the structural information includes image information about the first spatial structure 201 (similar structure). More specifically, the structural information includes data of the second image Im2 as the image information.

[0041] In the lighting design support method according to the first embodiment, in the generating step ST3, a first spatial structure 201 similar to the second spatial structure 202 is read from the storage unit 22 as a similar structure from among the plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22, and spatial information In3 is generated based on the structural information relating to the similar structure read from the storage unit 22. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to generate the spatial information In3 compared to simulating the lighting effect of lighting fixtures. In other words, the lighting design support method according to the first embodiment makes it possible to reduce the time required to design lighting for the target facility 100.

[0042] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a lighting design support method executed by the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment. The lighting design support method includes steps ST1 to ST4 shown in Fig. 5. Note that the flowchart shown in Fig. 5 is an example, and one or more steps may be included in addition to steps ST1 to ST4 shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, step ST4 may be omitted.

[0043] The lighting design support method according to the first embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0044] First, the lighting design support system 1 executes an input step ST1. More specifically, in the input step ST1, the input unit 31 of the lighting design support system 1 receives input of request information In2 and facility information In1.

[0045] Next, the lighting design support system 1 executes an estimation step ST2. More specifically, in estimation step ST2, the estimation unit 211 of the lighting design support system 1 estimates a second spatial structure 202, which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, based on the facility information In1 received by the input unit 31. Specifically, the estimation unit 211 estimates the second spatial structure 202 based on the data of the first image Im1 shown in FIG. 3 and the detection result of the detection device 4.

[0046] Furthermore, the lighting design support system 1 executes a generating step ST3. More specifically, in the generating step ST3, the generating unit 212 of the lighting design support system 1 generates spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design based on the facility information In1 and the request information In2 received by the input unit 31. Specifically, in the generating step ST3, the generating unit 212 reads out from the storage unit 22, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure 201 that is similar to the second spatial structure 202 and related to the request information In2, among the plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22. Then, in the generating step ST3, the generating unit 212 generates the spatial information In3 based on structural information (in this embodiment, data of the second image Im2) that is information related to the similar structure. In this case, the third image Im3 as the spatial information In3 may be the first spatial structure 201 (similar structure) itself read out from the storage unit 22, or may be generated using the first image Im1 and the first spatial structure 201.

[0047] Then, the lighting design support system 1 executes an output step ST4. More specifically, in output step ST4, the output unit 32 of the lighting design support system 1 outputs the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design generated by the generation unit 212. Specifically, the display unit 30 serving as the output unit 32 displays the third image Im3 shown in FIG.

[0048] A user viewing the third image Im3 displayed on the display unit 30 can use the input unit 31 to modify the type, number, and position of the lighting fixtures 101 included in the third image Im3.

[0049] (4) Effects In the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment, the generation unit 212 reads out from the storage unit 22 a first spatial structure 201 that is similar to the second spatial structure 202 from among the plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22 as a similar structure, and generates spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after lighting design based on structural information (in this embodiment, data of the second image Im2) that is information about the similar structure read out from the storage unit 22. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to generate the spatial information In3 compared to simulating the lighting effect of lighting fixtures. In other words, the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment makes it possible to reduce the time required to design the lighting of the target facility 100.

[0050] In the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment, the structural information includes image information relating to the similar structure (in this embodiment, data of the second image Im2). The generator 212 then generates spatial information In3 based on the image information. This enables lighting design based on the image information.

[0051] In the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment, the facility information In1 includes the detection results of the detection devices 4 installed in the target facility 100. This enables the estimation unit 211 to improve the accuracy of estimation of the second spatial structure 202.

[0052] The lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment further includes an output unit 32 that outputs spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design has been completed. This makes it possible to notify the user of the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design has been completed.

[0053] In the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment, the input unit 31 further receives an input for modifying the spatial information In3 output from the output unit 32. This makes it possible to modify the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design has been completed.

[0054] (5) Modifications The first embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Various modifications of the first embodiment can be made depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Furthermore, functions similar to those of the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment may be embodied in the above-described lighting design support method, (computer) program, or non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded, etc.

[0055] Below, modifications of the first embodiment are listed. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0056] (5.1) Modification 1 The following describes a lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 1. Note that, with regard to the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 1, components that are the same as those in the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0057] In the lighting design support system 1 according to the first modification, the storage unit 22 stores each of a plurality of first spatial structures 201 in association with a first feature amount that is a feature amount of each of the plurality of first spatial structures 201. Furthermore, in the lighting design support system 1 according to the first modification, the estimation unit 211 estimates a second spatial structure 202 based on facility information In1 received by the input unit 31, and extracts a second feature amount that is a feature amount of the second spatial structure 202 from the estimated second spatial structure 202. The generation unit 212 then reads out from the storage unit 22, as a similar structure to the second spatial structure 202, a first spatial structure 201 that is associated with a first feature amount similar to the second feature amount, from among the plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22.

[0058] That is, in the lighting design support system 1 according to the first modification, the generation unit 212 compares the first feature amount of the first spatial structure 201 with the second feature amount of the second spatial structure 202, and extracts, as a similar structure, the first spatial structure 201 having a first feature amount similar to the second feature amount of the second spatial structure 202. Therefore, according to the lighting design support system 1 according to the first modification, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the generation unit 212 compared to when the entire first spatial structure 201 and the entire second spatial structure 202 are compared.

[0059] In addition, when the estimation unit 211 extracts the second feature amount, which is the feature amount of the second spatial structure 202, the trained model described below may also be used.

[0060] (5.2) Modification 2 A lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 2 will now be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that, in the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 2, components that are the same as those in the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0061] 6 , in the lighting design support system 1 according to the second modification, the generation unit 212 includes a lighting effect generation unit 2121. The lighting effect generation unit 2121 generates spatial information In3 including lighting effects using a trained model. That is, the spatial information In3 generated by the lighting effect generation unit 2121 includes the first spatial structure 201 read from the storage unit 22 and the lighting effects of one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the first spatial structure 201.

[0062] The trained model is generated, for example, by supervised learning. The training data used in the supervised learning is data that associates a plurality of first spatial structures 201 with the lighting effects of one or more lighting devices 101 installed in each of the plurality of first spatial structures 201.

[0063] Here, the machine learning algorithm is, for example, a neural network. However, the machine learning algorithm is not limited to a neural network and may be, for example, an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) regression, a Random Forest, a decision tree, a Logistic Regression, a Support Vector Machine (SVM), a Naive Bayes classifier, or a k-nearest neighbors. Furthermore, the machine learning algorithm may be, for example, a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) or k-means clustering.

[0064] According to the lighting design support system 1 of the second modification, it is possible to generate spatial information In3 that reflects the lighting effect of one or more lighting fixtures 101 arranged in the first spatial structure 201.

[0065] In the second modification, the trained model is a model generated by supervised learning. In contrast, the trained model may be, for example, a model generated by unsupervised learning. The machine learning algorithm is, for example, a generative adversarial network (GAN), a variational autoencoder (VAE), a convolutional neural network (CNN), an augmented model, or stable diffusion.

[0066] (5.3) Modification 3 A lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 3 will now be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that, in the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 3, components that are the same as those in the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0067] In the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 3, the output unit 32 further outputs fixture information In4, which is information about the lighting fixtures 101 used in the lighting design of the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100. That is, the spatial information In3 includes the fixture information In4 in addition to the data of the third image Im3. The fixture information In4 includes, for example, images, names, model numbers, and specifications of the lighting fixtures 101. In the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 3, the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 also functions as the output unit 32. Therefore, in the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 3, the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 displays the third image Im3 and the fourth image Im4, as shown in FIG. 7 . The third image Im3 is an image of the first spatial structure 201 read from the storage unit 22 as a similar structure to the second spatial structure 202 of the target facility 100. The third image Im3 displays one or more lighting fixtures 101 together with the first spatial structure 201. The fourth image Im4 is an image including the device information In4 of one or more lighting devices 101 arranged in the first spatial structure 201 read out from the storage unit 22.

[0068] According to the lighting design support system 1 of Modification 3, it is possible to notify the user of the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design, as well as the fixture information In4 of the lighting fixtures 101 used in the lighting design. In particular, as in the lighting design support system 1 of Modification 3, by displaying the spatial information In3 and the fixture information In4 on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, it is possible to visually notify the user of the fixture information In4 as well.

[0069] (5.4) Modification 4 A lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 4 will now be described with reference to Fig. 8. Note that, in the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 4, components that are the same as those in the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0070] In the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 4, the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 output from the output unit 32 includes, as shown in FIG. 8 , floor plan information In5, location information In6, and fixture information In4. The floor plan information In5 is information about the floor plan of the target facility 100. The location information In6 is information about the positions Po1 of one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the target facility 100. The fixture information In4 is information about one or more lighting fixtures 101. As with the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 3, the fixture information In4 includes, for example, an image, name, model number, and specifications of the lighting fixtures 101. In the example of FIG. 8 , the third image Im3 is an image corresponding to the hatched portion in the fifth image Im5.

[0071] In the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 4, the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 also functions as the output unit 32. Therefore, in the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 4, the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 displays a third image Im3, a fourth image Im4, and a fifth image Im5 as spatial information In3 of the target facility 100, as shown in FIG. 8 . The third image Im3 is an image of the first spatial structure 201 read from the storage unit 22 as a similar structure to the second spatial structure 202 of the target facility 100. The fourth image Im4 is an image including fixture information In4 of one or more lighting fixtures 101 arranged in the first spatial structure 201 read from the storage unit 22 as a similar structure. The fifth image Im5 is an image including floor plan information In5 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design and position information In6 of one or more lighting fixtures 101.

[0072] According to the lighting design support system 1 of the fourth modification, the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design includes the floor plan information In5, the position information In6, and the fixture information In4. This makes it possible to improve the ease of installation when installing one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the target facility 100.

[0073] (5.5) Modification 5 A lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 5 will be described below with reference to Fig. 9 to Fig. 12. Note that, in the lighting design support system 1 according to Modification 5, components that are the same as those in the lighting design support system 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0074] 9 , in the lighting design assistance system 1 according to the fifth modification, the control unit 21 further includes a correction unit 214 in addition to the estimation unit 211 and the generation unit 212. The correction unit 214 performs a correction process to correct the positions of one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the target facility 100. More specifically, in the correction process, the correction unit 214 corrects the positions of the one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the target facility 100 so that the positions of the one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the target facility 100 become the positions of one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the similar structure (first spatial structure 201) read out from the storage unit 22.

[0075] In the lighting design support system 1 according to the fifth modification, the generator 212 reads out from the storage unit 22 a first spatial structure 201 similar to a second spatial structure 202 (see FIG. 10 ) from among a plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22 as a similar structure, and generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 12 ) of the target facility 100 based on structural information relating to the first spatial structure 201 as a similar structure read out from the storage unit 22. In the present embodiment, as an example, the structural information includes fixture information In4 (see FIG. 7 ) that is information relating to one or more lighting fixtures 101 included in the similar structure, and position information In6 (see FIG. 8 ) that is information relating to the positions of the one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the similar structure. Then, the generator 212 generates spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 in which one or more lighting fixtures 101 are arranged in the second spatial structure 202 based on the fixture information In4 and the position information In6. As described above, the fixture information In4 includes an image, name, model number, specifications, etc. of each lighting fixture 101.

[0076] Next, a lighting design support method according to Modification 5 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0077] First, the lighting design support system 1 executes an input step ST1 (see FIG. 5 ). More specifically, the input unit 31 of the lighting design support system 1 accepts input of request information In2 and facility information In1 in input step ST1. The facility information In1 includes, for example, data of a first image Im1 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, as shown in FIG. 10 . In the example of FIG. 10 , one first image Im1 captured of a room (e.g., a living room) in the target facility 100 is displayed on the display unit 30. However, multiple first images Im1 may be displayed on the display unit 30. The multiple first images Im1 may be images of a room in the target facility 100 captured multiple times from different directions, or may be images of multiple rooms in the target facility 100. The request information In2 includes, for example, data of a second image Im2 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, as shown in FIG. 11 . The second image Im2 is, for example, an image captured of a space in which a lighting design (lighting plan) desired by the user has been created.

[0078] Next, the lighting design support system 1 executes estimation step ST2 (see FIG. 5 ). More specifically, in estimation step ST2, the estimation unit 211 of the lighting design support system 1 estimates a second spatial structure 202 (see FIG. 10 ), which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, based on the facility information In1 received in input step ST1. Specifically, the estimation unit 211 estimates the second spatial structure 202 based on the data of the first image Im1 shown in FIG. 10 and the detection result of the detection device 4 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0079] Furthermore, the lighting design support system 1 executes a generating step ST3 (see FIG. 5 ). More specifically, in the generating step ST3, the generating unit 212 of the lighting design support system 1 generates spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design based on the facility information In1 and the request information In2 received by the input unit 31. Specifically, in the generating step ST3, the generating unit 212 reads out from the storage unit 22, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure 201 that is similar to the second spatial structure 202 and related to the request information In2, from among the plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the storage unit 22. Then, in the generating step ST3, the generating unit 212 generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 12 ) based on structural information related to the similar structure. Here, the generating unit 212 extracts, from the image information of the first spatial structure 201 as the similar structure read out from the storage unit 22, fixture information In4 (see FIG. 7 ) and position information In6 (see FIG. 8 ). Thereafter, the generation unit 212 generates spatial information In3 in which the lighting fixture 101 according to the fixture information In4 is placed at the position according to the position information In6 in the second spatial structure 202 estimated by the estimation unit 211.

[0080] Finally, the lighting design support system 1 executes an output step ST4 (see FIG. 5 ). More specifically, in output step ST4, the output unit 32 of the lighting design support system 1 outputs the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design, generated by the generation unit 212. Specifically, the display unit 30 serving as the output unit 32 displays a third image Im3 shown in FIG.

[0081] As with the lighting design support system 1 and lighting design support method according to embodiment 1, the lighting design support system 1 and lighting design support method according to modification 5 also make it possible to reduce the time required to design lighting for the target facility 100. Furthermore, the lighting design support system 1 and lighting design support method according to modification 5 make it possible to perform lighting design based on the fixture information In4 and the position information In6.

[0082] Here, the above-mentioned generation unit 212 may be configured, for example, by a generation AI. Note that in the lighting design support system 1 according to the fifth modification, a plurality of first spatial structures 201, each of which is a spatial structure after lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures 101, is stored in the storage unit 22 of the server device 2, and lighting design is performed using these plurality of first spatial structures 201. For this reason, even if a general generation AI is used, it is difficult to make it function as the above-mentioned generation unit 212.

[0083] (5.6) Other Modifications Other modifications are listed below.

[0084] The execution entity of the lighting design support system 1 or the lighting design support method according to the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is primarily composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the execution entity of the lighting design support system 1 or the lighting design support method according to the present disclosure. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium readable by the computer system, such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integration (VLSI), or ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the connections within the LSI or the circuit partitions within the LSI, can also be employed as a processor. Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or distributed across multiple chips. Multiple chips may be integrated into a single device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0085] Furthermore, it is not essential for the lighting design support system 1 that multiple functions are concentrated in one housing, and the components of the lighting design support system 1 may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the lighting design support system 1, for example, the functions of the control unit 21 of the server device 2, may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0086] Conversely, in the first embodiment, at least some of the functions of the lighting design support system 1 that are distributed across multiple devices may be consolidated into a single housing. For example, some of the functions of the lighting design support system 1 that are distributed across the server device 2 and the information terminal 3 may be consolidated into a single housing.

[0087] In the first embodiment, the lighting design support system 1 includes the detection device 4, but the lighting design support system 1 does not necessarily have to include the detection device 4. That is, the detection device 4 may be omitted. In this case, the estimation unit 211 estimates the three-dimensional spatial structure based on the data of the first image Im1 received by the input unit 31. However, this requires simpler processing than when estimating the three-dimensional spatial structure based on the data of the first image Im1 and the three-dimensional spatial information from the detection device 4, and it is possible to reduce the processing load on the estimation unit 211.

[0088] In the first embodiment, the lighting design support system 1 includes the output unit 32, but the lighting design support system 1 does not necessarily have to include the output unit 32. In other words, the output unit 32 may be omitted.

[0089] At least a part of the functions of the server device 2 may be realized in the cloud.

[0090] In the first embodiment, the facility information In1 includes data of the first image Im1, but the facility information In1 is not limited to data of the first image Im1 and may include, for example, drawing data (including handwritten drawings).

[0091] In embodiment 1, the third image Im3 is displayed on the display unit 30 as spatial information In3 of the target facility 100, but for example, the information of the first spatial structure 201 stored in the memory unit 22 itself may be displayed on the display unit 30.

[0092] In embodiment 1, the input of the requested information In2 is configured to select a preferred facility from the second image Im2 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, but it may also be configured to select from scenes or images expressed in text, for example.

[0093] In the first embodiment, the output unit 32 is the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, and causes the display unit 30 to display the spatial information In3. In contrast, the output unit 32 may output the spatial information In3 to, for example, another system or another device different from the lighting design support system 1. The output unit 32 may also output the fixture information In4 together with the spatial information In3. Furthermore, the generation unit 212 may generate at least one of an estimate and a purchase order based on the spatial information In3 and the fixture information In4.

[0094] The spatial information In3 may also be output to multiple output units. For example, the spatial information In3 and the fixture information In4 may be output to another system different from the information terminal 3, and only the third image Im3 of the spatial information In3 may be output (displayed) on the display unit 30. The other system may be, for example, a system provided by a contractor who installs one or more lighting fixtures 101 in the target facility 100. In this case, the user can view the image (third image Im3) displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, and the contractor can obtain detailed lighting design information. In this case, the estimated cost may be output (displayed) on the display unit 30 in addition to the third image Im3.

[0095] Second Embodiment (1) Overview First, an overview of a lighting design support system 1A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0096] The lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment is a system for supporting the lighting design of a target facility 100 (see FIG. 14 ). The target facility 100 is, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an individual unit in an apartment building, or a non-residential facility such as an office, a store, a school, or a nursing home. In this embodiment, as an example, the target facility 100 is an individual unit or room in an apartment building. Furthermore, in this embodiment, "lighting design" includes the selection of one or more lighting fixtures to be installed in the target facility 100, the placement of the one or more lighting fixtures in the target facility 100, and the setting of the illuminance of the one or more lighting fixtures.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 13 , the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment includes an input unit 31, a first storage unit (storage unit) 221, and a generation unit 213. The input unit 31 accepts input of facility information In1 (see FIG. 14 ), which is information about the target facility 100 (see FIG. 14 ), and fixture information In2 (see FIG. 15 ), which is information about the first lighting fixtures 101 (see FIG. 15 ). The first storage unit 221 stores a plurality of first spatial structures 201 (see FIG. 17B ), each of which is a spatial structure after lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures. The generation unit 213 generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 16 ) of the target facility 100 after lighting design. More specifically, the generation unit 213 reads out, from the first storage unit 221, a first spatial structure 201 that is similar to a second spatial structure 202 (see FIG. 17A ), which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, from the first storage unit 221 as a similar structure. Furthermore, the generation unit 213 extracts, from the similar structure, similar lighting fixtures, which are second lighting fixtures similar to the first lighting fixture 101, from among one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure. Then, the generation unit 213 generates spatial information In3 in which the first lighting fixture 101 is arranged in the second spatial structure 202, based on the positional information of the similar lighting fixtures in the similar structure.

[0098] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the generation unit 213 reads out from the first storage unit 221, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure 201 similar to the second spatial structure 202 from among a plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the first storage unit 221. Furthermore, the generation unit 213 extracts, from the similar structure, a similar lighting fixture that is similar to the first lighting fixture 101 from among one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure. The generation unit 213 then generates spatial information In3 in which the first lighting fixture 101 is arranged in the second spatial structure 202 based on positional information of the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure. This reduces the time required to generate the spatial information In3 compared to simulating the lighting effect of a lighting fixture. That is, the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment reduces the time required to design the lighting of the target facility 100. Furthermore, the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment allows the lighting design of the target facility 100 to be performed using the first lighting fixture 101. In this embodiment, the "first lighting fixture 101" includes at least one of a lighting fixture that the user is currently using in a facility such as an apartment building where the user is currently residing and a lighting fixture that the user plans to use in the target facility 100.

[0099] (2) Details Next, each component of the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0100] As described above, the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment is a system that supports the lighting design of a target facility 100 (see FIG. 14 ). As shown in FIG. 13 , the lighting design support system 1A includes a server device 2A and an information terminal 3. The information terminal 3 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer owned by a user. In the present embodiment, as an example, the information terminal 3 is a tablet terminal (see FIGS. 14 to 16 ).

[0101] (2.1) Server Device The server device 2A can be realized, for example, by a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, the server device 2A functions as a computer system by having one or more processors execute a program recorded in one or more memories of the computer system. Here, the program is pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, but it may also be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 13, the server device 2A includes a control unit 21A, a storage unit 22A, and a communication unit 23.

[0103] (2.1.1) Control Unit The control unit 21A performs overall control of the server device 2A. The control unit 21A is electrically connected to each of the storage unit 22A and the communication unit 23. The control unit 21A controls the storage unit 22A to store information in the storage unit 22A and to read information from the storage unit 22A. The control unit 21A also controls the communication unit 23 to cause the communication unit 23 to communicate with the information terminal 3. The control unit 21A includes a generation unit 213.

[0104] The generation unit 213 generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 16 ) of the target facility 100 (see FIG. 14 ) after the lighting design. More specifically, the generation unit 213 reads, from the first storage unit 221, a first spatial structure 201 (see FIG. 17B ) that is similar to a second spatial structure 202 (see FIG. 17A ), which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, as a similar structure. Furthermore, the generation unit 213 extracts, from the similar structures read from the first storage unit 221, similar lighting fixtures that are second lighting fixtures similar to the first lighting fixture 101 (see FIG. 15 ) among one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structures. Then, the generation unit 213 generates spatial information In3 in which the first lighting fixture 101 is arranged in the second spatial structure 202, based on positional information of the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure. Here, the position Po4 (see FIG. 17C) of the first lighting device 101 in the second spatial structure 202 is the same as the position Po3 (see FIG. 17B) of the similar lighting device in the similar structure.

[0105] In this case, it is preferable that the generation unit 213 performs at least one of a first operation and a second operation based on the request information received by the input unit 31. The first operation is an operation of reading out the similar structure from the first storage unit 221. The second operation is an operation of extracting the similar lighting device from the similar structure.

[0106] Furthermore, it is preferable that the generation unit 213 reads out from the first storage unit 221 the first spatial structure 201 that has the highest degree of match with the desired information among the multiple first spatial structures 201 stored in the first storage unit 221. The desired information is information including, for example, the layout, size, and age of the target facility 100 desired by the user. This makes it possible to extract the first spatial structure 201 that is closest to the user's desire.

[0107] 16, the spatial information In3 generated by the generation unit 213 includes data of a third image Im13. The third image Im13 is an image after lighting design in which the first lighting fixture 101 is installed in the second spatial structure 202, which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, at the same position Po4 as the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure.

[0108] Furthermore, the generation unit 213 may be configured to calculate at least one of an initial cost and a maintenance cost. The initial cost is a cost paid by the user when installing the first lighting device 101 in the target facility 100, and includes, for example, a purchase cost and an installation cost for the first lighting device 101. The maintenance cost is a cost paid by the user to maintain the first lighting device 101 that has already been installed in the target facility 100, and includes, for example, an electricity bill (power consumption), a maintenance cost, and a cleaning cost.

[0109] Furthermore, the generation unit 213 may be configured to perform a lighting design using third lighting fixtures when the lighting design of the target facility 100 is not completed using only the first lighting fixtures 101. The third lighting fixtures are lighting fixtures different from the first lighting fixtures 101, for example, new lighting fixtures that the user has not used. Furthermore, the phrase "when the lighting design is not completed" includes cases where no first lighting fixtures 101 are installed in the second spatial structure 202, where the number of first lighting fixtures 101 installed in the second spatial structure 202 is fewer than the number of similar lighting fixtures installed in similar structures read from the first storage unit 221, and where the illuminance of the first lighting fixtures 101 installed in the second spatial structure 202 is insufficient.

[0110] Furthermore, the generation unit 213 may be configured to calculate at least one of an initial cost and a maintenance cost when implementing a lighting design using third lighting fixtures. The initial cost is the cost paid by the user when purchasing the third lighting fixtures and installing the purchased third lighting fixtures in the target facility 100. The maintenance cost is the cost paid by the user to maintain the third lighting fixtures that have already been installed in the target facility 100. In this case, it is preferable that the input unit 31 is configured to further receive the purchase price of the third lighting fixtures.

[0111] (2.1.2) Storage Unit The storage unit 22 includes, for example, a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), etc. As shown in FIG. 13 , the storage unit 22 includes a first storage unit 221, a second storage unit 222, and a third storage unit 223.

[0112] The first storage unit 221 stores a plurality of first spatial structures 201. Each of the plurality of first spatial structures 201 is a spatial structure after a lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures. That is, each of the plurality of first spatial structures 201 is a spatial structure after a lighting design in which one or more second lighting fixtures are installed.

[0113] The second storage unit 222 is different from the first storage unit 221. The second storage unit 222 stores a plurality of third spatial structures. Each of the plurality of third spatial structures is a spatial structure that can be a candidate for the target facility 100.

[0114] The third storage unit 223 stores the fixture information of a plurality of lighting fixtures including the first lighting fixture 101. More specifically, the third storage unit 223 stores the product number of each of the plurality of lighting fixtures and the specifications (specs) of each of the plurality of lighting fixtures in association with each other.

[0115] (2.1.3) Communication Unit The communication unit 23 includes a communication interface for communicating with the information terminal 3. The communication unit 23 communicates with, for example, the communication unit 34 of the information terminal 3 via a network such as the Internet. The communication unit 23 receives (acquires) facility information In1 (see FIG. 14 ) and tool information In2 (see FIG. 15 ) accepted by the input unit 31 of the information terminal 3 by communicating with the communication unit 34. The communication unit 23 also transmits space information In3 (see FIG. 16 ) generated by the generation unit 213 to the information terminal 3 by communicating with the communication unit 34.

[0116] Here, the facility information In1 is information related to the target facility 100. More specifically, the facility information In1 includes, for example, data of a first image Im1 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, as shown in FIG. 14 . In the example of FIG. 14 , one first image Im1 captured of a room (e.g., a living room) in the target facility 100 is displayed on the display unit 30. However, multiple first images Im1 may be displayed on the display unit 30. The multiple first images Im1 may be images of a room in the target facility 100 captured multiple times from different directions, or may be images of multiple rooms in the target facility 100. Furthermore, the device information In2 is information related to the first lighting fixture 101, and includes, for example, at least one of information related to the product number and performance of the first lighting fixture 101 and image information of the first lighting fixture 101.

[0117] (2.2) Information Terminal As described above, the information terminal 3 is, for example, a tablet terminal owned by a user. The information terminal 3 can be realized, for example, by a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, the information terminal 3 functions as the information terminal 3 when one or more processors execute a program recorded in one or more memories of the computer system. Here, the program is pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, but it may also be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card and provided.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 13, the information terminal 3 includes an input unit 31, an output unit 32, a control unit 33, a communication unit 34, and a storage unit 35.

[0119] (2.2.1) Input Unit The input unit 31 accepts input of facility information In1 (see FIG. 14 ) and device information In2 (see FIG. 15 ). As described above, the facility information In1 is information about the target facility 100, and the device information In2 is information about the first lighting device 101. In this embodiment, since the information terminal 3 is a tablet terminal, the input unit 31 is configured by a touch panel of the tablet terminal.

[0120] The input unit 31 may also be configured to further receive input of desired information. As described above, the desired information includes the layout, size, and age of the target facility 100 desired by the user.

[0121] The input unit 31 may also be configured to further accept input of request information. The request information is information regarding the user's requests, and includes, for example, at least one of requests regarding the lighting space and requests regarding the lighting fixtures to be used. The request regarding the lighting space may be selected from, for example, multiple image images of lighting spaces displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, or may be selected from multiple options, or may be freely written. The request regarding the lighting fixtures may be selected from, for example, multiple image images of lighting fixtures displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, or the product number of the lighting fixture may be input.

[0122] The input unit 31 may also be configured to further receive input of a similarity threshold used when the generation unit 213 performs at least one of the first operation and the second operation. The similarity in the first operation is the similarity between each of the plurality of first spatial structures 201 and the second spatial structure 202. The similarity in the second operation is the similarity between one or more second lighting devices in the similar structure and the first lighting device 101. For example, if the number of first lighting devices 101 is small in the spatial information In3 generated by the generation unit 213, the similarity threshold is lowered in at least one of the first operation and the second operation. This makes it possible to increase the number of first lighting devices 101 in the spatial information In3 generated by the generation unit 213.

[0123] The input unit 31 may further be configured to accept input of an upper limit of the initial cost to be paid by the user when installing the first lighting device 101 in the target facility 100. This makes it possible to set an upper limit of the initial cost to be paid when installing the first lighting device 101 in the target facility 100. In this case, the upper limit may be, for example, a specific amount or a range of amounts. Furthermore, the upper limit may be selected from a plurality of options, such as a high-grade plan or a standard plan. Here, it is preferable that the generation unit 213 change the similarity threshold for at least one of the first action and the second action, or the first lighting device 101, so that the upper limit of the initial cost does not exceed the upper limit of the initial cost accepted by the input unit 31.

[0124] The input unit 31 may also be configured to further receive input for modifying the spatial information In3 after the lighting design has been completed. For example, the input unit 31 receives a change in the product number (type) of the first lighting fixture 101 included in the spatial information In3 and a change in the position of the first lighting fixture 101 in the second spatial structure 202.

[0125] (2.2.2) Output Unit The output unit 32 outputs spatial information In3 (see FIG. 16 ) of the target facility 100 after lighting design, which is generated by the generation unit 213 of the server device 2A. In the present embodiment, as an example, the spatial information In3 includes data of the third image Im3 displayed on the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 (see FIG. 16 ). That is, in the present embodiment, the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3 corresponds to the output unit 32 of the lighting design assistance system 1.

[0126] The output unit 32 may also be configured to output maintenance information. The maintenance information is, for example, information based on at least one of the manufacturing date and age of the first lighting device 101 and an estimated result of deterioration of the first lighting device 101 based on an image including the first lighting device 101 (e.g., the third image Im3). For example, if the age of the first lighting device 101 is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, or if the estimated result of deterioration of the first lighting device 101 indicates a degree of deterioration equal to or greater than a second predetermined value, the output unit 32 outputs maintenance information recommending repair or replacement of the first lighting device 101.

[0127] Furthermore, the output unit 32 may be configured to further output the recommendation information generated by the generation unit 213. The recommendation information recommends a lighting design using a third lighting fixture that is different from the first lighting fixture 101. The third lighting fixture is, for example, a new lighting fixture that the user has not used. The generation unit 213 generates the recommendation information when the initial cost and maintenance cost of the lighting design using the third lighting fixture are smaller than the initial cost and maintenance cost of the lighting design using the first lighting fixture 101.

[0128] The output unit 32 may also be configured to further output disposal / sale information. The disposal / sale information is information regarding the disposal method and disposal cost of the unused lighting fixtures 101, or the sale method and purchase cost of the unused lighting fixtures 101. The unused lighting fixtures 101 are first lighting fixtures 101 that are unused at the time of completion of the lighting design of the target facility 100. The generation unit 213 generates the disposal / sale information if unused lighting fixtures 101 are present at the time of completion of the lighting design of the target facility 100. Note that, because waste disposal methods differ depending on the local government, it is preferable that the input unit 31 is further configured to accept input of an address, etc.

[0129] (2.2.3) Control Unit The control unit 33 performs overall control of the information terminal 3. The control unit 33 is electrically connected to each of the input unit 31, the output unit 32, the communication unit 34, and the storage unit 35. The control unit 33 acquires various information from the input unit 31. The control unit 33 controls the output unit 32 to output various information to the output unit 32. The control unit 33 controls the communication unit 34 to cause the communication unit 34 to communicate with the communication unit 23 of the server device 2A. The control unit 33 controls the storage unit 35 to store information in the storage unit 35 and read information from the storage unit 35.

[0130] (2.2.4) Communication Unit The communication unit 34 includes a communication interface for communicating with the server device 2A. The communication unit 34 communicates with, for example, the communication unit 23 of the server device 2A via a network such as the Internet. By communicating with the communication unit 23, the communication unit 34 receives various types of information from the server device 2A, including the spatial information In3 (see FIG. 16 ) of the target facility 100 after the lighting design, generated by the generation unit 213. Furthermore, the communication unit 34 transmits various types of information received by the input unit 31 to the server device 2A by communicating with the communication unit 23.

[0131] (2.2.5) Storage Unit The storage unit 35 includes, for example, a memory such as a ROM, a RAM, or an EEPROM. The storage unit 35 stores, for example, the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design generated by the generation unit 213 of the server device 2A. The storage unit 35 may also be configured to store the above-mentioned maintenance information, recommendation information, and disposal / sale information.

[0132] (3) Operation of the Generator Next, the operation of the generator 213 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17A to 17C.

[0133] First, the generation unit 213 acquires the facility information In1 (see FIG. 14 ) received by the input unit 31. In this embodiment, the facility information In1 includes the second spatial structure 202 of the target facility 100, as shown in FIG. 17A .

[0134] Next, the generation unit 213 reads out from the first storage unit 221, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure 201 that is similar to the second spatial structure 202 included in the facility information In1 from among the plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the first storage unit 221 (see FIG. 17B ). Positions Po1 to Po3 in FIG. 17B are positions where three second lighting fixtures are arranged in the first spatial structure 201 read out from the first storage unit 221 as a similar structure.

[0135] Furthermore, generation unit 213 extracts, from the similar structure, a similar lighting device, which is a second lighting device that is similar to first lighting device 101 among the three second lighting devices included in the similar structure. In the example of Fig. 17B, the similar lighting device is the second lighting device that is arranged at position Po3 in first spatial structure 201, which is a similar structure.

[0136] Then, based on the positional information of the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure, the generation unit 213 generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 16 ) in which the first lighting fixture 101 is positioned in the second spatial structure 202. In the example of FIG. 17C , the first lighting fixture 101 is positioned in position Po4 in the second spatial structure 202, which is the same position as position Po3 where the similar lighting fixture is positioned.

[0137] (4) Lighting Design Support Method Next, a lighting design support method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 18. The lighting design support method according to the second embodiment is executed by, for example, a lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment.

[0138] The lighting design support method according to the second embodiment is a lighting design support method for supporting the lighting design of a target facility 100 (see FIG. 14 ). As shown in FIG. 18 , the lighting design support method includes an input step ST11 and a generation step ST12. The input step ST11 accepts input of facility information In1 (see FIG. 14 ), which is information about the target facility 100, and fixture information In2 (see FIG. 15 ), which is information about first lighting fixtures 101 (see FIG. 15 ). The generation step ST12 generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 16 ), of the target facility 100 after the lighting design. More specifically, in the generation step ST12, a first spatial structure 201 similar to a second spatial structure 202 (see FIG. 17A ), which is the spatial structure of the target facility 100, is read from the first storage unit 221 as a similar structure, out of a plurality of first spatial structures 201 (see FIG. 17B ) stored in the first storage unit (storage unit) 221. Furthermore, in the generation step ST12, similar lighting fixtures, which are second lighting fixtures similar to the first lighting fixture 101, are extracted from the similar structure read out from the first storage unit 221. Then, in the generation step ST12, spatial information In3 in which the first lighting fixture 101 is arranged in the second spatial structure 202 is generated based on the positional information of the similar lighting fixtures in the similar structure. Each of the plurality of first spatial structures 201 is a spatial structure after lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures.

[0139] In the lighting design support method according to the second embodiment, in the generation step ST12, a first spatial structure 201 similar to the second spatial structure 202 is read from the first storage unit 221 as a similar structure from among a plurality of first spatial structures 201 stored in the first storage unit 221. Also in the generation step ST12, similar lighting fixtures similar to the first lighting fixture 101 are extracted from the similar structures from among one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structures. Then, in the generation step ST12, spatial information In3 in which the first lighting fixture 101 is arranged in the second spatial structure 202 is generated based on positional information of the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to generate the spatial information In3 compared to simulating the lighting effect of lighting fixtures. That is, the lighting design support method according to the second embodiment makes it possible to reduce the time required for lighting design of the target facility 100. Also, the lighting design support method according to the second embodiment makes it possible to design lighting for the target facility 100 using the first lighting fixture 101.

[0140] Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing a lighting design support method executed by the lighting design support system 1 according to embodiment 2. The lighting design support method includes steps ST11 to ST13 shown in Fig. 18. Note that the flowchart shown in Fig. 18 is an example, and one or more steps may be included in addition to steps ST11 to ST13 shown in Fig. 18. Furthermore, step ST13 may be omitted.

[0141] The lighting design support method according to the second embodiment will be specifically described below.

[0142] First, the lighting design support system 1A executes an input step ST11. More specifically, in input step ST1, the input unit 31 of the lighting design support system 1A accepts input of facility information In1 (see FIG. 14) and fixture information In2 (see FIG. 15).

[0143] Furthermore, the lighting design support system 1A executes a generating step ST12. More specifically, in generating step ST12, the generating unit 213 of the lighting design support system 1A generates spatial information In3 (see FIG. 16 ) of the target facility 100 after the lighting design.

[0144] Then, the lighting design support system 1A executes an output step ST13. More specifically, in output step ST13, the output unit 32 of the lighting design support system 1A outputs the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 after the lighting design generated by the generation unit 213. In this embodiment, the display unit 30 serving as the output unit 32 displays a third image Im3 as the spatial information In3 of the target facility 100 (see FIG. 16 ).

[0145] A user viewing the third image Im3 displayed on the display unit 30 can use the input unit 31 to modify the type, number, and position of the first lighting fixtures 101 included in the third image Im3.

[0146] (5) Effects In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the generation unit 213 reads out from the first storage unit 221, as similar structures, first spatial structures 201 that are similar to the second spatial structure 202 from among the multiple first spatial structures 201 stored in the first storage unit 221. Furthermore, the generation unit 213 extracts similar lighting fixtures that are similar to the first lighting fixture 101 from among one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structures. The generation unit 213 then generates spatial information In3 in which the first lighting fixture 101 is arranged in the second spatial structure 202 based on the positional information of the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure. This reduces the time required to generate the spatial information In3 compared to simulating the lighting effect of a lighting fixture. That is, the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment reduces the time required to design the lighting for the target facility 100. Furthermore, according to the lighting design support system 1A according to the third embodiment, it is possible to design lighting for the target facility 100 using the first lighting fixtures 101.

[0147] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the generation unit 213 reads out from the first storage unit 221 the first spatial structure 201 that has the highest degree of match with the desired information from among the multiple first spatial structures 201 stored in the first storage unit 221. This makes it possible to extract the first spatial structure 201 that is closest to the user's desire.

[0148] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the fixture information In2 includes at least one of information about the product number and performance of the first lighting fixture 101 and image information of the first lighting fixture 101. This makes it possible to obtain information about the product number and performance of the first lighting fixture 101.

[0149] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the generation unit 213 calculates at least one of the initial cost for installing the first lighting fixture 101 and the maintenance cost for maintaining the first lighting fixture 101. This makes it possible to notify the user of at least one of the initial cost and the maintenance cost for the first lighting fixture 101.

[0150] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the generation unit 213 performs a lighting design using the third lighting fixtures when the lighting design of the target facility 100 cannot be completed using only the first lighting fixtures 101. As a result, even when the lighting design of the target facility 100 cannot be completed using only the first lighting fixtures 101, it is possible to complete the lighting design of the target facility 100 by using the third lighting fixtures.

[0151] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the generation unit 213 calculates at least one of the initial cost of installing the third lighting fixture and the maintenance cost of maintaining the third lighting fixture, thereby making it possible to notify the user of at least one of the initial cost and the maintenance cost of the third lighting fixture.

[0152] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the generation unit 213 performs at least one of a first operation of reading out similar structures from the first storage unit 221 and a second operation of extracting similar lighting fixtures from the similar structures, based on the request information received by the input unit 31. This makes it possible to generate spatial information In3 that reflects the user's request.

[0153] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the input unit 31 further receives an input for changing the threshold value of the similarity used when the generation unit 213 performs at least one of the first operation and the second operation. This makes it possible to change the threshold value of the similarity used when the generation unit 213 performs at least one of the first operation and the second operation.

[0154] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the input unit 31 further receives input of an upper limit of the initial cost to be paid by the user when installing the first lighting fixture 101 in the target facility 100. This makes it possible to set an upper limit of the initial cost to be paid by the user when installing the first lighting fixture 101 in the target facility 100.

[0155] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the input unit 31 further receives an input for modifying the spatial information In3 after the lighting design has been completed. This makes it possible to modify the spatial information In3 after the lighting design has been completed.

[0156] The lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment further includes an output unit 32 that outputs maintenance information, thereby making it possible to notify the user of the maintenance information.

[0157] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the output unit 32 further outputs the recommendation information generated by the generation unit 213. This makes it possible to recommend to the user the third lighting fixture, which is more economical than the first lighting fixture 101.

[0158] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment, the output unit 32 further outputs the disposal / sale information generated by the generation unit 213. This makes it possible to notify the user of information regarding the disposal or sale of unnecessary first lighting fixtures 101.

[0159] (6) Modifications The second embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Various modifications of the second embodiment are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Furthermore, functions similar to those of the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment may be embodied in the above-described lighting design support method, (computer) program, or non-transitory recording medium on which the program is recorded, etc.

[0160] The following are examples of modifications of the second embodiment. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

[0161] (6.1) Modification 1 The following describes a lighting design support system 1A according to Modification 1. Note that, with regard to the lighting design support system 1A according to Modification 1, components that are the same as those in the lighting design support system 1A according to the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0162] In the lighting design support system 1A according to the first modification, the generation unit 213 includes a selection unit 2131, as shown in FIG. 19 . The selection unit 2131 selects whether to prioritize the first lighting design or the second lighting design in the lighting design of the target facility 100. The first lighting design is a lighting design using the first lighting fixtures 101. The second lighting design is an optimal lighting design for the target facility 100.

[0163] For example, the selection unit 2131 selects the first lighting design when the priority of the first lighting design is 8 and the priority of the second lighting design is 6, and selects the second lighting design when the priority of the first lighting design is 6 and the priority of the second lighting design is 8. The generation unit 213 implements the first lighting design or the second lighting design depending on the selection result of the selection unit 2131.

[0164] The selection unit 2131 may also select the first lighting design or the second lighting design depending on the performance (specifications) of the first lighting device 101 used in the first lighting design. Specifically, the selection unit 2131 selects the first lighting design when the user is satisfied with three or more of the performance characteristics of the first lighting device 101 among the luminous flux, appearance, color adjustment, and dimming function, and selects the second lighting design when the user is satisfied with two or fewer of the performance characteristics.

[0165] Furthermore, the selection unit 2131 may select the first lighting design or the second lighting design depending on whether the first lighting fixtures 101 used in the first lighting design are suitable for the target facility 100. Specifically, the selection unit 2131 selects the first lighting design when the first lighting fixtures 101 are suitable for the target facility 100, and selects the second lighting design when the first lighting fixtures 101 are not suitable for the target facility 100.

[0166] The selection unit 2131 may also select the first lighting design or the second lighting design depending on whether the spatial structure used in the first lighting design is suitable for the first lighting device 101. Specifically, the selection unit 2131 selects the first lighting design when the spatial structure used in the first lighting design is suitable for the first lighting device 101, and selects the second lighting design when the spatial structure used in the first lighting design is not suitable for the first lighting device 101.

[0167] According to the lighting design support system 1A of the first modification, it is possible to select whether to prioritize the first lighting design using the first lighting fixture 101 or the second lighting design that is optimal for the target facility 100.

[0168] (6.2) Modification 2 A lighting design support system 1A according to Modification 2 will be described below with reference to Fig. 20. Note that, with regard to lighting design support system 1A according to Modification 2, components that are the same as those in lighting design support system 1A according to embodiment 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0169] In lighting design support system 1A according to Modification 2, display unit 30 as output unit 32 displays fourth image Im14 in addition to third image Im13, as shown in FIG. 20 . As described above, third image Im13 is an image of a room in target facility 100 after the lighting design. Fourth image Im14 is an image showing a floor plan of target facility 100. Position Po0 in fourth image Im14 is the arrangement position of first lighting fixture 101. That is, in lighting design support system 1A according to Modification 2, spatial information In3 includes third image Im13 and fourth image Im14. Note that in the example of FIG. 20 , third image Im13 is an image corresponding to the hatched portion in fourth image Im14.

[0170] According to the lighting design support system 1A of variant example 2, by also displaying a floor plan of the target facility 100 on the display unit 30, it is possible to improve the ease of installation when installing the first lighting fixture 101 in the target facility 100.

[0171] (6.3) Other Modifications Other modifications are listed below.

[0172] The execution entity of the lighting design support system 1A or the lighting design support method according to the present disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system is primarily composed of a processor and memory as hardware. The processor executes a program stored in the memory of the computer system to realize the functions of the execution entity of the lighting design support system 1A or the lighting design support method according to the present disclosure. The program may be pre-stored in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided by being stored on a non-transitory recording medium readable by the computer system, such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits, such as ICs and LSIs, are referred to by different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, very large-scale integration (VLSI), or ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), which is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the connections within the LSI or the circuit partitions within the LSI, can also be employed as a processor. Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or distributed across multiple chips. Multiple chips may be integrated into a single device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

[0173] Furthermore, it is not essential for lighting design support system 1A that multiple functions are integrated into a single housing, and the components of lighting design support system 1A may be distributed across multiple housings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of lighting design support system 1A, for example, the functions of control unit 21A of server device 2A, may be realized by cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

[0174] Conversely, in the second embodiment, at least some of the functions of lighting design support system 1A that are distributed across multiple devices may be integrated into a single housing. For example, some of the functions of lighting design support system 1A that are distributed across server device 2A and information terminal 3 may be integrated into a single housing.

[0175] Generator 213 may read from second storage unit 222 the third spatial structure that has the highest degree of match based on the desired information from among the plurality of third spatial structures stored in second storage unit 222, and set it as second spatial structure 202. In this case, generator 213 generates spatial information In3 in which first lighting device 101 is installed in the third spatial structure that has the highest degree of match based on the desired information, rather than installing first lighting device 101 in second spatial structure 202. This makes it possible to extract the third spatial structure that most closely matches the user's desire.

[0176] The generation unit 213 may extract similar lighting fixtures by combining multiple first lighting fixtures 101. For example, assume that the multiple first lighting fixtures 101 include a ceiling light for a 10-tatami room and a ceiling light for a 6-tatami room, and one of the one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure is a ceiling light for a 15-tatami room. In this case, the generation unit 213 extracts the ceiling light for the 15-tatami room as a similar lighting fixture in the similar structure. Then, based on the positional information of the ceiling light for the 15-tatami room in the similar structure, the generation unit 213 generates spatial information In3 in which the ceiling light for the 10-tatami room and the ceiling light for the 6-tatami room are arranged in the second spatial structure 202.

[0177] The input unit 31 may be configured to further receive input as to whether or not to install the first lighting fixture 101 when designing the lighting for the target facility 100 .

[0178] In the second embodiment, the lighting design support system 1A includes the output unit 32, but the lighting design support system 1A does not necessarily have to include the output unit 32. In other words, the output unit 32 may be omitted.

[0179] At least a part of the functions of the server device 2A may be realized in the cloud.

[0180] In the second embodiment, the facility information In1 includes data of the first image Im1, but the facility information In1 is not limited to data of the first image Im1 and may include, for example, drawing data (including handwritten drawings).

[0181] In embodiment 2, the third image Im3 is displayed on the display unit 30 as spatial information In3 of the target facility 100, but for example, the information of the first spatial structure 201 stored in the first memory unit 221 itself may be displayed on the display unit 30.

[0182] In the second embodiment, the output unit 32 is the display unit 30 of the information terminal 3, and causes the display unit 30 to display the spatial information In3. In contrast, the output unit 32 may output the spatial information In3 to, for example, another system or another device different from the lighting design support system 1A. The output unit 32 may also output the fixture information In4 together with the spatial information In3. Furthermore, the generation unit 213 may generate at least one of an estimate and a purchase order based on the spatial information In3 and the fixture information In4.

[0183] (Aspects) The present specification discloses the following aspects.

[0184] A lighting design support system (1) according to a first aspect is a lighting design support system (1) that supports lighting design of a target facility (100). The lighting design support system (1) includes an input unit (31), a storage unit (22), an estimation unit (211), and a generation unit (212). The input unit (31) receives input of request information (In2), which is information regarding a user's request, and facility information (In1), which is information regarding the target facility (100). The storage unit (22) stores a plurality of first spatial structures (201), each of which is a spatial structure after lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures (101). The estimation unit (211) estimates a second spatial structure (202), which is the spatial structure of the target facility (100), based on the facility information (In1) received by the input unit (31). The generation unit (212) generates spatial information (In3) of the target facility (100) after lighting design based on the request information (In2) received by the input unit (31). The generation unit (212) reads out from the storage unit (22) a first spatial structure (201) that is similar to the second spatial structure (202) among a plurality of first spatial structures (201) stored in the storage unit (22) as a similar structure, and generates spatial information (In3) based on fixture information that is information related to the similar structure.

[0185] According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce the time required for lighting design of the target facility (100).

[0186] In the lighting design support system (1) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the structural information includes image information relating to the similar structure. A generator (212) generates spatial information (In3) based on the image information.

[0187] According to this aspect, it is possible to carry out lighting design based on the image information.

[0188] In the lighting design support system (1) according to the third aspect, in the first aspect, the structural information includes fixture information (In4) that is information about one or more lighting fixtures (101) included in the similar structure, and position information (In6) that is information about the positions of the one or more lighting fixtures (101) in the similar structure. The generation unit (212) generates spatial information (In3) in which the one or more lighting fixtures (101) are arranged in the second spatial structure (202) based on the fixture information (In4) and the position information (In6).

[0189] According to this aspect, it is possible to perform lighting design based on the fixture information (In4) and the position information (In6).

[0190] In a lighting design support system (1) according to a fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the generation unit (212) has a lighting effect generation unit (2121). The lighting effect generation unit (2121) generates spatial information (In3) including the lighting effect using a trained model that has undergone machine learning of the lighting effect of one or more lighting fixtures (101) in each of a plurality of first spatial structures (201).

[0191] According to this aspect, it is possible to generate spatial information (In3) that reflects the lighting effect.

[0192] In a lighting design support system (1) according to a fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, a storage unit (22) stores each of a plurality of first spatial structures (201) linked to a first feature amount that is a feature amount of each of the plurality of first spatial structures (201). An estimation unit (211) extracts a second feature amount that is a feature amount of the second spatial structure (202) from the estimated second spatial structure (202). A generation unit (212) reads out, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure (201) linked to a first feature amount similar to the second feature amount from among the plurality of first spatial structures (201) stored in the storage unit (22).

[0193] According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the generation unit (212).

[0194] In a lighting design support system (1) according to a sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the facility information (In1) includes the detection results of a detection device (4) installed in the target facility (100).

[0195] According to this aspect, it is possible to improve the accuracy of estimation of the second spatial structure (202) by the estimation unit (211).

[0196] The lighting design support system (1) according to a seventh aspect is the lighting design support system (1) according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising an output unit (32) that outputs spatial information (In3).

[0197] According to this aspect, it is possible to notify the user of the spatial information (In3) of the target facility (100) after the lighting design.

[0198] In the lighting design support system (1) according to the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the output unit (32) further outputs fixture information (In4), which is information about the lighting fixtures (101) used in the lighting design in the spatial information (In3).

[0199] According to this aspect, in addition to the spatial information (In3) of the target facility (100) after the lighting design, it is possible to notify the user of the device information (In4) of the lighting device (101) used in the lighting design.

[0200] In the lighting design support system (1) according to the ninth aspect, in the seventh or eighth aspect, the input unit (31) further receives input for correcting the spatial information (In3) output from the output unit (32).

[0201] According to this aspect, it is possible to correct the spatial information (In3) of the target facility (100) after the lighting design.

[0202] In a lighting design support system (1) according to a tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the spatial information (In3) includes floor plan information (In5), location information (In6), and fixture information (In4). The floor plan information (In5) is information relating to the floor plan of the target facility (100). The location information (In6) is information relating to the location of one or more lighting fixtures (101) in the target facility (100). The fixture information (In4) is information relating to one or more lighting fixtures (101).

[0203] According to this aspect, it is possible to improve the ease of installation when installing one or more lighting fixtures (101) in the target facility (100).

[0204] A lighting design support system (1A) according to an eleventh aspect is a lighting design support system (1A) that supports lighting design of a target facility (100). The lighting design support system (1A) includes an input unit (31), a storage unit (221), and a generation unit (213). The input unit (31) accepts input of facility information (In1), which is information about the target facility (100), and fixture information (In2), which is information about first lighting fixtures (101). The storage unit (221) stores a plurality of first spatial structures (201), each of which is a spatial structure after lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures. The generation unit (213) generates spatial information (In3) of the target facility (100) after lighting design. The generation unit (213) reads out, from the storage unit (221), a first spatial structure (201) that is similar to a second spatial structure (202) that is a spatial structure of a target facility (100) from among a plurality of first spatial structures (201) stored in the storage unit (221) as a similar structure. The generation unit (213) extracts, from the similar structure, a similar lighting fixture that is a second lighting fixture similar to the first lighting fixture (101) from among one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure. The generation unit (213) generates spatial information (In3) in which the first lighting fixture (101) is arranged in the second spatial structure (202) based on positional information of the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure.

[0205] According to this aspect, it is possible to shorten the time required for lighting design of the target facility (100). Also, according to this aspect, it is possible to design lighting of the target facility (100) using the first lighting fixture (101).

[0206] A lighting design support system (1A) according to a twelfth aspect is the eleventh aspect, further comprising a second storage unit (222). The second storage unit (222) is different from the first storage unit (221), which is the storage unit (221). The second storage unit (222) stores a plurality of third spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure that can be a candidate for the target facility (100). The input unit (31) further accepts input of desired information including the layout, size, and age of the target facility (100) desired by the user. The generation unit (213) reads out from the second storage unit (222) the third spatial structure that has the highest degree of match with the desired information, as the second spatial structure (202).

[0207] According to this aspect, it is possible to design lighting that utilizes the spatial structure that is closest to the second spatial structure (202), which is the spatial structure of the target facility (100).

[0208] A lighting design support method according to a thirteenth aspect is a lighting design support method for supporting lighting design of a target facility (100). The lighting design support method includes an input step (ST1), an estimation step (ST2), and a generation step (ST3). The input step (ST1) accepts input of request information (In2), which is information related to a user's request, and facility information (In1), which is information related to the target facility (100). The estimation step (ST2) estimates the spatial structure of the target facility (100) based on the facility information (In1) accepted in the input step (ST1). The generation step (ST3) generates spatial information (In3) of the target facility (100) after lighting design based on the request information (In2) accepted in the input step (ST1). In the generation step (ST3), a first spatial structure (201) that is similar to a second spatial structure (202), which is the spatial structure of the target facility (100), is read out from the memory unit (22) as a similar structure from among a plurality of first spatial structures (201) stored in the memory unit (22), each of which is a spatial structure after lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures (101), and spatial information (In3) is generated based on fixture information, which is information about the similar structure.

[0209] According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce the time required for lighting design of the target facility (100).

[0210] A lighting design support method according to a fourteenth aspect is a lighting design support method for supporting lighting design of a target facility (100). The lighting design support method includes an input step (ST11) and a generation step (ST12). The input step (ST11) accepts input of facility information (In1) that is information about the target facility (100) and fixture information (In2) that is information about first lighting fixtures (101). The generation step (ST12) generates spatial information (In3) of the target facility (100) after lighting design. The generation step (ST12) reads out, from a storage unit (221) that stores a plurality of first spatial structures (201), each of which is a spatial structure after lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures, a first spatial structure (201) that is similar to a second spatial structure (202) that is the spatial structure of the target facility (100), as a similar structure. In the generation step (ST12), similar lighting fixtures are extracted from the similar structure, which are second lighting fixtures similar to the first lighting fixture (101) from among one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure. In the generation step (ST12), spatial information (In3) in which the first lighting fixture (101) is arranged in the second spatial structure (202) is generated based on the positional information of the similar lighting fixtures in the similar structure.

[0211] According to this aspect, it is possible to shorten the time required for lighting design of the target facility (100). Also, according to this aspect, it is possible to design lighting of the target facility (100) using the first lighting fixture (101).

[0212] The configurations according to the second to tenth and twelfth aspects are not essential for the lighting design support system (1; 1A) and may be omitted as appropriate.

[0213] 1, 1A Lighting design support system 4 Detection device 22 Memory unit 31 Input unit 32 Output unit 100 Target facility 101 Lighting fixture 201 First spatial structure 202 Second spatial structure 211 Estimation unit 212, 213 Generation unit 221 First memory unit (memory unit) 222 Second memory unit 2121 Lighting effect generation unit In1 Facility information In2 Request information In3 Space information In4 Fixture information In5 Floor plan information In6 Position information ST1, ST11 Input step ST2 Estimation step ST3, ST12 Generation step

Claims

1. A lighting design support system for supporting the lighting design of a target facility, comprising: an input unit that receives an input of requirement information, which is information regarding a user's requirement, and facility information, which is information regarding the target facility; a storage unit that stores a plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure after the lighting design using one or more lighting fixtures; an estimation unit that estimates a second spatial structure, which is the spatial structure of the target facility, based on the facility information received by the input unit; and a generation unit that generates spatial information of the target facility after the lighting design based on the requirement information received by the input unit. The generation unit reads, from the storage unit, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure similar to the second spatial structure among the plurality of first spatial structures stored in the storage unit, and generates the spatial information based on structure information, which is information regarding the similar structure. A lighting design support system.

2. The structure information includes image information regarding the similar structure, and the generation unit generates the spatial information based on the image information. The lighting design support system according to claim 1.

3. The structure information includes fixture information, which is information regarding the one or more lighting fixtures included in the similar structure, and position information, which is information regarding the positions of the one or more lighting fixtures in the similar structure. The generation unit generates the spatial information in which the one or more lighting fixtures are arranged in the second spatial structure based on the fixture information and the position information. The lighting design support system according to claim 1.

4. The generation unit has a lighting effect generation unit that generates the spatial information including the lighting effect using a learned model obtained by machine learning the lighting effect by the one or more lighting fixtures in each of the plurality of first spatial structures. The lighting design support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The memory unit stores, in association with each of the plurality of first spatial structures, a first feature amount that is a feature amount in each of the plurality of first spatial structures. The estimation unit extracts a second feature amount that is a feature amount of the second spatial structure from the second spatial structure after estimation. The generation unit reads, from the memory unit, as the similar structure, a first spatial structure associated with the first feature amount similar to the second feature amount among the plurality of first spatial structures stored in the memory unit. The lighting design support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The facility information includes a detection result of a detection device installed in the target facility. The lighting design support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The lighting design support system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 further includes an output unit that outputs the spatial information.

8. The output unit further outputs fixture information that is information regarding a lighting fixture used in the lighting design in the spatial information. The lighting design support system according to claim 7.

9. The input unit further receives an input for correcting the spatial information output from the output unit. The lighting design support system according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The spatial information includes floor plan information that is information regarding the floor plan of the target facility, position information that is information regarding the positions of the one or more lighting fixtures in the target facility, and fixture information that is information regarding the one or more lighting fixtures. The lighting design support system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A lighting design support system for supporting the lighting design of a target facility, comprising: an input unit that receives input of facility information, which is information about the target facility, and fixture information, which is information about a first lighting fixture; a storage unit that stores a plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure after the lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures; and a generation unit that generates spatial information of the target facility after the lighting design. The generation unit reads, from the storage unit, as a similar structure, a first spatial structure similar to a second spatial structure, which is the spatial structure of the target facility, among the plurality of first spatial structures stored in the storage unit; extracts, from the similar structure, a similar lighting fixture, which is a second lighting fixture similar to the first lighting fixture, among the one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure; and generates the spatial information in which the first lighting fixture is arranged in the second spatial structure based on the position information of the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure. A lighting design support system.

12. The lighting design support system according to claim 11, further comprising a second storage unit different from the first storage unit that is the storage unit, wherein the second storage unit stores a plurality of third spatial structures, each of which is a spatial structure that can be a candidate for the target facility, and the input unit further receives input of desired information including the floor plan, area, and construction year of the target facility desired by the user, and the generation unit reads, from the second storage unit, as the second spatial structure, the third spatial structure having the highest degree of match with the desired information among the plurality of third spatial structures stored in the second storage unit.

13. A lighting design support method for supporting the lighting design of a target facility, comprising: an input step of receiving input of requirement information, which is information regarding a user's requirement, and facility information, which is information regarding the target facility; an estimation step of estimating the spatial structure of the target facility based on the facility information received in the input step; and a generation step of generating spatial information of the target facility after the lighting design based on the requirement information received in the input step. In the generation step, a first spatial structure similar to a second spatial structure, which is the spatial structure of the target facility, among the plurality of first spatial structures stored in a storage unit that stores the plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is the spatial structure after the lighting design by one or more lighting fixtures, is read out from the storage unit as a similar structure, and the spatial information is generated based on structure information, which is information regarding the similar structure. A lighting design support method.

14. A lighting design support method for supporting the lighting design of a target facility, comprising: an input step of receiving input of facility information, which is information regarding the target facility, and fixture information, which is information regarding a first lighting fixture; and a generation step of generating spatial information of the target facility after the lighting design. In the generation step, a first spatial structure similar to a second spatial structure, which is the spatial structure of the target facility, among the plurality of first spatial structures stored in a storage unit that stores the plurality of first spatial structures, each of which is the spatial structure after the lighting design using one or more second lighting fixtures, is read out from the storage unit as a similar structure, a similar lighting fixture, which is a second lighting fixture similar to the first lighting fixture, among the one or more second lighting fixtures included in the similar structure is extracted from the similar structure, and the spatial information in which the first lighting fixture is arranged in the second spatial structure is generated based on the position information of the similar lighting fixture in the similar structure. A lighting design support method.

Images