Illumination control device, illumination device, illumination control method, and program

Abstract

This illumination control device is provided with: a control unit (123) that controls a plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements (111)) arranged two-dimensionally; and an acquisition unit that acquires light source information indicating the presence of, among the plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements (111)), a defective light source (115) having a defect and a normal light source (114) that can be lit normally. On the basis of the light source information, the control unit (123) controls the lighting mode of the normal light source (114) present around the defective light source (115) so that the presence of the defective light source (115) is unnoticeable.

Description

Lighting control device, lighting device, lighting control method, and program

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an LED display device that can automatically detect failures in LED (Light Emitting Diode) elements or LED modules. The LED display device includes a display surface formed by arranging a plurality of LED modules, each having a plurality of LED elements arranged vertically and horizontally, that displays information by combining the lit and unlit states of the plurality of LED elements, and a display control unit that outputs a failure signal when the supply current value detected by a current detection unit deviates from a supply current target value.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-20808

[0004] The LED display device of Patent Document 1 can detect a fault in an LED module. However, if an LED module contains a defective LED element, no measures are taken to turn on the LED module and display a desired light object on the illuminated object. When the LED module turns on, there is a problem that uneven brightness occurs on the light-emitting surface of the LED display device and uneven brightness occurs in the light object displayed on the illuminated object.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a lighting control device, etc., that can suppress uneven brightness on the light-emitting surface of a lighting device and uneven brightness of a light object displayed on an illuminated object, even if a defective light source is present in the lighting device.

[0006] A lighting control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit that controls a plurality of light sources arranged two-dimensionally, and an acquisition unit that acquires light source information indicating the presence of defective light sources among the plurality of light sources and normal light sources that can be turned on normally, and the control unit controls the lighting mode of the normal light sources that are present around the defective light sources based on the light source information so that the presence of the defective light sources is not noticeable.

[0007] Moreover, an illumination device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an illumination control device, a plurality of light sources arranged two-dimensionally, and a lens that projects light emitted by the plurality of light sources.

[0008] Furthermore, a lighting control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit controlling a plurality of light sources arranged two-dimensionally, an acquisition unit acquiring light source information indicating the presence of defective light sources that become defective pixels among the plurality of light sources and normal light sources that can be turned on normally, and, based on the light source information, the control unit controlling the lighting mode of the normal light sources that are present around the defective light sources so that the presence of the defective light sources is not noticeable.

[0009] Furthermore, a program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program that enables a computer to execute a lighting control method.

[0010] According to the lighting device etc. of the present disclosure, even if a defective light source is present in the lighting device, uneven brightness of the light-emitting surface of the lighting device and uneven brightness of the light object displayed on the illuminated object can be suppressed.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a lighting system including a lighting device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a case where a light-emitting module is lit. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a case where, when a defective light source is present in the lighting device, the lighting mode of normal light sources around the defective light source is controlled. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the lighting system when a user sets an irradiation pattern of a light object using a terminal device. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic configuration diagram of a lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 13 is another schematic cross-sectional view of a lighting device according to another modified example.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component arrangements and connection forms, steps, step sequences, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not recited in the independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0013] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. Therefore, for example, the scales and the like do not necessarily match in each figure. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same configurations are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted or simplified.

[0014] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating the relationship between elements, terms indicating the shape of elements, and numerical ranges are not expressions that only express a strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a substantially equivalent range, for example, a difference of about a few percent.

[0015] (Embodiment) <Configuration> First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the configuration of a lighting system 1 including a lighting device 10 according to an embodiment will be described.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a lighting system 1 including a lighting device 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates a case where a light-emitting module is turned on. FIG. 2A illustrates a case where a plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are all normal light sources 114, and the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are turned on based on a control instruction input by a user from a terminal device 30. FIG. 2B illustrates a case where a defective light source 115 is present among the plurality of light-emitting elements 111, and the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are turned on based on the control instruction. In FIG. 2B, the white squares surrounded by solid grid lines represent the light-emitting elements 111. The same applies to the following FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3 illustrates a case where a defective light source 115 is present in the lighting device 10, and the illumination modes of the normal light sources 114 surrounding the defective light source 115 are controlled. 3A shows a case where, when a defective light source 115 is present among the plurality of light-emitting elements 111, the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are turned on based on the control instruction, and the first normal light source 114a is made to have a higher emission intensity than the second normal light source 114b. In FIG. 3A, the first normal light source 114a having a higher emission intensity is indicated by hatching with dots, and the second normal light source 114b having a lower emission intensity is indicated by hatching with dots less densely than the first normal light source 114a. FIG. 3B shows a case where, when a defective light source 115 is present among the plurality of light-emitting elements 111, the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are turned on based on the control instruction, and the third normal light source 114c is made to be turned on.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1 , the lighting system 1 includes a lighting device 10 and a terminal device 30 .

[0018] The lighting device 10 can emit one or more spot illumination lights onto an illumination object. Therefore, by emitting a plurality of spot illumination lights, the lighting device 10 can simultaneously project a plurality of light objects illuminated onto the illumination object.

[0019] The illumination target may be a wall, floor, ceiling, shelf, stand, or the like illuminated with spot illumination light, or may be a commodity or object of appreciation placed thereon.

[0020] The light object is a light effect pattern that is projected by spot illumination light irradiated onto an illumination target. When the illumination target is irradiated with spot illumination light, the illumination target is effected by the light object.

[0021] The space illuminated by the lighting device 10 may be an indoor space such as a room, a corridor, a ceiling, a wall, or a floor in a building, or an outdoor space such as an outer wall of a building, the ground, or an installed object.

[0022] The lighting device 10 is, for example, a spotlight, and is attached to a wiring fixture (for example, a wiring duct or a ceiling hook) provided on a ceiling or a wall. Note that the lighting device 10 is not limited to a spotlight, and may be, for example, a downlight or a ceiling light.

[0023] 1, the lighting device 10 includes a light-emitting module 110, a projection lens 120, a drive unit 121, a communication unit 122, a control unit 123, a storage unit 124, and a power supply unit 125. The communication unit 122 and the control unit 123 constitute a lighting control unit. Alternatively, the input interface and the control unit 123 may constitute a lighting control unit. The communication unit 122 or the input interface is an example of an acquisition unit.

[0024] The light emitting module 110 emits white light along an optical axis direction, which is the direction in which the main light emitted by the light emitting element 111 is emitted and is perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the light emitting module 110.

[0025] The light emitting module 110 has a plurality of light emitting elements 111 that emit light, and a light source substrate 112 on which the plurality of light emitting elements 111 are arranged.

[0026] Specifically, the light-emitting module 110 includes a plurality of light-emitting elements 111 and a wavelength converter, which are two-dimensionally arranged on the surface of the light source substrate 112. In the present embodiment, the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix on the surface of the light source substrate 112. The plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are arranged in an array on the surface of the light source substrate 112. Specifically, the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are regularly arranged side by side in a matrix of M rows and N columns. Here, at least one of M and N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. M and N may be the same value or different values. The arrangement intervals of the light-emitting elements 111 in the row direction and the column direction may be the same or different. In the present embodiment, the outer shape of the area in which the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are arranged is rectangular, but may be other shapes, such as circular. The light-emitting element 111 is an example of a light source. The light-emitting module 110 may also be an example of a light source.

[0027] Each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 emits light in response to a current supplied from the driving unit 121. Each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 is, for example, a blue light-emitting element that emits blue light. Note that a green light-emitting element that emits green light and / or a red light-emitting element that emits red light may also be used. In each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111, a yellow phosphor is disposed on the light-emitting side of the blue light-emitting element as an example of a wavelength converter. The blue light-emitting element is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Specifically, the blue light-emitting element is, for example, a minute LED with a size on the order of several hundred micrometers. The yellow phosphor is a phosphor that is excited by blue light and emits yellow light. Each light-emitting element 111 emits white light as a mixture of blue light and yellow light. The yellow phosphor is, for example, a YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet)-based phosphor, but is not limited thereto.

[0028] The yellow phosphor may be provided so as to cover the plurality of blue light-emitting elements. For example, a yellow phosphor may be disposed so as to entirely cover the plurality of blue light-emitting elements arranged in a two-dimensional matrix.

[0029] The light-emitting module 110 can also adjust the light intensity and color. For example, the light-emitting intensity of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 can be changed according to the amount of current supplied from the driving unit 121. For example, the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 may include a plurality of types of light-emitting elements 111 that emit white light with different color temperatures. By adjusting the light-emitting intensity of the plurality of types of light-emitting elements 111, the light-emitting module 110 can emit white light with a desired color temperature.

[0030] The plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are mounted on a light source substrate 112. The light source substrate 112 is a rigid substrate, but may be a flexible substrate. The light source substrate 112 is provided with pattern wiring for electrically connecting each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 to the drive unit 121.

[0031] The projection lens 120 applies a predetermined optical effect to the light emitted from the light-emitting module 110 and projects the light forward so that the light emitted from one or more light-emitting elements 111 driven by the drive unit 121 is focused as spot illumination light on an illumination object located in front of the light-emitting module 110. The projection lens 120 is composed of multiple lenses, but may also be composed of a single lens. The lighting device 10 is also capable of adjusting the focus of an illumination pattern based on the spot illumination light. The projection lens 120 is an example of a lens.

[0032] The driving unit 121 supplies a current for driving the light-emitting module 110. Specifically, the driving unit 121 supplies a current for driving each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 independently (i.e., individually) according to a control signal based on a control instruction, which is information received from the control unit 123. As a result, the on / off, light-emitting intensity, light-emitting period, etc. of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 are individually controlled. For example, by individually controlling the on / off of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111, it is possible to emit spot illumination light with brightness and darkness in each region. Then, by irradiating an illumination target with the spot illumination light, it is possible to form an image of a light object on the illumination target according to the brightness and darkness.

[0033] The control signal includes the on / off, light emission intensity, and light emission period of each of the multiple light-emitting elements 111, and is a signal that the control unit 123 outputs to the drive unit 121 to control the lighting of the light-emitting elements 111.

[0034] The driver 121 is realized by, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The driver 121 supplies a current modulated by pulse width modulation (PWM) to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111. The driver 121 adjusts the pulse width of the current supplied to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 to change the light emission intensity of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 111, thereby achieving a dimming function. Note that the dimming method is not limited to PWM modulation, and may be another modulation method such as amplitude modulation or phase modulation.

[0035] The driving unit 121 drives one or more light-emitting elements 111 identified by the control unit 123 so as to illuminate the irradiation object. Specifically, the driving unit 121 identifies one or more light-emitting elements 111 to be turned on as indicated in the lighting control data, based on the lighting control data stored in the storage unit 124, and adjusts the current supplied to the identified one or more light-emitting elements 111. The lighting control data is data that indicates the shape, light emission intensity, hue, pattern, position, size, etc. of a light object to be irradiated onto the irradiation object.

[0036] The communication unit 122 can wirelessly communicate with the terminal device 30. In this embodiment, the communication unit 122 can wirelessly communicate via an access point. Specifically, when the communication unit 122 wirelessly communicates with the terminal device 30, the communication unit 122 may use short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (registered trademark) or a wireless local area network (LAN). The wireless communication method (communication standard) may be communication via a wide area communication network such as the Internet. The communication between the communication unit 122 and the terminal device 30 may be wired communication. The wired communication may be communication using power line communication (PLC) or a wired LAN, for example. The communication unit 122 is realized by, for example, an antenna and a wireless processing circuit that processes signals received by the antenna.

[0037] The communication unit 122 can receive and acquire light source information indicating the presence of defective (abnormal) light sources 115 and normal light sources 114 that can be turned on normally among the multiple light-emitting elements 111. The communication unit 122 can output the received light source information to the control unit 123. The defective light source 115 may be identified when the manufacturer ships the light-emitting module 110. For example, when the multiple light-emitting elements 111 of the light-emitting module 110 are turned on in sequence, a sensor that detects the light emitted by the light-emitting elements 111 may be used to detect whether the light source 115 is a defective light source 115. For example, the multiple light-emitting elements 111 may be turned on and a microscope and an image sensor may be used to detect whether the light source 115 is a defective light source 115. Through such inspection, the manufacturer can obtain light source information indicating the presence of defective light sources 115 and normal light sources 114 included in the light-emitting module 110. The manufacturer may notify the terminal device 30 of the light source information or transmit it to the lighting device 10. Naturally, the existence of the defective light source 115 and the normal light source 114 indicated by the light source information includes the position coordinates of the defective light source 115 and the position coordinates of the normal light source 114 in the two-dimensionally arranged plurality of light emitting elements 111. In other words, the light source information includes the position coordinates of the defective light source 115 and the position coordinates of the normal light source 114.

[0038] The control unit 123 is realized, for example, by an LSI (Large Scale Integration), which is an integrated circuit (IC). The integrated circuit is not limited to an LSI, but may be a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. In the embodiment, the control unit 123 is a microcontroller. The microcontroller includes, for example, a non-volatile memory in which a program is stored, a volatile memory that is a temporary storage area for executing the program, input / output ports, and a processor that executes the program. The control unit 123 may also be a programmable FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or a reconfigurable processor that allows the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI to be reconfigured. The functions performed by the first processing unit 22 may be realized by software or hardware.

[0039] The control unit 123 controls the two-dimensionally arranged light-emitting elements 111 by outputting a control signal based on the control instruction to the drive unit 121. The control unit 123 individually controls the light-emitting elements 111 to emit light that becomes a light object from the light-emitting module 110. Specifically, the control unit 123 identifies one or more light-emitting elements 111 to be driven based on the control instruction received by the communication unit 122 and determines the light emission intensity of each of the one or more light-emitting elements 111. The control unit 123 generates a control signal based on the light emission intensity for each of the identified one or more light-emitting elements 111. The control unit 123 outputs a control signal to the drive unit 121 for turning on the identified one or more light-emitting elements 111. The drive unit 121 individually drives the multiple light-emitting elements 111 in accordance with the received control signal. In other words, the drive unit 121 supplies current to one or more light-emitting elements 111 indicated by the control signal to turn them on, and does not supply current to the remaining light-emitting elements 111 indicated by the control signal to turn them off. The one or more light-emitting elements 111 specified by the control unit 123 are turned on. As a result, light that becomes spot illumination light is emitted from the light-emitting module 110 via the projection lens 120, and the spot illumination light emitted from the lighting device 10 is irradiated onto the illumination object, thereby forming an image of the light object on the illumination object. In other words, the light object irradiated with the spot illumination light is projected onto the illumination object.

[0040] The control instruction is an instruction input by the user to the input unit in order to project a desired light object onto the irradiation target. The control instruction includes, for example, an instruction to project a figure handwritten by the user onto the irradiation target, an instruction to select lighting control data stored in the storage unit 124 by the user and project the selected lighting control data as a light object onto the irradiation target, etc.

[0041] The control unit 123 can control the shape, light emission intensity, hue (e.g., color temperature), pattern, position, size, etc. of the light object so that they change periodically. In other words, the control unit 123 can project still image light objects and moving image light objects onto the illumination target. Therefore, the control unit 123 can display the shape, light emission intensity, hue, pattern, position, size, etc. of the light object on the illumination target so that they change dynamically. In other words, in this embodiment, not only still image-like presentations but also moving image-like presentations are possible.

[0042] Here, if the light emitting module is a normal light source in which all of the light emitting elements can be turned on normally, and the letters "503" and a symbol indicating a right arrow are expressed using the light emitting elements as shown in (a) of Figure 2, when the light emitting elements are viewed, the light emitting elements will emit light evenly and appear vivid.

[0043] However, the light-emitting modules 110 may include defective light sources 115, such as elements that cannot emit light or light that emits less than the rated amount for the current value supplied. In such cases, the defective light sources 115 cannot be turned on properly, and when the turned-on light-emitting module 110 is viewed, only the defective light sources 115 appear dark.

[0044] For example, when the number "503" and a symbol indicating a right arrow are expressed using a plurality of light-emitting elements 111, as shown in FIG. 2B, defective light sources 115 that appear white and dot the screen are scattered and not lit. Therefore, when the plurality of light-emitting elements 111 arranged two-dimensionally are viewed, the defective light sources 115 appear uneven like defective pixels. In this case, when the light-emitting surface of the lighting device 10 is viewed, brightness unevenness occurs on the light-emitting surface. Furthermore, the portions of the light object displayed on the illuminated object that correspond to the defective light sources 115 appear dark.

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 123 can control the lighting mode of the normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115 based on the light source information obtained from the communication unit 122 so that the presence of the defective light source 115 is not noticeable.

[0046] For example, as shown in FIG. 3A , the control unit 123 can, based on the light source information, increase the emission intensity of one or more normal light sources 114 present around the defect light source 115 compared to the emission intensity of normal light sources 114 not present around the defect light source 115. Specifically, when the defect light source 115 is included in the one or more light-emitting elements 111 to be turned on based on the control instruction and the light source information, the control unit 123 can also control the lighting mode so that the emission intensity of the first normal light source 114 a is higher than the emission intensity of the second normal light source 114 b. The first normal light source 114 a is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defect light source 115 and is turned on based on the control instruction. The second normal light source 114 b is a normal light source 114 not adjacent to the defect light source 115 and is turned on based on the control instruction. The normal light source 114 adjacent to the defect light source 115 is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defect light source 115 in the row and column directions.

[0047] When the emission intensity of the first normal light source 114a is to be higher than that of the second normal light source 114b, the control unit 123 may increase the emission intensity of the first normal light source 114a without changing the emission intensity of the second normal light source 114b. Alternatively, the control unit 123 may increase the emission intensity of the first normal light source 114a while decreasing the emission intensity of the second normal light source 114b. Alternatively, the control unit 123 may decrease the emission intensity of the second normal light source 114b without changing the emission intensity of the first normal light source 114a.

[0048] In this way, the light emission intensity of the normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 becomes higher than that of the normal light source 114 that is not adjacent to the defective light source 115 and is turned on based on a control instruction, thereby making it possible to compensate for (complement) the amount of light that would normally be emitted from the defective light source 115. In other words, the normal light sources 114 around the defective light source 115 shine brightly, making it possible to make the presence of the defective light source 115 less noticeable when looking at the light-emitting surface of the turned-on lighting device 10. Furthermore, with regard to the light object displayed on the illumination target, the portion corresponding to the defective light source 115 can be made less noticeable.

[0049] For example, based on the light source information, the control unit 123 can make the color of light emitted by one or more normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115 different from the color of light emitted by normal light sources 114 not present around the defective light source 115. Specifically, when the defective light source 115 is included in the one or more light-emitting elements 111 to be turned on based on the control instruction and the light source information, the control unit 123 can control the lighting mode so that the color of light emitted by the first normal light source 114a, which is the normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 and turned on based on the control instruction, is different from the color of light emitted by the second normal light source 114b, which is the normal light source 114 not adjacent to the defective light source 115 and turned on based on the control instruction.

[0050] The control unit 123 may change the color (e.g., color temperature) of the light emitted by the first normal light source 114a adjacent to the defective light source 115, for the second normal light source 114b that is turned on based on the control instruction. In this case, the light emitted by the first normal light source 114a and the light emitted by the second normal light source 114b are mixed to change the color tone, so that the defective light source 115 can be made less noticeable when viewing the light-emitting surface of the turned-on lighting device 10. Furthermore, the portion of the light object displayed on the illumination target that corresponds to the defective light source 115 can be made less noticeable.

[0051] For example, as shown in (b) of Figure 3, when a defective light source 115 is included in one or more light-emitting elements 111 to be turned on based on the control instruction and light source information, the control unit 123 can rewrite the control instruction to turn on a third normal light source 114c, which is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 and is not turned on based on the control instruction, and can turn on the third normal light source 114c.

[0052] In this way, by turning on the third normal light source 114c, which is not normally turned on, based on the control instruction, the presence of the defective light source 115 can be made less noticeable when looking at the light-emitting surface of the turned-on lighting device 10. Also, with regard to the light object displayed on the illumination target, the portion corresponding to the defective light source 115 can be made less noticeable.

[0053] 1, the storage unit 124 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like executed by the control unit 123. The storage unit 124 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0054] The storage unit 124 stores lighting control data for projecting a light object, for which an illumination pattern has been set, onto an illumination target. The lighting control data includes data set in advance and data set by the user.

[0055] The power supply unit 125 supplies operating power to the control unit 123 and the light-emitting module 110. The power supply unit 125 has, for example, an AC-DC converter circuit, converts AC power supplied from a commercial power source into DC power, and supplies the converted DC power to the control unit 123 and the light-emitting module 110.

[0056] Next, a terminal device 30 according to an embodiment that can operate the lighting device 10 will be described.

[0057] The terminal device 30 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. In the embodiment, the terminal device 30 is a tablet terminal. Note that the terminal device 30 may also be, for example, a device fixed to a wall or the like, or a device such as a desktop or laptop personal computer.

[0058] The terminal device 30 allows operation input for controlling the control unit 123 of the lighting device 10. By inputting operation to the terminal device 30, the user can operate a predetermined light object that is irradiated by the lighting device 10.

[0059] The terminal device 30 can accept an operation input for controlling the irradiation pattern. Specifically, the terminal device 30 can accept an operation input for controlling the irradiation pattern of one or more light objects irradiated onto an irradiation target.

[0060] The terminal device 30 can receive and acquire object data of a light object transmitted from an external device. Furthermore, when a user connects a secondary storage device such as a flash memory to the terminal device 30, the terminal device 30 can acquire lighting control data from the secondary storage device. Here, the external device may be another mobile terminal, another device fixed to a wall, or another personal computer.

[0061] <Operation Example 1> Next, operation example 1 performed by the lighting device 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0062] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the lighting system 1 when a user sets an irradiation pattern of a light object using the terminal device 30.

[0063] 4, the control unit 123 first acquires light source information indicating the presence of defective light sources 115 and normal light sources 114 that can be turned on normally (S11). Note that in this operation example, it is assumed that the light source information includes the defective light sources 115.

[0064] Next, based on the acquired light source information, the control unit 123 increases the emission intensity of one or more normal light sources 114 existing around the defective light source 115 (S12). That is, based on the acquired light source information, the control unit 123 increases the emission intensity of one or more normal light sources 114 existing around the defective light source 115 to be higher than the emission intensity of normal light sources 114 not existing around the defective light source 115.

[0065] For example, (1) the control unit 123 can control the lighting mode so that the light emission intensity of the first normal light source 114a, which is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 and is turned on based on a control instruction, is higher than the light emission intensity of the second normal light source 114b, which is a normal light source 114 not adjacent to the defective light source 115 and is turned on based on a control instruction.

[0066] In another example, (2) the control unit 123 can also control the lighting mode so that the color of light emitted by the first normal light source 114a, which is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 and is turned on based on a control instruction, is different from the color of light emitted by the second normal light source 114b, which is a normal light source 114 not adjacent to the defective light source 115 and is turned on based on a control instruction.

[0067] In yet another example, (3) the control unit 123 can rewrite the control instruction to turn on a third normal light source 114c, which is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 and is not turned on based on the control instruction, and turn on the third normal light source 114c.

[0068] The control unit 123 may be able to select any one of the above (1) to (3). For example, when a user inputs an operation via the terminal device 30, the control unit 123 may be able to selectively switch between the above (1) to (3) in accordance with the operation input.

[0069] Then, the lighting device 10 ends the flowchart of FIG.

[0070] As a result, the light emitted by the second normal light source 114b and the third normal light source 114c can compensate for the amount of light that would otherwise be emitted by the defective light source 115. Therefore, when a user looks at the light-emitting surface of the turned-on lighting device 10, the area corresponding to the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable. Furthermore, the area of ​​the light object displayed on the illuminated object that corresponds to the defective light source 115 also becomes less noticeable.

[0071] <Operational Effects> The operational effects of the lighting control device, lighting device 10, lighting control method, and program according to the present embodiment will be described below.

[0072] As described above, the lighting control device of technology 1 in this embodiment includes a control unit 123 that controls a plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111) arranged two-dimensionally, and an acquisition unit that acquires light source information indicating the presence of defective light sources 115 that are defective among the plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111) and normal light sources 114 that can be turned on normally, and the control unit 123 controls the lighting mode of the normal light sources 114 that are present around the defective light sources 115 based on the light source information so that the presence of the defective light sources 115 is not noticeable.

[0073] According to this, the control unit 123 controls the lighting state of the normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115, so that when a user looks at the light-emitting surface of the lit lighting device 10, the presence of the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable.

[0074] Therefore, according to the present disclosure, even if a defective light source 115 is present in the lighting device 10, it is possible to suppress uneven brightness on the light-emitting surface of the lighting device 10 and uneven brightness of the light object displayed on the illuminated object.

[0075] As a result, a desired light object can be displayed on the illuminated object. Furthermore, when the light-emitting surface of the lit illumination device 10 is viewed, the portion corresponding to the defective light source 115 becomes inconspicuous, making it less likely for the user to feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, the portion of the light object displayed on the illuminated object that corresponds to the defective light source 115 becomes inconspicuous, making it less likely for the user to feel uncomfortable.

[0076] Furthermore, the lighting control device of Technique 2 in this embodiment is the lighting control device described in Technique 1. In this case, the control unit 123 makes the emission intensity of one or more normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115 higher than the emission intensity of normal light sources 114 not present around the defective light source 115, based on the light source information.

[0077] According to this, the control unit 123 causes the normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115 to emit light brightly, so that even if the defective light source 115 is present in the lighting device 10, the light emitted by the normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115 can compensate for the amount of light equivalent to the defective light source 115. This makes it possible to suppress uneven brightness on the light-emitting surface of the lighting device 10 and uneven brightness on the light-emitting object displayed on the illuminated object. As a result, when a user looks at the light-emitting surface of the lit lighting device 10, the presence of the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable, and also, the portion of the light object displayed on the illuminated object corresponding to the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable.

[0078] Furthermore, the lighting control device of Technology 3 in this embodiment is the lighting control device described in Technology 2. In this case, when the defective light source 115 is included in one or more light sources (light-emitting elements 111) that are turned on based on a control instruction and light source information that control the light emission modes of the plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111), the control unit 123 controls the lighting mode so that the emission intensity of the first normal light source 114a, which is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 and turned on based on the control instruction, is higher than the emission intensity of the second normal light source 114b, which is a normal light source 114 that is not adjacent to the defective light source 115 and turned on based on the control instruction.

[0079] According to this, the control unit 123 causes the first normal light source 114a adjacent to the defective light source 115 to emit light more brightly than the second normal light source 114b that is not adjacent to the defective light source 115. Therefore, even if the defective light source 115 is present in the lighting device 10, the light emitted by the first normal light source 114a adjacent to the defective light source 115 can compensate for the amount of light equivalent to the defective light source 115. This makes it possible to suppress uneven brightness on the light-emitting surface of the lighting device 10 and uneven brightness on a light object displayed on an illuminated object. As a result, when a user looks at the light-emitting surface of the lit lighting device 10, the presence of the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable, and the portion of the light object displayed on the illuminated object corresponding to the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable.

[0080] Furthermore, the lighting control device of Technology 4 in this embodiment is the lighting control device described in Technology 1. In this case, when the defective light source 115 is included among the one or more light sources (light-emitting elements 111) that are turned on based on the control instructions and light source information that control the light emission modes of the plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111), the control unit 123 rewrites the control instruction to turn on a third normal light source 114c, which is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 and that is not turned on based on the control instruction, and turns on the third normal light source 114c.

[0081] According to this, the control unit 123 rewrites the third normal light source 114c, which is normally not turned on, to turn it on, so that the control unit 123 can cause the third normal light source 114c adjacent to the defective light source 115 to emit light. Even if the defective light source 115 is present in the lighting device 10, the light emitted by the third normal light source 114c adjacent to the defective light source 115 can compensate for the amount of light equivalent to the defective light source 115. This makes it possible to suppress uneven brightness on the light-emitting surface of the lighting device 10 and uneven brightness on a light object displayed on an illuminated object. As a result, when a user looks at the light-emitting surface of the illuminated lighting device 10, the presence of the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable, and the portion of the light object displayed on the illuminated object corresponding to the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable.

[0082] Furthermore, the lighting control device of Technique 5 in this embodiment is the lighting control device described in Technique 1. In this case, the control unit 123, based on the light source information, makes the color of light emitted by one or more normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115 different from the color of light emitted by normal light sources 114 that are not present around the defective light source 115.

[0083] According to this, the control unit 123 can change the color of light emitted by the normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115. Even if the defective light source 115 is present in the lighting device 10, the light emitted by the normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115 is mixed, so the area corresponding to the defective light source 115 becomes inconspicuous. Therefore, when a user looks at the light-emitting surface of the lit lighting device 10, the presence of the defective light source 115 becomes inconspicuous, and the part of the light object displayed on the illuminated object that corresponds to the defective light source 115 also becomes inconspicuous.

[0084] Furthermore, a lighting control device according to Technique 6 of the present embodiment is the lighting control device according to Technique 5. In this case, when the defective light source 115 is included among one or more light sources (light-emitting elements 111) that are turned on based on a control instruction and light source information that control the light emission modes of the plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111), the control unit 123 controls the lighting mode so that the color of light emitted by the first normal light source 114a, which is a normal light source 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115 and turned on based on the control instruction, differs from the color of light emitted by the second normal light source 114b, which is a normal light source 114 that is not adjacent to the defective light source 115 and turned on based on the control instruction.

[0085] According to this, the control unit 123 can cause the normal light sources 114 present around the defective light source 115 to emit light of different colors. Even if the defective light source 115 is present in the lighting device 10, the light emitted by the first normal light source 114a present adjacent to the defective light source 115 and the light emitted by the second normal light source 114b near the first normal light source 114a are mixed, so that the area corresponding to the defective light source 115 becomes inconspicuous. Therefore, when a user looks at the light-emitting surface of the lit lighting device 10, the presence of the defective light source 115 becomes inconspicuous, and the part of the light object displayed on the illuminated object corresponding to the defective light source 115 also becomes inconspicuous.

[0086] Furthermore, the lighting device 10 of Technology 7 in this embodiment includes a lighting control device described in any one of Technologies 1 to 6, a plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111) arranged two-dimensionally, and a lens that projects light emitted by the plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111).

[0087] According to this, the light emitted by the normal light source 114 is mixed when passing through the lens, so the part corresponding to the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable. Therefore, when a user looks at the light-emitting surface of the lighting device 10 that is turned on, the presence of the defective light source 115 becomes less noticeable, and the part of the light object displayed on the illuminated object that corresponds to the defective light source 115 also becomes less noticeable.

[0088] Furthermore, the lighting control device of Technique 8 in this embodiment is the lighting control device described in Technique 7. In this case, a group of lenses (projection lenses 120) having a resolution so low that they cannot resolve the minimum unit of a pixel represented by a light source is provided.

[0089] According to this, when there are limitations to the image correction mechanism that controls the lighting state of the normal light source 114 as described above, it is expected that deliberately setting the focus of the projection lens group 120 in a blurred direction can serve to soften the appearance of the emitted light source to the extent that the presence of the defective light source 115 is not noticeable.

[0090] Furthermore, the lighting control method of technique 9 in this embodiment includes the control unit 123 controlling a plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111) arranged two-dimensionally, the acquisition unit acquiring light source information indicating the presence of defective light sources 115 that are defective among the plurality of light sources (light-emitting elements 111) and normal light sources 114 that can be turned on normally, and the control unit 123 controlling the lighting mode of the normal light sources 114 that are present around the defective light sources 115 based on the light source information so that the presence of the defective light sources 115 is not noticeable.

[0091] This lighting control method also provides the same effects as those described above.

[0092] Furthermore, the program of Technology 10 in this embodiment is a program that enables a computer to execute the lighting control method described in Technology 9.

[0093] This program also provides the same effects as those described above.

[0094] While the lighting control device, lighting device, lighting control method, and program according to the present disclosure have been described above based on the above-described embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. As long as the modifications do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications that would occur to those skilled in the art may also be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0095] The configuration of the illumination device 200 according to the first modified example of the embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0096] Fig. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of an illumination device 200 according to another modified example. Fig. 5(a) is a bottom view of the illumination device 200, Fig. 5(b) is a plan view of the illumination device 200, Fig. 5(c) is a front view of the illumination device 200, and Fig. 5(d) is a rear view of the illumination device 200. Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the illumination device 200 according to another modified example. Fig. 6(a) is a left side view of the illumination device 200, and Fig. 6(b) is a right side view of the illumination device 200.

[0097] Fig. 7 is an enlarged schematic configuration diagram of an illumination device 200 according to another modified example. Fig. 7(a) shows an enlarged front view of the illumination device 200, and Fig. 7(b) shows an enlarged rear view of the illumination device 200. Fig. 8 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of the illumination device 200 according to another modified example. Fig. 8(a) shows an enlarged front perspective view of the illumination device 200, and Fig. 8(b) shows an enlarged rear perspective view of the illumination device 200. Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the illumination device 200 according to another modified example. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the illumination device 200 taken along line A-A in Fig. 5(c).

[0098] The lighting device 200 is configured so that a lamp body 206 is supported on a support base 202 via an arm 201. The support base 202 is formed in a box shape and has a power supply circuit board or a communication board built in. A plurality of horizontal bars 203 are formed in parallel on each of the four side surfaces of the support base 202. These horizontal bars 203 are designed to allow heat generated by the power supply circuit board and the communication board to be released to the outside.

[0099] The rear end of the light body 206 is supported on a support base 202 via an arm 201. The light body 206 is configured to be able to tilt and rotate in the vertical direction (the up and down direction in FIG. 5C ) with the connection point with the arm 201 as a fulcrum.

[0100] For ease of assembly, the cylinder 204 included in the lamp body 206 is assembled by joining or screwing together a first cylinder 204a at the front and a second cylinder 204b at the rear. Note that, in consideration of cleaning and maintenance of the interior of the cylinder 204, the first cylinder 204a and the second cylinder 204b are configured to be detachable from each other.

[0101] Since heat generated by the group of LED elements (corresponding to the light-emitting elements 111 in the embodiment) arranged inside the lamp body 206 needs to be released to the outside, a plurality of air vent holes 207 for letting in outside air is provided on the front surface of the lamp body 206 in the irradiation direction. Here, the plurality of air vent holes 207 are formed below the lens 205 (corresponding to the projection lens 120 in the embodiment). The air flowing in through these plurality of air vent holes 207 passes through the internal space of the lamp body 206 and is exhausted together with the heated air inside the lamp body 206 from a plurality of outside air vents 208 provided on the back surface of the lamp body 206. In this way, the air vent holes 207 and the outside air vents 208 contribute to releasing the heat generated inside the lamp body 206 to the outside.

[0102] It should be noted that although it is not necessarily the case that the outside air that flows in through the plurality of air vent holes 207 is exhausted directly from the plurality of outside air vent holes 208, a cooling effect can be expected compared to the case where no plurality of air vent holes 207 are provided. The air vent holes 207 may be formed in the shape of a plurality of steps that are parallel to the optical axis of the lens 205, or as another example, may be provided on the outer surface of the front irradiation surface of the lighting device 200 in a radial pattern centered on the optical axis of the lens.

[0103] The shape of the air vent holes 207 is not limited to a straight line, and may be a dot-shaped hole or a wavy line. Furthermore, the air vent holes 207 may have a jagged shape as an alternative to a wavy line. The larger the heat dissipation amount of the various circuit boards built into the lamp body 206, the larger the air vent holes 207 should be opened, but the dimensions and shape may be selected appropriately in consideration of the design, which must be narrow enough to prevent insects, dust, etc. from entering from the outside.

[0104] Next, the configuration of another illumination device 200a according to another modification will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0105] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of another lighting device 200a according to another modified example. (a) of FIG. 10 shows a front view of the lighting device 200a, and (b) of FIG. 10 shows an enlarged front view of the lighting device 200a. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of another lighting device 200a according to another modified example. FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another lighting device 200a according to another modified example. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device 200a taken along line B-B in (a) of FIG. 10. FIG. 13 is another schematic cross-sectional view of the lighting device according to another modified example. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device 200a taken along line CC in (a) of FIG. 10.

[0106] Another lighting device 200a according to another modified example has the same configuration as the lighting device 200 according to the other modified example, except that the lighting body 206 does not have the plurality of air circulation holes 207. Therefore, a description of the lighting device 200a will be omitted here.

[0107] As another modification, in addition to the image correction mechanism described above, a method can be considered in which lens blurring is intentionally introduced into the group of projection lenses 120 to make the presence of the defective light source 115 less noticeable. In other words, it is possible to prevent the presence of the defective light source 115 from being noticed by the light emitted by one or more ordinary light sources 114 adjacent to the defective light source 115. In this case, if the lighting device 200 is equipped with a group of projection lenses 120 having a resolution so low that it cannot resolve the minimum pixel unit represented by light sources such as the ordinary light source 114 and the defective light source 115, lens blurring of the group of projection lenses 120 can be introduced to intentionally create a slightly blurred light that makes the presence of the defective light source 115 less noticeable while still ensuring appropriate visibility. In this way, when the above-described image correction mechanism has limitations, intentionally blurring the focus of the projection lenses 120 can potentially serve to soften the appearance of the lighting device 10, 200, 200a, which emits light to an extent that the defective light source 115 is not noticeable. In cases where it is difficult to achieve a similar effect at any irradiation distance, lens blur may be intentionally generated only at a predetermined irradiation distance, in addition to the above-described image correction mechanism. For example, a distance measurement sensor may be provided to measure the distance to the object to be illuminated, and the degree of lens blur may be automatically adjusted according to the distance to the object to be illuminated indicated by the distance measurement sensor. If this adjustment is still insufficient, a control may be provided to adjust the light intensity and color tone of the light emitted by one or more normal light sources 114.

[0108] For example, in the lighting control device, lighting device, lighting control method, and program according to the above embodiments, the division of functional blocks in the block diagram is one example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be moved to another functional block. Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in a time-sharing manner by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0109] The order in which the steps in the flowchart are executed is merely an example for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and other orders may be used. Also, some of the steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps.

[0110] In addition, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by making various modifications to the above embodiments that a person skilled in the art would think of, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the embodiments within the scope that does not deviate from the intent of this disclosure.

[0111] 10, 200, 200a Illumination device 122 Communication unit (acquisition unit) 123 Control unit 111 Light-emitting element 114 Normal light source 114a First normal light source 114b Second normal light source 114c Third normal light source 115 Defective light source 120 Projection lens (lens)

Claims

1. A lighting control device comprising: a control unit that controls a plurality of light sources arranged two-dimensionally; and an acquisition unit that acquires light source information indicating the presence of defective light sources among the plurality of light sources and normal light sources that can be turned on normally, wherein the control unit controls the lighting modes of the normal light sources that exist around the defective light sources based on the light source information so as to make the presence of the defective light sources less noticeable.

2. The lighting control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, based on the light source information, makes the emission intensity of one or more of the normal light sources present around the defective light source higher than the emission intensity of the normal light sources that are not present around the defective light source.

3. The lighting control device according to claim 2, wherein, when the defective light source is included among one or more of the light sources that are turned on based on the control instructions and the light source information that control the light emission modes of the plurality of light sources, the control unit controls the lighting mode so that the emission intensity of a first normal light source that is a normal light source adjacent to the defective light source and that is turned on based on the control instructions is higher than the emission intensity of a second normal light source that is a normal light source that is not adjacent to the defective light source and that is turned on based on the control instructions.

4. The lighting control device described in claim 1, wherein, when the defective light source is included among one or more of the light sources to be turned on based on the control instructions and the light source information that control the light emission modes of the plurality of light sources, the control unit rewrites the control instructions to turn on a third normal light source that is a normal light source adjacent to the defective light source and that is not to be turned on based on the control instructions, and turns on the third normal light source.

5. The lighting control device described in claim 1, wherein the control unit, based on the light source information, makes the color of light emitted by one or more normal light sources present around the defective light source different from the color of light emitted by normal light sources that are not present around the defective light source.

6. The lighting control device described in claim 5, wherein, when the defective light source is included among one or more of the light sources that are turned on based on the control instructions and the light source information that control the light emission modes of the plurality of light sources, the control unit controls the lighting mode so that the color of light emitted by a first normal light source that is a normal light source adjacent to the defective light source and that is turned on based on the control instructions differs from the color of light emitted by a second normal light source that is a normal light source that is not adjacent to the defective light source and that is turned on based on the control instructions.

7. A lighting device comprising: a lighting control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6; a plurality of light sources arranged two-dimensionally; and a lens that projects light emitted by the plurality of light sources.

8. The lighting device according to claim 7, comprising a lens group having a resolution so coarse that it cannot resolve the smallest unit of a pixel represented by said light source.

9. A lighting control method comprising: a control unit controlling a plurality of light sources arranged two-dimensionally; an acquisition unit acquiring light source information indicating the existence of defective light sources that will become defective pixels among the plurality of light sources and normal light sources that can be turned on normally; and based on the light source information, the control unit controlling the lighting modes of the normal light sources that exist around the defective light sources so that the presence of the defective light sources is not noticeable.

10. A program that enables a computer to execute the lighting control method according to claim 9.

Images