Adaptive Lighting Control via Individual Communication Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting control systems fail to account for individual user preferences and specific needs, leading to suboptimal lighting conditions, as they primarily rely on daylight, time, or movement detection rather than user-specific information.
Innovation Solution
Assigning each individual a communication element for active or passive interaction with the lighting system, which reports presence, group membership, and additional information like position, visual task, and condition, enabling individual-specific or group-specific control commands to optimize lighting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If lighting control is based on daylight, time, or movement detection, then the system is simple to operate, but it cannot adapt to individual user needs and preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments users by assigning individual communication elements (transponders, RFID tags, or video cameras) to each person. This allows the lighting system to recognize and adapt to specific individuals while maintaining a relatively simple overall system architecture. Each user carries their own identification device, separating the complexity of user recognition from the central control system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where communication elements continuously report user presence, position, and visual task information to the lighting control system. The system then adjusts lighting parameters based on this feedback, creating an adaptive cycle that personalizes lighting without requiring complex manual configuration.
2Loss of information
If communication elements like video cameras are attached to individuals, then individual-specific information can be obtained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication elements are designed to perform multiple functions: they serve as user identification tags, position sensors, and visual task detectors. Video cameras, when used, provide both presence detection and visual task analysis. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate devices for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication element acts as an intermediary between the user and the lighting system. Instead of the lighting system directly sensing all user characteristics, the communication element collects and transmits relevant information (presence, position, visual task), simplifying the interface between user and system while maintaining information quality.
3Illumination intensity
If lighting is optimized for specific individuals, then lighting quality improves, but the system requires complex control algorithms especially for open-plan offices
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by adjusting lighting parameters specifically for each user's location and task rather than uniformly for the entire space. In open-plan offices, this means creating localized lighting zones adapted to individual users while maintaining simpler control logic through predefined lighting scenarios and rules for different work types.
Data Source
AI summary
Controllable lighting arrangement comprises a communicating element assigned to each individual for actively and passively communicating with the lighting arrangement. The communicating element indicates the presence of the individual. Control information specific to an individual or group is stored in the lighting arrangement. Preferred Features: The communicating elements are worn by or implanted into the body of an individual. The communicating elements are video cameras or sensors.