Illumination Apparatus Dimming Control for Image Sensor Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional illumination apparatuses that detect human presence using image sensors struggle to maintain illuminance for image capture at night when external light is insufficient, leading to power consumption inefficiencies and impaired detection capabilities.
Innovation Solution
An illumination apparatus with an image sensor that adjusts light output based on detected illuminance and human presence, ensuring a minimum threshold illuminance is maintained for image capture even when no human is present, using a dimming control unit and illuminance determining unit to manage light levels effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the light source is turned off to suppress power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but the illuminance for image capture becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining illuminance only in the specific illuminance maintaining area where human presence detection is needed, rather than uniformly illuminating the entire visual field. This allows the light source to be dimmed or turned off in areas where detection is not required, reducing overall power consumption while ensuring sufficient illuminance in the critical detection zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by providing illuminance maintenance only in the necessary portion of the visual field (the illuminance maintaining area) rather than the entire area. The light source output is adjusted to maintain illuminance only where needed for detection, allowing the system to reduce power consumption by not illuminating areas beyond what is necessary for human presence detection.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the light output is reduced to suppress power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but the detection function of human presence may be impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures detection reliability by maintaining sufficient illuminance specifically in the illuminance maintaining area where human presence detection occurs. The control unit monitors illuminance levels in this critical area and adjusts light output accordingly, ensuring that detection function is preserved even when overall light output is reduced to save power.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control where the control unit continuously monitors the illuminance in the illuminance maintaining area and adjusts the light source output based on this feedback. When illuminance drops below a threshold level, the system increases light output to maintain detection capability, and reduces output when sufficient illuminance is achieved, thereby balancing power consumption with detection reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for reduced power consumption while maintaining the ability to detect human presence, ensuring the image sensor can capture images by adjusting light output to meet the minimum required illuminance levels, even in low external light conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor which has an image sensor and detects an illuminance and a presence or absence of a human based on an image captured with the image sensor
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination apparatus includes a light source; a sensor which has an image sensor and detects an illuminance and a presence of a human based on a captured image while setting a range overlapping a range illuminated by the light source as a visual field; an illuminance determining unit for varying a light output from the light source based on the illuminance and the presence of a human; and a dimming control unit. The illuminance determining unit obtains an illuminance of an illuminance maintaining area included in the visual field based on the captured image, and when the sensor detects no human, the illuminance determining unit reduces the light output while maintaining the illuminance of the illuminance maintaining area to be equal to or greater than a threshold that is set in advance as a lower limit illuminance, which makes it feasible for the image sensor to capture an image.