Internet-Connected Lighting Control for Anticipatory Daylight Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lighting systems require integrated daylight sensors within the luminaire structure, leading to complex and inefficient local lighting control, as they can only react to current light conditions, resulting in fluctuating light emission and high energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

A lighting system with an Internet connection that receives external light information, allowing for decentralized data acquisition and control, using sensors to collect local luminaire information and external data such as weather forecasts to anticipate and adjust light output, optimizing energy consumption and light emission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If daylight sensors are integrated within the luminaire structure, then local lighting control is enabled, but device complexity increases and hardware requirements are higher

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocal lighting controlVSAvoidluminaire structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the daylight sensing function from the luminaire structure and places sensors in external locations (weather stations, centralized locations). The luminaire receives daylight information via Internet connection, separating the sensing function from the lighting function, thereby simplifying the luminaire structure while maintaining local lighting control capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (Internet connection, data transmission network) between the external sensors and the luminaire. This mediator allows the luminaire to access external daylight information without physically integrating sensors, resolving the contradiction between obtaining local control data and maintaining simple device structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If integrated sensors are used within luminaires, then local light conditions are detected, but energy consumption increases due to reactive control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight condition detectionVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses external sensors to detect daylight conditions in advance and transmits this information to luminaires before the lighting adjustment is needed. This preliminary detection allows the lighting system to proactively adjust light output based on predicted or current external conditions, avoiding the need for continuous reactive adjustments that consume energy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback loop where external daylight information is continuously monitored and transmitted to luminaires, which then adjust their light output accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables efficient energy consumption by synchronizing artificial lighting with actual external light conditions rather than operating continuously or reactively

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If decentralized sensor integration is implemented, then local control is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and installation difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocal control capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing and installation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the luminaire universal by equipping it with Internet connectivity to receive daylight information from various external sources (weather stations, centralized sensors, multiple locations). This multi-functional approach allows a single luminaire design to adapt to different local conditions without requiring physical modification or integration of local sensors, simplifying both manufacturing and installation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3352534B1Lighting assembly, lighting system and method for controlling a lighting assembly
Publication Date: 2021.08.25 ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING GMBH
  • EP3352534B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The present invention relates to a lighting arrangement (10) comprising at least one luminaire (11) and a luminaire control unit for controlling luminaire parameters to achieve a defined light output of the luminaire (11), wherein the luminaire control unit further comprises an internet connection for receiving externally provided light information (21), and wherein the luminaire control unit is configured to control the light output of the luminaire (11) based on the light information (21) thus obtained and depending on local luminaire information (12). The invention further relates to a lighting system comprising the lighting arrangement (10) according to the invention and a sensor arrangement (2). The invention also relates to a method for controlling luminaire parameters to achieve a defined light output of a luminaire (11) of a lighting arrangement (10).