Lighting Control System Using Reference Data for Sensor Calibration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting control systems fail to accurately sense illuminance due to foreign materials like dust or bird guano, leading to malfunctioning street lights and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A lighting control system that uses reference data from multiple reference lighting devices to calibrate and adjust the brightness of object lighting devices, employing equations to converge illuminance and brightness within allowable deviation ranges, thereby mitigating the impact of foreign materials on sensing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If an illuminance sensor is used to control lighting devices, then the lighting device can be controlled automatically according to sensed illuminance, but the sensing accuracy deteriorates when foreign materials like dust or bird guano cover the sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reference lighting device as an intermediary element that provides reference illuminance data. When the object illuminance sensor is affected by foreign materials, the system uses the reference device's sensing data to compensate for the measurement error, thereby maintaining accurate lighting control without requiring direct access to the object sensor's clean readings
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously comparing the object illuminance readings with reference illuminance readings from the reference lighting device. When deviations are detected that indicate foreign material contamination, the system adjusts the lighting control decisions based on the reference data, creating a closed-loop correction mechanism that maintains accuracy despite sensor degradation
2Measurement precision
If the illuminance sensor is cleaned frequently to maintain sensing accuracy, then the measurement precision improves, but the maintenance cost and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service by automatically detecting sensor degradation through comparison with reference data and correcting the measurements without human intervention. The calibration process occurs automatically, eliminating the need for manual cleaning operations while maintaining measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The reference lighting device performs preliminary sensing in a location less susceptible to foreign material accumulation. This advance preparation of clean reference data allows the system to compensate for object sensor contamination before it significantly degrades measurement accuracy, preventing the need for corrective cleaning actions
3Ease of operation
If the lighting device operates based on inaccurate illuminance sensing, then the device may turn on before sunset or off after sunrise, but this leads to increased power consumption and reduced lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from reference illuminance measurements to correct timing decisions. By continuously comparing object and reference illuminance readings, the system detects shifts caused by sensor contamination and adjusts the lighting on/off timing accordingly, preventing premature operation that would waste energy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on the potentially contaminated mechanical/optical sensor system with a computational approach using data processing and algorithms. Instead of physically cleaning the sensor, the system substitutes mathematical calibration using reference data to achieve accurate timing control
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a lighting control system including an object lighting control device and at least one reference lighting control device. The object lighting control device generates an object brightness control signal to control an object brightness of an object lighting device provided in an object district using a sensed result of an object illuminance around the object lighting device as well as reference data. The reference lighting control device generates a reference brightness control signal to control a reference brightness of a reference lighting device provided in a reference district using a sensed result of a reference illuminance around the reference lighting device, and transmits at least one of the reference illuminance and the reference brightness as the reference data to the object lighting control device in response to a request of the object lighting control device.