Automated Lighting Commissioning via Spatial User Distribution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current digitally controllable lighting systems in retail and hospitality environments face high costs and inefficiencies due to manual commissioning and recommissioning processes, which are necessary for adapting lighting scenes to changing store layouts and customer dynamics.

Innovation Solution

An automated system that uses a positioning system to detect the spatial distribution of people and objects, grouping luminaires accordingly and storing their IDs in a commissioning database, allowing for dynamic control of lighting based on real-time usage patterns and predicted distributions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual commissioning and recommissioning procedures are used to adapt lighting scenes to changing store layouts, then lighting atmosphere can be customized for different retail needs, but the process becomes costly and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting atmosphere customizationVSAvoidcommissioning duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic commissioning where the lighting system self-configures based on positioning data from mobile devices. The controller automatically groups luminaires and creates lighting scenes without manual intervention, allowing the system to serve itself in adapting to store layouts and customer distributions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical commissioning processes with an automated digital system. Positioning systems detect mobile device locations, and controllers automatically process this data to configure lighting groups and scenes, substituting human operators with automated computational processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual commissioning procedures are used for frequent store reconfigurations, then lighting can be adapted to new promotions and furniture arrangements, but costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting adaptation to store reconfigurationVSAvoidrecommissioning cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically detects changes in store layout through positioning data from mobile devices and self-reconfigures lighting groups accordingly. This eliminates the need for expensive manual recommissioning when stores are reconfigured for new promotions or furniture arrangements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning system serves multiple functions: it tracks customer locations for lighting control, detects store layout changes, and enables automatic commissioning. This multi-functional approach reduces the need for separate systems and manual processes, lowering overall costs.

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

3Reliability

If fixed lighting scenes are created based on intended usage, then lighting can provide functional illumination, but the system lacks flexibility when store layouts change

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional illuminationVSAvoidlighting flexibility to layout changes
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from static fixed lighting scenes to dynamic adaptive scenes. Lighting groups and scenes automatically adjust based on real-time positioning data from mobile devices, allowing the system to maintain functional illumination while adapting to changing store layouts and customer distributions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously receives positioning data from mobile devices and uses this feedback to automatically adjust lighting configurations. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures lighting remains functionally appropriate while adapting to current store conditions and layouts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3434074B1Controlling lighting using spatial distribution of users
Publication Date: 2020.05.06 SIGNIFY HOLDING BV
  • EP3434074B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3434074B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3434074B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method of automatically commissioning a lighting system comprising a plurality of luminaires for illuminating one or more regions within a space. The method comprises: receiving signals from a positioning system, indicating a respective location within the space at which each of a plurality of physical entities is detected by the positioning system, each of the entities being a person or a movable nonhuman object. The method further comprises determining a spatial distribution of at least some of the entities based on the locations indicated by the signals from the positioning system, and determining a region within the space corresponding to this spatial distribution. The method then comprises identifying a group of the luminaires that are arranged to illuminate the determined region and storing identifiers of those luminaires together as a group in a commissioning database.