Mobile Lighting Control via Context-Aware Sensor Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lighting control systems using mobile computing devices are cumbersome, requiring users to unlock and navigate through applications to adjust local lighting effects, which adds unnecessary steps and complexity for quick adjustments.

Innovation Solution

A mobile computing device with a light sensor, user inputs, and a controller that identifies contributing LED-based lighting units based on their light output and context, allowing for direct wireless instructions to adjust lighting properties without unlocking the device or opening specific applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users navigate through mobile device applications to control lighting units, then lighting control functionality is achieved, but user operation complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting control accessibilityVSAvoidtime to access lighting control
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting lighting context (via light sensors, GPS, compass) and pre-loading or pre-positioning the lighting control application in memory before the user explicitly requests it. This allows the application to be ready for immediate use, eliminating the need for manual navigation through device menus and reducing access time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides self-service by automatically detecting when the user is in a lighting context (through sensor data analysis) and autonomously launching or preparing the lighting control application without requiring user intervention for app selection or navigation. The system serves itself by monitoring its own operational context and initiating appropriate responses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If the mobile device requires unlocking and application navigation, then security is maintained, but ease of operation for lighting control is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting control accessibilityVSAvoidaccess procedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining the lighting control application in a pre-loaded or cached state in memory during periods when the device is unlocked or in use for other purposes. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the user wants to control lighting, the application is already ready and can be accessed immediately without requiring full device unlock sequences or complex navigation procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary mechanism (context detection layer using sensors, GPS, and compass) that mediates between the user's implicit lighting control need and the actual application launch. This intermediary automatically interprets sensor data to determine lighting context and triggers appropriate application preparation or launch, simplifying the user's interaction while maintaining system security through controlled access pathways.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

Enables quick and convenient control of local lighting effects by selectively enabling user inputs based on detected lighting contexts, reducing the complexity of accessing and adjusting lighting units, allowing users to easily modify brightness, hue, and other properties without manual application navigation.

Implementation Method 1

a light sensor... The controller may be configured to: receive, via the one or more user inputs, input indicative of a desired lighting property adjustment for light output produced by one or more LED-based lighting units; identify one or more LED-based lighting units that contribute to a sensed lighting effect, based on one or more lighting properties of light output of the one or more LED-based lighting units that is detected by the light sensor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight detection: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3033927B1Lighting control via a mobile computing device
Publication Date: 2020.10.07 SIGNIFY HOLDING BV
  • EP3033927B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3033927B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3033927B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

Systems, methods, apparatus (e.g., mobile computing devices), and computer-readable media are described herein for lighting control. In various embodiments, a mobile computing device may receive input indicative of a desired lighting property adjustment for a lighting effect sensed by a light sensor of the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device may identify one or more LED-based lighting units that contribute to the sensed lighting effect. The mobile computing device may then generate, for wireless transmission to the one or more contributing LED-based lighting units, an instruction configured to cause at least some of the one or more contributing LED-based lighting units to implement the desired lighting property adjustment.In various embodiments, one or more user inputs of the mobile computing device may be selectively enabled, based on a detected lighting context, to receive the input indicative of a desired lighting property adjustment.