Portable Light Source Role Switching for Connected Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of portable light sources into connected lighting systems poses challenges in controlling lighting scenes, as they can be moved and do not remain fixed, disrupting pre-defined static or dynamic ambiance assumptions, necessitating a redefinition of interaction paradigms for user-friendly control.
Innovation Solution
A control unit that detects portable lighting devices near fixed light sources and adjusts their roles and light settings dynamically, allowing for independent or slave modes, blending or contrasting with the fixed light sources based on location, orientation, and user settings, ensuring seamless integration and ambiance maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If portable light sources are integrated into connected lighting systems, then the flexibility and functionality of the system are enhanced, but the control complexity increases due to the need to dynamically adjust settings based on location and role
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic role assignment where portable light sources can switch between independent and slave roles based on their proximity to fixed light sources. The control unit dynamically adjusts the behavior of portable light sources according to their location and the current lighting scene requirements, allowing the system to adapt its control complexity in real-time rather than maintaining a fixed complex control structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit automatically detects the presence and location of portable light sources and autonomously assigns roles and adjusts settings without requiring manual user configuration. The system self-manages the complexity by automatically determining which portable light sources should operate independently versus those that should follow fixed light sources, reducing the perceived control complexity for users.
2Ease of operation
If portable light sources are allowed to move freely, then user convenience is improved, but the ability to maintain pre-defined lighting scenes is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts lighting scene composition based on the real-time locations of portable light sources. Rather than requiring fixed positions, the control unit continuously updates the scene configuration to account for moving light sources, maintaining scene integrity through dynamic recalculation of lighting relationships and roles.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors the locations of portable light sources and uses this feedback to automatically adjust scene assignments and roles. When a portable light source moves or is picked up, the system detects this change and reconfigures the lighting scene accordingly, ensuring that the overall ambiance and scene composition remain stable despite the movement of individual components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If portable light sources operate independently, then operational autonomy is improved, but the consistency of lighting ambiance across different locations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches portable light sources between independent and slave roles based on contextual factors such as location, current lighting scene requirements, and user preferences. This dynamic role assignment allows portable light sources to operate autonomously in some contexts while maintaining ambiance consistency in others, adapting the degree of independence to the specific situation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portable light sources are assigned different roles (independent or slave) based on their specific locations and the local lighting requirements. Rather than applying a uniform control mode system-wide, the control unit allows local variation in operational autonomy, enabling some portable light sources to independently adapt to their local environment while others follow the master fixed light sources to maintain overall consistency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A control unit for use in a lighting system. The control unit comprises: a localization module which detects when a portable lighting device is within a predetermined vicinity of a fixed light source; and a controller which selects between different roles for the portable light source, the roles comprising (i) an independent role where the light output of the fixed and portable light sources are controlled independently of one another, and one or both of (ii) a slave role where the light output of the portable light source is adjusted in dependence on that of the fixed light source, and/or (iii) a master role where the light output of the fixed light source is adjusted in dependence on that of the portable light source. The controller is configured to switch to one of the slave role or the master role in response to the detection of the predetermined vicinity.