Programmable Lighting Sequences for Dynamic Exit Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lighting systems lack the ability to provide directional guidance and decorative illumination dynamically in response to environmental changes, such as movement or hazardous conditions, within a structure.
Innovation Solution
A networked system comprising sensing or detecting devices (SDDs) and illuminating devices (IDs) connected via a wired or wireless network, with a command and control center (CCC) that uses sensors to detect changes and send instructions to IDs to illuminate in sequences that guide people towards exits or track movement, using protocols like TCP/IP, UDP, or DMX512.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional lighting systems are used, then the system is simple and reliable, but it cannot provide dynamic directional guidance or decorative illumination in response to environmental changes
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system is divided into multiple independently controllable illuminating devices (ID1, ID2, ID3, etc.) distributed throughout the structure. Each device can be individually activated or deactivated based on environmental conditions, allowing dynamic guidance patterns while maintaining simple individual device design. The segmentation enables the system to provide directional guidance by illuminating specific paths without requiring complex mechanisms in each lighting fixture.
Solution Approach 2:
The illuminating devices are designed to serve multiple functions: emergency exit guidance, decorative illumination, and motion tracking. The same physical lighting fixtures can operate in different modes depending on environmental conditions detected by sensors, eliminating the need for separate specialized systems for each function and reducing overall system complexity while enhancing adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensing devices and control mechanisms are integrated for dynamic lighting control, then the system can provide directional guidance and decorative effects, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A command and control center (CCC) serves as an intermediary between the sensing devices (SDD) and the illuminating devices (ID). The CCC receives environmental data from sensors, processes the information, and generates appropriate lighting control commands. This intermediary architecture allows the system to achieve complex responsive behavior without requiring direct complex integration between each sensor and each lighting device, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where sensing devices continuously monitor environmental conditions (motion, occupancy, hazardous conditions) and send data to the command and control center, which adjusts the illuminating devices accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables dynamic adaptation to changing conditions while using simple, standardized sensor and actuator components, reducing integration complexity through iterative control rather than complex hardwired connections.
3Loss of information
If sequentially activated illuminating devices are used to provide directional guidance, then exit location indication is improved, but the loss of time for system activation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illuminating devices are pre-configured in specific spatial arrangements and sequences within the structure during installation. The command and control center stores pre-programmed lighting patterns and activation sequences for different emergency scenarios. When an emergency condition is detected, the CCC simply triggers the pre-planned sequence rather than calculating and determining the lighting pattern in real-time, significantly reducing activation time while maintaining clear directional guidance to exits.
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
The system effectively provides directional guidance during emergencies and decorative illumination by sequencing light sources to indicate exit locations and track movement, enhancing safety and aesthetics in various environments.
Implementation Method 1
at least one light-emitting diode, organic light-emitting diode, or light-emitting capacitor
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for providing guidance and entertainment to people within a structure, through sequentially activated illuminating devices. In some embodiments, the illuminating devices receive instructions to illuminate the perimeter of a structure in a sequence that indicates the exit of the structure. In other embodiments, the illuminating devices receive instructions to illuminate a surface of a structure, such as a wall of a corridor, to track the movement of at least one object or person walking or otherwise moving in the structure. The instructions to the illuminating devices are sent from sensing and detecting devices or alternatively, from a command and control center, in response to changes detected in the environment of the structure.