Distributed Solar Lighting With Inductive Pre-Trigger Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional solar lighting systems rely heavily on a master controller, which shortens the endurance of solar lights and limits their sensing range, resulting in inadequate lighting until pedestrians are close to the controller.
Innovation Solution
A distributed induction-controlled solar lighting system where each solar light is equipped with a sensor and sub-controller, and an inductive switch triggers the brightness of adjacent lights when a pedestrian or animal is detected, eliminating the need for a central master controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a master controller is used to control all solar lights in a centralized manner, then the sensing range is limited and lights are not turned on until pedestrians are extremely close, but the system complexity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized master controller system is segmented into multiple distributed sub-controllers, each equipped with its own sensor. This allows each light to independently sense and respond to pedestrians within its range, effectively expanding the overall sensing coverage without requiring a single complex centralized system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-point centralized control to a multi-point distributed control architecture. By adding the dimension of distribution across multiple nodes, the system achieves extended sensing range while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized modular units.
2Ease of operation
If all lights are controlled to turn on at the same time through a master controller, then the control is simplified, but the endurance of solar lights is seriously shortened
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform centralized control, each solar light unit operates with local autonomy based on its own sensor detection. This allows lights to be activated only when and where needed, optimizing energy consumption and extending endurance while maintaining operational simplicity through standardized local decision-making rules.
Solution Approach 2:
Each solar light unit independently detects pedestrians through its own sensor and autonomously decides when to activate, eliminating the need for continuous centralized coordination. This self-service approach reduces overall energy consumption by activating only necessary lights, thereby extending system endurance while keeping control logic simple and standardized.
3Illumination intensity
If the brightness of solar lights is increased to improve lighting quality, then the illumination intensity is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic sensor detection to identify when pedestrians are present, activating high-brightness mode only during these periodic detection intervals. During non-detection periods, lights remain off or at minimal brightness, thereby providing high lighting quality when needed while significantly reducing overall energy consumption through time-based modulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the brightness parameter based on detected needs. By adjusting illumination intensity from high (when pedestrians detected) to low or zero (when no pedestrians present), the system optimizes the balance between lighting quality and energy consumption through parameter modulation rather than fixed operation.
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
This system prolongs the service life of solar lights, improves their endurance and reliability by allowing lights to be turned on in advance and adjusted in brightness based on proximity, and reduces unnecessary lighting power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
A first solar panel used for converting solar energy into electric energy to supply power to at least one of the light source, the first sensor and the sub-controller of the solar light
Implementation Method 2
A second solar panel used for converting solar energy into electric energy to supply power to the second sensor of the corresponding solar light
Data Source
AI summary
A distributed induction-controlled solar lighting system comprises a first light, second lights and an inductive switch. Each light comprises a first sensor and a sub-controller used for controlling the brightness of the light. The inductive switch is spaced apart from the first light and can trigger the brightness of the first light within its preset range to increase when sensing that a pedestrian or an animal passes by. The first sensor can trigger the brightness of the first light and/or the second light within its range to increase when sensing that a pedestrian or an animal passes by. The solar lighting system can sense a signal in advance when a pedestrian or an animal passes by, such that the situation where the lights will not be turned on or brightness will not be increased until a pedestrian or an animal passes by is avoided; each light has a brightness adjustment function and can adjust the brightness of its own according to a sensing signal of the adjacent lights, a special master controller is not needed, unnecessary lighting power is avoided, and the endurance and reliability of the lights are improved.