Workstation Lighting Segmentation for Energy Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional workplace lighting systems fail to provide individually tailored illumination that meets specific brightness requirements while minimizing energy consumption, especially in dynamic work environments where desk positions change frequently.

Innovation Solution

The system uses sensors to determine the usage of different areas within a work station and adjusts lighting accordingly, allowing for independent illumination of sub-areas with high brightness only where work is being done, reducing energy consumption by minimizing unnecessary lighting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If the entire work area is illuminated with high brightness to ensure comfortable lighting, then lighting comfort is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebrightnessVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The work area is divided into multiple independently controllable sub-areas, each with its own lighting zone. The lighting system segments the illumination control by area, allowing only the currently used sub-area to be illuminated at high brightness while other areas receive reduced or no illumination, thus resolving the contradiction between comfort and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different brightness levels are applied to different spatial zones within the work area based on actual usage. The system provides high brightness quality locally where work is being performed, while other areas receive lower brightness, achieving the desired lighting comfort where needed without the energy cost of illuminating the entire area uniformly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Area of stationary object

If lighting means illuminate all areas of the work station to ensure adequate lighting coverage, then lighting coverage is improved, but energy waste increases in unused areas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting coverageVSAvoidenergy waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting system dynamically adjusts which areas are illuminated based on real-time detection of workstation usage. Sensors detect whether a workstation is occupied or in use, and the lighting control means dynamically switches between illuminating all areas versus only the active area, preventing energy waste in unused areas while maintaining adequate coverage where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Sensor means provide feedback about the usage state of different workstations to the control means. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically adjust lighting coverage to match actual usage patterns, ensuring that lighting is provided only where and when needed, thereby eliminating energy waste in unused areas while maintaining sufficient coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If floor lamps are used to illuminate entire desks, then ease of positioning is improved, but lighting precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of positioningVSAvoidlighting precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The floor lamp incorporates multiple independently controllable lighting zones that can be selectively activated. This segmentation allows the single floor lamp to provide both the ease of positioning of a general ambient light source and the lighting precision of targeted illumination, as only the specific zone corresponding to the active workstation needs to be illuminated at high intensity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The floor lamp design enables different parts of its illumination output to have different brightness qualities. The lighting means can provide high brightness quality precisely where work is being done while providing lower or no brightness in other areas, achieving both ease of positioning and lighting precision simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3135080B1Arrangement and method for illuminating working areas
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING GMBH
  • EP3135080B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3135080B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3135080B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to an arrangement for illuminating a working area, comprising lighting means (115) which are designed such that at least two areas (K1, K2, K3) of the working area can be illuminated independently from each other, sensor means (120) for determining information with respect to the use of the working area and control means (125) which control the lighting means (115) independently of information provided by the sensor means (120).