JP4737072B2 - Lighting control system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lighting control system for lighting a plurality of light emitting diodes in a predetermined order and guiding a person in the direction of the lighting order.

  Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, for example, an evacuation guidance system that guides a person by turning on a plurality of light emitting elements or the like is known. This type of evacuation guidance system is shown in FIG. Under the control of the main controller 104, the evacuation guidance system 101 sequentially lights a plurality of light emitting diodes 102 (102A, 102B,...) Installed at predetermined intervals on a floor surface such as a taxiway in time series. (Hereafter, it is turned on), it looks like a simulated light flow. As a result, the person M is guided in a predetermined evacuation direction as indicated by a broken-line arrow in an emergency or the like.

  However, in the evacuation guidance systems described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 described above, the light emitting diodes are turned off after being turned on once and then turned on again. Therefore, when the taxiway is dark, the person M trying to evacuate cannot confirm the evacuation route until the light-emitting diode at the guidance destination lights up, and predicts the evacuation direction guided by the evacuation guidance system. I couldn't. In order to solve this problem, if the light emitting diodes installed on the taxiway at the time of evacuation light up slightly at a brightness that is darker than the light-on (hereinafter, lighted up slightly), the person M trying to evacuate Since the outline can be understood, it is possible to predict to some extent the evacuation direction indicated by the feed-on of the light emitting diodes.

Here, an example of lighting control in the above-described feed lighting and slight lighting will be described with reference to FIG. 8 in addition to FIG. Here, it is assumed that the five light emitting diodes 102A to 102E are controlled to be controlled with the output ratio of the feed lighting being 100% and the output ratio of the slight lighting being 10%. The light emitting diodes 102A to 102E are sequentially turned on every 2 seconds. The control device 104 (see FIG. 7) that controls the lighting of the light emitting diodes 102A to 102E first lights up the light emitting diode unit 2A for 0.2 seconds at a 100% output ratio (high power lighting), and the next 1.0. The lighting is performed at an output ratio of 10% for a second (low output lighting), and the process is repeated while switching between these different output ratios. In addition, the control device 104 sets the light emitting diodes 102B, 102C, 102D, and 102E to 0.2 seconds, 0.4 seconds, 0.6 seconds, 0. The lighting control is repeated at a timing that is delayed every 8 seconds in the same manner as the light emitting diode 102A by switching the output ratio between 100% and 105%.
JP-A-3-226900 JP-A-6-28583

  However, as described above, in order for the control device 104 to control lighting of the light emitting diodes 102A to 102E while switching the output ratio at a predetermined timing, a plurality of timers individually assigned to the respective light emitting diodes are required. And However, a microcomputer having a plurality of timers or a timer function corresponding to the timers is expensive, which increases the cost of the control device and the entire system.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and provides a lighting control system that can control lighting of a plurality of light emitting diodes with different outputs at a predetermined timing using a low-cost control device and a small number of timers. The purpose is to do.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1 includes a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a guide path for evacuating a person, and a switching element for turning on and off power feeding to the light emitting diodes. A lighting control system comprising: a control device for controlling on / off of the switching element; and a timer unit having a number smaller than the number of the light emitting diodes. The control device further includes a function as a feed lighting timer for sequentially flashing in a series, and the control device has an on / off time ratio defined to match a dimming ratio set for each of the plurality of light emitting diodes. A plurality of on / off time arrays stored in the storage unit based on the timing of the timer unit, the storage unit storing a plurality of corresponding on / off time arrays; With lights controlling the light emitting diodes by sequentially switching the control on and off of the switching element, and performs lighting control for lighting sends the plurality of light emitting diodes according to counting of the timer unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the lighting control system according to the first aspect, in the light emission combinations stored in the storage unit, the allocation of the on time and the off time is evenly distributed.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the control device does not control the output ratio with respect to the light emitting diode unit, but controls the output ratio by using one timer unit by controlling the on / off time ratio. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a plurality of timer units or an expensive control device (for example, a microcomputer) having a timer function corresponding to them, and the control device and the entire system can be made inexpensive. In addition, by illuminating a plurality of light-emitting diodes arranged on the taxiway for a short time, for example, the person who is going to evacuate is notified of the outline of the taxiway and a predetermined evacuation direction is predicted It can be so. Further, by sequentially lighting the light emitting diodes arranged along the predetermined evacuation direction in time series, it is possible to guide the person accurately in the evacuation direction.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the blinking cycle of the light emitting diode is shortened, it is possible to perform uniform light control without causing flickering to the human eye.

  A lighting control system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The lighting control system 1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of light emitting diode units 2 (2A, 2B,...) And a control device 4 that controls lighting of the light emitting diodes (LEDs) 20 incorporated in the light emitting diode units 2. Is provided. When the control device 4 receives a predetermined alarm signal or the like from an alarm device or the like (not shown), the lighting control system 1 sequentially lights the plurality of light emitting diode units 2 in time series. Thereby, the person in the place where the lighting control system 1 is installed is made to visually recognize that the light is traveling in the direction according to the lighting order of the light emitting diode units 2.

  Each of the light emitting diode units 2 is connected to the control device 4 via the signal line 5 and to the power source 7 via the electric wire 6. The number and the like of the light emitting diode units 2 are appropriately determined according to the installation environment. The light emitting diode unit 2 includes a switching element 21 electrically connected to the light emitting diode 20, and the switching element 21 is connected to the control device 4 via the signal line 5. The switching element 21 turns on and off the light emitting diode 20 based on signal reception from the control device 4. In addition, although the control apparatus 4 controls lighting of the light emitting diode 20 by controlling on / off of the switching element 20, in the following description, it describes that the control apparatus 4 turns on and off the light emitting diode unit 2 for convenience. In addition, it is described that the light emitting diode unit 2 is turned on although it is the light emitting diode 20 itself that actually turns on when the switching element 21 is turned on / off.

  The control device 4 includes a receiving unit 41 that receives a detection signal from an alarm signal or the like from an alarm device, an output unit 42 that outputs a predetermined dimming control signal to the light emitting diode unit 2, and an address of the light emitting diode unit 2. A storage unit 43 for storing a plurality of on / off time sequences corresponding to the on / off time ratios defined to match the numbers and dimming ratios set for each of the plurality of light emitting diode units 2, A general-purpose microcomputer that reads a smaller number of timer units 44 and data stored in the storage unit 43 and causes the output unit 42 to output a dimming control signal to the light emitting diode unit 2 based on the timing of the timer unit 44 The control part 45 which consists of. The control device 4 has its own power source or is connected to an external power source (not shown).

  As the light emitting diode 20, a general-purpose light emitting diode capable of irradiating appropriate colored light according to the installation environment of the lighting control system 1 is used. The switching element 21 includes a receiving unit that receives a signal from the control device 4, an output unit that outputs a dimming signal (a signal different from the dimming control signal output from the control device 4) to the light emitting diode 20, and light emission The memory | storage part which memorize | stores the lighting pattern of the diode 20, etc., and the control part which controls these each structure part are provided.

  Next, a plurality of on / off time sequences stored in the storage unit 43 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3A to 3D in addition to FIG. 1 described above. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the four light emitting diode units 2A to 2D are sequentially lit in time series with a dimming ratio of 80% (feed lighting), and 20% adjustment except when the feed lighting is performed. A plurality of on / off time arrangements for continuously lighting at a light ratio are taken as an example. The periods (a) to (d) in FIG. 2 correspond to FIGS. 3 (a) to (d), respectively.

  The plurality of on / off time arrays are created by the control unit 45 of the control device 4 in the following procedure and stored in the storage unit 43. First, the control unit 45 determines a predetermined unit time (total of on time and off time). In the example of FIG. 3, the unit time is 1 ms. Next, the control unit 45 determines the resolution of the timer unit 44 (the time determined as one count in the timer unit 44) and divides the unit time by the resolution of the timer unit 44 to determine the interval that is the minimum control unit of the on / off time. To do. In the example of FIG. 3, it is assumed that the resolution of the timer unit 44 is 100 μs and the first to tenth intervals are determined.

  Next, the control unit 45 turns on the first to tenth intervals so as to correspond to the on / off time ratios defined to match the dimming ratios of the individual light emitting diode units 2A to 2D. Allocate either time or off time and create multiple on / off time arrays. In the light emission pattern in the period (a) of FIG. 2, for example, the first, second, fourth to seventh, ninth, and tenth intervals are assigned as the on time so that the on / off time ratio is 80% for the light emitting diode unit 2A. Then, an on / off time array in which the third and eighth intervals are assigned as the off time is created (2A in FIG. 3A). For the light emitting diode units 2B to 2D, for example, the third and eighth intervals are assigned as the on time so that the on / off time ratio is 20%, and the first, second, fourth to seventh, ninth and tenth intervals are turned off. On / off time arrays assigned as times are respectively created (2B to 2D in FIG. 3A).

  When the light emitting diode units 2A to 2D are repeatedly turned on based on each of the above on / off time arrangements, the light emitting diode unit 2A is turned off for 100 μs, and the blinking operation is turned on for 400 μs, and the light emitting diode units 2B to 2D are turned off for 400 μs. , The blinking operation of lighting for 100 μs is repeated. Since all of the above blinking operations are performed with a very short cycle, it seems to the human eye that the light-emitting diode unit 2A is substantially lit at a dimming ratio of 80%. Each of the units 2B to 2D appears to be lit at a dimming ratio of 20%.

  Subsequently, the control unit 45 creates a plurality of on / off time arrays corresponding to the lighting pattern of the period (b) in FIG. Here, for the light emitting diode unit 2B, an on / off time array in which an on time and an off time are allocated so that the on / off time ratio is 80% is created (2B in FIG. 3B). Further, for the light emitting diode units 2A, 2C, and 2D, respective on / off time arrays are created so that the on / off time ratio is 20% (2A, 2C, and 2D in FIG. 3B). In a similar procedure, a plurality of on / off time sequences (FIG. 3 (c)) corresponding to the period (c) in FIG. 2 are replaced with a plurality of on / off time sequences (FIG. 3 (d)) corresponding to the period (d) in FIG. ) Is created.

  When the timer unit 44 starts timing, the control unit 45 causes the output unit 42 to output a dimming control signal for turning on / off each of the light emitting diode units 2A to 2D while sequentially switching a plurality of on / off time arrays. For example, when the period (a) to the period (d) in FIG. 2 are each 100 ms, the control unit 45 performs each of the plurality of on / off time sequences (one cycle is 1 ms) shown in FIG. ON / OFF of the light emitting diode units 2A to 2D is repeated 100 times. Thereafter, each of the light emitting diode units 2A to 2D is turned on / off based on the plurality of on / off time sequences shown in FIG. 3 (b), and the plurality of on / off time sequences shown in FIG. 3 (c) and FIG. 3 (d). On / off is performed sequentially based on the above. By repeatedly performing these operations, the control unit 45 turns on the light emitting diode units 2A to 2D so as to be 80% dimming sequentially in time series, and does not turn on at 80% dimming. Sometimes it is lit to achieve 20% dimming.

  In the creation of the plurality of on / off time arrays described above, it is desirable that the allocation of the on time and the off time be equally distributed. For example, FIG. 4 (a) and FIG. 4 (b) are on / off time arrays created so as to correspond to 30% dimming, 50% dimming, and 70% dimming, respectively. However, in FIG. 4A, since the on-time and the off-time are continuous, the blinking cycle of the light-emitting diode unit 2 is long, and there is a possibility that a slight flicker may be perceived by human eyes. On the other hand, in FIG. 4B, since the allocation of the on time and the off time is evenly distributed, the blinking cycle is short, and flickering is not perceived by human eyes, and uniform light control is possible. .

  As described above, according to the lighting control system 1 of the present embodiment, the control device 4 does not control the output ratio for each of the light emitting diode units 2A to 2D, but controls the time ratio for turning on and off. Dimming similar to controlling the output ratio using the timer unit is possible. Therefore, it is not necessary to use an expensive microcomputer having a plurality of timer units or a timer function corresponding to them, and the entire control device and system 1 can be made inexpensive.

  Next, an installation example and an operation example of the lighting control system 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6A to 6F. The light emitting diode units 2A to 2I are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to be buried in the floor surface of the guide path L, and each is connected to the control device 4 and the power source 7 (not shown in FIG. 6). 6A to 6D are sequentially shown in time series. When the control device 4 receives a predetermined alarm signal or the like from an alarm device or the like (not shown), the control unit 4 keeps the light emitting diode units 2A to 2I arranged in the guide path slightly, for example, at a dimming ratio of 10%. Light up. This informs the evacuating person M of the outline of the taxiway so that a predetermined evacuation direction can be predicted.

  In addition, the control device 4 sequentially turns on the light emitting diode units 2A to 2F provided along the predetermined evacuation direction indicated by the broken-line arrows in the drawing, for example, in time series with a dimming ratio of 100%. Thereby, the person M who is going to evacuate is visually recognized as if the light is traveling in the direction corresponding to the lighting order of the light emitting diode units 2, so that the person M can be accurately positioned in the predetermined evacuation direction. Can be guided.

  The present invention can be variously modified and includes a plurality of lighting loads such as light emitting diodes, and a plurality of on / off time arrays created in association with on / off time ratios that match the dimming ratio of the lighting loads. Stores lighting loads such as light emitting diodes at different dimming ratios at the same time by sequentially switching a plurality of on / off time arrangements based on the timing of a timer unit that is smaller than the number of lighting loads. If it exists, it is not restricted to said structure. The lighting control system of the present invention may be applied not only as an emergency evacuation guide light but also as a vehicle guide light in an indoor parking lot, for example.

The block block diagram of the lighting control system which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure explaining the lighting pattern of the light emitting diode unit in the system. (A) thru | or (d) is a figure which shows the example of the some on-off time arrangement | sequence for setting it as the said lighting pattern in the same system in time series. (A) is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of on-off time arrangements in which the on-time and off-time are continuously set in the system, and (b) is a plurality of on-time and off-time tallys that are evenly distributed. The figure which shows the example of an on-off time arrangement | sequence. The perspective view explaining the example of installation of the system. (A) thru | or (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing in the time series of the same system. (C) thru | or (d) is operation | movement explanatory drawing in the time series of the same system. (E) thru | or (f) is operation | movement explanatory drawing in the time series of the same system. The perspective view which shows the structure of the conventional evacuation guidance system. The figure which shows the lighting pattern of each light emitting diode in the same system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lighting control system 2 Light emitting diode unit 20 Light emitting diode 21 Switching element 4 Control apparatus 42 Output part 43 Memory | storage part 44 Timer part 45 Control part

Claims (2)

Lighting control comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a guide path for evacuating a person, a switching element for turning on / off power feeding to the light emitting diode, and a control device for controlling on / off of the switching element A system,
A timer unit having a number smaller than the number of the light emitting diodes is provided, and the timer unit further includes a function as a feed lighting timer for sequentially flashing the plurality of light emitting diodes in time series,
The control device includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of on / off time arrays corresponding to on / off time ratios defined to match a dimming ratio set to each of the plurality of light emitting diodes, and the timer unit The light emitting diodes are controlled to be turned on by sequentially switching a plurality of on / off time sequences stored in the storage unit to control on / off of the switching elements based on the time measurement of the timer, and the plurality of light emission according to the time measurement of the timer unit A lighting control system that performs lighting control to send a diode to light .   2. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the on-off time array stored in the storage unit is equally distributed between on-time and off-time.

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