JP6269148B2 - Lighting control apparatus, lighting control system, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an illumination control device, an illumination control system, and a program for controlling illuminance levels of a plurality of illumination devices.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an illumination system that performs thinning lighting of a plurality of lighting devices at a predetermined lighting rate. The system includes a lighting rate selection unit that selects a lighting rate, a storage unit that stores combinations (lighting patterns) of lighting devices that are turned on at each lighting rate, and one lighting pattern corresponding to the selected lighting rate. A lighting pattern selection unit to be selected and a lighting control unit to turn on or turn off the lighting device according to the selected lighting pattern are provided. The system further includes a lighting time measuring means for measuring the lighting integrated time of each lighting device, and a detecting means for detecting a lighting pattern having the smallest total lighting integrated time for the selected lighting rate. The lighting device is turned on or off according to the rate and the detected lighting pattern.

JP 2013-84474 A

  However, according to the system of Patent Document 1, a problem may occur when the lighting rate is switched by the user during thinning lighting. As will be described in detail later, in the switching of the lighting / extinguishing pattern (thinning pattern) between different lighting rates, the ratio of the lighting device that shifts from lighting to off and the lighting that shifts from lighting to lighting, among a plurality of lighting devices When the ratio of the apparatus is large, the change in the light distribution becomes large, and this change gives the user a visual discomfort. When the lighting device uses an HID lamp as the light source, the illuminance immediately after the start of lighting is very low due to the nature of the HID lamp, and the rated illuminance is not reached for several minutes thereafter. Therefore, in particular, in the switching of the thinning pattern of the illumination device having the HID lamp, the problem of visual discomfort becomes more prominent when the switching with the large change in the light distribution as described above is performed. For example, if all the lighting devices that were in the lit state are turned off and the illuminating device that was in the turned off state is turned on, it will be temporarily turned off at the time of pattern switching, and until the light beam rises thereafter The dark state will continue. Meanwhile, there is a problem that the user cannot obtain sufficient illuminance and cannot take the scheduled action. Also, due to this, such pattern switching gives the user anxiety or discomfort.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an illumination control system that reduces a visual discomfort for a user by suppressing a change in light projection distribution when switching a thinning pattern between different overall illumination levels in an illumination control system that supports thinning lighting. The issue is to provide.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, an illumination control device for controlling the illuminance levels of a plurality of illumination devices is provided. The lighting control device includes a pattern registration unit that stores a thinning pattern for realizing a predetermined overall illuminance level for a plurality of lighting devices, and a first thinning pattern corresponding to the first overall illuminance level. When switching to the second thinning pattern corresponding to the second overall illumination level different from the overall illumination level, the number of non-decimated illumination devices common to the first and second thinning patterns is the maximum. A link calculation unit that selects the second thinning pattern and a signal generation unit that generates an illumination control signal for controlling each of the plurality of lighting devices according to the thinning pattern selected by the link calculation unit.

  According to the above lighting control device, when switching from a thinning pattern at a certain overall illuminance level to a thinning pattern at another overall illuminance level, more lighting devices are switched so as to continue the non-decimation state. The previous thinning pattern is selected. Thereby, when switching the thinning pattern between different overall illuminance levels, it is possible to suppress the change in the light projection distribution and reduce the visual discomfort given to the user.

  Here, a counter unit that counts the cumulative usage time or the cumulative usage count for each pattern included in the combination pattern is further provided, and when there are a plurality of selectable candidates for the second pattern, the link calculation unit, The candidate having the minimum accumulated usage time or the cumulative usage count is selected as the second thinning pattern. Thereby, the use of the lighting device, that is, the accuracy of leveling the lifetime of the light source, power supply circuit, etc. of the lighting device can be improved.

  Further, when the overall illuminance level of the second thinning pattern is higher than the overall illuminance level of the first thinning pattern, all of the non-decimating illumination devices in the first thinning pattern are non-decimated lighting in the second thinning pattern. It is preferable to be included in the set of devices. Further, when the overall illuminance level of the second thinning pattern is lower than the overall illuminance level of the first thinning pattern, all of the non-decimating illumination devices in the second thinning pattern are non-decimated lighting in the first thinning pattern. It is preferably included in the set of devices. Thereby, in the pattern switching for the light increase or the pattern switching for the light reduction, it is possible to minimize the change of the light projection distribution at the time of switching.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, an illumination control device is provided for controlling the illuminance levels of a plurality of illumination devices that use an HID lamp as a light source. This illumination control device increases the overall illuminance level after a pattern registration unit for storing a thinning pattern for realizing a predetermined overall illuminance level for a plurality of illumination devices and dimming switching for reducing the overall illuminance level When the dimming switching is performed, the dimming pattern for the dimming switching destination is minimized so that the lighting device that is turned off during the dimming switching is included in the dimming pattern for the dimming switching destination as the lighting device for lighting. And a signal generation unit that generates an illumination control signal for controlling each of the plurality of lighting devices according to the thinning pattern selected by the link calculation unit.

  According to the illumination control device, when the dimming switching and the subsequent dimming switching are performed for the lighting device using the HID lamp as a light source, the thinning pattern does not include many lighting devices that are turned off by the dimming switching when the dimming switching is performed. Is preferentially selected. As a result, when an HID lamp that is difficult to restart in a short time is used in a lighting device, the lighting state at a desired overall illuminance level is ensured even if dimming switching and subsequent dimming switching are performed in a short time Is obtained.

  Here, at the time of dimming switching, the link calculation unit is configured to perform the above selection when a predetermined time has elapsed since dimming switching. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary computation when a sufficient time has elapsed from dimming switching to dimming switching (that is, when the HID lamp of any lighting device can be restarted).

  Still further, in the first or second embodiment, the illumination control signal is input, and the control signal for controlling the power supply circuit included in each of the plurality of illumination devices is transmitted to each of the plurality of illumination devices. It is good also as a structure further including an interface part. Thereby, each illumination device can be simplified, or the above-described illumination control device can be implemented without greatly changing the existing illumination device, and the ease of introduction of the present invention is increased.

  The illumination control system of the present invention includes the illumination control device according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and a plurality of illumination devices. As a result, the above-mentioned advantageous effects can be enjoyed only by providing the link control unit in the lighting control device, and therefore, an easy-to-install lighting control system can be realized without requiring additional hardware. And when each light source of a some illuminating device is made into a HID lamp, the said effect becomes still more remarkable.

  The present invention also includes a program for controlling the illumination control device according to the first or second embodiment. The program causes the computer to function as the pattern registration unit, the link calculation unit, and the signal generation unit. As described above, the present invention can realize the above-described operation and effect by introducing software, so that the ease of introducing the illumination control device and the illumination control system can be improved.

It is a block diagram which shows the illumination control apparatus by 1st and 2nd embodiment of this invention, and an illumination control system including the same. It is a schematic diagram explaining the basic operation | movement of this invention. It is a figure explaining the brightening operation which has a problem in thinning lighting. It is a figure explaining the dimming operation which has a problem in thinning lighting. It is a figure explaining the brightening operation | movement by this invention in thinning-out lighting. It is a figure explaining the light reduction operation | movement by this invention in thinning-out lighting. It is a figure explaining the thinning pattern of the 1st and 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the lighting control apparatus by another method of the 1st Embodiment of this invention, and a lighting control system including the same. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the illumination control apparatus of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the illumination control apparatus by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Embodiment 1. FIG.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a lighting control system 1 including a lighting control device 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The lighting control system 1 includes a plurality of lighting devices 2-1, 2-2,... 2-n, a lighting control device 3, and a user input terminal 4. In the following description, the lighting devices 2-1 to 2-n are collectively referred to as a lighting device 2 or a part of them. Each of the lighting devices 2 may be a lighting fixture having one light source or a lighting fixture having a plurality of light sources, depending on the embodiment, or a plurality of scattered light sources, for example different lighting lamps (one It may be a light source group in which a plurality of light sources arranged in a distributed manner are grouped). It is assumed that the lighting device 2, the lighting control device 3, and the user input terminal 4 are appropriately supplied with power from an appropriate power source such as a commercial power source via a wiring (not shown).

  Each lighting device 2, the lighting control device 3, and the user input terminal 4 are connected to each other by a line L. The line L may be a wired connection line (including contact type circuit wiring) or a wireless connection line. When the line L is a wired communication line, for example, TCP / IP, RS485, or the like can be used as a communication protocol. When the line L is a wireless communication line, for example, WiFi, ZigBee, or the like can be used as a communication protocol. However, the communication protocol is not limited to these. Further, the line L may be a power line for supplying power to each lighting device, and in this case, signal communication by power line conveyance is performed among the lighting devices 2, the lighting control device 3, and the user input terminal 4. . In addition, although the structure which each lighting apparatus 2, the lighting control apparatus 3, and the user input terminal 4 are connected by the same line L is shown, a different line is connected between each member and an appropriate communication system is employ | adopted. May be.

  Here, the basic operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. For example, it is assumed that three lighting devices 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 are controlled. In this case, as the overall illuminance level (lighting / extinguishing mode), all the three lighting devices 2 are all turned on, and two of the three lighting devices 2 are turned on. On, there is a 1/3 lamp lighting in which one of the three lighting devices 2 is turned on, and an all lighting off in which all of the three lighting devices 2 are turned off. For each overall illuminance level, there is a thinning pattern (hereinafter referred to as “pattern”) that defines a combination of lighting / extinguishing. For example, there are three patterns 2A, 2B, and 2C for 2/3 lamp lighting, and there are three patterns 1A, 1B, and 1C for 1/3 lamp lighting. In the pattern 2A, the lighting devices 2-2 and 2-3 are turned on. In the pattern 2B, the lighting devices 2-1 and 2-3 are turned on. In the pattern 2C, the lighting devices 2-1 and 2-2 are turned on. The remaining illumination devices are turned off at. When the 2/3 lamp lighting is used for a long period of time, the patterns 2A, 2B and 2C are rotated in units of days, weeks, months or lighting times. Similarly, the illumination device 2-1 is turned on in the pattern 1A, the illumination device 2-2 is turned on in the pattern 1B, the illumination device 2-3 is turned on in the pattern 1C, and the remaining illumination devices are turned off in each pattern. . Even when the 1/3 lamp lighting is used for a long period of time, the patterns 1A, 1B, and 1C are rotated in units of days, weeks, months, or lighting times.

  By the way, the lighting states of the illuminating devices 2-1 to 2-3 are not only switched in rotation within the same overall illuminance level as described above, but are also switched between different overall illuminance levels depending on the use situation. obtain. For example, when the lighting device 2 is used in a sports facility, all lighting is applied during a game, 2/3 lighting is applied during practice, and 1/3 lighting is applied during preparation or cleaning up. be able to. More specifically, assuming a game at night or indoors, the facility or team staff first prepares the venue for setting up the venue, etc., with 1/3 lights on, and then 1/3 lights on. / 3 lights are switched on and the players start warming up. Then, according to the attendance of the spectators and the like, the 2/3 lamp lighting is switched to the all lamp lighting by the ceremony for starting the game at the latest. At the end of the match, the all-lamp lighting will be switched to 2/3 lighting, and the 2/3 lighting will be switched to 1/3 lighting in response to the leaving of the audience. The staff will clean up, maintain, and clean up.

  Here, consider the situation where the 1/3 lamp lighting is switched to the 2/3 lamp lighting before the game starts. For example, when the pattern 1A is switched to the pattern 2A, the lighting device 2-1 that has been turned on until then is turned off, and the lighting devices 2-2 and 2-3 that have been turned off are turned on and turned on. The lighting device is “totally replaced”. In this case, a change in the entire light projection distribution of the lighting devices 2-1 to 2-3 is increased, and a visual discomfort for the user (here, a player) is increased, which is not preferable.

  In particular, when the lighting device uses an HID lamp as the light source, due to the nature of the HID lamp, almost no illuminance is obtained for a few seconds from the start of lighting, and the players are desired for several minutes to several tens of minutes after pattern switching. You will be forced to warm up in the dark than the illuminance. With reference to FIG. 3A, the change in the total illuminance at the time of “total replacement” in the transition from the 1/3 lamp lighting to the 2/3 lamp lighting when the lighting device 2 uses the HID lamp as a light source will be described. When switching from the 1/3 lamp lighting to the 2/3 lamp lighting is performed at time t1, the overall illuminance temporarily decreases to near zero at time t1, and then the luminous flux rises. In this way, at time t1, the user is given a visual discomfort as if there was a power failure for a moment, and for a while after time t1, the pattern switching is performed even though the increase in the overall illumination level is specified. Even the illuminance of the previous 1/3 lamp lighting cannot be obtained, resulting in discomfort.

  Similarly, consider the situation where 2/3 lamp lighting is switched to 1/3 lamp lighting after the match is over. For example, when the pattern 2A is switched to the pattern 1A, the lighting device to be lit is “totally replaced”. Also in this case, the change in the overall light projection distribution of the lighting devices 2-1 to 2-3 becomes large, and the visual discomfort for the user (here, a spectator who has not yet exited) becomes large, which is not preferable.

  In particular, when the lighting device uses an HID lamp as a light source, the audience who is leaving the room is forced to walk on a very dark stand for a while after the pattern switching. With reference to FIG. 3B, the change in the total illuminance at the time of “total replacement” in switching from 2/3 lamp lighting to 1/3 lamp lighting when the lighting device 2 uses an HID lamp as a light source will be described. When switching is performed by total replacement from 2/3 lamp lighting to 1/3 lamp lighting at time t1, the overall illuminance temporarily decreases to near zero at time t1, and then the luminous flux rises. In this way, at time t1, the user is given a visual discomfort due to a large drop in illuminance, and also feels uneasy as if a power failure occurred for a moment.

  Therefore, in the present invention, when switching between different overall illuminance levels, a switchable pattern is link-set so that the number of non-decimated illumination devices common before and after switching is maximized. For example, when switching from 1/3 lamp lighting to 2/3 lamp lighting, a link is set from pattern 1A to pattern 2B or 2C. Thereby, the illuminating device 2-1 that was lit in the pattern 1A is continuously lit even after switching to the pattern 2B or 2C. When switching from 2/3 lamp lighting to 1/3 lamp lighting, a link is set from pattern 2A to pattern 1B or 1C. Thereby, the illuminating device 2-2 or 2-3 which was lit in the pattern 2A is continuously lit even after switching to the pattern 2B or 2C. Therefore, the change in the light distribution before and after switching is greatly suppressed.

  In comparison with FIG. 3A, referring to FIG. 3C, pattern switching was performed according to the link setting from lighting of 1/3 lamp to lighting of 2/3 lamp when lighting device 2 uses an HID lamp as a light source. Changes in the overall illuminance at the time will be described. When the link is switched from the 1/3 lamp lighting to the 2/3 lamp lighting at time t1, the luminous flux rises on top of the overall illuminance up to time t1. In this way, there is substantially no visual discomfort given to the user at time t1, and the overall illuminance of 2/3 lamp lighting can be obtained in the shortest time from time t1.

  In addition, referring to FIG. 3D in comparison with FIG. 3B, pattern switching is performed according to the link setting from 2/3 lamp lighting to 1/3 lamp lighting when the lighting device 2 uses the HID lamp as a light source. A description will be given of a change in overall illuminance at the time of being performed. When the link is switched from the 2/3 lamp lighting to the 1/3 lamp lighting at the time t1, only one lighting fixture is extinguished, so there is no difference from the normal dimming switching of the lighting equipment. Therefore, there is substantially no visual discomfort given to the user by the switching operation at time t1, and the overall illuminance of 1/3 lamp lighting can be obtained immediately from time t1.

  Further, referring to FIG. 2, in the link switching, a plurality of selectable link destination patterns (in the example of 1/3 lamp lighting → 2/3 lamp lighting, patterns 2B and 2C, 2/3 lamp lighting → 1 / In the example of lighting with three lamps, there are patterns 1B and 1C). In this case, it is possible to select the pattern B and the pattern C that have a shorter accumulated use time. Thereby, it is possible to realize the initial purpose of rotating the pattern within the same overall illuminance level in thinning-out lighting, that is, leveling of the lifetime of the lighting device by leveling the cumulative usage time between patterns.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the configuration of each part of the illumination control system 1 including the illumination control device 3 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  The illumination device 2 includes a light source unit 20 and an illumination interface unit (illumination I / F) 25. The lighting state of each lighting device 2 is controlled by a lighting control signal transmitted from the lighting control device 3. In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, it is assumed that the lighting state is either all-light on or off. Therefore, here, the non-decimated illumination device means an illumination device in an all-light lighting state.

  The light source unit 20 includes a light source and its power supply circuit. In the present embodiment, the light source of the light source unit 20 is described as an HID lamp, but the advantageous effects of the present invention can be enjoyed even if the light source is an LED, a fluorescent lamp, a halogen lamp, or the like. Note that the HID lamp refers to a discharge lamp including a high pressure mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a high pressure sodium lamp, and the like. Therefore, when the light source is an HID lamp, the power supply circuit is configured to generate a low-frequency current of about 50 to several 100 Hz based on a rectangular wave from an AC power supply (commercial power supply) and supply the generated current to the HID lamp. The When the light source is an LED, a halogen lamp or the like, the power supply circuit is configured to generate a direct current from an alternating current power supply (commercial power supply) and supply the direct current to the LED. When the light source is a fluorescent lamp, the power supply circuit may be a so-called magnetic (copper iron) ballast, or generates a high-frequency current of about 50 kHz to several hundred kHz from an AC power supply (commercial power supply) to fluoresce. It may be an electronic ballast (inverter) supplied to the lamp.

  The illumination interface unit 25 can take in data corresponding to its own address from the illumination control signal among the data on the line L, and operate (turn on or off) the light source unit 20 according to the data.

  The illumination control device 3 includes a user input unit 30, an illumination control unit 31, and a signal transmission unit 32, and each unit and an internal configuration described later are connected to each other by a bus 33.

  The user input unit 30 is a user interface such as a touch panel and a switch, and any user can input and specify a change in the overall illuminance level of the lighting device 2 through the user interface. By providing the user input unit 30 in the lighting control device 3, a small and simple lighting control device that is easy to introduce is realized.

  The illumination control unit 31 includes a CPU 310, a memory 311, a pattern registration unit 312, a link calculation unit 313, a counter unit 314, and a signal generation unit 315. In general, the illumination control unit 31 has a function of determining a lighting state (lighted or extinguished) for each of the lighting devices 2 according to the overall illuminance level specified by the user input unit 30. The CPU 310 is a processor that controls the exchange of signals between the units, and the memory 311 is a memory such as a RAM or ROM that stores programs and data.

  The pattern registration unit 312 stores a rotation pattern for thinning lighting. FIG. 4 shows a pattern applied in the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the pattern registration unit 312 stores a rotation pattern for each of the control target groups (hereinafter referred to as “attributes”) divided by area or the like. In this example, the attribute 1 is illustrated, but the contents of the attributes 2 to n may be the same as or different from those of the attribute 1 and can be arbitrarily set. As an example of the attribute, when the illumination control system 1 is used in a gymnasium, the illumination device group that projects one coat when the court in the gymnasium is divided into two is attribute 1, and the illumination that projects the other coat The group of devices can be attribute 2, etc. The pattern registration unit 312 may be a part of the memory 311.

  In FIG. 4, the illumination device is defined in the row (horizontal) direction, and the rotation pattern and the pattern constituting the rotation pattern are defined in the column (vertical) direction. In addition, a white square shows a lighting state and a black square shall show a light extinction state. Eight lighting devices 2-1 to 2-8 are assigned to attribute 1, and a rotation pattern RP1 for lighting a 3/4 lamp, a rotation pattern RP2 for lighting a 1/2 lamp, and a lighting pattern for a 1/4 lamp A rotation pattern RP3 and a rotation pattern RP4 for lighting a 1/8 lamp are set. The rotation pattern RP1 includes patterns P1 to P4, the rotation pattern RP2 includes patterns P5 to P6, the rotation pattern RP3 includes patterns P7 to P10, and the rotation pattern RP4 includes patterns P11 to P18.

  When switching between rotation patterns (that is, between the overall illumination levels) is not performed, the pattern is applied as a rotation number on a daily, weekly, monthly, or lighting basis. For example, when the rotation pattern RP1 is adopted, the pattern P1 is in January, May, and September, the pattern P2 is in February, June, and October, and the pattern P3 is in March, July, and November. However, the pattern P4 can be adopted in April, August, and December. In addition, the pattern which comprises each rotation pattern is not restricted to what is illustrated. For example, in the case of 3/4 lamp lighting, there are 28 combinations for selecting 2 lights for lighting from 8 lights, and the desired combination of these is rotated according to the desired number of patterns (any one of 2 to 28). It can be registered as a pattern.

  As described above with reference to FIG. 2, the overall illuminance level can be switched according to the usage status of the facility where the illumination control system 1 is installed. For example, when the lighting control system 1 is installed in a sports facility, all the 8 lights are turned on for the official game, 3/4 lights are used for the practice game, and 1/2 lights are used for the practice. 1/8 lights (remaining lights) can be applied to clean up after preparations such as venue setup, cleaning, and ground maintenance.

  The link calculation unit 313 stores or calculates link settings between patterns included in different rotation patterns among the patterns P1 to P18 stored in the pattern registration unit 312. For example, when the pattern P5 of the rotation pattern RP2 (lighting devices 2-1, 2-2, 2-5, and 2-6 are turned on) is shifted to the rotation pattern RP3, the patterns P8 and P10 (lighting devices 2-1, 2) -2, 2-5 and 2-6 are turned off) should be avoided and switched to pattern 7 or 9 (lighting devices 2-1 and 2-2 or lighting devices 2-5 and 2-6 are turned on) Is desirable. Therefore, in this case, the link calculation unit 313 links the pattern P5 to the patterns P7 and P9. The link calculation unit 313 can select a switching destination pattern from a pre-stored reference table describing link settings. Alternatively, the link calculation unit 313 calculates the overlap of the non-decimated illumination device (lighting device for lighting) between the current pattern and each pattern included in the designated rotation pattern, and switches the pattern with more overlap to the switching destination. The pattern may be selected. Details of conditions for setting links between patterns will be described later.

  For each of the patterns P1 to P18, the counter unit 314 counts the cumulative use time and / or the cumulative use count (hereinafter, both are collectively referred to as “cumulative use value”), and stores the count value.

  The signal generation unit 315 generates an illumination control signal for controlling each of the illumination devices 2 according to the pattern selected by the link calculation unit 313.

Here, the link setting conditions in the link calculation unit 313 will be described.
As a first condition, link setting is performed so that the number or ratio of common non-decimated illumination devices (in this case, illumination devices in which lighting is maintained) is maximized before and after pattern switching. For example, in the switching from the pattern P5 to the rotation pattern RP1 for lighting a 3/4 lamp, the number of lighting devices that are kept lighting is 4 for switching to the patterns P1 and P3, and 2 for switching to the patterns P2 and P4. is there. Therefore, the patterns P1 and P3 are set as links as candidates for switching from the pattern P5. Similarly, in the switching from the pattern P5 to the rotation pattern RP3 of the 1/4 lamp lighting, the number of lighting devices that are lit is 2 in the switching to the patterns P7 and P9 and 0 in the switching to the patterns P8 and P10. is there. Accordingly, patterns P7 and P9 are set as links as candidates for switching destinations from the pattern P5. Thereby, the change of the light projection distribution at the time of whole illumination level switching can be suppressed.

  As a second condition, a pattern having the smallest accumulated usage value counted by the counter unit 314 is further link-set from the selectable candidates set in the link above. For example, in the switching from the pattern 5 to the rotation pattern RP1, if the cumulative usage time of the pattern P1 is 1200 hours and the cumulative usage time of the pattern P3 is 1150 hours, the pattern P3 is linked. Thereby, leveling of the cumulative usage time between patterns, that is, leveling of the lifetime of the light source, the power supply circuit, etc. of the lighting device can be realized. Note that when the cumulative use count is adopted as the cumulative use value, the same effect as that obtained when the cumulative use time is adopted can be obtained from a long-term viewpoint.

  In addition, when there are a plurality of candidates having the same cumulative usage time, a candidate having the smallest cumulative usage count may be selected as the switching destination pattern from among the candidates, or a plurality of candidates having the same cumulative usage count may be selected. If there is a candidate, the candidate having the shortest accumulated use time may be selected as the switching destination pattern. Further, when there are a plurality of candidates having the same accumulated usage time and accumulated usage count, the candidate having the longest elapsed time since the last application may be selected as the switching destination pattern.

  The signal transmission unit 32 functions as a transmission unit that sends the illumination control signal generated by the illumination control unit 31 (signal generation unit 315) to each corresponding illumination device 2. For example, the signal transmission unit 32 forms frame data in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol in association with the address and pattern of each lighting device 2 and outputs an illumination control signal including the data to the line L. The signal transmission unit 32 also functions as a reception unit that receives user input from the user input terminal 4.

  The user input terminal 4 includes a touch panel, a switch, and the like, and has the same function as the user input unit 30, but is different from the user input unit 30 in the installation location. Since the user input unit 30 is provided in the lighting control device 3, for example, the user input terminal 4 is disposed in a management room, a control room, a central control room, etc., whereas the user input terminal 4 is a place where the lighting device 2 receives light (for example, , Gymnasium walls, ground fences, etc.). Thereby, not only the administrator of the lighting control system 1 but also the user can change the overall illuminance level of the lighting device 2, and convenience is enhanced.

  In the present embodiment, the illumination control device 3 includes the signal transmission unit 32 and each of the illumination devices 2 includes the illumination interface unit 25. However, the illumination control device 3 includes the illumination interface unit of each illumination device 2. It is good also as a structure including. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the illumination control device 3 is not provided with the signal transmission unit 32, and the illumination interface unit (illumination I / F) 35-1 corresponding to the illumination devices 2-1 to 2-n. ~ 35-n are integrally formed. Thereby, the control signal transmitted on the lines L-1 to Ln between the illumination control device 3 and the illumination devices 2-1 to 2-n is, for example, the operating state (lit or extinguished) of each light source unit 20. ) Can be a 1-bit signal or the like. As will be described later as a modification, when dimming is performed in the lighting device 2, the control signal is a PWM signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the dimming rate, and a DC voltage value corresponding to the dimming rate. It can be an analog signal or the like.

  Thus, by consolidating the illumination interface unit into the illumination control device 3, the configuration of each illumination device 2 can be simplified. In other words, it is possible to introduce the lighting control system 1 without greatly changing the configuration of the existing lighting device 2 that does not include the lighting interface unit. Therefore, the configuration shown in FIG. 5 contributes to the ease of introduction of the lighting control system 1.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the illumination control device 3 according to the present embodiment.
In step S5, it is assumed that a change in the overall illuminance level TL is input and specified from the user input unit 30 or the user input terminal 4.
In step S10, the CPU 310 identifies an attribute from the user input value, and processing for the attribute is performed in subsequent flows.

  In step S15, the CPU 310 determines whether or not the designated overall illuminance level TL (n + 1) is all lamps lit (TL (n + 1) = 100) or all lamps are extinguished (TL (n + 1) = 0). When all lamps are turned on or all lamps are turned off (step S15, YES), in step S20, the signal generation unit 315 generates an illumination control signal for turning on or turning off all the lamps, and the signal transmission unit 32 An illumination control signal is sent to each illumination device 2. On the other hand, when all lamps are turned on or all lamps are turned off, that is, when thinning lighting is designated (step S15, NO), the process proceeds to step S25.

  In step S25, the CPU 310 determines whether or not the current overall illuminance level TL (n) is all lamps lit (TL (n) = 100) or all lamps are extinguished (TL (n) = 0). If thinning lighting is currently performed (step S25, NO), the process proceeds to step S40.

  On the other hand, when thinning-out lighting is not currently performed (step S25, YES), the process proceeds to step S30. In this case, since there is no significant difference in the change in the light projection distribution between the switching destination patterns, pattern selection by link setting is not performed. Therefore, in step S30, the CPU 310 selects a pattern having the smallest cumulative use value among the patterns included in the rotation pattern corresponding to the designated overall illuminance level TL (n + 1), as in the normal rotation process. Or CPU310 selects a pattern according to the order registered beforehand as a rotation pattern.

  In step S40, the link calculation unit 313 extracts pattern candidates linked to the current pattern according to the first condition. That is, link destination pattern candidates are extracted so that the number of common non-decimated illumination devices (illumination devices that are kept on) is maximized before and after pattern switching.

  In step S50, the link calculation unit 313 selects a switching destination pattern from the selectable pattern candidates extracted in step S40 based on the accumulated usage value measured by the counter unit 314. That is, the pattern having the smallest cumulative use value is selected from the selectable pattern candidates. If there is only one pattern candidate extracted in step S40, step S50 is effectively omitted.

  In step S60, the signal generation unit 315 generates an illumination control signal indicating the pattern selected in step S30 or step S50, and the signal transmission unit 32 sends the illumination control signal to each illumination device 2.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the link calculation unit 313 of the illumination control device 3 is switched when the pattern that is thinned and lit at a predetermined overall illuminance level is switched to the pattern that is thinly lit at another overall illuminance level. However, the pattern of the switching destination is selected so that the number of lighting devices that are kept on is maximized. Thereby, when switching patterns between different overall illuminance levels, it is possible to reduce the visual discomfort given to the user by suppressing changes in the light projection distribution. This effect becomes more prominent particularly when a lamp having a slow rise in luminous flux such as an HID lamp is used as a light source.

  Further, the counter unit 314 counts the cumulative usage value for each pattern included in the rotation pattern, and when there are a plurality of selectable candidates for the switching destination pattern, the link calculation unit 313 displays the minimum cumulative usage value candidate. Is selected as the switching destination pattern. Therefore, in addition to the above effects, it is possible to improve the accuracy of leveling the cumulative usage time within the rotation pattern, that is, the leveling of the lifetime of the lighting device, which is the original purpose of rotation lighting in thinning lighting.

  As suggested in the examples of FIGS. 2 and 4, when the designated overall illuminance level is higher than the current overall illuminance level, all of the lighting devices that were lit before switching are switched to. It is preferable to be included in a set of lighting devices that are lit in the pattern. In addition, if the designated overall illuminance level is lower than the current overall illuminance level, all of the illumination devices that are lit in the switching destination pattern are included in the set of illumination devices that are lit in the pattern before switching. Is preferred. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the change in the light distribution during the pattern switching in both the pattern switching for the light increase and the pattern switching for the light reduction.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the switching destination pattern is linked to the current pattern is shown. However, in this embodiment, the switching destination pattern is linked to the current pattern and the previous pattern. Indicates. This embodiment is based on the premise that an HID lamp is employed as the light source of the lighting device 2, and copes with a case where the switching of the overall illuminance level by the user is performed twice in a short time (for example, due to an erroneous operation by the user). It is. This is because the HID lamp has a characteristic that it does not relight for several minutes to several tens of minutes after the light is turned off. The overall configuration of the lighting control system 1 of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. The following description is based on the configuration shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, as a general rule, when the dimming switching is performed after the dimming switching of the entire illuminance level, the lighting device that is turned off when the dimming switching is performed is included in the pattern of the dimming switching destination as the lighting device for lighting. The number or ratio is minimized.

  The outline of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 7. In the present embodiment, in the thinning-out lighting, the user once increases the overall illuminance level in a short time (for example, between several hundred milliseconds to several tens of minutes) after the user once decreases the overall illuminance level. Assuming that Referring to FIG. 2, for example, 2/3 lamp lighting pattern 2A is switched to pattern 1B according to the above link setting (dimming switching / first switching), and then pattern 1B is returned to 2/3 lamp lighting. In this case (brightening switching / second switching), the pattern 2A or 2C is a candidate for the switching destination pattern in the second switching. Here, the lighting state after the second switching differs between the case of switching to the pattern 2A and the case of switching to the pattern 2C.

  The upper part of FIG. 7 shows the change in overall illuminance when the pattern 2A is selected at the second switching, and the lower part shows the change in overall illuminance when the pattern 2C is selected at the second switching. It is assumed that the first switching (2/3 lamp lighting → 1/3 lamp lighting) is performed at time t1, and the second switching (1/3 lamp lighting → 2/3 lamp lighting) is performed at time t2. . When the pattern 2A is selected at the second switching (upper stage), the lighting device 2-3 to be newly turned on is immediately after being turned off at the time t1, and thus cannot be turned on again, and then can be turned on again. Until t3, 1/3 lamp lighting by only the lighting device 2-2 is continued. On the other hand, when the pattern 2C is selected at the second switching (lower stage), since the lighting device 2-1 to be newly turned on has been turned off before time t1, the lighting device 2-1 and the lighting device 2-1 are immediately turned on. 2/3 lighting by 2-2 is executed. The present embodiment is configured such that pattern switching as shown in the lower part of FIG. 7 is executed.

  Furthermore, assuming that the pattern configuration shown in FIG. 4 is stored in the pattern registration unit 312, for example, a 3/4 lamp is lit from a 1/2 lamp lit pattern P 5 in a short time via a ¼ lamp. Suppose that it can be switched to. In such a short-time switching operation of the overall illuminance level, a user who intends to switch to 3/4 lamp lighting under 1/2 lamp lighting accidentally turns off 3/4 lamp (ie, 1/4 lamp lighting). This may occur when switching to is performed and then 3/4 lamp lighting is designated again.

  In switching from the pattern P5 to the rotation pattern RP3 for lighting the 1/4 lamp (dimming switching / first switching), the pattern P7 or P9 is a candidate for switching destination, and the pattern P9 is selected here for explanation. Shall be. In switching from the pattern P9 to the rotation pattern RP1 for lighting a 3/4 lamp (switching for brightening / switching for the second time), first, there is a pattern in which there is a lighting device that maintains lighting (preferably, the number of lighting devices is maximum). Pattern) becomes a switching destination candidate. Here, patterns P1, P2, and P3 in which the number of illumination devices is 2 are switching destination candidates. Among these candidate lighting devices that are turned on, the lighting devices 2-1 and 2-2 in the patterns P1 and P3 are switched from being turned on to being turned off in the first switching (dimming switching). Therefore, even if the pattern P1 or P3 is selected, the lighting devices 2-1 and 2-2 may not be turned on again. Therefore, the pattern P2 that does not include the lighting devices 2-1 and 2-2 as lighting devices is selected from the candidates. Thereby, 3/4 lamp lighting by the illuminating devices 2-3 to 2-8 is started immediately after the second switching.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the illumination control device 3 according to the present embodiment. The same steps as those in the flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Note that this embodiment basically assumes switching between rotation patterns in thinning lighting, but of the two switchings that appear, the first switching is to switch off all lamps. Also, the advantageous effects of this embodiment can be enjoyed. Therefore, the following flowchart also considers such a case.

  In steps S5 and S10, as in the first embodiment, user input for changing the overall illuminance level TL is accepted, and the attribute of the lighting device 2 to be processed in the subsequent flow is identified.

  In step S15, when all lamps are turned on or all lamps are turned off (step S15, YES), the process proceeds to step S20, and the signal generation unit 315 generates an illumination control signal for turning on all lamps or turning off all lamps. Then, the signal transmission unit 32 sends an illumination control signal to each illumination device 2. On the other hand, when all lamps are turned on or all lamps are turned off, that is, when thinning lighting is designated (step S15, NO), the process proceeds to step S26.

  In step S <b> 26, the CPU 310 determines whether or not the current overall illuminance level TL (n) is all lamps lit (TL (n) = 100). If the current overall illuminance level TL (n) is not all the lamps are lit (step S26, NO), the process proceeds to step S41.

  On the other hand, when the current overall illuminance level TL (n) is all lamps lit (step S26, YES), the process proceeds to step S30. In step S <b> 30, the CPU 310 selects a pattern having the smallest cumulative use value among the patterns included in the rotation pattern corresponding to the designated overall illuminance level TL (n + 1).

  In step S41, the link calculation unit 313 extracts link destination pattern candidates so that there is an illuminating device whose lighting is maintained before and after pattern switching (preferably, the number of illuminating devices is maximized). When the current overall illuminance level TL (n) = 0 (that is, all lamps are turned off), all the patterns included in the designated overall illuminance level TL (n + 1) are extracted.

  In step S42, the link calculation unit 313 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous pattern switching, that is, whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the pattern of the current overall illuminance level TL (n). The determination is made using a timer (not shown). When the predetermined time has elapsed (step S42, YES), there is no significant difference in the startability of the HID lamp between the lighting devices, so that the pattern selection by the process similar to the first embodiment is performed. Advances to step S27. Thereby, unnecessary arithmetic processing is avoided. On the other hand, when the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S42, NO), the process proceeds to step S43.

  In step S43, the link calculation unit 313 determines whether or not the current overall illuminance level TL (n) is lower than the previous overall illuminance level TL (n-1), that is, the previous pattern switching sets the overall illuminance level TL. It is determined whether or not dimming switching is performed. If the previous pattern switching was not dimming switching (NO in step S43), the process proceeds to step S50 in order to perform the same process as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, when the designated switching is dimming switching (step S43, YES), the process proceeds to step S44.

  In step S44, the link calculation unit 313 determines whether or not the designated overall illumination level TL (n + 1) is higher than the current overall illumination level TL (n), that is, designated switching increases the overall illumination level TL. It is determined whether or not the light intensity is switched. If the designated switching is not dimming switching (NO in step S44), the process proceeds to step S50 in order to perform the same process as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, when the designated switching is dimming switching (step S44, YES), the process proceeds to step S45.

  In step S45, the link calculation unit 313 changes the switching destination pattern so that the ratio of the lighting devices turned off by the previous pattern switching from the patterns extracted in step S41 is included as the lighting device for lighting is minimized. To extract.

  In step S50, as in the first embodiment, the link calculation unit 313 switches from the selectable pattern candidates extracted in step S41 or step S45 based on the accumulated usage value measured by the counter unit 314. Select the previous pattern. That is, the pattern having the smallest cumulative use value is selected from the selectable pattern candidates. If there is only one pattern candidate extracted in step S41 or step S45, step S50 is effectively omitted.

  In step S60, the signal generation unit 315 generates an illumination control signal indicating the pattern selected in step S30 or step S50, and the signal transmission unit 32 sends the illumination control signal to each illumination device 2.

  As described above, the link calculation unit 313 of the lighting control device 3 according to the present embodiment is configured such that when the dimming switching is performed after the dimming switching, the lighting device that is turned off at the dimming switching is changed to the pattern of the dimming switching destination. A pattern is selected preferentially so that the ratio of the lighting device for lighting is minimized. Thereby, when the lighting device uses an HID lamp as a light source, even if the overall illuminance level is dimmed and increased in a short time, a lighting state with a desired overall illuminance level can be reliably obtained.

<Programs>
In addition, the program memorize | stored in RAM or ROM of the memory 311 operate | moves each step of each component which implement | achieves the illumination control part 31, the illumination control apparatus 3, or the illumination control system 1 in each embodiment mentioned above. It is realized by doing.

  Further, according to the present invention, a software program (corresponding to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 in the first embodiment and FIG. 8 in the second embodiment) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is used for lighting control. The case where it supplies to the apparatus 3 (lighting control part 31) directly or remotely is also included. Therefore, the program code itself installed in the illumination control device 3 (illumination control unit 31) in order to realize the functional processing of the present invention is also included in the present invention. That is, the present invention includes a computer program for realizing the functional processing of the present invention. The program can cause the computer to function as at least the pattern registration unit 312, the link calculation unit 313, the counter unit 314, and the signal generation unit 315. As described above, according to the present invention, the operational effects as shown in the above embodiment can be realized by the introduction of software, so that the ease of introduction of the illumination control device 3 and the illumination control system 1 can be improved.

  The program may be downloaded from the Internet. In this case, the computer program or the compressed file including the automatic installation function is downloaded to the hard disk or the like from the homepage to the lighting control device 3 (lighting control unit 31) connected to the homepage on the Internet by the browser function.

  A computer-readable storage medium storing the program is also included in the present invention. When the program is supplied by a storage medium, the storage medium may be a flexible disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, etc. MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, non-volatile May be a memory card, ROM, DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD-R) or the like.

<Modification>
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways as described below.

(1) Modifications related to thinning lighting In the first embodiment, thinning lighting has been described as a lighting mode in which a part of a plurality of lighting devices is turned on in all light and the remaining lighting devices are turned off. However, the thinning-out lighting in the first embodiment is not only such a lighting mode, but also a lighting mode in which a part of the plurality of lighting devices is turned on at a higher (brighter) dimming rate than the remaining lighting devices. Shall also be included. For example, the thinning lighting includes a lighting mode in which a part of the plurality of lighting devices is dimmed with a brightness of 75% and the remaining lighting devices are dimmed with a brightness of 25%. In this connection, “thinning out” is not limited to turning off the light but includes turning on the light at the dark side as described above. Accordingly, in an example in which a part of the plurality of lighting devices is dimmed with a brightness of 75% and the remaining lighting devices are dimmed with a brightness of 25%, the illumination lighted with a brightness of 75% The device becomes a “non-decimated illumination device”.

(2) Modifications related to priority of light distribution distribution change suppression and usage leveling In each of the above embodiments, switching destination pattern candidates are extracted so that the number of lighting devices that can be kept lit during pattern switching is increased. Then, the configuration in which the suppression of the change in the light distribution is prioritized over the leveling of the use is shown by the configuration in which the pattern having the small cumulative usage value is selected. On the other hand, at the time of pattern switching, after selecting a plurality of pattern candidates having a small cumulative use value (which may not be the minimum), a switching destination pattern is selected so that the number of lighting devices that can be lit is increased. Accordingly, the leveling of use may be prioritized over suppression of changes in the light distribution.

(3) Modification regarding pattern or individual control of lighting device In each of the above embodiments, the user input is designated to change the overall illuminance level, but the user input is not limited to this. For example, as a user input, it is also possible to accept specification of a specific pattern (which may or may not be accompanied by a change in the overall illuminance level) or specification of turning on / off a specific lighting device. . When such an individual designation operation is performed, the link setting process by the link calculation unit 313 may be reset once.

(4) Modification of the user input unit 30 and the user input terminal 4 In each of the above embodiments, the user input unit 30 and the user input terminal 4 are both provided as an interface for the user to specify the change of the overall illuminance level. However, the present invention can be implemented by either of them.

(5) Modification of the facility where the lighting control system 1 is introduced In each of the above embodiments, the example in which the lighting control system 1 is introduced into a sports facility is given as an easy-to-understand example, but the present invention is naturally applied to other facilities. Can also be introduced. For example, factories (users in this case are workers), shopping malls (users in this case are shoppers, shop assistants, cleaners, etc.), concert venues (users in this case are artists, audience, staff, etc.), and any other facility In addition, the present invention is applicable.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lighting control system 2, 2-1 to 2-n Lighting apparatus 3 Lighting control apparatus 31 Lighting control part 310 CPU
311 Memory 312 Pattern registration unit 313 Link calculation unit 314 Counter unit 315 Signal generation unit 35-1 to 35-n Lighting interface unit

Claims (10)

An illumination control device for controlling the illuminance level of a plurality of illumination devices,
A pattern registration unit for storing a thinning pattern for realizing a predetermined overall illuminance level for the plurality of lighting devices;
The first thinning pattern corresponding to the first overall illumination level is switched to the second thinning pattern corresponding to the second overall illumination level different from the first overall illumination level. A link calculation unit that selects the second thinning pattern so that the number of non-thinning illumination devices common to the thinning pattern and the second thinning pattern is maximized;
A signal generation unit that generates an illumination control signal for controlling each of the plurality of illumination devices according to the thinning pattern selected by the link calculation unit ;
For each of the thinning patterns, a counter unit that counts the cumulative usage time or the cumulative usage count;
With
When there are a plurality of selectable candidates for the second thinning pattern, the link calculation unit is configured to select the candidate having the minimum cumulative usage time or cumulative usage count as the second thinning pattern. It was, lighting control device. 2. The illumination control device according to claim 1 , wherein when the overall illuminance level of the second thinning pattern is higher than the overall illuminance level of the first thinning pattern, the non-decimating lighting device in the first thinning pattern Are included in the set of non-decimated illumination devices in the second thinning pattern. 2. The illumination control device according to claim 1 , wherein when the overall illuminance level of the second thinning pattern is lower than the overall illuminance level of the first thinning pattern, the non-decimating illumination device in the second thinning pattern Are all included in the set of non-decimated illumination devices in the first thinning pattern. An illumination control device for controlling the illuminance level of a plurality of illumination devices using a HID lamp as a light source,
A pattern registration unit for storing a thinning pattern for realizing a predetermined overall illuminance level for the plurality of lighting devices;
When dimming switching for increasing the overall illuminance level is performed after dimming switching for reducing the overall illuminance level, the lighting device that is turned off during the dimming switching is a thinning pattern for the dimming switching destination A link calculation unit that selects the thinning pattern of the dimming switching destination so that the ratio included in the lighting device for lighting is minimized,
An illumination control device comprising: a signal generation unit that generates an illumination control signal for controlling each of the plurality of illumination devices according to a thinning pattern selected by the link calculation unit. 5. The illumination control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the link calculation unit performs the selection when a predetermined time has elapsed since the dimming switching at the time of the dimming switching. A lighting control apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1, 4, and 5,
An illumination control device further including an illumination interface unit that receives the illumination control signal and sends a control signal for controlling a power supply circuit included in each of the plurality of illumination devices to each of the plurality of illumination devices. Lighting control system comprising a lighting control device; and a plurality of illumination devices in any one of claims 1 or al 6. The lighting control system according to claim 7, wherein the light source of each of the plurality of lighting devices is an HID lamp. A program for controlling the illuminance level of a plurality of lighting devices,
Computer
A pattern registration unit for storing a thinning pattern for realizing a predetermined overall illuminance level for the plurality of lighting devices;
The first thinning pattern corresponding to the first overall illumination level is switched to the second thinning pattern corresponding to the second overall illumination level different from the first overall illumination level. A link calculation unit that selects the second thinning pattern so that the number of non-thinning illumination devices common to the thinning pattern and the second thinning pattern is maximized ;
A signal generation unit that generates an illumination control signal for controlling each of the plurality of illumination devices according to the thinning pattern selected by the link calculation unit; and
For each of the thinning pattern, Rutotomoni to function as a counter unit <br/> for counting the accumulated use time or the cumulative number of uses, when there are a plurality of selectable candidates for the second thinning pattern, the link operation A program for the section to select a candidate having the smallest cumulative usage time or cumulative usage count as the second thinning pattern . A program for controlling the illuminance level of a plurality of lighting devices using a HID lamp as a light source,
Computer
A pattern registration unit for storing a thinning pattern for realizing a predetermined overall illuminance level for the plurality of lighting devices;
When dimming switching for increasing the overall illuminance level is performed after dimming switching for reducing the overall illuminance level, the lighting device that is turned off during the dimming switching is a thinning pattern for the dimming switching destination Each of the plurality of lighting devices according to the thinning pattern selected by the link calculation unit, and a link calculation unit that selects the thinning pattern of the dimming switching destination so that the ratio included in the lighting device for lighting is minimized The program for functioning as a signal generation part which produces | generates the illumination control signal for controlling.

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