JP7585889B2 - Lighting Control System - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a lighting control system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a lighting system. This lighting system includes a lighting fixture that irradiates light into a room, a face recognition sensor that captures at least the illuminated area of the lighting fixture, and a calculation unit that detects the gaze direction of a person in the image information from the image information of the illuminated area captured by the face recognition sensor. The lighting system includes a control unit that controls the lighting fixture so that the luminance of light in a range located on the periphery of the gaze direction is relatively higher than the luminance of light in a range located on the central side of the gaze direction.

JP 2013-008453 A

In Patent Document 1, even if a person's line of sight is temporarily detected, the dimming state of the lighting device may change. This may result in the dimming state becoming unstable.

This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a lighting control system that allows stable dimming.

The lighting control system according to the present disclosure comprises a lighting fixture, an image detection device having a camera and detecting that a person's face is facing in a direction within a predetermined angular range relative to the camera , and a controller that changes the lighting fixture from a first dimming state to a second dimming state when the person's face is facing in a direction within the angular range for a predetermined discrimination time, and when the lighting fixture is in the second dimming state and the person's face is facing in a direction outside the angular range, the controller holds the lighting fixture in the second dimming state for a predetermined holding time .
The lighting control system according to the present disclosure comprises a lighting fixture, an image detection device having a camera and detecting that a person's face is facing in a direction within a predetermined angle range relative to the camera, and a controller that changes the lighting fixture from a first dimming state to a second dimming state when the person's face is facing in the direction of the angle range for a predetermined discrimination time, wherein the first operating mode in which the controller changes the lighting fixture from the first dimming state to the second dimming state when the person's face is facing in the direction of the angle range for the discrimination time is enabled or disabled based on preset date, day of the week or time information.

In the lighting control system according to the present disclosure, when a person's face is facing in a direction within a predetermined angle range for a predetermined determination time, the lighting device is changed from a first dimming state to a second dimming state. This allows for stable dimming.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a lighting control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing setting values according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a lighting control system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a lighting control system according to a third embodiment. A block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting control system according to a fourth embodiment.

A lighting control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding components will be given the same reference numerals, and repeated description may be omitted.

Embodiment 1.
1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a lighting control system 100 according to a first embodiment. The lighting control system 100 includes a controller 1, a plurality of lighting fixtures 2 that communicate with the controller 1, a plurality of image detection devices 3, and a setting device 4. The lighting fixtures 2 are controlled to be turned on, off, dimmed, or toned by control commands sent from the controller 1 via wireless or wired signals. The image detection device 3 communicates with the controller 1 via wireless or wired signals. The setting device 4 communicates with the controller 1 via wireless or wired signals, and performs settings, operations, and monitoring related to lighting control. The setting device 4 is, for example, a handheld remote control, a personal computer, or a mobile terminal.

The lighting fixtures 2, image detection devices 3, and setting devices 4 may each be connected to the controller 1 one at a time, or multiple units may be connected. The lighting fixtures 2, image detection devices 3, and setting devices 4 may be connected in parallel on the same wiring and centrally managed. The lighting fixtures 2, image detection devices 3, and setting devices 4 may be connected to the controller 1 by different communication methods.

The controller 1 transmits lighting state control commands to the lighting fixtures 2. The controller 1 also transmits signals to the lighting fixtures 2 to monitor the lighting state. The controller 1 comprises a receiver 1a, a calculation unit 1b, a memory 1c, and a transmitter 1d. The receiver 1a receives signals from the lighting fixtures 2, the image detection device 3, and the setting device 4. The calculation unit 1b performs various calculations to realize the functions of the controller 1. The memory 1c stores data used in the calculations of the calculation unit 1b. The transmitter 1d transmits signals to the lighting fixtures 2, the image detection device 3, and the setting device 4 based on the results of the calculations in the calculation unit 1b.

The lighting fixture 2 includes a control unit 2a, a lighting circuit 2b, and a light source 2c. The control unit 2a controls the lighting circuit 2b in response to a control command from the controller 1. The lighting circuit 2b generates power for lighting the light source 2c. The light source 2c has, for example, an LED as a light-emitting element.

The image detection device 3 monitors the detection area and transmits a detection signal to the controller 1. The image detection device 3 includes a camera 3a, an angle measurement unit 3b, a timer 3c, a movement detection unit 3d, and a transmission unit 3e. The camera 3a acquires image data of the detection area. The movement detection unit 3d detects the presence of a person in the detection area. Here, for example, a pyroelectric sensor detects the presence of a person by detecting the movement of a heat source. In response to this, the movement detection unit 3d compares the image data acquired by the camera 3a with a base background image. In this way, the movement detection unit 3d detects the movement or presence of a person in the detection area using a unique detection algorithm. In other words, the movement detection unit 3d detects that a person has entered the detection area, moved from the detection area, remained in the detection area, or passed through the detection area.

The angle measurement unit 3b detects from the image data acquired by the camera 3a that the person's face is facing in a direction within a predetermined dimming angle range relative to the camera 3a. The timer 3c counts the time that the person's face is facing in the dimming angle range relative to the camera 3a. The transmission unit 3e transmits a detection signal to the controller 1 when the person's face is facing in the dimming angle range for a predetermined determination time.

When the controller 1 receives a detection signal from the image detection device 3 via the receiver 1a, it transmits a control command from the transmitter 1d to the lighting fixture 2. This causes the dimming state of the lighting fixture 2 to change. That is, when a person's face is facing in a direction within the dimming angle range for a predetermined determination time, the controller 1 changes the lighting fixture 2 from the first dimming state to the second dimming state. This change in dimming state may include any change in the lighting state, such as switching between on and off, changing the dimming rate, or color adjustment control.

In this embodiment, the lighting fixture 2, image detection device 3, and camera 3a are installed on, for example, the ceiling. In this case, the detection area of the camera 3a is, for example, the floor surface. The camera 3a and angle measurement unit 3b detect that a person's face is facing a predetermined angle with respect to the ceiling. When the image detection device 3 detects a person's face facing toward the ceiling, i.e., directly toward the image detection device 3, in the detection area of the camera 3a, it changes the dimming rate or color adjustment of the target lighting fixture 2.

The lighting fixture 2 may be a lighting fixture with strong directionality, such as an LED downlight. In this case, if a person looks directly at the lighting fixture 2 from the direction of illumination of the lighting fixture 2, the person may feel dazzled. There is also a risk of damage to eye health. In this embodiment, when a person's face facing the ceiling is detected, the dimming rate or color of the lighting fixture 2 is changed. This makes it possible to prevent the person from feeling dazzled. In particular, it is possible to protect the eyes of people who always have their face facing the ceiling. An example of a person who always has their face facing the ceiling is an infant lying in a stroller or bed.

The image detection device 3 uses a unique algorithm to detect whether or not a human face facing the ceiling is present within the detection area. The angle measurement unit 3b detects the angle at which the detected human face is tilted up, down, left, and right with respect to a straight line connecting the person and the image detection device 3. The angle measurement unit 3b detects the direction in which the human face is facing from, for example, the outer shape of the face and the position of both eyes. The angle measurement unit 3b determines that the human face is facing the ceiling if the direction in which the human face is facing with respect to the forward direction is tilted at an angle of 0 degrees to 30 degrees up, down, left, and right. In other words, the angle measurement unit 3b determines that the direction in which the human face is facing satisfies the dimming angle range. Here, the outer shape of the face corresponds to the contour. The forward direction is the direction along the straight line connecting the person and the image detection device 3.

The image detection device 3 can also include in the determination conditions for changing the dimming state of the lighting device 2 that the state in which the person's face is facing in the direction of the dimming angle range continues for a predetermined determination time. Whether or not the determination time is included in the determination conditions for changing the dimming state of the lighting device 2 can be changed as desired.

When the angle measurement unit 3b detects that the person's face is facing in the direction of the dimming angle range, it samples the image data from the camera 3a at a predetermined time interval. This time interval is, for example, every 100 ms. If the person's face is facing in the direction of the dimming angle range during the determination time, the image detection device 3 determines that the determination condition for changing the dimming state of the lighting device 2 is met. The image detection device 3 determines that the determination condition is met when the person's face continues to face the ceiling for, for example, one second or more.

For example, after a person's face is first detected as facing in the direction of the dimming angle range, if the person's face faces outside the dimming angle range before the discrimination time has elapsed, the image detection device 3 does not change the dimming state. In other words, the image detection device 3 does not send a detection signal to the controller 1. In this manner, the lighting device 2 is controlled by satisfying the two combined conditions of the dimming angle range and the discrimination time. In this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the dimming state of the lighting device 2 from changing when a person temporarily faces in the direction of the dimming angle range. Therefore, stable dimming is possible.

Here, glare can also be reduced when looking directly at a lighting fixture from a certain direction by attaching a hood or louver to the lighting fixture for the purpose of cutting glare. However, this method cannot reduce glare when the lighting fixture has an opening from which illumination light is emitted and the lighting fixture is looked at directly from a direction perpendicular to the opening. Also, attaching a hood or louver may narrow the lighting fixture's illumination range, reducing the lighting efficiency. Also, attaching a hood or louver to a lighting fixture may require the output of the lighting fixture to be increased in order to ensure sufficient illuminance for working in the room. This may result in increased power consumption.

In contrast, in this embodiment, glare can be reduced without using a hood or louvers. This prevents the original illumination capability of the lighting fixture 2 from decreasing, and reduces power consumption even when you want to keep the room bright.

Furthermore, when the determination condition is satisfied and lighting device 2 is in the second dimming state, if the person's face turns in a direction outside the dimming angle range, controller 1 may maintain lighting device 2 in the second dimming state for a predetermined retention time. In other words, if the face turns outside the dimming angle range, controller 1 does not immediately release the second dimming state, but returns to the first dimming state after a certain retention time has elapsed. The retention time is set to, for example, 5 seconds. This makes it possible to prevent the dimming state of lighting device 2 from changing when, for example, a face that was facing the ceiling turns to the side. This allows for even more stable dimming.

In addition, there are cases where the nose or mouth cannot be recognized by the camera 3a due to wearing a mask, etc. In response to this, in this embodiment, the direction in which a person's face is facing can be detected from the external shape of the face and the position of both eyes.

The dimming angle range, discrimination time, and holding time are changeable. As a range of the setting parameters, for example, the dimming angle range is set to a range of 0 to 60 degrees. Furthermore, the discrimination time is set to a range of 0.5 to 60 seconds, and the holding time is set to a range of 1 to 300 seconds.

In the following, the function in which the controller 1 changes the lighting device 2 from the first dimming state to the second dimming state when the person's face is facing in the direction of the dimming angle range during the determination time is referred to as the first operating mode. As a lighting control function by the image detection device 3, only the first operating mode may be installed.

The lighting control function of the image detection device 3 may also be equipped with a control function according to the presence or absence of a person in the detection area of the camera 3a. In control according to the presence or absence of a person, for example, when there is no person in the detection area of the camera 3a, the controller 1 turns off the lighting device 2 or sets it to a low dimming state. Also, when a person is detected in the detection area, the controller 1 increases the dimming rate so that the lighting device 2 is turned on or at a predetermined dimming rate. Without being limited to these examples, the controller 1 may control the lighting device 2 according to information on the movement or presence of a person detected by the movement detection unit 3d. Hereinafter, the function of the controller 1 to control the lighting device 2 according to information on the movement or presence of a person is referred to as the second operation mode.

The first operation mode and the second operation mode may be switchable. Furthermore, the first operation mode and the second operation mode may be executed in parallel. For example, the first operation mode may not be executed temporarily, and only the second operation mode may be executed.

The operating mode can be selected by the setting device 4. Even if only the first operating mode is installed as the lighting control function of the image detection device 3, the setting device 4 can be used to switch between enabling and disabling the first operating mode.

The lighting fixtures 2 and the image detection devices 3 are grouped in the database of the controller 1. The database is stored in memory 1c. This allows devices registered in the same group to be linked together. The controller 1 may also be able to control multiple groups simultaneously. For example, if the determination conditions are met for the image detection device 3 set in group 1, the lighting fixtures 2 set in group 1 are controlled to the second dimming state. Similarly, if the determination conditions are met for the image detection device 3 set in group 2, the lighting fixtures 2 set in group 2 are controlled to the second dimming state.

The image detection device 3 may also have a function of estimating the illuminance within the detection area. The image detection device 3 estimates the illuminance by comparing a reference image registered in advance by the camera 3a with the current image data. The transmission unit 3e of the image detection device 3 notifies the controller 1 of the estimated illuminance. The controller 1 changes the dimming rate of the lighting device 2 so that the illuminance of the detection area approaches a predetermined target illuminance. This makes it possible to dim the lighting device 2 by utilizing the light entering from outdoors during the daytime, thereby reducing power consumption. By combining the first operating mode based on face detection with control based on illuminance, energy-saving operation using the estimated illuminance becomes possible during normal lighting.

The controller 1 may also be equipped with a schedule control function. In this case, the controller 1 is provided with a timer and manages date and time information. The controller 1 may also be provided with, for example, a secondary battery as a backup when the power is off. This makes it possible to prevent the date and time information from being lost when the power is turned on and off.

The schedule control function of the controller 1 allows the lighting fixture 2 to be turned on or off at any time of the day. In addition, the dimming rate, color temperature, etc. of the lighting fixture 2 can be changed at any time. In addition, the calendar function allows the lighting state to be controlled at a scheduled time on a predetermined date or day of the week.

The first operating mode may be enabled or disabled based on preset date, day of the week, or time information. The schedule control function allows the user to freely set the operating method depending on the difference in the purpose of using the room on weekdays and holidays, etc.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the setting values according to the first embodiment. In Figure 2, "face detection" indicates the case where the above-mentioned judgment conditions are met. Also, "normal lighting" indicates the case where the judgment conditions are not met. The dimming rate, color temperature, and light distribution are set as the setting values during normal lighting and face detection, respectively.

The dimming state during normal lighting is intended to maintain brightness and color that is easy for workers to work with. For this reason, the output of the lighting fixture 2 is set to achieve a dimming rate of 70% and a color temperature of 4500K, for example. The set values can be set arbitrarily by the administrator or general user. In addition, when using lighting fixtures 2 that allow for changeable light distribution, the light collection rate may be set as a set value. During normal lighting, the light collection rate is set to 70%, which is a concentrated type.

The dimming state during face detection is intended to reduce the glare felt by people looking up toward the ceiling and to prevent damage to eye health. For this reason, the output of the lighting fixture 2 is set to, for example, a dimming rate of 40%, a color temperature of 3000K, and a light collection rate of 20% (diffuse type).

The size of each setting value is, for example, 1 byte. Each setting value can be set in the range of 0 to 100% for dimming ratio, 2000 to 7000K for color temperature, and 0 to 100% for light concentration ratio.

In this embodiment, an example in which the lighting fixture 2 and the image detection device 3 are installed on the ceiling has been described, but the lighting fixture 2 and the image detection device 3 may also be installed in a location other than the ceiling, such as a wall.

In addition, the image detection device 3 in this embodiment transmits a detection signal to the controller 1 when the person's face is facing in the direction of the dimming angle range during the determination time. This is not limited to the above, and the image detection device 3 may transmit a detection signal to the controller 1 when it detects that the person's face is facing in the direction of the dimming angle range. In this case, the controller 1 may be provided with a timer and may determine whether the person's face is facing in the direction of the dimming angle range during the determination time.

These modifications can be applied as appropriate to the lighting control systems according to the following embodiments. Note that the lighting control systems according to the following embodiments have many things in common with embodiment 1, so the following description will focus on the differences from embodiment 1.

Embodiment 2.
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting control system 200 according to embodiment 2. The lighting control system 200 differs from the lighting control system 100 in that it includes a wall switch 5. The other configurations are the same as those of the lighting control system 100. The wall switch 5 is connected to the controller 1 by a wireless signal or a wired signal. One or more wall switches 5 may be connected to the controller 1.

The wall switch 5 has one or more buttons. When the wall switch 5 detects that a button has been pressed, it notifies the controller 1 of the detection information. The controller 1 is preset with functions that correspond to each button on the wall switch 5. Functions corresponding to the buttons include, for example, individual control of the lighting fixtures 2, group control, increasing and decreasing the dimming rate, and switching various settings between enabled and disabled.

Such setting information may be stored in the wall switch 5. In this case, the detection information sent from the wall switch 5 to the controller 1 when a button is pressed may include information about the function that has been set for the button in advance.

By pressing the button on the wall switch 5, the first operating mode described in the first embodiment can be switched between enabled and disabled. When an administrator or general user presses the button on the wall switch 5 to switch the first operating mode to enabled, if a person's face is facing in a direction within the dimming angle range for the determination time, control is executed to change the lighting device 2 from the first dimming state to the second dimming state. Conversely, if the first operating mode is switched to disabled by operating the wall switch 5, the lighting state set as normal lighting is executed continuously.

Embodiment 3.
4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting control system 300 according to the third embodiment. In this embodiment, a sensor-embedded controller 6 is used instead of the controller 1. The controller 6 has an image detection device 3 built in. The other configurations are the same as those of the lighting control system 200. For example, the controller 6 is of a ceiling-embedded type. As in the first embodiment, the camera 3a of the image detection device 3 is installed so as to face the floor surface.

In this embodiment, the controller 6 is equipped with a function equivalent to that of the image detection device 3. This allows a simple system to achieve the same function as the lighting control system 100. The controller 6 uses a camera mounted therein to detect the face of a person using a unique algorithm. The controller 6 compares preset information with image data acquired by the camera, and transmits a control command to the lighting fixture 2. The controller 6 may also have the illuminance estimation function described above.

In the lighting control system 300, the image detection device 3 is built into the controller 6, which shortens the time required for communication. In addition, the number of devices can be reduced, and wiring can be cut down. Therefore, the configuration of the lighting control system 300 can be simplified, leading to cost reduction.

Embodiment 5.
5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting control system 400 according to embodiment 4. Lighting control system 400 differs from lighting control system 200 in that a controller 1 is connected to a higher-level system. Other configurations are similar to those of lighting control system 200. The controller 1 and gateway device 7 are connected via Ethernet (registered trademark) or the like. The gateway device 7 is connected to a central management device 8, which is a higher-level system.

When the controller 1 transmits control information to a higher-level system, and when the higher-level system transmits control commands to the controller 1, the gateway device 7 converts between the communication format of the higher-level system and the communication format of the controller 1. The communication format between the controller 1 and the higher-level system is, for example, BACnet. Data transmitted by the controller 1 is converted to the BACnet communication format or the like by the gateway device 7, and is received by the central management device 8.

The central management device 8 manages the lighting control system 400 and other equipment. The central management device 8 links the lighting control system 400 with, for example, an air conditioning system or a locking interlocking system. This makes it possible to perform interlocking control such as turning the lights in a room on and off when the room is locked. In addition, the air conditioning can be controlled to be turned on and off in conjunction with information on human body detection by the lighting control system 400.

The controller 1 may also notify the host system of face detection information indicating that a human face has been detected facing in the direction of the dimming angle range during the determination time. This allows the administrator to grasp the control status of the lighting control system 400 via the central management unit 8. The administrator can also easily set or monitor the enable/disable of the first operating mode via the central management unit 8.

The technical features described in each embodiment may be used in any suitable combination.

1 Controller, 1a Receiving unit, 1b Calculating unit, 1c Memory, 1d Transmitting unit, 2 Lighting equipment, 2a Control unit, 2b Lighting circuit, 2c Light source, 3 Image detection device, 3a Camera, 3b Angle measurement unit, 3c Timer, 3d Movement detection unit, 3e Transmitting unit, 4 Setting device, 5 Wall switch, 6 Controller, 7 Gateway device, 8 Central management device, 100, 200, 300, 400 Lighting control system

Claims (5)

Lighting equipment and
an image detection device having a camera and configured to detect whether a person's face is facing a direction within a predetermined angle range relative to the camera;
a controller that changes the lighting device from a first dimming state to a second dimming state when the person's face is facing in a direction within the angle range for a predetermined determination time; and
Equipped with
A lighting control system characterized in that, when the lighting device is in the second dimming state and the person's face is facing in a direction outside the angular range, the controller maintains the lighting device in the second dimming state for a predetermined retention time . The lighting fixture is mounted on a ceiling,
2. The lighting control system according to claim 1 , wherein the camera is installed on the ceiling and detects whether the person's face is facing in a direction at a predetermined angle with respect to the ceiling. The image detection device detects the movement or presence of a person in a detection area of the camera;
The controller controls the lighting device in response to information on the movement or presence of the person detected by the image detection device;
3. The lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the controller changes the lighting device from the first dimming state to the second dimming state when the person's face is facing in a direction within the angle range during the discrimination time, and the controller controls the lighting device in accordance with information on the person's movement or presence, and the first operating mode can be switched between or executed in parallel. Lighting equipment and
an image detection device having a camera and configured to detect whether a person's face is facing a direction within a predetermined angle range relative to the camera;
a controller that changes the lighting device from a first dimming state to a second dimming state when the person's face is facing in a direction within the angle range for a predetermined determination time; and
Equipped with
a first operating mode in which the controller changes the lighting device from the first dimming state to the second dimming state when the person's face is facing in a direction within the angle range during the determination time, and the first operating mode is enabled or disabled based on preset date, day of the week, or time information. 5. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the angle range or the determination time is changeable.

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