JP7644001B2 - Light control system, information processing device, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dimming system that adjusts the amount of solar radiation transmitted using a dimming component, an information processing device, and a computer program.

Traditionally, greenhouses, whose framework is covered with glass or synthetic resin film, have been widely used to protect crops and other plants from the effects of rain and condensation. This includes so-called vinyl greenhouses, and sunrooms use the same materials as greenhouses.

On the other hand, in areas with relatively high levels of solar radiation, it is desirable to reduce the amount of solar radiation as necessary, since the plants in the greenhouse can get sunburned. The same applies to automobiles, which are particularly susceptible to the effects of excessive solar radiation.

In response to this, Patent Document 1 discloses an automobile in which electrochromic layers that can be variably controlled to either a translucent state or a mirror state are provided on the surfaces of the windshield, the driver's and passenger's windows, the rear seat windows, and the rear glass. Patent Document 1 also describes examples in which electrochromic layers are applied to glass greenhouses and vinyl greenhouses.

JP 2014-104863 A

However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 only takes into consideration controlling the electrochromic layer to either a transmissive state or a mirror state. In addition, there is no mention of how to supply power for carrying out this control.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a dimming system, an information processing device, and a computer program capable of timely and appropriately adjusting the solar radiation transmittance of a dimming component.

A dimming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a dimming component that is installed on a facility and has adjustable light transmittance, a solar cell that supplies power to the dimming component, and a control unit that adjusts the light transmittance of the dimming component.

In this embodiment, a light control component capable of adjusting the light transmittance using power from a solar cell is installed on the facility, and the control unit adjusts the light transmittance of the light control component. This makes it possible to adjust the transmittance of solar radiation into the facility without relying on an external power source.

A dimming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a solar radiation sensor that detects the amount of solar radiation, and the control unit adjusts the transmittance based on the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor.

In this embodiment, the light transmittance of the dimming component is adjusted based on the detected amount of solar radiation. This makes it possible to suppress the transmission of solar radiation when the amount of solar radiation is excessive, and to effectively take in solar radiation into the facility when the amount of solar radiation is relatively low.

In one embodiment of the dimming system of the present disclosure, the solar cell is installed on or outside the facility, and the control unit adjusts the transmittance based on the amount of solar radiation detected from the power generated by the solar cell.

In this embodiment, the solar cell can generate power efficiently on or off the facility. Even if a solar radiation sensor is not provided, the amount of solar radiation can be detected by converting the power generated by the solar cell installed on or off the facility, and the transmittance of solar radiation into the facility can be adjusted based on the detected amount of solar radiation.

A dimming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a storage battery that stores power from the solar cell.

In this embodiment, power from the solar cell is stored in a dedicated battery and supplied to each part of the device, so that the required control can be performed even on rainy or cloudy days when the amount of power generated by the solar cell drops significantly.

A dimming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a reception unit that receives a selection of an irradiation target to be irradiated with the transmitted light of the dimming component, and the control unit adjusts the transmittance according to the irradiation target selected by the reception unit.

In this embodiment, by selecting in advance the object to be irradiated with the transmitted light from the dimming component, the transmittance of solar radiation into the facility can be adjusted taking into account differences in the object to be irradiated.

In one embodiment of the dimming system of the present disclosure, the facility is a greenhouse including a vinyl greenhouse, the illumination target onto which the transmitted light of the dimming component is irradiated is agricultural crops, and the system is equipped with a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the greenhouse, and the control unit adjusts the transmittance according to the agricultural crops based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

In this embodiment, not only is the light transmittance of the light control component adjusted based on the detected amount of solar radiation, but the light transmittance of the light control component is also adjusted based on the temperature inside the greenhouse, including the vinyl house, taking into account the difference in the crops. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of solar radiation transmitted into the greenhouse to a level suitable for the growth of the crops.

In one embodiment of the dimming system of the present disclosure, the dimming components are installed in multiple installation areas on the facility, and the control unit adjusts the transmittance for each of the multiple installation areas.

In this embodiment, the control unit adjusts the light transmittance of the dimming components installed in multiple installation areas on the facility for each installation area. This makes it possible to adjust the transmittance of sunlight into the facility according to the position within the facility of the target to be irradiated with the transmitted light of the dimming component, the part of the target to be irradiated that has a large shape, etc.

A dimming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication unit that communicates with an external terminal, an imaging unit that captures images of the facility, and a first output unit that outputs the transmittance adjusted by the control unit, the amount of solar radiation detected, and the image captured by the imaging unit to the external terminal via the communication unit.

In this embodiment, when communication is established with an external terminal, the adjusted transmittance, the current amount of solar radiation, and images of the facility can be monitored on the external terminal.

A dimming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an imaging unit that images the inside of the facility, an extraction unit that extracts images of imaging areas corresponding to each of the installation areas from the images captured by the imaging unit, and a first acquisition unit that inputs the images extracted by the extraction unit into a first learning model that outputs information on the presence or absence of a monitored object when an image is input, and acquires the presence or absence information for each of the imaging areas, and the control unit adjusts the transmittance for each of the installation areas based on the presence or absence information acquired by the first acquisition unit.

In this embodiment, images extracted from images of the facility for each imaging area corresponding to the installation area of the dimming component are input to the first learning model, and the light transmittance is adjusted for each installation area of the dimming component based on the presence/absence information of the monitored object obtained from the first learning model. This makes it possible to finely adjust the light transmittance according to the difference in the monitored object and the position of the monitored object.

In one embodiment of the dimming system of the present disclosure, the monitored object is livestock or seafood, and the control unit adjusts the transmittance in response to movement between the imaging areas of the monitored object that has been determined to have been detected based on presence/absence information acquired by the first acquisition unit.

In this embodiment, the light transmittance of the light control member corresponding to the imaging area is adjusted according to the movement of the livestock or fish to be monitored between imaging areas. This makes it possible to adjust the solar transmittance to the destination according to the movement of the livestock or fish.

A dimming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an imaging unit that images the inside of the facility, and a second acquisition unit that inputs the image captured by the imaging unit into a second learning model that outputs sunburn degree information of a monitored subject when an image is input, and acquires the degree information, and the control unit adjusts the transmittance based on the degree information acquired by the second acquisition unit.

In this embodiment, images of the facility are input into the second learning model, and the light transmittance of the light control component is adjusted based on the tan level information obtained from the second learning model. This makes it possible to finely adjust the light transmittance according to the tan level of the monitored subject.

A dimming system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication unit that communicates with an external terminal, an imaging unit that images the interior of the facility, a third acquisition unit that inputs an image captured by the imaging unit into a third learning model that outputs information on the degree of growth of a monitored subject when an image is input, and acquires the degree information, and a second output unit that outputs the degree information acquired by the third acquisition unit to the external terminal via the communication unit.

In this embodiment, images of the inside of the facility are input to the third learning model, and growth level information obtained from the third learning model is output to an external terminal. In this way, when communication is established with the external terminal, the growth level of the monitored object can be monitored on the external terminal.

An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an output unit that outputs a command value for adjusting the light transmittance of a dimming element that is installed on a facility and receives power from a solar cell, an acquisition unit that acquires the amount of solar radiation around the facility, and a control unit that controls the command value output from the output unit based on the amount of solar radiation acquired by the acquisition unit.

In this embodiment, the amount of solar radiation around the facility in which the light-adjusting component with adjustable light transmittance is installed is acquired, and a command value for adjusting the transmittance is output based on the acquired amount of solar radiation. This makes it possible to remotely adjust the light transmittance of the light-adjusting component at a location away from the facility.

A computer program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure communicates with an external device that adjusts the light transmittance of a dimming component that is installed on a facility and receives power from a solar cell, acquires the transmittance adjusted by the external device, and causes a computer to execute a process of displaying the acquired transmittance.

In this embodiment, the adjusted light transmittance is acquired through communication and displayed. This allows the light transmittance of the light-adjusting component to be monitored on a computer terminal.

In one embodiment of the computer program disclosed herein, the external device is installed in each of a plurality of facilities, and the computer is caused to execute a process of displaying the transmittance obtained for each of the plurality of facilities.

In this embodiment, the light transmittance of dimming components installed in multiple facilities can be monitored using a single computer terminal.

A computer program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of accepting a selection of the facility and displaying the transmittance obtained for the selected facility.

In this embodiment, the light transmittance of a dimming component in a facility selected by a computer user can be monitored on a computer terminal.

According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately adjust the solar radiation transmittance of the dimming component at the appropriate time.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a light control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an external terminal according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of a vinyl greenhouse in which the light control system is installed. This is a schematic perspective view of the inside of a vinyl greenhouse seen from the gable end. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a light adjusting member. 11 is a graph illustrating the wavelength characteristics of light transmittance in a light adjusting member. 1 is a table showing the correspondence between the amount of solar radiation and room temperature and the adjustment coefficient A of the transmittance. 11 is a table showing the correspondence between the installation area of the light control member and the transmittance adjustment coefficient B. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit for adjusting the light transmittance of a light adjusting member. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of an external terminal for storing data acquired from the dimming control device in a display memory. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of displays on an external terminal according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit for calculating an amount of solar radiation in the light control system according to the first modified example. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit that receives a selection of an irradiation target in a light control system according to a second embodiment. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing examples of displays in a dimming control device according to a second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit that recognizes a monitoring target in an image in a light control system according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of a learning model according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of a learning model related to variant example 2. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit that recognizes a tan level in a light control device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of a learning model according to the fourth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit that recognizes a growth level in a light control device according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of a learning model according to the fifth embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit that receives a selection of a greenhouse in a light control system according to a sixth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a display example on an external terminal according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a light control system according to a seventh embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device according to a seventh embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof.
(Embodiment 1)
1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a light control system 100 according to embodiment 1. The light control system 100 includes light control members 3, 3, 3 having an adjustable light transmittance, a light control device 1 that controls the light transmittance of the light control members 3, 3, 3, and solar panels 4, 4, 4 in which solar cells are modularized to serve as power sources for the light control device 1 and the light control members 3, 3, 3. The light control device 1 is communicably connected to an external terminal 200 (corresponding to an external device) via a network Nw including a mobile phone network or one-to-one.

The dimming control device 1 comprises a control unit 10, a memory unit 11, a display unit 12, an operation unit 13, a voltage and current acquisition unit 14, a solar radiation sensor 15, a temperature and humidity sensor 16, an imaging unit 17, a drive unit 18, and a communication unit 19. The dimming control device 1 further comprises a DCDC converter 21 that converts the voltage from the solar panels 4, 4, 4, to generate the voltage of the power supply Vcc, and a power supply battery 22 (corresponding to a storage battery) that is charged by the DCDC converter 21. Each unit in the dimming control device 1 operates from the power supply Vcc.

The control unit 10 includes one or more processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The control unit 10 controls the entire device by executing a control program stored in the memory unit 11.

The storage unit 11 includes non-volatile memory such as flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically EPROM: registered trademark), and rewritable memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). The non-volatile memory stores in advance the control program executed by the control unit 10 and various data. The rewritable memory stores the learning models X, Y, and Z described below and temporarily generated data.

The display unit 12 is a display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays various information under the control of the control unit 10. The operation unit 13 is an interface for accepting operations by the user, and may be configured with physical buttons or a touch panel integrated with the display unit 12.

The voltage and current acquiring unit 14 is an interface for acquiring the voltage and current generated by the solar panels 4, 4, . . . 4 from the detection unit 40. The voltage and current acquired by the voltage and current acquiring unit 14 are multiplied together to obtain a moving average value, thereby calculating the generated power (kW). The generated power can also be converted to obtain the amount of solar radiation (kW/ ^m2 ).

The solar radiation sensor 15 is provided outside the vinyl greenhouse 300 (see FIG. 3 ) described below and detects the amount of solar radiation. The temperature and humidity sensor 16 is provided inside the vinyl greenhouse 300 and detects the temperature and humidity inside the vinyl greenhouse. The imaging unit 17 is provided at the top of the center of the vinyl greenhouse 300 and captures an overhead image of the inside of the vinyl greenhouse 300.

The driving unit 18 supplies current to the dimming members 3, 3...3 to adjust the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3...3. The dimming members 3, 3...3 are rectangular in plan view and change their light transmission state from a transparent state to a light-blocking state depending on the current supplied, but are not limited to this. For example, they may be gaschromic sheets whose light transmittance changes depending on gas such as hydrogen.

The communication unit 19 is an interface for connecting to the network Nw by wireless communication, and transmits and receives data including images to and from the external terminal 200 via the network Nw. The communication unit 19 performs communication conforming to the standards of a mobile communication system, for example, via a base station (not shown), but may also communicate with the external terminal 200 in infrastructure mode via a wireless LAN access point or in ad-hoc mode by peer-to-peer connection. The communication unit 19 may also communicate with the external terminal 200 by wireless communication conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication standard.

The DCDC converter 21 receives the voltage and current generated by the solar panels 4, 4...4 via the detection unit 40, and efficiently stores the generated power in the power supply battery 22 by performing MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) control.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the external terminal 200 according to the first embodiment. The external terminal 200 is, for example, a smartphone, but may also be a tablet terminal, a general-purpose PC (Personal Computer), or a wearable device such as a smart watch. The external terminal 200 includes a control unit 210, a memory unit 211, a display unit 212, an operation unit 213, and a communication unit 214. The operation unit 213 is a touch panel integrated with the display unit 212, but is not limited thereto.

The control unit 210 includes a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, and a memory. The control unit 210 may be configured as a single piece of hardware (SoC: System On a Chip) that integrates the processor, memory, storage unit 211, and communication unit 214. The control unit 210 performs control based on an application program 211a stored in the storage unit 211.

The storage unit 211 includes a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The storage unit 211 stores an application program 211a. The application program 211a may include a web browser function, or a general-purpose web browser program may be separately stored in the storage unit 211. The application program 211a may be a program stored in the storage medium 215 that the control unit 210 reads out via the communication unit 214 or an input/output unit (not shown) and copies to the storage unit 211.

The communication unit 214 is an interface for connecting to the network Nw by wireless communication, and transmits and receives data including images to and from the dimming control device 1 via the network Nw. The communication unit 214 may communicate with the external terminal 200 in infrastructure mode via a wireless LAN access point or in ad-hoc mode by peer-to-peer connection, or may communicate with the dimming control device 1 by wireless communication conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication standard.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of the exterior of a vinyl greenhouse 300 in which the light control system 100 is installed. The vinyl greenhouse 300 (corresponding to a greenhouse facility) is constructed by assembling a number of pipe-shaped frame members connected at appropriate locations with fasteners to form a structure resembling a kamaboko (fish paste) when viewed from the front, to which a sheet material made of a synthetic resin film is attached so as to give tension to the sheet material. The vinyl greenhouse 300 has a gabled roof portion 301 supported by side portions 302 on both sides in the direction of inclination, and end faces facing in the longitudinal direction are closed by end face portions 303.

In the relatively high area on the roof portion 301, the dimming members 3, 3...3 are aligned, but they do not necessarily have to be aligned. The dimming members 3, 3...3 may be installed on the side portion 302. The dimming members 3, 3...3 are installed on either the upper or lower side of the roof portion 301, or on either the outside or inside of the side portion 302. The dimming members 3, 3...3 themselves may constitute part of the roof portion 301 or the side portion 302.

In this embodiment 1, the longitudinal arrangement of a series of areas in the vinyl greenhouse 300 is referred to as a "row," and the arrangement in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is referred to as a "column." In FIG. 3, the light control components 3, 3, 3 are installed in an installation area of 2 rows and 4 columns, but this is not limited thereto, and they may be installed in an installation area of 1 row or 3 or more rows, or in an installation area of 1 to 3 columns, or 5 or more columns.

The solar panels 4, 4...4 are aligned and installed in a relatively low-height area on the roof 301. The solar panels 4, 4...4 do not necessarily have to be installed on the vinyl greenhouse 300, but are preferably installed in a position outside the vinyl greenhouse 300 that receives good sunlight. The solar radiation sensor 15 is installed, for example, in an appropriate position on the roof 301.

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the interior of the greenhouse 300 as seen from the gable surface 303. The installation area in the mth row and nth column (m and n are natural numbers) is represented as Ra[m,n]. The side surface 302 located on the right side of the paper faces south. The installation areas on the sloped southern portion of the roof 301 are Ra[1,1] to Ra[1,4], starting from the west side. The installation areas on the sloped northern portion of the roof 301 are Ra[2,1] to Ra[2,4], starting from the west side. The imaging unit 17 is installed facing downwards in the centre of the underside of the roof 301.

Among the imaging areas included in the overhead image captured by the imaging unit 17, the imaging areas of the exposed ground corresponding to the installation areas Ra[1,1] to Ra[2,4] of the light control members 3, 3, . . . 3 are Rb[1,1] to Rb[2,4]. Each of the imaging areas Rb[1,1] to Rb[2,4] is an area obtained by projecting the installation areas Ra[1,1] to Ra[2,4] onto the exposed ground from, for example, a point outside the vinyl greenhouse 300. This point may be a fixed point, or may be a point that changes with, for example, the movement of the sun on the celestial sphere. In this case, a table that converts the position of the sun on the celestial sphere to the date and time is stored, and the imaging areas Rb[1,1] to Rb[2,4] are determined according to the position of the sun converted using the table.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the light-adjusting member 3. The light-adjusting member 3 has two EC (Electrochromic) layers 32a and 32b with an electrolyte layer 31 interposed therebetween, and transparent electrodes 33a and 33b are formed on the surfaces of the EC layers 32a and 32b opposite the electrolyte layer 31 side. Each of the transparent electrodes 33a and 33b is a conductive layer formed on one surface of a transparent substrate 34a or 34b such as glass. That is, the transparent electrode 33a, the EC layer 32a, the electrolyte layer 31, the EC layer 32b, and the transparent electrode 33b are laminated in this order between the two transparent substrates 34a and 34b. A seal material 30 that seals the electrolyte is provided at the end of the electrolyte layer 31.

The electrolyte layer 31 is a carrier supply layer that supplies electrons or ions to the EC layers 32a and 32b. The electrolyte may be in various forms, such as a solid, liquid, or gel. Lithium salts, sodium salts, potassium salts, etc. are mainly used as ion sources.

The EC layers 32a and 32b contain compounds that develop color through an oxidation-reduction reaction. For example, if an oxidative color-developing compound that develops color through an oxidation reaction is used for the EC layer 32a and a reduced color-developing compound that develops color through a reduction reaction is used for the EC layer 32b, the EC layers 32a and 32b will develop color and become light-shielding when electricity is applied, and will fade and become transparent when electricity is stopped. For example, polyethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) and polyaniline are used as a combination of color-developing compounds that bring about such a change.

The transparent electrodes 33a and 33b are transparent conductive layers containing, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO). An extraction electrode (not shown) for connection to the driving unit 18 is provided at one end of each of the transparent electrodes 33a and 33b.

The transparent substrates 34a and 34b are not limited to glass, and may be made of an insulating film that is colorless, transparent, and flexible in the visible light range. For example, polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) are preferred.

In the light-adjusting member 3, ions are exchanged between the EC layers 32a and 32b via the electrolyte layer 31 by supplying a current between the transparent electrodes 33a and 33b from the driving unit 18. As a result, the EC layers 32a and 32b are oxidized and reduced, causing coloring (transparent to colored), and the color of the transmitted light changes. The light-adjusting member 3 is configured such that the transparent electrodes 33a and 33b and the EC layers 32a and 32b face each other via the electrolyte layer 31, but is not necessarily limited to this structure. The design may be flexibly changed according to requirements, such as a device with the EC layer 32a or 32b only on one side, or a device without the sealing material 30.

Figure 6 is a graph illustrating the wavelength characteristics of light transmittance in the dimming component 3. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the wavelength of light (nm), and the vertical axis represents the light transmittance (%). In the example shown in Figure 6, when the dimming component 3 develops color due to current from the drive unit 18 (shown by the dashed line), the light transmittance drops to 3% or less in the wavelength range including the visible light range with wavelengths of 380 nm to 780 nm. On the other hand, when the dimming component 3 fades and becomes transparent (shown by the solid line), the light transmittance increases to 60-70% in the wavelength range including the visible light range excluding a portion on the short wavelength side.

The color of the light-adjusting component 3 changes depending on the difference in the color-developing compounds contained in the EC layers 32a and 32b. In other words, the wavelength range in which the light transmittance changes can be changed as desired. In addition, by controlling the magnitude of the current supplied from the drive unit 18 to the light-adjusting component 3, the thickness of the EC layers 32a and 32b, and the ion source species of the electrolyte layer 31, it is possible to set the light transmittance of the light-adjusting component 3 to an intermediate state between a dark light-blocking state and a transparent state (i.e., the light transmittance can be changed as desired).

In the dimming system 100 configured as described above, the dimming control device 1 acquires the amount of solar radiation from the solar radiation sensor 15, acquires the temperature and humidity inside the vinyl greenhouse 300 from the temperature and humidity sensor 16, and adjusts the light transmittance of the dimming components 3, 3, ... 3 based on the amount of solar radiation and temperature and humidity acquired in chronological order. The acquired amount of solar radiation and temperature and the adjusted transmittance are output to the external terminal 200 via the network Nw. The external terminal 200 acquires the amount of solar radiation, temperature, and transmittance from the dimming control device 1 and displays them on the display unit 212.

The light transmittance is adjusted independently for each of the dimming components 3, 3...3 installed in different installation areas in response to changes in the amount of solar radiation and changes in temperature and humidity. For this reason, in this embodiment 1, a transmittance adjustment coefficient A according to the amount of solar radiation and temperature, and a transmittance adjustment coefficient B according to the installation area of the dimming components 3, 3...3 are introduced. The dimming control device 1 adjusts the transmittance of the dimming components 3, 3...3 in response to the multiplication of the adjustment coefficient A and the adjustment coefficient B.

FIG. 7 is a table showing the correspondence between the amount of solar radiation and room temperature and the adjustment coefficient A of the transmittance. FIG. 8 is a table showing the correspondence between the installation area of the light control members 3, 3, 3 and the adjustment coefficient B of the transmittance. In FIG. 7, the range of solar radiation is divided into five stages from 0.1 kW/m ² to 0.9 kW/m ² , less than 0.1 kW/m ² and 0.9 kW/m ² or more, and the adjustment coefficient A is set to be smaller as the amount of solar radiation increases. In addition, the range of temperature is divided into five stages from 0° C. to 50° C., less than 0° C. and 50° C. or more, and the adjustment coefficient A is set to be smaller as the temperature increases. The values in FIG. 7 are stored in the storage unit 11 as a table corresponding to the amount of solar radiation and the temperature. These values are an example and are not limited to these. It is preferable to use a table in which values the same as or different from those shown in FIG. 7 are stored according to humidity.

The numerical values of the amounts of solar radiation shown in FIG.
(a) 0.9 or more: Value at around 12 o'clock on a clear day under a sunny sky from February to October; (b) 0.8 to 0.9: Value at around 12 o'clock on a sunny day covered with thin clouds from February to October or value at around 12 o'clock on a sunny day from November to January; (c) 0.7 to 0.8: Value at around 12 o'clock on a sunny day with lots of clouds regardless of the season; (d) 0.5 to 0.7: Value at around 12 o'clock on a sunny day with lots of clouds or cloudy regardless of the season; (e) 0.2 to 0.5: Value at around 12 o'clock on a cloudy day regardless of the season; (f) 0.1 to 0.2: Value when it is cloudy or rainy regardless of the season; (g) Less than 0.1: Value when it is rainy regardless of the season

Moving on to Figure 8, in this figure, the number of rows and the number of columns in the installation area of the dimming members 3, 3, 3 are generalized to M (M is a natural number of 4 or more) and N (N is a natural number of 5 or more), respectively. In Figure 8, the adjustment coefficient B becomes smaller the closer the installation area represented by the row number and column number is to the center of the roof portion 301. The numerical values in Figure 8 are stored in the memory unit 11 as a table corresponding to the row number and column number. These numerical values are one example and are not limited to this. It is preferable to use a table in which numerical values the same as or different from those shown in Figure 8 are stored depending on the object to be irradiated with the transmitted light of the dimming members 3, 3, 3.

The operation of the above-mentioned dimming control device 1 will be described below using a flowchart showing the operation. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control unit 10 that adjusts the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, . . . 3. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the external terminal 200 that stores data acquired from the dimming control device 1 in a display memory. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a display example of the external terminal 200 according to the first embodiment. The processing of FIGS. 9 and 10 is started at a fixed cycle (for example, every minute), but is not limited thereto, and may be started irregularly.

In the figure, M and N respectively represent the number of rows and the number of columns in the installation area of the dimming components 3, 3, ... 3. m and n respectively represent counters for counting the row numbers and column numbers. Here, for example, agricultural crops are set as the object to be irradiated, and information indicating the object is stored in advance in the memory unit 11. The relationship between the transmittance of the dimming component 3 and the current supplied to the dimming component 3 is stored in advance in the memory unit 11. Note that adjustment coefficient A and adjustment coefficient B will be simply referred to as coefficient A and coefficient B, respectively.

9 is started in the light control device 1, the control unit 10 acquires one frame of image from the imaging unit 17 (S11) and outputs the acquired image to the external terminal 200 via the communication unit 19 (S12: corresponds to a part of the first output unit). Next, the control unit 10 acquires the amount of solar radiation from the solar radiation sensor 15 (S13) and acquires the temperature inside the vinyl greenhouse 300 from the temperature and humidity sensor 16 (S14), and outputs the acquired amount of solar radiation and temperature to the external terminal 200 via the communication unit 19 (S15: corresponds to a part of the first output unit). Humidity may be acquired together with the temperature, and the acquired humidity may be output together with the temperature.

The control unit 10 then reads out adjustment coefficient A from a table stored in the memory unit 11 according to the acquired amount of solar radiation and temperature (S16). Next, the control unit 10 initializes m to 1 in preparation for reading out adjustment coefficient B (S17), and further initializes n to 1 (S18).

Then, the control unit 10 reads out the object stored in advance in the storage unit 11 as the irradiation target (S20), and reads out the adjustment coefficient B in the mth row and nth column from the table stored in the storage unit 11 according to the read out object (S21). Next, the control unit 10 multiplies the constant P by the adjustment coefficients A and B to calculate the transmittance (S22), and outputs the calculated transmittance of the light control member 3 in the mth row and nth column to the external terminal 200 via the communication unit 19 (S23: corresponds to a part of the first output unit). The constant P may be set to, for example, the average value of the transmittance of the transparent side shown in FIG. 6. The transmittance is output with the current values of m and n added.

Then, the control unit 10 adjusts the transmittance of the light control component 3 in the installation area of the mth row and the nth column to the value calculated in step S23 (S24). Next, the control unit 10 increments n by 1 to advance the column number by one (S25), and determines whether n has become N+1, i.e., whether n has exceeded the number of the last column (S26).

If n is not N+1 (S26: NO), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S20 to adjust the transmittance of the dimming member 3 in the next column. On the other hand, if n is N+1 (S26: YES), the control unit 10 initializes the column number n to 1 (S27), then increments m by 1 to advance the row number by one (S28), and determines whether m has become M+1, i.e., whether m has exceeded the number of the last row (S29).

If m is not M+1 (S29: NO), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S20 to adjust the transmittance of the dimming member 3 in the next row. On the other hand, if m is M+1 (S29: YES), the control unit 10 ends the process of FIG. 9. If it is known that the object is constant throughout the greenhouse 300, the process may proceed from steps S26 and S29 to step S21.

Next, when the process of FIG. 10 is started on the external terminal 200, the control unit 210 determines whether or not data has been received from the dimming control device 1 between the time of the previous start and the present (S201), and if no data has been received (S201: NO), ends the process of FIG. 10 without executing any particular process. When data has been received from the dimming control device 1 (S201: YES), the control unit 201 determines whether or not a transmittance has been received (S202), and if a transmittance has been received (S202: YES), the control unit 201 stores the received and acquired transmittance in a display memory secured in the storage unit 11 (S203), and ends the process of FIG. 10. The transmittance is stored sequentially in the display memory according to the values of m and n added when acquired.

If the transmittance is not received in step S202 (S202: NO), the control unit 210 determines whether or not the amount of solar radiation has been received (S204), and if the amount of solar radiation has been received (S204: YES), the control unit 210 stores the received and acquired amount of solar radiation in the display memory (S205), and ends the processing of FIG. 10. If the amount of solar radiation is not received in step S204 (S204: NO), the control unit 201 determines whether or not the temperature has been received (S206), and if the temperature has been received (S206: YES), the control unit 201 stores the received and acquired temperature in the display memory (S207), and ends the processing of FIG. 10.

If no temperature is received in step S206 (S206: NO), the control unit 210 determines whether image data has been received (S208), and if image data has been received (S208: YES), stores the received and acquired image data in the display memory (S209). The transmittance, solar radiation, and temperature stored in the display memory and an image based on the stored image data are displayed on the display unit 212 at a predetermined frame rate. If the processing of step S209 is completed or if image data is not received in step S208 (S208: NO), the control unit 210 ends the processing of FIG. 10.

Moving on to FIG. 11, the display unit 212 of the external terminal 200 displays the images (house monitor image: an image of a cabbage in this case) output in steps S12, S23, and S15, respectively, in the processing procedure on the dimming control device 1 side, the transmittance of the M rows and N columns of dimming components 3, 3...3, the amount of solar radiation, and the temperature. Humidity may also be displayed in addition to temperature. For example, a grid indicating the imaging area may be displayed on the house monitor image. Furthermore, the display of the transmittance does not simply display numerical values in a matrix, but the numerical values of the transmittance may also be displayed on an image diagram of the arrangement of the dimming components 3, 3...3.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the light control members 3, 3, 3, whose light transmittance can be adjusted by the power from the solar panels 4, 4, 4, are installed on the vinyl greenhouse 300, and the control unit 10 adjusts the light transmittance of the light control members 3, 3, 3. Therefore, it is possible to timely and appropriately adjust the transmittance of the solar radiation into the vinyl greenhouse 300 without relying on an external power source.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the control unit 10 adjusts the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, 3 based on the detected amount of solar radiation. Therefore, when the amount of solar radiation is excessive, the transmission of solar radiation is suppressed, and when the amount of solar radiation is relatively low, solar radiation can be effectively taken into the facility.

Furthermore, according to embodiment 1, power from the solar panels 4, 4...4 is stored in the power supply battery 22 and supplied to each component within the device, making it possible to perform the required control even in rainy or cloudy weather when the amount of power generated by the solar panels 4, 4...4 is significantly reduced.

Moreover, according to the first embodiment, not only is the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3...3 adjusted based on the detected amount of solar radiation, but the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3...3 is also adjusted based on the temperature inside the vinyl greenhouse 300 and taking into account differences in the crops. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the amount of solar radiation transmitted into the vinyl greenhouse 300 to a level suitable for the growth of the crops.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the control unit 10 adjusts the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, 3 installed in multiple installation areas on the vinyl greenhouse 300 for each installation area. This makes it possible to adjust the transmittance of sunlight into the vinyl greenhouse 300 according to the position in the vinyl greenhouse 300 of the irradiation target to which the transmitted light of the dimming members 3, 3, 3 is irradiated, the part of the irradiation target that has a large shape, etc.

Furthermore, according to embodiment 1, when communication is established with an external terminal 200, it becomes possible to monitor the adjusted transmittance, the current amount of solar radiation, and images within the facility on the external terminal 200.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the external terminal 200 acquires the adjusted light transmittance through communication and displays it on the display unit 212. Therefore, the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, . . . 3 can be monitored on the external terminal 200.

(Variation 1)
In the first embodiment, the amount of solar radiation is detected by a solar radiation sensor 15, whereas in the first modification, the amount of solar radiation is detected from the power generated by the solar panels 4, 4, 4. The block configuration of the dimming control device 1 according to the first modification is similar to the block configuration shown in Fig. 1 of the first embodiment, and therefore the same reference numerals are used for the parts corresponding to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this first modification, the dimming control device 1 acquires the voltage and current generated by the solar panels 4, 4, 4 in a time series manner, calculates the generated power (kW), and converts the calculated generated power into solar radiation (kW/ ^m2 ). This conversion is performed based on the power generation efficiency, surface area, and angle of the normal to the sunlight of the solar panels 4, 4, 4, etc. The conversion formula is stored in advance in the storage unit 11. The solar radiation detected by the control unit 10 through conversion is stored in the storage unit 11, and is read out from the storage unit 11 instead of acquiring the solar radiation from the solar radiation sensor 15 in step S13 of FIG. 9.

The operation of the above-mentioned dimming control device 1 will be described below using a flowchart showing the operation. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control unit 10 that calculates the amount of solar radiation in the dimming system according to the first modified example. The processing in FIG. 12 is started at regular intervals (e.g., every 10 seconds), but is not limited to this and may be started irregularly.

When the process of FIG. 12 is started in the dimming control device 1, the control unit 10 acquires the generated voltage from the detection unit 40 for the power generated by the solar panels 4, 4, . . . 4 (S31), and then acquires the generated current (S32). The control unit 10 multiplies the acquired generated voltage and generated current to calculate the generated power (S33), and calculates the moving average of the generated power (S34). This smooths out instantaneous fluctuations in the generated power. The control unit 10 then converts the generated power with the moving average into solar radiation (S35), stores the solar radiation detected by the conversion in the memory unit 11 (S36), and ends the process of FIG. 12.

As described above, according to this modified example 1, the solar panels 4, 4...4 can generate power efficiently on the vinyl greenhouse 300. Even if the solar radiation sensor 15 is not provided, it is possible to detect the amount of solar radiation by converting the power generated by the solar panels 4, 4...4 installed on or outside the vinyl greenhouse 300, and to adjust the transmittance of solar radiation into the vinyl greenhouse 300 based on the detected amount of solar radiation.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, information indicating an object to be irradiated with the transmitted light of the dimming members 3, 3, . . . 3 is stored in advance in the storage unit 11, but in the second embodiment, a selection of an object to be irradiated is accepted. The block configuration of the dimming control device 1 according to the second embodiment is similar to the block configuration of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, and therefore the same reference numerals are used for the parts corresponding to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, when a user operates the operation unit 13 to select a menu of irradiation targets, the control unit 10 receives this and displays an object selection screen on the display unit 12, allowing the user to select an object. The objects selected for each installation area of the dimming components 3, 3, . . . 3 are stored in the memory unit 11 and are read out in step S20 shown in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment. Note that selecting an object for each installation area is semantically equivalent to selecting an object for each imaging area corresponding to the installation area.

The operation of the above-mentioned dimming control device 1 will be described below using a flowchart showing the operation. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control unit 10 that accepts the selection of the irradiation target in the dimming system according to embodiment 2. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a display example in the dimming control device 1 according to embodiment 2. The processing in Fig. 13 is started at a constant cycle (e.g., every 0.1 seconds), but is not limited to this and may be started irregularly.

When the process of FIG. 13 is started in the dimming control device 1, the control unit 10 determines whether or not an operation has been performed on the operation unit 13 (S41), and if no operation has been performed (S41: NO), ends the process of FIG. 13 without executing any particular process. If an operation has been performed (S41: YES), the control unit 10 further determines whether or not the operation is related to a menu selection of an irradiation target (S42). If the operation is related to a menu selection (S42: YES), the control unit 10 displays a selection screen for an object on the display unit 12 (S43), and ends the process of FIG. 13.

If it is determined in step S42 that the operation on the operation unit 13 is not an operation related to menu selection (S42: NO), the control unit 10 determines whether the operation is an operation to select a text box (S44). If the operation is an operation to select a text box (S44: YES), the control unit 10 moves the cursor to the selected text box (S45) and ends the process of FIG. 13.

If it is determined in step S44 that the operation on the operation unit 13 is not a selection operation of a text box (S44: NO), the control unit 10 determines whether the operation is an input operation into a text box (S46). If the operation is an input operation into a text box (S46: YES), the control unit 10 displays the input letters/numbers in the text box (S47), and ends the process of FIG. 13.

If it is determined in step S46 that the operation on the operation unit 13 is not an input operation to a text box (S46: NO), the control unit 10 determines whether the operation is an object selection operation (S48). If the operation is an object selection operation (S48: YES), the control unit 10 accepts the selected object (corresponding to the reception unit) and stores it in the storage unit 11 in association with the installation area of the specified row number and column number (S49). If the process of step S49 is completed, or if it is determined in step S48 that the operation is not an object selection operation (S48: NO), the control unit 10 ends the process of FIG. 13.

Moving on to Fig. 14, the display unit 12 displays text boxes 121, 122 for specifying the row number and column number of the installation area of the dimming components 3, 3, ... 3, an object selection menu 123, a text box 124 for inputting the number of the object to be selected, and a selection button 125 for confirming the selection of the object. When the user touches the selection button 125 after inputting the numbers in the text boxes 121, 122, 124, the control unit 10 accepts the selection of the object.

In the second embodiment, the display unit 12 and the operation unit 13 accept the selection of the object to be irradiated, but this is not limited to this. For example, the object selected in the external terminal 200 may be acquired via the communication unit 19, and the acquired object may be accepted (corresponding to the acceptance unit) and stored in the memory unit 11.

As described above, according to this embodiment 2, by selecting in advance the irradiation target onto which the transmitted light of the dimming members 3, 3...3 is irradiated, it is possible to adjust the transmittance of solar radiation into the greenhouse 300 taking into account differences in the irradiation target.

(Embodiment 3)
The second embodiment is a form in which the selection of an irradiation target to be irradiated with the transmitted light of the dimming members 3, 3, . . . 3 is accepted, whereas the third embodiment is a form in which a monitoring target is recognized in an image captured by the imaging unit 17, and the recognized target is set as the irradiation target. The block configuration of the dimming control device 1 according to the third embodiment is similar to the block configuration of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, and therefore the same reference numerals are used for the parts corresponding to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment 3, the light control device 1 extracts images of the imaging areas corresponding to the installation areas of the light control components 3, 3, . . . from the images captured by the imaging unit 17, and recognizes the monitoring target (crops) in the extracted image using AI (Artificial Intelligence). The recognized target is stored in the memory unit 11 as the irradiation target in the imaging area, and is read out as the target in the mth row (m is a natural number from 1 to M) and nth column (n is a natural number from 1 to N) of the imaging area in step S20 shown in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment. The read out target is used to select a table in step S21.

The operation of the above-mentioned dimming control device 1 will be described below using a flowchart showing the operation. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control unit 10 for recognizing a monitoring target in an image in the dimming system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of the learning model X1 according to the third embodiment. The learning model X1 (corresponding to the first learning model) is included in the learning model X shown in FIG. 1. The processing of FIG. 15 is started at a fixed cycle (e.g., once a day), but is not limited thereto and may be started irregularly. The processing from steps S51 to S55 in FIG. 15 is equivalent to the processing from steps S25 to S29 in FIG. 9, and therefore the description will be simplified.

15 is started in the dimming control device 1, the control unit 10 acquires one frame of image from the imaging unit 17 (S41). Next, the control unit 10 initializes m to 1 to start processing from the imaging area in the first row and first column (S42), and further initializes n to 1 (S43).

Then, the control unit 10 extracts an image of the imaging area in the mth row and nth column from the acquired image (S44: corresponding to the extraction unit), inputs the extracted image to the learning model X1 (S45), and acquires information on whether or not a monitored object has been detected from the learning model X1 (S46: corresponding to the first acquisition unit).

Now, moving to FIG. 16, the learning model X1 used in the above-mentioned steps S45 and S46 can be, for example, a multi-layered convolutional neural network (CNN) trained by deep learning, but may also be trained by other machine learning methods. The convolutional neural network has an intermediate layer between the input layer and the output layer. The intermediate layer has multiple stages of convolutional layers and pooling layers, as well as a fully connected layer in the final stage. The numbers of convolutional layers, pooling layers, and fully connected layers can be determined as appropriate.

The input layer, intermediate layer, and output layer each contain one or more nodes. The nodes in each layer are connected in one direction to the nodes in the previous and next layers with desired weights and biases. When data input to the input layer is input to the intermediate layer, the output of one layer is calculated using an activation function that includes weights and biases, and the calculated output is input to the next layer. In the same manner, data is transmitted to successive layers until the output of the output layer is determined.

Learning model X1 takes as input the pixel values of each pixel constituting an image extracted from one frame of images, and outputs the probability that a monitoring target is present in the input image (i.e., detected) and the probability that no monitoring target is present (i.e., not detected). The probability output by each output node in the output layer is a value between 0 and 1.0, and the sum of the probabilities output by all output nodes is 1.0. The monitoring target here is at least one of agricultural crops such as lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, etc. Note that before inputting an image to the input layer, an appropriate filter including a convolution filter may be applied to the image, and the pixel values of each pixel obtained after applying the filter may be input to the input layer.

The learning model X1 is a model trained to output detection presence/absence information for each monitored object when an image is input using training data including images of the monitored objects and information indicating the type of each monitored object. The learning model X1 optimizes data such as coefficients and thresholds of functions that define a predetermined calculation to be performed on input values. The learning model X1 may be trained by a learning device composed of a personal computer, a server computer, or the like, and then downloaded and stored in the storage unit 11, or may be read from a portable storage medium that stores the learning model X1 and stored in the storage unit 11.

Returning to FIG. 15, the control unit 10 determines whether the acquired presence/absence information indicates no detection (S47), and if it indicates no detection (S47: YES), stores the fact that the monitored object is not detected in the memory unit 11 (S48). Whether or not it indicates no detection is determined, for example, by determining whether the probability of no detection is greater than 0.6. The threshold for the determination is not limited to 0.6.

If the presence/absence information does not indicate no detection (S47: NO), the control unit 10 judges whether the presence/absence information for each monitoring target indicates a detection (S49). If the presence/absence information indicates a detection for a specific monitoring target (agricultural crops such as lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, etc.) (S49: YES), the control unit 10 stores the detection of the specific monitoring target in the memory unit 11 (S50). Whether or not a detection is indicated is judged, for example, by whether the probability of detection is greater than 0.6. The judgment threshold is not limited to 0.6.

When the processing of step S48 or S50 is completed, or when the presence/absence information for none of the monitoring targets indicates detection in step S49 (S49: NO), the control unit 10 increments n by 1 (S51) and determines whether n has become N+1 (S52). If n is not N+1 (S52: NO), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S44 to recognize the image in the imaging area of the next row.

On the other hand, if n is N+1 (S52: YES), the control unit 10 initializes the column number n to 1 (S53), then increments the row number m by 1 (S54), and determines whether m has become M+1 (S55). If m is not M+1 (S55: NO), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S44. On the other hand, if m is M+1 (S55: YES), the control unit 10 ends the processing of FIG. 15.

Note that, according to the processing procedure shown in the flowchart of Fig. 15, the presence or absence of a monitoring target is determined for each imaging area in the mth row and nth column, but this is not limited to this, and the presence or absence of a monitoring target may be determined for the entire image acquired from the imaging unit 17. In this case, steps S42 to S44 and S51 to S55 can be deleted, and the entire image acquired in step S45 can be input to the learning model X1.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, images extracted from the image inside the vinyl greenhouse 300 for each imaging region corresponding to the installation region of the dimming components 3, 3, 3 are input to the learning model X1, and the light transmittance is adjusted for each installation region of the dimming components 3, 3, 3 based on the presence/absence information of the detection of the monitored object (agricultural crops) obtained from the learning model X1. This makes it possible to finely adjust the light transmittance according to the difference in the monitored object and the position of the monitored object.

(Variation 2)
In the third embodiment, image recognition of the monitoring target, which is a crop, is performed at a relatively long interval, whereas in the second modification, image recognition of the monitoring target, which is livestock or seafood, is performed at a relatively short interval. The block configuration of the light control device 1 according to the second modification is similar to the block configuration shown in Fig. 1 of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used for the parts corresponding to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. The light control device 1 is installed in a facility suitable for raising livestock or cultivating seafood (for example, a livestock shed such as a cowshed, an aquarium, or an offshore fish farm, etc.).

In this modified example 2, the light control device 1 extracts imaging areas corresponding to the installation areas of each of the light control components 3, 3, ..., 3 from the image captured by the imaging unit 17, and recognizes the monitoring target (livestock or seafood) in the extracted image using AI. The recognized target is stored in the memory unit 11 and used in step S20 shown in Figure 9, as in the case of embodiment 3. However, because livestock and seafood move around within the facility, a flowchart similar to that shown in Figure 15 of embodiment 3 is executed at intervals of, for example, one minute to track the movement of the target.

Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of learning model X2 relating to variant example 2. Learning model X2 (corresponding to the first learning model) is included in learning model X shown in Figure 1. Learning model X2 differs from learning model X1 in that it outputs the probability that livestock such as cows, pigs, shrimp, or seafood are present in the input image from the output layer. The learning method, etc. of learning model X2 are the same as those of learning model X1.

As described above, according to this modification 2, the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, ... 3 corresponding to the imaging areas is adjusted according to the movement of the livestock or seafood being monitored between imaging areas. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the solar transmittance to the destination according to the movement of the livestock or seafood.

(Embodiment 4)
In the third embodiment, the light transmittance of the light control components 3, 3, 3 is adjusted according to the difference in the crops to be monitored, whereas in the fourth embodiment, the light transmittance is adjusted according to the degree of sunburn of the crops. The block configuration of the light control device 1 according to the fourth embodiment is similar to the block configuration shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment, and therefore the same reference numerals are used for the parts corresponding to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment 4, the light control device 1 extracts the imaging areas corresponding to the installation areas of the light control components 3, 3, 3 from the image captured by the imaging unit 17, and recognizes the degree of sunburn (hereinafter referred to as sunburn degree) of the monitored object (crop) in the extracted image using AI. No sunburn and sunburn degree j (j = 1, 2, . . . J: J is a natural number of 2 or more) represent the rate of sunburn in ascending order from 0 to 1. The light control device 1 further calculates an adjustment coefficient C of the transmittance of the light control components 3, 3, 3 for each installation area corresponding to the imaging area based on the recognized sunburn degree, and stores the calculated adjustment coefficient C in the memory unit 11 as a table of sunburn adjustment coefficients with M rows and N columns.

The process for adjusting the transmittance is the same as that shown in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment. However, between steps S21 and S22 in FIG. 9, the control unit 10 reads out the adjustment coefficient C of the dimming component 3 in the mth row and nth column from the table of sunburn adjustment coefficients, and in step S22, the adjustment coefficient C is further multiplied by the right-hand side of the formula to reduce the transmittance according to the degree of sunburn. The process contents of the other steps shown in FIG. 9 are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the description of the flow chart is omitted.

The operation of the above-mentioned dimming control device 1 will be described below using a flowchart showing the operation. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control unit 10 for recognizing the degree of tan in the dimming control device 1 according to embodiment 4. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of the learning model Y according to embodiment 4. The processing in FIG. 18 is started at regular intervals (e.g., every hour), but is not limited to this and may be started irregularly. The processing from steps S61 to S64 and the processing from steps S71 to S75 in FIG. 18 are equivalent to the processing from steps S41 to S44 and the processing from steps S51 to S55 in FIG. 15, and therefore most of the description will be omitted.

18 is started in the light control device 1, and when an image of the imaging area in the mth row and nth column is extracted (S64), the control unit 10 inputs the extracted image to a learning model Y (corresponding to a second learning model) (S65), and acquires the tan level j of the monitored object from the learning model Y (S66: corresponding to a second acquisition unit). The tan level j acquired here is, for example, the tan level with the highest probability.

Next, the control unit 10 stores the value of the adjustment coefficient C calculated by "1 - tan level j" in the mth row and nth column of the table of tan adjustment coefficients (S67). Thereafter, n and m are incremented sequentially, as in the case of FIG. 15. When m finally becomes M+1 (S75: YES), the control unit 10 ends the processing of FIG. 18. At this point, the table of tan adjustment coefficients has adjustment coefficients C stored in all M rows and N columns, and is ready to be referenced in the processing shown in FIG. 9 of embodiment 1.

19, the learning model Y used in steps S65 and S66 described above can be, for example, a multi-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) trained by deep learning, but may also be trained by other machine learning methods. The learning model Y is a model trained to output no tan or a tan level of 1 to tan level J for each monitored object when an image is input using training data including images of the monitored objects and information indicating the respective tan levels.

Learning model Y receives as input the pixel values of each pixel constituting an image extracted from one frame of images, and outputs the probability that the monitored object in the input image has a sunburn level of 1 to sunburn level J, and the probability of no sunburn. The probability output by each output node in the output layer is a value between 0 and 1.0, and the sum of the probabilities output by all output nodes is 1.0. Note that learning model Y may be integrated with learning model X1 shown in FIG. 16 of embodiment 3. In this case, each output node in the output layer outputs the probability that the monitored object is a specific crop (lettuce, tomato, ... strawberry) having a specific sunburn level (none or 1 to J), broken down by crop.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, an image of the inside of the greenhouse 300 is input to the learning model Y, and the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, ... 3 is adjusted based on the degree of tan obtained from the learning model Y. This makes it possible to finely adjust the light transmittance according to the degree of tan of the monitored subject.

(Embodiment 5)
In the fourth embodiment, the degree of growth of agricultural crops is recognized and output to an external terminal 200. The block configuration of the light control device 1 according to the fifth embodiment is similar to the block configuration of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, and therefore the same reference numerals are used for the parts corresponding to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment 5, the light control device 1 extracts imaging areas corresponding to the installation areas of the light control components 3, 3, . . . 3 from the image captured by the imaging unit 17, and recognizes the degree of growth (hereinafter referred to as growth level) of the monitored object (crop) in the extracted image using AI. Ungrown and growth level k (k = 1, 2, . . . K: K is a natural number of 2 or more) represent the growth rate from 0 to 1 in ascending order. The light control device 1 further outputs the recognized growth level to the external terminal 200 for display.

The operation of the above-mentioned dimming control device 1 will be described below using a flowchart showing the operation. FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control unit 10 that recognizes the growth level in the dimming control device 1 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the contents of the learning model Z according to the fifth embodiment. The processing of FIG. 20 is started at regular intervals (e.g., once a day), but is not limited to this and may be started irregularly. The processing of steps S81 to S84 and steps S91 to S95 in FIG. 20 are equivalent to the processing of steps S41 to S44 and steps S51 to S55 in FIG. 15, and therefore most of the description will be omitted.

20 is started in the light control device 1, and an image of the imaging area in the mth row and nth column is extracted (S84). The control unit 10 inputs the extracted image into the learning model Z (corresponding to the third learning model) (S85), and acquires the growth level k of the monitoring target from the learning model Z (S86: corresponding to the third acquisition unit). The growth level k acquired here is, for example, the growth level with the highest probability.

Next, the control unit 10 outputs the acquired growth level k to the external terminal 200 via the communication unit 19 (S87: corresponding to the second output unit). In this case, the growth level k is assigned the row number m and column number n of the imaging area. Thereafter, n and m are incremented sequentially as in the case of FIG. 15. When m finally becomes M+1 (S95: YES), the control unit 10 ends the processing of FIG. 20. The external terminal 200 that has received the growth level k for all imaging areas can display all growth levels, for example, in a similar manner to the display of transmittance shown in FIG. 11 of embodiment 1.

21, the learning model Z used in the above-mentioned steps S85 and S86 can be, for example, a multi-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) trained by deep learning, but may also be trained by other machine learning methods. The learning model Z is a model trained to output not grown or growth level 1 to growth level K for each monitoring target when an image is input using teacher data including images of the monitoring targets and information indicating the respective growth levels.

Learning model Z takes as input the pixel values of each pixel constituting an image extracted from one frame of images, and outputs the probability that the monitored object in the input image is at each of growth levels 1 to K and the probability of not growing. The probability output by each output node in the output layer is a value between 0 and 1.0, and the sum of the probabilities output by all output nodes is 1.0. Note that learning model Z may be integrated with learning model X1 shown in FIG. 16 of embodiment 3. In this case, each output node in the output layer outputs the probability that the monitored object is a specific crop (lettuce, tomato, strawberry, etc.) having a specific growth level (not growing or 1 to K), broken down by crop.

As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, an image of the inside of the greenhouse 300 is input to the learning model Z, and the growth level obtained from the learning model Z is output to the external terminal 200. Therefore, when a communication connection with the external terminal 200 is established, it becomes possible to monitor the growth level of the monitored object on the external terminal 200.

In the fifth embodiment, the growth of the crops to be monitored is simply monitored. However, the growth may be reflected in the adjustment of the light transmittance, as in the fourth embodiment, in which the sunburn degree is reflected in the adjustment of the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, 3. In this case, the control unit 10 calculates the adjustment coefficient D of the transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, 3 for each installation area corresponding to the imaging area based on the recognized growth degree, and stores the calculated adjustment coefficient D in the storage unit 11 as a table of sunburn adjustment coefficients with M rows and N columns. Specifically, between steps S86 and S87 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 20, a step equivalent to step S67 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 18 of the fourth embodiment is inserted, and the value of the adjustment coefficient D calculated by "1 - growth degree k" is stored in the mth row and nth column of the table of growth adjustment coefficients.

The process for adjusting the transmittance is the same as that shown in Fig. 9 of the first embodiment. However, between steps S21 and S22 in Fig. 9, the control unit 10 reads out the adjustment coefficient D of the dimming component 3 in the mth row and nth column from the table of growth adjustment coefficients, and in step S22, the adjustment coefficient D is further multiplied by the right-hand side of the formula to reduce the transmittance according to the growth level.

(Embodiment 6)
In the first embodiment, the dimming system 100 includes only one dimming control device 1 installed in the vinyl greenhouse 300, whereas in the sixth embodiment, the dimming system includes a plurality of dimming control devices 1 installed in a plurality of vinyl greenhouses 300. The block configuration of the dimming system according to the sixth embodiment is similar to the block configuration shown in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment except for the number of dimming control devices 1, and therefore the illustration of the block diagram is omitted.

The operation of each light control device 1 in this embodiment 6 is exactly the same as in the case of embodiment 1. The external terminal 200 communicates with multiple light control devices 1, acquires the amount of solar radiation, temperature, transmittance, and image data for each vinyl greenhouse 300, and stores them in different display memories (see FIG. 10). The display for each vinyl greenhouse 300 can be the same as that shown in FIG. 11 of embodiment 1.

To switch from a display relating to one vinyl greenhouse 300 to a display relating to another vinyl greenhouse 300, for example, the screen may be turned over or the screen may be scrolled, but in this embodiment 6, the user is allowed to select which vinyl greenhouse 300 is to be displayed on the display unit 212. The control unit 210 accepts the user's selection of the vinyl greenhouse 300, and displays the selected vinyl greenhouse 300 in the same manner as in FIG. 11.

The operation of the external terminal 200 described above will be described below using a flowchart showing the operation. FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control unit 210 that accepts the selection of the greenhouse 300 in the dimming system according to embodiment 6. FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a display example on the external terminal 200 according to embodiment 6. The processing in FIG. 22 is started at a constant cycle (for example, every 0.1 seconds), but is not limited thereto and may be started irregularly.

When the process of FIG. 22 is started on the external terminal 200, the control unit 210 determines whether or not an operation has been performed on the operation unit 213 (S211), and if no operation has been performed (S211: NO), ends the process of FIG. 22 without executing any particular process. If an operation has been performed (S211: YES), the control unit 210 further determines whether or not the operation is an operation related to the menu selection of the display target (S212). If the operation is an operation related to the menu selection (S212: YES), the control unit 210 displays a house selection screen on the display unit 212 (S213), and ends the process of FIG. 22.

If it is determined in step S212 that the operation on the operation unit 213 is not an operation related to menu selection (S212: NO), the control unit 210 determines whether the operation is a text box selection operation (S214). If the operation is a text box selection operation (S214: YES), the control unit 210 moves the cursor to the selected text box (S215) and ends the processing of FIG. 22.

If it is determined in step S214 that the operation on the operation unit 213 is not a selection operation of a text box (S214: NO), the control unit 210 determines whether the operation is an input operation into a text box (S216). If the operation is an input operation into a text box (S216: YES), the control unit 210 displays the input letters/numbers in the text box (S217), and ends the processing of FIG. 22.

If it is determined in step S216 that the operation on the operation unit 13 is not an input operation into a text box (S216: NO), the control unit 210 determines whether or not the operation is a house selection operation (S218). If the operation is a house selection operation (S218: YES), the control unit 210 displays the contents stored in the display memory (see FIG. 10) for the selected house on the display unit 212 (S219). If the process of step S219 is completed, or if it is determined in step S218 that the operation is not a house selection operation (S218: NO), the control unit 210 ends the process of FIG. 22.

Moving on to Figure 23, the display unit 212 displays a house selection menu 223, a text box 224 for inputting the number of the house to be selected, and a selection button 225 for confirming the house selection. When the user touches the selection button 225 after inputting a number in the text box 224, the control unit 210 accepts the house selection.

As described above, according to this embodiment 6, the light transmittance of dimming elements 3, 3...3 installed on multiple vinyl greenhouses 300 can be monitored using a single external terminal 200.

Furthermore, according to embodiment 6, the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3...3 on the vinyl greenhouse 300 selected by the user of the external terminal 200 can be monitored on the external terminal 200.

(Embodiment 7)
In the first to sixth embodiments, the dimming control device 1 has all the functions for adjusting the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, ... 3, whereas the seventh embodiment has an information processing device on the network Nw sharing some of the functions of the dimming control device 1.

Figure 24 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a dimming system 100b according to embodiment 7. The dimming system 100b includes dimming members 3, 3...3, a dimming control device 1b, solar panels 4, 4...4, and an information processing device 400. The information processing device 400 is connected to be able to communicate with the dimming control device 1b and an external terminal 200 via a network Nw including a mobile phone network.

The dimming control device 1b is configured by removing the learning models X, Y, and X in the memory unit 11, the display unit 12, and the operation unit 13 from the dimming control device 1 according to the first embodiment. The dimming control device 1b transmits the voltage and current acquired by the voltage/current acquisition unit 14, the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor 15, the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature/humidity sensor 16, and image data captured by the imaging unit 17 to the information processing device 400 via the communication unit 19. The dimming control device 1b also receives the transmittance calculated for each dimming member 3, 3, 3 from the information processing device, and supplies current to each dimming member 3, 3, 3 so that the transmittance is the received transmittance.

Figure 25 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing device 400 relating to embodiment 7. The information processing device 400 is, for example, a general-purpose PC, but may also be a cloud server. The information processing device 400 includes a control unit 410, a memory unit 411, a display unit 412, an operation unit 413, and a communication unit 419. When the information processing device 400 is a server, the functions of the display unit 412 and the operation unit 413 may be further shared by another PC or an external terminal 200. Specifically, the process of accepting the selection of an object shown in embodiment 3 may be executed by the other PC or the external terminal 200.

The control unit 410 includes one or more processors such as a CPU, MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), GPU, etc. The storage unit 411 includes a non-volatile memory and a rewritable memory. The rewritable memory stores the learning models X, Y, and Z shown in FIG. 1 of embodiment 1. The display unit 412 displays various information under the control of the control unit 410. The operation unit 413 is, for example, a touch panel integrated with the display unit 412. The communication unit 419 transmits and receives data including images between the dimming control device 1b and the external terminal 200 via the network Nw.

The information processing device 400 configured as described above receives and acquires the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor 15, the temperature detected by the temperature and humidity sensor 16, and the image data captured by the imaging unit 17 from the dimming control device 1b via the communication unit 419. The information processing device 400 transmits the acquired amount of solar radiation, temperature, and image data to the external terminal 200, and calculates the light transmittance of each of the dimming members 3, 3, ... 3 based on the acquired amount of solar radiation and temperature (or temperature and humidity), and transmits the calculated transmittance to the dimming control device 1b.

The flow chart showing the operation of the dimming control device 1b is one in which some parts have been deleted or modified from the one shown in Figure 9 of embodiment 1. Specifically, the output target in steps S12 and S15 is set to the information processing device, steps S16 and S20 to S22 are deleted, the transmittance is received from the information processing device 400 in step S23, and the light transmittance of the dimming members 3, 3, ... 3 is adjusted in step S24.

The flow chart showing the operation of the information processing device 400 is generally the same as that shown in FIG. 9 of the first embodiment. Specifically, all steps in FIG. 9 are executed by the control unit 410, the acquisition target in steps S11, S13 (corresponding to the acquisition unit), and S14 is the dimming control device 1b, the output target in steps S12 and S15 is the external terminal 200, and the output target in step S23 (corresponding to the output unit that outputs the command value) is the dimming control device 1b and the external terminal 200. Note that, since the adjustment of the transmittance based on the command value is performed by the dimming control device 1b, step S24 is deleted.

As described above, according to the seventh embodiment, the information processing device 400 acquires the amount of solar radiation around the greenhouse 300 in which the dimming components 3, 3...3 with adjustable light transmittance are installed via the dimming control device 1b, and outputs a command value for adjusting the transmittance based on the acquired amount of solar radiation to the dimming control device 1b. This makes it possible to adjust the light transmittance of the dimming components 3, 3...3 remotely from a location away from the greenhouse 300. In other words, even if the functions of the dimming control device 1 are shared between the dimming control device 1b and the information processing device 400, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be achieved.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. Furthermore, the technical features described in each embodiment can be combined with each other.

100 Light control system 1, 1b Light control device 10 Control unit 11 Memory unit 12 Display unit 13 Operation unit 14 Voltage/current acquisition unit 15 Solar radiation sensor 16 Temperature/humidity sensor 17 Imaging unit 18 Drive unit 19 Communication unit 21 DCDC converter 22 Power supply battery 3 Light control member 4 Solar panel 40 Detection unit 200 External terminal 210 Control unit 211 Memory unit 211a Application program 212 Display unit 214 Communication unit 215 Storage medium 300 Plastic greenhouse 301 Roof unit 302 Side unit 303 Gable unit 400 Information processing device 410 Control unit 411 Memory unit 419 Communication unit X, Y, Z Learning model

Claims (16)

A light control component that is installed in a plurality of installation areas on the facility and has an adjustable light transmittance;
A solar cell that supplies power to the light control member;
A control unit that adjusts the light transmittance of the light control member for each of the plurality of installation areas ;
An imaging unit that images the inside of the facility;
an extraction unit that extracts images of imaging regions corresponding to the respective installation regions from the images captured by the imaging unit;
a first acquisition unit that inputs the image extracted by the extraction unit into a first learning model that outputs information on the presence or absence of a detection target when an image is input, and acquires the presence or absence information for each of the imaging areas;
Equipped with
The control unit adjusts the transmittance for each of the plurality of installation regions based on the presence/absence information acquired by the first acquisition unit.
Dimming system. A light control component that is installed on the facility and has adjustable light transmittance;
A solar cell that supplies power to the light control member;
A control unit that adjusts the light transmittance of the light adjusting member;
An imaging unit that images the inside of the facility;
a second acquisition unit that inputs an image captured by the imaging unit into a second learning model that outputs sunburn degree information of a monitoring target when an image is input, and acquires the degree information;
Equipped with
The control unit adjusts the transmittance based on the degree information acquired by the second acquisition unit.
Dimming system. A solar radiation sensor is provided to detect the amount of solar radiation.
The light control system according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control unit adjusts the transmittance based on an amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor. The solar cell is installed on or outside the facility,
The light control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit adjusts the transmittance based on an amount of solar radiation detected from power generated by the solar cell. The light control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage battery for storing power from the solar cell. a reception unit that receives a selection of an illumination target to be illuminated with the transmitted light of the light adjusting member,
The light control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit adjusts the transmittance in accordance with an irradiation target selected by the reception unit. The facility is a greenhouse including a vinyl greenhouse,
An irradiation target to which the transmitted light of the light control member is irradiated is a crop,
A temperature sensor is provided to detect the temperature inside the greenhouse,
The light control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit adjusts the transmittance according to the crop , based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. A communication unit that communicates with an external terminal;
The light control system according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising: a first output unit that outputs the transmittance adjusted by the control unit, the detected amount of solar radiation, and the image captured by the imaging unit to the external terminal via the communication unit. The monitoring target is livestock or seafood,
The light control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit adjusts the transmittance in response to movement between the imaging areas of a monitored object determined to be detected based on the presence/absence information acquired by the first acquisition unit. A communication unit that communicates with an external terminal ;
a third acquisition unit that inputs an image captured by the imaging unit into a third learning model that outputs information on the degree of growth of a monitoring target when an image is input, and acquires the degree information;
The light control system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second output unit configured to output the level information acquired by the third acquisition unit to the external terminal via the communication unit. an output unit that outputs a command value for adjusting the light transmittance of a light control member that is installed in a plurality of installation areas on the facility and receives power from the solar cell;
An acquisition unit that acquires an amount of solar radiation around the facility;
A control unit that controls a command value output from the output unit based on the amount of solar radiation acquired by the acquisition unit ;
An imaging unit that images the inside of the facility;
an extraction unit that extracts images of imaging regions corresponding to the respective installation regions from the images captured by the imaging unit;
a first acquisition unit that inputs the image extracted by the extraction unit into a first learning model that outputs information on the presence or absence of a detection target when an image is input, and acquires the presence or absence information for each of the imaging areas;
Equipped with
The control unit adjusts the transmittance for each of the plurality of installation regions based on the presence/absence information acquired by the first acquisition unit.
Information processing device. an output unit that outputs a command value for adjusting the light transmittance of a light control member that is installed on a facility and receives power from a solar cell;
An acquisition unit that acquires an amount of solar radiation around the facility;
A control unit that controls a command value output from the output unit based on the amount of solar radiation acquired by the acquisition unit;
An imaging unit that images the inside of the facility;
a second acquisition unit that inputs an image captured by the imaging unit into a second learning model that outputs sunburn degree information of a monitoring target when an image is input, and acquires the degree information;
Equipped with
The control unit adjusts the transmittance based on the degree information acquired by the second acquisition unit.
Information processing device. Communicating with an external device that adjusts the light transmittance of a light control member that is installed in a plurality of installation areas on the facility and receives power from a solar cell;
Obtaining the transmittance adjusted by the external device;
The obtained transmittance is displayed.
adjusting the transmittance for each of the plurality of installation regions;
Taking an image of the inside of the facility;
extracting images of imaging regions corresponding to the respective installation regions from the captured images;
inputting the extracted image into a first learning model that outputs information on the presence or absence of a detection target when an image is input, and acquiring the presence or absence information for each of the imaging regions;
The transmittance is adjusted for each of the plurality of installation regions based on the acquired presence/absence information.
A computer program that causes a computer to carry out processing. Communicating with an external device that adjusts the light transmittance of a light control member that is installed on the facility and receives power from a solar cell;
Obtaining the transmittance adjusted by the external device;
The obtained transmittance is displayed.
Taking an image of the inside of the facility;
A captured image is input to a second learning model that outputs sunburn degree information of a monitoring target when an image is input, and the sunburn degree information is obtained;
The transmittance is adjusted based on the acquired degree information.
A computer program that causes a computer to carry out processing. the external device is installed in each of a plurality of facilities,
The computer program according to claim 13 or 14 , which causes a computer to execute a process of displaying the transmittances obtained for a plurality of the facilities. Accept the selection of the facility;
The computer program product according to claim 15, which causes a computer to execute a process of displaying the transmittance obtained for a selected facility.

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