JP7668466B2 - Lighting system and lighting control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lighting system and a lighting control method.

Patent Document 1 discloses a lighting system that includes multiple lighting fixtures and multiple gateway devices (access devices) that are paired with the multiple lighting fixtures. In this lighting system, an example is shown in which, when there is one gateway device with which the lighting fixtures can communicate, the lighting fixtures are paired with the gateway device.

JP 2019-12678 A

However, in the lighting system disclosed in Patent Document 1, if each of the multiple lighting fixtures is capable of communicating with one gateway device, the multiple lighting fixtures may be paired with one gateway device at once. In this case, if lighting fixtures that the user does not want to pair (i.e. lighting fixtures other than the desired lighting fixtures) are capable of communicating with one gateway device, problems may occur in which the lighting fixtures are erroneously paired. Thus, in the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, it may be difficult to easily pair lighting fixtures.

The present invention provides a lighting system and lighting control method that allows easy pairing of desired lighting fixtures.

A lighting system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a lighting fixture, a gateway device that generates setting information for wireless communication with the lighting fixture, and an information terminal that acquires the generated setting information and outputs the acquired setting information to the lighting fixture, and the lighting fixture has a memory unit that stores the output setting information.

A lighting control method according to one aspect of the present invention is a lighting control method using a lighting system, the lighting system including a lighting fixture, a gateway device that generates setting information for wireless communication with the lighting fixture, and an information terminal, and the lighting control method includes an acquisition step in which the information terminal acquires the setting information generated by the gateway device, an output step in which the information terminal outputs the acquired setting information to the lighting fixture, and a storage step in which the lighting fixture stores the output setting information.

The lighting system and lighting control method of the present invention make it easy to pair desired lighting fixtures.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a lighting system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the lighting system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of an operation example of the lighting system according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which processing of an example of a pairing operation according to the embodiment is performed. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the pairing operation according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another manner in which the process of the pairing operation example according to the embodiment is performed. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another manner in which the process of the pairing operation example according to the embodiment is performed.

The following describes the embodiments in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in an independent claim are described as optional components.

Note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In addition, in each figure, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configurations, and duplicate explanations may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[composition]
First, the configuration of a lighting system 100 according to an embodiment will be described.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a lighting system 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a lighting system 100 according to this embodiment.

1 and 2, the lighting system 100 includes one or more lighting fixtures (here, multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n), a gateway device 20, and an information terminal 30. In this embodiment, each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n is paired with the gateway device 20. In the process of pairing each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n with the gateway device 20, the information terminal 30 may be paired with each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n and/or the gateway device 20. Note that, for example, the lighting fixture 10a and the gateway device 20 being paired means that the lighting fixture 10a and the gateway device 20 hold common setting information and exchange each other's identification information. When the pairing between the lighting fixture 10a and the gateway device 20 is completed, they can communicate with each other.

First, we will explain the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n.

Each of the lighting fixtures 10a to 10n is an outdoor lighting device installed outdoors, and is, for example, a street lamp or road lamp. Each of the lighting fixtures 10a to 10n, which are street lamps or road lamps, is arranged at intervals of, for example, several meters to several tens of meters. Each of the lighting fixtures 10a to 10n may be a base light, ceiling light, downlight, spotlight, or the like, installed on the ceiling of an indoor space to illuminate the indoor space.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n has a lighting communication unit 11, a lighting control unit 12, a lighting memory unit 13, a light-emitting unit 14, and a sensor 15. Here, lighting fixture 10a will be described, and since each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10b to 10n has the same configuration as lighting fixture 10a, their description will be omitted.

The lighting communication unit 11 is a communication module (communication circuit) that allows the lighting fixture 10a to communicate with the gateway device 20, the information terminal 30, and the like. The communication between the lighting communication unit 11 and the gateway device 20 and the information terminal 30 is wireless communication (more specifically, radio wave communication). There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used for this communication. After pairing between the lighting fixture 10a and another device (e.g., the gateway device 20 or the information terminal 30) is completed, the lighting communication unit 11 communicates with the other device via a wireless communication network, using the identification information of the communication partner as the destination.

When the lighting communication unit 11 acquires a control signal output from the gateway device 20, the lighting control unit 12 controls the light emission of the light-emitting unit 14 based on the acquired control signal. The light emission control here includes on control, off control, dimming control, and color adjustment control. The lighting control unit 12 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor.

The lighting storage unit 13 is an example of a storage unit that stores the above-mentioned setting information, and is a storage device that stores the control program executed by the lighting control unit 12. The lighting storage unit 13 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory.

The light-emitting unit 14 is a light source that emits illumination light. The specific configuration of the light-emitting unit 14 is not limited, but may be, for example, a fluorescent lamp, a light-emitting diode (LED), a halogen lamp, or the like. In this embodiment, the lighting fixture 10a is a street lamp or road lamp, so the light-emitting unit 14 is located several meters to several tens of meters above the ground.

The sensor 15 is a device that detects the environment around the lighting fixture 10a, such as temperature, humidity, illuminance, and noise. The sensor information detected by the sensor 15 is stored in the lighting memory unit 13.

Next, we will explain the gateway device 20.

The gateway device 20 is an information processing device that generates setting information for the gateway device 20 to wirelessly communicate with each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n. The gateway device 20 also controls the light emission of at least some of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n by outputting control signals to at least some of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n based on the operation of the user U. That is, in this embodiment, the gateway device 20 is a controller for controlling each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n. For example, the gateway device 20 is a device that is installed in the vicinity of a location where the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n are installed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the gateway device 20 has a device communication unit 21, a device control unit 22, and a device memory unit 23.

The device communication unit 21 is a communication module (communication circuit) that enables the gateway device 20 to communicate with each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n, the information terminal 30, and the like. The communication between the device communication unit 21 and the information terminal 30 is wireless communication (more specifically, radio wave communication). There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used for this communication. After pairing between the gateway device 20 and the information terminal 30 is completed, the device communication unit 21 communicates with the information terminal 30 via a wireless communication network, with the identification information of the information terminal 30 as the destination.

The device control unit 22 performs the above-mentioned information processing. As an example, when the device communication unit 21 acquires instruction information for generating setting information, the device control unit 22 generates the setting information according to the instruction information, and controls the device communication unit 21 to output the generated setting information to the information terminal 30. The device control unit 22 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor.

The device storage unit 23 is a storage device that stores information necessary for the above information processing, computer programs executed by the device control unit 22, and the like. The device storage unit 23 is realized, for example, by a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), but may also be realized by a semiconductor memory, etc.

Next, the configuration of the information terminal 30 will be described.

The information terminal 30 is a device that acquires the setting information output by the gateway device 20 and outputs the acquired setting information to the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n. More specifically, the information terminal 30 outputs the acquired setting information to only one lighting fixture among the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n that is the target of pairing, that is, only one lighting fixture desired by the user U. The information terminal 30 is, for example, a general-purpose mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, but may also be a dedicated terminal for the lighting system 100.

As shown in FIG. 2, the information terminal 30 has an operation reception unit 31, a terminal communication unit 32, a terminal control unit 33, and a terminal memory unit 34.

The operation reception unit 31 receives operations from the user U. Specifically, the operation reception unit 31 is realized by a touch panel or the like.

The terminal communication unit 32 is a communication module (communication circuit) that enables the information terminal 30 to communicate with each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n and the gateway device 20. The terminal communication unit 32, for example, acquires setting information output by the gateway device 20 (device communication unit 21) and outputs the acquired setting information to, for example, the lighting fixture 10a.

In this embodiment, the wireless output intensity at which the setting information or other information is output from the device communication unit 32 can be controlled. For example, the operation reception unit 31 receives an operation for controlling the wireless output intensity from the user U, whereby the wireless output intensity is controlled.

The terminal control unit 33 controls the terminal communication unit 32 to output setting information to the multiple lighting devices 10a to 10n in response to the operation of the user U accepted by the operation acceptance unit 31. The terminal control unit 33 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor or a dedicated circuit.

The terminal storage unit 34 is a storage device that stores the control program executed by the terminal control unit 33. The terminal storage unit 34 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory.

Here we will explain the above background technology and issues in more detail.

Patent Document 1 discloses that in the process of pairing a lighting fixture with a gateway device (access device), the light emission state of the light-emitting unit of the lighting fixture changes so that the user can check the progress of the pairing. However, as shown in this embodiment, when the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n are outdoor lighting devices, the pairing process is often performed during bright daylight hours from the viewpoint of the workability of the installer, which is an example of the user U. In such a daytime environment, since the surroundings of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n are bright, even if the state of the light-emitting unit 14 changes, it may be difficult for the user U to confirm that the state of the light-emitting unit 14 has changed. In particular, when the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n are street lights or road lights, the light-emitting unit 14 is located several meters to several tens of meters above the ground, making it even more difficult for the user U to confirm that the state of the light-emitting unit 14 has changed. In other words, in the lighting system disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that it is even more difficult to pair the lighting fixture with the gateway device (access device), especially when the lighting fixture is a street light or road light.

Next, the operation of the lighting system 100 in this embodiment configured as described above will be described.

[Example of operation]
Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram of an operation example of the lighting system 100 according to the present embodiment. Also, Figs. 4 to 7 are diagrams showing how the pairing operation example according to the present embodiment is processed.

Note that before this process begins, communication cannot take place between each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n and the gateway device 20.

The gateway device 20 acquires instruction information (first instruction information) for generating setting information for the gateway device 20 to perform wireless communication with each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n (step S10).

For example, the device communication unit 21 of the gateway device 20 is communicatively connected to a personal computer installed near the gateway device 20. This personal computer accepts operations from the user U via a reception unit such as a touch panel, mouse, and keyboard provided on the personal computer. Here, the reception unit accepts operations for generating setting information from the user U, and first instruction information is output from the personal computer based on the accepted operation, and the device communication unit 21 acquires the output first instruction information.

The gateway device 20 generates setting information based on the first instruction information acquired by the device communication unit 21 (step S20).

Here, we will explain the setting information that the gateway device 20 uses to wirelessly communicate with each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n.

When each of the lighting fixtures 10a-10n and two of the gateway device 20 have common setting information, wireless communication between the two devices becomes possible. That is, for example, when common setting information is stored in the lighting memory unit 13 of the lighting fixture 10a and the device memory unit 23 of the gateway device 20, communication between the lighting fixture 10a and the gateway device 20 becomes possible. Note that when common setting information is stored in the lighting memory unit 13 of the lighting fixture 10a and the terminal memory unit 34 of the information terminal 30, communication between the lighting fixture 10a and the information terminal 30 becomes possible.

We'll explain the configuration information further.

The setting information includes first information that identifies wireless communication between the gateway device 20 and each of the lighting fixtures 10a to 10n.

More specifically, the first information is information for identifying wireless communication carried out between the gateway device 20, each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a-10n, and the information terminal 30. The first information includes an ID (identification) indicating a personal area network (PAN) which is the network of the wireless communication (hereinafter referred to as PANID). As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the PANID is indicated as "0x0001".

The first information also includes a channel (CH) indicating the radio frequency used in the wireless communication. When generating the setting information, the gateway device 20 according to this embodiment scans the state of wireless communication used by other gateway devices 20 different from the gateway device 20. As a result, the gateway device 20 determines a radio frequency different from the radio frequency used in the wireless communication used by the other gateway devices 20 as the radio frequency to be used by itself.

The first information also includes a key for participating in the wireless communication. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the key is indicated as "12456789."

The configuration information further includes second information that identifies the gateway device 20.

The second information is a short address (Short addr), but may be a MAC address or the like. Here, the short address (Short addr), which is the second information for identifying the gateway device 20, is "0x0000".

In this way, in step S20, the gateway device 20 (device control unit 22) generates setting information including the first information and the second information based on the first instruction information.

Next, the gateway device 20 outputs the generated configuration information to the information terminal 30 (step S30).

Prior to step S30, the operation reception unit 31 of the information terminal 30 may receive an operation from the user U to place the information terminal 30 in a setting mode for pairing. For example, the user U may also operate the operation reception unit 31 when operating the reception unit of the personal computer in step S10. When the operation reception unit 31 receives an operation to place the information terminal 30 in the setting mode, the information terminal 30 enters the setting mode.

In step S30, first, the gateway device 20 performs a scan to determine whether or not there is an information terminal 30 in the setting mode. More specifically, the device communication unit 21 of the gateway device 20 outputs the second instruction information by broadcast. At this stage, since pairing between the gateway device 20 and the information terminal 30 has not been completed, the device communication unit 21 cannot communicate with the identification information of the information terminal 30 as the destination, and it is necessary to output the second instruction information by broadcast. The second instruction information is information that requests the information terminal 30 that has acquired the second instruction information to respond to the gateway device 20 with terminal identification information (e.g., a short address or a MAC address) that identifies the information terminal 30. Furthermore, the second instruction information is information that requests only the information terminal 30 that has acquired the second instruction information and is in the setting mode to respond. When the information terminal 30 in the setting mode acquires the second instruction information, it responds with its own terminal identification information to the device communication unit 21. As a result, the device communication unit 21 acquires the terminal identification information of the information terminal 30 that is in the setting mode, and the device storage unit 23 stores the terminal identification information of the information terminal 30.

Then, the gateway device 20 (device communication unit 21) outputs the generated setting information to the information terminal 30 in the setting mode, with the acquired terminal identification information as the destination.

The information terminal 30 acquires and stores the setting information output by the gateway device 20 (step S40). More specifically, the terminal communication unit 32 acquires the setting information output by the gateway device 20, and the setting information is thereby stored in the terminal storage unit 34. In other words, second information for identifying the gateway device 20 is stored in the terminal storage unit 34. Note that this step S40 corresponds to an acquisition step. When step S40 is completed, as shown in FIG. 5, the gateway device 20 and the information terminal 30 hold common setting information and exchange each other's identification information. This enables wireless communication between the gateway device 20 and the information terminal 30 using the above-mentioned PAN.

In the following, each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n is paired in sequence. First, lighting fixture 10a, which is an example of a target for pairing among the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n, is paired with the gateway device 20. Note that a lighting fixture that is an example of a target for pairing is a lighting fixture that user U wishes to pair with (i.e., a desired lighting fixture).

The information terminal 30 outputs the acquired setting information to a lighting device (here, lighting device 10a) (step S50). More specifically, the information terminal 30 outputs the setting information to only one lighting device 10a that is the target of pairing. Note that this step S50 corresponds to an output step. The processing of step S50 will be described below.

In step S50, the wireless output intensity at which information such as setting information is output from the terminal communication unit 32 may be controlled. First, the procedure for controlling this wireless output intensity will be described. As an example, third instruction information is output to control the wireless output intensity, then fourth instruction information is output to put the target lighting device 10a into the setting mode, and then the above setting information is output.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, user U carrying information terminal 30 moves to a position near lighting fixture 10a, which is the target. More specifically, a position near lighting fixture 10a is a position where the distance between lighting fixture 10a and the position is shorter than the distance between lighting fixture 10a and each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10b to 10n. In other words, the lighting fixture that is closest to user U carrying information terminal 30 is lighting fixture 10a among the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n.

After the user U moves to a position near the lighting device 10a, the operation reception unit 31 of the information terminal 30 receives an operation from the user U to output the third instruction information, and the terminal communication unit 32 of the information terminal 30 outputs the third instruction information by broadcast. At this stage, since pairing between the information terminal 30 and the lighting device 10a has not been completed, the terminal communication unit 32 cannot communicate with the identification information of the lighting device 10a as the destination, and must output the third instruction information by broadcast. The third instruction information is information that requests the lighting device that has acquired the third instruction information to respond to the information terminal 30 that it has acquired the third instruction information.

If there is more than one lighting device that has responded to the information terminal 30 that it has received the third instruction information, that is, if there are zero or multiple lighting devices that have received the third instruction information, the operation reception unit 31 receives an operation to control the wireless output intensity from the user U. If there are zero lighting devices that have received the third instruction information, the operation reception unit 31 receives an operation to increase the wireless output intensity, and if there are multiple lighting devices that have received the third instruction information, the operation reception unit 31 receives an operation to decrease the wireless output intensity. After receiving an operation to control the wireless output intensity, the operation reception unit 31 again receives an operation to output the third instruction information, and the terminal communication unit 32 outputs the third instruction information by broadcast. This procedure is repeated until there is only one lighting device that has responded to the information terminal 30 that it has received the third instruction information. The one lighting device that has responded to the information terminal 30 that it has received the third instruction information is the lighting device that is closest to the user U (information terminal 30), and in this embodiment, it is lighting device 10a.

In addition, in step S50, this wireless output intensity is maintained, so that the fourth instruction information and setting information described above also reach only lighting fixture 10a out of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n.

When one lighting fixture has responded to the information terminal 30 that it has received the third instruction information, the operation receiving unit 31 receives an operation from the user U to place that lighting fixture (here, for example, lighting fixture 10a) in a setting mode for pairing. The terminal communication unit 32 outputs fourth instruction information for placing lighting fixture 10a in the setting mode based on that operation, and when the lighting communication unit 11 of lighting fixture 10a receives the fourth instruction information, lighting fixture 10a enters the setting mode. As described above, the wireless output intensity at which the fourth instruction information is output from the terminal communication unit 32 is also controlled as described above, so that the fourth instruction information reaches only lighting fixture 10a and does not reach the other lighting fixtures (plurality of lighting fixtures 10b to 10n).

Furthermore, the information terminal 30 outputs the setting information.

More specifically, the operation reception unit 31 receives an operation for outputting the setting information from the user U, and the device communication unit 32 outputs the setting information based on the operation. As described above, the wireless output intensity at which the setting information is output from the device communication unit 32 is also controlled as described above, so that the setting information reaches only the lighting fixture 10a and does not reach the other lighting fixtures (plurality of lighting fixtures 10b to 10n).

In other words, in this embodiment, the wireless output strength when the information terminal 30 outputs the setting information to the lighting fixture 10a is controlled so that the setting information reaches only the lighting fixture 10a. More specifically, the wireless output strength when the information terminal 30 outputs the setting information to one lighting fixture 10a to be paired is controlled so that the setting information reaches only one lighting fixture 10a to be paired.

In this way, by controlling the wireless output intensity, it becomes easier for the information terminal 30 to output the setting information to only one lighting fixture 10a that is the target of pairing.

When outputting the setting information, the information terminal 30 outputs the terminal identification information of the information terminal 30 and the fixture identification information that identifies the lighting fixture from which the setting information is to be obtained. For example, here, the information terminal 30 determines a short address as the fixture identification information that identifies the lighting fixture from which the setting information is to be obtained, and outputs the setting information and the determined short address. The fixture identification information is stored in the terminal storage unit 34.

Next, the lighting fixture 10a acquires and stores the setting information output from the terminal communication unit 32 (step S60). More specifically, the lighting communication unit 11 acquires the setting information, terminal identification information, and fixture identification information output by the information terminal 30, and the setting information, terminal identification information, and fixture identification information are stored in the lighting storage unit 13. That is, the lighting storage unit 13 stores the second information for identifying the gateway device 20, the terminal identification information of the information terminal 30, and the fixture identification information for identifying the lighting fixture. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the fixture identification information (here, the short address) is "0x1234". Note that the setting information may be acquired and stored only when the lighting fixture 10a is in the setting mode as shown in step S50. Also, this step S60 corresponds to a storage step.

Furthermore, the lighting fixture 10a notifies the gateway device 20 and the information terminal 30 that the lighting fixture 10a has acquired and stored the setting information, and also notifies the gateway device 20 of the fixture identification information that identifies the lighting fixture 10a.

As shown in FIG. 7, the gateway device 20, the information terminal 30, and the lighting fixture 10a hold common setting information and exchange each other's identification information, making wireless communication possible between the gateway device 20, the information terminal 30, and the lighting fixture 10a using the above-mentioned PAN.

Lighting fixture 10a according to this embodiment has sensor 15, and may output sensor information detected by sensor 15 to gateway device 20. When lighting fixture 10a outputs the sensor information and second identification information as a set to gateway device 20, the sensor information and second identification information are stored as a set in device storage unit 23 of gateway device 20, for example. In other words, it is easy to recognize that the stored sensor information is information output from lighting fixture 10a among multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n.

The lighting fixture 10a may output the sensor information to the gateway device 20 using the second information that identifies the gateway device 20, which is information included in the setting information. In other words, the lighting fixture 10a outputs the sensor information to the gateway device 20, using the short address (Short addr) "0x0000", which is the second information, as the destination.

In this way, the processing of steps S50 and S60 is performed, and the lighting device 10a to be paired is paired.

Next, each of the multiple lighting devices 10b to 10n that have not yet been paired becomes the target of pairing in turn. For example, if lighting device 10b is the target, the same process is performed on lighting device 10b instead of lighting device 10a in steps S50 and S60, and lighting device 10b is paired.

Note that if there is a lighting device among the multiple lighting devices 10a to 10n that does not need to be paired (i.e., a lighting device that the user U does not want to pair), the processing of steps S50 and S60 etc. is not performed for that lighting device. Therefore, that lighting device will not be paired. Note that a lighting device that does not need to be paired is a lighting device that the user U does not want to pair (i.e., a lighting device other than the desired lighting device).

In addition, after pairing of all lighting fixtures desired by user U is completed, the setting information may be deleted from the information terminal 30. In other words, at this time, no setting information is stored in the terminal storage unit 34 of the information terminal 30. Therefore, the information terminal 30 is unable to perform wireless communication using the above-mentioned PAN between the gateway device 20 and each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n.

An example of the operation of the lighting system 100 according to this embodiment can be summarized as follows:

In this embodiment, even if multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n are installed, as shown in steps S50 and S60, the information terminal 30 outputs setting information to only one lighting fixture (e.g., lighting fixture 10a) that is to be paired. Therefore, first, only lighting fixture 10a is paired with the gateway device 20. In other words, lighting fixtures other than the desired lighting fixture are prevented from pairing with the gateway device 20, and it is easy to pair only the desired lighting fixture 10a with the gateway device 20. Furthermore, by repeating steps S50 and S60, multiple lighting fixtures 10b to 10n other than lighting fixture 10a are also processed in sequence as targets for pairing, and only the desired lighting fixture is paired with the gateway device 20 in sequence.

As described above, in this embodiment, unlike Cited Document 1, the lighting device 10a and the gateway device 20 are paired by sending and receiving setting information via the information terminal 30, regardless of whether the lighting device 10a and the gateway device 20 are capable of communicating with each other before pairing.

In summary, a lighting system 100 has been realized that allows desired lighting fixtures to be easily paired.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 to 7, the state of the light-emitting unit 14 of each of the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n does not change when pairing is being performed, and may, for example, always be in an off state. In other words, as disclosed in Cited Document 1, there is no need for the state of the light-emitting unit 14 to change when pairing is being performed. Therefore, even if the multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n are street lights or road lights, a lighting system 100 has been realized that can easily pair desired lighting fixtures.

In step S50, an example is shown in which the wireless output intensity output from the terminal communication unit 32 is controlled by the user, but this is not limited to the example. For example, the wireless output intensity output from the terminal communication unit 32 may be set at the time of shipping the lighting system 100 from the factory so that the setting information reaches only one lighting fixture.

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, the lighting system 100 includes lighting fixtures (here, a plurality of lighting fixtures 10a to 10n), a gateway device 20, and an information terminal 30. The gateway device 20 generates setting information for wireless communication with the lighting fixtures. The information terminal 30 acquires the generated setting information and outputs the acquired setting information to the lighting fixtures. The lighting fixtures have a memory unit (lighting memory unit 13) that stores the output setting information.

According to such a lighting system 100, even if multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n are installed, as shown in steps S50 and S60, the information terminal 30 outputs setting information to only one lighting fixture (e.g., lighting fixture 10a) that is to be paired. Therefore, first, only lighting fixture 10a is paired with the gateway device 20. In other words, lighting fixtures other than the desired lighting fixture are prevented from pairing with the gateway device 20, and it is easy to pair only the desired lighting fixture 10a with the gateway device 20. Furthermore, by repeating steps S50 and S60, multiple lighting fixtures 10b to 10n other than lighting fixture 10a are also processed in sequence as targets for pairing, and only the desired lighting fixture is paired with the gateway device 20 in sequence.

As described above, in this embodiment, unlike Cited Document 1, the lighting device 10a and the gateway device 20 are paired by sending and receiving setting information via the information terminal 30, regardless of whether the lighting device 10a and the gateway device 20 are capable of communicating with each other before pairing.

In summary, a lighting system 100 has been realized that allows desired lighting fixtures to be easily paired.

Also, for example, the setting information includes first information that identifies the wireless communication.

This makes it easy to perform wireless communication between a lighting fixture (e.g., lighting fixture 10a) and gateway device 20.

Also, for example, the setting information includes second information that identifies the gateway device 20.

This makes it easy to perform wireless communication between a lighting fixture (e.g., lighting fixture 10a) and gateway device 20.

In addition, for example, the wireless output intensity when the information terminal 30 outputs setting information to a lighting fixture (e.g., lighting fixture 10a) is controlled so that the setting information reaches only lighting fixture 10a.

In this way, by controlling the wireless output intensity, it becomes easier for the information terminal 30 to output the setting information to only one lighting fixture 10a that is the target of pairing.

The lighting control method according to this embodiment is a lighting control method using a lighting system 100. The lighting system 100 includes lighting fixtures (here, a plurality of lighting fixtures 10a to 10n), a gateway device 20 that generates setting information for wireless communication with the lighting fixtures, and an information terminal 30. The lighting control method includes an acquisition step (step S40) in which the information terminal 30 acquires the setting information generated by the gateway device 20, and an output step (step S50) in which the information terminal 30 outputs the acquired setting information to the lighting fixtures. The lighting control method also includes a storage step (step S60) in which the lighting fixtures store the output setting information.

According to this lighting control method, even if multiple lighting fixtures 10a to 10n are installed, as shown in steps S50 and S60, the information terminal 30 outputs setting information to only one lighting fixture (e.g., lighting fixture 10a) that is to be paired. Therefore, first, only lighting fixture 10a is paired with the gateway device 20. In other words, lighting fixtures other than the desired lighting fixture are prevented from pairing with the gateway device 20, and it is easy to pair only the desired lighting fixture 10a with the gateway device 20. Furthermore, by repeating steps S50 and S60, multiple lighting fixtures 10b to 10n other than lighting fixture 10a are also processed in sequence as targets for pairing, and only the desired lighting fixture is paired with the gateway device 20 in sequence.

As described above, in this embodiment, unlike Cited Document 1, the lighting device 10a and the gateway device 20 are paired by sending and receiving setting information via the information terminal 30, regardless of whether the lighting device 10a and the gateway device 20 are capable of communicating with each other before pairing.

In summary, a lighting control method has been realized that allows you to easily pair desired lighting fixtures.

Other Embodiments
Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in this embodiment, in step S10 shown in FIG. 3, the gateway device 20 acquires first instruction information for generating setting information from a personal computer installed nearby, but this is not limited to this. For example, the operation reception unit 31 of the information terminal 30 may receive an operation from the user U, and the terminal communication unit 32 may output the first instruction information to the gateway device 20 based on the received operation.

In the present embodiment, the gateway device 20 is a controller, but is not limited to this. The gateway device 20 may be another device (e.g., a lighting fixture) as long as it is capable of generating configuration information.

The communication method between devices described in the above embodiment is just an example. The communication method between devices is not particularly limited. The wireless communication between devices may be, for example, wireless communication using a communication standard such as specific low-power radio, ZigBee (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Specifically, the wireless communication may be radio wave communication or infrared communication.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. Also, the order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

In addition, in the above embodiment, components such as the control unit may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

In addition, components such as the control unit may be realized by hardware. For example, components such as the control unit may be circuits (or integrated circuits). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. In addition, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

In addition, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Also, the present invention may be realized as any combination of a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium. For example, the present invention may be realized as a program for causing an information terminal to execute a setting method, or as a non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Note that such programs include application programs for operating a general-purpose information terminal as the information terminal of the above-mentioned embodiment.

In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art may conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

10a, 10b, 10n Lighting fixture 20 Gateway device 30 Information terminal 100 Lighting system

Claims (5)

Lighting equipment and
a gateway device that generates setting information for wireless communication with the lighting fixture;
an information terminal that acquires the generated setting information and outputs the acquired setting information to the lighting device;
The lighting device includes a storage unit that stores the output setting information. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the setting information includes first information for identifying the wireless communication. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the setting information includes second information for identifying the gateway device. The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a wireless output intensity when the information terminal outputs the setting information to the lighting device is controlled so that the setting information reaches only the lighting device. A lighting control method for a lighting system, comprising:
The lighting system comprises:
Lighting equipment and
a gateway device that generates setting information for wireless communication with the lighting fixture;
An information terminal,
The lighting control method includes:
an acquisition step in which the information terminal acquires the setting information generated by the gateway device;
an output step of the information terminal outputting the acquired setting information to the lighting device;
and a storage step of storing the setting information output by the lighting device.

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