JP7774264B2 - Illumination system and illumination method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a lighting system and a lighting method, and more particularly to a lighting system and a lighting method for supplying power to light-emitting elements that emit light in a stage production.

A method of using multiple lighting devices to support performers in stage productions such as theater, music, and dance is known (Patent Document 1). In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, multiple lifting devices each lift and lower a lighting device connected by a reel line, and control the light emission from the lighting device to create a three-dimensional effect. The multiple lifting devices are suspended from the ceiling.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-257961

In the above-mentioned stage productions, multiple lighting devices are often used to make the stage production more spectacular. In other words, when using the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, multiple lifting devices are suspended from the ceiling. In this context, the suspension of a large number of lifting devices places a tremendous load on the ceiling. Furthermore, the heavier the lifting device, the greater the risk of the lifting device falling during the stage production. Furthermore, since the stage production is viewed by the audience, a large lifting device may not be desirable for the production. For this reason, it is desirable for the lifting device to have a lighter and more compact structure.

In one embodiment, the lighting system includes a lifting device, a lighting device, and a control device, wherein the lifting device includes a reel line extending downward and is configured to change the length of the reel line, the reel line includes a power line for supplying power to the lighting device, the lighting device is connected to the reel line and moves up and down as the length of the reel line changes, and is configured to cause a light-emitting element to emit light in response to a control signal from the control device, the control device is configured to generate a control signal for controlling the light emission and convert the control signal into a format for wireless transmission, and the lighting device is further configured to wirelessly receive the converted control signal from the control device via a base station.

Moreover, a method according to one embodiment is a method performed by a lighting system, the method including: a step of changing the length of a reel line by a lifting device including a reel line extending downward, the reel line including a power line for supplying power to the lighting device; a step of raising and lowering the reel line by a lighting device connected to the reel line as the length of the reel line is changed, and causing a light-emitting element to emit light in response to a control signal from a control device; a step of generating a control signal for controlling the light emission by the control device and converting the control signal into a format for wireless transmission; and a step of wirelessly receiving the converted control signal by the lighting device from the control device via a base station.

According to the lighting system and lighting method of the present invention, the lifting device can have a lighter and more compact structure.

1 is a diagram illustrating an entire lighting system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a logical configuration of the lifting device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a logical configuration of the lighting device according to the first embodiment. 1 is a diagram illustrating a communication network according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section of a reel wire according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing operations performed by the lighting system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a communication network according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a communication network according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing operations performed by a lighting system according to a second embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a reel wire and an illumination device according to a third embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating positions and light-emitting states of lighting devices according to a third embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing an overall lighting system according to the prior art; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an entire lifting device according to the prior art. 1 shows a state in which the reel wire of a lifting device according to the prior art is wound up. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a cross section of a reel wire according to the prior art.

The lighting system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The lighting system according to the present embodiment is mainly used in stage productions that support performers in performing arts, such as theater, music, and dance. In such stage productions, the lighting system produces light effects by emitting light from light-emitting elements and controlling the light emission.

12 shows an overall view of a conventional lighting system IS. The lighting system IS includes lifting devices EAa and EAb (hereinafter referred to as lifting devices EA), lighting devices IAa and IAb (hereinafter referred to as lighting devices IA), a control device CT, and a power supply device PS.

The lifting device EAa has a reel line RLa provided therein. Similarly, the lifting device EAb has a reel line RLb provided therein (hereinafter, the reel lines RLa and RLb will be referred to as the reel line RL). The reel line RL extends downward from the lifting device EA. A lighting device IA is attached to the tip of the reel line RL. The lighting device IA is suspended below the lifting device EA. The lifting device EA suspended from the ceiling C is often installed at a height that is not visible to viewers or is difficult for viewers to see.

The lifting device EA raises and lowers the lighting device IA attached to the end of the reel wire RL by changing the length of the reel wire RL. The lifting device EA is attached to the ceiling C with its longitudinal direction vertical.

The lighting device IA is a device having one or more light emitting elements therein. The lighting device IA has a connector on the top, and is connected to the reel wire RL via the connector.

The control device CT controls the operation of the lifting device EA and the lighting device IA. The lifting device EA and the control device CT are connected via wire or wirelessly. The control device CT is implemented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. The control device CT executes a control program stored in a memory (not shown). The operation of the lifting device EA and the lighting device IA is controlled in accordance with production data stored in a storage device (not shown) and/or in response to an operator's operation (the control device CT transmits control signals to the lifting device EA and the lighting device IA). The production data is data that defines the operation of the lifting device EA and the lighting device IA in accordance with a predetermined stage production.

A control signal from the control device CT is transmitted directly to the lifting device EA. The control signal from the control device CT is also transmitted to the lighting device IA via the reel wire RL of the lifting device EA. In this embodiment, the operation of the lighting device IA is controlled in accordance with the control signal transmitted from the control device CT via the reel wire RL.

The power supply device PS is a power source that supplies power to the lifting device EA and the lighting device IA. The power supply device PS is connected to a power source installed on the ceiling C, etc. The lifting device EA is connected to the power supply device PS via a power cable. Power from the power supply device PS is supplied directly to the lifting device EA. In addition, power from the power supply device PS is supplied to the lighting device IA via the reel wire RL of the lifting device EA.

Fig. 13 shows the lifting device EA described in Fig. 12. The lifting device EA shown in Fig. Y has the cover CV covering the interior open, exposing the interior. The lifting device EA has a reel R inside. The reel R has a cylindrical shape and extends vertically inside the lifting device EA. The reel R rotates around the axis of its short side by being driven by a motor (not shown).

When the reel R rotates in one direction, the reel wire RL is wound onto the longitudinal surface of the reel R (hereinafter referred to as the reel wire winding surface). When the reel R rotates in the other direction, the reel wire RL is unwound from the reel wire winding surface. Figure 14 shows the state in which the reel wire RL is wound onto the reel wire winding surface. In this way, the lifting device EA changes the length of the reel wire RL and raises and lowers the lighting device IA attached to the end of the reel wire RL.

Fig. 15 shows a cross section of the reel wire RL described in Fig. 12 to Fig. 14. As shown in Fig. 15, the reel wire RL has a control line CL for transmitting a control signal to the lighting device IA and a power line PL for supplying power to the lighting device IA inserted therein.

13 has a structure in which the reel wire RL is wound onto a reel wire winding surface, the longer the diameter of the cross section of the reel wire RL, the longer the diameter in the short direction and/or the length in the long direction of the reel wire winding surface must be. Increasing the diameter in the short direction and/or the length in the long direction of the reel wire winding surface leads to an increase in the size and weight of the lifting device EA.

In order to make a stage production more spectacular, a larger number of lighting devices IA and lifting devices EA may be used. If the lifting devices EA become larger and heavier, a load will be placed on the ceiling C when suspending a large number of lifting devices EA, and in some cases, it may become impossible to suspend more than a certain number of lifting devices EA. For this reason, it is desirable to make the lifting devices EA lighter and smaller.

Because the lifting device EA has the above-described structure, it is necessary to shorten the cross-sectional diameter of the reel wire RL in order to make the lifting device EA lighter and smaller. Furthermore, since the reel wire RL extends downward together with the lighting device IA, it becomes visible to the audience. From the perspective of stage production, if the cross-sectional diameter of the reel wire RL is long, the reel wire RL becomes more visible to the audience. For this reason as well, it is preferable to shorten the cross-sectional diameter of the reel wire RL.

On the other hand, in order to make the stage production more spectacular, for example, more lighting devices IA may be used for one lifting device EA, in which case the cross-sectional diameter of the power line PL needs to be longer in order to supply more power.

The reel wire RL includes therein a control line CL and a power line PL. In this structure, increasing the cross-sectional diameter of the power line PL results in further increasing the cross-sectional diameter of the reel wire RL.

The lighting system according to this embodiment controls the lighting devices by wirelessly transmitting at least a control signal to the lighting devices. By wirelessly transmitting the control signal to the lighting devices, the reel wire of the lifting device contains only a power line. This configuration allows the cross-sectional diameter of the reel wire to be reduced by at least a length equivalent to the cross-sectional diameter of the control wire.

First Embodiment
Fig. 1 shows an entire lighting system 10 according to a first embodiment. The lighting system 10 includes lifting devices 1a and 1b (hereinafter referred to as lifting devices 1), lighting devices 2a and 2b (hereinafter referred to as lighting devices 2), a control device 3, and a power supply device 4. Note that the number of lifting devices 1 and lighting devices 2 shown in Fig. 1 is merely an example. There may be multiple combinations of two lifting devices 1 and one lighting device 2 shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the relationship between the lifting devices 1 and the lighting devices 2 may be one-to-one, N-to-one, or one-to-N (N is any number equal to or greater than two).

The lifting device 1a has a reel line 15a provided therein. Similarly, the lifting device 1b has a reel line 15b provided therein (hereinafter, the reel line 15a and the reel line 15b will be referred to as the reel line RL). The reel line 15 extends downward from the lifting device 1. A lighting device 2 is attached to the tip of the reel line 15. The lighting device 2 is suspended below the lifting device 1. From the perspective of presentation, it is preferable that the lifting device 1 suspended from the ceiling C is installed at a height that is not visible to viewers or is difficult for viewers to see.

The lifting device 1 raises and lowers the lighting device 2 attached to the end of the reel wire 15 by changing the length of the reel wire 15. The lifting device 1 is attached to the ceiling C with its longitudinal direction vertical. In this embodiment, an example in which the lifting device 1 is attached to the ceiling will be described, but the lifting device 1 may also be attached to a suspension baton instead of the ceiling. A suspension baton is a device with a lattice-like structure that is used in stage productions, etc., but a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The structure for winding the reel wire 15 of the lifting device 1 is the same as that of the lifting device EA described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The lighting device 2 is a device having one or more light-emitting elements therein. In this embodiment, the light-emitting elements are LEDs (Light Emitting Devices). The lighting device 2 has a connector on the top, and is connected to the reel wire 15 via the connector.

The control device 3 controls the operation of the lifting device 1 and the lighting device 2. The lifting device 1 and the control device 3 are connected wirelessly. The lighting device 2 and the control device 3 are also connected wirelessly. The control device 3 is implemented by a CPU, an FPGA, or the like. The control device 3 executes a control program stored in a memory (not shown). The operation of the lifting device 1 and the lighting device 2 is controlled in accordance with performance data stored in a storage device (not shown) and/or in response to an operator's operation (the control device 3 includes a transmitter and an antenna (not shown), and the transmitter transmits control signals to the lifting device 1 and the lighting device 2 via the antenna). The performance data is data that defines the operation of the lifting device 1 and the lighting device 2 in accordance with a predetermined stage performance.

Control signals from the control device 3 are transmitted wirelessly to the lifting device 1 and the lighting device 2, respectively. The control device 3 includes an input device and an output device, not shown. The input device and the output device are used by an operator. The operator performs operations such as moving the lighting device 2 to a predetermined height in accordance with the stage direction (through the operation of the lifting device 1) and making the lighting device 2 emit light. The input device is an input device for inputting instructions for performing such operations. The output device is an output device for displaying the results of the operation of the lifting device 1 and the lighting device 2, etc.

The power supply device 4 is a power source that supplies power to the lifting device 1 and the lighting device 2. The power supply device 4 is connected to a power source provided on the ceiling C or the like. The lifting device 1 is connected to the power supply device 4 via a power cable. Power from the power supply device 4 is supplied directly to the lifting device 1. In addition, power from the power supply device 4 is supplied to the lighting device 2 through the reel wire 15 of the lifting device 1.

During a stage performance, the lighting device 2 descends to a position visible to the audience and emits light. Therefore, connecting components such as cables to the lighting device 2 would make those components visible to the audience, which is undesirable from a performance perspective. In this embodiment, the lifting device 1 is provided in a position that is not visible to the audience or is difficult for the audience to see, and power is supplied from the lifting device 1 to the lighting device 2 via the reel wire 15, eliminating the need to connect components such as the cables to the lighting device 2.

Next, the lifting device 1 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a logical block diagram of the lifting device 1. The lifting device 1 includes a control circuit 11, a transceiver 12, an antenna 13, and an electric motor 14.

The control circuit 11 controls the overall operation of the lifting device 1. The control circuit 11 is implemented, for example, by a CPU or FPGA. The control circuit 11 drives the electric motor 14 in response to receiving a control signal from the control device 3. The control signal includes a signal instructing the lifting device 1 to rotate a reel (not shown) at a predetermined speed, amount, direction, and/or timing. The control circuit 11 includes a detection circuit (not shown) such as a rotary encoder (not shown). The control circuit determines the amount of vertical movement of the lighting device 2 by calculating the amount of rotation of the rotation shaft of the electric motor 14. By controlling the lifting device 1 in this way, the lighting system 10 can move the lighting device 2 to a predetermined position in the vertical direction in accordance with the stage production.

The transceiver 12 is a circuit that performs various signal processing for wireless communication with the control device 3. The transceiver 12 includes a baseband processor and an RF circuit. The transceiver 12 transmits and receives control signals to and from a base station device or an access point (described later) via an antenna 13.

Next, the lighting device 2 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows a logical block diagram of the lighting device 2. The lighting device 2 includes a control circuit 21, a transceiver 22, and an antenna 23.

The control circuit 21 controls the overall operation of the lighting device 2. The control circuit 21 is implemented, for example, by an IC chip. In response to receiving a control signal from the control device 3, the control circuit 21 controls the light emission of the light-emitting elements of the lighting device 2, i.e., the dimming and color adjustment of the light-emitting elements. The control signal is a signal for controlling the light emission of the lighting device 2, and in this embodiment, is a DMX (Digital Multiplex) signal. The DMX signal is a signal that complies with a communication standard for controlling the dimming and color adjustment of a lighting fixture.

The transceiver 22 is a circuit that performs various signal processing for wireless communication with the control device 3. The transceiver 22 includes a baseband processor and an RF circuit. The transceiver 22 transmits and receives control signals to and from a base station or an access point (described later) via an antenna 23.

Next, a communication network CN1 that realizes the lighting system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The communication network CN1 includes one or more lifting devices 1, one or more lighting devices 2, one or more base stations 20, a control device 3, and a core network 30. The communication network CN1 is configured in accordance with predetermined technical specifications (TS). For example, the communication network CN1 may comply with technical specifications (e.g., LTE, 5G, 6G, etc.) defined by 3GPP (registered trademark) .

When the communication network CN conforms to 5G, the core network 30 includes a plurality of logical nodes including an access and mobility management function (AMF) and a user plane function (UPF). The base station 20 connects to the AMF in the C-plane and connects to the UPF in the U-plane. Furthermore, when the communication network CN conforms to LTE, the core network 30 includes a plurality of logical nodes including a mobility management entity (MME) and a serving gateway (S-GW). The base station 20 connects to the MME in the C-plane and connects to the S-GW in the U-plane. The core network and the base station 20 are connected via, for example, an NG interface.

The base station 20 constitutes a gNB in 5G or an eNB in LTE. A radio access network (RAN) is formed by interconnecting a plurality of base stations 20. The plurality of base stations 20 are connected via, for example, an Xn interface.

The elevator device 1, the lighting device 2, and the control device 3 each constitute a user equipment (UE). The elevator device 1, the lighting device 2, and the control device 3 are connected to the base station 20 via, for example, a Uu interface.

The lifting device 1 receives a control signal wirelessly from the control device 3 via the base station 20 to raise and lower the lifting device 1 (to drive the motor) at a predetermined timing and a predetermined distance in accordance with a predetermined stage direction. This control signal is converted into an Ethernet signal and transmitted from the control device 3. In other words, the control signal is converted into a format suitable for wireless transmission. Transmission from the control device 3 to the base station 20 is called uplink transmission, and transmission from the base station 20 to the lifting device 1 is called downlink communication.

The lighting device 2 wirelessly receives control signals (DMX signals) for adjusting the brightness and color of light-emitting elements at predetermined timings and for predetermined durations according to a predetermined stage direction from the control device 3 via the base station 20. These control signals are converted into Ethernet signals and transmitted from the control device 3. Transmission from the control device 3 to the base station 20 is called uplink transmission, and transmission from the base station 20 to the lifting device 1 is called downlink communication.

Downlink communication from the base station 20 to the lifting devices 1 and lighting devices 2 employs a multiplexing scheme such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). In the multiplexing scheme, multiplexed transmission is performed in either frequency, time, and/or signal sequence. Multiplexed transmission can prevent signal interference between multiple lifting devices 1 and/or multiple lighting devices 2.

In downlink communication, the base station 20 schedules downlink transmissions to the plurality of lifting devices 1 and/or the plurality of lighting devices 2. The scheduling is performed by the base station 20 transmitting downlink control information (DCI) to the lifting devices 1/lighting devices 2 using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The DCI includes information on downlink resource allocation for the lifting devices 1/lighting devices 2.

In wireless transmission, for example, network slicing assigned for stage direction may be used. Network slicing is a technique for logically dividing a network, and each divided network slice is identified by Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI). For example, as a network slice for this embodiment (e.g., stage direction), specific values may be assigned to Slice and Service Type (SST) and Slice Differentiator (SD).

For example, when a network slice for a stage performance is allocated, the control device 3 as a UE notifies the AMF of the corresponding S-NSSAI, the AMF selects an SMF (Session Management Function) based on the S-NSSAI, and the SMF selects a UPF. Through this procedure, the UPF forms a corresponding network slice in the core network.

In this embodiment, the lifting device 1 communicates with the control device 3 wirelessly, but the lifting device 1 may also communicate with the control device 3 via a wire. The lifting device 1 raises and lowers the lighting device 2 in accordance with a control signal transmitted via a wire from the control device 3.

Next, referring to Fig. 5, a cross section of the reel wire 15 included in the lifting device 1 is shown. As shown in Fig. 5, a power line 15p that supplies power to the lighting device 2 is inserted inside the reel wire 15. However, unlike the reel wire RL according to the prior art shown in Fig. 15, the reel wire 15 does not include a control line CL that transmits a control signal to the lighting device 2.

In the lighting system 10, at least the lighting devices 2 receive control signals wirelessly from the control device 3, so there is no need for a control wire to be installed inside the reel wire 15. Since no control wire is installed inside the reel wire 15, the cross-sectional diameter of the reel wire 15 can be made smaller by a length equivalent to the cross-sectional diameter of the control wire CL compared to the reel wire RL according to the conventional technology. Instead, in order to supply more power to the lighting devices 2, the cross-sectional diameter of the power lines 15p can be made longer by a length equivalent to the cross-sectional diameter of the control wire CL.

Next, the operation of the lighting system 10 in a stage production will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 6. In an actual stage production, for example, the lighting device 2 repeatedly receives a control signal from the control device 3, but the flowchart shown in Fig. 6 does not take such repeated operation into consideration.

In step S601, the control device 3 generates a control signal for raising and lowering the lighting device 2 in accordance with predefined performance data or in response to an operation by an operator, converts the signal into a format for wireless transmission (Ethernet signal), and transmits the signal to the lifting device 1 via the base station 20. Note that the transmission of the control signal in step S601 may be wired transmission.

In step S602, when the transceiver 12 of the lifting device 1 receives the control signal via the base station 20, the control circuit 11 drives the electric motor 14 in accordance with the control signal to lift and lower the lighting device 2. The control circuit 11 calculates the amount of rotation of the rotation shaft of the electric motor 14 using a detection circuit such as a rotary encoder, thereby controlling the amount of vertical movement of the lighting device 2.

In step S603, the control device 3 generates a control signal (DMX signal) for controlling the dimming and color adjustment of the light-emitting elements in accordance with predefined performance data or in response to an operator's operation, converts it into an Ethernet signal, and transmits it to the base station 20.

In step S604, when the transceiver 22 of the lighting device 2 receives the control signal via the base station 20, the control circuit 21 controls the dimming and color adjustment of the light-emitting element in accordance with the control signal.

As described above, the lighting system according to the first embodiment has been described. According to the first embodiment, the cross-sectional diameter of the reel wire can be reduced, and the size of the lifting device can be reduced. Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the cross-sectional diameter of the power line can be increased without increasing the cross-sectional diameter of the reel wire, and more power can be supplied to the lighting device.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The overall configuration of the lighting system 10 according to the second embodiment is the same as the configuration shown in Fig. 1, so a detailed description will be omitted. Fig. 7 illustrates a communication network CN2 that realizes the lighting system 10 according to the second embodiment.

The communication network CN2 differs from the communication network CN1 in that direct communication is performed between a plurality of lifting devices 1, between a plurality of lighting devices 2, and/or between some or all of the lifting devices 1 and some or all of the lighting devices 2. These direct communications may be implemented, for example, by device-to-device (D2D) communication using a sidelink defined in 5G. The sidelink is a communication path for direct communication between UEs, and direct communication is performed between UEs. The sidelink communication uses a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSBCH), and a physical sidelink control channel (PSBCH) via the PC5 interface. In this case, communication is carried out between a plurality of lifting devices 1, between a plurality of lighting devices 2, and/or between some or all of the lifting devices 1 and some or all of the lighting devices 2.

In the second embodiment, a predetermined one of the plurality of lifting devices 1 communicates with the control device 3 via the base station 20, and the predetermined lifting device 1 performs D2D communication with the other lifting devices 1. The predetermined lifting device 1 may also perform D2D communication with some or all of the lighting devices 2.

In the second embodiment, a predetermined lighting device 2 among the plurality of lighting devices 2 communicates with the control device 3 via the base station 20, and the predetermined lighting device 2 performs D2D communication with the other lighting devices 2.

A plurality of lifting devices 1 are often located within a radius of one meter. A plurality of lighting devices 2 are also often located within a radius of one meter. Furthermore, a plurality of lifting devices 1 and lighting devices 2 are often located within a radius of one meter. Therefore, in the second embodiment, some of the lifting devices 1 and/or lighting devices 2 communicate wirelessly with the base station 20, and these some of the lifting devices 1 and/or lighting devices 2 communicate directly with the other lifting devices 1 and/or lighting devices 2.

When direct communication is performed using a sidelink, the lifting devices 1 and/or lighting devices 2 that communicate with the control device 3 via the base station 20 function as U2N Relay UEs (UE-to-Network Relay UEs). The other lifting devices 1 and/or lighting devices 2 function as Remote UEs. The lifting devices 1 and/or lighting devices 2 serving as U2N Relay UEs receive control signals from the control device 3 via the base station 20 and transmit the control signals to the lifting devices 1 and/or lighting devices 2 serving as Remote UEs.

The lifting device 1 and/or lighting device 2 that functions as a U2N Relay UE may be predefined or may be selected by an operator. The lifting device 1 and/or lighting device 2 designated as a U2N Relay UE receives a signal from the control device 3 instructing it to function as a U2N Relay UE and to transmit a control signal to a Remote UE.

In the communication network CN2 shown in Fig. 7, the lifting device 1 and the lighting device 2 perform D2D communication using a sidelink defined in 5G, but instead of such a configuration, the wireless communication between the lifting device 1 and/or the lighting device 2 may be performed in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. Fig. 8 shows the configuration of the communication network CN3 when the wireless communication is performed in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard.

The IEEE 802.11 standard defines access points (APs) and stations (STAs). An AP communicates wirelessly with STAs within its radio wave coverage area. In this embodiment, a specific lifting device 1 that communicates wirelessly with a control device 3 via a base station 20 in accordance with technical specifications such as 5G or LTE communicates wirelessly with other lifting devices 1 in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. In this case, the specific lifting device 1 functions as an AP, and the other lifting devices 1 function as STAs.

Furthermore, a given lighting device 2 that wirelessly communicates with the control device 3 via a base station 20 in accordance with technical specifications such as 5G or LTE may wirelessly communicate with other lighting devices 2 in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. In this case, the given lighting device 2 functions as an AP, and the other lighting devices 2 function as STAs. The AP and the STAs perform wireless communication by executing polling procedures, authentication procedures, association procedures, etc. in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard.

Furthermore, a given lifting device 1 that wirelessly communicates with the control device 3 via a base station 20 in accordance with technical specifications such as 5G or LTE may wirelessly communicate with other lifting devices 1 and some or all of the lighting devices 2 in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard. In this case, the given lifting device 1 functions as an AP, and the other lifting devices 1 and/or lighting devices 2 function as STAs. Figure 8 shows such a configuration.

The lifting device 1 and/or lighting device 2 that functions as an AP may be predefined or selected by an operator. Also, according to the IEEE 802.11 standard, which lifting device 1 and/or lighting device 2 functions as an AP may be determined by a polling procedure.

Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 , the operation of a stage production performed by the lighting system 10 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 , one of the 100 lifting devices 1 (lifting device 1A) communicates with the control device 3 via the base station 20. The other 99 lifting devices 1 (collectively referred to as lifting device 1B) perform D2D communication with the lifting device 1A using a side link. Alternatively, the lifting device 1A may function as an AP, and the lifting device 1B may function as an STA, performing wireless communication according to the IEEE 802.11 standard. Note that the communication between the lifting device 1 and the control device 3 may be wired communication.

9 , one of the 100 lighting devices 2 (lighting device 2A) communicates with the control device 3 via the base station 20. The other 99 lighting devices 2 (collectively, lighting device 2B) perform D2D communication with the lighting device 2A using a side link. Alternatively, the lighting device 2A may function as an AP, and the lighting device 2B may function as an STA, performing wireless communication in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard.

In step S901, the control device 3 generates a control signal for raising and lowering the lighting device 2 in accordance with predefined performance data or in response to an operator's operation, converts it into an Ethernet signal, and transmits it to the lifting device 1A via the base station 20.

In step S902, the transceiver 12 of the lifting device 1A receives the control signal from the control device 3 and transmits it to the lifting device 1B. The transmission of this control signal is performed as described above.

In step S903, the control circuit 11 of the lifting device 1A drives the electric motor 14 in accordance with the control signal to lift and lower the lighting device 2. The control circuit 11 calculates the amount of rotation of the rotary shaft of the electric motor 14 using a detection circuit such as a rotary encoder, thereby controlling the amount of vertical movement of the lighting device 2. The lifting device 1B also performs a similar operation.

In step S904, the control device 3 generates a control signal (DMX signal) for controlling the dimming and color adjustment of the light-emitting elements in accordance with predefined performance data or in response to an operator's operation, converts it into an Ethernet signal, and transmits it to the base station 20.

In step S905, the transceiver 22 of the lighting device 2A receives the control signal from the control device 3 and transmits it to the lighting device 2B. This transmission of the control signal is performed as described above.

In step S906, the control circuit 21 of the lighting device 2A controls the dimming and color adjustment of the light emitting elements in accordance with the control signal. The lighting device 2B also performs a similar operation.

As described above, the lighting system according to the second embodiment has been described. According to the second embodiment, it is possible to achieve the effects of the first embodiment, and also to improve communication efficiency because some wireless communication is performed directly between the lifting device and/or the lighting device.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, a plurality of lighting devices 2 are embedded in the reel wire 15 of one lifting device 1. Fig. 10 shows an enlarged view of the reel wire 15. As shown in Fig. 10, a plurality of lighting devices 2 (lighting devices 2a to 2d in Fig. 10) are arranged at predetermined intervals on the reel wire 15. The lighting devices 2 are implemented using IC chips or the like having small light-emitting elements.

In the third embodiment, since a larger number of lighting devices 2 are arranged for one lifting device 1 (reel wire 15), a larger amount of power needs to be supplied. Also, an amplifier for amplifying the power may be provided inside the reel wire.

In the third embodiment, too, control signals from the control device 3 may be transmitted wirelessly to the lighting devices 2, but in the configuration according to the third embodiment, the lighting devices 2 and the control device 3 may communicate with each other via a wire. In this case, in accordance with the prior art, control signals are transmitted to each lighting device 2 via reel wires 15. The reel wires have the configuration shown in FIG. 15 .

According to the third embodiment, a larger number of lighting devices 2 are used per lifting device 1, resulting in a more spectacular stage production. Meanwhile, the reel wire 15 is wound onto and unwound from the reel wire winding surface by the lifting device driving the electric motor 14. As shown in Fig. 1, the interior (reel) of the lifting device 1 is covered with a cover, so that when the reel wire 15 is wound onto the reel wire winding surface, the lighting devices 2 arranged on the reel wire 15 cannot be seen from the outside.

When the lighting device 2 is inside the cover of the lifting device 1, it cannot be seen from the outside, so emitting light in this state is not preferable from the viewpoint of power consumption. In the third embodiment, taking this into consideration, the light emission of each lighting device 2 is controlled.

For example, when the reel wire 15 is unwound from the reel wire winding surface and descends, each of the plurality of lighting devices 2 arranged on the reel wire 15 may be controlled by the control device 3 to emit light when it is positioned below the cover of the lifting device 1 and visible from the outside. Figure 11 shows a state in which each of the plurality of lighting devices 2 emits light when the reel wire 15 descends.

11, when the reel wire 15 is lowered, each of the lighting devices 2 arranged on the reel wire 15 is positioned below the cover 16 of the lifting device 1 in order from the lowest lighting device 2, and is visible from the outside. In FIG. 11, lighting devices 2c and 2d shown by solid lines are positioned below the cover 16 and are visible from the outside. On the other hand, lighting devices 2a and 2b shown by dashed lines are positioned above the cover 16 and are not visible from the outside.

The control device 3 may transmit a control signal to the lighting devices 2 so that each of the lighting devices 2, which descend as the reel wire 15 descends, emits light at a predetermined timing when it is positioned below the cover 16. As shown in Fig. 11, lighting devices 2c and 2d turn on their light emission in response to a control signal from the control device 3 when they become visible from the outside. Since lighting devices 2a and 2b are not visible from the outside, their light emission remains off. In other words, the control device 3 controls the light-emitting elements to emit light in accordance with the positional relationship between the lighting devices 2 and the lifting device 1 (cover 16).

The control device 3 can recognize the vertical position of the lighting device 2 by measuring time, or by the lifting device 1 detecting the position of the lighting device 2 using a rotary encoder or the like and notifying the control device 3 of that position.

The above is an example in which each of the plurality of lighting devices 2 is controlled to emit light one by one when it is positioned below the cover 16, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, when all or a predetermined number of the plurality of lighting devices 2 are positioned below the cover 16, all or a predetermined number of the lighting devices 2 may be controlled to emit light simultaneously.

As described above, the lighting system according to the third embodiment has been described. According to the third embodiment, since a larger number of lighting devices are used, it is possible to create a more spectacular presentation. Furthermore, as described above, since the light emission of each of the plurality of lighting devices is controlled, it is possible to save the power consumed by the light-emitting devices.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Lifting device 2 Lighting device 3 Control device 4 Power supply device 10 Lighting system

Claims (8)

A lighting system including a lifting device, a plurality of lighting devices, and a control device,
the lifting device includes a reel line extending downward and configured to change the length of the reel line, the reel line including a power line for supplying power to the lighting device;
each of the plurality of lighting devices is connected to the reel line, moves up and down as the length of the reel line changes, and causes a light-emitting element to emit light in response to a control signal from the control device;
the control device is configured to generate a control signal for controlling the light emission, convert the control signal into a format for wireless transmission , and wirelessly transmit the control signal to a base station forming a radio access network (RAN);
each of the plurality of lighting devices is further configured to wirelessly receive the converted control signal from the control device via the base station , the control signal being multiplexed by frequency, time, and/or signal sequence from the base station;
Lighting system. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to wirelessly transmit the converted control signal using a designated network slice. the plurality of lighting devices include a first lighting device and a second lighting device;
the first lighting device is configured to wirelessly receive the control signal from the control device via the base station and wirelessly transmit the received control signal to the second lighting device;
the second lighting device is configured to receive the control signal wirelessly directly from the first lighting device;
10. The lighting system of claim 1. 4. The lighting system of claim 3, wherein the control device is further configured to generate a signal instructing the first lighting device to transmit the control signal to the second lighting device, and to transmit the signal to the first lighting device. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the lighting device is disposed on the reel line. The lighting system according to claim 5 , wherein the control signal indicates that the light emission is to be controlled in accordance with a positional relationship between the lighting device and the lifting device. 7. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the control signal indicates that the light-emitting element is to be illuminated in response to the lighting device becoming visible when the lighting device is lowered due to a change in the length of the reel line . 1. A method performed by a lighting system, comprising:
a step of changing the length of a reel line by a lifting device including the reel line extending downward, the reel line including a power line for supplying power to a plurality of lighting devices;
a step of causing each of the plurality of lighting devices connected to the reel line to rise and fall as the length of the reel line changes, and causing a light-emitting element to emit light in response to a control signal from a control device;
generating a control signal for controlling the light emission by the control device and converting the control signal into a format for wireless transmission;
transmitting the control signal wirelessly to a base station forming a radio access network (RAN) by the control device;
and wirelessly receiving, by each of the plurality of lighting devices, the converted control signal from the control device via the base station , wherein the control signal is multiplexed and transmitted from the base station in any of frequency, time, and/or signal sequence .
method.