JPH0254638B2 - - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the dimming level of output light of a lighting fixture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A proposed system for controlling rotation of an encoder wheel to increase or decrease the current dimming level of a luminaire stored in memory is shown in FIG. In this device, only data corresponding to dimming levels within a predetermined range is stored in the memory. The dimming levels corresponding to each of the two lighting fixtures are indicated by reference numerals l1 and l in FIG.
2 are shown respectively. When the encoder wheel is rotated to increase the dimming level from time t1 to t4 as shown in FIG. 1, one dimming level changes from time t1 to time t2 as shown by line l1. For example, the maximum dimming level, which is 100% conduction angle, is reached. The other dimming level becomes the maximum dimming level at time t3, as indicated by reference numeral 12. After that, even if the encoder wheel is operated successively, the contents stored in the memory will not be updated.

When the encoder wheel is operated at time t5 to lower the dimming level as shown in FIG. 1, the dimming levels of the two lighting devices become the same and are decreased until time t6.

Also, when an operation is performed to lower the dimming level between times t11 and t13, the time t12 between
At , the dimming level l2 reaches its lowest value, eg, the light-off state, and thereafter the contents of the memory are kept constant regardless of the operation of the encoder wheel. When an operation is performed to increase the dimming level between times t14 and t15, the dimming level increases while maintaining the difference between the two dimming levels l1 and l2 at time t13.

In such prior art, it is not possible to increase or decrease the dimming level while keeping the difference in dimming level between the two lighting devices constant.

Another prior art solution to this problem is shown in FIG. In this device, the memory may store data corresponding to dimming levels outside the predetermined range. When the data exceeds the upper limit of the dimming level, the light is dimmed at the maximum dimming level, and when the data is less than the lower limit of the dimming level, the dimming is carried out at the minimum dimming level.

The dimming levels of the two dimming devices are indicated by reference numerals l3 and l4 in FIG. 2, respectively. Time t21
2, the encoder wheel is operated to increase the dimming level over a period up to time t24, as shown in FIG. Time t
At t22, the dimming level l3 of one lighting device becomes the maximum value, and thereafter the contents of the memory are updated until time t24. At time t23, the dimming level l4 of the other lighting fixture becomes the maximum level, and thereafter the contents of the memory are updated until time t24.

At time t25, when the encoder wheel is operated to lower the dimming level over a period up to time t30 as shown in FIG. 2, the contents of the memory are reduced from time t25. It is not until time t26 that the dimming level l4 is reached.
is decreasing. Furthermore, the dimming level l3 begins to decrease for the first time at time t27. Time t28,t
At step 29, the dimming levels l4 and l3 reach their minimum values, and thereafter the contents of the memory are updated until time t30.

If you try to increase the dimming level by operating the encoder wheel from time t31 to t34, at time t
32, the dimming level l3 increases,
Further, the dimming level l4 does not increase until the subsequent time t33.

Therefore, in the prior art shown in FIG. 2, there is a time lag between when the encoder wheel is operated and when the actual dimming level changes, resulting in poor operability.

Purpose An object of the present invention is to provide a light control device that maintains a constant difference in light control levels between a plurality of lighting devices and has improved operability.

Embodiment FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The dimming signal generating means includes an encoder wheel 1,
It includes a pulse generator 4 and a counter 7. The encoder wheel 1 is rotated manually,
During the rotation in one direction, a signal is given from line 2 to pulse generator 4, which causes pulse generator 4 to generate a number of pulses corresponding to the rotation angle of encoder wheel 1 to counter 7 via line 5. .
When the encoder wheel 1 is rotated in the opposite direction, a signal for decreasing the dimming level is provided from line 8, and the pulse generator 4 derives pulses from line 5 with a number of pulses corresponding to the angle of rotation. Pulses from the pulse generator 4 are applied to an up-down counter 7 via a line 5, and up-counting and down-counting operations of this counter 7 are performed by signals from a line 9, and each counting operation is performed by a line. 2, 8 corresponds to the direction of rotation of the encoder wheel 1.
The means for controlling the dimming level of each luminaire includes a control device 11 and a processing circuit 12. counter 7
The count value from is sent to the control device 11 via line 10.
given to. The control device 11 reads data corresponding to the current dimming level stored in the memory 15 via the line 16, and stores the contents of the memory 15 by the amount of data representing the dimming level corresponding to the count value of the counter 7. The contents of the memory 15 are updated by performing an operation such as subtraction or addition on the data and applying the result to the memory 15 from the line 18. The signal that controls the dimming level of each of the multiple lighting fixtures is
It is derived from the line 20, and the conduction angle and the like are controlled.

Referring to FIG. 4, the processing circuit 12 proceeds to step n1.
Then, the process moves to step n2, where the control device 11 reads the count value D1 of the counter 10, and then the counter 7 is reset. In step n3, it is determined whether the dimming level of the output light of the lighting equipment should be increased, and if it is determined that it should be increased,
Proceeding to step n4, check whether the lighting condition of the lighting fixture whose dimming level is set the darkest among all the loads (that is, among all the lighting fixtures) has reached the maximum value, for example, the energization angle is 100%. If not, the process moves to step n5, and the data stored in the memory 15 corresponding to all the lighting fixtures is changed based on the first equation.

D3=D2+D1...(1) Here, D2 is the value stored in the memory 15 before the dimming level was changed.

If it is determined in step n3 that the dimming level should be reduced, the process moves to step n6, where the lighting fixture whose dimming level is set to be the brightest among all the lighting fixtures is reduced to its minimum value, for example, turned off. It is determined whether the dimming level has reached the current dimming level, and if not, the process moves to step n7, and the stored content D2 of the memory 15 is updated based on the second equation.

D3=D2−D1...(2) When the lighting fixture with the lowest dimming level among all the lighting fixtures reaches the maximum value, and the lighting fixture with the highest dimming level among all the lighting fixtures When it is determined that the minimum value has been reached, the process moves to step n8, where it is determined that the dimming operation should be ended, and the operation is ended in step n9.

Referring to FIG. 5, the dimming levels of the two lighting fixtures are indicated by reference numbers l5 and l6 in FIG. 51, and the difference in dimming level of these lighting fixtures is indicated by reference symbol W1 . Within the dimming level range where the dimming levels of the two lighting devices do not reach the maximum value 100 or the minimum value 0, the two dimming levels l
5 and l6 always maintain the difference W1.

At time t41, when the encoder wheel 1 is operated to increase the dimming level of the output light, time t
At 42, the dimming level l5 reaches its maximum value.

The dimming level l6 of the other lighting equipment is at time t
41 and reaches the maximum value at time t43. The value corresponding to the dimming level l5 in the memory 15 continues to be increased until time t43. The processing circuit 12 is based on the first equation in the memory 15 after time t43, that is, after the value indicated by the reference mark l6, which is the lowest dimming level among all the luminaire dimming levels, reaches the maximum value. Stop updates. At the subsequent time t44, the operation of the encoder wheel 1 is stopped.

At time t45, the encoder wheel 1 is operated until time t49 to lower the dimming level of the lighting equipment. After time t45,
The dimming level l6 immediately decreases and reaches the minimum value 0, which is predetermined for each luminaire, at time t47. The dimming level l5 is set from time t46 when the stored contents of the memory 15 have decreased to the maximum value 100.
It descends until time t48. At this time t48, the value reaches a predetermined minimum value corresponding to that lighting fixture. The stored contents of memory dimming are dimming level l.
6, it is updated and decreased based on the second equation from time t47 to t48. Processing circuit 1
2 stops the updating operation of the memory 15 based on the second equation after time t48 when the dimming level l5 of the lighting fixture set to be the brightest among all the lighting fixtures reaches the minimum value.

As shown in FIG. 52 from time t50 to t50, when the encoder wheel 1 is rotated to increase the dimming level, the dimming level 15 immediately begins to increase.

After time t50, the contents of the memory 15 corresponding to the dimming level l6 are updated based on the first equation, and when reaching time t51, the dimming level l6 is increased. At time t52, when the operation of encoder wheel 1 is stopped, the dimming level l
5, l6 are kept at their values at time t52.

In this way, before time t42, from time t46
In each period after time t47 and time t51, the two dimming levels l5 and l6 are changed simultaneously while maintaining a predetermined constant difference W1. After the value of one of the dimming levels l5 and l6 reaches the maximum value or the minimum value, after the lighting fixture whose dimming level is the minimum reaches its maximum value, and when the dimming level is the maximum. After the dimming level of the lighting equipment reaches the minimum value, the memory 15
update operation is stopped. Therefore, after that,
When changing to the opposite dimming direction, there is no time delay to eliminate the extra change in memory contents.

Although in the embodiments described above, the dimming level of the lighting equipment was based on the contents of the memory 15,
As another embodiment of the present invention, the lighting equipment may be controlled by the results calculated in the control device 11 based on the outputs from the memory 15 and the counter 10.

Effects As described above, in the present invention, the signals derived from the dimming signal generation means 1, 4, and 7 that generate signals for changing the dimming level of a plurality of lighting equipment and the contents stored in the memory 15 are calculated. The difference in dimming level between each lighting fixture is kept constant and changed.
The changed data is stored in the memory 15, and lighting fixtures whose stored contents exceed a predetermined range are controlled at a predetermined maximum or minimum dimming level, so that the stored contents for each lighting fixture are predetermined. When it is within the above range, dimming control can be performed while keeping the difference in dimming level between each lighting fixture constant.

Furthermore, when the stored contents for all lighting fixtures exceed the predetermined range, changes to the data stored in the memory 15 are stopped, so that the data stored in the memory 15 for at least one lighting fixture is limited to the predetermined maximum or If the minimum dimming level is maintained and the direction of dimming level change is reversed, the dimming level of the luminaire will immediately be within the predetermined range, and the dimming level change operation and actual luminaire There is no time lag between changes and it is easy to operate.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a waveform diagram for explaining the prior art, FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram for explaining another prior art, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram for explaining another prior art. FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment shown in the figure, and FIG. 5 is a waveform diagram for explaining the operation of the embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Encoder wheel, 4... Pulse generator, 7... Counter, 11... Control device, 12...
...processing circuit, 15...memory.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a dimming device that controls dimming of a plurality of lighting equipment while maintaining a predetermined difference in dimming level, the dimming signal generating means derives a signal for changing the dimming level. 1, 4, and 7, a driving means for controlling each lighting device within a predetermined dimming level range, the dimming level range, and above and below this dimming level by the amount of this dimming level range. a memory 15 having a capacity capable of storing the added data; and a memory 15 that calculates and changes the contents stored in the memory 15 with the signals derived from the dimming signal generating means 1, 4, and 7. Then, store the changed dimming level in memory 15,
When the content stored in the memory 15 is less than the minimum dimming level within the range, the dimming level of the lighting equipment is set to the minimum dimming level, and when the content stored in the memory 15 is within the range, the lighting is turned off. Setting the dimming level of the fixture to the dimming level, and setting the dimming level of the lighting fixture to the maximum dimming level when the stored content of the memory 15 exceeds the maximum dimming level within the range. and when the signals from the dimming signal generation means 1, 4, and 7 increase the dimming level, the dimming level set to the lowest among the dimming levels of all the lighting equipment falls within the range. After reaching the maximum dimming level within the range, the storage contents of the memory 15 for all luminaires stop increasing, and the signals from the dimming signal generating means 1, 4, and 7 decrease the dimming level. In this case, after the highest dimming level among all the lighting fixtures reaches the lowest dimming level within the range, the stored contents of the memory 15 for all the lighting fixtures are A light control device characterized in that the dimming is stopped.