Lighting control system and lighting control method

• US 8,878,439 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Noguchi, Yoko, Ishiwata, Tomoko, Kawagoe, Makoto, Ono, Takayuki, Takahashi, Kenji, Nishigaki, Hidenori, Takahashi, Junko, Kawatsuru, Shigehisa, Kawano, Hitoshi, Iwata, Fumie
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DON P
• Application Number:
  US13/688,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20140042911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 315152-158
• US Class Current: 315/152
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/00 Photometry, e.g. photographic exposure meter spectrophotometry G01J3/00; specially adapted for radiation pyrometry G01J5/00 ; exposure meters built in cameras G03B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0219 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/1626 Arrangements with two photodetectors, the signals of which are compared
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a lighting control system includes a plurality of luminaire, a sensor device, a luminance sensor, and a lighting control unit. The luminaires are set in a lighting space. The sensor device detects presence of a person in the lighting space. The luminance sensor detects indirect luminance in a predetermined position in the lighting space by the luminaire. The lighting control unit subjects the luminaire to lighting control such that the indirect luminance detected by the luminance sensor does not fall below a predetermined value in a position where the sensor device detects presence of the person.

Claims

1. A lighting control system comprising:

a plurality of luminaires set in a lighting space;

a presence detecting unit configured to detect presence of a person in the lighting space;

a luminance detecting unit configured to detect indirect luminance in a predetermined position in the lighting space; and

a control unit configured to subject the luminaires to lighting control such that the indirect luminance detected by the luminance detecting unit at a position where the presence detecting unit detects the presence of the person, does not fall below a predetermined value.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the luminance detecting unit detects the indirect luminance at the position where the presence detecting unit detects the presence of the person by referring to data calculated in advance on the basis of size of the lighting space, including reflectance of an interior surface of the lighting space, luminous intensity distribution data of the luminaires, a number of the luminaires, and position of the luminaires turned on by the control unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the luminance detecting unit detects the indirect luminance at the position where the presence detecting unit detects the presence of the person by calculating, on the basis of size of the lighting space, reflectance of an interior surface of the lighting space, luminous intensity distribution data of the luminaires, a number of the luminaires, and position of the luminaires turned on by the control unit, the indirect luminance with respect to the position where the presence detecting unit detects the presence of the person.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the luminance detecting unit measures the indirect luminance by acquiring brightness distribution of the lighting space, excluding brightness from the luminaires from the acquired brightness distribution, and calculating luminance formed on a vertical surface in an acquisition position of the brightness distribution.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the luminance detecting unit includes a photographing unit that is aligned to face the same direction as the person and configured to acquire the brightness distribution of the lighting space.

6. A lighting control method comprising:

detecting that a person is present in a lighting space in which a plurality of luminaires are set; and

detecting indirect luminance at a position where the presence of the person is detected, and subjecting the luminaires to lighting control such that the indirect luminance does not fall below a predetermined value.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising detecting the indirect luminance by referring to data calculated in advance on the basis of size of the lighting space, including reflectance of an interior surface of the lighting space, luminous intensity distribution data of the luminaires, a number of the luminaires, and position of the luminaires turned on by the control unit.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising detecting the indirect luminance by calculating, on the basis of size of the lighting space, reflectance of an interior surface of the lighting space, luminous intensity distribution data of the luminaires, a number of the luminaires, and position of the luminaires turned on by the control unit.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising measuring the indirect luminance by acquiring brightness distribution of the lighting space, excluding brightness from the luminaires from the acquired brightness distribution, and calculating luminance formed on a vertical surface in an acquisition position of the brightness distribution.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising acquiring brightness distribution in the same direction as a line of sight direction of the person.

11. A lighting control system comprising:

a plurality of luminaires set in a lighting space;

a plurality of presence detecting units each configured to detect presence of a person in a different position within the lighting space;

a luminance detecting unit in each of the different positions within the light space configured to detect indirect luminance thereat; and

a control unit configured to subject the luminaires to lighting control such that the indirect luminance detected by the luminance detecting unit at a position where the presence detecting unit detects the presence of the person, does not fall below a predetermined value.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein:

if the presence detecting unit detects that the person if within a work space, the predetermined value is a first predetermined value, and

if the presence detecting unit detects that the person if within a passage space, the predetermined value is a second predetermined value that is smaller than the first predetermined value.