Lighting system

• US 9,414,464 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hidaka, Yuto, Nanahara, Atsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEVENS, THOMAS H
• Application Number:
  US13/933,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 700/28, 702/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0478 by means of an image recording device, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The lighting system in accordance with the present invention includes a lighting fixture including a first controller configured to control a light source; and a sensing device. The sensing device includes: an image sensor configured to take an image of a predetermined area; and a second controller having a function of adjusting sensitivity of the image sensor and a function of setting a dimming rate for the light source. The first controller is configured to light the light source at a dimming level according to the dimming rate set by the second controller. The second controller is configured to, when concluding that a condition where no person is present in the predetermined area continues for a predetermined time period, perform an operation of decreasing the dimming rate by a preset value and increasing the sensitivity of the image sensor for a preset time period.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a lighting fixture including a first controller configured to control a light source; and

a sensing device,

wherein

the sensing device includes;

an image sensor configured to take an image of a predetermined area; and

a second controller having a function of adjusting sensitivity of the image sensor and a function of setting a dimming rate for the light source,

the first controller is configured to light the light source at a dimming level according to the dimming rate set by the second controller,

the second controller is configured to judge whether or not a person is present in the predetermined area, based on the image of the predetermined area taken by the image sensor,

the second controller is configured to, when concluding that a condition where no person is present in the predetermined area continues for a predetermined time period, perform an operation of decreasing the dimming rate by a preset value and increasing the sensitivity of the image sensor for a preset time period,

the second controller is configured to judge whether a person is present in the predetermined area, based on whether a difference between a brightness value of the image of the predetermined area taken by the image sensor and a brightness value of a reference image is not less than a predetermined threshold, and

the sensitivity of the image sensor is determined by the predetermined threshold.

2. The lighting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the second controller is configured to, when acknowledging that the first controller lights the light source at the dimming level according to the dimming rate set by the second controller after the dimming rate is decreased by the preset value, increase the sensitivity of the image sensor.

3. The lighting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the second controller is configured to repeat the operation until the dimming rate is equal to a lower limit.

4. The lighting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the second controller is configured to, in the operation, increase the sensitivity of the image sensor for the preset time period with regard to a region in the predetermined area in which the second controller has concluded that the condition where no person is present continues for the predetermined time period.

5. The lighting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the second controller is configured to, when concluding that a person is present in the predetermined area, set the dimming rate to an upper limit.

6. The lighting system as set forth in claim 5, wherein

the second controller is configured to, when concluding that a person is present in the predetermined area, return the sensitivity of the image sensor to an initial level.

7. The lighting system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the second controller is configured to, each time concluding that a person is present in the predetermined area, increase the dimming rate by a preset value and increase the sensitivity of the image sensor for a preset time period.

8. The lighting system as set forth in claim 7, wherein

the second controller is configured to, when concluding that the dimming rate is equal to an upper limit, return the sensitivity of the image sensor to an initial level.