Illumination device and illumination system and mobile body including the same

• US 9,635,729 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• 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: Matsui, Nobuyuki, Tachino, Youji
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US15/259,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20170079109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 229 Days
• Field of Search: 315153, 315291, 315297, 315307, 315312, 315360, 362227, 36224902, 362276, 250205
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/44 Spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/51 for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/12 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/31 Phase-control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology

Abstract

An illumination device includes a first light source and a second light source, a sensor, and a controller. The controller repeats a plurality of operation cycles, one operation cycle being a set of a first period in which only a detection target light source is caused to emit light and a second period in which the first light source and the second light source are caused to emit light. The sensor outputs detection values of detected light amounts in the first period. The controller controls the light source such that light amount of the light source fall in a target range, based on a detection result that corresponds to a value corresponding to the detection values of the light amount detected a predetermined number of times.

Claims

1. An illumination device comprising:

a light source portion;

a sensor configured to detect a light amount of the light source portion; and

a controller configured to control lighting of the light source portion,

the light source portion including a first light source and a second light source,

the controller being configured to repeat a plurality of operation cycles, one operation cycle being a set of a first period in which only either one of the first light source or the second light source, which is a detection target light source whose light amount is to be detected by the sensor, is caused to emit light and a second period in which the first light source and the second light source are caused to emit light, the controller being configured to control the lighting of the light source portion such that composite light generated by light from the first light source and light from the second light source has a same light output over the plurality of operation cycles,

the sensor being configured to output detection values of a light amount of the first light source in the first period of a first operation cycle in the plurality of operation cycles and a light amount of the second light source in the first period of a second operation cycle in the plurality of operation cycles, the second operation cycle being different from the first operation cycle that are separately detected, and

the controller being further configured to separately control lighting of the first light source and lighting of the second light source such that a light amount of the detection target light source falls in a target range based on a detection result that corresponds to a value corresponding to the detection values of the light amount detected a predetermined number of times.

2. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein

the light source portion includes two or more types of light sources having different emission colors from each other, the two or more types of light sources including at least the first light source and the second light source,

the first period is a single color period in which only one type of light source among the two or more types of light sources is caused to emit light,

the second period is a mixed color period in which the two or more types of light sources are caused to emit light,

the controller is configured to control lighting of the two or more types of light sources such that mixed color light, which is made of light from each of the two or more types of light sources, is a same light color in the plurality of operation cycles,

the sensor is configured to output a detection value of a detected light amount of the one type of light source in the single color period, and

the controller is configured to separately control lighting of the two or more types of light sources such that the light amount of the detection target light source fall in the target range based on the detection result.

3. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause only the detection target light source on which the sensor is to perform detection to start light emission at a first timing, to cause a remaining light source or sources to start light emission at a second timing, and to perform phase shift in which a phase corresponding to the second timing is shifted so as to be after a phase corresponding to the first timing in the one operation cycle.

4. The illumination device according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to gradually increase a volume of the phase shift over two or more operation cycles in the plurality of operation cycles.

5. The illumination device according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the light amount of the detection target light source in the first period in an operation cycle in which the volume of the phase shift is largest in the two or more operation cycles.

6. The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to not detect the light amount of the detection target light source, in a case where a lighting period of the detection target light source in the first period is shorter than a preset detection time for detecting the light amount.

7. The illumination device according to claim 1, further comprising a casing that has an elongated shape, wherein

the casing houses the light source portion, the sensor, and the controller,

the casing is configured such that external light from outside enters inside from an end portion in a longitudinal direction,

the sensor is configured to detect a light amount of the external light from outside that enters from the end portion, and

the controller is configured to control lighting of the detection target light source such that the light amount of the detection target light source falls in the target range based on a detection result corresponding to a detection value of the light amount of the detection target light source detected by the sensor , and a detection value of a light amount of the external light detected by the sensor.

8. The illumination device according to claim 7, wherein the casing includes a light receiving path configured to guide the external light from the end portion to the sensor.

9. An illumination system comprising:

at least one illumination device according to claim 1; and

a control device configured to control driving of the illumination device,

the at least one illumination device further including a communicator configured to communicate with the control device, and

the communicator being configured to transmit the detection values to the control device on a request from the control device.

10. The illumination system according to claim 9, wherein the communicator is configured to perform transmission of the detection values, after lighting of the light source portion for a predetermined period.

11. An illumination system comprising two or more illumination devices according to claim 7,

the external light from outside that enters from the end portion of one illumination device being light from another illumination device adjacent to the one illumination device.

12. The illumination system according to claim 9, further comprising a light detection device, wherein:

two or more illumination devices are included,

the light detection device is separated from each of the two or more illumination devices and is configured to detect light amounts of the two or more illumination devices, and

the light detection device is configured to transmit the detection values based on detected light amounts to the control device on the request from the control device.

13. The illumination system according to claim 12, wherein the control device is electrically connected to each of the two or more illumination devices, and is configured to control a detection target illumination device detected by the light detection device such that the light amount from the detection target illumination device falls in a predetermined range, based on light amounts of the two or more illumination devices detected by the light detection device, and light amounts detected by the sensor in each of the two or more illumination devices.

14. The illumination system according to claim 12, wherein the control device is configured to sort the two or more illumination devices into two or more illumination groups, and

the control device is configured to, in each of the two or more illumination groups, transmit correction data to an illumination group based on the light amount detected on an illumination device belonging to the illumination group, the light amount being measured by the light detection device, and the light amount detected by the sensor in the illumination device.

15. The illumination system according to claim 14, wherein the control device is configured to sort the two or more illumination groups based on information from a history detector configured to detect an illumination device that has been replaced among the two or more illumination devices.

16. A mobile body comprising:

the illumination system according to claim 9; and

a body to which the illumination system is mounted.