Lighting system and method for operating a lighting system having an integrated safety concept

• US 9,801,263 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zumtobel Lighting GmbH (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Zumtobel Lighting GmbH (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Inventors: Siegel, Martin, Werner, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaiser, Syed M
• Application Number:
  US15/117,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 315 97, 315151, 315250, 315214 R, 340553, 340534
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

A lighting system having an operating device and a plurality of lamps. The operating device serves to control the lamps. Each of the lamps has an identification transmitting unit, which serves to control the particular lamp at least temporarily in such a way that the particular lamp outputs an identification light signal to be uniquely identified. An identification receiving unit, which receives the identification light signals of the lamps, is integrated in the operating device. The lighting system is designed in such a way that only lamps whose identification light signal is presently received by the identification receiving unit of the operating device at the time of the output of a control signal for controlling the lamps or within a defined time period therebefore can be controlled.

Claims

1. A lighting system controlled by a mobile operating device, the lighting system comprising:

a plurality of lamps, the operating device being designed to control the lamps, wherein the lamps in each case have an identification transmitting unit which is designed to control the respective lamp at least temporarily in such a manner that the lamp delivers an identification light signal unambiguously identifying the respective lamp,

the operating device has an identification receiving unit which is configured to receive the identification light signals of the lamps, and

a controller configured in such a manner that only lamps can be controlled by the operating device, the identification light signal of which is received by the identification receiving unit of the operating device at the time of delivery of a control signal for controlling the lamps or within a defined first period of time before;

wherein in the case of a control of the respective lamp starting from a switched-off state of the lamp, to switch independently of a transmission of a signal derived from the associated identification light signal by the operating device, into a switched-on state for a second period of time and during this second period to send out the identification light signal by means of the identification transmitting unit of the lamp,

wherein the control is accepted by the lamp previously switched off, if during this second period of time a successful transmission of a signal derived from the identification light signal is transmitted by the operating device, and

wherein the lamps change back into the switched-off state when there has been no transmission of a signal derived from the associated identification light signal by the end of the second period of time.

2. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lighting system also has a database in which the identification light signals and/or signals derived therefrom of the respective lamps and additional information of the respective lamps are stored, and

in that the operating device is designed to retrieve at least a part of the additional information of the respective lamps after reception of an identification light signal by means of an inquiry from the database and/or exclusively to control a lamp unambiguously allocated to the identification light signal.

3. The lighting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the additional information of the respective lamps contains a lamp addressing, and

in that the operating device is designed to control the respective lamp by means of its lamp addressing.

4. The lighting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the additional information of the respective lamps contains a position of the lamp, and

in that the operating device has a display unit which is designed to display the positions of the lamps.

5. The lighting system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the additional information of the respective lamps contains available control options of the lamp,

in that the control options can contain a switching state and/or a dimming state and/or a color temperature and/or a lighting sequence, and

in that the operating device is designed to display available control options only for the respective lamp by means of a display unit.

6. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating device has a wireless communication interface, and

in that the controlling of the lamps by the operating device occurs by means of the wireless communication interface of the operating device.

7. The lighting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the operating device is designed to send control commands for controlling the lamps and signals derived from the received identification light signals by means of the communication interface to a communication interface corresponding with the lamps in terms of control, the lighting system being designed in such a manner to accept a control of a lamp via the operating device only when the derived signal can be unambiguously allocated to the identification light signal of this lamp, wherein the derived signal can be unambiguously allocated to a lamp to be controlled on the basis of the database stored in the lighting system.

8. The lighting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lamps have in each case a wireless communication interface,

in that the lamps are controlled by the operating device directly by means of the wireless communication interfaces of the operating device and of the lamps,

in that the operating device is designed to send signals derived from received identification light signals to the lamps by means of the wireless communication interfaces, and

in that the lamps are designed to accept a control via the operating device only when the respective lamp receives a signal derived from the respective identification light signal sent out.

9. The lighting system as claimed in claim 8, wherein

the lamps are designed not to respond to a control by the operating device during a third period of time following the second period of time after the second period of time has elapsed.

10. The lighting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lighting system has a control device which has a wireless communication interface for communication with the operating device, the control device being designed to control the lamps directly and the operating device being designed to control the lamps indirectly via the control device, and

in that the operating device is designed to send signals derived from received identification light signals to the control device by means of the wireless communication interfaces, and

in that the control device is designed to control a lamp only when the control device receives a signal derived from the identification light signal of the lamp sent out.

11. The lighting system as claimed in claim 10, wherein

the control device is designed not to respond to an operation of the lamps by the operating device during a third period of time following the second period of time after the second period of time has elapsed.

12. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lighting system is designed in such a manner that only lamps are controllable, the respective identification light signals of which are received by the identification receiving unit of the operating device with a light intensity which is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

13. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identification light signals of the lamps are a modulation of a light radiated by the lamps for illumination, and/or

in that the identification light signals are Visible Light Communication signals.

14. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the defined first period of time is not more than 10 minutes.

16. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the defined first period of time is not more than 1 minute.

17. The lighting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the defined first period of time is not more than 20 seconds.

15. A method for operating a lighting system having an operating device and a plurality of lamps, the operating device controlling the lamps, wherein the lamps at least temporarily deliver an identification light signal unambiguously identifying the respective lamp,

in that identification light signals of at least one or more of the lamps are received by the operating device,

in that the operating device only controls lamps, the identification light signal of which is received by the operating device at the time of delivery of a control signal for controlling the lamps or within a defined first period of time before;

in that, independently of a transmission of a signal derived from the associated identification light signal by the operating device, it is switched into a switched-on state for a second period of time and during this second period the identification light signal is sent out by means of the identification transmitting unit of the lamp,

in that the control is accepted by the lamp previously switched off, if during this second period of time a successful transmission of a signal derived from the identification light signal is transmitted by the operating device, and

in that the lamps are designed to change back into the switched-off state, when there has been no transmission of a signal derived from the associated identification light signal by the end of the second period of time.

18. A lighting system comprising:

a mobile operating device,

a plurality of lamps, the operating device being configured to control the lamps, wherein the lamps in each case have an identification transmitting unit which is designed to control the respective lamp at least temporarily in such a manner that the lamp delivers an identification light signal unambiguously identifying the respective lamp,

the operating device having an identification receiving unit which is configured to receive the identification light signals of the lamps, and

the lighting system having a controller configured in such a manner that only lamps can be controlled by the operating device, the identification light signal of which is received by the identification receiving unit of the operating device at the time of delivery of a control signal for controlling the lamps or within a defined first period of time before;

wherein the lamps are designed, in case of a control of the respective lamp, starting from a switched-off state of the lamp

to switch, independently of a transmission of a signal derived from the associated identification light signal by the operating device, into a switched-on state for a second period of time and during this second period to send out the identification light signal by means of the identification transmitting unit of the lamp and,

wherein the control is accepted by the lamp previously switched off, if during this second period of time a successful transmission of a signal derived from the identification light signal is transmitted by the operating device, and

wherein the lamps are designed to change back into the switched-off state when there has been no transmission of a signal derived from the associated identification light signal by the end of the second period of time.

19. The lighting system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the operating device is mobile.