CA2562373A1 - Light regulation device - Google Patents

Light regulation device Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2562373A1
CA2562373A1 CA002562373A CA2562373A CA2562373A1 CA 2562373 A1 CA2562373 A1 CA 2562373A1 CA 002562373 A CA002562373 A CA 002562373A CA 2562373 A CA2562373 A CA 2562373A CA 2562373 A1 CA2562373 A1 CA 2562373A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
value
tolerance range
regulator
luminous flux
desired value
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA002562373A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Wolfgang Langgassner
Axel Pilz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Osram GmbH
Original Assignee
Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh
Wolfgang Langgassner
Axel Pilz
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh, Wolfgang Langgassner, Axel Pilz filed Critical Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh
Publication of CA2562373A1 publication Critical patent/CA2562373A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B47/00Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
    • H05B47/10Controlling the light source
    • H05B47/105Controlling the light source in response to determined parameters
    • H05B47/11Controlling the light source in response to determined parameters by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02BCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B20/00Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
    • Y02B20/40Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A light regulation device comprises at least one light sensor (10) which provides at its output a real brightness value, at least one regulator (22a to 22d) to which a set brightness value can be supplied, besides said real value, and a number n of output connections (24a to 24d), n being greater than or equal to two. Each output connection (24a to 24d) is coupled to the output of a regulator (22a to 22d) in order to modify the light flux which can be supplied to at least one of the lighting means (18a to 18d). The regulator (22a to 22d) is designed to determine a difference between set and real values, to verify whether this difference lies within or outside a predeterminable tolerance range, and, in the event that the difference lies outside the tolerance range, to modify accordingly the light flux from the lighting means (18a to 18d) which can be connected to the n output connections (24a to 24d). At least one limit of the tolerance range depends on the actual light flux value.

Description

Light regulation device Technical field The present invention relates to a light regulation device, in particular a light regulation device having at least one light sensor, which provides an actual value for the brightness at its output, at least one regulator, to which a desired value for the brightness can be supplied, in addition to this actual value, a number n of output connections, where n is greater than or equal to two, each output connection being coupled to the output of a regulator for the purpose of changing the luminous flux of in each case at least one luminous means, the regulator being designed to determine a difference between the desired value and the actual value and to check whether this difference is within or outside a predeterminable tolerance range and, for the case in which the difference is outside the tolerance range, to change the luminous flux of the luminous means, which can be connected to the n output connections, in a corresponding manner.
Prior art Such a light regulation device known from the prior art is illustrated in figure 1 and will be used to explain the problem on which the invention is based. Figure 1 shows such a device having a light sensor 10, which provides an actual value to a regulator 12. Furthermore, a desired value is also supplied to said regulator from an input device 14, for example a store having a user interface. The output of the regulator 12 is connected to a plurality of electronic ballasts 16a to 16d, each electronic ballast 16a to 16d driving a luminous means with a luminous flux set by the regulator 12. The regulation takes place in accordance with the graph illustrated in figure 2, in which the difference between the desired value and the actual value is plotted against the relative luminous flux. A
desired value line is shown around which a tolerance range is applied. When it becomes darker, for example in the evening, the difference of the desired value minus the actual value begins to grow, see the line 10, until the upper limit of the tolerance range has been reached. Thereupon, the regulator 12 changes the signal provided at its output such that the luminous means which is/are connected thereto is/are as its power increased, i.e. the luminous flux supplied to the luminous means is increased. The new dimming input value output by the regulator 12 is accordingly converted to a new dimming setting uniformly by all the connected electronic ballasts 16a to 16d. This process is repeated until the regulation deviation is corrected.
One disadvantage of this known device consists in the fact that there is often no space available for accommodating the regulator 12. The central regulator 12 also requires additional wiring. The use of a central regulator 12 therefore entails undesirable costs.
The basic solution to this problem consists in a regulator being associated with each electric ballast. It is therefore not necessary for the regulator 12 to be fitted at a central location. Instead, it can be fitted together with the electronic ballasts. This solution using the tolerance range known from the prior art has not proven to be practicable without additional measures in practice, however: Depending on the positioning of the respective lamp with respect to the light sensor, it is possible for the regulators, which function independently of one another and are assigned to the individual electronic ballasts, to move away from one another. As a consequence, this means that, in order to reach the desired luminous value, some lamps can be completely switched off, while other lamps are operating at full power. This is undesirable, on the one hand, because this may lead to nonuniform illumination of the space to be illuminated.
Although a low value for a difference between the desired value and the actual value shows that the desired illumination value has essentially been reached, this only applies to the location at which the sensor is fitted. If a group workplace is taken as an example of a space to be illuminated in which the lamps are positioned two to three meters apart from one another, this may lead to some places being too bright and others being illuminated too little. On the other hand, this leads to earlier failure of those lamps which are often operated at full power, which is a significant disadvantage in particular in the case of lamps which are difficult to gain access to, for example in factory buildings.
Description of the invention The present invention is therefore based on the object of developing a light regulation device mentioned at the outset such that illumination of a space to be illuminated can be achieved which is as uniform as possible even when using a plurality of regulators.
This object is achieved by a device having the features of patent claim 1.
The present invention is based on the knowledge that the above object can be achieved if the limits of the tolerance range, which, when exceeded, cause a regulation process to be triggered, are made dependent on the present value for the luminous flux. This solution results in the dimming settings of the individual electronic ballasts being brought closer together since, in the case of deviations, extreme values are included in the regulation first. According to the invention, dimming setting is understood to mean the supply of a specific luminous flux to the corresponding luminous means. In the case of a supply from a source other than the electronic ballast, this may also be understood to mean a signal which drives the other source in a corresponding manner. In other words, by means of the regulator the tolerance range is left first in the case of an increasing negative deviation (= too bright) and, as a result, a downward regulation process is triggered which outputs the highest relative luminous flux. Conversely, in the case of a positive deviation, the regulator which is associated with the lowest relative luminous flux begins to regulate upwards, as the first device. Deviations in the dimming settings of the individual devices are therefore eliminated automatically, virtually in a self-correcting manner.
The design of the tolerance range according to the invention is of course also possible in light regulation devices with regulators in accordance with the prior art, a regulator being associated with each electronic ballast as a separate control device. In particular, the invention can also be used in light regulation devices in which a dedicated sensor is associated with each regulator.
In the case of a laboratory model of a device according to the invention, a maximum deviation of the dimming increments of the individual luminous means from one another could be kept below 100. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the regulation starts in each regulator individually, i.e.
independently of the others, if the difference between the actual value and the desired value is outside the tolerance range, the regulation only ending when the desired value is reached and not when the tolerance range limit is reached. This is also to be understood as the desired value being exceeded or undershot in the course of a regulation process, the mathematical sign inversion being identified in the regulator and this being used to end the regulation process. This ensures that approximately the same target value is set irrespective of the regulation direction.
In the context of the present invention, an output connection is understood to be the output of a regulator, which output can be designed such that one or else a plurality of luminous means can be connected thereto, wherein or so that all the connected luminous means are driven by the same luminous flux.
According to the invention, the upper or the lower limit of the tolerance range or both may be dependent on the present value for the luminous flux.
A desired value line is preferably arranged within the tolerance range, the desired value line coming closer to the upper limit of the tolerance range the lower the value for the luminous flux. The desired value line preferably touches the upper limit of the tolerance range at the minimum value for the luminous flux.
Conversely, it is preferred if the desired value line comes closer to the lower limit of the tolerance range the higher the value for the luminous flux. In one preferred embodiment, the desired value line touches the lower limit of the tolerance range at the maximum value for the luminous flux. The two abovementioned preferred embodiments ensure that regulation at extreme values for the luminous flux is carried out even in the case of the smallest of deviations, while the tolerance is at a maximum in the case of an inverted mathematical sign for the deviation.
As has already been mentioned, it is preferred if a regulator is associated with each output connection, it being particularly preferred if each regulator is arranged in an accompanying electric ballast. This is based on the consideration that a microprocessor is available in any case in each electronic ballast, which microprocessor can easily also be used for regulating the luminous flux. This furthermore results in the advantage that the regulator is arranged in the same housing as the electronic ballast and therefore separate installation and separate wiring are not required at all.
One further preferred embodiment is characterized by the fact that a store is associated with each regulator, in which store a characteristic and/or a family of characteristics is stored which has an associated luminous means, in particular for the purpose of establishing the regulation response. This results in the possibility of using different luminous means since in each case separate characteristics and/or tolerance ranges can be stored. The regulation response comprises, as a parameter, in particular a predeterminable value for the luminous flux depending on the determined difference between the desired value and the actual value and/or the regulation speed. For example, in this context it is also possible to take into consideration the fact that, owing to an exponential dimming curve, a change by a DALI dimming increment at a high luminous flux, when considered in absolute terms, brings about a greater change in the light than at a low luminous flux.
In order to control even the worst case, namely the case in which an installed lamp has absolutely no influence on the light sensor, for example owing to it being installed outside the coverage range, the invention provides for the change in the luminous flux to be carried out in predeterminable dimming increments, the number of dimming increments, i.e. the stepwise change in the luminous flux supplied to the luminous means, being limited to a predeterminable value within the tolerance range. If this predeterminable number of dimming increments is reached as part of the regulation, the regulation is interrupted.
Further advantageous embodiments are given in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings One exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
figure 1 shows a light regulation device known from the prior art;
figure 2 shows the tolerance range used in the regulation in the prior art;
figure 3 shows one embodiment of a light regulation device according to the invention; and figure 4 shows the tolerance range used in the case of a regulation device according to the invention.
Preferred embodiment of the invention The same reference symbols will be used below for identical and similar elements.
Figure 3 shows one embodiment of a light regulation device according to the invention. It comprises a sensor 10, which provides an actual value at four electronic ballasts (EBs) 20a to 20d. This actual value is supplied to the regulator 22a to 22d arranged in the respective electronic ballast, in addition to a desired value provided by an apparatus 14, within the EBs.
The difference between the desired value and the actual value is determined within the regulator and it is established whether this value is within or outside the tolerance range, see figure 4. The permissible deviation depends severely on the present relative luminous flux. The desired value line comes closer to the upper limit of the tolerance range the lower the value for the luminous flux. Conversely, the desired value line comes closer to the lower limit of the tolerance range the higher the value for the luminous flux. If the actual value is lower than the desired value, accordingly the luminous flux is too low and it is increased. In contrast, in the case in which the actual value is greater than the desired value, it is decreased. As can be seen in figure 3, individual luminous fluxes are applied to the luminous means 18a to 18d by the regulators 22a to 22d via output connections 24a to 24d, these luminous fluxes being associated in this case, by way of example, with four different dimming settings DS 1 to DS 4.
Each regulator 22a to 22d has a store (not illustrated) in which a characteristic and/or a family of characteristics of the luminous means 18a to 18d associated with the respective regulator 22a to 22d is stored. As a consequence of the present invention, the luminous means 18a to 18d may be different, for example a mixture of LEDs and fluorescent tubes. The tolerance range illustrated in figure 4 means that devices which have already been regulated upwards, for example, are later regulated upwards further than devices which still have the most regulation potential. The same applies to regulating downwards.

Claims (14)

1. A light regulation device having - at least one light sensor (10), which provides an actual value for the brightness at its output, - at least one regulator (22a to 22d), to which a desired value for the brightness can be supplied, in addition to this actual value, - a number n of output connections (24a to 24d), where n is greater than or equal to two, each output connection (24a to 24d) being coupled to the output of a regulator (22a to 22d) for the purpose of changing the luminous flux which can be supplied in each case to at least one luminous means (18a to 18d), the regulator (22a to 22d) being designed to determine a difference between the desired value and the actual value and to check whether this difference is within or outside a predeterminable tolerance range and, for the case in which the difference is outside the tolerance range, to change the luminous flux of the luminous means (18a to 18d), which can be connected to the n output connections (24a to 24d), in a corresponding manner;
characterized in that at least one limit of the tolerance range depends on the present value for the luminous flux.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the upper and/or the lower limit of the tolerance range depend on the present value for the luminous flux.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a desired value line is arranged within the tolerance range.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the at least one regulator (22a to 22d) is designed to end the regulation only when the desired value line has been reached.
5. The device as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the desired value line comes closer to the upper limit of the tolerance range the lower the value for the luminous flux.
6. The device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the desired value line touches the upper limit of the tolerance range at the minimum value for the luminous flux.
7. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the desired value line comes closer to the lower limit of the tolerance range the higher the value for the luminous flux.
8. The device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the desired value line touches the lower limit of the tolerance range at the maximum value for the luminous flux.
9. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a regulator (22a to 22d) is associated with each output connection (24a to 24d).
10. The device as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that each regulator (22a to 22d) is arranged in an electric ballast (20a to 20d) .
11. The device as claimed in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that a store is associated with each regulator (22a to 22d), in which store a characteristic and/or a family of characteristics is stored which has an associated luminous means (18a to 18d), in particular for the purpose of establishing the regulation response and/or establishing the form of the tolerance range.
12. The device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the regulation response comprises, as a parameter, a predeterminable value for the luminous flux depending on the determined difference between the desired value and the actual value and/or the regulation speed.
13. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed to carry out the change in the luminous flux in predeterminable dimming increments, the number of dimming increments being limited to a predeterminable value within the tolerance range.
14. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that it is designed to interrupt the regulation once the predeterminable number of dimming increments has been reached.
CA002562373A 2004-04-15 2005-03-31 Light regulation device Abandoned CA2562373A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102004018912A DE102004018912A1 (en) 2004-04-15 2004-04-15 Device for light control
DE102004018912.9 2004-04-15
PCT/DE2005/000572 WO2005101917A1 (en) 2004-04-15 2005-03-31 Light regulation device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2562373A1 true CA2562373A1 (en) 2005-10-27

Family

ID=34967567

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002562373A Abandoned CA2562373A1 (en) 2004-04-15 2005-03-31 Light regulation device

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US7528556B2 (en)
EP (1) EP1738617B1 (en)
JP (1) JP4411347B2 (en)
AT (1) ATE536082T1 (en)
CA (1) CA2562373A1 (en)
DE (1) DE102004018912A1 (en)
PL (1) PL1738617T3 (en)
WO (1) WO2005101917A1 (en)

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WO2007054758A1 (en) * 2005-11-10 2007-05-18 Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. Led luminaire having non-uniform lighting capability
DE102006028670B4 (en) 2006-06-22 2018-10-25 Tridonic Gmbh & Co Kg Dimmable control gear with internal dimming characteristic, method for compensating tolerances of operating diodes controlled by a control gear and method for configuring a control gear for bulbs
DE102007009532A1 (en) * 2007-02-27 2008-08-28 Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh Radiation-emitting semiconductor component i.e. red luminous LED, controlling method for operating component, involves generating pulse-shaped electrical operating current for operating radiation-emitting semiconductor component
DE102007036978A1 (en) * 2007-08-06 2009-02-12 Tridonicatco Gmbh & Co. Kg Device and method for controlling the light output
EP2319277A2 (en) 2008-07-23 2011-05-11 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Illumination system with automatic adaptation to daylight level
EP2438798B1 (en) 2009-06-04 2018-09-26 Philips Lighting Holding B.V. Wake-up of light sensor in a lighting system
DE102010031428A1 (en) * 2010-07-16 2012-01-19 Zumtobel Lighting Gmbh lamp
DE102011017681A1 (en) * 2011-04-28 2012-10-31 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Light signal device and method for controlling a light signal device

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US4156166A (en) * 1976-08-18 1979-05-22 Royal Industries, Inc. Method and apparatus for saving energy
US5089748A (en) 1990-06-13 1992-02-18 Delco Electronics Corporation Photo-feedback drive system
US6781329B2 (en) * 1997-08-26 2004-08-24 Color Kinetics Incorporated Methods and apparatus for illumination of liquids
US6445139B1 (en) 1998-12-18 2002-09-03 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Led luminaire with electrically adjusted color balance
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US7098774B2 (en) * 2002-12-19 2006-08-29 General Electric Company Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling warning systems
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EP1846936A4 (en) * 2005-01-24 2011-08-10 Philips Solid State Lighting Methods and apparatus for providing workspace lighting and facilitating workspace customization

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE536082T1 (en) 2011-12-15
JP2007533085A (en) 2007-11-15
US20070216314A1 (en) 2007-09-20
DE102004018912A1 (en) 2005-11-03
EP1738617B1 (en) 2011-11-30
JP4411347B2 (en) 2010-02-10
EP1738617A1 (en) 2007-01-03
WO2005101917A1 (en) 2005-10-27
PL1738617T3 (en) 2012-05-31
US7528556B2 (en) 2009-05-05

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
FZDE Discontinued