WO2025013705A1 - Load control system and load control method - Google Patents

Abstract

This load control system includes: a control device; at least one load device that operates on the basis of a control signal received from the control device; at least one switch that relays communication between the control device and the load device; and a switching device. The switching device is capable of switching, on the basis of control by the control device, between supplying power to the switch or restricting the supply of power to the switch. The control device performs switching of the switching device such that power is supplied to the switch when the control signal is to be transmitted to the load device via the switch. The control device performs switching of the switching device such that the supply of power to the switch is restricted after the control signal is transmitted to the load device via the switch.

Description

LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM AND LOAD CONTROL METHOD CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to patent application No. 2023-112367, filed in Japan on July 7, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

This disclosure relates to a load control system and a load control method.

　Conventionally, load devices that are controlled via a network are known. Techniques for reducing the power consumption of such load devices are also known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a network switch that continues to supply power to a network device as long as a signal that is spontaneously and repeatedly sent by the device is received within a period shorter than a predetermined cutoff period.

Patent No. 6148237

A load control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A control device;
At least one load device that operates based on a control signal received from the control device;
At least one switch that relays communication between the control device and the load device;
A switching device capable of switching between supplying power to the switch and limiting power supply to the switch based on control of the control device,
The control device includes:
switching the switching device so that power is supplied to the switch when the control signal is transmitted to the load device via the switch;
After transmitting the control signal to the load device via the switch, the switching device is switched so that power supply to the switch is limited.

A load control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
A control device;
At least one load device that operates based on a control signal received from the control device;
At least one switch that relays communication between the control device and the load device;
A load control method in a load control system including: a switching device capable of switching between supplying power to the switch and limiting power supply to the switch based on control of the control device, comprising:
switching the switching device so that power is supplied to the switch when the control device transmits the control signal to the load device via the switch;
The method includes transmitting the control signal to the load device via the switch by the control device, and then switching the switching device so that power supply to the switch is limited.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a lighting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the lighting device shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a procedure for setting a luminaire that is turned on. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of control of a first relay circuit and a second relay circuit. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a procedure for turning off a lighting fixture. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of control of a first relay circuit and a second relay circuit. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a procedure for lighting a lamp.

There is room for improvement in technology for reducing the power consumption of load devices. For example, it would be useful to be able to reduce the power consumption of a system that includes load devices. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve technology for reducing the power consumption of load devices.

Below, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the load control system of the present disclosure is a lighting system 1 as shown in FIG. 1. However, the load control system is not limited to the lighting system 1 as long as it includes load devices controlled via a network. In the following drawings, solid lines indicate the flow of power. Dashed lines indicate the flow of communication.

A lighting system 1 as shown in FIG. 1 is constructed in, for example, a building. The lighting system 1 is connected to a distribution board 2. Power is supplied from the distribution board 2 to the lighting system 1. The lighting system 1 controls the lighting in the building using the power supplied from the distribution board 2.

The lighting system 1 is connected to a network 3. The network 3 is any network including a mobile communication network and the Internet. The lighting system 1 can communicate with an electronic device 4 via the network 3. A user can control the lighting in the building with the lighting system 1 via the electronic device 4.

The lighting system 1 includes a control device 10, a switching device 20, and load groups 30-1, 30-2, ..., 30-n. Hereinafter, when the load groups 30-1 to 30-n are not particularly distinguished from one another, they are also simply referred to as "load group 30". The lighting system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes n load groups 30 (n is an integer satisfying 1≦n). However, the lighting system 1 only needs to include at least one load group 30. The load group 30 includes a switch 40 and at least one load device. In this embodiment, the load group 30 includes a plurality of lamps 50 as at least one load device. However, the number of lamps 50 included in the load group 30 may be one. In addition, the load device included in the load group 30 is not limited to the lamp 50. As another example, the load device included in the load group 30 may be an illuminance sensor, a camera, a human presence sensor, or the like. The load group 30 may also include a combination of at least two of the lamps 50, illuminance sensors, cameras, and motion sensors. Hereinafter, the switch 40 included in the load group 30-k (k is an integer satisfying 1≦k≦n) will also be referred to as "switch 40-k." The lamp 50 included in the load group 30-k will also be referred to as "lamp 50-k."

The control device 10 is placed, for example, in a warehouse or workshop within a building. The control device 10 is capable of communicating with the switching device 20 and the switch 40. The communication path between the control device 10 and the switching device 20 is established, for example, by a Universal Serial Bus (USB). The communication path between the control device 10 and the switch 40 is established, for example, by Ethernet. The communication between the control device 10 and the switching device 20 and the switch 40 may be compliant with KNX.

In this embodiment, the multiple switches 40 are connected to the control device 10 in a chain connection. By connecting the multiple switches 40 in a chain connection, it is possible to reduce the amount of wiring required. However, the connection method of the multiple switches 40 to the control device 10 is not limited to a chain connection. As another example, the connection method of the multiple switches 40 to the control device 10 may be a star connection. Hereinafter, in a chain connection, a switch 40 connected closer to the control device 10 is described as a "higher switch 40". Switch 40-1 is the highest switch 40. Also, in a chain connection, a switch 40 connected farther from the control device 10 is described as a "lower switch 40". Switch 40-n is the lowest switch 40.

The switching device 20 is placed, for example, in a warehouse or workshop within a building. The switching device 20 is connected to a distribution board 2. In this embodiment, the switching device 20 is configured as a device separate from the control device 10. However, the switching device 20 and the control device 10 may be configured as a single device.

The switching device 20 can switch between supplying power from the distribution board 2 to the switch 40 and restricting the power supply to the switch 40 based on the control of the control device 10. In this embodiment, the switching device 20 restricts the power supply to the switch 40 by stopping the power supply to the switch 40. However, the restriction of the power supply to the switch 40 by the switching device 20 is not limited to stopping the power supply to the switch 40. As another example, the restriction of the power supply to the switch 40 by the switching device 20 may be to reduce the power supplied to the switch 40 to a first predetermined value. The first predetermined value may be set in consideration of saving power consumption of the switch 40 in the lighting system 1.

The switching device 20 can switch between supplying power from the distribution board 2 to the luminaire 50-k or restricting the power supply to the luminaire 50-k based on the control of the control device 10. In this embodiment, the switching device 20 restricts the power supply to the luminaire 50-k by stopping the power supply to the luminaire 50-k. However, the restriction of the power supply to the luminaire 50-k by the switching device 20 is not limited to stopping the power supply to the luminaire 50-k. As another example, the restriction of the power supply to the luminaire 50-k by the switching device 20 may be to reduce the power supplied to the luminaire 50-k to a second predetermined value. The second predetermined value may be set in consideration of saving power consumption of the luminaire 50-k in the lighting system 1.

The control device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a memory unit 12, and a control unit 13.

The communication unit 11 is configured to include at least one communication module that can be connected to the network 3. The communication module is, for example, a communication module that complies with standards such as a wired LAN (Local Area Network) or a wireless LAN. The communication unit 11 is connected to the network 3 via the wired LAN or wireless LAN by the communication module.

The communication unit 11 includes at least one communication module capable of communicating with the switching device 20 and the switch 40. The communication module is, for example, a KNX-compliant communication module.

The memory unit 12 is configured to include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The memory unit 12 may function as a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 12 stores data used in the operation of the control device 10 and data obtained by the operation of the control device 10. The memory unit 12 may store a program executed by the control unit 13.

The control unit 13 is configured to include at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The control unit 13 executes processes related to the operation of the control unit 10 while controlling each part of the control unit 10.

The control unit 13 may receive a control signal from the electronic device 4 via the network 3 through the communication unit 11. The control signal is transmitted from the electronic device 4 to the control device 10, for example, by the user operating the electronic device 4. The control signal is a signal for controlling a load device. The control signal may be any signal for controlling a load device. In this embodiment, the load device is a lamp 50. In this embodiment, the control signal indicates information for identifying the lamp 50 to be controlled. Hereinafter, the lamp 50 to be controlled by the control signal is also referred to as "lamp 50T". The lamp 50T may be all of the multiple lamps 50-k included in the load group 30-k, or any of the multiple lamps 50-k included in the load group 30-k.

The control signal in this embodiment is, for example, a light-on signal, a light-off signal, or a setting signal.

The lighting signal is a signal for turning on the luminaire 50, and indicates information that identifies the luminaire 50 to be turned on, i.e., the luminaire 50T to be controlled, and information on the illuminance of the luminaire 50T.

The light-off signal is a signal for turning off the luminaire 50, and indicates information that identifies the luminaire 50 to be turned off, i.e., the luminaire 50T to be controlled.

The setting signal is a signal for making various settings of the luminaire 50 or a signal for changing the settings of the luminaire 50, and indicates information for identifying the luminaire 50 for which various settings or setting changes are to be made, i.e., the luminaire 50T to be controlled. The various settings of the luminaire 50 include, for example, a setting of the first initial illuminance of the luminaire 50. The first initial illuminance is the initial illuminance of the luminaire 50 that is set from outside the luminaire 50 by a control signal or the like. A change in the setting of the luminaire 50 is, for example, a change in the setting of the illuminance of the luminaire 50 while it is turned on. Even when the luminaire 50 is turned on, the illuminance of the luminaire 50 may change due to changes in external light, etc. External light may change due to changes in the weather, rearrangements of furniture in the room in which the luminaire 50 is placed, opening and closing of blinds in the room, etc.

When the control unit 13 receives the control signal, it transmits a first on signal to the switching device 20 via the communication unit 11. The first on signal is a signal for switching the switching device 20 so that power is supplied to the switches 40-1 to 40-n. When the first on signal is transmitted to the switching device 20, power is supplied to the switch 40. When power is supplied to the switch 40, the switch 40 starts up. After the switch 40 has finished starting up, the control unit 13 transmits (transfers) the control signal to the top-level switch 40-1 via the communication unit 11.

After transmitting the control signal to switch 40-1, control unit 13 transmits a first off signal to switching device 20 via communication unit 11. The first off signal is a signal for switching device 20 so that the power supply to switches 40-1 to 40-n is stopped. When the power supply to switch 40 is stopped, switch 40 is stopped.

When the control unit 13 receives a turn-on signal as a control signal, it transmits a second on signal to the switching device 20 via the communication unit 11. The second on signal is a signal for switching the switching device 20 so that power is supplied to the lighting fixture 50T.

When the control unit 13 receives a light-off signal as a control signal, it transmits a second off signal to the switching device 20 via the communication unit 11. The second off signal is a signal for switching the switching device 20 so that the power supply to the lighting fixture 5T is stopped.

The switching device 20 includes a terminal 21, a terminal 22, a plurality of terminals 23, a first relay circuit 24, and a plurality of second relay circuits 25. In this embodiment, the switching device 20 includes the first relay circuit 24 and the second relay circuit 25. However, the switching device 20 may be configured to include any element other than the first relay circuit 24 and the second relay circuit 25, as long as the switching device 20 can switch whether or not power from the distribution board 2 is supplied to the switch 40, etc. As another example, the switching device 20 may be configured to include an actuator that complies with the KNX protocol, etc.

Terminal 21 is connected to the distribution board 2. Power is supplied to terminal 21 from the distribution board 2. For example, AC power of 100 V or 200 V is supplied from the distribution board 2 to terminal 21. Terminal 22 is connected to switches 40-1 to 40-n. The multiple terminals 23 are respectively connected to multiple lighting fixtures 50. Hereinafter, terminal 23 connected to lighting fixture 50-k will also be referred to as "terminal 23-k."

The first relay circuit 24 is connected between terminal 21 and terminal 22. The multiple second relay circuits 25 are connected between terminal 21 and any one of the multiple terminals 23. Hereinafter, the second relay circuit 25 connected between terminal 21 and terminal 23-k is also referred to as the "second relay circuit 25-k."

The switching device 20 can receive a first on signal from the control device 10. When the switching device 20 receives the first on signal, it turns on the first relay circuit 24. When the first relay circuit 24 turns on, power from the distribution board 2 is supplied to the switches 40-1 to 40-n via the terminals 21 and 22.

The switching device 20 can receive a first off signal from the control device 10. When the switching device 20 receives the first off signal, it turns off the first relay circuit 24. When the first relay circuit 24 turns off, the power supply from the distribution board 2 to the switches 40-1 to 40-n is stopped.

The switching device 20 can receive a second on signal from the control device 10. When the switching device 20 receives the second on signal, it turns on the second relay circuit 25 between the terminal 21 and the terminal 23 connected to the lighting fixture 50T. When the second relay circuit 25 turns on, power is supplied from the distribution board 2 to the lighting fixture 50T.

The switching device 20 can receive a second off signal from the control device 10. When the switching device 20 receives the second off signal, it turns off the second relay circuit 25 between the terminal 21 and the terminal 23 connected to the lighting fixture 50T. When the second relay circuit 25 turns off, the power supply from the distribution board 2 to the lighting fixture 50T is stopped.

The switch 40 is placed, for example, in the ceiling of a room. Power is supplied to the switch 40 from the switching device 20. The switch 40 is driven by the power supplied from the switching device 20.

The switch 40-k relays communication between the control device 10 and the luminaire 50-k. The switch 40 is, for example, an Ethernet switch. The switch 40 may be an unmanaged switch. However, the switch 40 is not limited to an Ethernet switch. The switch 40-k may be any element that can relay communication between the control device 10 and the luminaire 50-k. As another example, when communication between the control device 10 and the luminaire 50-k is Wi-Fi (registered trademark), the switch 40-k may be a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) access point.

The switch 40-1 can receive a control signal directly from the control device 10. The switches 40 other than the switch 40-1 can receive a control signal from the control device 10 via a higher-level switch 40. If the luminaire 50T indicated by the control signal is a luminaire 50 in the same load group 30 as the switch 40, the switch 40 transfers the control signal to the luminaire 50T. If the luminaire 50T indicated by the control signal is not a luminaire 50 in the same load group 30 as the switch 40, the switch 40 transfers the control signal to a lower-level switch 40.

The lighting fixture 50 is placed, for example, on the ceiling of a room. Power is supplied to the lighting fixture 50 from the switching device 20. A control signal is sent to the lighting fixture 50 from the switch 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lamp 50 includes a power supply circuit 51, a driver 52, a light-emitting element 53, a communication unit 54, a memory unit 55, and a control unit 56.

The power supply circuit 51 is supplied with AC power from the switching device 20. The power supply circuit 51 includes an AC/DC converter and the like. The AC/DC converter converts the AC power supplied from the switching device 20 into DC power of a predetermined voltage. The predetermined voltage is set, for example, based on the operating voltage of at least one of the driver 52, the light-emitting element 53, the communication unit 54, the memory unit 55, and the control unit 56. The power supply circuit 15 supplies the converted DC power to the driver 52, the light-emitting element 53, the communication unit 54, the memory unit 55, and the control unit 56.

The driver 52 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) driver. The driver 52 generates a drive signal for driving the light-emitting element 53 based on the control of the control unit 56. The drive signal is, for example, a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. The driver 52 outputs the generated drive signal to the light-emitting element 53.

The light-emitting element 53 includes, for example, an LED. A drive signal is input from the driver 52 to the light-emitting element 53. The light-emitting element 53 emits light based on the input drive signal.

The communication unit 54 includes at least one communication module capable of communicating with the switch 40. The communication module is, for example, a communication module that complies with standards such as a wired LAN or a wireless LAN.

The storage unit 55 is configured to include at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM or a ROM. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. The storage unit 55 may function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 55 stores data used in the operation of the lighting device 50 and data obtained by the operation of the lighting device 50. For example, the non-volatile memory of the storage unit 55 stores the first initial illuminance or the second initial illuminance, and the third initial illuminance. The storage unit 55 may store a program executed by the control unit 56.

The control unit 56 is configured to include at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or ASIC. The control unit 56 executes processes related to the operation of the lighting fixture 50 while controlling each part of the lighting fixture 50.

The control unit 56 can receive a control signal from the switch 40 via the communication unit 54. When the control unit 56 receives the control signal, it executes processing according to the control signal, as described below.

If the control signal (setting signal) is a signal for setting the first initial illuminance of the luminaire 50, the control unit 56 stores the first initial illuminance of the luminaire 50 in the memory unit 55.

If the control signal is a light-off signal, the control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to stop the light-emitting element 53 from emitting light. However, if the first initial illuminance is not stored in the memory unit 55, the control unit 56 stores the illuminance of the lamp 50 immediately before it was turned off in the memory unit 55 as the second initial illuminance.

If the control signal (setting signal) is a signal for changing the setting of the illuminance of the lit luminaire 50, the control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to change the amount of light emitted by the emitting light-emitting element 53 so that the illuminance of the lit luminaire 50 becomes the illuminance indicated by the setting signal. When the illuminance of the luminaire 50 is changed, the control unit 56 may store the changed illuminance of the luminaire 50 in the memory unit 55 as a third initial illuminance. The third initial illuminance is the initial illuminance of the luminaire 50 when the lighting system 1 is restored to power and turns on the luminaire 50 after a power outage occurs in the lighting system 1 and the luminaire 50 is turned off.

If the control signal is a lighting signal, the control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to cause the light-emitting element 53 to emit light. The control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to adjust the amount of light emitted by the light-emitting element 53 so that the illuminance of the lamp 50 becomes the illuminance indicated by the lighting signal.

(Lamp setting process)
Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the procedure for setting a luminaire 50 that is turned on. Hereinafter, the luminaire 50 that is turned on to be set, i.e., luminaire 50T, is assumed to be one of a plurality of luminaires 50-m (m is an integer satisfying 1≦m≦n) as shown in Fig. 4. Before the processing of step S1, the second relay circuit 25-m is in the ON state. The second relay circuits 25 and the first relay circuits 24 other than the second relay circuit 25-m are in the OFF state.

In the control device 10, the control unit 13 receives a setting signal from the electronic device 4 via the network 3 through the communication unit 11 (step S1). Upon receiving the setting signal, the control unit 13 transmits a first on signal to the switching device 20 through the communication unit 11 (step S2).

The switching device 20 receives a first on signal from the control device 10 (step S3). When the switching device 20 receives the first on signal, it turns on the first relay circuit 24 as shown in FIG. 4 (step S4). When the first relay circuit 24 turns on, power is supplied from the distribution board 2 to the switches 40-1 to 40-n. When power is supplied to the switch 40, the switch 40 begins to start up. Thereafter, the start-up of the switch 40 is completed (step S5).

In the control device 10, when the control unit 13 detects a link-up of the switch 40, it transmits a setting signal to the switch 40-1 via the communication unit 11 (step S6). The setting signal is transferred to the switch 40-m via the other switches 40. The switch 40-m receives the setting signal (step S7). The switch 40-m transmits the setting signal to the luminaire 50T (step S8).

In the luminaire 50T, the control unit 56 receives a setting signal from the switch 40-m via the communication unit 54 (step S9). The control unit 56 sets the luminaire 50 according to the received setting signal (step S10). For example, if the setting signal is a signal for setting the first initial illuminance of the luminaire 50, the control unit 56 stores the first initial illuminance in the storage unit 55 (step S10). For example, if the setting signal is a signal for changing the illuminance setting of the lit luminaire 50, the control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to change the amount of light emitted by the emitting element 53 so that the illuminance of the lit luminaire 50 becomes the illuminance indicated by the setting signal (step S10). When the illuminance of the luminaire 50 is changed, the control unit 56 may store the changed illuminance of the luminaire 50 as the third initial illuminance in the storage unit 55.

In the control device 10, the control unit 13 transmits a first off signal to the switching device 20 via the communication unit 11 (step S11). When the switching device 20 receives the first off signal from the control device 10 (step S12), it turns off the first relay circuit 24 (step S13). When the first relay circuit 24 turns off, the power supply from the distribution board 2 to the switches 40-1 to 40-n is stopped. As the power supply to the switch 40 is stopped, the switch 40 is stopped (step S14).

(Light turning off process)
Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the procedure for turning off the luminaire 50. Hereinafter, the luminaires 50 to be turned off, i.e., the luminaires 50T, are assumed to be all of the multiple luminaires 50-p (p is an integer satisfying 1≦p≦n) as shown in Fig. 6. Before the processing of step S21, the second relay circuit 25-p is in the ON state. The second relay circuits 25 and the first relay circuit 24 other than the second relay circuit 25-p are in the OFF state.

In the control device 10, the control unit 13 receives a light-off signal from the electronic device 4 via the network 3 through the communication unit 11 (step S21). Upon receiving the light-off signal, the control unit 13 transmits a first on signal to the switching device 20 through the communication unit 11 (step S22).

The switching device 20 executes steps S23 and S24 in the same or similar manner as steps S3 and S4 shown in FIG. 3. By executing the process of step S24, power is supplied from the distribution board 2 to the switches 40-1 to 40-n via the first relay circuit 24. After this, the activation of the switch 40 is completed (step S25).

In the control device 10, when the control unit 13 detects a link-up of the switch 40, it transmits a light-off signal to the switch 40-1 via the communication unit 11 (step S26). The light-off signal is transferred to the switch 40-p via the other switches 40. The switch 40-p receives the light-off signal (step S27). The switch 40-p transmits the light-off signal to all of the multiple luminaires 50-p, i.e., the luminaires 50T (step S28).

In the luminaire 50-p, the control unit 56 receives a turn-off signal from the switch 40-p via the communication unit 54 (step S29). The control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to stop the light-emitting element 53 from emitting light (step S30). However, if the first initial illuminance is not stored in the memory unit 55, the control unit 56 may store the illuminance of the luminaire 50 immediately before it was turned off as the second initial illuminance in the memory unit 55.

In the control device 10, the control unit 13 transmits the first off signal and the second off signal to the switching device 20 via the communication unit 11 (step S31). The switching device 20 receives the first off signal and the second off signal from the control device 10 (step S32). The switching device 20 turns off the first relay circuit 24 and the second relay circuit 25-p as shown in FIG. 6 (step S33). When the first relay circuit 24 turns off, the power supply from the distribution board 2 to the switches 40-1 to 40-n is stopped. When the power supply to the switch 40 is stopped, the switch 40 is stopped (step S34). When the second relay circuit 25-p turns off, the power supply from the distribution board 2 to the lighting fixture 50-p is stopped. When the power supply from the distribution board 2 to the lighting fixture 50-p is stopped, each component of the lighting fixture 50-p, namely the power supply circuit 51, the driver 52, the light-emitting element 53, the communication unit 54, the memory unit 55, and the control unit 56, is stopped (step S35).

(Lighting process for lamps)
Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the procedure for lighting the luminaire 50. Hereinafter, the luminaires 50 to be turned on, i.e., the luminaires 50T, are assumed to be all of the plurality of luminaires 50-p (p is an integer satisfying 1≦p≦n) as shown in Fig. 6. Before the processing of step S41, the first relay circuit 24 and all of the plurality of second relay circuits 25 are in the off state.

In the control device 10, the control unit 13 receives a lighting signal from the electronic device 4 via the network 3 through the communication unit 11 (step S41). Upon receiving the lighting signal, the control unit 13 transmits a first on signal and a second on signal to the switching device 20 through the communication unit 11 (step S42).

The switching device 20 receives a first on signal and a second on signal from the control device 10 (step S43). When the switching device 20 receives the first on signal, it turns on the first relay circuit 24 as shown in FIG. 6, and when it receives the second on signal, it turns on the second relay circuit 25-p as shown in FIG. 6 (step S44).

By executing the process of step S44, power is supplied from the distribution board 2 to the luminaire 50-p. When power is supplied, the luminaire 50-p begins to start up (step S45). Here, the start-up of the control unit 56 and other components that do not have a communication function is completed earlier than the start-up of the components that have a communication function, i.e., the switch 40 and the communication unit 54. Therefore, the control unit 56 turns on the luminaire 50-p when the start-up of the power supply circuit 51, the driver 52, the light-emitting element 53, and the memory unit 55 is completed, even before the start-up of the switch 40 and the communication unit 54 is completed. The control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to cause the light-emitting element 53 to emit light so that the luminaire 50-p is turned on at the first initial illuminance stored in the memory unit 55 until the start-up of the communication unit 54 is completed (step S46). However, in the process of step S46, if the second initial illuminance is stored in the memory unit 55 instead of the first initial illuminance, the control unit 56 may control the driver 52 to cause the light-emitting element 53 to emit light so that the lamp 50-p is turned on at the second initial illuminance.

The start-up of switch 40 is completed (step S47). In the control device 10, when the control unit 13 detects link-up of switch 40, it transmits a lighting signal to switch 40-1 via the communication unit 11 (step S48). The lighting signal is transferred to switch 40-p via other switches 40. Switch 40-p receives the lighting signal (step S49). When switch 40-p detects link-up of luminaire 50-p, it transmits a lighting signal to luminaire 50-p, i.e., luminaire 50T (step S50).

In the luminaire 50-p, the control unit 56 receives a lighting signal from the switch 40-p via the communication unit 54 (step S51). The control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to change the amount of light emitted by the light-emitting element 53 so that the illuminance of the lit luminaire 50 becomes the illuminance indicated by the lighting signal (step S52). In the process of step S52, the control unit 56 may store the changed illuminance of the luminaire 50 in the memory unit 55 as a third initial illuminance.

In the control device 10, the control unit 13 transmits a first off signal to the switching device 20 via the communication unit 11 (step S53). When the switching device 20 receives the first off signal from the control device 10 (step S54), it turns the first relay circuit 24 off (step S55). Through the processing of steps S44 and S55, the second relay circuit 25-p is on and the first relay circuit 24 is off. With this configuration, the power supply to the lit lamp 50-p is maintained and the power supply to the switch 40 is stopped. After the processing of step S55, the switch 40 is stopped (step S56).

(Power restoration process for lighting fixtures)
When the lighting system 1 recovers from a power outage after a power outage occurs in the lighting system 1, power supply to the luminaire 50 that was on before the power outage is started via the distribution board 2 and the switching device 20. When power is supplied to the luminaire 50, the luminaire 50 starts to start up. Here, as described above, the start-up of the control unit 56 and the like that does not have a communication function is completed earlier than the start-up of the components that have a communication function, i.e., the switch 40 and the communication unit 54. Therefore, the control unit 56 may turn on the luminaire 50 when the start-up of the power supply circuit 51, the driver 52, the light-emitting element 53, and the storage unit 55 is completed even before the start-up of the switch 40 and the communication unit 54 is completed. The control unit 56 controls the driver 52 to make the light-emitting element 53 emit light so that the luminaire 50 is turned on at the third initial illuminance stored in the storage unit 55.

In this way, in the lighting system 1 according to this embodiment, when the control device 10 transmits a control signal to the luminaire 50 via the switch 40, the control device 10 switches the switching device 20 so that power is supplied to the switch 40. After transmitting a control signal to the luminaire 50 via the switch 40, the control device 10 switches the switching device 20 so that power supply to the switch 40 is limited. With this configuration, in this embodiment, the control device 10 can supply power to the switch 40 only while the control signal is being transmitted to the luminaire 50 via the switch 40. For example, in FIG. 3, the control device 10 can supply power to the switch 40 only during the processing of steps S4 to S13. For example, in FIG. 5, the control device 10 can supply power to the switch 40 only during the processing of steps S24 to S33. For example, in FIG. 7, the control device 10 can supply power to the switch 40 only during the processing of steps S44 to S55. By supplying power to the switch 40 only while the control signal is being transmitted to the luminaire 50 via the switch 40 in this way, the power consumption of the switch 40 can be reduced. In addition, by supplying power to the switch 40 only while a control signal is being sent to the luminaire 50 via the switch 40, the luminaire 50 does not need to communicate with the switch 40 unnecessarily. For example, when the lighting system 1 is used in an office, when an employee arrives at work, a turn-on signal is sent to the luminaire 50 via the switch 40, and the luminaire 50 is turned on. When an employee leaves work, a turn-off signal is sent to the luminaire 50 via the switch 40, and the luminaire 50 is turned off. There are few cases in which communication between the luminaire 50 and the switch 40 is required between the time the employee arrives at work and the time the employee leaves work. In such cases, the luminaire 50 does not need to communicate unnecessarily with the switch 40, and therefore the power consumption of the luminaire 50 can be reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the power consumption of the lighting system 1 including the luminaire 50 and the switch 40 can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the lighting system 1 according to this embodiment, the switching device 20 switches between supplying power to the switch 40 and restricting the power supply to the switch 40. Here, in order to supply power to the switch 40 only while a control signal is being transmitted to the luminaire 50 via the switch 40, it is conceivable to adopt a PoE (Power over Ethernet) switch instead of the switch 40. In this case, the PoE switch is required to be equipped with a management function for monitoring communication with the control device 10. However, equipping the PoE switch with a management function increases the cost of the switch and the power consumption of the switch. In contrast, in this embodiment, by using the switching device 20, it is possible to reduce the possibility of an increase in the cost of the switch and the power consumption of the switch.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the technology for reducing the power consumption of load devices.

Furthermore, the switching device 20 according to this embodiment may be capable of switching between supplying power to the lamp 50 as a load device and restricting the power supply to the lamp 50 as a load device. When the control device 10 operates the lamp 50, the control device 10 may switch the switching device 20 so that power is supplied to the lamp 50. When the control device 10 stops the lamp 50, the control device 10 may switch the switching device 20 so that the power supply to the lamp 50 is restricted. With this configuration, in this embodiment, the control device 10 can supply power to the lamp 50 only while the lamp 50 is operating. By supplying power to the lamp 50 only while the lamp 50 is operating in this way, the standby power of the lamp 50 can be reduced. Furthermore, by supplying power to the lamp 50 only while the lamp 50 is operating, the lamp 50 does not need to communicate with the switch 40 unnecessarily. With this configuration, the power consumption of the lamp 50 can be further reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, the lamp 50 may include a storage unit that stores the first initial illuminance or the second initial illuminance. When power is supplied from the switching device 20, the lamp 50 may be turned on at the first initial illuminance or the second initial illuminance until the start-up of the communication unit 54 is completed. For example, in the process of step S46 as shown in FIG. 7, the lamp 50 may be turned on at the first initial illuminance or the second initial illuminance. As described above, the start-up of the control unit 56 and the like that does not have a communication function is completed earlier than the start-up of the components that have a communication function, i.e., the switch 40 and the communication unit 54. In this embodiment, the lamp 50 can be turned on quickly by turning on the lamp 50 at the first initial illuminance or the second initial illuminance until the start-up of the communication unit 54 is completed. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, before the luminaire 50 is turned off based on the control signal, if the first initial illuminance is not stored in the memory unit 55, the illuminance of the luminaire 50 immediately before being turned off may be stored in the memory unit 55 as the second initial illuminance. With this configuration, even if the first initial illuminance has not been set in the luminaire 50 by a user or the like, the luminaire 50 can be quickly turned on at the second initial illuminance after a turn-on signal is sent from the electronic device 4 to the control device 10. This improves user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the illuminance of the illuminant 50 while it is turned on is changed based on the control signal, the illuminance of the illuminant 50 after the change may be stored in the storage unit 55 as a third initial illuminance. For example, in the process of step S10 as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 56 may store the illuminance of the illuminant 50 after the change as a third initial illuminance in the storage unit 55. In addition, in the process of step S52 as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 56 may store the illuminance of the illuminant 50 after the change as a third initial illuminance in the storage unit 55. Furthermore, in the case where a power outage occurs in the lighting system 1, the illuminant 50 may be turned on at the third initial illuminance when the lighting system 1 is restored. With this configuration, the illuminant 50 can be turned on quickly at the third initial illuminance even before the start-up of the switch 40 and the communication unit 54 is completed. This improves the user's convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the switch 40 may be an Ethernet switch. The configuration of an Ethernet switch is simpler than, for example, the configuration of a PoE switch. Therefore, the time required to complete the startup of an Ethernet switch is shorter than, for example, the time required to complete the startup of a PoE switch. Therefore, by using an Ethernet switch as the switch 40, the time required to complete the startup of the switch 40 can be reduced.

Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art can easily make various modifications or corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions, etc. included in each functional unit can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies. Multiple functional units, etc. may be combined into one or divided. Each embodiment of the present disclosure described above is not limited to being implemented faithfully to each of the embodiments described, and may be implemented by combining each feature as appropriate or omitting some of them. In other words, the contents of the present disclosure can be modified and corrected in various ways by a person skilled in the art based on the present disclosure. Therefore, these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in each embodiment, each functional unit, each means, each step, etc. can be added to other embodiments so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, or replaced with each functional unit, each means, each step, etc. of other embodiments. In addition, in each embodiment, multiple functional units, each means, each step, etc. can be combined into one or divided. Furthermore, each of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to being implemented faithfully according to each of the described embodiments, but may be implemented by combining each feature or omitting some features as appropriate.

For example, in the above embodiment, the lighting system 1 has been described as including multiple switches 40. However, the lighting system 1 may include at least one switch 40 depending on the number of luminaires 50, etc.

For example, in the above embodiment, the connection method of the multiple switches 40 to the control device 10 has been described as a chain connection. However, the connection method of the multiple switches 40 to the control device 10 is not limited to the chain connection. As another example, the connection method of the multiple switches 40 to the control device 10 may be a star connection. When the connection method of the multiple switches 40 is a star connection, the switching device 20 may include multiple terminals 22 connected to the multiple switches 40, respectively, and multiple first relay circuits 24 connected between the terminal 21 and each of the multiple terminals 22. With this configuration, each first relay circuit 24 can switch between supplying power to each switch 40 or stopping the supply of power to each switch 40. Therefore, the power consumption of the switches 40 can be further reduced.

For example, in the above embodiment, the control device 10 has been described as receiving a control signal from the electronic device 4 via the network 3. However, the control device 10 may receive a control signal from any element, as described below.

As another example, the control device 10 may receive a control signal from a switch device for lighting installed on a wall or the like. The switch device may transmit any one of a light-on signal, a light-off signal, and a setting signal to the control device 10 based on a user operation. A communication path between the switch device and the control device 10 is established by, for example, Ethernet. The switch device may be included in the lighting system 1.

As yet another example, the control device 10 may receive a control signal from a human detection system. When the human detection system detects a person in a specified area, it may send a turn-on signal to the control device 10 to turn on the lighting fixtures 50 installed in the specified area. When no person is detected in the specified area, the human detection system may send a turn-off signal to the control device 10 to turn off the lighting fixtures 50 installed in the specified area.

As yet another example, the control device 10 may receive a control signal from an illuminance detection system. When the illuminance detection system detects a change in external light in a specified area, it may send a setting signal to the control device 10 to change the illuminance setting of the luminaire 50 that is turned on.

In one embodiment, (1) a load control system includes:
A control device;
At least one load device that operates based on a control signal received from the control device;
At least one switch that relays communication between the control device and the load device;
A switching device capable of switching between supplying power to the switch and limiting power supply to the switch based on control of the control device,
The control device includes:
switching the switching device so that power is supplied to the switch when the control signal is transmitted to the load device via the switch;
After transmitting the control signal to the load device via the switch, the switching device is switched so that power supply to the switch is limited.

(2) In the load control system described in (1) above,
the switching device is capable of switching between supplying power to the load device and limiting power supply to the load device based on control by the control device;
The control device includes:
When the load device is operated, the switching device is switched so that power is supplied to the load device;
When the load device is stopped, the switching device may be switched so that power supply to the load device is limited.

(3) In the load control system according to (1) or (2),
The load device is a lighting device, and includes a communication unit capable of communicating with the switch and a storage unit that stores a first initial illuminance or a second initial illuminance,
When power is supplied from the switching device, the lighting fixture may be lit at the first initial illuminance or the second initial illuminance until startup of the communication unit is completed.

(4) In the load control system described in (3) above,
The first initial illuminance may be an initial illuminance of the luminaire that is set from outside the luminaire.

(5) In the load control system according to (3) or (4),
If the first initial illuminance is not stored in the memory unit before the luminaire is turned off based on the control signal, the illuminance of the luminaire immediately before being turned off may be stored in the memory unit as a second initial illuminance.

(6) In the load control system according to any one of (3) to (5),
When activation of the communication unit is completed, the lighting device may receive a control signal from the control device via the switch through the communication unit, and may be turned on at an illuminance indicated by the control signal.

(7) In the load control system according to any one of (3) to (6),
The lighting fixture is
When the illuminance of the luminaire that is turned on is changed based on the control signal, the illuminance of the luminaire after the change is stored in the storage unit as a third initial illuminance;
In the event of a power outage in the load control system, the load control system may be illuminated at the third initial illuminance when power is restored.

(8) In the load control system according to any one of (1) to (7),
The switch may be an Ethernet switch.

In one embodiment, (9) a load control method includes:
A control device;
At least one load device that operates based on a control signal received from the control device;
At least one switch that relays communication between the control device and the load device;
A load control method in a load control system including: a switching device capable of switching between supplying power to the switch and limiting power supply to the switch based on control of the control device, comprising:
switching the switching device so that power is supplied to the switch when the control device transmits the control signal to the load device via the switch;
The method includes transmitting the control signal to the load device via the switch by the control device, and then switching the switching device so that power supply to the switch is limited.

(10) In the load control method described in (9) above,
The load device is a lighting device,
The method may further include, when power is supplied to the luminaire from the switching device, lighting the luminaire at a first initial illuminance or a second initial illuminance until startup of a communication unit of the luminaire is completed.

(11) In the load control method according to (10),
The first initial illuminance may be an initial illuminance of the luminaire that is set from outside the luminaire.

(12) In the load control method according to (10) or (11),
The method may further include, if the first initial illuminance is not stored in the luminaire before the luminaire is turned off based on the control signal, the luminaire stores the illuminance of the luminaire immediately before being turned off as a second initial illuminance.

(13) In the load control method according to any one of (10) to (12),
When the luminaire changes the illuminance of the luminaire while it is turned on based on the control signal, the luminaire stores the changed illuminance of the luminaire as a third initial illuminance;
The method may further include, in the event of a power outage occurring in the load control system, lighting the lamp at the third initial illuminance when power is restored to the load control system.

In this disclosure, descriptions such as "first" and "second" are identifiers for distinguishing the configuration. Configurations distinguished by descriptions such as "first" and "second" in this disclosure may have their numbers exchanged. For example, the first initial illuminance may have its identifiers "first" and "second" exchanged with the second initial illuminance. The exchange of identifiers is performed simultaneously. The configurations remain distinguished even after the identifier exchange. Identifiers may be deleted. A configuration from which an identifier has been deleted is distinguished by a symbol. Descriptions of identifiers such as "first" and "second" in this disclosure alone should not be used to interpret the order of the configurations or to justify the existence of identifiers with smaller numbers.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Lighting system 2 Distribution board 3 Network 4 Electronic device 10 Control device 11 Communication unit 12 Memory unit 13 Control unit 20 Switching device 21, 22, 23 Terminal 24 First relay circuit 25 Second relay circuit 30 Load group 40 Switch 50, 50T Lighting device 51 Power supply circuit 52 Driver 53 Light-emitting element 54 Communication unit 55 Memory unit 56 Control unit

Claims (13)

A control device;
At least one load device that operates based on a control signal received from the control device;
At least one switch that relays communication between the control device and the load device;
A switching device capable of switching between supplying power to the switch and limiting power supply to the switch based on control of the control device,
The control device includes:
switching the switching device so that power is supplied to the switch when the control signal is transmitted to the load device via the switch;
A load control system that switches the switching device so that power supply to the switch is limited after transmitting the control signal to the load device via the switch. the switching device is capable of switching between supplying power to the load device and limiting power supply to the load device based on control by the control device;
The control device includes:
When the load device is operated, the switching device is switched so that power is supplied to the load device;
The load control system according to claim 1 , wherein when the load device is stopped, the switching device is switched so that power supply to the load device is limited. The load device is a lighting device, and includes a communication unit capable of communicating with the switch and a storage unit that stores a first initial illuminance or a second initial illuminance,
The load control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when power is supplied from the switching device, the lighting fixture is turned on at the first initial illuminance or the second initial illuminance until startup of the communication unit is completed. The load control system according to claim 3, wherein the first initial illuminance is an initial illuminance of the lamp that is set from outside the lamp. The load control system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein if the first initial illuminance is not stored in the memory unit before the luminaire is turned off based on the control signal, the illuminance of the luminaire immediately before being turned off is stored in the memory unit as the second initial illuminance. The load control system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein when the activation of the communication unit is completed, the lighting device receives a control signal from the control device via the switch through the communication unit, and lights up at an illuminance indicated by the control signal. The lighting fixture is
When the illuminance of the luminaire that is turned on is changed based on the control signal, the illuminance of the luminaire after the change is stored in the storage unit as a third initial illuminance;
The load control system according to claim 3 , wherein, in the event of a power outage in the load control system, the load control system is illuminated at the third initial illuminance when power is restored to the load control system. The load control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the switch is an Ethernet switch. A control device;
At least one load device that operates based on a control signal received from the control device;
At least one switch that relays communication between the control device and the load device;
A load control method in a load control system including: a switching device capable of switching between supplying power to the switch and limiting power supply to the switch based on control of the control device, comprising:
switching the switching device so that power is supplied to the switch when the control device transmits the control signal to the load device via the switch;
A load control method comprising: transmitting the control signal to the load device via the switch by the control device, and then switching the switching device so that power supply to the switch is limited. The load device is a lighting device,
The load control method of claim 9, further comprising: when power is supplied to the luminaire from the switching device, the luminaire is turned on at a first initial illuminance or a second initial illuminance until startup of a communication unit of the luminaire is completed. The load control method according to claim 10, wherein the first initial illuminance is an initial illuminance of the lamp that is set from outside the lamp. The load control method according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising, if the first initial illuminance is not stored in the luminaire before the luminaire is turned off based on the control signal, the luminaire stores the illuminance of the luminaire immediately before it is turned off as a second initial illuminance. When the luminaire changes the illuminance of the luminaire while it is turned on based on the control signal, the luminaire stores the changed illuminance of the luminaire as a third initial illuminance;
The load control method according to claim 10, further comprising: when a power outage occurs in the load control system, the lamp is turned on at the third initial illuminance when power is restored to the load control system.

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