Information processing method, information processing system, and electric light bulb light source apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10736199-B2
Application number	US-201615779302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

This information processing method is executed by an electric light bulb light source apparatus, which includes a lighting unit, and a functional unit, the information processing method including: selecting, from any of a parent mode and a child mode, an operation mode for cooperative control with a different electric light bulb light source apparatus with respect to the functional unit, and setting the selected operation mode. In a case where the parent mode is set, the lighting unit is caused to execute a first lighting operation for the parent mode in response to a predetermined lighting control signal relating to an operation of the lighting unit, and a cooperative control signal for causing a second lighting operation for the child mode to be executed is transmitted to the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the child mode, the second lighting operation for the child mode being different from the first lighting operation. In a case where the child mode is set, the lighting unit is caused to execute the second lighting operation on the basis of the cooperative control signal transmitted from the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the parent mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An information processing method executed by an electric light bulb light source apparatus, which includes a lighting unit including a light source, and a functional unit having a predetermined function, the information processing method comprising:
selecting, from any of a parent mode and a child mode, an operation mode for cooperative control with a different electric light bulb light source apparatus with respect to the predetermined function, and setting the selected operation mode;
in a case where the parent mode is set, causing the lighting unit to execute a first lighting operation for the parent mode in response to a predetermined lighting control signal relating to an operation of the lighting unit, and transmitting, to the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the child mode, a cooperative control signal for causing a second lighting operation for the child mode to be executed, the second lighting operation for the child mode being different from the first lighting operation; and
in a case where the child mode is set, causing the lighting unit to execute the second lighting operation on the basis of the cooperative control signal transmitted from the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the parent mode.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined lighting control signal is a signal that controls at least one of turning on, turning off, dimming, and toning.

3. The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the first lighting operation is a predetermined lighting operation at a first timing based on a timing at which the predetermined lighting control signal is received, and
the cooperative control signal is a signal for causing the predetermined lighting operation at a second timing later than the first timing to be executed as the second lighting operation.

4. The information processing method according to claim 3 , wherein
the predetermined lighting operation is at least one of operations of turning on, turning off, dimming, and toning.

5. The information processing method according to claim 4 , wherein
the predetermined lighting operation is at least one of operations of turning on and turning off.

6. The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising
in a case where the parent mode is set, transmitting, to the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the child mode, a synchronization control signal for executing synchronization control relating to the predetermined function.

7. The information processing method according to claim 6 , wherein
the functional unit is a speaker, and
the synchronization control includes synchronous reproduction.

8. The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined lighting control signal is a signal to be transmitted from a remote controller,
the information processing method further comprising
in a case where the child mode is set, invalidating the predetermined lighting control signal transmitted from the remote controller.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
in a case where the parent mode is set, setting, in response to a link control signal transmitted from the remote controller, an operation mode relating to a link with an external apparatus to a stand-by mode enabling the link, the external apparatus being capable of controlling an operation of the functional unit; and
in a case where the child mode is set, invalidating the link control signal transmitted from the remote controller.

10. The information processing method according to claim 8 , wherein
the step of setting the operation mode includes setting the operation mode on the basis of a setting signal to be transmitted from the remote controller.

11. The information processing method according to claim 1 , wherein
the functional unit includes at least one of a speaker, an image sensor, and a sensor.

12. An electric light bulb light source apparatus, comprising:
a lighting unit including a light source;
a functional unit having a predetermined function;
a setting unit that selects, from any of a parent mode and a child mode, an operation mode for cooperative control with a different electric light bulb light source apparatus with respect to the predetermined function, and sets the selected operation mode;
a first control unit that causes, in a case where the parent mode is set, the lighting unit to execute a first lighting operation for the parent mode in response to a predetermined lighting control signal relating to an operation of the lighting unit, and transmits, to the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the child mode, a cooperative control signal for causing a second lighting operation for the child mode to be executed, the second lighting operation for the child mode being different from the first lighting operation; and
a second control unit that causes, in a case where the child mode is set, the lighting unit to execute the second lighting operation on the basis of the cooperative control signal transmitted from the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the parent mode.

13. An information processing system, comprising:
one or more electric light bulb light source apparatuses, the one or more electric light bulb light source apparatuses each including
a lighting unit including a light source,
a functional unit having a predetermined function,
a setting unit that selects, from any of a parent mode and a child mode, an operation mode for cooperative control with a different electric light bulb light source apparatus with respect to the predetermined function, and sets the selected operation mode,
a first control unit that causes, in a case where the parent mode is set, the lighting unit to execute a first lighting operation for the parent mode in response to a predetermined lighting control signal relating to an operation of the lighting unit, and transmits, to the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the child mode, a cooperative control signal for causing a second lighting operation for the child mode to be executed, the second lighting operation for the child mode being different from the first lighting operation, and
a second control unit that causes, in a case where the child mode is set, the lighting unit to execute the second lighting operation on the basis of the cooperative control signal transmitted from the different electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the parent mode; and

a remote controller that transmits the predetermined lighting control signal to the electric light bulb light source apparatus set to the parent mode among the one or more electric light bulb light source apparatuses.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Yotsumoto Naoki
• Sato Takashi
• Yoneda Kiyoshi

Classifications

• H05B47/17

  Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations · CPC title

• H05B47/195

  the transmission using visible or infrared light · CPC title

• H04L12/282 Primary

  based on user interaction within the home (receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• H05B41/3921

  with possibility of light intensity variations · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title