Lighting control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11206728-B2
Application number	US-201716304712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2017
Priority date	May 30, 2016
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus for controlling a plurality of lighting devices to emit light, the controller comprising: a lighting interface for transmitting control commands to each of the plurality of lighting device in order to control the plurality of lighting devices; and a controller configured to: obtain orientation information indicative of an orientation of a user device and based thereon determine the orientation of the user device; obtain location information indicative of a location of the user device and based thereon determine the location of the user device; process the determined orientation of the user device and the determined location of the user device to determine one or more lighting settings for one or more of the plurality of lighting devices; and selectively control, via the lighting interface, the one or more lighting devices to emit light in accordance with the one or more determined lighting settings.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling a plurality of lighting devices to emit light, the apparatus comprising:
a lighting interface for transmitting control commands to each of the plurality of lighting devices in order to control the plurality of lighting devices; and
a controller communicably coupled to the lighting interface, wherein the controller is configured to:
obtain orientation information indicative of an orientation of a user device and based thereon determine the orientation of the user device;
obtain location information indicative of a location of the user device and based thereon determine the location of the user device;
determine a respective direction, from the location of the user device, of a respective lighting effect location of each of the one or more lighting devices, said direction being relative to the determined orientation of the user device;
determine a subset of the plurality of lighting devices that are within a field of view of the user device by determining whether each respective direction is within a threshold angular range defining the field of view;
determine what current light settings the user is subjected to;
determine one or more first lighting settings for the subset of the plurality of lighting devices, wherein the one or more first lighting settings is determined such that the user perceives the same overall ambience as the user device moves;
determine a remainder of the plurality of lighting devices not part of the subset by operating outside the field of view of the user device;
determine one or more second lighting settings for the remainder of the plurality of lighting devices; and
selectively control, via the lighting interface, the subset of the plurality of lighting devices to emit the light in accordance with the one or more first lighting settings and the remainder of the plurality of lighting devices based on the one or more second lighting settings.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting effect location of a lighting device of the subset of the plurality of lighting devices is substantially co-located with the lighting device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more first lighting setting comprises turning on or dimming up the subset of the plurality of lighting devices.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more second lighting settings comprises turning off or dimming down the remainder of the plurality of lighting devices.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to obtain an indication of a user preference and process the obtained indication along with the received orientation information and the received location information to determine the one or more first lighting settings for the subset of the plurality of lighting devices.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said indication of the user preference is input by a user of the user device and obtained by receiving the indication from the user device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said indication of the user preference is stored in a memory and obtained by retrieving the indication from the memory.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the user preference specifies the one or more first lighting settings.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the user preference further specifies the one or more second lighting settings.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the indication of the user preference comprises a preference of the threshold angular range.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a respective distance from the user device to each of the one or more lighting devices, and not control lighting devices which are determined to be further from the user device than a threshold distance.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
obtain, at a subsequent time relative to obtaining the orientation information, subsequent orientation information indicative of a subsequent orientation of the user device and based thereon determine the subsequent orientation of the user device;
obtain, during the subsequent time, subsequent location information indicative of a subsequent location of the user device and based thereon determine the subsequent location of the user device;
determine a respective subsequent direction, from the subsequent location of the user device, of a subsequent respective lighting effect location of each of the one or more lighting devices, said subsequent direction being relative to the subsequent determined orientation of the user device;
determine a subsequent subset of the plurality of lighting devices that are within a subsequent field of view of the user device by determining whether each respective subsequent direction is within a subsequent threshold angular range defining the subsequent field of view;
determine what subsequently current light settings the user is subjected to;
determine one or more third lighting settings for the subsequent subset of the plurality of lighting devices, wherein the one or more third lighting settings is determined such that the user perceives the same overall ambience as the user device moves;
determine a subsequent remainder of the plurality of lighting devices not part of the subsequent subset by operating outside the subsequent field of view of the user device;
determine one or more fourth lighting settings for the subsequent remainder of the plurality of lighting devices; and
selectively control, via the lighting interface, the subsequent subset of the plurality of lighting devices to emit the light in accordance with the one or more third lighting settings and the subsequent remainder of the plurality of lighting devices using the one or more fourth lighting settings.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
obtain, at a subsequent time relative to obtaining the orientation information, subsequent orientation information indicative of a subsequent orientation of the user device and based thereon determine the subsequent orientation of the user device;
determine a respective subsequent direction, from the subsequent orientation of the user device, of a subsequent respective lighting effect location of each of the one or more lighting devices;
determine a subsequent subset of the plurality of lighting devices that are within a subsequent field of view of the user device by determining whether each respective subsequent direction is within a subsequent threshold angular range defining the subsequent field of view;
determine what subsequently current light settings the user is subjected to;
determine one or more third lighting settings for the subsequent subset of the plurality of lighting devices, wherein the one or more third lighting settings is determined such that the user perceives the same overall ambience as the user device moves;
determine a subsequent remainder of the plurality of lighting devices not part of the subsequent subset by operating outside the subsequent field of view of the user device;
determine one or more fourth lighting settings for the subsequent remainder of the plurality of lighting devices; and
selectively control, via the lighting interface, the subsequent subset of the plurality of lighting devices to emit the light in accordance with the one or more third lighting settings and the subsequent remainder of the plurality of lighting devices using the one or more fourth lighting settings.

Assignees

• Signify Holding Bv

Inventors

• Krajnc Hugo Jose
• Magielse Remco

Classifications

• H05B47/19 Primary

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title

• H05B47/1985

  Creation of lighting zones or scenes · CPC title

• H05B47/199

  Commissioning of light sources · CPC title