Lighting control apparatus and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016270192-A1
Application number	US-201615010870-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lighting control apparatus according to some exemplary embodiments includes: a touch screen configured to display a first graphic user interface in order to provide a VLC (Visible Lighting Communication) service; and a controller configured to perform visible lighting communication with at least one lighting in order to provide the VLC service selected through the first graphic user interface, wherein the VLC service may include a lighting registration service, and wherein the controller may receive unique address information of a first lighting transmitted through the visible lighting communication from the first lighting to be registered, and may register the first lighting using the received unique address information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A lighting control apparatus, comprising:
a touch screen configured to display a first graphic user interface in order to provide a VLC (Visible Lighting Communication) service; and a controller configured to perform visible lighting communication with at least one lighting in order to provide the VLC service selected through the first graphic user interface, wherein the VLC service includes a lighting registration service, and wherein the controller receives unique address information of a first lighting transmitted through the visible lighting communication from the first lighting to be registered, and registers the first lighting using the received unique address information.

2 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first graphic user interface includes:
a first area displaying a selection menu for selecting a VLC service among a plurality of VLC services; and a second area displaying communication connection status information of a receiver configured to perform visible lighting communication with the first lighting.

3 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first area includes:
a first selection menu for selecting the lighting registration service; a second selection menu for selecting a data service; a third selection menu for selecting a VLC status checking service; and a fourth selection menu for selecting an indoor navigation service menu.

4 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch screen displays a second graphic interface for providing the lighting registration service, and wherein
the second graphic user interface includes: a first domain displaying map data for setting an installation location of the first lighting; and a second domain displaying a plurality of lighting icons distinguishable from one another by types of lightings.

5 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the setting the installation location of the first lighting is performed by touching and moving a first lighting icon among the plurality of lighting icons displayed on the second domain toward a first location of the map data displayed on the first domain, and
the first lighting icon is displayed on the first location of the map data, when the first lighting icon is moved to the first location of the map data, and the installation location of the first lighting to be registered is a real-space location corresponding to the first location to which the first lighting icon is moved on the map data.

6 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the unique address information is a MAC address of a communicator provided in the first lighting, wherein
the first lighting generates an ON/OFF signal by modulating the MAC address and a dimming signal, and irradiates visible light according to the generated ON/OFF signal, and wherein the controller receives the irradiated visible light using a receiver, and performs photoelectric conversion and demodulation of the received visible light to obtain unique address information of the first lighting included in the visible light.

7 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the touch screen further displays a third graphic user interface for providing a data service, and
the third graphic user interface includes a screen for selecting data to be linked in response to a second lighting.

8 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller receives, through the visible lighting communication, information with respect to the data linked in response to the second lighting, and outputs data in response to the information received through the touch screen, when the data link is completed,
and wherein the information with respect to the data linked includes at least one of a unique address information of the second lighting and information on the data linked in response to the second lighting.

9 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the outputted data is a motion picture, and wherein
the controller determines whether a playback pause event occurs during playback of the motion picture, and upon determining that the playback pause event occurs, saves a playback history information according to the occurrence of the playback pause event, and wherein the playback history information includes the unique address information of the second lighting and a playback pause point of the motion picture.

10 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller receives data transmitted from surrounding lighting through the visible lighting communication, and displays a receiving status screen including information with respect to receiving status of the received data, based on selection of the third selection menu in the first area.

11 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the touch screen further displays a third graphic user interface for providing an indoor navigation service, and wherein
map data in response to a third lighting installed at a current location of a user is displayed on the third graphic user interface, and the current location of the user is displayed at a location where the third lighting is installed on the map data.

12 . The lighting control apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller obtains a unique address information of the fourth lighting by performing visible lighting communication with the fourth lighting when the current location of the user is moved to a location at which a fourth lighting is installed, and ascertains an installation location in response to the obtained unique address information on the map data, and wherein
the location at which the fourth lighting is installed on the map data is displayed on the third graphic user interface as a moved location of the user, and a route from the location where the third lighting is installed to the location where the fourth lighting is installed is displayed as a moving route of the user.

13 . An operation method of a lighting control apparatus, comprising:
displaying a first graphic user interface for selecting at least one VLC (Visible Lighting Communication) service; displaying a second graphic user interface for registering a first lighting, based on selection of a first selection menu for lighting registration on the first graphic user interface; receiving unique address information of the first lighting transmitted through visible lighting communication from the first lighting to be registered; and registering the first lighting using the received unique address information of the first lighting, when the second graphic user interface is displayed.

14 . The operation method of a lighting control apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first graphic user interface includes:
a first area displaying a selection menu for selecting a VLC service among a plurality of VLC services; and a second area displaying communication connection status information of a receiver configured to perform visible lighting communication with first lighting.

15 . The operation method of a lighting control apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second graphic user interface includes:
a first domain displaying map data for setting an installation location of the first lighting; and a second domain displaying a plurality of lighting icons distinguishable from one another by types of lightings, where the setting the installation location of the first lighting is performed by touching and moving a first lighting icon among the plurality of lighting icons displayed on the second domain toward a first location of the map

Assignees

• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Dae Hun

Classifications

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title

• H05B47/1985

  Creation of lighting zones or scenes · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title