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EP-4054296-B1 - METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VIRTUAL LAMPS AND LIGHTING SYSTEM COMPRISING VIRTUAL LAMPS

EP4054296B1EP 4054296 B1EP4054296 B1EP 4054296B1EP-4054296-B1

Inventors

  • GELAUDE, Filip

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20210301

Claims (14)

  1. Method for controlling virtual lamps, comprising: - providing a central management system for managing one or more light components, wherein a light component comprises a plurality of light elements and a control module for controlling the plurality of light elements; - placing the one or more light components; - establishing a communication link between the one or more light components and the central management system; wherein the method comprises the additional steps of: - defining at least two virtual lamps in the central management system, wherein each virtual lamp is a logical grouping of light elements, wherein at least one light element of a first light component of the one or more light components is assigned to a first virtual lamp of the at least two virtual lamps and wherein at least one light element of the first light component is assigned to a second virtual lamp of the at least two virtual lamps; - sending messages from the central management system to control modules of the one or more light components for controlling the at least two virtual lamps, wherein the messages comprise at least one command for controlling light elements of the at least two virtual lamps, wherein each plurality of light elements of the one or more light components is controlled individually or in groups of light elements by the control module of the respective light component, characterised in that commands are assigned a priority, with the light elements of the at least two virtual lamps being controlled according to the priority of the commands.
  2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the one or more light components is at least two light components, and wherein at least one of the at least two virtual lamps comprising light elements of the at least two light components.
  3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that at least two of the at least two virtual lamps having at least one light element in common.
  4. A method according to any of the preceding claims 1-3, characterised in that the control modules of the one or more light components and the central management system have their own internal clock, the internal clocks of the control modules and the central management system being synchronised.
  5. A method according to any of the preceding claims 1-4, characterised in that the control modules of the one or more light components store commands received.
  6. A method according to any of the preceding claims 1-5, characterised in that a command comprises a time sequence for controlling light elements of the at least two virtual lamps.
  7. A method according to any of the preceding claims 1-6, characterised in that the central management system receives tasks and/or events, wherein the central management system analyses the received tasks and/or events and determines which of the at least two virtual lamps should be controlled.
  8. A method according to any of the preceding claims 1-7, characterised in that, after sending a message, comprising at least one command for controlling light elements of the at least two virtual lamps, the central management system does not send any further messages comprising commands for controlling lighting elements of the at least two virtual lamps, until at least one of the at least two virtual lamps has to be controlled differently.
  9. Lighting system for controlling virtual lamps, comprising one or more light components, wherein a light component comprises a plurality of light elements and a control module for controlling the plurality of light elements, and a central management system for managing the one or more light components, wherein there is a communication link between the one or more light components and the central management system, wherein the central management system comprises a configuration module, wherein the configuration module is configured to define virtual lamps in the central management system, wherein a virtual lamp is a logical grouping of light elements, wherein a virtual lamp comprises at least one light element of the one or more light components, wherein the configuration module is configured to assign at least one light element of a first light component of the one or more light components to a first of the virtual lamps and to assign at least one light element of the first light component to a second one of the virtual lamps, and the central management system comprises a communication module, wherein the communication module is configured to send messages from the central management system to control modules of the one or more light components, wherein the messages comprise at least one command for controlling light elements of the virtual lamps, wherein each plurality of light elements of the one or more light components is controlled individually or in groups of light elements by the control module of the respective light component, characterised in that commands are assigned a priority, with the light elements of the virtual lamps being controlled according to the priority of the commands.
  10. Lighting system according to claim 9, characterised in that the control modules of the one or more light components and the central management system comprise their own internal clock and a clock synchronisation module.
  11. Lighting system according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that a light element of a light component is an RGB light-emitting diode.
  12. Lighting system according to claim 9, 10 or 11, characterised in that the control module of a light component comprises a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store received commands.
  13. Lighting system according to any of claims 9-12, characterised in that a light component comprises a battery, for powering the respective control module and plurality of light elements.
  14. Use of a lighting system according to any of claims 9-13, for performing a method according to any of claims 1-8.

Description

TECHNICAL FI ELD The invention relates to a method for controlling virtual lamps. In a second aspect, the invention also relates to a lighting system for controlling virtual lamps. In a third aspect, the invention relates to a use of a lighting system according to the second aspect for performing a method according to the first aspect. PRIOR ART Such a lighting system is known inter alia from US 9 655 215 (US '215). US '215 describes a system and method for ensuring minimal control delay of grouped lighting devices in a wireless network. Lighting devices can be grouped according to location or according to a lighting scene and are assigned a group address based on this. This makes it easy to control the lighting devices together. US 2018/124895 A1 discloses the preamble of the independent claims. However, this known system is not suitable for creating more complex lighting scenes or for use for visual alerting in a building. The system uses lighting devices, of which only the light intensity and possibly the colour can be set. The use is therefore limited to lighting scenes where only the light intensity and the colour are adjusted and to changing the light intensity and colour throughout the day. A lighting device in this known system can only be used in one lighting scene at one point in time, so that a lighting device in this system cannot simultaneously serve, for example, as general lighting and as a visual alert. Another drawback of this known system is that after the loss of a communication link between a controller and the lighting devices, the last selected lighting scene is retained as a static lighting scene. The present invention aims to solve at least some of the above problems or drawbacks. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method according to claim 1. In the method, at least one virtual lamp is defined in the central management system, the virtual lamp being assigned at least one light element of at least one light component. In addition, messages are sent from the central management system to control modules of the light components, the messages comprising at least one command for controlling light elements of virtual lamps. The light elements of a light component can be controlled individually or in groups of light elements by the control module. This is advantageous because it allows a first virtual lamp to be defined on a light component to which at least one light element of the light component is assigned, but a second virtual lamp can be defined on the same light component to which at least one light element of the light component is also assigned. As a result, a light component can be used simultaneously for general lighting on the first virtual lamp and for visual alerting on the second virtual lamp. It is also possible to define a virtual lamp, in which light elements of different light components are assigned to the virtual lamp. This is advantageous, for example, for switching several light components in a zone on or off, or for copying a first light component onto a second light component as a visual alert. Preferred embodiments of the method are set out in claims 2 to 8. In the present invention the commands comprised in the messages are given a priority, with light elements being controlled according to the priority of the tasks. This is advantageous for realising more complex scenarios, where a new command is simply sent to a control module of a light component and it is executed or not, depending on the priority. By assigning a priority, it is possible, for example, to prevent a visual alert on a light component from being removed by switching general lighting on or off, without complex rules having to be defined or checked in the central management system for this purpose. In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a lighting system according to claim 9. This lighting system has the advantage, among other things, that it allows virtual lamps to be defined, for example a first virtual lamp can be defined on a light component, to which at least one light element of the light component is assigned, and a second virtual lamp can be defined on the same light component, to which at least one light element of the light component is also assigned, whereby a light component can be used, for example, simultaneously for general lighting on the first virtual lamp and for visual alerting on the second virtual lamp. It is also possible to define a virtual lamp, in which light elements of different light components are assigned to the virtual lamp, for example to switch several light components in a zone on or off, or to copy a first light component onto a second light component as a visual alert. Preferred embodiments of the lighting system are described in the dependent claims 10 to 13. In a third aspect, the present invention relates to a use according to claim 14. This use results in a lighting system that can be used for general l