Method for controlling the light distribution of a luminaire

Abstract

A method for controlling the light distribution of a traffic route luminaire in a network of luminaires, which is preferably also organized as a mesh network. The luminaire has a luminaire head having a settable light module and a controller while the light distribution of the luminaire is variable. The luminaire communicates luminaire data to at least one server, the luminaire data being luminaire-specific and related to the installation location of the luminaire. The data for a light distribution are automatically allocated to the luminaire and a setting of the light module is automatically effected on the basis of the data.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the light distribution of a luminaire including a luminaire head having a settable light module, the settable light module comprising a group of light-emitting diodes mounted on a circuit board, and lenses associated with said light-emitting diode elements; the light distribution of the luminaire being variable; the method comprising setting the light module on the basis of a light distribution, by at least one of the following actions: moving said group of light-emitting diodes; moving said lenses; varying the form of said lenses; varying the orientation of said lenses; varying the form of said circuit board; varying the orientation of said circuit board; and increasing lighting current of said group.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting diodes of the settable light module are classified into different groups for realizing the desired light distribution.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the luminaire head has a controller and further comprising: providing the controller with a data set for the setting of the different groups, said data set including an assignment of different light distributions.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: communicating data relating to the light distribution from a server during initial start-up of the luminaire, or with a temporal separation after initial start-up of the luminaire.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: communicating data relating to the light distribution manually or in an automated manner.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: communicating data relating to the light distribution provides a widened emission compared to a previous emission in accordance with a failure of an adjacent luminaire.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the light module is done on the basis of a light distribution class, in order to achieve a light distribution in accordance with said light distribution class.

8. A luminaire comprising a luminaire head having a settable light module comprising a group of light-emitting diode elements mounted on a circuit board, and lenses associated with said light-emitting diode elements, light originating from the settable light module having a variable light distribution which is controlled by at least one of: moving said group of light-emitting diodes; moving said lenses; varying the form of said lenses; varying the orientation of said lenses; varying the form of said circuit board; varying the orientation of said circuit board; and increasing lighting current of said group.

9. The luminaire according to claim 8, wherein the settable light module further comprises reflectors associated with said light-emitting diode elements.

10. A network of luminaires comprising a plurality of luminaires according to claim 8, at least one server and means for communication between the luminaires and the at least one server.

11. The network of luminaires according to claim 10, wherein the means for communication further provides communication between the luminaires themselves.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the luminaire comprises a controller able to communicate with a server and wherein the setting of the light module on the basis of a light distribution is triggered by information sent from the server to the controller.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the controller sends to the server location information indicating the location of the luminaire and the server determines the light distribution based on said location information before the server sends information to the controller triggering the setting of the light module.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the different groups have different emission characteristics.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein the luminaire head has a controller and wherein the luminaire orients the light module or the groups in a manner indicated by the controller.

16. The method according to claim 2, wherein each group is mounted on a circuit board.

17. The luminaire according to claim 9, wherein the reflectors are arranged to be moved and/or to be varied in form and/or orientation in accordance with the light distribution.

18. A method for controlling the light distribution of a luminaire including a luminaire head having a settable light module, the settable light module comprising a group of light-emitting diodes, and reflectors associated with said light-emitting diode elements; the light distribution of the luminaire being variable; the method comprising setting the light module on the basis of a light distribution, by at least one of the following actions: varying the form of said reflectors; varying the orientation of said reflectors; moving said reflectors; moving said group of light-emitting diodes; and increasing lighting current.

19. A luminaire comprising a luminaire head having a settable light module comprising a group of light-emitting diode elements, and reflectors associated with said light-emitting diode elements, light originating from the settable light module having a variable light distribution which is controlled by at least one of: varying the form of said reflectors; varying the orientation of said reflectors; moving said reflectors; moving said group of light-emitting diodes; and increasing lighting current.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the luminaire comprises a controller able to communicate with a server and wherein the setting of the light module on the basis of a light distribution is triggered by information sent from the server to the controller.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the controller sends to the server location information indicating the location of the luminaire and the server determines the light distribution based on said location information before the server sends information to the controller triggering the setting of the light module.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the settable light module comprises lenses associated with said light-emitting diode elements.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the luminaire comprises actuating means configured for setting an emission angle of a light cone associated with the light originating from the plurality of light-emitting diodes on the basis of the light distribution by at least one of the following actions: moving said group of light-emitting diodes; moving said lenses; varying the form of said lenses; varying the orientation of said lenses; varying the form of said circuit board; and varying the orientation of said circuit board.

24. The luminaire according to claim 8, comprising actuating means configured for setting an emission angle of a light cone associated with the light originating from the plurality of light-emitting diodes on the basis of the light distribution by at least one of the following actions: moving said group of light-emitting diodes; moving said lenses; varying the form of said lenses; varying the orientation of said lenses; varying the form of said circuit board; and varying the orientation of said circuit board.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the luminaire comprises actuating means configured for setting an emission angle of a light cone associated with the light originating from the plurality of light-emitting diodes on the basis of the light distribution by at least one of the following actions: varying the form of said reflectors; varying the orientation of said reflectors; moving said reflectors; and moving said group of light-emitting diodes.

26. The luminaire according to claim 19, comprising actuating means configured for setting an emission angle of a light cone associated with the light originating from the plurality of light-emitting diodes on the basis of the light distribution by at least one of the following actions: varying the form of said reflectors; varying the orientation of said reflectors; moving said reflectors; and moving said group of light-emitting diodes.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the claimed subject matter will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a road topology with individual luminaires;

(3) FIGS. 2a to 2e illustrate possible light distribution classes;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a traffic route luminaire in a partial bottom view;

(5) FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate parts of the traffic route luminaire according to FIG. 3 in different operating modes;

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment of a traffic route luminaire according to the disclosure in a partial bottom view;

(7) FIGS. 6a and 6b respectively illustrate parts of the traffic route luminaire according to FIG. 5 in different operating modes;

(8) FIG. 7 illustrates an illumination situation on a road; and

(9) FIG. 8 illustrates an illumination situation on the road with a widened emission compared to the illumination situation in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) Individual technical features of the represented embodiments described below can also be combined in combination with representative embodiments described previously and also the features of the embodiments described below and with possible further embodiments to form subject-matter according to the disclosure. Insofar as is expedient, elements having a functionally identical action are provided with identical reference numerals.

(11) In order to carry out the method according to the present disclosure in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment, first starting with traffic route luminaire information relating to the installation location of the luminaires, a mapping of the road topology with assigned light points, each corresponding to a traffic route luminaire, is formed. A view of such a topology with associated luminaires 1 is illustrated in FIG. 1. From the spatial coordinates communicated by the luminaires, which coordinates thus constitute luminaire data relating to the installation location of the luminaire, luminaires 1 are integrated into a road topology. The road topology can be obtained from Internet databases, from a dedicated database or is present on the server side, for example. The road topology shows a plurality of roads and characterizes them clearly. FIG. 1 shows a road 2 being a main traffic road, a road 3 being a link road, a ring of roads corresponding to a roundabout 4 and a road 5 being an access to a car park 6. Further information about the roads can be gathered from the road topology. For example, to what extent a multi-lane road is involved, how wide the road is and whether one-way streets or traffic-calmed zones are involved.

(12) The spatial assignment of the light points or of the luminaires 1 to the respective roads is effected by means of a distance function, for example. As a result of the knowledge of light distribution classes assigned to the respective roads the light distribution or light distribution class required for the respective luminaire arises taking account of the distance between the luminaires.

(13) FIGS. 2a to 2e illustrate some examples of respective light distribution classes which can correspondingly be assigned to traffic route luminaires 1.

(14) For example, the luminaire 1 arranged on the narrow road 5 (FIG. 1) designed as a one-way street and functioning as an access road to a car park is to be operated with a light distribution in accordance with FIG. 2b (light distribution class II) where only a narrow road needs to be illuminated. For a luminaire 1 arranged centrally in the roundabout 4 or at a cross roads where the intersecting roads are the same size and need to be uniformly lit, the luminaire is to be classified with a light distribution in accordance with FIG. 2e (light distribution class V). The luminaires 1 arranged on the main road 2 are characterized by means of the light distribution in accordance with FIG. 2d (light distribution class IV). Similarly, FIGS. 2a and 2c respectively illustrate luminaires 1 which are classified in accordance with light distribution classes I and III.

(15) In addition to the classification in accordance with FIGS. 2a to 2e, further light distribution classes representing further-reaching light distributions can be defined depending on the situation or on empirical values. The respective light distributions arise on the basis of the emission characteristics of a luminaire 1 arranged relative to a schematically illustrated road 7. An envelope 8 of the light distribution from the luminaire 1 appears as a transition from an area illuminated with a specific brightness towards the surroundings. The envelope 8 arises substantially as a result of the emission angles of the light emerging from the light module of a luminaire 1.

(16) In accordance with the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 3, a light module 9 in the present exemplary embodiment has a total of eight groups 11 of, in each case, two LEDs 12. The LED groups 11, which can also constitute in each case a dedicated printed circuit board, are laterally delimited by reflectors 13 by means of which the light emergence can furthermore be influenced. It will be appreciated that a light module may comprise a different number of groups, each group comprising a different number of LEDs.

(17) After the allocation of a light distribution class by the server and by corresponding instructions in the controller the groups 11, as shown in the vertical section IV-IV indicated in FIG. 3, can pivot from their position shown in FIG. 4a to the predefined position in accordance with FIG. 4b. Clockwise arrows 14CW and counter-clockwise arrows 14CCW show the direction of movement of the individual LED groups 11 mounted on their dedicated printed circuit boards 15, which pivot about a pivoting axis (not illustrated) in a motor-driven fashion by actuating means.

(18) In accordance with the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 5, a light module 9 is realized in which the illuminants or LEDs of the groups 11 are settable (i.e. the emission angles are variable) not just by a variation of the orientation of the entire groups 11 including the underlying printed circuit board 15 as illustrated in FIG. 4, but also via lenses 16 that are adaptable in terms of their form.

(19) In this regard, the lenses 16 as shown in the vertical section VI-VI indicated in FIG. 5 change from a basic position having, for example, a semi-circular form in accordance with FIG. 6a towards a lens form shaped depending on the desired emission characteristic, for example as an obliquely truncated elliptical paraboloid 16′ in accordance with FIG. 6b. In particular, electroactive polymers having a sufficient thermal stability can be used in this case.

(20) Alternatively or additionally, further changes in the emission characteristic can be brought about by means of an adjustment of the orientation of the printed circuit boards 15 and/or the reflectors 13.

(21) For sufficient illumination, depending on the road topology and the light distribution class, a setting in accordance with FIG. 7 arises in which an emission angle α of a luminaire 1—viewed in the plane of FIG. 7—embodied as a traffic route luminaire is about 70°, for example. A road 3 is sufficiently illuminated thereby. For the case where the middle luminaire 1 illustrated in FIG. 7 then fails and a corresponding signal from a server of an assigned telemanagement system or of the network of luminaires 1 requires knowledge of this, the adjacent luminaires 1 can be instructed in an automated manner to adapt their light distribution in order to ensure sufficient illumination for the road despite the failure. In this case, the aperture angles in the emission are altered towards the middle luminaire in such a way that both adjacent luminaires 1 have an emission angle α′ of somewhat more than 90° as viewed in the plane of FIG. 7, for example. Additionally, the lighting current towards the middle luminaire can be increased.

(22) Although the emission angle α of each of the luminaires 1 in FIG. 7 are shown to be the same, it will readily be appreciated that each emission angle may be different for each luminaire 1.

(23) Moreover, it will readily be understood that the emission angle is not limited to the plane of FIG. 7 but is, in effect, defined by an angle of a cone and can be regular or irregular in accordance with the light distribution class as described above with reference to FIGS. 2a to 2e.

(24) The present application may also reference quantities and numbers. Unless specifically stated, such quantities and numbers are not to be considered restrictive, but exemplary of the possible quantities or numbers associated with the present application. Also in this regard, the present application may use the term “plurality” to reference a quantity or number. In this regard, the term “plurality” is meant to be any number that is more than one, for example, two, three, four, five, etc. The terms “about,” “approximately,” “near,” etc., mean plus or minus 5% of the stated value. For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “at least one of A, B, and C,” for example, means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B, and C), including all further possible permutations when greater than three elements are listed.

(25) The principles, representative embodiments, and modes of operation of the present disclosure have been described in the foregoing description. However, aspects of the present disclosure which are intended to be protected are not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Further, the embodiments described herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be appreciated that variations and changes may be made by others, and equivalents employed, without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such variations, changes, and equivalents fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as claimed.