Automatic illumination control apparatus for adjusting output of illumination device depending upon distance between subject and illumination device
11287724 · 2022-03-29
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
H05B47/11
ELECTRICITY
H05B47/115
ELECTRICITY
Y02B20/40
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
G03B15/05
PHYSICS
International classification
G03B15/05
PHYSICS
H05B47/11
ELECTRICITY
H05B47/115
ELECTRICITY
G03B7/17
PHYSICS
Abstract
An automatic illumination control apparatus for adjusting an output of an illumination device depending upon a distance between a subject and the illumination device, includes: a distance measuring sensor installed at a position close to the illumination device to measure distance information between the illumination device and the subject; and an illumination managing unit configured to generate a management signal including an illumination intensity of illumination which is outputted from the illumination device according to the distance information, and send the management signal to the illumination device. With the present invention, even though the subject comes toward or away from the main illumination device and thus the distance between the subject and the illumination is changed, the illumination intensity indicative of the subject and the space around the subject and the color temperature can be constantly maintained, thereby obtaining the still picture or the motion picture with constant quality.
Claims
1. An automatic illumination control apparatus for adjusting an output of an illumination device depending upon a distance between a subject and the illumination device, the automatic illumination control apparatus comprising: a distance measuring sensor which is installed at a position close to the illumination device to measure distance information between the illumination device and the subject; an illumination managing unit configured to generate a management signal including an illumination intensity of illumination which is outputted from the illumination device according to the distance information, and send the management signal to the illumination device; an illumination intensity sensor which is installed at a position close to the main illumination device to read illumination intensity information of the subject and send the illumination intensity information to the illumination managing unit, wherein the illumination managing unit generates a management signal including the illumination intensity of the illumination to be outputted from the illumination device according to the illumination intensity information so that a reference illumination intensity is detected by the illumination intensity sensor, and sends the management signal to the illumination device; a color temperature sensor which is installed at a position close to the main illumination device to read color temperature information of the subject, wherein the illumination managing unit generates a management signal including the color temperature of the illumination to be outputted from the illumination device according to the color temperature information so that a reference color temperature is detected by the color temperature sensor, and sends the management signal to the illumination device; an illumination output information collecting unit configured to collect output ranges of the illumination intensity and color temperature which can be outputted to the illumination device; and an alarm unit configured to generate an alarm so that if the illumination intensity and the color temperature of the illumination contained in the management signal get out of the output range of the main illumination device.
2. The automatic illumination control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to send the management signal to the illumination device which is connected to the automatic illumination control apparatus by wire or wireless.
3. The automatic illumination control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit configured to input the reference illumination intensity and the reference color temperature so that the illumination managing unit is set by the reference illumination intensity and the reference color temperature.
4. The automatic illumination control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured which is connected to the illumination managing unit to output the illumination intensity information and the color temperature information which are collected by the illumination managing unit.
5. The automatic illumination control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the alarm unit generates the alarm during a predetermined time, the illumination managing unit generates a management signal having limit values of the output ranges of the illumination intensity and the color temperature of the illumination device, and sends the management signal to the illumination device.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(5) Hereinafter, an automatic illumination control apparatus for adjusting an output of an illumination device depending upon a distance between the illumination device and a subject according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(6)
(7) Referring to
(8) The automatic illumination control apparatus 100 may be installed integrally with the illumination device 10, or may be housed in a housing which is separated from the illumination device 10 to be connected to a printed circuit board of the illumination device 10 by wire or wireless. If the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 includes a housing which is separated from the illumination device 10, the housing may be provided with a detachable member for attaching or detaching the housing to or from the illumination device 10. The detachable member may include any detachable mechanism if it is commonly used in the art, for example, Velcro.
(9) The illumination device 10 which is integrally formed with the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 according to the present invention or is connected to the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 by wire or wireless is configured to adjust the illumination intensity of the illumination to be outputted.
(10) If necessary, the illumination device 10 may be configured to adjust the illumination intensity and the color temperature of the illumination to be outputted. Specifically, the illumination device 10 includes a plurality of light sources each having different color temperature to output various color temperatures. For example, the illumination device 10 includes a plurality of LED modules to adjust the color temperature. In this instance, the plurality of LED modules may consist of single LED, such as a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED, or may consist of RGB LEDs.
(11) The illumination device 10, in which the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 of the present invention is installed, may include an LED illumination device, a camera flash, a halogen illumination device, and a fluorescent illumination device.
(12) Specifically, the LED illumination device includes an LED panel light, a spot light, a surface illumination, and flexible light. Also, the LED illumination device preferably employs an illumination device capable of controlling a light color of 3000K to 6000K to meet various light colors.
(13) More specifically, the illumination device 10 may include a plurality of LED modules generally arranged in a circle, of which first LEDs having a color temperature of 6000K which are usually used are arranged at a center of a printed circuit board at regular intervals, and second LEDs having a color temperature of 3000K are arranged around the first LEDs in a circle.
(14) If the light color is controlled in this arranged state, the color temperature of 4500K which is an intermediate level can be obtained by simultaneously adjusting the first and second LEDs are regulated at the same brightness. If the current of the first LED is controlled in this state to decrease the brightness, the color temperature is gradually changed to be close to 3000K. If the first LED is completely turned off, the color temperature of 3000K can be obtained.
(15) In contrast, if the brightness is decreased by controlling the current of the second LED in the state in which the first and second LEDs are regulated at the same brightness to obtain the color temperature of 4500K, the color temperature is gradually changed to be close to 6000K. If the second LED is completely turned off, the color temperature of 6000K can be obtained.
(16) If the whole range is divided by a constant section and data for each divided unit is inputted to an MCU circuit of the main illumination device 10, the main illumination device 10 outputs illumination having a specific color temperature according to a management signal transmitted from the automatic illumination control apparatus 100.
(17) Meanwhile, the illumination device 10 may be provided with a separate auxiliary device to soften or change the light emitted from the illumination device.
(18) Now, each constitutional element will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(19) Referring to
(20) The distance measuring sensor 110 is installed at a position close to the main illumination device 10 to measure the distance between the main illumination device 10 and the subject P.
(21)
(22) Specifically, the distance measuring sensor 110 irradiates a distance measuring signal (infrared rays or laser) to the subject P, and receives a return signal reflected from the subject P. The distance measuring sensor 110 calculates a time difference between the transmission signal and the return signal to calculate a distance value between the illumination device 10 and the subject P and to send the distance value to the illumination managing unit 130. To this end, the distance measuring sensor 110 is electrically connected to the illumination managing unit 130.
(23)
(24) In this instance, since the subject is not positioned in the irradiated direction of the light, the subject is preferably attached by a small receiver and a small transmitter to measure the distance, in which the distance between the subject and the illumination is measured in a wireless communication by generating a radio wave (e.g., frequency of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz).
(25) In order to realize the illumination intensity which is similar to the level of the direct irradiation method shown in
(26) Referring to
(27) The illumination intensity sensor 120 is installed at a position close to the main illumination device 10 to detect the illumination intensity of the subject P at the location of the main illumination device 10.
(28) The illumination intensity sensor 120 reads the illumination intensity information of the subject P after the illumination intensity of the illumination device is primarily adjusted by the illumination managing unit 130 depending upon the distance between the main illumination device 10 and the subject P.
(29) More specifically, the illumination intensity sensor 120 analyzes the illumination, which is reflected from the subject P, received by the receiver of the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 to read the field illumination intensity of the subject P, and generates the illumination intensity information containing the field illumination intensity to send the information to the illumination managing unit 130. To this end, the illumination intensity sensor 120 is electrically connected to the illumination managing unit 130.
(30) For example, the illumination intensity sensor 120 may be installed to the main illumination device 10 to detect and output the illumination intensity of the subject P positioned in front of the main illumination device 10, and may include a digital illumination intensity sensor of 12C serial interface mode.
(31) The illumination received by the receiver contains the illumination emitted from the illumination device 10 installed around the subject P, and contains the illumination emitted from the main illumination device 10 after the main illumination device 10 is turned on.
(32) Referring to
(33) The color temperature sensor 125 is installed at a position close to the main illumination device 10 to detect the color temperature of the subject P at the position of the main illumination device 10, and reads the color temperature information of the subject P which is to be photographed.
(34) More specifically, the color temperature sensor 125 analyzes the illumination, which is reflected from the subject P, received by the receiver of the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 to read the field color temperature of the subject P, and generates the color temperature information containing the field color temperature to send the information to the illumination managing unit 130. To this end, the color temperature sensor 125 is electrically connected to the illumination managing unit 130.
(35) Referring to
(36) The communication unit 140 is configured to send the management signal generated by the illumination managing unit 130 to the main illumination device 10 which is connected to the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 by wire or wireless. If the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 is provided in the main illumination device 10 in an externally housed type, the communication unit 140 is installed in the automatic illumination control apparatus 100. To this end, the communication unit 140 is electrically connected to the illumination managing unit 130, and is connected to the illumination device 10 by at least one wireless communication protocol containing Wi-Fi, WiBro (wireless broadband Internet), wireless LAN, home RF, WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for microwave access), ZigBee, Bluetooth, UWB (ultrawideband), IrDA (infrared data association), and SWAP (shared wireless access protocol).
(37) If the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 is provided in the main illumination device 10 in the externally housed type, the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 is connected to the main illumination device 10 via an USB cable, and the management signal transmitted from the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 is sent to the printed circuit board of the main illumination device 10 via the USB cable.
(38) Referring to
(39) The input unit 150 is connected to the illumination managing unit 130 to input a reference illumination intensity so that the illumination managing unit 130 is set by the reference illumination intensity. Any input means can be used if it achieves the above object. For example, the input unit 150 may include a keypad which is attached to the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 and connected to the illumination managing unit 130 by wire, and a radio remote controller which is connected to the illumination managing unit 130 by wireless.
(40) If necessary, the input unit 150 is configured to receive a reference color temperature so that the illumination managing unit 130 is set by the reference color temperature.
(41) More specifically, the keypad is provided with two pairs of up and down buttons at both sides, so that the first button is to raise the illumination intensity value if the first button is pushed by an external force, the second button is to decrease the illumination intensity value if the second button is pushed by an external force, the third button is to raise the color temperature value if the third button is pushed by an external force, and the fourth button is to decrease the color temperature value if the fourth button is pushed by an external force.
(42) The keypad may be provided with a set button so that the reference illumination value and the reference color temperature value which are automatically determined in advance according to button touch sequence are set. The set button is configured in such a way that a user can easily set the reference illumination value and the reference color temperature value which are differently set according to each capturing mode, such as an outdoor still picture capturing mode, an indoor still picture capturing mode, an indoor motion picture capturing mode, and an outdoor motion picture capturing mode.
(43) For example, the set button may be configured so that if it is touched once, the reference illumination value and the reference color temperature value are designated by 300 lux and 3000K, if it is touched two times, the reference illumination value and the reference color temperature value are designated by 400 lux and 4000K, and if it is touched three times, the reference illumination value and the reference color temperature value are designated by 500 lux and 5000K.
(44) If necessary, the keypad may be provided with a power button to selectively supply a power to the automatic illumination control apparatus 100.
(45) If the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 is formed integrally with the main illumination device 10, the keypad is installed to the surface of a housing provided to the main illumination device 10. Meanwhile, if the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 is formed separately from the main illumination device 10, the keypad is installed to the surface of a housing provided to the automatic illumination control apparatus 100.
(46) Also, the keypad may be provided with a physical button or a touch screen. In this instance, the touch screen displays an illumination intensity adjusting graph and a color temperature adjusting graph on a screen, and the user adjusts the adjusting graphs by touch to send the reference illumination value and the reference color temperature value to the illumination managing unit 130. If necessary, the touch screen is provided with icons to store the reference illumination value and the reference color temperature value which are predetermined, and if the icon is touched the predetermined value is stored.
(47) Referring to
(48) The display unit 160 is connected to the illumination managing unit 130 to output at least one of the distance information, the illumination intensity information, the color temperature information which are collected by the illumination managing unit 130, and may be installed to the outer surface of a case provided to the automatic illumination control apparatus.
(49) Referring to
(50) The illumination output information collecting unit 170 is configured to collect an output range of the illumination intensity which can be outputted to the illumination device 10 formed integrally with the automatic illumination control apparatus or connected thereto by the communication unit 140. Also, the illumination output information collecting unit 170 can collect an output range of the color temperature which can be outputted to the illumination device 10.
(51) The illumination output information collecting unit 170 collects an output range of the main illumination device 10 which can be changed by the management signal generated depending upon a variation in distance between the subject P and the main illumination device 10.
(52) According to one embodiment, if the illumination output information collecting unit 170 of the present invention is connected to the main illumination device 10 via the communication unit 140, the illumination output information collecting unit 170 searches the output ranges of the illumination intensity and color temperature set in the memory of the main illumination device 10 according to an installed program, and extracts and sends it to the illumination managing unit 130.
(53) According to another embodiment, if the illumination output information collecting unit 170 is inputted by the output ranges of the illumination intensity and color temperature of the main illumination device 10 via the input unit 150, such as the touch screen, the illumination output information collecting unit 170 transmits it to the illumination managing unit 130.
(54) Referring to
(55) The alarm unit 180 is configured to generate an alarm so that if the illumination intensity and the color temperature of the illumination contained in the management signal get out of the output range of the main illumination device 10, the user can figure out the deviation. To this end, the alarm unit 180 may include a loudspeaker for outputting a sound, or an LED module for outputting a flickering signal.
(56) The automatic illumination control apparatus according to the present invention may further include a storage unit (not illustrated).
(57) The storage unit is stored with a distance/illumination intensity gain table which optimizes a brightness step of the main illumination device 10 depending upon the illumination value measured by the illumination intensity sensor 120 and the distance between the subject P and the illumination device.
(58) Also, the storage unit receives the color temperature value and the illumination intensity from the user through the input unit 150, and stores the values as the reference illumination and the reference color temperature.
(59) Referring to
(60) The illumination managing unit 130 generates the management signal containing the illumination intensity of the illumination to be outputted from the illumination device 10, according to the distance information collected by the distance measuring sensor 110, and sends the generated management signal to the main illumination device 10.
(61) Also, the illumination managing unit 130 generates the management signal containing the illumination intensity value of the illumination to be outputted from the main illumination device 10, according to the illumination intensity information provided from the illumination intensity sensor 120, so as to measure the reference illumination intensity by the illumination intensity sensor 120, and sends the management signal to the main illumination device 10.
(62) In addition, the illumination managing unit 130 generates the management signal containing the color temperature value of the illumination to be outputted from the main illumination device 10, according to the color temperature information provided from the color temperature sensor 125, so as to measure the reference color temperature by the color temperature sensor 125, and sends the management signal to the main illumination device 10.
(63) To this end, the illumination managing unit 130 is connected to the distance measuring sensor 110, the illumination intensity sensor 120, the color temperature sensor 125, the communication unit 140, the input unit 150, the display unit 160, the illumination output information collecting unit 170, the alarm unit 180, the distance measuring sensor 110 and the storage unit.
(64) The illumination managing unit 130 compares the distance value measured by the distance measuring sensor 110 and the illumination intensity value by distance which is stored in the storage unit, and determines the illumination intensity (brightness) of the main illumination device 10. In this instance, the illumination intensity is proportional to the brightness of the light source, while is inverse proportional to the square of the distance.
(65) For example, the illumination intensity, the brightness of the light source, and the distance between the light source and the subject are defined by Equation 1 below:
Illumination intensity=Brightness of light source (cd)/Square of distance(m.sup.2)[lx] Equation 1
(66) Meanwhile, if the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 is formed integrally with the main illumination device 10, the illumination managing unit 130 is connected to the printed circuit board of the main illumination device 10. If the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 is detachably provided to the main illumination device 10, the illumination managing unit 130 is connected to the main illumination device 10 via the communication unit 140 by wire or wireless.
(67) The illumination managing unit 130 applies the illumination intensity value collected by the illumination intensity sensor 120 and the distance values collected by the distance measuring sensor 110 to the distance/illumination intensity table stored in the storage unit, and derives the optimum illumination intensity (brightness) value of the main illumination device 10 to match the illumination intensity with the reference illumination intensity. More specifically, if the illumination intensity of the subject P and the illumination intensity around the subject P are detected by the illumination intensity sensor 120, the illumination managing unit 130 compares the illumination intensity value detected by the illumination intensity sensor 120 and the distance value calculated by the distance measuring sensor 110 with the distance/illumination intensity gain table stored in the storage to determine the brightness of the main illumination device 10. In this instance, the main illumination device 10 emits the light in the corresponding brightness according to the management signal of the illumination managing unit 130. In addition, the illumination managing unit 130 can control the display unit 160 to display the distance value between the subject P and the illumination device and the illumination intensity value and the color temperature value of the illumination emitted from the illumination device 10 on the display unit 160.
(68) If the illumination managing unit 130 is inputted by the illumination intensity and the color temperature through the input unit 150, the illumination managing unit 130 sets the illumination intensity and the color temperature as the reference illumination value and the reference color temperature value, and then stores the values in the memory or storage unit.
(69) For example, if the reference color temperature is 4000K, the reference illumination intensity value is 800 lux, and the illumination intensity and the color temperature of the subject P measured by the color temperature sensor 125 and the illumination intensity sensor 120 are 3500K and 500 lux, the illumination managing unit 130 gradually increases the illumination intensity value and the color temperature value of the light source to be outputted from the main illumination device 10, until the illumination intensity and the color temperature measured by the color temperature sensor 125 and the illumination intensity sensor 120 are 4000K and 800 lux.
(70) As described above, if the illumination device 10 is provided with the auxiliary mechanism, such as the soft box and the reflector, it is possible to select the selection mode by the input unit 150. When the selection mode is selected, the illumination managing unit 130 can separately manage the brightness of the light source, different from the auxiliary mechanism. For example, if the selection mode is selected by the input unit 150, the illumination managing unit 130 applies the illumination intensity value collected by the illumination intensity sensor 120 and the distance values collected by the distance measuring sensor 110 to the distance/illumination intensity table stored in the storage unit, and derives the optimum illumination intensity (brightness) value of the main illumination device 10 to match the illumination intensity with the reference illumination intensity.
(71) More specifically, the illumination managing unit 130 compares the illumination intensity value detected by the illumination intensity sensor 120 and the distance value calculated by the distance measuring sensor 110 with the distance/illumination intensity gain table stored in the storage to determine the brightness of the main illumination device 10. If the selection mode is selected by the input unit 150, the illumination intensity value detected by the illumination intensity sensor 120 and the distance value calculated by the distance measuring sensor 110 are compared with the distance/illumination intensity gain table stored in the storage to determine the brightness of the main illumination device 10.
(72) Even though the illumination device with the auxiliary mechanism, such as the reflector, and the illumination device with no the auxiliary mechanism emit the light toward the subject at the same distance, it is because the light emitted from the illumination device with the auxiliary mechanism is brighter.
(73) Accordingly, the light emitted from the main illumination device 10 is irradiated towards the subject P under the more accurate and fine control of the illumination managing unit 130, and thus the image of the subject P to be photographed by a photography device, such as a camera, is maintained at the wanted brightness by the irradiation of the light, thereby obtaining the image of the subject P to which the illumination of the uniform brightness is applied.
(74) If the illumination intensity information is collected by the illumination intensity sensor 120 and the color temperature information is collected by the color temperature sensor 125, the illumination managing unit 130 outputs the illumination intensity information and the color temperature information through the display unit 160 to allow the user to verify it.
(75) If the subject P moves by a distance not to represent the reference illumination intensity and the reference color temperature through the illumination intensity and the color temperature of the illumination emitted from the main illumination device 10, the illumination managing unit 130 outputs the alarm through the alarm unit 180 so that the user can verify it. In other words, if the management signal including the illumination intensity and the color temperature of the illumination which are deviated from the output range of the main illumination device 10 are generated, the illumination managing unit 130 stops the emission of the illumination from the main illumination device 10, and outputs the alarm through the alarm unit 180.
(76) The illumination managing unit 130 stops the output of the alarm if a signal for changing the reference illumination and the reference color temperature is inputted through the input unit 150, such as a radio remote controller, while the alarm is outputted from the alarm unit 180.
(77) If necessary, if the alarm is outputted from the alarm unit 180 during a predetermined time, preferably 5 to 30 seconds, the illumination managing unit 130 generates the management signal having a limit value of the output range for the illumination intensity and the color temperature of the illumination device 10, and sends it to the main illumination device 10.
(78) For example, supposing that the maximum brightness of the main illumination device 10 is 3000 lux, the reference illumination intensity of the subject P is 500 lux, and the main illumination device 10 emits the light of 3000 lux toward the subject P which is away from the illumination by about 5 m, if the subject P is away from the main illumination device 10 by 5 m or more under the field illumination intensity of 500 lux, the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 outputs the alarm through the alarm unit 180. If the alarm goes by the predetermined time, 10 seconds, the illumination managing unit 130 generates the management signal having the illumination intensity value of 3000 lux, and sends it to the printed circuit board of the main illumination device 10.
(79) As described above, in case where the subject P is positioned below a fluorescent light and the subject p is positioned below an incandescent light, the color temperature of the subject P is different from each other. If the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 according to the present invention is set by the reference color temperature of 4000K, the automatic illumination control apparatus 100 can control the main illumination device 10 even though the color temperature of the subject P is changed when the illumination device 10 installed under peripheral circumstance of the subject P is changed from the incandescent light to the fluorescent light, or the subject P is moved from the incandescent light to the fluorescent light, so that the main illumination device 10 emits the illumination of the color temperature to be compensated, thereby representing the wanted color temperature of 4000K.
(80) While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.