GB2300254A

GB2300254A - Improvement in or relating to lighting systems

Info

Publication number: GB2300254A
Application number: GB9508679A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Duncan Hindle; John Anthony Shaw
Original assignee: CCT LIGHTING Ltd
Current assignee: CCT LIGHTING Ltd
Priority date: 1995-04-28
Filing date: 1995-04-28
Publication date: 1996-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2015-04-28
Also published as: EP0823191A1; GB2300254B; EP0823191B1; AU5506696A; GB2300254A8; ATE197662T1; DE69610979T2; WO1996034516A1; DE69610979D1; GB9508679D0

Abstract

A lighting system comprises a multiplicity of luminaires (A1 to A4, B1 to B4, C1 to C4 and D1 to D4) and a central control unit 1 for controlling the light outputs of the luminaires. The luminaires are divided into a plurality of groups, each arranged to receive its own control signal from the central control unit and having a respective local control means (7, 8) which is arranged to control the light outputs of individual luminaires of the group in dependence upon both a signal from the central control unit 1 and information stored in the local control means (7, 8).

Description

Improvements in or relating to lighting systems This invention relates to a lighting system and to a method of controlling such a system.

Traditionally, in a controlled lighting system there have been a multiplicity of luminaires at desired remote locations, each connected via its own wiring to a dimmer provided in a control room. Each dimmer has been controlled by a respective channel of a control unit so as to provide the desired degree of lighting from each luminaire.

More recently it has been proposed to site the dimmers adjacent to their respective luminaires, again with each dimmer being controlled by a respective channel of a central control unit.

In the cases referred to above, each individual luninaire is directly controlled by a respective control channel of the central control unit and the number of luminaires that can be controlled is limited by the number of control channels that are available.

According to the invention there is provided a controlled lighting system comprising a multiplicity of luminaires and a central control unit for controlling the light outputs of the luminaires, the luminaires being divided into a plurality of groups, each of the groups being arranged to receive its own control signal from the central control unit and having a respective local control means which is arranged to control the light outputs of individual luminaires of the group in dependence upon both a signal from the central control unit and information stored in the local control means.

Preferably each group of luminaires comprises a plurality of luminaires, but in special circumstances there may be one or more groups of luminaires which consist of only a single luminaire and there may also be other individual luminaires that are controlled directly from the central control unit and not provided with a local control means.

The local control means of the luminaires may be connected to the central control unit via a common control loop and each local control means may be arranged to receive control signals from the central control unit via a respective control channel of the common control loop. Usually the common control loop will be a wire loop but, if desired, a remote control system using for example a radio or infra-red control may be used.

Thus, it will be seen that in accordance with the invention it is possible to control several luminaires through the same control channel of a central control unit and yet provide individual control of the light outputs of the luminaires. Thus relatively few control channels can be used to control a large number of luminaires.

At least one, and advantageously each, of the local control means may be pre-programmed when the lighting system is set up so as to control each of the individual luminaires to provide a respective desired light output in response to a given control signal from the central control unit. Preferably the pre-programming is such that the light outputs of individual luminaires of the associated group are varied proportionally in dependence upon the signal from the central control unit, the ratios of the light outputs having been selected by the pre-programming. An arrangement of this kind is described below with reference to the drawings.Another possibility, however, is to create a store at the local control means of respective values of light outputs for each of the luminaires for different control signals from the central control unit; in that case the ratios of the light outputs of the individual luminaires in a group will vary.

Each luminaire preferably has an associated dimmer for controlling its light output, the dimmer being arranged to be controlled by the local control means.

Each local control means may comprise a single control unit having separate outputs for each of the luminaires it is controlling but, preferably, as in the illustrated embodiment of the invention described below, each local control means comprises a plurality of local control units, each associated with a respective one of the luminaires of the group controlled by the local control means.

Preferably the local control means are positioned at locations remote from the central control unit and preferably adjacent to or on the luminaires that they are arranged to control.

The present invention also provides a method of controlling a lighting system comprising a multiplicity of luminaires divided into a plurality of groups, in which method the light outputs of individual luminaires of a group are controlled in dependence upon both a signal from a central control unit that is common to all the luminaires of the group and upon information stored in a control means local to the group and providing respective controls for each of the luminaires of the group.

By way of example, an embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagram of an entertainment lighting system.

The entertainment lighting system shown has a central control unit 1, a main power supply 2 and four groups A, B, C and D of luminaires. Each of the groups of luminaires comprises four luminaires referenced Al to A4, B1 to B4, C1 to C4 and D1 to D4. Associated with each luminaire is a local control unit and a dimmer for controlling the light outputs of the luminaires. The local control units and the dimmers are mounted on the luminaires and are not shown separately in the drawing.

Each luminaire is connected by a power cable 3 to the main power supply 2 and by a control cable loop 4 to the central control unit 1. The central control unit 1 shown in the drawing has nine channels of which only the first four are used in the illustrated embodiment. The central control unit 1 provides a multiplexed control signal with luminaires of group A controlled by the first channel, luminaires of group B controlled by the second channel, luminaires of group C controlled by the third channel and luminaires of group D controlled by the fourth channel.

In order to set up the system an operator selects the ratio of the light outputs of the luminaires of a group and adjusts the local control units, which are proportional controls, accordingly. Thus, for example, in the case of the luminaires of group A, the proportional controls are set so that the luminaire Al provides full output, luminaire A2 60% output, luminaire A3 40% output and luminaire A4 80% output. The other luminaires are set to provide the following outputs: B1 - 100% C1 - 100% D1 - 100% B2 - 48% C2 - 36% D2 - 60% B3 - 32% C3 - 24% D3 - 40% B4 - 64% C4 - 48% D4 - 80% In operation the settings indicated above determine the relative amounts of light outputs of luminaires in a group while the signal from the central control unit 1 determines the general level of output. Thus, for example, with channel 1 set to "10" as shown, luminaire Al will be at full light output, luminaire A2 at 60% output, luminaire A3 at 40% output and luminaire A4 at 80% output. Similarly with channel 2 set to 8, luminaire B1 will be at 80% of full light output, luminaire B2 at 38.4% output, luminaire B3 at 25.6% output and luminaire B4 at 51.2% output. Thus the light output of each luminaire is dependent upon the control signal from the central control unit and the proportional control preselected by the operator when the lighting system is first set up.

It will be seen that in the example of the invention just described, only four control channels are used to control sixteen luminaires which would have required 16 control channels using a conventional control system.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising a multiplicity of luminaires and a central control unit for controlling the light outputs of the luminaires, the luminaires being divided into a plurality of groups, each of the groups being arranged to receive its own control signal from the central control unit and having a respective local control means which is arranged to control the light outputs of individual luminaires of the group in dependence upon both a signal from the central control unit and information stored in the local control means.

2. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1, in which each group of luminaires comprises a plurality of luminaires.

3. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the local control means of the groups of luminaires are connected to the central control unit via a common control loop.

4. A lighting system as claimed in claim 3, in which each local control means is arranged to receive control signals from the central control unit via a respective control channel of the common control loop.

5. A lighting system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least one of the local control means is arranged to be pre-programmed such that the light outputs of individual luminaires of the associated group are varied proportionally in dependence upon the signal from the central control unit, the ratios of the light outputs having been selected by the pre-progranuning.

6. A lighting system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each luminaire has an associated dimmer for controlling its light output, the dimmer being arranged to be controlled by the local control means.

7. A lighting system as claimed in any preceding claim in which each local control means comprises a plurality of local control units, each associated with a respective one of the luminaires of the group controlled by the local control means.

8. A lighting system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the local control means are positioned at locations remote from the central control unit.

9. A lighting system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the local control means are positioned adjacent to or on the luminaires that they are arranged to control.

10. A lighting system substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

11. A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a multiplicity of luminaires divided into a plurality of groups, in which method the light outputs of individual luminaires of a group are controlled in dependence upon both a signal from a central control unit that is common to all the luminaires of the group and upon information stored in a control means local to the group and providing respective controls for each of the luminaires of the group.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10, in which the lighting system is as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 10.