JP2011134471A - Lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

A lighting device that assists waking by irradiating light to a sleeper enables re-sleeping and realizes comfortable waking.
A lighting device includes a timer unit, a light source unit, an input unit, and a light source that starts irradiation at a predetermined time before the set wake-up time and gradually increases the illumination output until the wake-up time. The control part which performs dimming control of the light source part 3 according to the dimming schedule to perform, and the detection means 8 which detects a sleeper's awakening are provided. When the detection unit 8 detects the awakening of the sleeper after the start of light irradiation by the light source unit 3 and before the wake-up setting time, the control unit 5 uses the illumination output of the light source unit 3 as the illumination output in the dimming schedule at that time. The dimming schedule is changed so as to gradually increase after the decrease. Thereby, a sleeper's re-entry sleep is supported by the fall of an illumination output, and sleep asleep is promoted by the gradual increase of an illumination output.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a lighting device that assists awakening by irradiating a sleeper with light.

  Conventionally, an alarm clock is generally used for getting up. The alarm clock generates an alarm sound at the set-up time. The depth of human sleep is constantly changing, and the user of an alarm clock does not have a constant depth of sleep when awakened by an alarm sound. For this reason, it is known that when a user is awakened from a relatively shallow sleep, a pleasant awakening is obtained, but when a user is awakened from a relatively deep sleep by an alarm sound, a sudden awakening occurs and the awakening is not good. .

  Then, in order to wake up a user comfortably, the alarm device using light is known (for example, refer to patent documents 1). This wake-up device irradiates a sleeping user with light whose output gradually increases from a predetermined time before the set-up time, promotes sleep sleep by the light-wakening action, and then wakes the user with an alarm sound or the like . By gradually increasing the output of the light to be irradiated in this way, sudden awakening due to an alarm sound or the like from deep sleep can be avoided.

  However, when such a wake-up device is used, the user may wake up at a time that is too early with respect to the wake-up setting time due to individual differences in sleep depth or sensitivity to light before the wake-up setting time. . Even after waking up, the wake-up device continues to increase the light output, making it difficult for the user to go back to sleep again. Will cause you to be awakened suddenly, and you will not feel awake.

JP 7-318670 A

  The present invention solves the above-described problem, and in a lighting device that assists waking by irradiating light to a sleeping user (sleeper), enables re-sleeping of the user and realizes comfortable waking The purpose is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 includes a timekeeping unit for measuring time, a light source unit for irradiating light to a sleeper, an input unit for inputting a wakeup set time, and an input wakeup set time A light control unit that controls light control of the light source unit according to a light control schedule that starts light irradiation and gradually increases the light output until the wake-up set time, and is a sleeper's A detection unit configured to detect awakening, and the control unit illuminates the light source unit when awakening of a sleeper is detected by the detection unit after the start of light irradiation by the light source unit and before the set-up time. The dimming schedule is changed so that the output is gradually increased after decreasing the illumination output in the dimming schedule at that time, and the dimming control is performed on the light source unit according to the changed dimming schedule. .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the lighting device according to the first aspect, the control unit outputs the lighting output at the wake-up setting time in the changed dimming schedule to the wake-up setting in the dimming schedule before the change. It is the same as the lighting output at the time.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the illumination device according to the first aspect, the control unit outputs the illumination output at the wake-up set time in the changed dimming schedule when the awakening of the sleeper is detected. The output is equal to or greater than the output, and smaller than the illumination output at the wake-up set time in the dimming schedule before the change.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the sleeper's awakening is detected, the lighting output is temporarily reduced to support re-entry sleep, and the subsequent lighting output is gradually increased again to promote sleep sleep. Can awaken comfortably.

  According to the invention of claim 2, after the illumination output is once reduced, the illumination output is gradually increased again without changing the illumination output at the wake-up setting time, so that the sleeper can be surely awakened regardless of individual differences. it can.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the illumination output at the wake-up setting time is set to be equal to or more than the illumination output at the time of awakening detection, the sleep of the sleeper can be promoted to sleep and the sleeper can be awakened comfortably. Moreover, since the illumination output at the wake-up setting time is reduced, energy is saved.

The control block diagram of the illuminating device which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The front view which shows the structural example of the apparatus. The figure which shows another structural example of the same apparatus. The figure which shows the irradiation pattern by a dimming schedule in case the awakening of a sleeper is detected by operation of an input part during the dimming control in the same apparatus. The figure which shows another example same as the above. The figure which shows the irradiation pattern by a dimming schedule when the sleeper's awakening is detected in multiple times during the dimming control in the same apparatus. The figure which shows the irradiation pattern by a dimming schedule when a sleeper's awakening is detected by the biosensor during the dimming control in the same apparatus. The figure which shows another example same as the above. The figure which shows the irradiation pattern by the light control schedule in the illuminating device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows another example same as the above.

(First embodiment)
A lighting apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the lighting device 1 includes a timer unit 2 that measures time, a light source unit 3 that irradiates light to a sleeper, an input unit 4 that receives a wake-up setting time, and a light source unit 3. A control unit 5 that performs dimming control, a storage unit 6 that stores data used for dimming control, and the like, and a sound source unit 7 that generates an alarm sound are provided. The control unit 5 generates a dimming schedule for starting light irradiation a predetermined time before the input wake-up setting time and gradually increasing the illumination output until the wake-up setting time, and stores the dimming schedule in the storage unit 6. The light source unit 3 is dimmed and controlled according to the dimming schedule. The control unit 5 has a function of detecting that the sleeper is awakened based on a change in an input signal to the control unit 5 when the input unit 4 is operated as a detection unit that detects that the sleeper is awakened. Have. In addition, as a detection means for detecting that the sleeper has awakened, the illumination device 1 is provided with a biological sensor 8 that detects biological information such as a user's brain wave, electrocardiogram (heartbeat), or body motion, and the control unit 5 You may comprise so that it may detect that the sleeper woke up based on the detection result by the biometric sensor 8. FIG. This control unit 5 is configured to use the light output of the light source unit 3 as the illumination output in the dimming schedule at that time when the awakening of the sleeper is detected by the detecting means after the light irradiation by the light source unit 3 is started and before the set-up time. Then, the dimming schedule is changed so as to be gradually increased after being lowered, and the dimming control of the light source unit 3 is performed according to the changed dimming schedule.

  The time measuring unit 2 has an electronic timepiece, displays the current time, and provides the current time information to the control unit 5. The light source unit 3 irradiates light under the dimming control of the control unit 5, has a light source and a lighting circuit that turns on the light source, and is provided to irradiate the sleeper's face with light. . The light source may be any light source such as a fluorescent lamp or an LED. The lighting circuit is, for example, an inverter circuit. The input unit 4 is an interface having, for example, a button, a switch, and the like, and the operation adjusts the time, sets the wake-up time, stops the alarm sound, snoozes, adjusts the lighting output, and turns on / off. The input unit 4 has a snooze button. The snooze button is provided in all wake-up devices to prevent oversleeping. When the alarm sound is generated, the alarm sound is stopped when the alarm sound is generated, but the alarm sound is generated again after a few minutes.

  The control unit 5 is composed of, for example, a microcontroller, and receives the wake-up set time from the input unit 4, acquires current time information from the time measuring unit 2, and controls the light source unit 3 and the like. The storage unit 6 includes a readable / writable memory built in or external to the control unit 5. The sound source unit 7 includes, for example, a buzzer or a speaker, and generates an alarm sound for waking up a sleeper under the control of the control unit 5.

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration example in which the lighting device 1 is integrally formed. The lighting device 1 is a night stand type, and includes a light source unit 3 and an appliance main body 9. The light source unit 3 is supported on the upper part of the instrument main body 9 by an arm 10. The instrument main body 9 is accommodated in a housing, has a timer unit 2 and an input unit 4 on the front surface of the housing, and includes a control unit 5, a storage unit 6, and a sound source unit 7. This illuminating device 1 is installed and used near bedding.

  A configuration example different from the above is shown in FIG. The lighting device 11 includes a light source unit 3 and a remote control unit 12 that remotely operates the light source unit 3. The light source unit 3 is, for example, a ceiling light, and includes a control unit 5 and is installed near the ceiling. The remote control unit 12 has a timekeeping unit 2 and an input unit 4 on the front surface thereof, and has a storage unit 6 and a sound source unit 7, and is installed, for example, at a sleeping person's bedside. The sound source unit 7 may be built in the light source unit 3. Moreover, you may provide the biosensor 8 in the remote control unit 12 (not shown). The remote control unit 12 transmits the illumination control information S to the light source unit 3 wirelessly or by wire. The control unit 5 built in the light source unit 3 performs dimming control on the light source unit 3 according to the received illumination control information S.

  The operation of the illumination device 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows a case where the user is awakened (at time tw) during a gradual increase awakening light irradiation operation based on a predetermined dimming schedule, and the dimming schedule is changed. In the irradiation pattern Ps according to the predetermined dimming schedule, as indicated by a two-dot chain line, the illumination output L gradually increases from the irradiation start time ta and becomes the maximum illumination output Lmax at the wake-up setting time tb. The shape of the irradiation pattern Ps is not limited to a curved line, and may be a polygonal line or a step shape. The irradiation start time ta is a predetermined time before the wakeup set time tb, for example, 30 minutes before the wakeup set time tb.

  The user of the lighting device 1 enters a desired wake-up set time tb by operating the input unit 4 and goes to bed. The control unit 5 generates a dimming schedule based on the inputted wake-up setting time tb and stores the dimming schedule in the storage unit 6 as a function of the illumination output L with respect to the time t, for example. After that, when the current time acquired from the time measuring unit 2 becomes the irradiation start time ta, the control unit 5 starts irradiating light to the user (sleeper) by the light source unit 3 according to a predetermined dimming schedule. The illumination output L gradually increases with the irradiation pattern Ps according to a predetermined dimming schedule. The user is encouraged to sleep well by the light emitted from the light source unit 3.

  When the user wakes up at a time tw earlier than the wake-up set time tb due to light irradiation from the light source unit 3 and wants to sleep again until the wake-up set time tb, the user presses the snooze button of the input unit 4. The control unit 5 detects that the user has awakened based on a change in an input signal to the control unit 5 due to the snooze button being pressed. The control unit 5 changes the dimming schedule so that the illumination output L is temporarily decreased and then gradually increased after the illumination output L is decreased from the illumination output Lw in the dimming schedule at that time (wake detection time tw). The light source unit 3 is dimmed and controlled according to the changed dimming schedule. The irradiation pattern P1 by the changed light control schedule is shown as a continuous line. The illumination output L is decreased by decreasing the dimming rate of the light source unit 3 or turning off the light source unit 3. The illumination output L at the wakeup set time tb according to the changed dimming schedule is set to the same maximum illumination output Lmax as the illumination output at the wakeup set time tb according to the predetermined dimming schedule. For this reason, the illumination output L once decreases at the wakefulness detection time tw and then gradually increases to reach the maximum illumination output Lmax at the wake-up setting time tb. The user is promoted to sleep sleep by the light gradually increasing again. After the awakening detection time tw, when the user's awakening is not detected by the wake-up setting time tb, the control unit 5 generates an alarm sound from the sound source unit 7 at the wake-up setting time tb. Since the user is awakened by the alarm sound from shallow sleep, the user can wake up comfortably.

  The maximum illumination output Lmax is an illumination output for guiding the user to shallow sleep with high probability, and the maximum output with the light control rate of the light source unit 3 set to 100% or the facial illuminance is 100 lx (lux) or more. Set to It has been confirmed by the inventors of the present application that the facial illuminance is set to 100 lx or more to improve light sleep and improve the awakening mood ("Wake up by gradually increasing light irradiation before waking up using ceiling lighting" Improvement, ”Journal of the Illuminating Science Society of Japan, 85 (5), 315-322, 2001).

  As described above, the lighting device 1 temporarily reduces the lighting output L when the user's awakening is detected to support the user's re-entry sleep, and then gradually increases the subsequent lighting output L to make the user's sleep asleep. Can be awakened comfortably. Moreover, since the illuminating device 1 increases the illumination output L again gradually without changing the illumination output at the wake-up set time tb, the user can be surely awakened regardless of individual differences.

  There are various forms of changing the dimming schedule. Like the irradiation pattern P2 shown in FIG. 5, the dimming schedule maintains the output state for a predetermined time T1 after the illumination output L is lowered below the illumination output Lw at the time when the user's awakening is detected. Then, it may be changed so as to increase gradually thereafter. At this time T1, the light source unit 3 may be turned off. At the time T1 when the illumination output L is reduced, the control unit 5 does not detect the user's arousal by the detection means. Thereby, the illuminating device 1 can support a user's re-sleeping smoothly.

  Further, as in the irradiation pattern P3 shown in FIG. 6, when the illumination output L is gradually increased after the arousal detection time tw1, the awakening of the re-sleeping user is detected again at the time tw2 in the dimming schedule. In this case, the illumination output L may be decreased once again and then gradually increased. As a result, when the user wakes up earlier than the wake-up set time tb after re-sleeping, the lighting device 1 can support the user's wake-up sleep again and wake up the user comfortably at the wake-up set time tb.

  In the lighting device 1, when the biosensor 8 is provided as a detection unit that detects that the user has awakened, the dimming schedule is awakened by the biosensor 8 as in the irradiation pattern P <b> 1 illustrated in FIG. 7. When detected, after the illumination output L is reduced, the awakening detection by the biological sensor 8 may be stopped for a certain time T2, and then the awakening detection may be resumed. The awakening detection stop time T2 is set in advance as a time for the user to fall asleep again. You may enable it to change the setting of the length of the awakening detection stop time T2 from the input unit 4. This makes it easier for the user to fall asleep again.

  In addition, as in the irradiation pattern P4 shown in FIG. 8, when the awakening is detected by the biological sensor 8, the dimming schedule maintains the user's arousal state after the illumination output L is reduced and before re-sleeping. During the period T3 determined to be present, the state in which the illumination output L is reduced may be maintained, and the gradual increase in the illumination output L may be resumed at the time (time ts) when re-sleeping of the user is detected.

(Second Embodiment)
A lighting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The illumination device 1 of the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and the illumination output in the dimming schedule after the user's awakening is detected as in the irradiation pattern P5 illustrated in FIG. The size is different. When the user wakes up after the start of light irradiation by the light source unit 3 and before the set-up time tb, the control unit 5 detects the user's awakening by the detecting means. The illumination output Lw at that time is stored in the storage unit 6. This illumination output Lw is an illumination output that becomes the facial illuminance necessary to guide the user to awakening. In the dimming schedule, after the lighting output L is temporarily lowered from the lighting output Lw at the awakening detection time tw, the lighting output Lb at the wake-up setting time tb is equal to or higher than the lighting output Lw, and the wake-up in the predetermined dimming schedule It gradually increases again so as to be smaller than the illumination output (maximum illumination output Lmax) at the set time tb.

  Thus, since the illuminating device 1 makes the illuminating output Lb at the wake-up set time tb equal to or higher than the illuminating output Lw at the time of wakefulness detection, it is possible to promote the sleep of the user to wake up comfortably. . Moreover, since the illumination output Lb at the wake-up set time tb is made smaller than the maximum illumination output Lmax, energy is saved. The smaller the difference ΔL = Lmax−tb between the maximum illumination output Lmax and the illumination output Lb at the wake-up set time tb, the more the sleep of the user is promoted, and the greater the difference ΔL, the more energy is saved.

  As in the irradiation pattern P6 shown in FIG. 10, the dimming schedule may be such that the illumination output Lb at the wake-up setting time tb is the same as the illumination output Lw at the time of detection of awakening. The lighting output Lw when the user's awakening is detected and the changed dimming schedule are stored in the storage unit 6. Since the illuminating device 1 irradiates light with the minimum illumination output L according to the individual difference of a user, the energy saving effect increases.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to the structure of said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not change the summary of invention. For example, in the second embodiment, when the user's arousal is detected, the illumination output L is reduced below the illumination output Lw at that time, and then the reduced output state is maintained for a predetermined time, and then gradually increased again. The dimming schedule may be changed as described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 11 Illuminating device 2 Time measuring part 3 Light source part 4 Input part 5 Control part 8 Biosensor (detection means)
L Illumination output Lw Illumination output Ps, P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 at the time of awakening Irradiation pattern t time tb Wake-up set time

Claims (3)

A timing unit for measuring time, a light source unit for irradiating light to a sleeper, an input unit for inputting a wake-up setting time, and starting irradiating light a predetermined time before the input wake-up setting time A control unit that performs dimming control of the light source unit according to a dimming schedule that gradually increases the illumination output until a set time, and a lighting device comprising:
Having detection means for detecting sleep awakening,
When the detection unit detects the awakening of a sleeper after the start of light irradiation by the light source unit and before the wake-up setting time, the controller controls the illumination output of the light source unit in the dimming schedule at that time The lighting device, wherein the dimming schedule is changed so as to be gradually increased after being lowered from the lighting output, and the light source unit is dimmed and controlled according to the changed dimming schedule.   The said control part makes the illumination output of the said wake-up setting time in the changed said light control schedule the same as the light output of the said wake-up set time in the said light control schedule before a change, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. The lighting device described.   The control unit has a lighting output at the wake-up setting time in the changed dimming schedule that is equal to or higher than a lighting output when a sleeper's awakening is detected, and the wake-up setting in the dimming schedule before the change. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device is smaller than a lighting output at a time.

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