The present invention relates to a method of arranging a plurality of lighting fixtures in a room or on an object.

The present invention addresses methods and systems for light control, particularly designed for the setup step that precedes the control step, in which lights are arranged in the room or on an object.

A typical application, that does not limit the present invention, relates to Christmas luminaires.

Christmas decorations are known in the art to be formed with white or colored lights that may suspended from balconies or laid on the Christmas tree or the crèche.

Various types of Christmas decorations are currently available, from the simplest arrangements in which light fixtures are simultaneously turned on and off, to more complex arrangements in which the lighting fixtures, preferably LEDs, may be turned on according to various programmed sequences.

In a common cost-effective solution, the LEDs are connected to a power supply that can individually control power supply to each LED.

LEDs known as “addressable LEDs”, “LED chips” or “LED pixels” have been recently introduced into the market, and may be individually controlled by means of a communication bus. For example, the integrated circuit WS2812 by WorldSemi® can receive input data and output it to cascade different chips and control an RGB (Red, Green and Blue) LED in which it is incorporated.

Flexible light strips with cascaded LED pixels are now available, which have a connector at one end for connection to an external controller, whereby the individual LED pixels may be individually controlled to create different light effects.

Therefore, many inventions relate to the control of lighting fixtures, such as the one described in the document WO2017/115326.

Nevertheless, prior art control methods and systems do not consider the initial setup step, i.e. the step of arranging the lighting fixtures.

According to the type and number of such lighting fixtures, the latter may be arranged in a variety of patterns, e.g. a spiral pattern, various regular or irregular geometric patterns, and also in different installations, i.e. on an object or in a room, e.g. with the various lighting fixtures hanging therein.

It will be appreciated that successful control of the lighting fixtures, leading to aesthetically valuable choreographies, is strictly dependent on a careful and accurate arrangement of the lighting fixtures.

Therefore, there exists a need, yet unfulfilled in prior art methods and systems, for a method and a system that allows a user to carefully arrange a plurality of lighting fixtures, to effectively obtain pleasant effects as the lighting fixtures are turned on.

The present invention fulfills the aforementioned purpose by providing a method of arranging a plurality of lighting fixtures in a room or on an object, which includes the steps of:

a) producing a virtual model of the room or the object,

b) virtually arranging the lighting fixtures on said virtual model,

c) identifying one or more lighting fixtures having a guide purpose in the virtual arrangement, based on one or more predetermined positions,

d) generating a lighting fixture actuation sequence, actuating at least the guide lighting fixtures,

e) arranging the lighting fixtures such that at least the position of the guide lighting fixtures will coincide with the position thereof at the steps b) and c).

It will be appreciated that the key of the invention is the identification of a few guide devices that help the user to arrange the lighting fixtures according to the pattern of the virtual arrangement.

This will provide a guide for the user, who will have instructions on how to place the various lighting fixtures.

As more clearly shown from the description of a few exemplary embodiments, the actuation sequence may be composed of a pattern of lighting states of the different lighting fixtures, such as on/off, or different lighting colors, according to the number and position of the guide lighting fixtures.

It shall be understood that the step of d) generating an actuation sequence for turning on the guide lighting fixtures, is intended to create any actuation sequence that can afford identification and easy recognition of the guide lighting fixtures.

As described below, an actuation sequence may be provided for example, that only actuates the guide lighting fixtures, or actuates the guide lighting fixtures with one or more colors differing from the other lighting fixtures.

It will be also appreciated that the method of the present invention addresses both real and virtual lighting fixtures.

By providing a virtual arrangement of the lighting fixtures, under step b), the method of the present invention implies the generation of a pattern of a plurality of virtual lighting fixtures.

Each virtual lighting fixture will have a single real lighting fixture uniquely corresponding thereto.

Likewise, the virtual lighting fixtures identified as “guide” fixtures will also have real “guide” lighting fixtures corresponding thereto.

Thus, it will be understood that the steps b) and c) relate to virtual lighting fixtures, whereas the step d) relates to real lighting fixtures.

In a possible variant embodiment, the method of the present invention includes a step of acquiring an image of the room or the object in or on which the lighting fixtures are to be placed.

This step may be carried out in any order, but is preferably carried out before generation of the virtual model.

This step is particularly advantageous, as better explained below, for automatic generation of the virtual model.

Algorithms may be used to recognize specific shapes from the acquired images of the room or the object, and to automatically generate a virtual model of the room or the object in or on which the lighting fixtures are to be placed.

Furthermore, the virtual arrangement may be carried out according to various parameters, which will have an immediate effect on the light effects that will be created, once the lighting fixtures are positioned. In a preferred embodiment, one of the parameters may be homogeneity, which means that the virtual arrangement is formed with a homogeneous distribution of the lighting fixtures on the outer surface of the object or in the environment selected for installation. The guide lighting fixtures may represent some or all of the lighting fixtures of said plurality.

For easier arrangement of the lighting fixtures by a user, in a possible embodiment of the method of the present invention, the plurality of lighting fixtures are divided into two or more groups based on their position on the virtual model, whereupon diversified actuation may be provided for each group.

The groups may be advantageously associated with zones of the virtual model, such that the lighting fixtures that shall be placed in a predetermined zone may be lit with a given color and the lighting fixtures of another zone may be actuated with a different color.

Instead of or in addition to the above, the user may identify certain zones of interest for diversified actuation of the lighting fixtures belonging to those zones from the other fixtures.

Alternatively, the user does not only identify a zone of interest but can also select one or more lighting fixtures that may act as guide lighting elements.

Advantageously, the method of the present invention provides high interactivity between the user and the system, to afford, if needed, a highly discretionary choice in the arrangement of the lighting fixtures.

According to the method of the present invention, the step of acquiring the image of the object or the room in or on which the lighting fixtures are to be placed may be carried out, for example, by capturing an image that affords extrapolation of a virtual model.

Advantageously the user may be designed to select a geometric figure that approximates the environment or the object in or on which the lighting fixtures are to be placed.

Here, the virtual model will coincide with the selected geometric figure.

This feature allows optimization of the computational requirements of the virtual arrangement, due to the use of simple shapes from known geometry.

According to this variant the guide lighting fixtures may be identified as devices located at predetermined points of the geometric figure such as edges, vertices, corners, center, centroid, etc.

The geometric figure may also be determined automatically, as a result of the acquisition: this will occur by automatic recognition of known geometric shapes that approximate the object on which the lighting fixtures are to be placed.

Finally, in a possible variant embodiment, the method of the present invention includes a checking step, which has the purpose to acknowledge proper positioning of the guide lighting fixtures, by comparing the final arrangement step with the calculated virtual arrangement.

The checking step may be carried out either when all the lighting fixtures have been arranged, or prior to final arrangement, for instance after arranging a given number of lighting fixture.

In the latter case a real-time check will be provided, with signal alarms being generated if the lighting fixtures are not properly positioned.

Alternatively, an image of the arrangement will be acquired and compared with the image of the virtual arrangement.

The method of the present invention is particularly advantageous not only during setup and arrangement of the lighting fixtures, but also in the later creation of light settings by actuation of the lighting fixtures.

Combined generation of the virtual model and identification of guide devices, will afford not only proper arrangement of the fixtures, but also identification of the spatial position of each lighting fixture.

The lighting fixtures that are actually placed in the environment or on the object of interest will exactly match the lighting fixtures of the virtual model, whereby their position in space will correspond to their known “virtual” position on the model.

This arrangement will afford separate and independent identification and control of each lighting fixture to create any kind of lighting fixtures, similar but alternative to what has been described in WO2017/115326.

The present invention also relates to a lighting system comprising a plurality of lighting fixtures and a control unit, which is connected to said plurality of lighting fixtures and is adapted to individually control the actuation of each of said lighting fixtures.

The control unit is configured to implement the above described method steps.

As described above, the lighting fixtures may consist of LED light fixtures, which are known in the art.

The LEDs of the system of the present invention may be driven individually, but advantageously are electrically connected in series.

Alternatively, the LEDs may be independent elements, which wirelessly receive, for example, actuation signals, without requiring changes to the method or of the system of the present invention.

Advantageously, as better explained in the description of a few exemplary embodiments, the control unit comprises an actuation unit and a user device, which is adapted to communicate with said actuation unit.

The actuation unit is directly connected to the lighting fixtures and imparts actuation controls to the lighting fixtures, whereas the user device is the interface of the system with a user.

