# US 10,375,806 B2 · Lighting control system, lighting system, and lighting control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,806 B2 - Document ID: US10375806B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/053,020 - Filed: 2018-08-02 - Published: 2019-02-14 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-10 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kazuhiro Hatta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375806B2 ## CPC - H05B 47/16: by timing means - A61M 21/02: for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia (for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021) - A61N 5/0618: {Psychological treatment} - A61M 2021/0044: {by the sight sense} - A61M 2205/18: with alarm - A61M 2205/3306: Optical measuring means - A61M 2205/3553: remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office - A61M 2205/3561: local, e.g. within room or hospital - A61M 2205/3584: using modem, internet or Bluetooth® - A61M 2205/3592: using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission - A61M 2205/50: with microprocessors or computers - A61M 2205/581: by audible feedback - A61M 2205/583: by visual feedback - A61M 2205/6054: Magnetic identification systems - A61N 2005/0626: {Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods} - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A lighting control system controls a light source that emits light to a space in which subjects stay. The lighting control system includes: an communication interface that obtains stay schedule information indicating scheduled periods in an operation period after a first time and before a second time later than the first time, the scheduled periods being periods during each of which a corresponding one of the subjects is to stay in the space; and a processor that creates an illumination schedule for causing the light source to emit the light, based on the stay schedule information, and causes the light source to emit the light according to the illumination schedule created. The processor creates, based on the stay schedule information, the illumination schedule for causing the light source to emit the light during a period including a scheduled period common to at least two of the subjects. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lighting control system that controls a light source that emits light to a space in which subjects stay, the lighting control system comprising: a communication interface that obtains stay schedule information indicating scheduled periods in an operation period after a first time and before a second time later than the first time, the scheduled periods being periods during each of which a corresponding one of the subjects is to stay in the space; and a processor that creates an illumination schedule for causing the light source to emit the light, based on the stay schedule information, and causes the light source to emit the light according to the illumination schedule created, wherein the processor creates, based on the stay schedule information, the illumination schedule for (i) allowing the subjects to achieve respective target light-receiving times that are predetermined and for which the subjects receive the light emitted by the light source, (ii) minimizing a time for which the light source emits the light, (iii) causing the light source to emit the light during a period including a scheduled period common to at least two of the subject, and (iv) causing the light source not to emit the light during a period including a scheduled period common to less than two of the subjects, the communication interface obtains the target light-receiving time of each of the subjects, and the processor creates the illumination schedule for allowing the largest number of the subjects to achieve at least the target light-receiving time, based on the stay schedule information and the target light-receiving time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor creates, based on the stay schedule information, the illumination schedule in which periods are included in descending order starting from a period including a highest number of the subjects among the scheduled periods of the subjects. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein when at least two periods to be included in the illumination schedule are present, the processor creates the illumination schedule in which, out of the at least two periods, a period having an earliest time is included. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein when the communication interface obtains instruction information instructing a change of the illumination schedule after the first time, the processor recreates an illumination schedule, based on the instruction information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lighting control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage that stores the stay schedule information obtained by the communication interface, wherein the processor recreates an illumination schedule at predetermined time intervals, based on the stay schedule information stored in the storage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines whether the subjects will achieve at least the target light-receiving time, based on the stay schedule information and the target light-receiving time, and when the processor determines that an underachieving subject who will not achieve the target light-receiving time is present among the subjects, the processor outputs alert information indicating the presence of the underachieving subject. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface obtains a light-receiving status after the first time and until a third time before the second time of each of the subjects, and the processor determines whether the subjects will achieve at least the target light-receiving time before the second time by comparing the light-receiving statuses and the target light-receiving time, and when the processor determines that an underachieving subject who will not achieve at least the target light-receiving time is present among the subjects, the processor recreates an illumination schedule after the third time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The lighting control system according to claim 7, wherein when the processor determines that an underachieving subject who will not achieve at least the target light-receiving time is present among the subjects at the third time, the processor outputs alert information indicating the presence of the underachieving subject. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The lighting control system according to claim 7, wherein the communication interface obtains a light-receiving status after the third time and until a fourth time before the second time of each of the subjects, the processor determines whether the subjects will achieve at least the target light-receiving time before the second time by comparing the light-receiving statuses and the target light-receiving time, and when the processor determines that an underachieving subject who will not achieve at least the target light-receiving time is present among the subjects, the processor outputs alert information indicating the presence of the underachieving subject, and causes the light source to emit the light until the second time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the communication interface obtains a light-receiving status until the second time of each of the subjects, the processor determines whether each of the subjects will achieve at least the target light-receiving time, and outputs result information indicating a result of the determination by the creating unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A lighting system, comprising: the lighting control system according to claim 1; and the light source. ### Claim 12 A lighting control method executed by a lighting control system that controls a light source that emits light to a space in which subjects stay, the lighting control method comprising: obtaining, by a communication interface, stay schedule information indicating scheduled periods in an operation period after a first time and before a second time later than the first time, the scheduled periods being periods during each of which a corresponding one of the subjects is to stay in the space; creating, by a processor, an illumination schedule for causing the light source to emit the light, based on the stay schedule information obtained by the communication interface; and controlling, by the processor, the light source according to the illumination schedule created by the processor, wherein in the creating, the processor creates, based on the stay schedule information, the illumination schedule for (i) allowing the subjects to achieve respective target light-receiving times that are predetermined and for which the subjects receive the light emitted by the light source, (ii) minimizing a time for which the light source emits the light, (iii) causing the light source to emit the light during a period including a scheduled period common to at least two of the subject, and (iv) causing the light source not to emit the light during a period including a scheduled period common to less than two of the subjects, the communication interface obtains the target light-receiving time of each of the subjects, and the processor creates the illumination schedule for allowing the largest number of the subjects to achieve at least the target light-receiving time, based on the stay schedule information and the target light-receiving time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for use in a computer, the recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for causing the computer to execute the lighting control method according to claim 12.