IP Library Granted Patent US 10,390,412
Granted Patent B2
US 10,390,412 · App. 15/640,827 · Granted Aug 20, 2019

Lighting arrangement for industrial image processing

Inventor: Matthias Huber (Pleiskirchen, DE)
Assignee: B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION GMBH
H05B37/0254H05B33/0842H05B33/0851H05B37/0218H04N5/2256H04N5/23206Y02B20/46
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,390,412
App. No.
15/640,827
Granted
Aug 20, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

In order to make flexible, reliable lighting possible for industrial image processing, it is provided that a lighting unit ( 2 ), having a lighting device ( 5 ) comprising a number of light sources ( 6 ), receives a set value of the lighting via a data bus from a lighting control unit ( 10 ), that the lighting unit ( 2 ) captures a state variable (Z) of the lighting unit ( 2 ) and/or the surroundings of the lighting unit ( 2 ), and that the lighting unit ( 2 ) adjusts the set value in a closed control loop separately and independently from the lighting control unit ( 10 ) in that a control variable for at least one light source ( 6 ) is calculated in the lighting unit ( 2 ) and adjusted at the at least one light source ( 6 ).

Claims (41)

1. A lighting arrangement for industrial image processing, comprising:

a lighting control unit; and

at least one lighting unit comprising:

a first data communication interface connectable to a data bus, wherein the lighting control unit, which is separate from the at least one lighting unit, is connected to the first data communication interface of the at least one lighting unit via the data bus;

a lighting device with a number of light sources, wherein the lighting control unit transmits a predefined set value for light from the lighting arrangement via the data bus to the at least one lighting unit;

a second data communication interface connectable to the data bus,

at least one measuring sensor for capturing at least one state variable of the at least one lighting unit and/or surroundings of the at least one lighting unit;

a processing unit for calculating a control variable for at least one of the light sources of the lighting device from the predefined set value and a current value of the at least one state variable, and

a lamp control unit configured to control the at least one light source of the lighting device with the calculated control variable,

wherein, within the at least one lighting unit, the first data communication interface is directly connected to the second data communication interface to bypass the processing unit.

2. The lighting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a group of lights sources of the number of light sources of the at least one lighting unit,

wherein the processing unit calculates a control variable for the group of light sources, and the lamp control unit controls the group of light sources with the calculated control variable.

3. The lighting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a plurality of light sources,

wherein the processing unit calculates different control variables for one of the plurality of light sources groups of light sources formed within the plurality of light sources, and the lamp control unit controls the plurality of light sources or groups of light sources with the calculated different control variables.

4. The lighting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a voltage supply, which is arranged in the at least one lighting unit, is connected to at least one of an external electrical connection or the data bus with power supply for supplying voltage for the at least one lighting unit.

5. The lighting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lighting unit sends the captured state variable to the lighting control unit via the data bus.

6. The lighting arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein a unique identifier is assignable to the at least one lighting unit, and the at least one lighting unit is configured to send the captured state variable and the unique identifier to the lighting control unit via the data bus.

7. The lighting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a trigger input, which is connected to the processing unit, is provided on the at least one lighting unit in order to feed to the processing unit a trigger signal for activation and/or deactivation of the lighting device, a light source, or a group of light sources.

8. The lighting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lighting unit further comprises a memory unit, in which operating data of the at least one lighting unit and/or state variables are stored.

9. The lighting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lighting unit comprises a plurality of lighting units, wherein individual lighting units are series-connected by the data bus to receive the data bus data via their first data communication interfaces and their second data communication interfaces.

10. The lighting arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein, within individual ones of the plurality of lighting units, the first data communication interface and the second data communication interface are further connected to one another via the processing unit.

11. The lighting arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of lighting units comprises at least an upstream and a downstream lighting unit, and

wherein the upstream lighting unit loops the predefined set value of the lighting, which was received from the lighting control unit via the data bus, to the downstream lighting unit, which is further away from the lighting control unit, via the data bus.

12. The lighting arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein at least two of the plurality of lighting units are arranged on a rigid or adjustable connecting part.

13. The lighting arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein for current supply, at least two of the plurality of lighting units are connected via a supply cable and/or the data bus with power supply.

14. The lighting arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein at least two of the plurality of lighting units are connected to one another via a trigger cable in order to loop a trigger signal from one of the at least two lighting units through to the other of the at least two lighting units.

15. The lighting arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein a further bus device is connected to the data bus between two of the plurality of lighting units and/or to an individual lighting unit of the plurality of lighting units, which is furthest away from the lighting control unit.

16. A method for controlling lighting for industrial image processing, comprising:

receiving, in at least one lighting unit having a lighting device comprising a number of light sources, a set value of the lighting via a data bus from a lighting control unit that is separate from the at least one lighting unit,

capturing, in the at least one lighting unit, a state variable of the at least one lighting unit and/or surroundings of the at least one lighting unit, and

separately and independently from the lighting control unit, adjusting, via the at least one lighting unit, the set value in a closed control loop,

wherein a control variable for at least one light source of the number of light sources is calculated in a processing unit within the at least one lighting unit and adjusted at the at least one light source,

wherein the data bus is connected to a first data communication interface of the at least one lighting unit, and

wherein, within the at least one lighting unit, the first data communication interface is directly connected to a second data communication interface of the at least one lighting unit to bypass the processing unit so that the set value to be looped through the at least one lighting unit from the first data communication interface to the second data communication interface bypasses the processing unit.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the number of light sources comprises a group of light sources controlled with the calculated control variable.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one lighting unit sends a captured state variable via the data bus to the lighting control unit.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one lighting unit receives a trigger signal via a trigger input or a trigger message via the data bus and controls the activation and/or deactivation of one of: the lighting device, one light source of the number of light sources, or a group of light sources of the number of light sources with said trigger signal or trigger message.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the at least one lighting unit comprises at least an upstream and a downstream lighting unit connected together by the data bus, and

wherein the upstream lighting unit loops the trigger signal via a trigger output or the trigger message via the data bus through to the downstream lighting unit.

21. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a unique identifier of the at least one lighting unit is sent to the lighting control unit with the captured state variable.

22. The lighting arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the data bus data bypasses the processing unit via the direct connection between the second data communication interface and the first data communication interface.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2025
From: B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION GMBH
To: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
Reel/Frame 070109/0889 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NUMBER OF RECORDED PROPERTY #18 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 044861 FRAME: 0829. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Oct 10, 2018
From: BERNECKER + RAINER INDUSTRIE-ELEKTRONIK GES.M.B.H.
To: B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION GMBH
Reel/Frame 047211/0782 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 13, 2017
From: BERNECKER + RAINER INDUSTRIE-ELEKTRONIK GES.M.B.H.
To: B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION GMBH
Reel/Frame 044861/0929 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2017
From: HUBER, MATTHIAS
To: BERNECKER + RAINER INDUSTRIE-ELEKTRONIK GES.M.B.H.
Reel/Frame 043259/0462 →
Priority Claims (1)
AT A50593/2016 · Jul 4, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180007765A1 · Jan 4, 2018