Determining a duty schedule for a group of lighting devices providing a similar lighting service

1. An electronic device for enabling energy conservation, comprising:

at least one transmitter; and

at least one processor configured to:

determine a group of service-providing devices, the group comprising at least two service-providing devices capable of performing a similar or a same service, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a schedule for the service-providing devices in the group, the schedule indicating for each service-providing device of the group in which time period the service-providing device is able to receive messages such that at least one device of the determined group of service-providing devices is able to receive messages, and

use said at least one transmitter to transmit the schedule to the service-providing devices; and,

wherein the service is a sensing service selected from at least one of a motion sensing, audio sensing, ultra-sound sensing, image sensing, and video sensing.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the group of service-providing devices by selecting the group of service-providing devices from a set of service-providing devices based on information identifying which services the service-providing devices of the set are capable of providing.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the group of service-providing devices by selecting said group of service-providing devices from a set of service-providing devices based on spatial locations of said service-providing devices of said set.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine durations of the time periods of the schedule based on at least one of: energy consumption of said service-providing devices, spatial locations of said service-providing devices, spatial service-provisioning areas of said service-providing devices, usage of said service-providing devices, time required by said service-providing devices to enter and/or leave a standby mode, and identifiers of services provided by said service-providing devices.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a user interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to use the user interface to provide the schedule to a user and allow the user to adapt the schedule.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one receiver and wherein said at least one processor is configured to:

use the at least one receiver to receive a command message addressed to at least a first service-providing device of the group, the command message commanding at least the first service-providing device to perform a specified service at a specified service level;

determine a service level in dependence on the specified service level; and

cause a second service-providing device of the group to start performing a service similar to or the same as the specified service at said determined service level upon receipt of the command message.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to use said at least one transmitter to transmit said command message to the first service-providing device at a moment which depends on a start of the time period in which the first service-providing device is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the second service-providing device to stop performing the service at a current service level at a moment which depends on a start of the time period in which the first service-providing device is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule.

9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the group further comprises at least a third service-providing device, the time period in which the third service-providing device is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule is sooner than a time period in which any other service-providing device of the group is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule, and the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a further service level in dependence on said specified service level; and

cause the second service-providing device to stop performing the service at the determined service level and start performing the service at the determined further service level at a moment which depends on a start of the time period in which the third service-providing device is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the group further comprises at least a third service-providing device, the time period in which the first service-providing device is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule is later than a time period in which any other service-providing device of the group is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule, and the at least one processor is further configured to:

cause the second service-providing device to stop performing the service at the determined service level at a moment which depends on a start of the time period in which the first service-providing device is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule.

11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the command message is addressed to only the first service-providing device and the at least one processor is further configured to cause the second service-providing device to stop performing the service at a moment which depends on a start of the time period in which the first service-providing device is able to receive messages as specified in the schedule.

12. An electronic system comprising:

a first electronic device, wherein the first electronic device is the electronic device as claimed in claims 1 ; and

a second electronic device, the second lighting electronic device comprising at least one receiver and a second at least one processor configured to use the at least one receiver to receive the schedule from the first electronic device, use the at least one receiver to receive a command message addressed to at least a first service-providing device of the group, the command message commanding at least the first service-providing device to perform a specified service at a specified service level, determine a service level in dependence on the specified service level, and cause a second service-providing device of the group to start performing a service similar to or the same as the specified service at the determined service level upon receipt of the command message.

13. A method for enabling energy conservation in an electronic device, comprising:

determining a group of service-providing devices, said group comprising at least two service-providing devices capable of performing a similar or a same lighting service;

determining a schedule for said service-providing devices in said group, said schedule indicating for each service-providing device of said group in which time period said service-providing device is able to receive messages such that at least one device of the determined group of service-providing devices is able to receive messages; and

transmitting said schedule to said service-providing devices, wherein the service is a sensing service selected from at least one of a motion sensing, audio sensing, ultra-sound sensing, image sensing, and video sensing.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, the instructions, when run on a processor of an electronic device, the electronic device having at least one transmitter, cause the processor of the electronic device to perform the method of claim 13 .