Intelligent
Switches
Intelligent switches
are those which differ from a traditional switch in that it supports
specialized blades that run application functions including protocol
conversion, remote mirroring, tape emulation and NAS file and data sharing.
There are a couple of different architectures ranging from tightly integrated,
with extra processing power at each port and large amounts of bandwidth between
blades, to relatively simple, where a blade is equipped with a general purpose
processor, memory, and I/O functions to communicate with the switch ports.
Currently there are
lots of new intelligent switches coming in the market with different functions.
These switches developed according to lightning system required in particular
places. Lightning system refers to a system where multiple lighting fixtures are
connected to a network, and user needs are met by cooperation of the various
lighting fixtures.
The following describes the features of an
intelligent lighting system.
1)
Autonomous
distributed control:
In an intelligent
lighting system, there is no element with control over the entire system.
Illuminance at each location is controlled by having each light perform
learning operation. There is no central control unit, so the system has high
robustness against malfunction, and a high reliability system can be achieved
even in large-scale buildings.
The system has
outstanding features: It is easy to add lighting fixtures and lighting sensors,
and there is no need, at installation, to set things like ID nos. and layout
information for each lighting fixture or lighting sensor.
2)
Achieving
a switching pattern not dependent on wiring:
In today’s illumination
systems, the only switching pattern which can be realized is that determined by
the wiring pattern. However, with the intelligent lighting system proposed
here, it is possible to realize an arbitrary switching pattern which is not
dependent on the wiring of lights. Furthermore, it is possible to switch on
lighting devices with any desired luminance. Therefore, the system conserves
energy by not switching on unneeded lights.
3)
Achieving
autonomous lighting control:
With this intelligent
lighting system, the user simply sets a target illuminance, and the system can
automatically determine the necessary lighting, without making the user aware
of the location of lights, and thus can provide the appropriate illuminance to
the appropriate location
A.
Configuration
of the intelligent lighting system:
The intelligent
lighting system is configured by connecting multiple intelligent lighting fixtures
and multiple movable illumination sensors and power meters to a network. The term”intelligent
lighting fixture” means lighting which a controller has called a learning
device. This makes it possible for each individual lighting fixture to operate
autonomously.
B. Intelligent lighting
system control:
The
intelligent lighting system is controlled using the autonomous distributed
method. Each intelligent lighting fixture controls illuminance by autonomously
adjusting luminance.
The
control process is described below:
1)
Initialize the intelligent lighting system, provide the goal of”minimizing the
amount of power used” to the learning devices, and provide the constraint of”setting
the illuminance of each illuminance sensor at or above a certain value” to the
illuminance sensors.
2)
Each illuminance sensor detects the current illuminance.
3)
Each illuminance sensor sends its target illuminance and current illuminance to
the network.
4) Each intelligent lighting fixture connected
to the network takes in the amount of power used, and the target illumination
and current illumination of each illumination sensor.
5)
The learning device of each intelligent lighting fixture controls luminance
based on the illumination control algorithm proposed in this research, using
the amount of power, and the current and target illuminance of each sensor,
which have been taken in.
6)
By repeating Steps 2 to 5, the system constantly senses environmental
information, and provides control so that goals and constraints are satisfied.
Using the above process, each intelligent lighting fixture learns the
effectiveness of its own actions, without acquiring information from other
intelligent lighting fixtures, and autonomously performs lighting control to
satisfy goals and illuminance constraints. By constantly sensing environmental
information, the system can respond to addition or malfunction of lights, and
addition and movement of illuminance sensors.
Using
the above process, each intelligent lighting fixture learns the effectiveness of
its own actions, without acquiring information from other intelligent lighting fixtures,
and autonomously performs lighting control to satisfy goals and illuminance
constraints. By constantly sensing
environmental information, the system can respond to addition or malfunction of
lights, and addition and movement of illuminance sensors.
