Abstract:
The invention relates to the management of atmosphere programs including lighting scenes for lighting systems, audio, video, scent or any combination of the above, particularly to a user interface for comfortably selecting an atmosphere program to be created by an atmosphere creation system. A basic idea of the invention is to provide a central control of atmosphere programs together with the possibility of interactively selecting an atmosphere program to be activated locally with an atmosphere creation system. This is particularly useful for large retail chains, which for example require a uniform lighting atmosphere in all chain shops and want to provide their shop personal to comfortably select among a predefined set of lighting scenes in an comfortable way. An embodiment of the invention relates to an atmosphere program management system ( 10 ) comprising a server ( 12 ), which is remotely accessible via a data connection and stores atmosphere programs and a remote management client ( 14 ) for accessing the server and providing a user interface for managing the atmosphere programs stored by the server.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to the management of atmosphere programs for atmosphere creation systems, particularly to a user interface for comfortably selecting an atmosphere program to be activated by an atmosphere creation system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Atmosphere creation systems allow controlling the creation of lighting, audio, video, scent or any combination thereof particularly in rooms or buildings in order to create a desired atmosphere. Atmosphere programs control the creation of the atmosphere with an atmosphere creation system and comprise control sets for the devices, which are involved in the atmosphere creation, for example the control sets for luminaries of a lighting system, a command for a scent generator for generating a desired scent, a command for an audio/video equipment to play a certain video and sound file. An example of an atmosphere creation system is a lighting system, even if it allows merely controlling of a lighting. 
     Modern lighting systems enable users to select among different lighting scenes. A lighting scene is a setting of the luminaries of a lighting system for creating a certain lighting atmosphere. Lighting scenes are often used in professional environments such as shops of a retail chain in order to create a uniform lighting atmosphere in all shops. Especially, many branded retail chains are very particular about their brand image and are keen to keep it the same in all the stores in their chain. Part of the brand image is also the lighting atmosphere in a shop. Applying lighting scenes in shops nowadays is facing many challenges like complexity of the controller solutions, not flexible and unfriendly user interfaces, large labour-intense installation and commissioning effort, a lot of effort for troubleshooting, difficult and labour intense scene creation process and high costs of luminaries. Atmosphere creation systems are further challenging than lighting systems, since the number of control- and adjustable parameters is larger. Thus, there exists a need for an easy to use atmosphere program management. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a system and a method for the management of atmosphere programs for atmosphere creation systems, which allow to make management and usage of atmosphere programs easier and more comfortable. 
     The object is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further embodiments are shown by the dependent claims. 
     A basic idea of the invention is to provide a central control of atmosphere programs, particularly together with the possibility of interactively selecting an atmosphere program, for example a lighting scene to be created locally with an atmosphere creation system such as a lighting system. This is particularly useful for large retail chains, which require a uniform atmosphere in all chain shops and want to provide their shop personal to select among a predefined set of atmosphere programs in a comfortable way. The invention particularly allows to remotely manage atmosphere programs available for atmosphere creation systems, for example for shops of a retail chain. 
     An embodiment of the invention provides an atmosphere program management system comprising
         a server, which is remotely accessible via a data connection and stores atmosphere programs and   a remote management client for accessing the server and providing a user interface for managing the atmosphere programs stored by the server.       

     The system may further comprise at least one client atmosphere creation system controller for accessing the server and providing a user interface for selecting an atmosphere program to be created with an atmosphere creation system being controlled by the client atmosphere creation system controller. Typically, the server and remote management client are two separate computers on different locations, but they may be also implemented as two separate programs executed by one single computer. The remote management client implements a central/remote user interface, while the client atmosphere creation system controller implements a local user interface. This allows controlling atmosphere program management centrally from a remote computer, and accessing the atmosphere program locally with a client atmosphere creation system controller. For example, shop personnel can use the client atmosphere creation system controllers to create atmospheres in their shop, which are centrally managed from the shop headquarter with the remote management client. Particularly, this embodiment makes management and usage of atmosphere programs easier and more comfortable. 
     The server may be configured to execute an atmosphere management program, which is adapted to
         remotely display available atmosphere programs stored by the server and to   allow remotely managing the access to available atmosphere programs by client atmosphere creation system controllers.       

     The atmosphere management program may be further adapted to load and remotely display a picture associated to an atmosphere program upon selection of the program. This helps users to quickly identify atmospheres and makes atmosphere selection more comfortable. 
     The atmosphere management program may be yet further adapted to
         remotely display installed atmosphere creation systems and to   allow remotely assigning an atmosphere program to one or more installed atmosphere creation systems by a “drag and drop” operation. Thus, users may comfortably assign atmosphere programs to different installations of atmosphere creation systems in different shops.       

     The atmosphere management program may be yet further adapted to
         receive video data from a webcam monitoring an installed atmosphere creation system and to   remotely display the received video data. This may make the usage of the atmosphere management program more comfortable since users can immediately watch an atmosphere assigned to a local atmosphere creation system, particularly a lighting scene created with a local lighting system as an example of an atmosphere creation system.       

     The atmosphere management program may be further adapted to allow controlling the webcam. This may help users to better monitor an atmosphere created with an atmosphere creation system. 
     A client atmosphere creation system controller may be adapted to download a list of accessible atmosphere programs from the server and to display a list with the downloaded accessible atmosphere programs in its user interface for selecting an atmosphere to be created with the atmosphere creation system being controlled by the client atmosphere creation system controller. 
     A further embodiment of the invention relates to a client atmosphere creation system controller being adapted for application in a system of the invention and as described above. 
     The controller may be a wireless mobile device, configured by a program for
         providing a user interface for selecting an atmosphere program to be created with an atmosphere creation system being controlled by the client atmosphere creation system controller and   controlling the atmosphere creation system to create the downloaded atmosphere program. For example, the controller may be a smartphone or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) executing the program. The user interface provided by the program may be web-based, and the user interface may be dynamically updated, for example by periodically connecting to the server and checking if an updated web-page with atmosphere programs is available. Thus, a user may automatically see only actual atmosphere programs. The controller may be further configured by the program for accessing the server and downloading a selected atmosphere program from the server.       

     A yet further embodiment of the invention relates to a method for managing atmosphere programs comprising
         remotely displaying available atmosphere programs stored by a server and   allowing remotely managing the access to available atmosphere programs by client atmosphere creation system controllers.       

     The method may further comprise one or more of the following:
         loading and remotely displaying a picture associated to an atmosphere program upon selection of the program;   remotely displaying installed atmosphere creation systems and   allowing remotely assigning an atmosphere program to one or more installed atmosphere creation systems by a “drag and drop” operation;   receiving video data from a webcam monitoring an installed atmosphere creation system and   remotely displaying the received video data;   allowing controlling a webcam monitoring an installed atmosphere creation system;   allowing remotely activating available atmosphere programs on client atmosphere creation system controllers.       

     An embodiment of the invention provides a computer program enabling a processor to carry out the method according to the invention and as described above. 
     According to a further embodiment of the invention, a record carrier storing a computer program according to the invention may be provided, for example a CD-ROM, a DVD, a memory card, a diskette, internet memory device or a similar data carrier suitable to store the computer program for optical or electronic access. 
     A further embodiment of the invention provides a computer programmed to perform a method according to the invention such as a PC (Personal Computer). The computer may be used a central server of a atmosphere management system according to the invention. 
     These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. 
     The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to exemplary embodiments. However, the invention is not limited to these exemplary embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  an embodiment of a lighting scene management system as an example of an atmosphere management system according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  an embodiment of a user interface of lighting scene management program executed by a server of the lighting scene management system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of a local user interface of a mobile device serving as a client lighting system controller according to the invention 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following, functionally similar or identical elements may have the same reference numerals. The terms “light”, “lighting unit” and “luminary” relate in the following to the same. In the following, the embodiments of the invention are described by example of a lighting scene management system for a retail chain, which allows a central and comfortable management of lighting scenes available for creating with lighting systems installed in different shops of the retail chain. This allows to create a brand lighting in each shop at a minimum of effort and costs at a maximum of user comfort. Even if the embodiments of the invention as described in the following are related to lighting systems and lighting scene management, the invention is not limited to this application, but may be also applied to any kind of atmosphere creation systems, for example a multifunctional system which is able to create lighting, audio, video, scents, or a system for creating lighting scenes together with sounds, or a system for creating lighting scenes together with scents, or a system for creating lighting scenes together with videos. 
       FIG. 1  shows a lighting scene management system  10  for shops, which comprises a server  12 , a remote management client  14 , a client lighting system controller  16 , and a lighting system  18  being controlled by the client lighting system controller  16 . Only one lighting system  18  is shown as example, but typically several lighting systems of different shops are managed. 
     The devices  12 ,  14 , and  16  are connected to a packet data network  24  such as the internet and can exchange packet data via a suitable protocol, for example TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). A local lighting system controller  26 , which is installed in the shop for local control of luminaries  28  installed in the shop, is also connected to the packet data network  24 . 
     The server  12  may be implemented by a standard Personal Computer (PC) executing a webserver program. The server  12  executes a database program  30  storing lighting scenes, i.e. the presets of luminaries of a lighting system for creating lighting scenes. The server  12  also executes a lighting scene management program, which may be implemented as a dynamic website or dedicated program, which is hosted by the webserver program and allows access from any computer executing a webbrowser program. The lighting scene management program has access to the database  30  and allows reading and storing lighting scenes from or in the database  30  via an user interface, which may be created by the dynamic website. The dynamic website also allows client computers to remotely manage the access to available lighting scenes by client lighting system controllers. 
     A client computer with secure access (for example by using the https protocol) to the managing functions of the lighting scene management program is the remote management client  14 , which may be implemented by a PC executing a webbrowser program. Alternatively, the client  14  may execute a dedicated remote access program for access to the lighting scene management program executed by the server  12 . Upon granted access, the remote management client  14  receives from the lighting scene management program data for displaying a user interface, which allows to remotely manage the lighting scenes stored in the database  30  on the server  12 . 
       FIG. 2  shows an example of the user interface locally displayed on a monitor of the server  12  or remotely displayed on the remote management client  14 . The user interface is displayed in a window  32  of a graphical user interface of the operating system executed by the remote management client  14 , for example a window of a webbrowser executed by the remote management client  14 . The window  32  comprises a list  34  of available lighting scenes (designated as themes), which allows selection of a desired lighting scene. The lighting scene management program is adapted to load and display a picture associated to a lighting scene upon selection of the scene in the box  36  below the list  34 . The picture may be a symbolic icon (like a “red heart” for Valentine) or an example photo of a store with that scene, so that a user may immediately get an impression of the selected lighting scene or theme. A second list  38  shows all stores belonging to the retail chain. The stores shown in list  38  may have access to the lighting scenes stored in the database  30  on the server  12 . Access granting can be locally managed on the server  12  or by the remote management client  14  as described in the following: by using the list  38 , it may be determined what scenes are available for each of the local stores and every scene can be remotely activated. The remote access-granting can be performed by assigning scenes to the stores by dragging them from the “Available themes” list  32  to the “Stores” list  38  under the relevant store and dropping them there. It is also possible to assign a theme to all the stores by dragging it to the “local stores” entry on top of the list  38 . If a theme under a store of list  38  is dragged back to the “Available themes” list  32 , it may be removed from the available themes list  38  for that store (“delete” function). The same may happen if the user presses a delete button (not shown) after selecting a theme in one of the local stores in list  38 . The list  32  of “Available themes” does not change since the scenes are available for all the stores. Scenes are typically activated by double-clicking (or select-enter) of a scene in the available themes list  38 . The user interface may also ask for conformation before activating any of the scenes, in order to prevent accidental changing of lighting in a store and by that possibly create discomfort for the people in the store. Scenes displayed in window  38  do not necessarily have to be limited to the scenes downloaded or downloadable from the server: it may also show the scenes available only for that shop, these scenes may be stored at the local lighting system controller, but also on the server, in this case such scenes may be given a special distinction (e.g. via a symbol, distinctive font or text color) on the list  38  so that it is clear that those scenes are only available for that store. 
     In one of possible implementations all the lighting scenes may be already known locally in the lighting system  18 , for example locally stored in the local lighting controller  26 , but not accessible until the access is granted centrally on the server  12 . Another option for implementation is that all the scenes are only stored centrally in the database  30  on the server  12 , and are only transferred to the local lighting controller  26  when they are enabled. 
     The lighting scene management program also offers an opportunity to check the effect of scene changing on a web-cam  22 , which is installed in a shop and monitors the lighting created by the luminaries  28  of the lighting system  18  of the shop. The window  32  of the user interface comprises a window  40  displaying videodata  20  received from the local lighting controller  26  of the shop, which transmits the videodata  20  via the packet data network  24  to the server  12 , which executes the lighting scene management program. A further window  42  provides a full control over the web-cam  42  in the shop, like rotating the web-cam and zooming. Thus, it is possible to remotely supervise the lighting scene created in the shop. The web-cam  22  may alternatively also be directly connected to the server  12  via the packet data network  24 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an example of a local user interface for scene activation on a mobile device, for example a smartphone or a PDA, serving as a client lighting system controller  16 . The local user interface may be implemented as a program, which is executed by the mobile device and grants access to the server  12 . It contains a list  44  of the scenes with their associated pictures  46  that were made available by the lighting scene management program in the user interface shown in  FIG. 2 . The local user interface may be dynamically updated. In an implementation this may be also a web-based user interface, where the lighting scene management program on the server may update the user interface. The web user interface may be implemented such that it may be connected to the server  12  via the internet  24  or a local WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) and may check for example every 2 seconds if an updated web-page with available scenes is available. 
     If a user selects an entry in the list  44  of the user interface of the client light system controller  16 , the controller  16  may transmit a command for example via a local WLAN in the shop to the local lighting system controller  26 , which instructs the local lighting system controller  26  to download the selected lighting scene from the server  12  via the internet and to configure the lighting in the shop according to the downloaded lighting scene by controlling the luminaries  28  in accordance with the presets of the downloaded lighting scene. Alternatively, the client lighting system controller  16  may upon selection of an entry in the list  44  download a lighting scene from the server  12  via the internet, and then transmit the downloaded lighting scene to the local lighting system controller  26 . Alternatively, the client lighting system controller  16  may upon selection of an entry in the list  44  may instruct the local lighting system controller  26  to activate the already locally available lighting scene selected by the user. 
     The invention can be applied to all atmosphere creation systems being adapted to create atmospheres such as lighting scenes. Particularly, the invention can be used to centrally control and manage atmosphere creation with different atmosphere creation systems, such as several stores or shops of a retail chain, also stores in stores. 
     The invention can particularly be applied to create atmosphere in store, where music, sound and fragrance are handeled in the same manner as described above for lighting. Such atmosphere program may contain program for light (as described above), music (in the form of songs or audio-playlists), video (in the form of video or video-playlists) and scent (in the form of a particlular scent or a scent-playlist). 
     At least some of the functionality of the invention may be performed by hard- or software. In case of an implementation in software, a single or multiple standard microprocessors or microcontrollers may be used to process a single or multiple algorithms implementing the invention. 
     It should be noted that the word “comprise” does not exclude other elements or steps, and that the word “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.