Multiplexed lighting system using time-division multiplexing

Improvements in lighting and other indoor environmental conditions have gained considerable attention in different areas, including health and economics. Controlling the lighting environment is essential because, among the indoor factors, visual stimulation affects numerous human characteristics. Further, visual stimulation, including peripheral vision, affects people differently. Therefore, to improve the indoor environment with multiple occupants, each occupant must have an independent lighting environment. However, this cannot be achieved through conventional approaches. In this study, we propose a multiplexed lighting environment that can simultaneously realize multiple mutually independent lighting environments within a single space. We developed the proposed system using time-division multiplexing and conducted an experiment to clarify the influence of light multiplexing on human behavior and impression of the indoor environment. The experimental results showed that the proposed method changed the lighting operations of the users and improved their impression of the lighting environment. Furthermore, the proposed method provides a desirable lighting environment for all people within a single space, even when people in the same space desire different lighting environments.