Methods and improvements to spectral monitoring of theatre lighting devices

• US 10,156,350 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2018
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard S. Belliveau
• Original Assignee: Richard S. Belliveau
• Inventors: Belliveau, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THUY V
• Application Number:
  US15/957,478
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 315293, 362362
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0457 the sensor sensing the operating status of the lighting device, e.g. to detect failure of a light source or to provide feedback to the device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/043 with cylindrical surface
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/406 for theatres, stages or film studios
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback

Abstract

An apparatus including a theater lighting device including a lamp housing; a base housing; and an internal spectral sensor. The lamp housing is rotationally mounted to the base housing; and includes a plurality of light sources, and lenses which cooperate to project a final output light; wherein residual light is received by the internal spectral sensor from internal reflections of a first lens of the plurality of lenses and the residual light is converted to spectral data. The spectral sensor is a multispectral filter array type. The theater lighting device further includes a microprocessor; and a memory, wherein the memory stores a first set of data for a plurality of electronically adjustable parameters of the theater lighting device. The microprocessor is programmed to receive a first command and in response put the theater lighting device in a first state.

Claims

1. A theatre lighting device comprising:

a lamp housing;

a plurality of light sources;

a plurality of lenses;

a light integrating pipe;

a spectral sensor;

a microprocessor;

a memory;

a user interface comprising a visual display;

and

a lens tube;

wherein the light integrating pipe has a light output along a light path;

wherein the light integrating pipe has a first mirrored side and a second mirrored side;

wherein residual light is received by the spectral sensor from internal reflections created by the first mirrored side and the second mirrored side;

wherein the spectral sensor is fixed to receive the residual light outside of the light path;

wherein the spectral sensor converts the received residual light to spectral data;

wherein the microprocessor is programmed to cause the spectral data to be stored in the memory; and

wherein the visual display is configured to display the spectral data.

2. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

the residual light received by the spectral sensor passes through a port in the light integrating pipe.

3. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

the spectral data is displayed as a visible spectral plot.

4. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

the spectral data is hue and saturation.

5. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

the spectral data is color temperature.

6. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

the spectral data is International Commission on Illumination chromaticity coordinates.

7. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

the spectral data is color rendering index data.

8. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

the spectral data is standard data for a system of several related measures and graphics that can be used together to effectively evaluate and communicate a light source'"'"'s color rendering properties known as.

9. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

each of the plurality of light sources is a light emitting diode.

10. The theatre lighting device of claim 1 wherein

each of the plurality of light sources is a laser.

11. A theatre lighting device comprising:

a lamp housing;

a plurality of light sources;

a plurality of lenses;

a light integrating pipe;

a spectral sensor;

a microprocessor;

a memory;

a user interface comprising a visual display;

and

a lens tube;

wherein the light integrating pipe has a light output along a light path;

wherein the light integrating pipe has a first optical glass side and a second optical glass side;

wherein residual light is received by the spectral sensor from internal reflections created by the first optical glass side and the second optical glass side;

wherein the spectral sensor is fixed to receive the residual light outside of the light path;

wherein the spectral sensor converts the received residual light to spectral data;

wherein the microprocessor is programmed to cause the spectral data to be stored in the memory; and

wherein the visual display is configured to display the spectral data.

12. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

the residual light received by the spectral sensor passes through a port on a side of the light integrating pipe.

13. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

the port is formed by an abrasion on a side of the light integrating pipe.

14. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

the spectral data is displayed as a visible spectral plot.

15. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

the spectral data is hue and saturation.

16. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

the spectral data is color temperature.

17. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

the spectral data is International Commission on Illumination chromaticity coordinates.

18. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

the spectral data is color rendering index data.

19. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

the spectral data is standard data for a system of several related measures and graphics that can be used together to effectively evaluate and communicate a light source'"'"'s color rendering properties known as.

20. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

each of the plurality of light sources is a light emitting diode.

21. The theatre lighting device of claim 11 wherein

each of the plurality of light sources is a laser.