Control for digital lighting

• US 10,217,274 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Inventors: Reese, Charles, Hunt, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US15/262,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20170091991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 345418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1462 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/80 Shading
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/045 using multiple communication channels, e.g. parallel and serial
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

A digitally controlled lighting system where aspects have a central media server connected to remote media servers. The connection may have separate networks for control versus media. Automatic synchronization of the contents of the media servers may be carried out.

Claims

1. A media storing device, comprising:

a central media server, storing a central database of media which includes multiple different video and images, and storing a first list of media to be stored by local media servers that are separate from the central media server, where the first list indicates changeable contents including multiple video and images to be located in each of the local media servers;

said central media server communicating to each of a plurality of the local media servers, over a network connection which connects between said central media server and each of said local media servers,

said central media server receiving, from each of said local media servers, a local list of media which is stored on said each local media server;

said central media server accessing said first list of media, and the central media server comparing contents of said first list with each of the local lists for each of said local media servers, and determining for each of the local media servers, multiple items of media including video and images that are on the first list and are not on the local list; and

said central media server sending multiple items of media including video and images that are on the first list and are not on the local list to said local media servers that causes each of said local media servers to store the media on the first list.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein said central media server controls adding new media to said central media server and to the first list, and after adding said new media to said central media server and to the first list, automatically updating media in each of said local media servers to include said new media.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein said central media server controls adding new media to said central media server along with an association for said new media, where said association indicates which of said local media servers will receive said new media, and after adding said new media, automatically updates media in each of said local media servers specified by said association to include said new media, and does not automatically update media in each of said local media servers not specified by said association to include said new media.

4. The device as in claim 1, further comprising said network connection, including a first network connection, and a second network connection separate from the first network connection, and wherein said media server communicates over the first network connection to send said media but not to send commands over the first network connection,

and communicates over the second network connection to control said local media servers, but does not send media over the second network connection.

5. The device as in claim 1, wherein said list of information includes information which is the same for all of the media servers.

6. The device as in claim 1, further comprising controlling a genlock device, connected to both of said first and second lighting devices, and synchronizing said first and second lighting devices, such that a specified first frame in said at least one media item is displayed at the same time as a second frame in the second media item.

7. The device as in claim 1, wherein said list of information includes separate information for each of the local media servers, wherein at least one of the local media servers includes different information than at least one other of the media servers.

8. The device as in claim 1, wherein said list is in XML format and includes metadata that describes the content of media.

9. The device as in claim 1, wherein said list includes identifiers for the items of media clips and metadata that describes the content of the media clips.

10. The device as in claim 1, wherein items in the list include information about which of multiple local media servers is to be are to store said item of information.

11. The device as in claim 10, further comprising controlling processing of the information within the video card, using a shader within the video card.

12. The device as in claim 1, wherein said information includes information in a local graphics format that is understood by a video card that actually does the display.

13. A method, comprising:

storing a central database of media information in a central media server, where the media information includes at least multiple different video and images;

storing a first list of media to be stored by a plurality of local media servers that are separate from the central media server;

communicating from said central media server to each of the plurality of local media servers, over a network connection which connects between said central media server and each of said local media servers, where said communicating includes receiving, from each of said local media servers, a local list of media which is stored on said each local media server;

using a computer in said central database for accessing said first list of media, and comparing contents of said first list with each of the local lists for each of said local media servers, and determining for each of the local media servers, multiple items of media including video and images that are on the first list and are not on the local list; and

sending multiple items of media including video and images that are on the first list and are not on the local list to said local media servers that causes each of said local media servers the media on the first list.

14. The method as in claim 13, further comprising adding new media to said central media server and to said first list, and automatically updating media in each of said local media servers to include said new media.

15. The method as in claim 14, further comprising forcing an immediate update of content in the local media servers, which automatically and immediately updates the information on the list.

16. The method as in claim 13, further comprising adding new media to said central media server along with an association for said new media, where said association indicates which of said local media servers are to be receive said new media, and automatically updating media in each of said local media servers specified by said association to include said new media, and not automatically updating media in each of said local media servers not specified by said association to include said new media.

17. The method as in claim 13, further comprising using a genlock device, connected to both of said first and second lighting devices, and synchronizing said first and second lighting devices, such that a specified first frame in said at least one media item is displayed at substantially the same time as a second frame in the second media item.

18. The method as in claim 13, wherein said communicating comprising using a first network connection to send said media, and using a second local network connection to control said local media servers, separate from said first local network connection which is used to deliver media content.

19. The method as in claim 13, wherein said list is in XML format and includes metadata that describes the content of media.

20. The method as in claim 13, wherein said list includes identifiers for the items of media clips and metadata that describes the content of the media clips.

21. The method as in claim 13, wherein said information includes information in a local graphics format that is understood by a video card that actually does the display.

22. The method as in claim 21, further comprising enabling processing of the information within the video card, using a shader within the video card.