Method and apparatus for digital communications with multiparameter light fixtures

• US 20030001523A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard S. Belliveau
• Original Assignee: Richard S. Belliveau
• Inventors: Belliveau, Richard S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,570,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/406 for theatres, stages or film studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

A typical light fixture is an integral unit that has a lamp assembly and a communications node to control the lamp assembly. Lighting systems contain many such light fixtures. One type of lighting system has at least two communications systems that interconnect the light fixtures. A digital controller is connected to one of the communications systems, at least one of the light fixtures of that communications system is a designated gateway for sending control signals to the other communications system. Another type of lighting system has two digital controllers connected to respective communications systems. Each of the communications systems interconnects many light fixtures, at least one of which has two communications nodes respectively connected to the communications systems. A third type of lighting system mixes combines the first and second types.

Claims

1. A multi-parameter light fixture comprising:

a lamp assembly comprising a plurality of parameters;

an addressable first digital communications node networkable in a first external communications system and having a first control output coupled to the lamp assembly for controlling at least one of the parameters; and

an addressable second digital communications node networkable in a second external communications system and having a second control output coupled to the lamp assembly for controlling at least one of the parameters.

2. A multi-parameter light fixture as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second communications nodes supports bidirectional digital communications.

3. A multi-parameter light fixture as in claim 1, wherein the first and second digital communications nodes are compliant with different communications protocols.

4. A multi-parameter light fixture as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second digital communications nodes is compliant with a DMX protocol.

5. A multi-parameter light fixture as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second digital communications nodes is compliant with a protocol that supports video information.

6. A multi-parameter light fixture as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second digital communications nodes is compliant with a protocol that supports pixel information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the parameters include a lamp on parameter, a color change command, a position parameter, a dimmer parameter, an image rotate parameter, and an image projection parameter; and

the first control output controls a first group of the parameters and the second control output controls a second group of the parameters.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the parameters include an image projection parameter; and

the first control output does not control the image projection parameter; and

the second control output controls the image projection parameter.

9. A multi-parameter light fixture comprising:

a lamp assembly comprising a plurality of parameters, including a video projection parameter;

an addressable first digital communications node networkable in a DMX communications system and having a control output coupled to the lamp assembly for controlling at least one of the parameters; and

an addressable second digital communications node networkable in a second external communications system that is compliant with a protocol that supports video information, the second digital communications node having a control output coupled to the lamp assembly for controlling at least the video projection parameter.