Ethernet SCSI simulator for control of shows

• US 20050094635A1
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Inventors: Hunt, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US10/913,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20050094635A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• 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 lighting system which allows packaging data in a first format into an ethernet packet. The data is packaged within the ethernet packet, in a way so that it can be removed and placed back into its original format. This allows ethernet hardware to be used, with existing lighting hardware.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an ethernet receiver, receiving a plurality of ethernet packets of ethernet information, collectively representing a plurality of information intended for a plurality of computer-controlled lighting devices, said ethernet information including multiple identification information identifying a specific one of said lighting devices, and data for each said one lighting device; and

a processing element, operating to determine a specified channel within said information, to obtain data associated with said specified channel, and separate said data from said information.

2. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of output lines, each of said output lines including data for only one of said channels.

3. A system-as in claim 1, wherein each of a plurality of ethernet lines includes data for 10 lighting channels.

4. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a console producing a plurality of ethernet lines.

5. A system as in claim 1, wherein said data in said channel includes data with an identifying designation for the channel, followed by data representing that identifying number.

6. A system as in claim 1, wherein said data in said channel includes data that is in time slot multiplexed format where a position in the packet serves as the identifying information.

7. A system as in claim 1, wherein said data is data for brightness levels of lighting dimmers.

8. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a controlling console, producing control signals for controlling said plurality of computer-controlled lighting devices.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein said controlling console produces outputs in ethernet format, which outputs are coupled to said ethernet receiver.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein said processing element produces a plurality of separate outputs, further comprising a plurality of computer-controlled lighting devices, and connections between each separate output and each of said computer-controlled lighting devices.

11. A method as in claim 11, further comprising providing each one of said separate output to a separate lighting device, and using each said separate output to control said separate lighting device.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein said data is in format with a specified designation, followed by specific data that is related to said specified designation.

13. A method as in claim 11, wherein said data is in a format where an offset from a specified position represents its designation.

14. A method as in claim 11, wherein said data is in a format that simulates SCSI.

15. A method as in claim 11, wherein said data is in a format that simulates DMX 512.

16. A method comprising:

converting an ethernet format which includes data for a plurality of lights that can be controlled via computer, and information indicative of destinations for said plurality of lights, into information to be sent to said plurality of lights, in a native form of said plurality of lights which is not an ethernet format, and producing at least one output in a format for controlling the lights, including data from said ethernet format, as converted into said format for controlling the lights.

18. A method as in claim 18, wherein said format for controlling the lights includes a single line for each of a plurality of channels, each single line including data for an individual channel.

17. A method as in claim 18, wherein said format for controlling the lights is DMX 512.

19. A method as in claim 18, wherein said ethernet format includes designations indicative of a channel number, associated with data for the channel number, and said producing comprises converting said ethernet format into individual channels associated with said data.

20. A method as in claim 18, wherein said ethernet format includes a start indication, and a specified number of lights of information for each of a plurality of channels, so that a position within the format represents the channel number.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of ethernet lines with data for a plurality of different computer-controlled lighting devices, each identified by an identifying designation;

identifying one of said identifying designations, within said plurality of ethernet lines; and

separating data for said one of said identifying designations to form separate lines for the separated data.

22. A method as in claim 23, further comprising providing each of the separated data items to separate lines.