LIGHT SYSTEM MANAGER

• US 20070189026A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify North America Corporation (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Color Kinetics Incorporated (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Morgan, Frederick, Lys, Ihor, Chemel, Brian, Blackwell, Michael, McCormick, Kevin, Warwick, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,495,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/458
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for lighting control, including a lighting system manager, a light show composer, a light system engine, and related facilities for the convenient authoring and execution of lighting shows using semiconductor-based illumination units.

Claims

1. A method for authoring a lighting show to be generated by a plurality of lighting units, the lighting show including at least one lighting effect, the method comprising acts of:

A) discovering a number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show by transmitting at least one query via at least one network communication connection to which the number of the plurality of lighting units are coupled;

B) assigning communication addresses to the discovered number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show;

C) displaying a two-dimensional map of points representing a multi-dimensional configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show, each point in the two-dimensional map representing one lighting unit of the plurality of lighting units;

D) mapping the assigned communication addresses of the number of the plurality of lighting units to respective positions of the points in the two-dimensional map;

E) selecting at least one point of the two-dimensional map to which the at least one lighting effect of the lighting show is applied; and

F) selecting the at least one lighting effect for generation by at least one lighting unit corresponding to the at least one point of the two-dimensional map selected in the act E).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network communication connection includes at least one Ethernet switch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act A) comprises acts of:

A1) discovering at least one device associated with the plurality of lighting units, by transmitting the at least one query via the at least one network communication connection; and

A2) providing an indication of the number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the at least one lighting effect based on the act A1).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of lighting units includes at least one string configuration of lighting units, and wherein the act B) comprises an act of:

manually assigning a base address for the at least one string configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act C) comprises an act of:

selecting the two-dimensional map from a list of standard maps representing at least one of at least one tile configuration and at least one string configuration of lighting units.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional configuration includes a two-dimensional configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the two-dimensional configuration includes one of a rectangular array, a rectangular configuration, a triangular configuration, and a configuration designed to convey information or meaning.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional configuration includes a three-dimensional configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the three-dimensional configuration includes an architectural configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units disposed in connection with a building.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the three-dimensional configuration includes a non-rectangular arrangement of the number of the plurality of lighting units wrapped around a non-rectangular object.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the two-dimensional map of points representing the three-dimensional configuration includes a three-dimensional rendering to facilitate a three-dimensional visualization of the three-dimensional configuration.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the act D) comprises acts of:

representing the respective positions of the points in the two-dimensional map as respective sets of coordinates in a coordinate system; and

mapping the assigned communication addresses to the respective sets of coordinates in the coordinate system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the act E) comprises an act of:

E1) selecting a plurality of points of the two-dimensional map to form at least one group to which the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F) is applied, the at least one group representing multiple lighting units of the plurality of lighting units to generate the selected at least one lighting effect.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the act E1) comprises an act of creating a rubber band around the plurality of points to form the at least one group.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the act E1) comprises an act of:

E2) dragging an arrow across the plurality of points to form the at least one group.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the act E2) comprises an act of adding the plurality of points to the at least one group in a sequence based on an order in which the arrow is dragged across the plurality of points.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the act E1) comprises an act of editing the at least one group to add or delete group members.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F) comprises at least one preprogrammed lighting effect.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F) is configured such that the at least one lighting unit corresponding to the selected at least one point of the two-dimensional map provides essentially white light when generating the at least one lighting effect.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of creating the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F) as a custom lighting effect.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of setting at least one adjustable parameter of the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F).

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one adjustable parameter includes at least one of a priority, a start time, an end time, a fade in period and a fade out period for the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F).

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F) includes at least one meta effect constituted by multiple lighting effects, and wherein the method further comprises an act of:

G) temporally linking the multiple lighting effects so as to create the at least one meta effect.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F) is based at least in part on a video from a video source.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising an act of manipulating a video signal from the video source, wherein the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F) is based on the manipulated video signal.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one point of the two-dimensional map selected in the act E) includes a plurality of points of the two-dimensional map, wherein the at least one lighting unit includes a plurality of lighting units corresponding to the plurality of points selected in the act E), and wherein the plurality of lighting units substantially reproduce the video when generating the at least one lighting effect.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the video includes a plurality of frames, wherein each frame of the plurality of frames includes a plurality of pixels in a row-column format, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels has RGB pixel values corresponding to a brightness of red, green and blue primary colors of the pixel, and wherein the method further comprises an act of capturing successive frames of the video.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one point of the two-dimensional map selected in the act E) includes a plurality of points of the two-dimensional map, and wherein the method further comprises an act of mapping the plurality of pixels in the row-column format to the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map in a one-to-one mapping.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one point of the two-dimensional map selected in the act E) includes a plurality of points of the two-dimensional map, wherein a first quantity of the plurality of pixels is greater than a second quantity of the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map, and wherein the method further comprises an act of mapping a subset of the plurality of pixels to the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising acts of:

storing the RGB pixel values for a particular pixel of the plurality of pixels in a particular location in memory; and

retrieving from the particular location in memory a lighting control signal for a lighting unit corresponding to a point of the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map to which the particular pixel is mapped.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising acts of:

storing the RGB pixel values for a particular pixel of the plurality of pixels in different memory locations at different times; and

retrieving at the different times from a particular same location of the different memory locations a lighting control signal for a lighting unit corresponding to a point of the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map to which the particular pixel is mapped.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of:

simulating on the two-dimensional map an execution through time of the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F).

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of:

H) generating at least one file containing code representing the at least one lighting effect selected in the act F).

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the act H) comprises an act of formatting the at least one file as an XML document.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising an act of transmitting the at least one file representing the at least one lighting effect via the at least one network communication connection.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising acts of:

I) receiving the at least one file representing the at least one lighting effect; and

J) executing the code so as to generate lighting control signals for the at least one lighting unit corresponding to the selected at least one point of the two-dimensional map.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the act I) comprises an act of receiving the at least one file representing the at least one lighting show from the Internet.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the act J) comprises an act of executing the code in response to at least one trigger received from at least one user interface.

39. A light system manager system to facilitate at least authoring of a lighting show to be generated by a plurality of lighting units, the lighting show including at least one lighting effect, the light system manager system comprising:

a mapping facility for discovering a number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show by transmitting at least one query via at least one network communication connection to which the number of the plurality of lighting units are coupled, the mapping facility assigning communication addresses to the discovered number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show, the mapping facility including;

a first graphical user interface for displaying a two-dimensional map of points representing a multi-dimensional configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show, each point in the two-dimensional map representing one lighting unit of the plurality of lighting units,

wherein the mapping facility maps the assigned communication addresses of the number of the plurality of lighting units to respective positions of the points in the two-dimensional map; and

a light system composer for allowing a user to select via the first graphical user interface at least one point of the two-dimensional map to which the at least one lighting effect is applied, the light system composer further including a second graphical user interface for allowing the user to select the at least one lighting effect for generation by at least one lighting unit corresponding to the selected at least one point of the two-dimensional map.

40. The system of claim 39, further including the at least one network communication connection, wherein the at least one network communication connection includes at least one Ethernet switch.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the mapping facility includes memory in which is stored a list of standard maps representing at least one of at least one tile configuration and at least one string configuration of lighting units, and wherein the two-dimensional map is selected from the list of standard maps.

42. The system of claim 39, further comprising the plurality of lighting units, wherein the multi-dimensional configuration includes a two-dimensional configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the two-dimensional configuration includes one of a rectangular array, a rectangular configuration, a triangular configuration, and a configuration designed to convey information or meaning.

44. The system of claim 39, further comprising the plurality of lighting units, wherein the multi-dimensional configuration includes a three-dimensional configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the three-dimensional configuration includes an architectural configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units disposed in connection with a building.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the three-dimensional configuration includes a non-rectangular arrangement of the number of the plurality of lighting units wrapped around a non-rectangular object.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein the two-dimensional map of points representing the three-dimensional configuration includes a three-dimensional rendering to facilitate a three-dimensional visualization of the three-dimensional configuration.

48. The system of claim 39, wherein the mapping facility represents the respective positions of the points in the two-dimensional map as respective sets of coordinates in a coordinate system, and maps the assigned communication addresses to the respective sets of coordinates in the coordinate system.

49. The system of claim 39, wherein the first graphical user interface allows a user to select a plurality of points of the two-dimensional map to form at least one group to which the at least one lighting effect is applied, the at least one group representing multiple lighting units of the plurality of lighting units to generate the selected at least one lighting effect.

50. The system of claim 39, wherein the second graphical user interface allows the user to select the at least one lighting effect as at least one preprogrammed lighting effect.

51. The system of claim 39, wherein the second graphical user interface allows the user to create the at least one lighting effect as a custom lighting effect.

52. The system of claim 39, wherein the second graphical user interface allows the user to base the at least one lighting effect at least in part on a video from a video source.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the second graphical user interface allows the user to manipulate a video signal from the video source and base the at least one lighting effect on the manipulated video signal.

54. The system of claim 52, further comprising the plurality of lighting units, wherein the at least one point of the two-dimensional map includes a plurality of points of the two-dimensional map corresponding to selected lighting units of the plurality of lighting units, and wherein the selected lighting units substantially reproduce the video when generating the at least one lighting effect.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the video includes a plurality of frames, wherein each frame of the plurality of frames includes a plurality of pixels in a row-column format, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels has RGB pixel values corresponding to a brightness of red, green and blue primary colors of the pixel, and wherein the light system composer captures successive frames of the video.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the at least one point of the two-dimensional map includes a plurality of points of the two-dimensional map, and wherein the mapping facility maps the plurality of pixels in the row-column format to the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map in a one-to-one mapping.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein the at least one point of the two-dimensional map includes a plurality of points of the two-dimensional map, wherein a first quantity of the plurality of pixels is greater than a second quantity of the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map, and wherein the mapping facility maps a subset of the plurality of pixels to the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the light system composer includes a memory, wherein the RGB pixel values for a particular pixel of the plurality of pixels are stored in a particular location in memory, and wherein the light system composer retrieves from the particular location in memory a lighting control signal for a lighting unit corresponding to a point of the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map to which the particular pixel is mapped.

59. The system of claim 57, wherein the light system composer includes a memory, wherein the RGB pixel values for a particular pixel of the plurality of pixels are stored in different memory locations at different times, and wherein the light system composer retrieves at the different times from a particular same location of the different memory locations a lighting control signal for a lighting unit corresponding to a point of the plurality of points of the two-dimensional map to which the particular pixel is mapped.

60. At least one computer readable medium encoded with at least one computer program that, when executed, performs a method for authoring a lighting show to be generated by a plurality of lighting units, the lighting show including at least one lighting effect, the method comprising acts of:

A) discovering a number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show by transmitting at least one query via at least one network communication connection to which the number of the plurality of lighting units are coupled;

B) assigning communication addresses to the discovered number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show;

C) displaying a two-dimensional map of points representing a multi-dimensional configuration of the number of the plurality of lighting units available to generate the lighting show, each point in the two-dimensional map representing one lighting unit of the plurality of lighting units;

D) mapping the assigned communication addresses of the number of the plurality of lighting units to respective positions of the points in the two-dimensional map;

E) allowing a user to select at least one point of the two-dimensional map to which the at least one lighting effect of the lighting show is applied; and

F) allowing the user to select the at least one lighting effect for generation by at least one lighting unit corresponding to the at least one point of the two-dimensional map selected in the act E).