Moving Lights forming Pixels of a Video

• US 20100117934A1
• Filed: 11/06/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Inventors: Harris, Jeremiah J.
• Application Number:
  US12/613,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20100117934A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/56
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/02 by tracing or scanning a light beam on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3164 using multiple light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

A video is divided into portions, and the portions are used to control moving lights. A video is displayed where each moving light becomes a superpixel of the eventual displayed video. The superpixels themselves may be formed of pixels.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

first controlling a plurality of remotely controllable lamps using a first control such that each of the remotely controllable lamps creates a separate output at a separate location based on said first control, and at least one of said remotely controllable lamps produces an output with content that is different than another of said remotely controllable lamps based on said first control; and

second controlling the plurality of remotely controllable lamps using a second control at a different time than said first control, such that the remotely controllable lamps collectively produce a frame of a video responsive to said second control at said different time, and subsequently produces another frame of the same video at another time subsequent to said different time.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said second controlling produces outputs to the remotely controllable lamps such that each of the lamps produces a portion of said frame of said video.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein said first controlling and said second controlling also comprises controlling a pointing location of said plurality of remotely controllable lamps in pan and tilt directions.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein each of said remotely controllable lamps forms a superpixel of said frame of said video, said superpixel having a plurality of pixels being projected thereby.

5. A method as in claim 2, further comprising, during said second controlling, moving each of the plurality of lamps at the same time to thereby move a position of display of the video.

6. A method as in claim 3, further comprising controlling said lamps to collectively form a rectangular shaped array display.

7. A method as in claim 1, further comprising controlling both a projection light and an LED light using the same control form at said first time.

8. A method as in claim 1, further comprising controlling display using a computer by dragging items to be displayed onto a timeline of a user interface, and automatically displaying said items at a time related to a position on said timeline.

9. A method, comprising:

using a computer for forming a user interface having a timeline representing future times;

using the computer for placing items to be displayed on said timeline;

using the computer for automatically determining a current time, automatically determining items which have been placed on the timeline at times corresponding to the current time, and automatically causing at least one remotely controllable light to display the items on the timeline based on said current time matching the time at which said items are on the timeline.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said placing items comprises placing items on the timeline to be displayed by multiple different lamps.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein said placing comprises placing different items into different layers.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein one layer modifies the video on another layer.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said modifies comprises changing an aspect of display of a video.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a controller device which produces outputs for controlling a plurality of remotely controllable lamps, said controller controlling in a first control mode to produce outputs such that each of the remotely controllable lamps creates a separate output at a separate location based on said first control, and at least one of said remotely controllable lamps displays content that is independent from another of said remotely controllable lamps based on said first control, said controller operating in a second control mode to control the plurality of remotely controllable lamps using a second control at a different time than said first control, such that the remotely controllable lamps collectively produce a first frame of a video responsive to said second control at said different time, and to subsequently produce another frame of the same video at another time subsequent to said different time.

16. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said second controlling by said controller produces outputs to the remotely controllable lamps such that each of the lamps produces a portion of said frame of said video.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said controller device also controls a pointing location of said plurality of remotely controllable lamps in pan and tilt directions.

18. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein each of said remotely controllable lamps forms a superpixel of said frame of said video in said second control mode, said superpixel having a plurality of pixels being projected thereby.

19. An apparatus as in claim 16, further comprising, during said second controlling, moving each of the plurality of lamps at the same time to thereby move a position of display of the video.

20. An apparatus as in claim 16, further comprising controlling said lamps to collectively form a rectangular shaped array display.

21. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said output controls both a projection light and an LED light using the same control form at said first time.

22. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said controller has a timeline, and allows dragging items to be displayed onto the timeline of a user interface, and automatically displaying said items at a time related to a position on said timeline.