Method For Operating A Lighting Control Console

• US 20120169616A1
• Filed: 01/04/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MA Lighting Technology GmbH (MA Lighthing)
• Original Assignee: MA Lighting Technology GmbH (MA Lighthing)
• Inventors: Adenau, Michael, Cordes, Hartmut
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

A method for operating a lighting control console (01) for controlling a lighting system, wherein digital adjusting commands are generated in the lighting control console (01), which can be transferred to the lighting devices of the lighting system via data connections, and wherein the lighting control console (01) comprises at least one digital processor and at least one digital memory for generating, managing and storing the adjusting commands, and wherein the lighting control console (01) comprises at least one display unit (07), and wherein graphical elements can be graphically depicted to the user on the display device (07), and wherein the display device (07) exhibits a touch-sensitive sensor surface (10), and wherein touching of the touch-sensitive sensor surface (10) at the display device (07) in the region of a contact surface (14) permits the selection of an operator input assigned to said contact surface (14),

comprising the following method steps of:

• a) detecting the touching of the touch-sensitive sensor surface (10) in the region of a contact surface (14a, 14b) in which the sensor surface (10) is covered by a body part of the operator;
• b) measuring the dimension of the contact surface (14a, 14b);
• c) generating an adjusting command for controlling the lighting system as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface (14a, 14b).

Claims

1. A method for operating a lighting control console (01) for controlling a lighting system, wherein digital adjusting commands are generated in the lighting control console, which can be transferred to the lighting devices of the lighting system via data connections, and wherein the lighting control console (01) comprises at least one digital processor and at least one digital memory for generating, managing and storing the adjusting commands, and wherein the lighting control console comprises at least one display device, and wherein graphical elements can be graphically depicted to the user on the display device, and wherein the display device-exhibits a touch-sensitive sensor surface, and wherein touching the touch-sensitive sensor surface at the display device in the region of a contact surface permits the selection of an operator input assigned to said contact surface (14), comprising the following method steps of:

a) detecting the touching of the touch-sensitive sensor surface in the region of a contact surface in which the sensor surface is covered by a body part of the operator;

b) measuring the dimension of the contact surface;

c) generating an adjusting command for controlling the lighting system as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which a plurality of sensor points are provided in the touch-sensitive sensor surface, wherein the dimension of the contact surface is measured by determining the number of sensor points which are covered by the body part of the operator.

5. The method according to any of claim 1, in which touching of an operating element permits the selection of a functional element of the lighting system, in particular a lighting device, and subsequent to the measurement of the dimension of the contact surface on the operating element, a parameter of the selected functional element is set as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

6. The method according to claim 1, in which the lighting intensity of a lighting device, in particular a spotlight, is set as a parameter as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which the zoom factor of a lighting device, in particular a spotlight, is set as a parameter as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which the freeze factor of a lighting device, in particular a spotlight, is set as a parameter as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

9. The method according to claim 1, in which the pan-setting and/or the tilt-setting of a lighting device, in particular a spotlight, is/are set as a parameter as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the speed of motion of a drive device for adjusting a lighting device, in particular a spotlight, is set as a parameter as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

11. The method according to claim 1, in which the parameter of the selected functional element is settable as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface within a predefined value range, wherein the lighting control console is calibrated by recording at least the dimension of a contact surface in the form of a measurand during at least one calibration step, and said measurand is assigned a value from the value range of the parameter.

12. The method according to claim 11, in which several calibration steps are executed, wherein the measurands and the respectively assigned parameters are stored in a lookup table.

13. The method according to claim 11, in which several calibration steps are executed, wherein the measurands are combined by means of an interpolated function curve, and wherein said function curve is stored.

3. The method according to claim, in which at least one operating element is displayed at the display device, wherein the operating element is assigned an operator input.

4. The method according to claim 3, in which the operating element (08) is displayed in the form of a pushbutton, wherein the pushbutton is assigned a specific operator input.