Improvements to control systems for variable parameter lighting fixtures

• US 4,947,302 A
• Filed: 10/18/1989
• Issued: 08/07/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael Callahan
• Original Assignee: Michael Callahan
• Inventors: Callahan, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/423,363
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 362/233, 362/239, 362/250, 362/268, 362/277, 362/280, 362/281, 362/282, 362/283, 362/284, 362/319, 362/321, 362/322, 362/323, 362/324, 315/312, 315/313
• US Class Current: 362/233
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for improving the performance of variable parameter lighting systems. Such systems that employ relatively modest speed serial communications between the controller and the fixtures or devices, yet which must accommodate the relatively large amount of desired adjustment data that must be transmitted over the data link for each lighting effect.

Claims

1. A control system for a lighting system, said lighting system including:

a plurality of light projectors, said projectors each generating a beam suitable for entertaining lighting and illuminating a common area, and each of a plurality of said plurality of projectors provided with means to vary a plurality of parameters of said beam, such as the azimuth, elevation, size, shape, color, or focus of said beam, said control system comprising;

(a) at least one first controller, said first controller adapted to the requirements of the control of said plurality of parameters of said beam, said first controller comprising at least;

(i) at least one memory capable of storing a plurality of first value sets for each of a plurality of said light projectors, each of said first value sets corresponding to desired adjustments of said plurality of parameters of said beam of at least one of said projectors in at least one desired lighting effect;

(ii) at least one means adapted for entering at least one of said first value sets corresponding to desired adjustments of said plurality of parameters for at least one of said projectors, said means adapted for entering operable from a location remote from said projector;

(iii) means, coupled with said means adapted for entering and with said memory, cooperating with said means for entering to store said first value set entered by said means for entering in said memory, and further for identifying at least one desired lighting effect with which said first value set should be associated;

(iv) means, coupled with said short-term memory, for producing at an output of said first controller, said first value sets corresponding to said desired adjustments of said beam associated with a specified lighting effect;

(b) means to conform for each of said plurality of light projectors, said means to conform located remotely from said first controller, having at least one input, and cooperating with said means to vary to produce said desired adjustments of said beam parameters when provided with a corresponding first value set via said input;

(c) serial data transmission means for coupling at least said output of said first controller with said input of each of a plurality of said means to conform via a common serial data transmission means such that first value sets for each of a plurality of said projectors may be transmitted from said output of said first controller to said input of said means to conform of the appropriate projectors;

the improvement wherein said control system further includes;

(d) means, coupled with said means to conform and with said serial data transmission means for maintaining at least one of said first value sets other than a first value set corresponding to the current adjustments of said beam parameters;

(e) means for determining at least the next lighting effect desired in a sequence;

(f) means for transferring, responsive to said means for determining and cooperating with said means for producing, means for coupling, and means for maintaining, for transferring said first value sets associated with at least said next lighting effect determined from said first controller to said means for maintaining via said serial data transmission means;

(g) means, operable from a location remote from said means to conform, for initiating the adjustment of said beam parameters by said means to conform so as to correspond to said first value sets transferred to said means for maintaining, said initiation separate from and subsequent to said transfer.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means to conform and to vary are further capable of varying the duration required to conform said beam parameters so as to correspond to said first values transferred to said means for maintaining, and wherein a value corresponding to said duration desired may be provided to said means to conform and means to vary.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said value corresponding to said duration desired may be provided by said first controller.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said value corresponding to said duration desired is transmitted via said serial data transmission means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a separate value corresponding to said duration desired may be provided to each of said light projectors.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein said value corresponding to said desired duration is maintained by said means for maintaining.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of a plurality of said light projectors are provided with means to vary beam intensity, said means to vary beam intensity being responsive to additional values, each of said additional values corresponding to a desired adjustment of the intensity of said beam, and wherein said additional values are transmitted to said means to vary beam intensity via said serial data transmission means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said serial data transmission means employs data packets, and wherein said additional values for a plurality of said projectors are combined in a single such packet.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said first value sets and said additional values for a given projector are transmitted in separate such data packets.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7, and further including a second controller, said second controller comprising an independent lighting memory controller adapted for intensity control and having at least one serial output for a plurality of values, each of said values corresponding to the desired intensity of at least one of said plurality of light projectors;

wherein said control system further includes means for accepting said serial output of said second controller and for integrating said values corresponding to desired intensity as said additional values into said separate packets on said serial data transmission means.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said values at said serial output of said second controller are formatted in data packets, each such data packet containing said values for a plurality of discrely-adjustable light projectors, and wherein said data packets produced by said second controllers are employed as said additional values in said separate packets substantially without a change in format.

12. A method for controlling a plurality of lighting fixtures lighting a common area, each such fixture producing a beam suitable for entertainment lighting and remotely-adjustable in a plurality of beam parameters such as the azimuth, elevation, size, shape, color, or focus of said beam, comprising the steps of:

providing a controller adapted for entering, storing, and recalling values corresponding to desired adjustments of a plurality of parameters of said beam of each of a plurality of said fixtures in each of a plurality of lighting effects;

entering and storing in said controller said values for each of a plurality of lighting effects;

providing, at each of said plurality of fixtures, a remotely-controllable means for conforming said parameters of said beam to said values stored for a selected lighting effect;

coupling said controller with said means for conforming for each of a plurality of said fixtures via a common serial data transmission means;

determining the next lighting effect desired in a sequence;

transferring said desired adjustment values for at least said next lighting effect from said controller to said means for conforming before said lighting effect is desired;

maintaining said desired adjustment values at said means for conforming;

causing said plurality of said means for conforming to conform said parameters of said beam to said previously-transferred values when said lighting effect is desired.

13. The method according to claim 12 and further including the steps of:

adapting said means to conform so as to be capable of varying to a selected duration, the duration of an adjustment of said parameters;

providing said selected duration to said means to conform.

14. In a lighting fixture, said fixture generating a beam suitable for entertainment lighting, provided with means to vary a plurality of parameters of said beam, such as the azimuth, elevation, size, shape, color, or focus of said beam, said means to vary operable from a location remote from said projector and responsive to first values corresponding to a desired adjustment of said remotely-variable parameters, said fixture provided with means to vary beam intensity, said means to vary beam intensity being responsive to additional values each corresponding to a desired adjustment of said beam intensity, said fixture further being provided with addressable means suitable for coupling to a serial data transmission means, said serial data transmission means distributing said first and said additional values for each of a plurality of differently-addressed fixtures in data packets, said means for coupling capable of supplying to said means to vary said first and said additional values for a selected said address, the improvement wherein said means for coupling is capable of acquiring said first and said additional values from separate data packets on said serial data transmission means, said additional values for a plurality of different addresses being contained in a common data packet.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said means for coupling said fixture is capable of acquiring said first and said additional values for addresses different from each other.

16. A method for controlling a plurality of lighting fixtures lighting a common area, said fixtures producing a beam suitable for entertainment lighting, each of said fixtures remotely-adjustable in beam intensity, and each of a plurality of said plurality of said fixtures further remotely-adjustable in a plurality of beam parameters such as the azimuth, elevation, size, shape, color, or focus of said beam, comprising the steps of:

providing a first controller adapted for entering, storing, and recalling first values corresponding to desired adjustments of a plurality of parameters of said beam of each of said plurality of fixtures in each of a plurality of lighting effects;

entering and storing said values in said first controller for each of a plurality of said lighting effects;

providing, at each of said plurality of fixtures, a remotely-controllable means for conforming said parameters of said beam to said first values stored for a selected lighting effect;

providing a second controller capable of producing at at least one serial output, additional values corresponding to desired adjustments of beam intensity for each of a plurality of said fixtures;

providing, at each of said fixtures, a remotely-controllable means for conforming said beam intensity to said additional values;

coupling said first controller and said serial output of said second controller with said means for conforming said beam parameters and said beam intensity of each of a plurality of said fixtures via at least one common serial data transmission means so as to combine said first values produced by said first controller and said additional values produced by said second controller in a single serial data stream on said data transmission means, said additional values for a plurality of said fixtures transferred over said serial data transmission means in a common data packet.

17. In a lighting fixture, said fixture generating a beam suitable for entertainment lighting, provided with means to vary a plurality of parameters of said beam, such as the azimuth, elevation, size, shape, color, or focus of said beam, and with means to conform, said means to conform cooperating with said means to vary to produce a desired adjustment of said parameter when supplied with a corresponding first value, said fixture further being provided with means suitable for coupling to a serial data transmission means, said serial data transmission means distributing at least said first values for each of a plurality of separately-addressable fixtures from at least one source remote from said fixtures, the improvement wherein said means to conform and said means to vary are further capable of varying the duration required to conform said beam parameter so as to correspond to said first value distributed via said serial data transmission means to a desired duration greater than the minimum practical duration for such an adjustment, when supplied with a corresponding further value, wherein said further value is supplied via said serial data transmission means, and wherein, upon receipt of at least said first and said further value, said means to conform and means to vary may produce the desired adjustment over said desired duration greater than said minimum practical duration without requiring the transmission of values corresponding to adjustments of said beam parameter intermediate between the prior state and the desired state of said parameter.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein at least said first value corresponding to said desired adjustment is transmitted to said fixture via said serial data transmission means prior to the initiation of said desired adjustment.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said initiation of said desired adjustment is caused by receipt of said fixture of a command separate from and subsequent to said corresponding first value.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said command is transmitted via said serial data transmission means.