Microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system with cooldown protection
First Claim
1. A microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system comprising central controller means operative to provide output data packets, each said data packet including predetermined address signals, time base signals and control and intensity signals, a serial data link connected to said central controller means for transmitting said data packets, and a plurality of light flashing assembly means serially connected to said serial data link to receive said data packets, each said light flashing assembly means including a lamp housing, flash lamp means mounted within said lamp housing for producing light in response to an electrical discharge, lamp control circuit means mounted within said lamp housing and connected to said flash lamp means for producing a controlled electrical discharge to cause said flash lamp means to emit light, AC input means to couple said lamp control circuit means to an AC line voltage source, said lamp control circuit means including a microprocessor means operative to provide cooldown control for said flash lamp means by registering an intensity value for each electrical discharge of said flash lamp means and operating to terminate the provision of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means when said registered intensity values exceed a predetermined cooldown threshold value and flash control circuit means connected to said microprocessor means for controlling the intensity of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means, said flash control circuit means operating to generate flash trigger pulses for said flash lamp means at a preselected phase relative to the voltage on said AC line voltage source, said microprocessor means being operative to control said flash control circuit means in response to the time base, control and intensity signals in said data packets and to provide registered intensity signals to said flash control circuit means, said flash control circuit means operating to control the intensity of the light produced by said flash lamp means in response to said intensity signals and an address circuit means connected to said microprocessor means, said address circuit means being operative to preset an address into said microprocessor means, said microprocessor means operating to receive and register intensity signals from a data packet when the address signals in said data packet are indicative of said preset address.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system includes a plurality of flash lamp assemblies for providing lighting effects in response to input control signals from a central processor. The control signals are provided in a data packet with intensity and address signals, and each flash lamp assembly includes a microprocessor which controls a flash control circuit for a flash lamp. Each microprocessor is connected to a preset address circuit which causes the microprocessor to respond to a unique address signal in the data packet and register the intensity signal associated with the unique address signal. The microprocessor controls cooldown of the flash lamp by registering intensity values and deactivating the flash control circuit for a determined cooldown time when the intensity values registered in a time period exceed a predetermined threshold value.
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Citations
17 Claims
- 1. A microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system comprising central controller means operative to provide output data packets, each said data packet including predetermined address signals, time base signals and control and intensity signals, a serial data link connected to said central controller means for transmitting said data packets, and a plurality of light flashing assembly means serially connected to said serial data link to receive said data packets, each said light flashing assembly means including a lamp housing, flash lamp means mounted within said lamp housing for producing light in response to an electrical discharge, lamp control circuit means mounted within said lamp housing and connected to said flash lamp means for producing a controlled electrical discharge to cause said flash lamp means to emit light, AC input means to couple said lamp control circuit means to an AC line voltage source, said lamp control circuit means including a microprocessor means operative to provide cooldown control for said flash lamp means by registering an intensity value for each electrical discharge of said flash lamp means and operating to terminate the provision of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means when said registered intensity values exceed a predetermined cooldown threshold value and flash control circuit means connected to said microprocessor means for controlling the intensity of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means, said flash control circuit means operating to generate flash trigger pulses for said flash lamp means at a preselected phase relative to the voltage on said AC line voltage source, said microprocessor means being operative to control said flash control circuit means in response to the time base, control and intensity signals in said data packets and to provide registered intensity signals to said flash control circuit means, said flash control circuit means operating to control the intensity of the light produced by said flash lamp means in response to said intensity signals and an address circuit means connected to said microprocessor means, said address circuit means being operative to preset an address into said microprocessor means, said microprocessor means operating to receive and register intensity signals from a data packet when the address signals in said data packet are indicative of said preset address.
- 3. A microprocessor controlled light flashing unit comprising a lamp housing, flash lamp means mounted within said lamp housing for producing light in response to an electrical discharge, lamp control circuit means mounted within said lamp housing and connected to said flash lamp means for producing a controlled electrical discharge to cause said flash lamp means to emit light, and AC input means to couple said lamp control circuit means to an AC line voltage source, said lamp control circuit means including a microprocessor means and flash control circuit means connected to said microprocessor means for controlling the intensity of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means, said microprocessor means providing cooldown control for said flash lamp means by registering an intensity value for each electrical discharge for said flash lamp means and operating to terminate the provision of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means when said registered intensity values exceed a predetermined cooldown threshold value.
- 7. A microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system comprising central controller means operative to provide output data packets, each said data packet including predetermined address signals, time base signals and control and intensity signals, a data link connected to said central controller means for transmitting said data packets, and light flashing assembly means connected to said data link to receive said data packets, each said light flashing assembly means including a lamp housing, flash lamp means mounted within said lamp housing for producing light in response to an electrical discharge, lamp control circuit means mounted within said lamp housing and connected to said flash lamp means for producing a controlled electrical discharge to cause said flash lamp means to emit light, and AC input means to couple said lamp control circuit means to an AC line voltage source, said lamp control circuit means including a microprocessor means which provides cooldown control for said flash lamp means by registering an intensity value for each electrical discharge of said flash lamp means and operating to terminate the provision of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means when said registered intensity values exceed a predetermined cooldown threshold value and flash control circuit means connected to said microprocessor means for controlling the intensity of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means, said microprocessor means being operative to control said flash control circuit means in response to the time base, control and intensity signals in said data packets.
- 10. A microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system comprising central controller means operative to provide output data packets, each said data packet including predetermined address signals, time base signals and control and intensity signals, said intensity signals being indicative of desired light intensities up to a maximum intensity value, a serial data link connected to said central controller means for transmitting said data packets, and a plurality of light flashing assembly means connected to said data link to receive said data packets, each said light flashing assembly means including a lamp housing, flash lamp means mounted within said lamp housing for producing light in response to an electrical discharge, lamp control circuit means mounted within said lamp housing and connected to said flash lamp means for producing a controlled electrical discharge to cause said flash lamp means to emit light of a desired intensity, AC input means to couple said lamp control circuit means to an AC line voltage source, said lamp control circuit means including a microprocessor means operative to provide a maximum intensity control for said flash lamp means by sensing the elapsed time between first and second successive intensity signals indicative of the maximum intensity value and reducing the intensity value indicated by said second intensity signal when said elapsed time is less than a predetermined elapsed time, and flash control circuit means connected to said microprocessor means for controlling the intensity of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means, said flash control circuit means operating to generate flash trigger pulses for said flash lamp means at a preselected phase relative to the voltage on said AC line voltage source, said microprocessor means being operative to control said flash control circuit means in response to the time base, control and intensity signals in said data packets and to provide registered intensity signals to said flash control circuit means, said flash control circuit means operating to control the intensity of the light produced by said flash lamp means in response to said intensity signals and an address circuit means connected to said microprocessor means, said address circuit means being operative to preset an address into said microprocessor means, said microprocessor means operating to receive and register intensity signals from a data packet when the address signals in said data packet are indicative of said preset address.
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12. In a microprocessor controlled lamp flashing system having a central controller means operative to provide output data packets which each include predetermined address signals, time base signals and intensity signals indicative of desired light intensities up to a maximum intensity value, a plurality of light flashing assembly to receive said data packets, each said light flashing assembly means including a lamp housing, flash lamp means mounted within said lamp housing for producing light in response to an electrical discharge, and AC power input means for providing an AC power signal to said light flashing assembly means;
- the invention comprising
a serial data link means serially connecting said plurality of light flashing assembly means to said central controller means, said serial data link means operating to provide said data packets to said light flashing assembly means, each said light flashing assembly means including a microprocessor mounted within said lamp housing and connected to receive said data packet from said serial data link means, an address circuit means connected to said microprocessor means, said address circuit means being operative to preset an address into said microprocessor means, said microprocessor means operating to register intensity signals from a data packet when the address signals in said data packet are indicative of said preset address and to provide a register signal, zero crossing detector means to detect the zero crossing of said AC power signal and provide an output zero crossing signal at said zero crossings, and control circuit means connected to said zero crossing detector means and said microprocessor means, said control circuit means operating upon receipt of a register signal and an output zero crossing signal to provide an electrical discharge to said flash signal at a controlled phase relative to the phase of said AC power signal, said microprocessor means operating to control said electrical discharge to control the intensity of the light produced by said flash lamp means in accordance with said intensity signals.
- the invention comprising
- 13. A microprocessor controlled light flashing system comprising a source of time base signals and intensity signals indicative of desired light intensities up to a maximum intensity value, a lamp housing, flash lamp means mounted within said lamp housing for producing light in response to an electrical discharge and lamp control circuit means mounted within said lamp housing and connected to said flash lamp means for producing a controlled electrical discharge to cause said flash lamp means to emit light, said lamp control circuit means including a microprocessor means connected to receive said time base and intensity signals and flash control circuit means connected to said microprocessor means for controlling the intensity of said electrical discharge for said flash lamp means, said microprocessor means providing a maximum intensity control for said flash lamp means by sensing the elapsed time between first and second successive intensity signals indicative of a maximum intensity value and reducing the intensity value indicated by said second intensity signal when said elapsed time is less than a predetermined elapsed time.
Specification