Method and apparatus for remote synchronization of audio, lighting, animation and special effects

• US 5,493,281 A
• Filed: 07/29/1994
• Issued: 02/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: The Walt Disney Company
• Inventors: Owens, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Application Number:
  US08/282,196
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.21, 340/825.22, 340/825.24, 340/825.25, 340/825.69, 340/326, 340/815, 340/46, 340/384.4, 340/384.6, 340/384.7, 340/384.71 , 340/384.72, 340/384.73, 379/63, 379/67, 375/356, 375/359, 375/369, 348/107, 348/108, 348/112, 348/734, 455/38.2, 455/51.1, 455/53.1, 455/66, 455/70, 455/140, 455/352, 472/59, 472/60, 472/61, 472/64, 472/65, 472/66, 369/30, 369/31, 362/276, 318/567, 318/568.11, 40/411, 40/427, 40/463, 364/410, 364/193, 364/221.2, 360/79
• US Class Current: 340/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/16 using magnetic record carriers G05B19/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25196 Radio link, transponder
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25481 Broadcast to each controller an address of part of program to be used
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2664 Audio light, animation, stage, theatre light

Abstract

Method and apparatus for synchronizing performance of audio, lighting, animation, and special effects programs at a plurality of remote locations, such as on parade floats, in which the programs are stored at each location as digitally-encoded information in the memory of one or more controllers, and DTMF tone bursts are transmitted over a selected radio frequency as a synchronization signal to each remote location for controlling synchronous performance of the programs by audio, lighting, animation, and special effects systems on the floats. The DTMF tones control retrieval from an audio controller of an audio program and a SMPTE time code signal for synchronous control of the lighting, animation, and special effects systems. The DTMF tone bursts are divided into timecode packets of discrete tones that are transmitted approximately every 700 milliseconds, wherein the first tone is a special control tone for synchronization, followed by several location tones, and the last tone is used to verify a valid timecode packet order.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing performance of a plurality of remote location programs at a plurality of remote locations, comprising:

(a) storing, with a controller, programs in memory at predetermined memory address locations at each of the plurality of remote locations, at least one of said programs located at corresponding memory address locations at each remote location being different from the other programs, each of said programs being stored as digitally-encoded information;

(b) transmitting a synchronization signal to each of the remote locations over a predetermined radio frequency with the use of a transmitter, said synchronization signal identifying a memory address within said predetermined memory address locations at the plurality of remote locations;

(c) receiving said synchronization signal on said predetermined radio frequency at each of the remote locations with a receiver; and

(d) retrieving simultaneously with a controller at each of the plurality of remote locations said digitally-encoded program information, in response to said synchronization signal, for synchronous performance of the programs at the plurality of remote locations.

2. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said remote locations is mobile.

3. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 1, wherein said synchronization signal comprises a series of DTMF tone bursts.

4. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 1, wherein said programs comprise an audio program for playback through an audio system at each remote location.

5. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 1, wherein said programs comprise a lighting program for performance by a lighting system at each remote location.

6. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 1, wherein said programs comprise an animation program for performance by an animation system at each remote location.

7. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 1, wherein said programs comprise a special effects program for performance by a special effects system at each remote location.

8. A method of synchronizing performance of a plurality of remote location audio, lighting, animation, and special effects programs at a plurality of remote mobile locations, comprising:

(a) storing, with a controller, programs in memory at predetermined memory address locations at each of the plurality of remote mobile locations, at least one of said programs located at corresponding memory address locations at each remote location being different from the other programs, each of said programs being stored as digitally-encoded information;

(b) transmitting a synchronization signal to each of the remote mobile locations over a predetermined radio frequency with the use of a transmitter, said synchronization signal identifying a memory address within said predetermined memory address locations at the plurality of remote locations;

(c) receiving said synchronization signal on said predetermined radio frequency at each of the remote mobile locations with a receiver; and

(d) retrieving simultaneously with a controller at each of the plurality of remote locations said digitally-encoded program information, in response to said synchronization signal, for synchronous performance of the audio, lighting, animation, and special effects programs by audio, lighting, animation, and special effects systems at each remote mobile location.

9. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote mobile locations as defined in claim 8, wherein said synchronization signal comprises a series of DTMF tone bursts.

10. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote mobile locations as defined in claim 8, wherein a time code signal is generated at each remote mobile location in response to said synchronization signal for synchronous control of said lighting, animation, and special effects systems.

11. A method of synchronizing the performance of programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 10, wherein said time code signal comprises SMPTE time code information.

12. A method of synchronizing performance of a plurality of remote location audio programs at a plurality of remote locations, utilizing digital playback units capable of storing the programs in memory for playback at each location, comprising the steps of:

a) storing, with a controller, an audio program in the memory at predetermined memory address locations at each of the plurality of playback units, at least one audio program located at corresponding memory address locations at each playback unit being different from another audio program, each of said programs being stored as a series of blocks of digitally-encoded audio information identified by unique addresses in the memory;

(b) transmitting a synchronization signal with the use of a transmitter in the form of a series of DTMF tone bursts to each of the remote locations over a predetermined radio frequency, said DTMF tone bursts containing codes for controlling the playback units and for identifying the addresses of selected blocks of audio information in the memory of the playback units to be played back;

(c) receiving said synchronization signal on said predetermined radio frequency at the plurality of remote locations with a receiver;

(d) coupling said synchronization signal to each of the playback units; and

(e) causing, with a controller, each of the playback units to simultaneously retrieve said selected blocks of audio information, in response to said synchronization signal, for synchronous playback through an audio system at each of the remote locations.

13. A method of synchronizing the performance of audio programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 12, wherein the audio program comprises one or more tracks of digitally-encoded audio information, and said synchronization signal selectively causes said tracks to be played a single time or replayed continuously.

14. A method of synchronizing the performance of audio programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 12, and further including:

(f) storing in memory at the plurality of remote locations a series of digitally-encoded instructions for performance of lighting, animation, or special effects programs; and

(g) retrieving said lighting, animation, or special effects programs, in response to said synchronization signal, for synchronous control of lighting, animation, or special effects systems at each remote location.

15. A method of synchronizing the performance of audio programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 14, wherein timing information stored in the playback units is retrieved, in response to said synchronization signal, for synchronous control of the lighting, animation, or special effects systems at each remote location.

16. A method of synchronizing the performance of audio programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 15, wherein said timing information comprises a SMPTE time code.

17. A method of synchronizing playback of a plurality of remote location audio programs from a plurality of remote locations, utilizing digital playback units capable of storing the audio programs in memory for playback through an audio system at each remote location, comprising:

(a) storing an audio program at predetermined memory address locations in the memory of each of the plurality of playback units, at least one audio program located at corresponding memory address locations at each playback unit being different from another audio program, each of said audio programs being stored as a series of blocks of digitally-encoded audio information identified by unique addresses in the memory;

(b) transmitting with the use of a transmitter a series of DTMF tones to each of the remote locations over a predetermined radio frequency, said DTMF tones being divided into timecode packets each of which contains special control tones for controlling the playback units and location tones for identifying the addresses of selected blocks of audio information in the memory of the playback units to be played back;

(c) receiving said DTMF tones on said predetermined radio frequency at each of the remote locations with a receiver;

(d) coupling said DTMF tones to each of the playback units; and

(e) causing each of the playback units to simultaneously retrieve on command said selected blocks of audio information, in response to said DTMF tones, for synchronous playback through the audio systems at each of the remote locations.

18. A method of synchronizing the playback of audio programs from a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 17, wherein each of said timecode packets includes a burst of several tones followed by a period of silence.

19. A method of synchronizing the playback of audio programs from a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 17, wherein the first tone in a timecode packet is a special control tone which is utilized for synchronization of the playback of the plurality of remote locations audio programs.

20. A method of synchronizing the playback of audio programs from a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 19, wherein one or more tones following the first tone in a timecode packet are location tones for identifying the addresses of selected blocks of audio information in the memory of the playback units to be played back.

21. A method of synchronizing the playback of audio programs from a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 20, wherein the last tone in a timecode packet is a special control tone which is utilized to verify a valid timecode packet order.

22. A method of synchronizing the performance of audio programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 21, wherein the audio program comprises one or more tracks of digitally-encoded audio information, and said DTMF tones further include control tones for selectively causing said tracks to be played a single time or replayed continuously.

23. Apparatus for synchronizing performances of a plurality of remote location programs at a plurality of remote locations, comprising:

a radio transmitter for transmitting a synchronization signal to the plurality of remote locations over a predetermined radio frequency;

a radio receiver at each of the remote locations for receiving the synchronization signal;

at least one controller at each of the remote locations, each controller having memory for storing at predetermined memory address locations the programs to be performed as digitally-encoded information identified by unique addresses in the memory, at least one of said programs located at corresponding memory address locations at each remote location being different from the other programs; and

means coupled to each of said controllers at the remote locations for reproducing a performance in response to the information stored in said controllers,

wherein said synchronization signal contains codes for identifying the addresses of selected blocks of information in the memories of the controllers to be played back,

whereby said selected blocks of information at each of the plurality of remote locations are retrieved simultaneously and provided to said performance reproducing means, in response to said synchronization signal, for synchronously reproducing the performances of the plurality of remote locations.

24. Apparatus for synchronizing performances of a plurality of remote location programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 23, wherein said performance reproducing means comprises an audio playback system.

25. Apparatus for synchronizing performances of a plurality of remote location programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 24, wherein said performance reproducing means comprises a lighting system.

26. Apparatus for synchronizing performances of a plurality of remote location programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 25, wherein said performance reproducing means comprises an animation system.

27. Apparatus for synchronizing performances of a plurality of remote location programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 26, wherein said performance reproducing means comprises a special effects system.

28. Apparatus for synchronizing performances as defined in claim 24 or claim 25 or claim 26 or claim 27, wherein one or more of said remote locations is mobile.

29. Apparatus for synchronizing performance of a plurality of remote location audio, lighting, animation, or special effects programs at a plurality of remote mobile locations, comprising:

a radio transmitter for transmitting DTMF tone bursts to the plurality of remote locations over a predetermined radio frequency;

a radio receiver at each of the remote locations for receiving the DTMF tone bursts;

at least one controller at each remote location coupled to each of said radio receivers at the remote locations, each controller having memory for storing the programs at predetermined memory address locations to be performed as digitally-encoded information identified by unique addresses in the memory, at least one of said programs located at corresponding memory address locations at each remote location being different from the other programs; and

means coupled to each of said controllers at the remote locations for reproducing audio, lighting, animation, or special effects programs in response to the information stored in said controllers,

wherein said DTMF tone bursts contain control codes and codes for identifying the addresses of selected blocks of information in the memory of the controllers,

whereby said DTMF tone bursts cause each of the controllers at each of the plurality of remote locations to simultaneously retrieve and provide said selected blocks of information to said performance reproducing means for synchronous performance of audio, lighting, animation, or special effects at each of the remote locations.

30. Apparatus for synchronizing performance of a plurality of remote location audio, lighting, animation, or special effects programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 29, including an audio controller storing digitally-encoded information for the audio program separate from the controllers storing digitally-encoded information for the lighting, animation, or special effects programs.

31. Apparatus for synchronizing performance of a plurality of remote location audio, lighting, animation, or special effects programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 30, wherein the audio controller stores timing information for synchronization of the controllers storing digitally-encoded information for the lighting, animation, or special effects programs.

32. Apparatus for synchronizing performance of a plurality of remote location audio, lighting, animation, or special effects programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 31, wherein said timing information comprises a SMPTE time code.

33. Apparatus for synchronizing playback of a plurality of remote location audio programs at a plurality of remote locations, comprising:

a radio transmitter for transmitting DTMF tone bursts in the form of timecode packets to the plurality of remote locations over a predetermined radio frequency, each timecode packet having a burst of several tones followed by a period of silence;

a radio receiver at each of the remote locations for receiving the DTMF tone bursts;

a playback unit coupled to each of said radio receivers a each of the remote locations, each playback unit having memory for storing audio programs at predetermined memory address locations to be performed as a series of blocks of digitally-encoded audio information identified by unique addresses in the memory, at least one of said programs located at corresponding memory address locations at each remote location being different from the other programs; and

an audio system coupled to each of said playback units at the remote locations for reproducing the audio programs stored in said playback units,

wherein the first tone in a timecode packet is a special control tone for synchronization, and one or more tones following the first tone are location tones for identifying the locations of selected blocks of audio information in the memory of the playback units to be played back,

whereby said playback units simultaneously retrieve said selected blocks of audio information, in response to said DTMF tone bursts, for synchronous playback of the audio programs at each of the plurality of remote locations through the audio system at each of the remote locations.

34. Apparatus for synchronizing playback of a plurality of remote location audio programs at a plurality of remote locations as defined in claim 33, wherein the last tone in a timecode packet is a special control tone which is utilized to verify a valid timecode packet order.