Theatrical lighting control network

• US 5,668,537 A
• Filed: 03/06/1996
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: NSK Corporation (NSK Limited)
• Inventors: Fuller, John W., Land, Ronald A., Chansky, Leonard M., Whitten, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US08/611,496
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.06, 362/85, 362/233, 362/268, 315/312, 315/316
• US Class Current: 340/3.7
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/908 Local area network

Abstract

A theatrical lighting control network which incorporates a local area network for communication among a number of node controllers and control consoles or devices employed in establising lighting or other effects levels in a theater, film production stage or other performance environment. Use of the network eliminates the requirements for the majority of hardwiring for interconnection of consoles and other contoller or monitoring devices to effects controller racks and provides great flexibility in location and relocation of various components of the system.

Claims

1. A theatrical lighting control network consisting of:

a single local area network (LAN) having a plurality of connection points for a structure of control devices, peripheral devices and effect control elements, said structure comprising;

a control console having input controls for operation to define desired settings of a plurality of effect control elements, the console further having an interface means connected to the LAN for transmitting the settings to the LAN;

at least two node controllers connected to the LAN including

at least one first node controller connected as a peripheral node controller, said peripheral node controller having an interface for connection of a peripheral device remote from the control console, and,

at least one second node controller connected as a node protocol converter having a means for receiving settings transmitted through the LAN, at least one means for translating the settings to a control protocol, and means for transmitting the control protocol on an output; and

at least one rack of a plurality of effect control elements connected to the output of the at least one node protocol converter and receiving the control protocol for operation of the effect control elements.

2. A theatrical lighting and control network as defined in claim 1 wherein the node protocol converter further includes:

a means for receiving non-networked effect settings; and

a means for controlling pile-on of effect settings received over the network and the non-networked effect settings.

3. A theatrical lighting and control network as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral node controller is a video peripheral controller and the peripheral device comprises a remote video display.

4. A theatrical lighting and control network as defined in claim 3 wherein the video peripheral controller further has a second interface for connection of a remote control device having means for defining desired effect settings, said second interface including means for transmitting said desired effect settings to the LAN and means for transmitting a predetermined priority for the remote control device to the LAN, and wherein the at least one second node controller includes means for interpreting said predetermined priority for pile-on of effects settings.

5. A theatrical lighting control network consisting of:

a single local area network (LAN) having a plurality of connection points for a structure of control devices, peripheral devices and effect control elements, said structure comprising;

a control console having input controls for operation to define desired settings of a plurality of effect control elements, the console further having an interface means connected to the LAN for transmitting the settings to the LAN;

a plurality of node controllers connected to the LAN including

a first plurality of node controllers connected as peripheral node controllers, said peripheral node controllers each having an interface for connection of a peripheral device remote from the control console and means for transmitting effect settings and a predetermined priority level, and,

a second plurality of node controllers connected as node protocol converters having a means for receiving settings transmitted through the LAN, means for determining priority of the settings received based on said predetermined priorities transmitted on the LAN, at least one means for translating the settings to a control protocol, and a means for transmitting the control protocol on an output; and

a plurality of racks, each containing a plurality of effect control elements, each connected to the output of one of said second plurality of node protocol converters and receiving the control protocol for operation of the effect control elements.

6. A theatrical lighting control network as defined in claim 5 wherein each of the node protocol converters further includes:

a means for receiving effect settings from a controller connected directly to the node protocol converter; and

a means for controlling pile-on of effect settings received over the network based on transmitted priority and the effect settings from the directly connected controller.

7. A node protocol converter, for use in theatrical lighting and control employing a single local area network (LAN) for common communication between a plurality of node protocol converters and multiple control consoles and peripheral controllers, comprising:

a communications interface connected to the LAN;

memory means for storing parameters and protocol information for operation of a rack of a plurality of effect control elements;

a controller connected to the communications interface and receiving effect settings from said multiple control consoles and peripheral controllers connected to the LAN, said controller connected to the memory means and having means for receiving a predetermined priority from said consoles and peripheral controllers, and means for operating on said effect settings based on said priority with said parameters and protocol information to establish an output protocol;

a means for receiving non-networked effect settings, said controller further including means for controlling pile-on of effect settings received over the LAN and the non-networked effect settings; and

an output interface connected between the controller and the rack for providing the output protocol to the effect control elements of the rack.

8. An integrated effects rack and node protocol converter, for use in theatrical lighting and control employing a single local area network for common communication between a plurality of node protocal converters and multiple control consoles and peripheral controllers, comprising:

a communications interface connected to the local area network;

memory means for storing parameters and protocol information for operation of a rack of a plurality of effect control elements;

a controller connected to the communications interface and receiving effect settings from said multiple control consoles and peripheral controllers connected to the network, said controller connected to the memory means and having means for receiving a predetermined priority from said consoles and peripheral controllers, and means for operating on said effect settings based on said priority with said parameters and protocol information to establish effect control levels; and

a plurality of effect control elements connected to the controller and receiving the effect control levels.

9. A theatrical lighting control network consisting of:

a single local area network (LAN) having a plurality of connection points for a structure of control devices, peripheral devices and effect control elements, said structure comprising;

at least two node controllers connected to the LAN, at least a first one of said node controllers having means for connection of a standard protocol control console having input controls for operation to define desired settings of a plurality of effect control elements and means for transmitting the desired settings to the LAN with a predetermined priority, at least a second one of said node controllers having a means for receiving settings transmitted through the LAN, means for determining priority of the received settings, at least one means for translating the settings to a control protocol, and means for transmitting the control protocol as an output; and

at least one rack of a plurality of effect control elements connected to the output of the at least a second one of said node protocol converters and receiving the control protocol for operation of the effect control elements.