Method and system of controlling lighting fixture

• US 7,451,001 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronald Paul Harwood
• Original Assignee: Ronald Paul Harwood
• Inventors: Harwood, Ronald Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevens; Thomas H
• Application Number:
  US11/188,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 700/19, 700/1, 315/312, 318/400.06, 340/286.02, 362/250
• US Class Current: 700/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

Method and system of controlling lighting fixtures. The lighting fixtures being associated with controllable devices having features for emitting light. The control thereof may be based on a show schedule or other features used to designate desired operation of the lighting fixtures.

Claims

1. A lighting system, the system comprising:

a number of lighting fixtures;

a lighting control application configured to intermittently emit instructional signals for instructing operation of the lighting fixtures;

one or more instructional features for repeating instructional signals received from the lighting control application into the continuous stream of instructional signals used to instruct the lighting fixtures;

wherein the application is configured to emit telemetry signals for use in verifying operation of one of more of the lighting fixtures; and

wherein the application is configured to take corrective action based on whether operation of the lighting fixtures is verified, wherein the corrective action includes either returning a non-verified lighting fixture to a home position or adjusting control of the other lighting fixtures to compensate for losing control of the non-verified lighting fixture.

2. A method for use in controlling lighting fixtures that require a continuous stream of instructions in order to be maintained in a non-homed state, the method comprising:

issuing a non-continuous stream of instructions to the lighting fixtures, the non-continuous stream of instructions specifying desired non-homed states for the lighting fixtures; and

repeating the non-continuous stream of instructions in a manner sufficient to provide the lighting fixtures with the continuous stream of instructions needed to maintain the lighting fixtures in the non-homed state specified in the non-continuous stream of instructions.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising limiting broadcasting of the non-continuous stream of instructions to the lighting fixtures having operations which are to be changed.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising verifying proper execution of the non-continuous stream of instructions and generating an alert upon failure to verify execution of the non-continuous stream of instructions.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising re-broadcasting the non-continuous stream of instructions upon failure to verify that the lighting fixtures are maintained in the non-homed state specified in the non-continuous stream of instructions.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising logging an error message upon failure to verify execution of the instructions associated with the non-continuous stream of instructions.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising homing one or more of the fixtures upon failure to verify execution of the non-continuous stream of instructions.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising adjusting operation of one or more of the lighting fixtures upon failure to verify execution of the non-continuous stream of instructions.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising analyzing a show schedule for changes in operation and limiting the non-continuous stream of instructions to instructions associated with the changes in operation.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising configuring the lighting fixtures to return to a homed state if the continuous stream of instructions is not received.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising converting the non-continuous stream of instructions to the continuous stream of instructions with one or more devices remotely located from a lighting console used to issue the non- continuous stream of instructions.

12. A lighting system comprising:

a number of lighting fixtures configured to execute theatrical lighting operations, wherein the lighting fixtures have a homed state from which the lighting fixtures are controllable to one or more other non-homed states as long as the lighting fixtures receive a continuous stream of instructions instructing the light fixtures to be at one of the non-home states;

a central controller configured to intermittently emit instructions used to instruct each of the lighting fixtures to one of the non-home states;

a repeater configured to continuously repeat the intermittent instructions received from the controller, the repeater repeating the instructions to provide the continuous stream of instructions necessary to instruct the lighting fixtures to be at one of the non-home states; and

wherein the controller limits the emitted instructions to instructional changes associated with changing the non-home state of the lighting devices to another non-home state or back to the homed state such that the controller relies on the repeater to repeat the instructional changes until a new instructional change is received, allowing the lighting fixtures to continue to operate at the last instructed state until the controller issues the new instructional change.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the lighting fixtures return to the home state if the continuous stream of instructions is not received from the repeater.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the controller verifies maintenance of the lighting fixtures in the non-homed states with telemetry signals communicated from the controller when the controller is not emitting the signals used to instruct the repeater.