Gobo virtual machine

• US 8,050,777 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Inventors: Hunt, Mark A, Findley, Drew
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevens; Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/276,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.3, 345/312, 700/1
• US Class Current: 700/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

Producing complicated effects based on image processing operations. The image processing operations are defined for a processor which may be different than the processor which is actually used. The processor that is actually used runs an interpreter that interprets the information into its own language, and then runs the image processing. The actual information is formed according to a plurality of layers which are combined in some way so that each layer can effect the layers below it. For example, the layers may add to, subtract from, or form transparency to the layer below it or make color filtering the layer below it. This enables many different effects computed and precompiled for a hypothetical processor, and a different processor can be used to combine and render those effects.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a first port, receiving information indicative of a light effect to be projected;

an image producing device which produces an output based on said light effect, where said information includes multiple combined parts including at least one video part and at least one effect for said video part, wherein said image producing device produces a first output indicative of said information at a first brightness, and produces a second output indicative of a media to be viewed at a reduced brightness, wherein both said first output and said second output are indicative of all of said multiple combined parts are produced and are output simultaneously such that both first and second outputs show said at least one video part as modified by said effect for said video part, and where said effect modifies a look of said video part on both of said first and second outputs, wherein said image producing device produces both said first output, and also produces a dimming output indicative of an amount of dimming; and

further comprising an analog multiplier that receives said dimming output, and multiplies said first output by said dimming output to produce said second output.

2. A computer system, comprising:

a first port, receiving information indicative of a light effect to be projected;

an image producing device which produces an output based on said light effect, where said information includes multiple combined parts including at least one video part and at least one effect for said video part, wherein said image producing device produces a first output indicative of said information at a first brightness, and produces a second output indicative of a media to be viewed at a reduced brightness, wherein both said first output and said second output are indicative of all said multiple combined parts are produced and are output simultaneously such that both of said first and second outputs show said at least one video part as modified by said effect for said video part, and where said effects modifies a look of said video part on both of said first and second outputs, wherein said video part and said effect form multiple layers which is combined to produce both said first and second outputs.

3. A computer system as in claim 2, wherein one of said multiple layers subtracts from another layer to produce said first and second outputs.

4. A computer system as in claim 2, wherein one of said multiple layers provides transparency to another of said multiple layers to produce said first and second outputs.

5. A system as in claim 2, wherein one of said multiple layers is a continuous animation.

6. A system as in claim 2, wherein said image producing device produces a continuous animation as one of said multiple layers, and produces a shaped layer as another of said multiple layers, said shaped layer controlling an outer perimeter shape of said continuous animation.

7. A system as in claim 4, wherein said image producing device produces an output which has a shape that is based on one of said multiple layers.

8. A computer system, comprising:

a first port, receiving information indicative of a light effect to be projected;

an image producing device which produces an output based on said light effect, where said information includes multiple combined parts including at least one video part and at least one effect for said video part, wherein said image producing device produces a first output indicative of said information at a first brightness, and produces a second output indicative of a media to be viewed at a reduced brightness, wherein both said first output and said second output are indicative of all of said multiple combined parts are produced and are output simultaneously such that both of said first and second outputs show said at least one video part as modified by said effect for said video part, and where said effect modifies a look of said video part on both of said first and second outputs, wherein said image producing device stores a shape which forms a perimeter of a projected image.

9. A system, comprising:

a computer-based part which produces an image output, and which produces a dimming output indicative of an amount of dimming to be carried out on said image output, said computer-based part including a port for said image output which is adapted to be connected to a display that displays but does not project;

a dimmer, receiving said dimming output, and also receiving said image output, and operating to produce a dimmed output by dimming said image output by an amount indicative of said dimming output, and where said dimmed output is produced on a port that is adapted to be connected to a projecting lamp that projects light, where both said image output and said dimmed output are indicative of a same information; and

said computer based part including an input for a control from a remote console which allows controlling image output to one of a plurality of different image outputs.

10. A computer system as in claim 9, further comprising an operator display, receiving and displaying said image output at a first brightness, and another output port for said dimming output.

11. A computer system as in claim 10, wherein another output port connects to a projector that projects said image output at a reduced brightness.

12. A computer system as in claim 9, further comprising an analog multiplier that receives said dimming output, and multiplies said image output by said dimming output to produce said image output.

13. A computer system as in claim 9, wherein said computer based part produces a composite image using multiple layers which is used to produce said image output.

14. A computer system as in claim 13, wherein one set of layers subtracts from another layer to produce said image output.

15. A computer system as in claim 13, wherein one set of layers provides transparency to another of said layers to produce said image output.

16. A system as in claim 13, wherein one of said multiple layers is a continuous animation.

17. A system as in claim 13, wherein said image producing device produces a continuous animation as one of said multiple layers, and produces a shaped layer as another of said multiple layers, said shaped layer controlling an outer perimeter shape of said continuous animation.

18. A system as in claim 9, further comprising an image producing device stores a shape which forms a perimeter of a projected image.

19. A method, comprising:

receiving an input for a control from a remote unit, where said input selects from among multiple different image outputs;

producing an image output;

producing a dimming output indicative of an amount of dimming to be carried out on said image output;

displaying said image output at a full brightness on a display that does not project;

using said dimming output to produce a dimmed version of said image output; and

projecting said dimmed version of said image using a projector which projects at a target, at the same time as said displaying said image output, where both said image output and said dimming output are indicative of a same image.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein said using said dimming output to produce a dimmed version of the image comprises multiplying said image output by said dimming output to produce said dimmed version of said image.

21. A method as in claim 19, further comprising producing said image output using multiple layers which is used to produce said image output.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein one of said multiple layers is a continuous animation.

23. A method as in claim 21, further comprising producing a continuous image as one of said multiple layers, and produces a shaped layer as another of said multiple layers, said shaped layer controlling an outer perimeter shape of a continuous animation.