Lighting system for use in motion picture and video production

• US 8,167,457 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2006
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: USHIO America, Inc. (Ushio Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zylight LLC (Ushio Incorporated)
• Inventors: Collias, James H, Collias, Charles H, Forster, Nicholas J
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US11/423,443
• Time in Patent Office: 2,151 Days
• Field of Search: 362/294, 362/231, 362/230, 362/233, 362/234, 362/249.02, 362/249.03, 362/249.05, 362/249.12, 362/249.13, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/249.05
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/767 the planes containing the fins or blades having directions perpendicular to the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/406 for theatres, stages or film studios
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/28 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An illumination system suitable for lighting in connection with the production of film or video includes one or more lighting modules, wherein each module contains a light engine, a heat sink to which the light engine is affixed, and a control system electrically connected to the light engine, the control system capable of adjusting both the color and intensity of light engine by means of one or more rotary concentric control knobs and pushbuttons affixed to the control system, and wherein the control systems of each module are interconnected by a wireless data network, so that all of the modules may be controlled by using the rotary control unit on any individual module.

Claims

1. A wirelessly controllable LED-based film and video production illumination system comprising:

(a) one or more light modules;

(b) each light module interconnectable by an incorporated wireless data network;

(c) each light module wirelessly controllable by any one of said light modules wirelessly interconnected on said wireless data network;

(d) each light module including a heat sink and a light engine containing an array of LEDs arranged to illuminate at least a portion of a subject of a film or video production;

(e) each light module including a control system electrically connected to said light engine;

(f) said control system adapted to adjust light output characteristics of said light engine;

(g) said control system further adapted to simultaneously adjust light output characteristics of light engines in every one of said light modules interconnected on said wireless data network;

(h) said control system on each of said light modules having manual input means and circuitry adapted to simultaneously adjust said light output characteristics of all of said light modules interconnected on said wireless data network so that manually adjusting light output characteristics on any one of said interconnected light modules causes all of said interconnected light modules to output light characteristics to match the light output characteristics produced by the light module for which said manual input means are used to manually wirelessly control all of said interconnected light modules; and

(i) said manual input means comprises one or more rotary knobs.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each light module comprises manual input means to add said light module to a group of wirelessly interconnected light modules.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each light module comprises circuitry adapted to permit all light modules in said group to be controlled by using the control system of any one of said wirelessly interconnected light modules in said group.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said light output characteristics comprise luminous intensity of light produced by said light engine, and said control system for adjusting said intensity further comprises said one or more rotary knobs.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said light output characteristics comprise hue of light produced by said light engine, and the control system for adjusting said hue further comprises said one or more rotary knobs.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said light output characteristics comprise hue of light produced by said light engine, and the control system further comprises one or more pushbuttons preset to hue parameters of said light module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said control system comprises circuitry adapted to provide a white mode and a color mode of operation of said light module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said light output characteristics comprise hue of light produced by said light engine, said control system further comprises one or more pushbuttons preset to hue parameters of said light module, and said hue parameters of each pushbutton have a first value when said light module is in said white mode of operation and a second value when said light module is in said color mode of operation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said control system comprises a rotary control of said light module that permits selecting sequential combinations of multiple color illumination levels of said light engine so as to generate a range of available light engine output colors, and said rotary control is adapted to permit repetitively cycling sequentially throughout said range of available colors by continuously rotating said rotary control in the same direction.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said control system comprises circuitry adapted to allow the adjustment of a selected combination of multiple color illumination levels to collectively appear more white, thus producing pastel colors.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said control system comprises circuitry adapted to detect a temperature of said light engine and, in response to said detected temperature, selectively adjust one or more color illumination levels of light produced by said light engine in order to maintain ratiometric levels of color illumination levels produced by said light engine.