Electronically controlled stage lighting system

• US 8,300,302 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Production Resource Group LLC
• Inventors: Hewlett, William, Clarke, Ian, Evans, Nigel, Parker, Richard, Hunt, Mark A., Hughes, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Thomas K
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, BRANDI N
• Application Number:
  US13/018,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20110121737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 359/237, 359/238, 359/240, 359/242, 359/244, 359290-292, 359/294, 359/298, 359/299
• US Class Current: 359/298
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/08 the elements being filters or photoluminescent elements and reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/04 by movement of reflectors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/675
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/08 by movement of the screens or filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/406 for theatres, stages or film studios
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/008 using micromirror devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/16 Cooling; Preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/20 Lamp housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/04 by four or more separation records
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

A lighting system operating using a digital mirror as its operative device. The digital mirror is used to shape the light which is a passed through advanced optical devices in order to produce an output.

Claims

1. An lighting apparatus, comprising:

a light housing;

a light source, in said housing, creating a light beam of more than 5000 lumens of output light along an optical axis train;

a first motorized optical element, in said housing, controlling modification of said light beam along said optical axis train;

a plurality of sensors in said housing, sensing parameters in said housing, said parameters being changed by operation of said lighting apparatus;

a first controller, monitoring said parameters, and determining if a parameter is outside a parameter limit, and for said parameter that is outside of the parameter limit, automatically saving information indicative of said parameter in a nonvolatile memory, automatically determining for said parameter whether said parameter represents a critical parameter error or a non-critical parameter error based on a value of the parameter, for first obtaining information on how to change an operation of said lighting apparatus for said critical error when the critical error is determined, and second obtaining information on how to change a operation of said lighting apparatus for a non-critical error when the non-critical error is determined, both for the same parameter, and automatically changing and operation of said lighting apparatus based on said first obtaining and said second obtaining to thereby change the operation differently for said first obtaining than for said second obtaining.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said controller automatically stores a date and time into said nonvolatile memory along with said information indicative of said parameter.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a port on an outer surface of said housing, coupled to receive information from said nonvolatile memory, and having a communication capability.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a digitally controllable element which is located along said optical axis train, which separately controls said lighting apparatus based on a command for digital control of the light passed by said digitally controllable element, and responsively altering operation of said digitally controllable element responsive to said command.

5. An apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising a second controller for said digitally controllable element, said second controller being physically separate from said first controller.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said parameters include a temperature, where said critical parameter error is a temperature that is too high that poses a risk of damage, and said noncritical parameter error is an overtemperature which does not pose a risk of damage.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said information for said noncritical parameter error includes a shutdown of the unit, and information for said critical parameter error includes a reduction in operation of the unit.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said reduction in operation of the unit includes a reduction of lighting output by a first percentage.

9. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said information for said noncritical parameter error includes a shutdown of the unit, and said information for said noncritical parameter error includes an increase in cooling amount of the unit.

10. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said temperature is a temperature at a bulb that creates light within the lighting apparatus.

11. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said temperature is a temperature at a power supply.

12. An apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said temperature is a temperature of a ballast.

13. An apparatus as in claim 4, wherein information about the digitally controllable element is also available over said port.

14. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said first obtaining information and said second obtaining information comprises downloading the information.

15. An lighting apparatus, comprising:

a light housing;

a light source, coupled to said housing, creating a light beam along an optical axis train;

a driving device for said light source, which is adjustable to adjust an amount of output from said light source;

a first controllable optical element, in said housing, controlling modification of said light beam along said optical axis train;

at least a first sensor in said housing, sensing a parameter in said housing, said parameter being one which is changed by operation of said lighting apparatus;

a first controller, monitoring said parameter, and determining if said parameter is outside a parameter limit, and for said parameter that is outside of the parameter limit, downloading instructions on how to change said operation of said lighting apparatus based on said parameter and its relation to said parameter limit.

16. A lighting apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said first controller automatically determines, for said parameter, whether said parameter represents a critical parameter error or a non-critical parameter error based on a value of the parameter.

17. A lighting apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said instructions include first information on how to change an operation of said lighting apparatus for said critical error when the critical error is determined, and second information on how to change a operation of said lighting apparatus for a non-critical error when the non-critical error is determined, both for the same parameter.

18. A lighting apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said first controller automatically saving information indicative of said parameter in a nonvolatile memory.

19. A lighting apparatus as in claim 17, wherein said first controller changes the operation differently for said first information than for said second information.

20. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said controller automatically stores a date and time into said nonvolatile memory along with said information indicative of said parameter.

21. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said parameter includes a temperature, where said critical parameter error is a temperature that is too high that poses a risk of damage, and said noncritical parameter error is an overtemperature which does not pose a risk of damage.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said instructions for said noncritical parameter error includes a shutdown of the unit, and instructions for said critical parameter error includes a reduction in operation of the unit.

23. An apparatus as in claim 22, wherein said reduction in operation of the unit includes a reduction of lighting output by a first percentage by driving said driving device.

24. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said information for said noncritical parameter error includes a shutdown of the unit, and said information for said noncritical parameter error includes an increase in cooling amount of the unit.

25. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said temperature is a temperature at a bulb that creates light within the lighting apparatus.

26. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said temperature is a temperature at a power supply.

27. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said temperature is a temperature of at said driving device.

28. A lighting method, comprising:

creating a light beam of more than 5000 lumens of output light along an optical axis train in a housing of a lighting device;

in said housing, controlling modification of said light beam along said optical axis train, using a first motorized optical element;

sensing parameters in said housing, said parameters being changed by at least one of said creating and said controlling;

monitoring said parameters, and determining if a parameter is outside a parameter limit;

for said parameter that is outside of the parameter limit, automatically saving information indicative of said parameter in a nonvolatile memory;

automatically determining for said parameter whether said parameter represents a critical parameter error or a non-critical parameter error based on a value of the parameter;

first obtaining information on how to change an operation of said lighting method for said critical error when the critical error is determined, and second obtaining information on how to change a operation of said lighting method for a non-critical error when the non-critical error is determined, both for the same parameter; and

automatically changing at least one of said creating and said controlling based on said first obtaining and said second obtaining to thereby change the operation differently for said first obtaining than for said second obtaining.

29. An method as in claim 28, further comprising automatically storing a date and time into said nonvolatile memory along with said information indicative of said parameter.

30. An method as in claim 28, wherein said parameters include a temperature, where said critical parameter error is a temperature that is too high that poses a risk of damage, and said noncritical parameter error is an overtemperature which does not pose a risk of damage.

31. An method as in claim 30, wherein said information for said noncritical parameter error includes a shutdown of the unit, and information for said critical parameter error includes a reduction in operation of the unit.

32. An method as in claim 31, wherein said reduction in operation of the unit includes a reduction of lighting output by a first percentage.

33. An method as in claim 31, wherein said information for said noncritical parameter error includes a shutdown of the unit, and said information for said noncritical parameter error includes an increase in cooling amount of the unit.

34. An method as in claim 31, wherein said temperature is a temperature at a bulb that creates light.

35. An method as in claim 31, wherein said temperature is a temperature at a power supply.

36. An method as in claim 31, wherein said temperature is a temperature of a ballast.

37. An method as in claim 28, wherein said first obtaining information and said second obtaining information comprises downloading the information.