Color and position auto-commissioning

• US 8,415,900 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WTEC GmbH
• Original Assignee: Redwood Systems, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Covaro, Mark, Ramella, Nathanael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jianzi
• Application Number:
  US12/884,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 315/185.R, 315/192, 315/291, 315/294, 315/297, 315/307, 315/308, 315/312
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/18 using comparison with a reference electric value
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/463 Colour matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/50 using electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

A system for auto-commissioning a light fixture may position the light fixture based on sensor data received from at least one sensor. In order to focus the light fixture on a target location, the system may vary the position of the light fixture and determine a position of the light fixture where the light level received by the photosensor reaches a determined light level. The system may adjust a light characteristic of light emitted by the light fixture so that the color of light received by the photosensor at the target location matches a target light characteristic, such as color or intensity. The system may determine a focus position and a light characteristic for multiple target locations. The system may auto-commission multiple light fixtures.

Claims

1. A system for auto-commissioning a light fixture, the system comprising:

a photosensor positioned at a target location that receives light generated by the light fixture;

a sensor module that receives a light level detected at the photosensor;

a light fixture module that causes a variation in a position of the light fixture; and

an auto-commission module in communication with the sensor module and the light fixture module that determines a focus position of the light fixture at which the light level detected at the photosensor reaches a determined level, wherein the auto-commission module associates the focus position of the light fixture with the target location in a calibration table.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a lighting effects module that determines a position of the light fixture at which the light fixture focuses on at least one location different from the target position based on the focus position being associated with the target location in the calibration table.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a lighting effects module that adjusts the color of light emitted from the light fixture until the photosensor detects a target color at the target location.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the lighting effects module receives the target color from sensor data generated by the photosensor in response to receipt by the photosensor of light reflected off of a color swatch colored with the target color.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a lighting effects module that adjusts the intensity of light emitted from the light fixture until the photosensor detects a target intensity at the target location.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the auto-commission module determines a location of the light fixture relative to the target location from the calibration table.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the determined light level is a maximum light level over the variation in the position of the light fixture.

8. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions executable with a processor, the computer-readable medium comprising:

a sensor module executable with the processor to receive a light level detected at a plurality of photosensors located at a plurality of target locations;

a light fixture module executable with the processor to selectively cause a variation in position of each one of the light fixtures; and

an auto-commission module in communication with the sensor module and the light fixture module, the auto-commission module executable with the processor to determine a focus position for each one of the light fixtures based on a determination that a determined light level is detected at each one of the photosensors.

9. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising a lighting effects module executable with the processor to position the light fixtures for stage lighting based on an association in a calibration table between the focus position for each one of the light fixtures and a corresponding one of the target locations.

10. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising a lighting effects module executable with the processor to cause generation of light from the light fixtures such that the light detected at each one of the photosensors has a target light characteristic.

11. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the target light characteristic includes a target color.

12. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the target light characteristic includes a target intensity.

13. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising a lighting effects module executable to record lighting characteristics detected at the photosensors in scene information.

14. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the lighting effects module is further executable to direct the light fixtures to regenerate light having the lighting characteristics detected at the photosensors and stored in the scene information.

15. A computer-implemented method for auto-commissioning a light fixture, the method comprising:

receiving, with a processor, a light level detected at a photosensor, wherein the photosensor is located at a target location;

varying the light level detected at the photosensor by causing a change in position of the light fixture with the processor;

determining, with the processor, a focus position of the light fixture at which the light level detected at the photosensor reaches a determined light level; and

causing the light fixture to focus on the target location by directing the light fixture to move into the focus position with the processor.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving sensor data from the photosensor that includes a detected light characteristic of light received at the photosensor; and

adjusting, with the processor, the light emitted by the light fixture until the detected light characteristic matches a target light characteristic.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the target light characteristic includes a target color.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein causing the change in position of the light fixture comprises causing the light fixture to sweep through a full range of motion of the light fixture.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising adjusting, with the processor, the color of light emitted by the light fixture until the color of light received at the photosensor matches a target color in response to a change in light received at the photosensor caused by a light reflecting object in proximity with the photosensor.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising altering the color of light emitted from the light fixture to match a target color that varies over time, wherein information about how the target color varies over time is stored in memory as a preset.