Electronically controlled stage lighting system

• US 9,036,245 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• 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): Allen, Stephone B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Brandi
• Application Number:
  US13/663,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20130050796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 359/237, 359239-242, 359290-292, 345204-207, 345/690
• US Class Current: 359/292
• 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. A lighting apparatus, comprising:

a digital light source, creating light along an optical axis train, the digital light source being controlled by commands, and said digital light source including a light source creating a light beam and including a digitally controllable element which controls the light based on said commands to create an image along the optical path based on said commands;

an image receiver, that receives a sample of the image from along the optical path and creates an output indicative of the sample of the image; and

a controller that creates said commands that control the digitally controllable element to create the image,

the controller receiving the output indicative of the image of the sample of the image from the image receiver and using information indicative of said output to control the digitally controllable element.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the lighting apparatus includes a color controlling device.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a partial reflector along the light axis train, in a location to reflect a portion of the image towards the image receiver.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the digitally controllable element includes a DMD.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a relay lens within an optical train along which the light travels, said relay lens having a first lens part and a separated second lens part and an area between said first and second lens parts.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising a cooler, reducing an amount of heat within the light, said cooler located in said area of the relay lens.

10. The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said controller controls said digitally controllable element to reduce parallax effects created by placement of the DMD in said image.

11. the apparatus as in claim 10, further comprising a light receiver that receives light said modified light from a direction that is the same as a viewer of the modified light.

14. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a stage light, and the target is a stage, and further comprising a projection lens that projects said modified light to the stage.

7. A lighting control apparatus, comprising:

a light source creating light along an optical axis train;

a first optical element, also located along said optical axis train and controlling modification of light output from said light source;

a digitally controllable element which is located along the optical axis train and that shapes the light based on a command for digital control of the light to create an image along the optical axis train;

said optical axis train directing light via the first optical element and the digitally controllable element to a light target;

a partial reflector, along the optical path in a location to split the image from the optical path to create a sample of the image, and direct the same in a first direction off the optical path;

a receiver, located in said first direction, receiving the image split by the reflector; and

a controller that controls the light source, the first optical element, and the digitally controllable element;

the controller receiving information indicative of the sample of the image from the digitally controllable element, and using said optical information as part of control by the digitally controllable element.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said receiver receives light from a position to receive a sample of substantially exactly what the digitally controllable element will pass as light and produces said sample as said optical information.

9. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the digitally controllable element is a DMD.

12. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said controller controls said modified light in a way that reduces parallax effects created by placement of the DMD.

13. the apparatus as in claim 12, further comprising a light receiver that receives light said modified light from a direction that is the same as a viewer of the modified light.

15. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the apparatus is a stage light, and the target is a stage, and further comprising a projection lens that projects said modified light to the stage.