Method and apparatus for establishing and using hierarchy among remotely controllable theatre devices

• US 6,545,586 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard S. Belliveau
• Original Assignee: Richard S. Belliveau
• Inventors: Belliveau, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/440,303
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 340/2.1, 340/2.24, 340/2.26, 340/2.4, 340/2.25, 315/314, 315/315, 315/316, 315/317, 315/360
• US Class Current: 340/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

A theatre system operating in compliance with the DMX512 protocol is also able to support remote channel assignment of the various theatre devices included therein as well as other auxiliary operating modes by establishing a device hierarchy based on unique ID numbers assigned to the theatre devices when DMX communication is inactive. The theatre devices communicate with each other bi-directionally to establish a device hierarchy. Each theatre device has a pre-assigned unique device identification number, and a hierarchy is established based on these unique ID numbers. One way to establish a hierarchy is to create a list of the unique device identification numbers of the bi-directional theatre devices in the system, and then determine the position of each theatre device on the list. The list may be assembled by one of the bi-directional theatre devices and broadcast to all when completed, or each bi-directional theatre device may itself assemble a complete list. Determining the positions of the theatre devices may be performed by each of the bi-directional theatre device for itself, in which case the bi-directional theatre devices store substantially identical lists and each of them compares its unique ID number to the list to establish its position in the list. Alternatively, one of the bi-directional theatre devices may calculate the respective positions in the list of all of the bi-directional theatre devices, and then communicate the position information for a particular theatre device to that device.

Claims

1. In a theatre system using a unidirectional continuous data stream from a controller to a group of theatre devices over a communications link for remote control thereof during theatre events, wherein the group of theatre devices comprises a plurality of theatre devices capable of bi-directional communications and having respective identifying information, a method of establishing a hierarchy among the bi-directional theatre devices in the absence of the unidirectional continuous data stream comprising:

establishing at least one of the bi-directional theatre devices as a master theatre device and a plurality of the bi-directional theatre devices as slave theatre devices;

acquiring in the master theatre device the identifying information of the slave theatre devices; and

determining the hierarchy using the identified information of the slave theatre devices from the acquiring step and the identifying information of the master.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises communicating information about positions of the master and slave theatre devices in the hierarchy from the master theatre device to the slave theatre devices.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises:

forming in the master theatre device a list of the identifying information of the master and slave theatre devices, the hierarchy being based on the list;

broadcasting the list from the master theatre device to all of the slave theatre devices; and

comparing in each of the master and slave theatre devices the identifying information thereof with the list to determine a position thereof in the list.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises communicating information about positions of the slave theatre devices in the hierarchy from the master theatre device to the slave theatre devices.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises:

forming in the master theatre device a list of the identifying information of the master and slave theatre devices, the hierarchy being based on the list;

calculating in the master theatre device from the list respective positions in the list of the master and slave theatre devices; and

transmitting to the slave theatre devices the respective positions thereof in the list.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises:

forming in the master theatre device a list of the identifying information of the slave theatre devices, the hierarchy being based on the list;

broadcasting the list from the master theatre device to all of the slave theatre devices; and

comparing in each of the slave theatre devices the identifying information thereof with the list to determine a position thereof in the list.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein the establishing step comprises:

initiating in the bi-directional theatre devices respective delay periods; and

designating one of the bi-directional theatre devices as the master theatre device based on the delay period thereof.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein one of the delay periods is shorter than the others, and wherein the designating step comprises:

monitoring in each of the bi-directional theatre devices the communications link for a transmission of identifying information during the delay period;

identifying one of the bi-directional theatre devices having the shortest delay period as the master theatre device;

broadcasting onto the communications link the unique identifying information from the master theatre device; and

receiving the unique identifying information from the master theatre device in the other bi-directional theatre devices to establish the other bi-directional theatre devices as slave theatre devices.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein the acquiring step comprises:

broadcasting a request for all of the slave theatre devices having identifying information meeting a first criterion to transmit the identifying information thereof on the communications link; and

receiving the identifying information on the communications link from the broadcasting step.

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein the determining step comprises forming in the master theatre device a list of the identifying information of the master and slave theatre devices, the list being assembled in order of receipt of the identifying information from the acquiring step and the hierarchy being based on the list.

11. A method as in claim 1 wherein the identifying information for each of the bi-directional theatre devices comprises a numerical value, and wherein the determining step comprises forming in the master theatre device a list of the identifying information of the master and slave theatre devices, the identifying information in the list being ordered based on the numerical values thereof and the hierarchy being based on the list.

12. A method as in claim 1 wherein the identifying information is an arbitrary code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices.

13. A method as in claim 1 wherein the identifying information is a unique code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices.

14. A method as in claim 1 wherein the identifying information is a unique code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices established at time of manufacture thereof.

15. A method as in claim 1 wherein the bi-directional theatre devices are compliant with a DMX512 protocol.

16. In a theatre system using a unidirectional continuous data stream from a controller to a group of theatre devices over a communications link for remote control thereof during theatre events, wherein the group of theatre devices comprises a plurality of theatre devices capable of a bi-directional communications and having respective identifying information, a method of establishing a hierarchy among the bi-directional theatre devices in the absence of the unidirectional continuous data stream comprising:

furnishing the identifying information from each of the bi-directional theatre devices to others of the bi-directional theatre devices;

establishing in the bi-directional theatre devices substantially identically ordered lists of the identifying information for the bi-directional theatre devices; and

comparing in each of the bi-directional theatre devices the identifying information thereof with the ordered list established therein to determine a position thereof in the list.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein for each of the bi-directional theatre devices the establishing step comprises placing the identifying information into the lists when furnished in the furnishing step.

18. A method as in claim 16 wherein for each of the bi-directional theatre devices the establishing step comprises sorting the identifying information in the lists by a common criterion.

19. A method as in claim 16 wherein the identifying information is an arbitrary code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices.

20. A method as in claim 16 wherein the identifying information is a unique code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices.

21. In a theatre system using a unidirectional continuous data stream from a controller to a group of theatre devices over a communications link for remote control thereof during theatre events, wherein the group of theatre devices comprises a plurality of theatre devices capable of a bi-directional communications, a method of establishing a hierarchy among the bi-directional theatre devices in the absence of the unidirectional continuous data stream comprising:

arbitrating among the bi-directional theatre devices having no position in the hierarchy to grant control of the communications link to one of the bi-directional theatre devices;

assigning to the bi-directional theatre device granted control in the arbitrating step an unassigned position in the hierarchy; and

repeating the arbitrating and assigning steps until all of the bi-directional theatre devices have respective positions in the hierarchy.

22. In a theatre system that uses a unidirectional continuous data stream from a controller to a group of theatre devices over a communications link for remote control thereof during theatre events, wherein the group of theatre devices comprises a plurality of theatre devices capable of bi-directional communications, a method comprising:

establishing respective positions in a hierarchy for the bi-directional theatre devices in the absence of the continuous data stream;

with the unidirectional continuous data stream, instructing at least one of the theatre devices having a position in the hierarchy to respond;

in response to the instructing step, operating at least one of the theatre devices in the hierarchy in accordance with the position thereof in the hierarchy and in a manner that is observable to a human observer; and

repeating the instructing and operating steps, wherein at least a portion of the hierarchy is perceptible to the human observer.

23. A method as in claim 22 wherein the establishing step comprises establishing the respective positions of the bi-directional theatre devices in the hierarchy based on successive arbitrations for control of the communications link by the bi-directional theatre devices.

24. A method as in claim 22 wherein the bi-directional theatre devices comprise respective identifying information, and wherein the establishing step comprises establishing the respective positions of the bi-directional theatre devices in the hierarchy based on the respective identifying information of the bi-directional theatre devices.

25. A method as in claim 24 wherein the identifying information is an arbitrary code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices.

26. A method as in claim 24 wherein the identifying information is a unique code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices.

27. A method as in claim 22 wherein:

the instructing step comprises placing a selector signal on the communications link; and

wherein the operating step comprises operating only one of the theatre devices in response to the selector signal.

28. A method as in claim 22 wherein:

the instructing step comprises placing a response sequence initiation instruction on the communications link; and

wherein the operating step comprises operating a succession of the theatre devices in response to the response sequence initiation instruction.

29. In a theatre system having a normal mode of operation that uses a unidirectional continuous data stream from a controller to a group of theatre devices over a communications link for remote control thereof during theatre events, wherein the group of theatre devices comprises a plurality of theatre devices capable of bi-directional communications, a method of establishing an auxiliary mode of operation comprising:

establishing respective positions in a hierarchy among the bi-directional theatre devices in the absence of the continuous data stream;

entering an auxiliary mode key code at the controller to place the theatre devices in the hierarchy into the auxiliary mode of operation using the unidirectional continuous data stream;

selecting one of the theatre devices in the hierarchy in accordance with the position thereof in the hierarchy from the controller using the unidirectional continuous data stream;

operating the theatre device selected in the selecting step in the auxiliary mode from the controller using the unidirectional continuous data stream; and

entering a normal key code at the controller to place the theatre system in the normal mode of operation using the unidirectional continuous data stream.

30. A method as in claim 29 wherein the selecting step comprises:

setting a selector channel of the controller to generate a selector signal on the communications link; and

in response to the selector signal, activating one of the theatre devices in the hierarchy in accordance with the position thereof in the hierarchy and in a manner that is observable to a human observer;

and wherein the operating step comprises setting at least one selected channel of the controller to assign a channel to the theatre device operated in the activating step.

31. A method as in claim 29 further comprising repeating the selecting and operating steps for all of the theatre devices in the hierarchy prior to the normal mode key entering step.

32. A method as in claim 29 wherein the auxiliary mode key code is a channel assignment mode key code and the auxiliary mode is a channel assignment mode.

33. A method as in claim 29 wherein the auxiliary mode key code is a setup mode key code and the auxiliary mode is a setup mode.

34. A method as in claim 29 wherein the auxiliary mode key code is a service mode key code and the auxiliary mode is a service mode.

35. A method as in claim 29 wherein the auxiliary mode key code entering step comprises:

setting all outputs of the controller at about respective default values;

bringing a predetermined one of the channels of the controller to about a predetermined level within about a first minimum time and about a first maximum time following the setting step; and

returning the predetermined one of the channels of the controller to about the default level within about a second minimum time and about a second maximum time following the bringing step.

36. In a theatre system having a normal mode of operation that uses a unidirectional continuous data stream from a controller to a group of theatre devices over a communications link for remote control thereof during theatre events, wherein the group of theatre devices comprises a plurality of theatre devices capable of a bi-directional communications, a method of channel assignment comprising:

establishing respective positions in a hierarchy for the bi-directional theatre devices in the absence of the continuous data stream;

applying the unidirectional continuous data stream to the theatre devices in the hierarchy from the controller over the communications link;

broadcasting a first instruction on the communications link from the controller to place the theatre devices in the hierarchy in a channel assignment mode of operation;

broadcasting a second instruction on the communications link from the controller using the unidirectional continuous data stream to evoke a response from at least one of the theatre devices in the hierarchy;

operating at least one of the theatre devices in response to the second instruction in accordance with the position thereof in the hierarchy and in a manner that is observable to a human observer;

assigning a channel to the theatre device operated in the operating step using the unidirectional continuous data stream;

repeating the second instruction broadcasting step, the operating step, and the assigning step at least once; and

broadcasting a third instruction on the communications link from the controller using the unidirectional continuous data to place the theatre system in the normal mode of operation.

37. A method as in claim 36 wherein the bi-directional theatre devices include respective identifying information and wherein the hierarchy establishing step comprises:

establishing at least one of the bi-directional theatre devices as a master theatre device and a plurality of the bi-directional theatre devices as slave theatre devices;

acquiring in the master theatre device the identifying information of the slave theatre devices; and

determining the hierarchy using the identified information of the slave theatre devices from the acquiring step and the identifying information of the master.

38. A method as in claim 37 wherein the identifying information is a unique code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices established at time of manufacture thereof.

39. A method as in claim 36 wherein the bi-directional theatre devices include respective identifying information and wherein the hierarchy establishing step comprises:

furnishing the identifying information from each of the bi-directional theatre devices to others of the bi-directional theatre devices;

establishing in the bi-directional theatre devices substantially identically ordered lists of the identifying information for the bi-directional theatre devices; and

comparing in each of the bi-directional theatre devices the identifying information thereof with the ordered list established therein to determine a position thereof in the list.

40. A method as in claim 39 wherein the identifying information is a unique code for each of the bi-directional theatre devices established at time of manufacture thereof.

41. A method as in claim 36 wherein the hierarchy establishing step comprises:

arbitrating among the bi-directional theatre devices having no position in the hierarchy to grant control of the communications link to one of the bi-directional theatre devices;

assigning to the bi-directional theatre device granted control in the arbitrating step an unassigned position in the hierarchy; and

repeating the arbitrating and assigning steps until all of the bi-directional theatre devices have respective positions in the hierarchy.

42. A method as in claim 36 wherein the first instruction broadcasting step comprises entering a key code at the controller.

43. A method as in claim 42 wherein the key code entering step comprises:

setting all outputs of the controller at about respective default values;

bringing a predetermined one of the channels of the controller to about a predetermined level within about a first minimum time and about a first maximum time following the setting step; and

returning the predetermined one of the channels of the controller to about the default level within about a second minimum time and about a second maximum time following the bringing step.

44. A method as in claim 43 wherein:

the default values are zero;

the predetermined one of the channels is the first channel;

the predetermined level is about 25;

the first minimum time is about 10 seconds and the first maximum time is about 30 seconds; and

the second minimum time is about 2 seconds and the second maximum time is about 5 seconds.

45. A method as in claim 36 wherein:

the controller comprises a plurality of channel controls;

the second instruction broadcasting step comprises advancing a predetermined one of the channel controls to about a predetermined level; and

the channel assigning step comprises advancing a selected one of the channel controls to about a predetermined level.

46. A method as in claim 36 wherein the repeating step comprises repeating the second instruction broadcasting step, the operating step, and the selecting step for all of the theatre devices in the hierarchy prior to the third instruction broadcasting step.

47. A method as in claim 36 wherein the third instruction broadcasting step comprises entering a key code at the controller.

48. In a theatre system having a normal mode of operation that uses a unidirectional continuous digital data stream to communicate from a controller to a group of theatre devices having different channel addresses over a communications link for control thereof during theatre events, and wherein the controller comprises a plurality of channels, a method to access the theatre devices in the group comprising:

establishing in the unidirectional continuous digital data stream a predetermined bit pattern reflecting a particular setting of at least one of the controller channels; and

evoking a response to the establishing step by each of the theatre devices of the group.

49. A method as in claim 48 wherein the evoking step comprises setting the theatre devices of the group into an alternative mode of operation in response to the establishing step.

50. A method as in claim 49 wherein the alternative mode of operation is a setup mode.

51. A method as in claim 49 wherein the alternative mode of operation is a service mode.

52. A method as in claim 48 wherein the establishing step comprises setting at least one of the channels of the controller at about a predetermined level for about a predetermined period of time.

53. A method as in claim 48 wherein the establishing step comprises setting a plurality one of the channels of the controller at about respective predetermined levels for about a predetermined period of time.

54. A method as in claim 48 wherein the establishing step comprises:

setting all channels of the controller at respective default values;

setting a predetermined one of the channels of the controller to about a predetermined level within about a first minimum time and about a first maximum time following the setting step; and

returning the predetermined one of the channels of the controller to the default level within about a second minimum time and about a second maximum time following the predetermined channel setting step.

55. A method as in claim 54 wherein:

the default values are zero;

the predetermined one of the channels is the first channel;

the predetermined level is about 25;

the first minimum time is about 10 seconds and the first maximum time is about 30 seconds; and

the second minimum time is about 2 seconds and the second maximum time is about 5 seconds.

56. A microprocessor-controlled theatre device having first identifiers and capable of bi-directional communications for use in a theatre system having a controller for furnishing a unidirectional continuous data stream to a group of theatre devices over a communications link for remote control thereof during theatre events, wherein the group of theatre devices comprises a plurality of other microprocessor-controlled theatre devices having respective second identifiers and capable of a bi-directional communications, comprising:

means for selecting between master and slave status during bi-directional communication with the other bi-directional theatre devices in the absence of the unidirectional continuous data stream;

means for acquiring the second identifiers from the other bi-directional theatre devices over the communications link when having the master status in the absence of the unidirectional continuous data stream;

means for broadcasting the first identifier over the communications link when having the slave status in the absence of the unidirectional continuous data stream; and

means for determining the hierarchy using the second identifiers acquired in the acquiring step and the first identifier.

57. An apparatus as in claim 56 wherein the unidirectional continuous data stream is compliant with a DMX512 protocol.

58. A microprocessor-controlled theatre device capable of bi-directional communications for use in a theatre system having a controller for furnishing a unidirectional continuous data stream to a group of theatre devices over a communications link for remote control thereof during theatre events, wherein the group of theatre devices comprises a plurality of other microprocessor-controlled theatre devices capable of a bi-directional communications, comprising:

means for arbitrating for control of the communications link during bi-directional communication with the other bi-directional theatre devices in the absence of the unidirectional continuous data stream;

means for maintaining a count of arbitrations lost; and

means for assigning a position in a hierarchy based on the count of arbitrations lost when an arbitration is won.

59. An apparatus as in claim 58 wherein the unidirectional continuous data stream is compliant with a DMX512 protocol.

60. In a theatre system that comprises a plurality of theatre devices having respective identifying information and that is compliant with a DMX protocol for control of the theatre devices during a theatre event, a method of identifying the theater devices for performing operations thereon, comprising:

generating a list of the identifying information of the theater devices;

instructing one of the theatre devices using the identifying information thereof from one position on the list, to operate in a manner that is observable to a human observer;

operating the instructed theatre device in a manner that is observable to a human observer; and

repeating the instructing and operating steps using identifying information from another position on the list, wherein at least some of the theater devices are identified to a human observer for performing operations thereon.

61. A method as in claim 60 further comprising performing an operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

62. A method as in claim 60 further comprising performing a channel assignment operation on each of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

63. A method as in claim 61 wherein at least some of the theatre devices identified to a human observer have a setup operation performed thereon.

64. A method as in claim 63 wherein the setup operation is a channel assignment operation.

65. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing an auxiliary operation on each of the theatre devices identified to a human observer, the auxiliary operation being selected from a group consisting of setup operations and service operations.

66. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing a channel assignment operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

67. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing a parameter adjustment operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

68. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing a quiet mode setup operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

69. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing a reduced capacity setup operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

70. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing a high speed setup operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

71. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing a testing operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

72. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing an observer observable self test sequence on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

73. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing a software updating operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

74. A method as in claim 61 wherein the performing step comprises performing a maintenance operation on at least one of the theatre devices identified to a human observer.

75. A method as in claim 60 wherein at least some of the theatre devices are multiparameter having respective device identification numbers, the identifying information of the multiparameter lights being the device identification numbers.

76. A method as in claim 75 wherein the multiparameter lights are capable of bi-directional communications over a communications link and the list generating step comprises arbitrarily establishing respective positions of the multiparameter lights on the list.

77. A method as in claim 75 wherein the multiparameter lights are capable of bi-directional communications over a communications link and the list generating step comprises establishing respective positions of the multiparameter lights on the list based on successive arbitrations for control of the communications link by the multiparameter lights.

78. A method as in claim 75 wherein the multiparameter lights are capable of bi-directional communications over a communications link, and wherein:

the instructing step comprises placing a selector signal on the communications link; and

the operating step comprises operating only one of the multiparameter lights in response to the selector signal.

79. A method as in claim 75 wherein the multiparameter lights are capable of bi-directional communications over a communications link, and wherein:

the instructing step comprises placing a response sequence initiation instruction on the communications link; and

the operating step comprises operating a succession of the theatre devices in response to the response sequence initiation instruction.

80. A method as in claim 60 wherein:

at least one of the instructed theatre devices is a multiparameter light; and

the operating step comprises changing a parameter of the multiparameter light.

81. A method as in claim 68 wherein the parameter is light intensity.

82. A method as in claim 68 wherein the parameter is tilt.

83. A method as in claim 68 wherein the parameter is pan.

84. A method as in claim 68 wherein the parameter is shutter.

85. A method as in claim 68 wherein the parameter is color.

86. A method as in claim 60 wherein:

at least one of the instructed theatre device produces a wind theatre effect; and

the operating step comprises producing the wind theatre effect.

87. A method as in claim 60 wherein:

at least one of the instructed theatre device produces a sound theatre effect; and

the operating step comprises producing the sound theatre effect.

88. A method as in claim 60 wherein:

at least one of the instructed theatre device produces a movement theatre effect; and

the operating step comprises producing the movement theatre effect.

89. A method as in claim 60 wherein:

at least one of the instructed theatre device produces a light theatre effect; and

the operating step comprises producing the light theatre effect.

90. A method as in claim 60 wherein the human observer is an operator of the theatre system.