Method and apparatus for authoring and playing back lighting sequences
First Claim
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1. A method for executing a lighting program to control a plurality of lights, the lighting program defining a sequence of states for the plurality of lights, the method comprising acts of:
- (A) transferring the lighting program from a first device on which the lighting program was created to at least one computer readable medium and storing the lighting program on the computer readable medium, the lighting program being transferred in a data format having a plurality of frames, each one of the plurality of frames corresponding to one state in the sequence of states for the plurality of lights, and the lighting program being stored by storing a specific frame for each of the states, the data format representing a final data stream for directly controlling the plurality of lights without format conversion;
(B) coupling the computer readable medium to a second device that is not coupled to the first device;
(C) coupling the second device to the plurality of lights; and
(D) executing the lighting program on the second device by reading the plurality of frames from the computer readable medium and passing the final data stream from the second device to the plurality of lights to control the plurality of lights to execute the sequence.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for authoring and playing back lighting programs that include a plurality of lighting sequences for controlling a plurality of lights. One aspect stores the lighting program in a data format that represents a final data stream capable of directly controlling the plurality of lights. Another aspect allows execution of the lighting program to be modified in response to external stimuli.
288 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method for executing a lighting program to control a plurality of lights, the lighting program defining a sequence of states for the plurality of lights, the method comprising acts of:
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(A) transferring the lighting program from a first device on which the lighting program was created to at least one computer readable medium and storing the lighting program on the computer readable medium, the lighting program being transferred in a data format having a plurality of frames, each one of the plurality of frames corresponding to one state in the sequence of states for the plurality of lights, and the lighting program being stored by storing a specific frame for each of the states, the data format representing a final data stream for directly controlling the plurality of lights without format conversion; (B) coupling the computer readable medium to a second device that is not coupled to the first device; (C) coupling the second device to the plurality of lights; and (D) executing the lighting program on the second device by reading the plurality of frames from the computer readable medium and passing the final data stream from the second device to the plurality of lights to control the plurality of lights to execute the sequence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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- 27. A computer readable medium encoded with a lighting program that, when executed, controls a plurality of lights and defines a sequence of states for the plurality of lights, the lighting program being encoded in a data format that represents a final data stream for directly controlling the plurality of lights without format conversion, the data format having a plurality of frames, each one of the plurality of frames corresponding to one state in the sequence of states for the plurality of lights, wherein encoding the computer readable medium includes storing a specific frame for each of the states, the data format representing a final data stream capable of directly controlling the plurality of lights to execute the sequence.
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31. An apparatus for executing a lighting program to control a plurality of lights, the lighting program defining a sequence of states for the plurality of lights, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one storage medium to store the lighting program in a data format having a plurality of frames, each one of the plurality of frames corresponding to one state in the sequence of states for the plurality of lights, and the lighting program being stored by storing a specific frame for each of the states, the data format representing a final data stream for directly controlling the plurality of lights without format conversion; a network output port for providing an external interface to directly communicate with the plurality of lights; and at least one controller that executes the lighting program by reading the plurality of frames from the at least one storage medium and passing the final data stream to the network output port, which in turn passes the final data stream to the plurality of lights to control the plurality of lights. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53)
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Specification