Method for operating a lighting control console

• US 8,514,192 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2011
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MA Lighting Technology GmbH (MA Lighthing)
• Original Assignee: MA Lighting Technology GmbH (MA Lighthing)
• Inventors: Adenau, Michael, Cordes, Hartmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, VINH TANG
• Application Number:
  US12/984,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20120169616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418, 345173-184, 700103-173, 362/85
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

A method for operating a lighting control console (01) for controlling a lighting system, wherein digital adjusting commands are generated in the lighting control console (01), which can be transferred to the lighting devices of the lighting system via data connections, and wherein the lighting control console (01) comprises at least one digital processor and at least one digital memory for generating, managing and storing the adjusting commands, and wherein the lighting control console (01) comprises at least one display unit (07), and wherein graphical elements can be graphically depicted to the user on the display device (07), and wherein the display device (07) exhibits a touch-sensitive sensor surface (10), and wherein touching of the touch-sensitive sensor surface (10) at the display device (07) in the region of a contact surface (14) permits the selection of an operator input assigned to said contact surface (14),

comprising the following method steps of:

• a) detecting the touching of the touch-sensitive sensor surface (10) in the region of a contact surface (14a, 14b) in which the sensor surface (10) is covered by a body part of the operator;
• b) measuring the dimension of the contact surface (14a, 14b);
• c) generating an adjusting command for controlling the lighting system as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface (14a, 14b).

Claims

1. A method for operating a lighting control console for controlling a lighting system, wherein digital adjusting commands are generated in the lighting control console and transferred to the lighting devices of the lighting system, and wherein the lighting control console comprises at least one digital processor and at least one digital memory for generating, managing and storing the adjusting commands, and wherein the lighting control console comprises at least one display device, and wherein graphical elements can be graphically depicted on the display device to a user, and wherein the display device includes a touch-sensitive sensor surface, and wherein touching the touch-sensitive sensor surface permits selection of an operator input, said method comprising the following method steps of:

a) detecting a contact surface formed by touching the touch-sensitive sensor surface;

b) measuring a dimension of the contact surface formed by touching the touch-sensitive sensor surface; and

c) generating an adjusting command controlling the lighting system as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface, wherein a measured dimension of the contact surface having a first magnitude corresponds to an adjusting command different from an adjusting command corresponding to a measured dimension of the contact surface having a magnitude different from the first magnitude.

2. The method according to claim 1, in which a plurality of sensor points are provided in the touch-sensitive sensor surface, wherein the dimension of the contact surface is measured by determining the number of sensor points covered by a body part of an operator touching the touch-sensitive surface.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one operating element is displayed at the display device, wherein the operating element is assigned an operator input.

4. The method according to claim 3, in which the operating element is displayed in the form of a pushbutton, wherein the pushbutton is assigned a specific operator input.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which touching of an operating element displayed at the display device causes selection of a functional element of the lighting system and subsequent to the measurement of the dimension of the contact surface on the operating element, a parameter of the selected functional element is set as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

6. The method according to claim 1, in which lighting intensity of a lighting device is a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which a zoom factor of a lighting device is a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which a freeze factor of a lighting device is a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

9. The method according to claim 1, in which at least one of a pan-setting and a tilt-setting of a lighting device is a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which a speed of motion of a drive device for adjusting a lighting device is a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface.

11. A method for operating a lighting control console for controlling a lighting system, wherein digital adjusting commands are generated in the lighting control console and transferred to the lighting devices of the lighting system, and wherein the lighting control console comprises at least one digital processor and at least one digital memory for generating, managing and storing the adjusting commands, and wherein the lighting control console comprises at least one display device, and wherein graphical elements can be graphically depicted on the display device to a user, and wherein the display device includes a touch-sensitive sensor surface, and wherein touching the touch-sensitive sensor surface permits selection of an operator input, said method comprising the following method steps of:

a) detecting a contact surface formed by touching the touch-sensitive sensor surface;

b) measuring a dimension of the contact surface;

c) generating an adjusting command for controlling the lighting system as a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface, in which a parameter of the operator input assigned to said contact surface is a function of the measured dimension of the contact surface within a predefined value range, wherein the lighting control console is calibrated by recording at least the dimension of a contact surface in the form of a measurand during at least one calibration step, and said measurand is assigned a value from the value range of the parameter.

12. The method according to claim 11, in which several calibration steps are executed, wherein measurands and respectively assigned parameters resulting from the calibration steps are stored in a lookup table.

13. The method according to claim 11, in which several calibration steps are executed, wherein measurands resulting from the calibration steps are combined using an interpolated function curve, and wherein said function curve is stored.