Patent EP0388360A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0253082A2
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EP
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Computer controlled lightning system with distributed processing
Assignee: Vari Lite Inc
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Filing: 1987-04-28
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-04-28
Abstract
Abstract A stage lighting system has a plurality of automated lamp units which can vary the parameters of a light beam for pan, tilt, brightness, intensity and size. A control console is connected to each of the lamp units via a data link. Each of the lamp units Includes a microprocessor and a memory. Control programs for driving each of the lamp parameters are stored in the memory and are executed by the lamp microprocessor. The console includes a microprocessor as well as memory. Commands are input through the console to change the effect produced by the lighting system. Each of these changes is directed to all of the lamp units. Each lamp unit responds individually and independently to change the light parameters based upon its own operating programs and the data condition of the lamp at the time that the change was made. Each of the lamps further stores a unique lamp cue which corresponds to a system cue that is stored in the memory of the console. When a new system cue is selected at the console, this system cue is directed to each of the lamp units which then recall their independent corresponding lamp cues and set the lighting parameters of each individual lamp. The transmission of numbered cues and change conditions substantially reduces the amount of data that must be transmitted through the data link. Additional lamp units can be easily added to the system without adding to the workload of the central processor or the data that must be transmitted through the data link.
Inventors
- 👤 Brooks W. Taylor
- 👤 Thomas E. Walsh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 16:47
CPC Classifications
F; F21; F21S; F21S2/00; G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/04; G05B19/042; G05B19/0421; H; H05; H05B; H05B47/00; H05B47/10; H05B47/105; H05B47/115; H05B47/12; H05B47/155; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B20/00; Y02B20/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
A stage lighting system, comprising: a plurality of lamp units each comprising: means for producing a light beam, means for controlling a plurality of parameters of said light beam, said parameters including, for example, pan, tilt, brightness, color and beam shape, a lamp processor for generating commands for driving said means for controlling a plurality of parameters, a lamp memory for storing programs for execution by said lamp processor for producing said commands for driving said means for controlling, a control console for receiving inputs and generating control outputs for directing the operation of said lighting system, a central processor for monitoring said control console to detect said control outputs, a data link for connecting said control processor to each of said lamp units, and said central processor for transmitting a broadcast command concurrently to each of said lamp units in response to a control output from said console, said lamp processors for individually responding to each broadcast command to produce specific commands for setting the parameters of the individual light units.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
172 words
A stage lighting system, comprising: a plurality of lamp units each comprising: means for producing a light beam, means for controlling a plurality of parameters of said light beam, said parameters including, for example, pan, tilt, brightness, color and beam shape, a lamp processor for generating commands for driving said means for controlling a plurality of parameters, a lamp memory for storing programs for execution by said lamp processor for producing said commands for driving said means for controlling, a control console for receiving inputs and generating control outputs for directing the operation of said lighting system, a central processor for monitoring said control console to detect said control outputs, a data link for connecting said control processor to each of said lamp units, and said central processor for transmitting a broadcast command concurrently to each of said lamp units in response to a control output from said console, said lamp processors for individually responding to each broadcast command to produce specific commands for setting the parameters of the individual light units.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
134 words
A method for illuminating a stage with a lighting system, comprising the steps of: detecting an input at a control console, said input for changing the illumination of said stage, producing a broadcast command in response to said input by operation of a central processor which monitors said control console, transmitting said broadcast command through a data link concurrently to each of a plurality of lamp units in said lighting system, and generating at each light unit in response to said broadcast command a set of commands for driving parameter, such as for example, pan, tilt, brightness, color and beam shape, of the lamp unit, each of lamp unit producing specific commands for the individual light unit as a function of the programs and data stored at the light unit for generating the commands.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
134 words
A method for illuminating a stage with a lighting system, comprising the steps of: detecting an input at a control console, said input for changing the illumination of said stage, producing a broadcast command in response to said input by operation of a central processor which monitors said control console, transmitting said broadcast command through a data link concurrently to each of a plurality of lamp units in said lighting system, and generating at each light unit in response to said broadcast command a set of commands for driving parameter, such as for example, pan, tilt, brightness, color and beam shape, of the lamp unit, each of lamp unit producing specific commands for the individual light unit as a function of the programs and data stored at the light unit for generating the commands.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
218 words
A stage lighting system, comprising: a plurality of lamp systems each including: means for producing a light beam, means for controlling a plurality of parameters of said light beam, said parameters including, for example., pan, tilt, brightness, color, and beam shape, a lamp processor for driving said means for controlling a plurality of parameters, a lamp memory for storing a plurality of lamp cues, each said lamp cue defining a particular set of states for said parameters, each said lamp cue corresponding to a respective system cue command, said lamp processor connected to recall said lamp cues from said lamp memory for setting said parameters to states defined by a recalled lamp cue, a central processor for directing the operation of said stage lighting system, a central memory, connected to said central processor, said central memory for storing a plurality of said system cue commands, a communication link for transmitting said system cue commands from said central processor to each of said lamp processors, and said central processor for retrieving said system cue commands from said central memory and transmitting each of said cue commands concurrently to said lamp processors, each of which recalls the respective lamp cue from the corresponding lamp memory and sets the lamp system parameters to the states defined by the recalled lamp cue.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
218 words
A stage lighting system, comprising: a plurality of lamp systems each including: means for producing a light beam, means for controlling a plurality of parameters of said light beam, said parameters including, for example., pan, tilt, brightness, color, and beam shape, a lamp processor for driving said means for controlling a plurality of parameters, a lamp memory for storing a plurality of lamp cues, each said lamp cue defining a particular set of states for said parameters, each said lamp cue corresponding to a respective system cue command, said lamp processor connected to recall said lamp cues from said lamp memory for setting said parameters to states defined by a recalled lamp cue, a central processor for directing the operation of said stage lighting system, a central memory, connected to said central processor, said central memory for storing a plurality of said system cue commands, a communication link for transmitting said system cue commands from said central processor to each of said lamp processors, and said central processor for retrieving said system cue commands from said central memory and transmitting each of said cue commands concurrently to said lamp processors, each of which recalls the respective lamp cue from the corresponding lamp memory and sets the lamp system parameters to the states defined by the recalled lamp cue.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
225 words
A method for illuminating a stage, comprising the steps of: positioning a plurality of lamp systems in the region of said stage, said lamp systems included as part of a lighting system, each lamp system for producing a light beam which has controllable parameters, said parameters including, for example, pan, tilt, brightness, color and beam shape, maintaining, in a respective lamp memory for each of said lamp systems, a plurality of lamp cues wherein each said lamp cue defines a particular set of states for the parameters of the corresponding lamp system, each said lamp cue defined by a respective lighting system cue command, maintaining a plurality of said lighting system cue commands in a central memory for said lighting system, selecting one of said lighting system cue commands for producing specific illumination required for said stage, transmitting said selected system cue command through a communication link concurrently to each of said lamp systems, receiving said selected system cue command at each of said lamp systems and recalling from the lamp memory, at each lamp system, the lamp cue corresponding to the received selected system cue command, and driving the controllable parameters of the light beam at each light system to the set of states for the recalled lamp cue, thereby illuminating said stage with the light beams produced by said plurality of lamp systems.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
225 words
A method for illuminating a stage, comprising the steps of: positioning a plurality of lamp systems in the region of said stage, said lamp systems included as part of a lighting system, each lamp system for producing a light beam which has controllable parameters, said parameters including, for example, pan, tilt, brightness, color and beam shape, maintaining, in a respective lamp memory for each of said lamp systems, a plurality of lamp cues wherein each said lamp cue defines a particular set of states for the parameters of the corresponding lamp system, each said lamp cue defined by a respective lighting system cue command, maintaining a plurality of said lighting system cue commands in a central memory for said lighting system, selecting one of said lighting system cue commands for producing specific illumination required for said stage, transmitting said selected system cue command through a communication link concurrently to each of said lamp systems, receiving said selected system cue command at each of said lamp systems and recalling from the lamp memory, at each lamp system, the lamp cue corresponding to the received selected system cue command, and driving the controllable parameters of the light beam at each light system to the set of states for the recalled lamp cue, thereby illuminating said stage with the light beams produced by said plurality of lamp systems.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
144 words
A method for operating a lighting system for illuminating a stage, comprising the steps of: inputting a manual command at a control console for selecting a lighting effect for said stage, detecting said manual command by a control processor and transmitting a corresponding command through a data link to each of a plurality of light units in said lighting system, each said light unit having a processor for responding to said command for producing internal parameter commands for setting lighting parameters for the lamp unit, said lighting parameters including, for example, pan, tilt, intensity, color and beam size, each said lamp unit storing the data set for the light parameter of the light unit, said lamp units transmitting said data sets through said console processor, and storing said data sets at said control console as a lighting cue for recall by said central processor.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
144 words
A method for operating a lighting system for illuminating a stage, comprising the steps of: inputting a manual command at a control console for selecting a lighting effect for said stage, detecting said manual command by a control processor and transmitting a corresponding command through a data link to each of a plurality of light units in said lighting system, each said light unit having a processor for responding to said command for producing internal parameter commands for setting lighting parameters for the lamp unit, said lighting parameters including, for example, pan, tilt, intensity, color and beam size, each said lamp unit storing the data set for the light parameter of the light unit, said lamp units transmitting said data sets through said console processor, and storing said data sets at said control console as a lighting cue for recall by said central processor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method for operating a lighting system as recited in Claim 5 including the steps of: recalling said lighting cue by said control processor, transmitting said lighting cue from said control processor via said data link concurrently to each of said lamp units, each said lamp unit receiving said lighting cue and recalling the corresponding data set, and each said lighting unit driving the lighting parameters thereof to the states defined by said data set.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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