Patent US3784874A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3784874A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Lighting control systems
Assignee: DYNAMIC Tech Ltd
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Filing: 1971-12-23
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Granted: 1974-01-08
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Expires: 1991-12-23
Abstract
Abstract Lighting control apparatus for controlling the brightness of a group of (typically 256) lamps in which a number of (typically 128) lighting plots comprising brightness control information are transferred in turn from a main store to an operational store and which includes time-division-multiplex means for controlling the brightness of the lamps in the group in accordance with a lighting plot in the operational store. Embodiments are described which include an ''''action'''' operational store and a ''''standby'''' operational store and means which may be manual or automatic for cross-fading control of the brightness of lamps from the action to the standby store, which is then designated the action store. Lighting plots are built up in an operational store by storing brightness information for each individual lamp and transferring light plots to the main store.
Inventors
- 👤 J Barrett
- 👤 J Kelleher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 05:21
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B47/00; H05B47/10; H05B47/155
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
Lighting control apparatus for controlling the brightness of a group of lamps, comprising a main store for storing a plurality of lighting plots or cues including brightness control information for the group of lamps, at least one operational digital store, means for transferring one of said plurality of lighting plots between said main store and said operational store, and time-division-multiplex means for controlling the brightness of the group of lamps in accordance with the one plot stored in the operational store, including means for producing a sequence of output signals corresponding to the brightness control information of the one plot for the group of lamps, multiplier means for multiplying said output signals by a multiplicand factor, variable between unity and zero, and supplying said multiplied output signals to means for controlling dimmers for the group of lamps, and means coupled to said operational store for changing the brightness control information relating to an individual lamp of the group of lamps in said operational store.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
Lighting control apparatus for controlling the brightness of a group of lamps, comprising a main store for storing a plurality of lighting plots or cues including brightness control information for the group of lamps, at least one operational digital store, means for transferring one of said plurality of lighting plots between said main store and said operational store, and time-division-multiplex means for controlling the brightness of the group of lamps in accordance with the one plot stored in the operational store, including means for producing a sequence of output signals corresponding to the brightness control information of the one plot for the group of lamps, multiplier means for multiplying said output signals by a multiplicand factor, variable between unity and zero, and supplying said multiplied output signals to means for controlling dimmers for the group of lamps, and means coupled to said operational store for changing the brightness control information relating to an individual lamp of the group of lamps in said operational store.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
81 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the information in the operational store corresponding to all the lamps in the group of lamps is cyclically scanned in a time division mode, and comprising selecting means for producing a pulse at a time appropriate to said individual lamp of the group of lamps after the start of a scanning cycle, said means for changing the information in said operational store relating to said individual lamp being enabled by said selecting pulse.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the time-division-multiplex means comprises a clock for providing said selecting pulse and wherein the selecting means comprises a decimal selector in which the selection of each digit of a lamp number delays the production of said selecting pulse for a time appropriate to said individual lamp as measured from the beginning of the time-division-multiplex cycle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
73 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the means for producing the sequEnce of output signals comprises a decoder for scanning the operational store and wherein said means for controlling the lamp dimmers comprises a sample and hold unit scanned by a second decoder, said sample and hold unit comprising an array of capacitors which store brightness control information for staticised control of the lamp dimmers associated with the group of lamps.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 4 including fading means coupled to the multiplier for adjusting the factor between zero and unity by which the outputs are multiplied.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the fading means is manually operable.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 1 comprising at least two digital operational stores wherein the control means controls the brightness of each of the lamps within the group in accordance with a predetermined and variable combination of the portions of the lighting plots contained in each of the operational stores relative to said brightness controlled lamp, each lighting plot stored in an operational store remaining unchanged.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said control means includes automatic fading means cooperating with said multiplier for fading at a predetermined and variable rate from control of the lamps within the group in accordance with a lighting plot in one of said operational stores to control in accordance with the lighting plot in another of said operational stores.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said fading means fade out control of the brightness of lamps in accordance with information stored in the first operational store and fade-in control of the brightness of lamps in accordance with information stored in the second operational store.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said multiplier means includes first and second multipliers associated with said first and second operational stores and controlled by said fading means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said fading means is manually operable.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said fading means include integrator means connected to said first and second multipliers for modifying the factor by which the outputs from the first and second operational store are multiplied respectively by (1-z) and z where z varies from 0 to 1 during a fade.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
127 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said integrator means comprise a fade up integrator and a fade down integrator, and comprising a comparator for comparing the individual outputs of the first and second operational store and for connecting the first and second multipliers to said fade up integrator or said fade down integrator when the magnitude of an individual output from the first operational store is respectively less than or greater than the magnitude of a corresponding individual output from the second operational store, wherein the fade up integrator and the fade down integrator modify the factors to a form (1-x) and x and (1-y) and y where x and y vary respectively from 0 to 1 during a fade up or a fade down.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 1 including means for displaying which lamps of said group of lamps are switched on in the studio and/or which of said lamps have non-zero brightness information in said operational store.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the said display means comprises a cathode ray tube display.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
Lighting control apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the display includes individual lamp brightness information and lamp numbers for each of the lamps of said group of lamps.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-07 | 1977-07-09 | 1978-01-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-07 | 1981-07-09 | 1982-01-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-07 | 1985-07-09 | 1986-01-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |