Patent US3898643A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3898643A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Electronic display controlled stage lighting system
Assignee: SKANTRONICS Inc A CA CORP
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Filing: 1973-08-24
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Granted: 1975-08-05
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Expires: 1993-08-24
Abstract
Abstract An electronic display controlled lighting system and method for controlling a large number of theatrical stage lights including data storage apparatus for storing information representing sequences of stage lighting cues, data processing apparatus for modifying, rearranging and executing the stored stage lighting cues under control of an electronic display control apparatus such as a cathode ray tube monitor for displaying, in the form of a character matrix display, information representing the operating status of the system and information representing the circuit values to be applied to each lighting circuit to be controlled in accordance with the stored lighting cues and a light pen selecting device for activating system functions according to the portion of the character matrix display designated by the operator.
Inventors
- 👤 Adrian Ettlinger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 13:16
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; H; H05; H05B; H05B47/00; H05B47/10; H05B47/155; F; F21; F21W; F21W2131/00; F21W2131/40; F21W2131/406
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
302 words
Display-controlled apparatus for controlling a plurality of stage lighting circuits, comprising: display means for displaying data in the form of a character matrix; selecting means for selectively designating portions of the displayed character matrix; a data processor connectable to said display means and said selecting means, said data processor including: first data storage means for storing a plurality of digital data records, each data record including data representing a plurality of lighting circuit values, each circuit value bein associated with one of the lighting circuits to be controlled; second data storage means for storing a single digital data record representing a plurality of lighting circuit values; selective retrieving means connectable to said first and second data storage means for transferring selected data records from said first data sotrage means to said second data sotrage means; means for causing said display means to display characters identifying the lighting circuits controlled in a first portion of said character matrix; means connectable to said second data storage means and said display means for causing said display means to display characters representing the circuit values stored in said second data storage means in said first portion of said character matrix adjacent said characters identifying the lighting circuits with which said circuit values are associated; circuit value changing means connectable to said second data storage means and said selecting means for changing the circuit values of the data record stored in said second data storage means in response to the designation by said selecting means of the associated lighting circuit identifying characters in said first portion of said character matrix display; and a digital-to-analog converter mEans connectable to said second data storage means for converting the digital data record stored in said second data storage means to a plurality of voltages for controlling the stage lighting circuits.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
302 words
Display-controlled apparatus for controlling a plurality of stage lighting circuits, comprising: display means for displaying data in the form of a character matrix; selecting means for selectively designating portions of the displayed character matrix; a data processor connectable to said display means and said selecting means, said data processor including: first data storage means for storing a plurality of digital data records, each data record including data representing a plurality of lighting circuit values, each circuit value bein associated with one of the lighting circuits to be controlled; second data storage means for storing a single digital data record representing a plurality of lighting circuit values; selective retrieving means connectable to said first and second data storage means for transferring selected data records from said first data sotrage means to said second data sotrage means; means for causing said display means to display characters identifying the lighting circuits controlled in a first portion of said character matrix; means connectable to said second data storage means and said display means for causing said display means to display characters representing the circuit values stored in said second data storage means in said first portion of said character matrix adjacent said characters identifying the lighting circuits with which said circuit values are associated; circuit value changing means connectable to said second data storage means and said selecting means for changing the circuit values of the data record stored in said second data storage means in response to the designation by said selecting means of the associated lighting circuit identifying characters in said first portion of said character matrix display; and a digital-to-analog converter mEans connectable to said second data storage means for converting the digital data record stored in said second data storage means to a plurality of voltages for controlling the stage lighting circuits.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
114 words
The display controlled apparatus of claim 1 wherein said digital-to-analog converter means comprises: means for generating a set of synchronized periodic pulse waveforms, each of said waveforms having one pulse per cycle, said pulses being non-overlapping it time and having pulse widths related as powers of the base 2; means responsive to the digital data record stored in said second data storage means for combining selected ones of said set of waveforms to provide a composite pulse waveform having a duty cycle corresponding to the circuit value associated with a lighting circuit to be controlled; and means for integrating said composite pulse waveform to provide an analog d.c. voltage for controlling a lighting circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
191 words
The display controlled apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for combining selected ones of said set of waveforms comprises: a plurality of registers, each of said registers being associated with one of the lighting circuits to be controlled and each of said registers being connectable to said second data storage means to receive the data representing the circuit value of the lighting circuit with which said register is associated; a plurality of sets of gate circuits, each set of gate circuits being associated with one of said registers, each gate circuit having one input connected to one stage of said associated register and another input connected to receive one of said waveforms from said waveform generating means so that selected ones of said set of waveforms appear at the outputs of said set of gate circuits in accordance with the data stored in said associated register; and means for combining the outputs of each set of gate circuits so as to provide a plurality of composite pulse waveforms, each said composite pulse waveform having a duty cycle corresponding to the circuit value associated with a lighting circuit to be controlled.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The display controlled apparatus of claim 2 wherein said waveform generating means generates a set of six waveforms having pulse widths related as 1:2:4:8:16:32.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
120 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 1 wherein said circuit value changing means comprises: means for causing said display means to display, in a second portion of said character matrix, characters representing a range of circuit values for the circuits controlled; means for specifying a circuit value in response to the designation by said selecting means of the character representing said circuit value in said second portion of said character matrix display; and means for changing the circuit values of the data record stored in said second data storage means to correspond to said specified circuit value in response to the designation by said selecting means of the associated circuit identifying characters in said first portion of said character matrix display.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
135 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: third data storage means for storing a single data record representing a plurality of circuit values; means for causing said display means to display characters representing the circuit values stored in said third data storage means in said first portion of said character matrix adjacent said characters identifying the electrical circuits with which said circuit values are associated; and mode selecting means for causing said selective retrieving means to transfer selected data records from said first storage means to said third storage means and for causing said circuit value changing means to change the circuit values of the data record stored in said third storage means so as to enable selected data records to be displayed and changed without affecting the circuit values of the circuits controlled.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
98 words
The display controlled apparatus of clAim 6 wherein said mode selecting means comprises: means for causing said display means to display, in a third portion of said character matrix, characters representing each of the possible operating modes of the apparatus; means for specifying an operating mode of the apparatus in response to the designation by said selecting means of the characters representing said operating mode; and means for causing said display means to display, adjacent the characters representing said specified operating mode, a code identifying the data record displayed in said first portion of said character matrix display.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The display controlled apparatus of claim 6 further comprising: storing means for transfering data records from said second storage means and said third storage means to said second storage means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
96 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said data records stored in said first data storage means is associated with a data record identifying code, said apparatus further comprising: means for causing said display means to display data record identifying characters in a fourth portion of said character matrix; means for specifying a data record identifying code in response to the designation by said selecting means of data record identifying characters; and means for causing said display means to display the specified data record identifying code in said fourth portion of said character matrix.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
118 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 9 further comprising: means for determining whether there is stored in said first data storage means a data record associated with said specified data record identifying code; means responsive to said determining means for causing said display means to display a first character near said specified record identifying code in said fourth portion of said character matrix if there is a data record associated with said specified record identifying code stored in said first data storage means and for causing said display means to display a second character near said specified record identifying code if there is no data record associated with said specified record identifying code stored in said first storage means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
97 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 10 further comprising: means responsive to said determining means for causing said display means to display in said fourth portion of said character matrix, a first set of codes representing operations to be selectively activated if there is a data record associated with said specified record identification code stored in said first storage means, and for causing said display means to display a second set of codes representing operations to be selectively activated if there is no data record associated with said specified record identification code stored in said first storage means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
The display controlled apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: means responsive to the designation by said selecting means of one code of said first set of codes to activate said selective retrieving means to transfer from said first data storage means to said second data storage means the data record associated with said specified record identification code.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
64 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 12 further comprising: means responsive to the designation by said selecting means of a second code of said first set of codes to activate said selective retrieving means to transfer from said first data storage means to said second data storage means the data record associated with the record identification code next higher than said specified record identification code.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
64 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 12 further comprising: means responsive to the designation by said selecting means of a third code of said first set of codes to activate said selective retrieving means to transfer from said first data storage means to said second data storage means the data record associated with the record idenTification code next lower than said specified record identification code.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
90 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: canceling means for selectively canceling data records stored in said first storage means and for linking the data record having the next higher record identification code than the canceled record to the data record having the next lower record identification code than the canceled record; and means responsive to the designation by said selecting means of a fourth code of said first set of codes for activating said canceling means to cancel the data record associated with said specified record identification code.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
72 words
The display controlled apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: first storing means for transferring the data record stored in said second data storage means to the location in said first storage means which is occupied by the data record associated with said specified record identification code, and; means responsive to the designation by said selecting means of a fifth code of said first set of codes to activate said first storing means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
94 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 11 further comprising: second storing means for transferring the data record stored in said second data storage means to said first storage means and for linking said data record to the data record having the next higher record identification code than said specified record identification code and to the data record having the next lower record identification code than said specified record identification code; and means responsive to the designation by said selecting means of one code of said second set of codes for activating said second storing means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
17 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 1 wherein said display means comprises a cathode ray tube monitor unit.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 18 wherein said selecting means comprises a light pen.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: control means for simultaneously and proportionally increasing or decreasing all circuit values in said second data storage means between zero and full value for the data record stored in said second storage means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
42 words
The display-controlled apparatus of claim 20 further comprising: means responsive to said control means for causing said display means to display, in a fifth portion of said character matrix, characters representing the status of said control means between zero and full value.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3448338A
Cited
US3784875A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-08-04 | 1979-02-03 | 1979-08-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-04 | 1983-02-03 | 1983-08-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-04 | 1987-02-03 | 1987-08-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |