Control mechanism for a plurality of slide projectors

Claim 2

A control system for at least two slide projectors each projector having a light source subject to control by an electrical signal, said system comrpising: freely programmable memory means for storing program instructions for controlling the operation of the projectors, said memory means capable of being programmed prior to and during operation of said projectors, said memory means being a cross-bar distributor having columns and rows forming cross-over points, said cross-over points being connected by bridging means, a predetermined arrangement of bridged cross-over points forming a control program;

Claim 3

selector means for selecting a predetermined portion of said control program and for providing signals corresponding thereto said selector means including a stepping switch device to automatically change the control program of said cross-bar distributor memory means, said device including an actuating key, a stepping motor and a stepping switch; and decoding means, responsive to signals provided by said selector means, for decoding said signals and for providing functional control signals for controlling the activation and deactivation of respective projector light sources.

Claim 4

selector means for selecting a predetermined portion of said control program and for providing signals corresponding thereto said selector means including a stepping switch device to automatically change the control program of said cross-bar distributor memory means, said device including an actuating key, a stepping motor and a stepping switch; and decoding means, responsive to signals provided by said selector means, for decoding said signals and for providing functional control signals for controlling the activation and deactivation of respective projector light sources.

Claim 5

A control system for at least two slide projectors each projector having a light source subject to control by an electrical signal, said system comprising: freely programmable memory means for storing program instruction for controlling the operation of the projectors, said memory means capable of being programmed prior to and during operation of said projectors, said memory means being a cross-bar distributor having columns and rows forming cross-over points, said cross-over points being connected by bridging means, a predetermined arrangement of bridged cross-over points forming a control program; selector means for selecting a predetermined portion of said control program and for providing signals corresponding thereto; and decoding means, responsive to signals provided by said selector means, for decoding said signals and for providing functional control signals for controlling the activation and deactivation of respective projector light sources said decoding means including means for providing different sawtooth voltages for activating and deactivating respective projector light sources, each of said sawtooth voltages having rise and fall times which are selectable by said selector means from the program of said memory means.

Claim 6

A control system for at least two slide projectors each projector having a light source subject to control by an electrical signal, said system comprising: freely programmable memory means for storing program instruction for controlling the operation of the projectors, said memory means capable of being programmed prior to and during operation of said projectors, said memory means being a cross-bar distributor having columns and rows forming cross-over points, said cross-over points being connected by bridging means, a predetermined arrangement of bridged cross-over points forming a control program; selector means for selecting a predetermined portion of said control program and for providing signals corresponding thereto; and decoding means, responsive to signals provided by said selector means, for decoding said signals and for providing functional control signals for controlling the activation and deactivation of respective projector light sources said decoding means including means for providing different sawtooth voltages for activating and deactivating respective projector light sources, each of said sawtooth voltages having rise and fall times which are selectable by said selector means from the program of said memory means.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 2 wherein said selectable rise and fall times are provided by different charge and discharge circuits.

Claim 8

A control system for the control of special functions, including fading, blending and mixing at different speeds in multiple slide projector systems, said control being provided in forward and reverse operation of the projectors, said control system comprising: a programmable memory means for storing program instructions for controlling the operation of the projectors, the program instructions stored in said memory means being able to be modified at any time including the time during system operation, said memory means being a cross-bar distributor having columns and rows forming cross-over points, said cross-over points being connected by bridging means, a predetermined arrangement of bridged and unbridged cross-over points forming a control program; selector means for selecting a predetermined portion of said control program instructions and for providing signals corresponding thereto, said selector means including a stepping switch for automatically selecting different portions of said stored program instructions; decoding means, responsive to signals received from said selector means, for decoding said signals and for providing control signals having associated rise and fall times; and at least two slide projectors, responsive to respective control signals for said decoding means, each of which having a projection light source having its illumination subject to voltage control, wherein the rate of actuation and deactuation of the projectors is controlled by the rise and fall times of the control signals.

Claim 9

A control system for the control of special functions, including fading, blending and mixing at different speeds in multiple slide projector systems, said control being provided in forward and reverse operation of the projectors, said control system comprising: a programmable memory means for storing program instructions for controlling the operation of the projectors, the program instructions stored in said memory means being able to be modified at any time including the time during system operation, said memory means being a cross-bar distributor having columns and rows forming cross-over points, said cross-over points being connected by bridging means, a predetermined arrangement of bridged and unbridged cross-over points forming a control program; selector means for selecting a predetermined portion of said control program instructions and for providing signals corresponding thereto, said selector means including a stepping switch for automatically selecting different portions of said stored program instructions; decoding means, responsive to signals received from said selector means, for decoding said signals and for providing control signals having associated rise and fall times; and at least two slide projectors, responsive to respective control signals for said decoding means, each of which having a projection light source having its illumination subject to voltage control, wherein the rate of actuation and deactuation of the projectors is controlled by the rise and fall times of the control signals.

Claim 10

The control system of claim 4 wherein said selector means includes said stepping switch for selecting appropriate columns of said cross-bar distributor memory and another switch for selecting rows, the presence or absence of a bridging means at selected columns and rows forming a digital representation which is supplied in electrical signal form to said decoding means.

Claim 11

A control system for the control of special functions, including fading, blending and mixing at different speeds in multiple slide projector systems, said control being provided in forward reverse operation of the projectors, said control system comprising: a programmable memory means for storing program instructions for controlling the operation of the projectors, the program instructions stored in said memory means being able to be modified at any time including the time during system operation, said memory means being a cross-bar distributor having columns and rows forming cross-over points, said cross-over points being connected by bridging means, a predetermined arrangement of bridged and unbridged cross-over points forming a control program; selector means for selecting a predetermined portion of said control program instructions and for providing signals corresponding thereto; decoding means, responsive to signals received from said selector means, for decoding said signals and for providing control signals having associated rise and fall times, said control signals being control voltages and said decoding means including a charging-discharging circuit corresponding to each projector, the rate of charging and discharging of each circuit controlling the rise and fall time of a control voltage associated with said circuit which is supplied to a corresponding projector; and at least two slide projectors, responsive to respective control signals for said decoding means, each of which having a projection light source having its illumination subject to voltage control, wherein the rate of actuation and deactuation of the projectors is controlled by the rise and fall times of the control signals.

Claim 12

A control system for the control of special functions, including fading, blending and mixing at different speeds in multiple slide projector systems, said control being provided in forward reverse operation of the projectors, said control system comprising: a programmable memory means for storing program instructions for controlling the operation of the projectors, the program instructions stored in said memory means being able to be modified at any time including the time during system operation, said memory means being a cross-bar distributor having columns and rows forming cross-over points, said cross-over points being connected by bridging means, a predetermined arrangement of bridged and unbridged cross-over points forming a control program; selector means for selecting a predetermined portion of said control program instructions and for providing signals corresponding thereto; decoding means, responsive to signals received from said selector means, for decoding said signals and for providing control signals having associated rise and fall times, said control signals being control voltages and said decoding means including a charging-discharging circuit corresponding to each projector, the rate of charging and discharging of each circuit controlling the rise and fall time of a control voltage associated with said circuit which is supplied to a corresponding projector; and at least two slide projectors, responsive to respective control signals for said decoding means, each of which having a projection light source having its illumination subject to voltage control, wherein the rate of actuation and deactuation of the projectors is controlled by the rise and fall times of the control signals.

Claim 13

The control system of claim 6 wherein said decoding means also includes means for controlling the phase between the control voltages.

Claim 14

The control system of claim 6 wherein said decoding means also includes means for controlling the amplitude of the control voltages.

Claim 15

The control system of claim 6 wherein said decoding means also includes means for providing start pulses for effecting slide change, said control voltages having portions corresponding to light and dark phases of the projector light sources, said pulses being provided during the dark phase of the control voltage.