System for controlling distinct devices in a theater

Claim 2

In a system for controlling a plurality of distinct devices in a theater displaying a projected motion picture contained on a moving film strip and in synchronization with said film strip, said system having a memory unit for storing groups of digital control signals for operating said distinct devices in a selected manner during a selected portion of said moving strip, means for selecting one of said groups of digital control signals for a selected portion of said moving strip and means independent of said film strip for causing said stored digital control signals of the selected group to be outputted in a time sequence corresponding to said selected portion of said film strip, the improvement comprising: a hardwired counter for each of said distinct devices; means for loading digital counts into said counters indicative of the desired operation of a corresponding device; means for counting said counters at a rate corresponding to the moving rate of said strip; and means for changing said device associated with a particular counter when said count is reached.

Claim 3

The improvement as defined in claim 1 including means for recycling at least some of said counters until said associated device is changed to a selected condition.

Claim 4

In a system for controlling a plurality of distinct devices in a theater having a sound reproduction network controlled by an audio signal recorded along a moving film strip and in synchronization with said strip, said system having a memory unit for storing groups of digital control signals for operating said distinct devices in a selected manner during a selected portion of said moving strip, means for selecting one of said groups of digital control signals for a selected portion of said moving strip and means independent of said strip for causing said stored digital control signals for the selected group to be outputted in a time sequence corresponding to said selected portion of said strip, the improvement comprising: said selecting means including a digital time code corresponding to the selected group of digital control signals to be outputted in a given time sequence, said groups of control signals being stored in a first memory unit; a directory memory means for storing a representation of said time codes and the address of corresponding memory control signal groups; means for selecting the address of a specific control signal group from said directory memory means by correlating a digital time code with a corresponding time code representation; means for transferring the group of control signals corresponding to said selected address into a RAM; and, means for using said group of signals in said RAM for controlling said distinct devices during the selected portion of said strip corresponding to said digital time code.

Claim 5

In a system for controlling a plurality of distinct devices in a theater having a sound reproduction network controlled by an audio signal recorded along a moving film strip and in synchronization with said strip, said system having a memory unit for storing groups of digital control signals for operating said distinct devices in a selected manner during a selected portion of said moving strip, means for selecting one of said groups of digital control signals for a selected portion of said moving strip and means independent of said strip for causing said stored digital control signals for the selected group to be outputted in a time sequence corresponding to said selected portion of said strip, the improvement comprising: said selecting means including a digital time code corresponding to the selected group of digital control signals to be outputted in a given time sequence, said groups of control signals being stored in a first memory unit; a directory memory means for storing a representation of said time codes and the address of corresponding memory control signal groups; means for selecting the address of a specific control signal group from said directory memory means by correlating a digital time code with a corresponding time code representation; means for transferring the group of control signals corresponding to said selected address into a RAM; and, means for using said group of signals in said RAM for controlling said distinct devices during the selected portion of said strip corresponding to said digital time code.

Claim 6

The improvement as defined in claim 3 including RAM means for storing the number of said control signals in a selected group for each of said plurality of distinct devices.

Claim 7

The improvement as defined in claim 4 including hardwired counters for each of said distinct devices and means for loading said counters with selected digital numbers determined by the control signals corresponding to said distinct devices and means for updating said distinct devices as said counter counts said selected portion.

Claim 8

The improvement as defined in claim 5 wherein said updating means includes means for converting digital data to analog data and means for directing said analog data to one of said distinct devices.

Claim 9

The improvement as defined in claim 5 wherein said updating means includes means for converting digital data to digital signal information and means for directing said digital information to one of said distinct devices.

Claim 10

In a system for controlling a plurality of distinct devices in a theater having a sound reproduction network controlled by an audio signal recorded along a moving film strip and in synchronization with said strip, said system having a memory unit for storing groups of digital control signals for operating said distinct devices in a selected manner during a selected portion of said moving strip, means for selecting one of said groups of digital control signals for a selected portion of said moving strip and means independent of said strip for causing said stored digital control signals of the selected group to be outputted in a time sequence corresponding to said selected portion of said strip, the improvement comprising: said selecting means including a digital time code corresponding to the selected group of digital control signals to be outputted in a given time sequence, each of said digital control signals including a first digital portion corresponding to the destination magnitude for a specific distinct device, a second portion corresponding to the time of commencing a change toward said destination and a third digital portion corresponding to the rate at which said destination magnitude is to be obtained after commencement.

Claim 11

In a system for controlling a plurality of distinct devices in a theater having a sound reproduction network controlled by an audio signal recorded along a moving film strip and in synchronization with said strip, said system having a memory unit for storing groups of digital control signals for operating said distinct devices in a selected manner during a selected portion of said moving strip, means for selecting one of said groups of digital control signals for a selected portion of said moving strip and means independent of said strip for causing said stored digital control signals of the selected group to be outputted in a time sequence corresponding to said selected portion of said strip, the improvement comprising: said selecting means including a digital time code corresponding to the selected group of digital control signals to be outputted in a given time sequence, each of said digital control signals including a first digital portion corresponding to the destination magnitude for a specific distinct device, a second portion corresponding to the time of commencing a change toward said destination and a third digital portion corresponding to the rate at which said destination magnitude is to be obtained after commencement.

Claim 12

The improvement as defined in claim 8 including a counter for a given distinct device, means for counting said counter at a known rate, means for loading a digital representation of said first and second portions and indicative of a desired incremental step of a given device into said counter, and means for updating said given distinct device by said incremental step upon each countout of said counter.

Claim 13

The improvement as defined in claim 9 wherein each of said control signals includes a third digital portion corresponding to the time delay before a control signal is to be performed, means for delaying actuation of said updating means for a time corresponding to said third digital portion.

Claim 14

The improvement as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said control signals includes a third digital portion corresponding to the time delay before a control signal is to be performed.

Claim 15

In a system for controlling a plurality of distinct devices in a theater having a sound reproduction network controlled by an audio signal recorded along a moving film strip and in synchronization with said strip, said system having a memory unit for storing groups of digital control signals for operating said distinct devices in a selected manner during a selected portion of said moving strip, means for selecting one of said groups of digital control signals for a selected portion of said moving strip and means independent of said strip for causing said stored digital control signals of the selected group to be outputted in a time sequence corresponding to said selected portion of said strip, the improvement comprising: said selecting means including a digital time code corresponding to the selected group of digital control signals to be outputted in a given time sequence, means for recording periodically said synchronizing code onto a selected fixed length portion of said moving film strip, means for recording said unique time codes on said moving strip following said synchronizing code and signal generating means for simultaneously creating and storing said control signals of a group corresponding to said time code in selected portions of said memory unit, said signal generating means including means for converting operation of said distinct devices during said selected portion of said moving film strip into a digital signal, means for stacking said digital signals into a memory unit and means for recording in a directory memory the location of said signals in said memory unit.

Claim 16

In a system for controlling a plurality of distinct devices in a theater having a sound reproduction network controlled by an audio signal recorded along a moving film strip and in synchronization with said strip, said system having a memory unit for storing groups of digital control signals for operating said distinct devices in a selected manner during a selected portion of said moving strip, means for selecting one of said groups of digital control signals for a selected portion of said moving strip and means independent of said strip for causing said stored digital control signals of the selected group to be outputted in a time sequence corresponding to said selected portion of said strip, the improvement comprising: said selecting means including a digital time code corresponding to the selected group of digital control signals to be outputted in a given time sequence, means for recording periodically said synchronizing code onto a selected fixed length portion of said moving film strip, means for recording said unique time codes on said moving strip following said synchronizing code and signal generating means for simultaneously creating and storing said control signals of a group corresponding to said time code in selected portions of said memory unit, said signal generating means including means for converting operation of said distinct devices during said selected portion of said moving film strip into a digital signal, means for stacking said digital signals into a memory unit and means for recording in a directory memory the location of said signals in said memory unit.