Control system for variable parameter fixtures

Claim 1

A control system for a lighting system, said lighting system including: a plurality of light projectors, said projectors each generating a beam suitable for entertainment lighting and each of a plurality of said plurality of projectors provided with: means to vary a plurality of parameters of said beam, including the azimuth and elevation of said beam; and means to conform, said means to confrom operable from a remote location, having an input, having an output coupled to said means to vary, and cooperating with said means to vary to produce a desired adjustment of said azimuth and elevation of said beam in response to the presence of a corresponding first value set at said input, said control system comprising: (a) at least one means for selecting a desired lighting effect to be reproduced, said means for selecting disposed at a location rerote from said projectors, having at least a first output, and capable of producing a plurality of second values at said first output, each of said second values identifying a desired lighting effect; (b) at least one means for entering at least one of said first value sets corresponding to a desired azimuth and elevation adjustment for at least one of said projectors, said means for entering disposed at a location remote from said projector and having at least one output; (c) a plurality of local control systems capable of operation at spaced apart locations, each of said local control systems: i. having at least one input, said input coupled to at least said first output of said means for selecting; ii. having at least one output for said first value sets each corresponding to a desired azimuth and elevation adjustment for at least one of said projectors, said output of said local control system coupled to said input of said means to conform o said at least one light projector; iii. including a local short-term memory capable of storing at least five of said first value sets, each of said first value sets corresponding to the desired azimuth and elevation adjustment of said beam of at least one of said projectors in at least one desired lighting effect, each of said first value sets associated with at least one of said second values identifying a desired lighting effect; iv. including means coupled to said at least one output of said means for entering and said local short term memory cooperating with said means for entering to store said first value set entered by said means for entering in said local short-term memory, and further for associating said first value set with at least one of said second values identifying a desired lighting effect; v. including means for causing said local control system to produce said first value set stored in said local short-term memory at said output of said local control system in response to the presence of an associated second value identifying a desired lighting effect at said input of said local control system; (d) at least a first means for data transmission for coupling at least said first output of said means for selecting and said inputs of said local control systems.