Illumination – Plural light sources – Remote adjustment or positioning means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-08
2004-07-13
Quach-Lee, Y. My (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Plural light sources
Remote adjustment or positioning means
C362S260000, C315S312000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761470
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of fluorescent lighting and in particular to a new and useful controller for selectively controlling a series of connected fluorescent lights to produce different lighting effects, such as in a photographic or film studio.
Lighting systems used in photographic studios, film studios, location shots, television sets and live theater stage productions are often elaborate and include many different lighting devices and effects devices to produce a desired lighting combination. Most often, however, these lights are incandescent, rather than fluorescent.
Until recently, fluorescent lighting produced a noticeably different light, or different color temperature, than conventional incandescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps can now be made which produce light suitable for use in a variety of situations, including photographic studios, film studios, location shots and television studios.
As a result, fluorescent lighting is becoming more popular for use in lighting for photography, television studios and film studios. Fluorescent lighting differs from incandescent lighting most notably in that fluorescent lights include a ballast which generates the necessary power from supplied power to energize gas in each lamp tube and create a visible discharge. Unlike an incandescent lamp, the amount of power received by a fluorescent lamp is not linearly proportionate to the brightness output of the lamp. That is, a power setting of 50% of maximum does not necessarily produce a brightness output of 50% of maximum for a fluorescent lamp.
In recent years, many different aspects of lighting systems have been computerized to improve the ease and speed with which a lighting program for a particular stage show can be set up. The difficulty experienced when attempting to dim or otherwise control fluorescent lamps compared with incandescent lamps has been a primary reason why fluorescent lighting systems are not used in these systems.
While many different control systems are available for controlling complex lighting arrangements, one protocol which is generally accepted for use in theater lighting in particular is the DMX-512 protocol. DMX-512 protocol refers to a protocol standard as defined by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT).
Presently, a DMX-512 protocol controller has up to 512 channels transmitted serially to each of any number of connected lighting system devices. Known devices each contain a manually set address circuit which identifies the particular channel or channels that the device will take instructions from the DMX-512 controller. Each of the DMX-512 controller channels has multiple levels, or amplitude settings, to produce different conditions in the connected lighting devices, whether they be dimmers, color mixers, etc.
The DMX-512 protocol used in a DMX-512 protocol controller is described in a United States Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT) publication entitled, “DMX512/1990 Digital Data Transmission Standard for Dimmers and Controllers.” The protocol is a network protocol having a central controller for creating stream of network data consisting of sequential data packets. Each packet initially contains a header for checking compliance with the standard and synchronizing the beginning of data transmission, which is then discarded. A stream of sequential data bytes representing data for sequentially addressed devices follows the header. For example, if the data packet contains information for device number
31
, then the first 30 bytes after the header in the data stream will be discarded by device number
31
and byte
31
will be saved and used. When more than one byte of information is needed by a device, then its device number is its starting address and the number of required bytes after the starting address will be saved and used. The DMX-512 protocol uses a data stream of up to 512 bytes, excluding the header, each having hexadecimal values corresponding to decimal numbers from 0-255.
A drawback to the known lighting devices used with DMX-512 protocol systems is that the addresses of the devices must be set manually using DIP switches by a person having physical contact with the device. In order to change the address of a particular device, the DIP switches must be reset in the proper configuration for the new address.
However, U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,201, issued in the name of the inventor of this invention, discloses, among other things, a method for remotely programming the addresses of lighting control devices using a DMX protocol.
The DMX-512 protocol control system is discussed in connection with the lighting system taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,302. The lighting system is programmable with intensity changes, movements, etc., but the addresses of the lamps and other devices are not programmable.
Other types of lighting systems with digitally addressable devices are known.
For example, a lighting system with programmable addressable dimmers is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,332, which discusses the problems associated with manually set addressable dimmers and teaches a dimmer which is addressed by first entering a program mode by depressing buttons. An address is then set in the dimmer memory by using a central controller to generate the address location data and send the address to the dimmer. The address location data is a binary word.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,871 teaches a lighting system in which individual lamp controllers may have their addresses programmed electronically from a central controller unit. When one of the lamp controllers is placed in a programming mode, a Master Control Unit (MCU) in the central controller unit is used to generate an identification (ID) for the lamp controller. The particular ID is set by incrementing or decrementing any channel on the central controller between
1
and
31
. The ID value is shown in binary code on a LED display. The ID in the lamp controller is the address used to select the lamp(s) connected to the lamp controller. The lamp controller may be a dimmer or on/off switch, for example.
A control system with programmable receivers for controlling appliances is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,957. The receivers may control lights, for example. The original addresses for the controlling receivers are initially set manually, but may be changed electronically once the receivers are connected to the control system. The addresses of the receivers are set automatically based on their positioning within the system, rather than by a person on an arbitrary basis.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,705 discloses a memory addressing system in which a central control unit sends a message signal with an address code to several attached devices over a bus interface. Devices which are encoded to accept the address code respond to the message signal. At column 6, lines 3-8, this patent indicates that the functional addresses recognized by a device may be changed using a control message. The memory addressing system is not specifically for a lighting system, but rather, is for use in a general data processing system.
Lighting systems using addressable lamps controlled by computers are also known in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,176 teaches a lighting system controlled by a personal computer. The computer can address individual lamps which have pre-programmed addresses. However, changing the addresses of the lamps using the computer is not taught.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,187 discloses a console-controlled lighting system having addressable lights of the manual set type. The electronic address of each light is set using manual thumb switches. The console sends instructions which are interpreted by the light to which they are addressed.
A series of lighting cues can be programmed and stored in memory in each lamp of the lighting system disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,806. The different lighting cues, or setups, can be recalled by a signal sent from a central controller. The electronic addresses of the individual lamps are not changed using the control
Lowel-Light Manufacturing Inc.
Neils Peggy A.
Notaro & Michalos P.C.
Quach-Lee Y. My
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