Coordinated effects system for an automated luminaire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10724709-B2
Application number	US-201816113902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2018
Priority date	Oct 1, 2014
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A coordinated effects system and automated luminaire are provided. The automated luminaire includes a light source, an optical device, a first prism system, a second prism system, and a control system. The light source is configured to emit a light beam. The optical device is configured to produce a first image in the light beam. The first and second prism systems include corresponding first and second pluralities of prisms and are configured to position selected ones of their respective prisms in the light beam or to remove all of their prisms from the light beam. The first prism system is configured to rotate the selected one of its prisms to produce a modified image from the image. The second prism system is configured to rotate the selected one of its prisms to produce an output image from the modified image. The control system is configured to control the first and second prism systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coordinated effects system, comprising:
a first prism system comprising a first plurality of prisms,
the first prism system configured to be moved to first and second positions, in the first position a selected one of the first plurality of prisms being positioned in a light beam passing through the first prism system, and in the second position all of the first plurality of prisms being removed from the light beam passing through the first prism system,
the first prism system further comprising a first stepper motor and a first sensor, the first stepper motor configured to rotate the selected one of the first plurality of prisms, and the first sensor configured to detect an orientation of the selected one of the first plurality of prisms in the first position;

a second prism system optically coupled to the first prism system and comprising a second plurality of prisms,
the second prism system configured to be moved to third and fourth positions, in the third position a selected one of the second plurality of prisms being positioned in the light beam passing through the first prism system, and in the fourth position all of the second plurality of prisms being removed from the light beam passing through the first prism system,
the second prism system further comprising a second stepper motor and a second sensor, the second stepper motor configured to rotate the selected one of the second plurality of prisms, and the second sensor configured to detect an orientation of the selected one of the second plurality of prisms in the third position; and

a control system coupled to the first and second stepper motors and the first and second sensors and configured to use the first and second sensors to control, simultaneously and in a coordinated manner, rotation directions, rotation speeds, and rotational positions of the selected one of the first plurality of prisms and the selected one of the second plurality of prisms.

2. The coordinated effects system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first prism system and the second prism system is configured to rotate all of the associated plurality of prisms simultaneously.

3. The coordinated effects system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first prism system comprises a third stepper motor coupled to the control system and configured to move the first prism system from the second position to the first position; and
the second prism system comprises a fourth stepper motor coupled to the control system and configured to move the second prism system from the fourth position to the third position.

4. The coordinated effects system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first prism system and the second prism system comprises:
an arm configured to move the first prism system from the second position to the first position; and
an actuator mechanically coupled to the arm and electrically coupled to the control system, the actuator configured to rotate the arm to move the first prism system from the second position to the first position.

5. An automated luminaire, comprising:
a light source configured to emit a light beam;
an optical device coupled to the light source and configured to produce a first image in the light beam;
a first prism system optically coupled to the optical device and comprising a first plurality of prisms,
the first prism system configured to be moved to first and second positions, in the first position a selected one of the first plurality of prisms being positioned in the light beam, and in the second position all of the first plurality of prisms being removed from the light beam,
the first prism system further comprising a first stepper motor and a first sensor, the first stepper motor configured to rotate the selected one of the first plurality of prisms to produce a modified image from the image, and the first sensor configured to detect an orientation of the selected one of the first plurality of prisms in the first position;

a second prism system optically coupled to the first prism system and comprising a second plurality of prisms,
the second prism system configured to be moved to third and fourth positions, in the third position a selected one of the second plurality of prisms being positioned in the light beam, and in the fourth position all of the second plurality of prisms being removed from the light beam,
the second prism system further comprising a second stepper motor and a second sensor, the second stepper motor configured to rotate the selected one of the second plurality of prisms to produce an output image from the modified image, and the second sensor configured to detect an orientation of the selected one of the second plurality of prisms in the third position; and

a control system coupled to the first and second stepper motors and the first and second sensors and configured to use the sensing system to control, simultaneously and in a coordinated manner, rotation directions, rotation speeds, and rotational positions of the selected one of the first plurality of prisms and the selected one of the second plurality of prisms.

6. The automated luminaire of claim 5 , wherein the control system is configured to:
control rotation of the selected one of the first plurality of prisms and rotation of the selected one of the second plurality of prisms based on signals received from the first and second sensors, respectively.

7. The automated luminaire of claim 6 , wherein the control system is configured to rotate one of the selected one of the first plurality of prisms and the selected one of the second plurality of prisms while not rotating the other one of the selected one of the first plurality of prisms and the selected one of the second plurality of prisms.

8. The automated luminaire of claim 6 , wherein the control system is configured to rotate the selected one of the first plurality of prisms and the selected one of the second plurality of prisms in the same direction at the same speed and maintain a desired rotational alignment between the selected one of the first plurality of prisms and the selected one of the second plurality of prisms.

9. The automated luminaire of claim 5 , wherein the control system is configured to rotate the selected one of the first plurality of prisms and the selected one of the second plurality of prisms in opposite directions.

10. The automated luminaire of claim 5 , wherein the control system is configured to rotate the selected one of the first plurality of prisms at a first speed and the selected one of the second plurality of prisms at a second speed.

11. The automated luminaire of claim 5 , wherein the control system comprises a communication interface and the control system is configured to control the first prism system and the second prism system in response to control signals received via the communication interface.

Assignees

• Robe Lighting Sro

Inventors

• Jurik Pavel
• Valchar Josef

Classifications

• F21V5/008

  Combination of two or more successive refractors along an optical axis · CPC title

• F21W2131/406

  for theatres, stages or film studios · CPC title

• F21V14/06 Primary

  by movement of refractors {(in vehicle head lamps F21S41/635)} · CPC title

• F21S10/007

  using rotating transparent or colored disks, e.g. gobo wheels · CPC title

• F21V5/02

  of prismatic shape (F21V5/04 takes precedence) · CPC title