Follow Spot Control System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018224099-A1
Application number	US-201815944487-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	Aug 9, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A follow spot controller is provided that communicates with a lighting control desk and with a first automated luminaire. A physical orientation of the follow spot controller is sensed and used to replace pan and tilt control parameters received from the lighting control desk for the first luminaire. The modified control parameters are sent to the first luminaire. A three-dimensional model of a performance area and the locations and orientations of the first luminaire and additional automated luminaires relative to the performance area may be used to calculate individual pan and tilt parameters for the additional luminaires based on the first luminaire's replacement pan and tilt parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A follow spot controller, comprising:
a memory; a processor electrically coupled to the memory, configured to execute instructions received from the memory, and configured to sense a physical orientation of the follow spot controller; and a communication interface electrically coupled to the processor, the communication interface comprising:
a first communication link configured to communicate with a lighting control desk; and
a second communication link configured to communicate unidirectionally with an automated luminaire,
wherein the processor is further configured to receive control parameters sent to the automated luminaire from the lighting control desk, create modified control parameters by replacing pan and tilt parameters in the received control parameters with pan and tilt parameters based on the physical orientation of the follow spot controller, and send the modified control parameters to the automated luminaire.

2 . The follow spot controller of claim 1 , further comprising a user-operated control, wherein the processor is further configured to replace other control information in the received control parameters with information based on a state of the user-operated control, and send the modified control parameters to the automated luminaire.

3 . The follow spot controller of claim 1 , further comprising:
a video interface configured to receive a video signal; and a display screen coupled to the video interface and configured to display the video signal.

4 . The follow spot controller of claim 3 , wherein the video signal is received from a camera mechanically coupled to the automated luminaire.

5 . The follow spot controller of claim 3 , wherein the video signal is received from a camera mounted separately from the automated luminaire, and wherein the processor is further configured to control an orientation of the camera.

6 . The follow spot controller of claim 1 , further comprising a modified automated luminaire including disabled pan and tilt motor drives, wherein the processor is configured to sense a physical orientation of the modified automated luminaire.

7 . A follow spot control system, comprising:
a memory; a processor electrically coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions received from the memory; and wherein the processor is further configured to:
sense a physical orientation of the follow spot controller,
send operator pan and tilt parameters to a first automated luminaire of a plurality of automated luminaires based on the physical orientation of the follow spot controller, and
send individual calculated pan and tilt parameters to each of the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires based on (i) the pan and tilt parameters of the first automated luminaire and (ii) a three-dimensional model of a surface of a performance area and locations and mounting orientations of the plurality of automated luminaires relative to the performance area.

8 . The follow spot control system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to:
calculate a target point on the surface of the performance area based on the operator pan and tilt control parameters, and calculate the calculated pan and tilt parameters based on the target point.

9 . The follow spot control system of claim 7 , wherein the operator pan and tilt parameters and calculated pan and tilt parameters are sent substantially continuously to associated ones of the plurality of automated luminaires.

10 . The follow spot control system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a video interface configured to receive a video signal; and a display screen coupled to the video interface and configured to display the video signal.

11 . The follow spot control system of claim 10 , wherein the video signal is received from a camera mechanically coupled to the first automated luminaire.

12 . The follow spot control system of claim 10 , wherein the video signal is received from a camera mounted in a fixed position.

13 . The follow spot control system of claim 10 , further comprising a modified automated luminaire including disabled pan and tilt motor drives, wherein the processor is configured to sense a physical orientation of the modified automated luminaire.

14 . The follow spot control system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive control parameters sent to the plurality of automated luminaires from a lighting control desk; replace pan and tilt parameters in the received control parameters for the first one of the plurality of automated luminaires with the operator pan and tilt parameters; replace pan and tilt parameters in the received control parameters for the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires with the corresponding individual calculated pan and tilt parameters; and send the received control parameters with the replaced pan and tilt parameters to the plurality of automated luminaires.

15 . The follow spot control system of claim 14 , further comprising a user-operated control, wherein the processor is further configured to replace other control information in the received control parameters with information based on a state of the user-operated control, and send the received control parameters with the replaced other control parameters to one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires.

16 . The follow spot control system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
replace one or more additional control parameters in the received control parameters, where the replaced additional control parameters include one or more of zoom, intensity, and iris control parameters, the replaced additional control parameters configured to maintain one or both of constant intensity and constant spot size at a target point on the surface of the performance area; and send the received control parameters with the replaced additional control parameters to one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires.

17 . A method of controlling a plurality of follow spots, comprising:
creating a three-dimensional model comprising:
one or more surfaces of a performance area;
locations and mounting orientations for each of a plurality of automated luminaires, relative to the performance area; and
location and mounting orientation for a camera, relative to the performance area;
calculating a vector representing a center of a light beam projected by a first automated luminaire of the plurality of luminaires, based on the location and mounting orientation of the first automated luminaire; calculating a target point on a surface of the performance area based on the vector; calculating individual pan and tilt parameters for each of the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires based on the luminaire target point; and sending the individual pan and tilt parameters to each associated automated luminaire.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
sensing a physical orientation of a follow spot controller; sending operator pan and tilt parameters to the first automated luminaire; and wherein calculating the vector representing the center of the light beam projected by the first automated luminaire is further based on the operator pan and tilt parameters.

19 . The method of controlling a plurality of follow spots of claim 18 , wherein sending the individual pan and tilt parameters to each associated automated luminaire comprises
receiving control parameters sent to the plurality of automated

Assignees

• Robe Lighting Sro

Inventors

• Farnik Martin
• Jurik Pavel
• Valchar Josef
• Vavrik Jindrich
• Zatopek Jiri

Classifications

• H05B47/155 Primary

  Coordinated control of two or more light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/10 Primary

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• F21W2131/406

  for theatres, stages or film studios · CPC title

• F21V14/02

  by movement of light sources {(in vehicle head lamps F21S41/657)} · CPC title

• F21V21/15 Primary

  specially adapted for power operation, e.g. by remote control · CPC title