Abstract:
A moving light test system allows connecting moving lights to an interface board and conveying the lights and orienting and testing the lights while they are attached to the board. The lights can be mechanically and electrically connected to the board, and once connected, can be tested in multiple ways without reconfiguring or removing the lights. The board has a connector that can be plugged in at various locations, and the board can also be handled by mechanical devices. In this way, once the light is connected to the board, it does not need to be re-handled. In addition, lights can be tested in different orientations.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application No. 60/867,382, filed Nov. 27, 2006, the disclosure of which is herewith incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Lights for stage and production operations are often heavy and awkward. These lights are intended to be remotely controlled, and also to project a high intensity light. The lights often include special bulbs and ballasts. The lights are mountable on trusses, but often very difficult to handle. Many devices, for example, require two men to carry them. 
         [0003]    The lights are often rented, and after the rental is completed, they must be tested to be readied for the next rental. This means testing the lights. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present application teaches a special moving table and system that allows the lights to be automatically handled, tested and cleaned. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIGS. 1A-1C  show handling of the lights; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  shows an interface board; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  illustrates the moving light table. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0008]    The general structure and techniques, and more specific embodiments which can be used to effect different ways of carrying out the more general goals, are described herein. 
         [0009]    This application recognizes that multiple handling of lights after a rental or other hire is inefficient. According to the present system, a device is disclosed which allows manually handling the lights only a single time, after which the lights are automatically processed. In an embodiment, the lights are attached both mechanically and electrically to an interface board that allows the lights to be electronically handled and also tested. 
         [0010]    The embodiment refers to handling and control of “moving lights”, which in an embodiment are devices that are remotely controllable to move in pan and tilt directions, based on controls from a remote console. Moving lights also have beam parameters, like hue, saturation, beam size, intensity, and pattern that are all remote controllable as well as the above referenced pan and tilt. The moving lights may be of a type that has a base connection, and a moving head that is connected to and controlled by electronics in the base connection. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment, a crane or other comparable device can be used to handle the lights. For example, the crane can be maneuvered to turn the lights upside down, an otherwise difficult operation. The crane can also be used to raise and lower the lights in and out of road cases and on and off the table. 
         [0012]      FIGS. 1A-1C  illustrate an embodiment that shows the way that the lights are handled. 
         [0013]    When the lights are first removed from the truck or other transportation device, they are usually placed “upside down”, with the light part facing up, as shown in  FIG. 1A . The lights are formed of two parts: a base part such as  100 , and a light producing part  105 . The light producing part  105  is movable relative to the control part  100 . When the lights are hung on trusses, the base part is connected to the truss, while the moving part  105  is controlled by and moved relative to the truss. However, the base part is often much heavier than the moving part (since the control part forms the anchor and never really needs to move). Accordingly, the lights can be maneuvered to place the control part downward. However, this is not the position in which the lights will be used, and hence this may not be the optimum position to test those lights. 
         [0014]    In the embodiment, the lights are attached to a special interface board which is shown in  FIG. 2 . The interface board is referred to as a “boogie board”. The boogie board includes a light mounting surface  200 , and also includes a connection portion  205  which includes connections that can make a connection to portions of the light which normally interface to the clamps that are used to hang the light. The light is connected to the connection portions  205 ,  210 . The connection is then tightened to be thereby held on the interface board. An electrical connector portion  215  includes a light interfacing connector part  220 , and a test interfacing connector part  225 . These two connectors may be configurable depending on the light which is used, for example. The light interfacing connector  220  connects to the light which is attached to the board  200 . This provides power and control signals on the light&#39;s normal connectors for power and data. The power and control may be a generic connector with pigtail connections that are intended for use with multiple different devices, or it may be specific connectors that are directly connected into connectors on the light. 
         [0015]    There may be more than two connectors on the Plug box, e.g., an XLR 5 pin for DMX, AMP 19 pin connector for Vari-Lite S300 lights that need Low voltage power, communication, and bulb power. An L620 connector may be provided for 208 volt power, a stagepin connector for 110 volt non dim power, another stagepin connector for 110 volt dimming, and finally an RJ45 Ethernet connector. More generally, there may be multiple connectors for multiple types of power and data configurations. 
         [0016]    For example, the connectors may provide XLR connections for the DMX connection, and may also provide standard kinds of power connections. Connector  225  may similarly be configured in this way. 
         [0017]    Once the light is connected on the interface board  199 , it can be automatically handled using a crane or winch.  FIG. 1B  illustrates how the lights can be placed on a table which allows the lights to be moved and tilted. The light  130  is placed on the table in a position where it can be moved along the table. The table also includes tiltable support parts, each controllable by a hydraulic arm  131 , which more generally may be, pneumatic, vacuum, or electromagnetic. When the arm  131  is extended, the table is tilted as shown in  133 , causing the light to be tilted under power. The light can then be tested in the tilted position. This position is closer to the light&#39;s normal operating position, and hence this may be a more realistic way of testing the light&#39;s operation. This also puts the maximum amount of physical strain on the light as well. If desired, the lights on the boards can also be handled by a crane and hung from trusses for testing.  140  shows a group of lights being hung from trusses so that the lights can be tested in their normal position. 
         [0018]    In this embodiment, the connectors are fully modular connectors, that can be configured in any desired way for any desired light. For example, the connectors may have configurable shapes, pins and other features. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  illustrates the table and its test areas. The lights, on the interface boards, can be placed along the conveyor portion  300  of the table. The conveyor portion may move in an endless loop, moving the lights from one end to the other. Another embodiment may just form the conveyor as rollers along which the boards can be conveyed. In the embodiments, the conveyor portion is formed of slats  301  which allow open areas  302  in between adjacent slats. It may use rollers that are automated by rubber bands around the rollers and connected to a central line shaft with a single driving motor. 
         [0020]    One or more testing stations such as  310  are provided. In the embodiment, the testing stations are hydraulically, pneumatically, vacuum, or electromagnetically controlled between a stowed position shown as  132  in  FIG. 1B , and a tilted position shown as  133  in  FIG. 1A . Each of the test stations have a provision for an interface board to be located, shown as  315 . The provision for the interface board includes an electrical connection  320  which plugs into the test interfacing connector part  325 . The board hence plugs into the connector  320  and allows powering up and testing the device in various ways. For example, a computer, shown as  325 , may provide a test program for each light, either automatically or under operator control. A power source  330  also is connected to the connectors  320 , and enables providing AC and/or DC power of various types to power the operations of the light. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, various sections along the conveyor include suction portions  340 . The suction portions create a downdraft through the open areas  302  in the slats. There may also be blowers such as  341  which blow on the lights to further remove debris whenever possible. This forms an area which is a downdraft section. Other portions of the workstation may carry out other functions. For example, a barcode scanner  355  may scan a barcode or other identifying indicia on the light to determine information about the light such as its model number or any identifying characteristics. 
         [0022]    Once the identifying information has been read, the identifying indicia can indicate specific information about the light. That information can be used to determine information about the light, e.g., directly, or by looking up the information from a database. The looked-up information can include, for example, format and/or type of power to the light, and format of control signals. 
         [0023]    The output of the scanner  355  is connected into the computer, to assist the computer in this determination. Moreover, while the scanner is shown separated from the detection stations, it should be understood that the scanner can be located at the detection stations, such that each detection station has its own scanner to facilitate testing of individual lights. As an alternative to a scan, a machine vision device can be used. 
         [0024]    In the embodiment, any crane can be used to move the devices, for example a hydraulic crane from Spanco. 
         [0025]    Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to be encompassed within this specification. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way. This disclosure is intended to be exemplary, and the claims are intended to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art. For example, other resistance sizes can be used, and other devices can be tested in this way. 
         [0026]    Also, the inventors intend that only those claims which use the words “means for” are intended to be interpreted under 35 USC 112, sixth paragraph. Moreover, no limitations from the specification are intended to be read into any claims, unless those limitations are expressly included in the claims. The computers described herein may be any kind of computer, either general purpose, or some specific purpose computer such as a workstation. The computer may be a Pentium class computer, running Windows XP or Linux, or may be a Macintosh computer. The computer may also be a handheld computer, such as a PDA, cellphone, or laptop. 
         [0027]    The programs may be written in C, or Java, Brew or any other programming language. The programs may be resident on a storage medium, e.g., magnetic or optical, e.g. the computer hard drive, a removable disk or media such as a memory stick or SD media, or other removable medium. The programs may also be run over a network, for example, with a server or other machine sending signals to the local machine, which allows the local machine to carry out the operations described herein.