Abstract:
Wireless network used to control multiple lights, includes multiple different networks for different purposes, and interference prevention mechanisms.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/801,252, filed May 18, 2006. The disclosure of the prior application is considered part of (and is incorporated by reference in) the disclosure of this application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Stage lighting control systems are known, and/or described, for example, in various patents owned by Production Resource Group L.L.C. Many of these patents describe a central console being used to create commands for a number of lights collectively forming a lighting effect or lighting show. Each of the lights, for example, may be capable of projecting a light beam of 100-200 W or more, may be capable of light beam movement in pan and/or tilt directions, and light beam shaping, done by a gobo.  
         [0003]     The connection to the lights is typically done over wires, for example using DMX, or using the so-called Arcnet protocol which provides DMX over ethernet. It has been suggested that control of lights using commands sent directly over wired ethernet may also be carried out.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The present application describes wireless control of lights in a stage lighting scenario.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]     These and other aspects will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  shows a system diagram showing the console connected to control a number of lights; and  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a light and wireless control.  
     
    
     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]     An embodiment is shown in  FIG. 1 . A lighting control console  100 , which may be the PRG Virtuoso console, or may be any other console which is capable of controlling multiple remote lights.  
         [0010]     A first connection  110  is a conventional wired connection which may connect to a number of conventional lights such as  112 ,  114 . These conventional lights may be of a type which are only controllable via wired connections. Virtually every stage light today available is controllable in this way.  
         [0011]     Light  112  is capable of receiving both wired connections and wireless connections. The console  100  has a wireless communication module  105  which enables connection to wireless-enabled lights such as  112 .  
         [0012]     An exemplary light  112  shown in  FIG. 2  has a pan and tilt motor  202 , a controller  204 , and a lamp  206 .  
         [0013]     Light  118 , also controlled by console  100 , has a connection only via the wireless connection shown as  120 .  
         [0014]     Any of the lights  112 ,  114 ,  116 , however, may be stage light type devices, that is may be remotely controllable to change their pan and tilt orientation, and thereby change the position at which the light is directed. The light may be mountable on a truss or other supporting device, and may preferably project a light beam having an intensity of at least 100 W. In addition, the light can be provided with a built-in functionality for wireless control, or may have an add-in functionality for such wireless control.  
         [0015]     In an embodiment, the wireless device  105  may also produce two additional wireless streams. The wireless stream  125  is a private stream. The private stream  125  enables administrative functions to be carried out either on the console, or on the controlled lights.  
         [0016]     For example, a remote  130  can connect to the private stream. The remote  130 , for example, can enable a lighting designer or other operator who is operating using a laptop or tablet style computer to carry out functions on the console or the lamps. The remote may be a dedicated laptop that runs a light version of the software on the console, and accepts commands either over the keyboard, or through the mouse or other GUI based commands.  
         [0017]     Alternatively, the remote may control using a web browser style interface, produced by the console  100 , and routed to the private network  125 . The web browser can run based on console software, thereby automatically updating that software whenever the main console software is updated.  
         [0018]     A public wireless connection  130  may also be provided. The public wireless connection may be itself controlled by the console. For example, while the console controls lighting effects by the lights  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118 , it has the ability to control many different lights. The public connection  130  may be intended to control yet another “light”; however this “light” can be any mobile phone, PDA or other unit that is in range of the wireless connection. In this way, the lighting designer is able to stream video and/or other show media and lighting information to the holder of the PDA.  
         [0019]     Any PDA with 802.11 wireless capability, or other data capability such as cellular, Bluetooth or other, may also receive the lighting information. The public stream  130  may alternatively be conveyed over other formats, such as Bluetooth.  
         [0020]     This forms three different streams of information which are sent from the console: the controlling information to the lights, the status information to a remote, and the public information. The public information may be transmitted with virtually no security, since it is intended to be received by any user in the vicinity of the information.  
         [0021]     However, the private line  125  and the control lines  120  should be secured. The private line should be secured against hackers, since otherwise anyone with knowledge of the system could hack in and change the show or change other parameters. For example, this security may use any of the encryption protocols which are associated with the wireless networking, and preferably uses the strongest possible encryption.  
         [0022]     However, the control protocols require not only protection against hacking, but also protection against interference. During the shows, many electronic devices are operating. Many users may have cell phones, and many persons in the audience may also have cell phones. Cell phones, and especially GSM cell phones, may cause interference. In addition, there are moving motors and other items which may cause interference. Accordingly, the stream  120  may be interference protected. This may be done by using a spread spectrum form of 802.11, for example, or by using an extremely error corrected form of 802.11. In the most extreme case, each command may be sent four or five times, and the light is instructed to respond to a command only when the command is properly received multiple times in a row.  
         [0023]     According to another embodiment, the commands may be sent along with a hash value indicative of the commands, so that the light may compare the command with the hash value to ensure that the command was properly received. The light may send an acknowledgment when the command and hash are properly received. Otherwise, the command is eventually re-sent.  
         [0024]     Some lights, such as  114 , are legacy devices, and will not be controllable over the wireless control. Other lights, however, such as  112 , will be controlled both via wired and wireless. These two different networks may form additional levels of communication for the light, and may enable other things.  
         [0025]     Another aspect allows using any of the network connections described herein to forward digital content wirelessly, using the techniques described herein.  
         [0026]     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.  
         [0027]     Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventor intends 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 wireless networking protocols are contemplated, including Wimax, Zigbee, and others.  
         [0028]     Also, the inventor(s) 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.  
         [0029]     The consoles and 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 an Intel (e.g., Pentium or Core 2 duo) or AMD based 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.  
         [0030]     The programs may be written in C or Python, 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, wired or wireless network based or Bluetooth based Network Attached Storage (NAS), 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.  
         [0031]     Where a specific numerical value is mentioned herein, it should be considered that the value may be increased or decreased by 20%, while still staying within the teachings of the present application, unless some different range is specifically mentioned. Where a specified logical sense is used, the opposite logical sense is also intended to be encompassed.