Patent Publication Number: US-5152210-A

Title: Modulized water and light performing equipment

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to water and light performing equipment, and more particularly relates to a modulized water and light performing equipment which provides various spring patterns matching with harmonious color lighting effects through modulized control. 
     Regular big scale music spring performing equipment can produce a variety of spring patterns according to the playing of a music. This type of water performing equipment is very expensive and requires much space to build up. The construction and water piping are very complicated. Further, only professional people can manage suitable spring patterns to match with selected music. 
     There is still some other kinds of spring generating equipment of relatively smaller scale for decoration. However, they required complicated water piping incorporating with a plurality of separate water nozzles disposed at different locations and angles for generating different spring patterns. In these structures, one water pump is provided for generating a specific spring pattern. When several spring patterns are to be generated, several water pumps are required and much space will be occupied. During performance, spring patterns can only be changed in height in accordance with the change of the frequency or volume of a music, i.e. little variation can be provided and the spring patterns that are generating can not express the main theme of a music. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,404 there is disclosed a device to convert voice into spring pattern controlling signal for controlling a water performing equipment to generate different spring patterns. It analyzes a music to obtain relative voltage level corresponding to the beat and frequency band width of a music, so as to proportionally control the output of water through the nozzles. This structure still can not express the main theme of a music and can only change the size of the spring generated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished to eliminate the aforesaid problems. According to one aspect of the present invention, a modulized water distribution and level controller is provided to control a single water pump to pump water for generating various spring patterns at the same time. According to another aspect of the present invention, a spring pattern generating unit is provided to produce a variety of spring patterns without using nozzles of different ejecting angle. According to still another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of modulized water distribution and level controller and water pattern generating units are incorporated to present a variety of three-dimensional spring patterns. According to still another aspect of the present invention, a modulized water and light performing equipment can be alternatively controlled to operate through three input modes including built-in procedure, external sound and external specific signal. Therefore, no professional engineer is required in selecting background music. Modern sound analysis theory is applied in the present invention so that different spring patterns are controlled to play in accordance with the tendency of sound when external sound control mode is selected. A light performance unit is provided to generate different color lighting at different intensity so as to harmonize with the various spring patterns generated through a water performance unit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the complete system of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of the circuit sub-system according to the present invention (including front control panel, back control panel, main circuit unit); 
     FIG. 2A is a circuit diagram of the main circuit unit of the circuit sub-system illustrated in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 2B is a block diagram of the sound tendency determination procedure according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the structure of the water performing module according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3A illustrates the structure of the water distribution and level controller according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3B illustrates the structure of the spring pattern generating unit according to the present invention; and 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the structure of the light performance sub-system according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to be annexed drawings in greater detail and referring first to FIG. 1, therein illustrated is a modulized water and light performing equipment embodying the present invention and generally comprised of a bottom box unit 1 and a top box unit 2. The bottom box unit 1 comprises a power supply unit 3˜5, a front control panel 10 and a main circuit unit 20. The top box unit 2 comprises a water performance sub-system 30˜35 and a light performance sub-system 40. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power supply unit 3˜5 provides the whole system of the present invention with necessary working voltage, which comprises an AC power input cable 3, a power switch 4 and a transformer 5. The front control panel 10 comprises selector switches 11 through 14, light emitting diodes 15 and 16 for warning display, and a photoresistance (CDS sensor) 17. The selector switch 11 is to select either of the three input modes of built-in procedure, external sound or external specific signal, for alternatively controlling the operation of the main circuit unit 20. 
     The main circuit unit 20 is selectively controlled by the built-in procedure input mode, the external sound input mode and the external specific signal input mode. When the built-in procedure input mode is selected, the main circuit unit 20 provides built-in procedure signal sets to control the water performance sub-system 30˜35 and the light performance sub-system 40 via relay switches 24 and 25, and relay switch 26 respectively, so as to present various spring patterns harmoniously matching with a variety of lighting effects including the change of color lighting, height of spring, intensity of light, tempo and rhythm. When the external sound input mode is selected, the main circuit unit 20 receives analog signal from external sound via an audio input terminal 22 on a back panel 21, to sample and analyze sound tendency, then determine the significance of external sound so as to provide selected logic procedures, according to the tendency of external sound, for controling the water performance sub-system 30˜35 and the light performance sub-system 40 via the relay switches 24 and 25, and the relay switch 26, to respectively present various spring patterns harmoniously matching with different color lighting and intensity of light, different tempo in ejecting water at different rhythm. When the external specific signal input mode is selected, the main circuit unit 20 receives digital control signal from external specific signal via the input terminal 23 of the back panel 21 to control the water and light performance sub-systems 30˜35 and 40 via the relay switches 24, 25 and 26 (details of the main circuit unit 20 will be outlined further). 
     Under either of the aforesaid three different input modes, an user can control the water function selector switch 12 to turn on/off water performance; control the light function selector switch 13 to turn on/off light; let the photo sensor 17 to control the intensity of light according to ambient brightness; or control the tempo selector switch 14 to determine the rate of speed in counting water and light performance patterns under built-in procedure input mode. 
     The power supply unit 3˜5 and the front control panel 10 are of the known art (selector switches, transformer, light emitting diodes, photo sensor are of general electronic components) are respectively connected to the main circuit unit through regular technique. 
     As described above, the top box unit 2 comprises a water performance sub-system 30˜35 and a light performance sub-system 40, the structure of which is outlined hereinafter. Referring to FIG. 1 again, the water performance sub-system 30˜35 is comprised of three AC operated submersible pumps 30, three water distribution and level controllers 31, three spring pattern generating units 32, an water level sensor 33, a plurality of filter sponges 34 and reservoirs 35. The water performance sub-system 30˜35 receives control signal from the main circuit unit 20 via the relay switch 24 to drive the AC operated submersible pumps 30 to respectively pump or stop pumping water, and simultaneously to drive the water distribution and level controllers 31 to respectively supply a predetermined amount of water to a certain water intake at the spring pattern generating units 32. Therefore, the function in controlling water spring patterns and water level is achieved (details of performance will be described further). The filter sponges 34 of the water performance sub-system 30˜35 suck spring water back to the reservoirs 35 for further circulation through the operation of the submersible pumps 30. When water level drops below a predetermined range, the water level sensor 33 immediately sends a signal to drive the main circuit unit 20 to stop the water and light performance sub-systems and simultaneously to trigger the light emitting diodes 15 and 16, and to give an audio warning signal. 
     FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of a circuit sub-system 10, 20, 21 according to the present invention. FIG. 2A is a circuit diagram of the main circuit unit 20 of the circuit block diagram of the circuit sub-system illustrated in FIG. 2. 
     As illustrated, rectifier circuit 201 comprises a bridge rectifier 2011 and a transformer IC 2012 to rectify and stabilize the power supply from the transformer 5 so as to provide a stable power voltage for the whole system of the present invention. The audio input terminal 22 of the back panel 21 receives external analog audio signal for processing into high, medium and low frequency bands through the operation of an operational amplifier 2211 of a sound analyzer circuit 221, and then compared through another operational amplifier 2212 to further send to a TTL (transistor-transistor logic) input driving IC 2901. The specific signal input terminal 23 of the back panel 21 receives specific digital control signal to directly send to the TTL input driving IC 2901, permitting a main control circuit 291 to control the present system or feed back a signal to the external specific signal transmitter. The TTL input driving IC 2901 also receives functional selection signals from the front control panel 10 to drive the main control circuit 291 to operate. The main control circuit 291 is comprised of a central processing unit (CPU) 2911 and a read only memory (ROM) 2912 to control the operation of the present system according to the program stored at the read only memory 2912. 
     When a built-in procedure mode is selected, the main control program procedure 2912a automatically picks up a selection logic procedure 2912d from a built-in program procedure 2912b through random access. The selection logic procedure 2912d is to select a harmonious signal sets from a data bank of spring patterns, colors of light, height of spring, intensity of light, rate of speed and rhythm, according to logic operation and probability theory for output of control signal through the main control program procedure 2912a. 
     When a sound input mode is selected, the sound tendency determination procedure 2912c determines the tendency of the input sound for controlling the operation of the present system, the detail of which will be outlined further. 
     A flip-flop output IC 2961 receives water and light sub-system control signal from the main control circuit 291 to control the synchronous motors 311a of the water distribution and level controllers 31 to rotate forward or backward via the relays 24a and 24b; to control the pumps 30 to pump or stop pumping water via the relay 25; to turn on/off various lamp bulbs of different color via the relay 26. 
     The TTL input driving IC 2901 also receives feedback signal from the water level sensor 33 so as to drive the main control circuit 291 to provide warning signal when water level is below a predetermined range, and from which the photo interrupter 311c sends back location signals. Thereafter, the flip-flop output IC 2961 triggers the buzzer 297 and the light emitting diodes 15 and 16 of the front control panel to operate. During changing of ambient intensity of light, the photo sensor 17 sends a detected signal to the TTL input driving IC 2901 to drive the main control circuit 291 to determine if to provide a control signal for controlling the light performance sub-system 40 according to the condition of the light function selector switch 13. 
     FIG. 2B illustrates the block diagram of the sound tendency determination procedure 2912c and the operation of which is outlined hereinafter. Input sound or music instrument analog signal is processed through the sound analyzer circuit 211 into corresponding frequency band and volume digital signal for delivery to the main control program procedure 2912a via the TTL input IC 2901. Once the main control program procedure 2912a receives the signal, the sound tendency determination procedure 2912c starts State Si to sample frequency bands and volume (procedure 2912cO) and calculate the distribution of the frequency bands and value of volume of the main State Si (procedure 2912c1) for determining the main frequency band of the sound and its changing rate (procedure 2912c2) within period of Si to Sj. The so-called main frequency band defined as the frequency band of a sound which has the maximum volume of voice or the higher frequency band of same volume. According to system theory of music analysis composition, the general approach to express and the change of motivation of a work (or voice) can be roughly comprehended through the change and changing rate of the main frequency band. Therefotre, we can roughly predict the possible tendency after State Sj and determine a corresponding selection seed (procedure 2912c3) and then send the seed value Ri of selection to the selection logic procedure 2912d. Hereby, the value Ri of selection seed designates the value of the emotion of a voice which can be sent to the selection logic procedure 2912d for selecting suitable main theme and supporting scenes including spring patterns, main and supporting colors of light, tempo and rhythm of music. The height of spring and intensity of light may be real time reflected according to the volume of voice if deseired. 
     Since voice state may change after State Sj to State Sk, continuous monitoring procedures must be taken to calculate the distribution of its frequency bands and its volume (procedure 2912c4). This new state is compared with State Sj (procedure 2912c5) for determining if the main frequency band will stably change to another frequency band within a fixed length of time (5˜10 seconds, for example) or the changing speed of the main frequency band is suddenly accelerated or slowed down or stopped. If there is no any unexpected change, it can be predicted that the tendency after State Sk will be simialr to State Si. If there is any unexpected change, the tendency after State Sk is predicted and a corresponding new selection seed Rk is given. 
     The main feature of this procedure (2912c) is to predicate &#34;the long-term tendency&#34; of a voice statistically so as to present the main theme of a voice, and it may also reflect significant sudden change of a voice. Unlike the prior art which can only simply reflect the volume and the rate of speed of a voice randomly, the present invention presents a new approach more closely to human comprehension of music. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, therein illustrated is a water performing module 31-32 according to the present invention and generally comprised of a water distribution and level controller 31 and a spring pattern generating unit 32. The small submersible motor 30 is connected to the main circuit unit 20 and controlled by the relay 25 to pump water into the water intake hole 310a of the water distribution and level controller 31 from which the distributor 310b delivers water through either of the six water outlets 310c for supplying water to the corresponding water intake hole 320a at the spring pattern generating unit 32 so that water can be further ejected through the corresponding water spout 320c to produce a spring. The structure of the water distribution and level controller 31 and the spring pattern generating unit 32 will be outlined further. 
     In the present invention, the water distribution and level controller 31 has six water outlets 310c disposed around a circle and respectively connected to the six parallel water channels 320b of the spring pattern generating unit 32. Therefore, various spring patterns at different height can be achieved without using much piping or water nozzles of different angle. 
     FIG. 3A illustrated the structure of the water distribution and level controller 31 which is generally comprises of a distribution box 310 and a synchronous motor box 311. The distribution box 310 has a water intake hole 310a at the center the top cover 310e thereof, a distributor 310b and six water outlets 310c at different locations. Water flow quantity is determined according to the relative position of the distributor 310b against the six water outlets 310c and the relative position of the distributor 310b is controlled through different control signal so as to produce different water level. The selection of the water outlets of the distribution box 310 is determined by means of the operation of the motor box 311. The motor box 311 comprises a synchronous motor 311a having a locator 311b mounted on its motor shaft, which locator 311b has a plurality of holes sensed by a photo interrupter 311c to provide different signal to an input interface IC 2901. Upon receipt of location signal, the main control procedure 2912a controls the synchronous motor 311a to drive the distributor 310b to a predetermined location for water distribution and flow quantity control. 
     Therefore, a water pump can now provide several spring patterns and simultaneously control water level through the operation of a simple water distribution and level controller 31. In conventional water performing equipment, a water pump can only provide a single spring pattern and water level must be separately controlled through another measure. 
     FIG. 3B illustrates the structure of the spring pattern generating unit 32. The spring pattern generating unit 32 is generally comprised of six parallel water channels 320b each a water intake hole 320a respectively connected to the six water outlets 310c of the water distribution and level controller 31 and a plurality of spouts 320c disposed at different locations in different angles for producing different spring pattern. Because each water channel has a plurality of spouts disposed at different locations in different angles, modulized water distribution and performance can be conveniently achieved. Conventionally a big scale of spring or an ornamental spring is generally achieved through a plurality of separate water nozzles and a plurality of water supply tubes. In the present invention, water piping can be simplified and no water nozzle is required. 
     The operation of the light performance sub-system 40 is outlined hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The relay 26 sends a light control signal to control sixteen lamp bulbs to give off color lighting according to main control procedure software 2912a. At least three of the sixteen lamp bulbs are incorporated to produce a specific lighting and the intensity of which is controlled according to the number of lamp bulbs. 
     In general, the present invention discloses a water performing equipment which provides various spring patterns matching with harmonious color lighting effects through modulized design with extension flexibility.