GB1569069A

GB1569069A - Lighting control apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB1569069A
Application number: GB21637/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 1977-05-25
Filing date: 1978-05-23
Publication date: 1980-06-11
Also published as: DE2723641A1; BE867321A; DE2723641C3; DE2723641B2

Description

(54) LiGHTING CONTROL APPARATUS (71) We, 5 S SIEMENS TENGESELL- SCHAFr, a German company, of Berlin and Munich, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention for which we pnty that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the folkwing statement:: This invention relates to lighting control apparatus, and is particularly but not ex cluaively concerned with lighting control apparatus for theatres and studios, which comprises at least one desired-value signal generator for generating desired values for individually manipulable variables of light sources, and comprises selector keys for selectively connecting a desired-value store of a light sourc to the, or one, desired-value store of a light source to the, or one, desired value signal generator.

Known light regulating installations having such features can be easily operated, because only a single key depression may be necessary for the connection of a desired value to each individual light source. However, there can be a disadvantage in the relatively high cost of wiring and commissioning in the case of installations comprising a large number of light sources. Therefore, in the case of large installations, such ease of operation has hitherto been sacrificed and series of digits identifying individual light sources have simply been typed in. The disadvantage of this is not so much the inconvenience of repeated key depression in selecting a particular light source, but rather th fact that the arrangement of light sources on a stage cannot be reproduced in a stylised keyboard.

Certain embodiments of the invention aim to provide, particular in large lighting control installations, with acceptable cost, the case of operation entailed by the allotment of a respective selector key to each light source.

According to the present invention, there is provided 7sighting control apparatus comprising a switch keyboard having a matrix of m column conductors and n row conductors and at least one selector key which can selectively be positioned at any desired one of the matrix intersections such that, in use, actuation of the key produces a change of potential in the associated column and row conductors, the apparatus further comprising two binary converters which have inputs connected respectively to the column and row conductors and are arranged to output respective binary numbers corresponding to the column conductor and row conductor upon which a change of potential occurs due to actuation of the key or one of the keys.

To assist in understanding the invention, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which shows, schematically, a lighting control apparatus.

The illustrated apparatus comprises a keyboard 10, which comprises n row conductors 11, individually denoted by 111, 112...

lln, and m column conductors 12, denoted by 121, 122, 123...12m. The row and column conductors extend transversely in relation to one another in the form of a matrix, and their intersections determine possible positions for selector keys. At several such positions, there are shown such selector keys 101, 102, 10x, which are symbolically indicated by rectangles. Any one selector key can selectively be positioned at any desired one of the matrix intersections.

The remaining, unused possible positions are covered by spare panels.

The row conductors 11 are connected to n inputs (not shown) of a binary converter 211 having five outputs, and the column conductors 12 are connected to m inputs of a binary converter 212 also having five outputs. These 10 outputs can together provide a ten-digit binary number, so that in all 210 (=1024) addresses for desired-value stores can be formed and an equal number of possible positions can be allocated to selector keys. Therefore, the keyboard 10 can comprise a maximum of 32 row conductors and 32 column conductors, that is to say, a total of 1024 possible positions.

The individual selector keys provided in the keyboard 10 are so constructed in known manner that on actuation they produce a potential change of a particular duration at the associated row conductor and at the associated column conductor. Upon actuation of the selector key 102, therefore, a signal would be temporarily present at the row conductor 112 and at the column conductor 123. These signals are then converted into a corresponding ten-digit binary address by the binary converters 211, 212. In addition, the selector keys are so constructed in known manner that, on actuation of one key, inadvertent actuation of a further key is prevented.

Light sources controlled by the illustrated apparatus are denoted by 51, 52, 5n, and each comprises a respective control means for the light source, including a desiredvalue store 510, 520, 5nO.

The connection of a desired-value signal generator 41, 42, 43 to a light source selected by a respective selector key is effected with th aid of a process computer 3 having interfaces 31, 32 and 33. The keyboard 10 is connected to the interface 31 by way of the binary converters 211, 212, as a single computer connection 21.

The desired-value signal generators 41, 42, 43 are also connected by way of a computer connection 22 to the interface 32, and the light sources 51, 52, 5n are connected to the interface 33 by way of a computer connection 23. The linkage between the computer connections 22 and 23 and the interfaces 32 and 33 is only symbolically indicated by a conductor. Of course, conductors for a control unit and an alarm circuit are also provided at all the computer connections.

It will be assumed that, on actuation of the selector key 102, a binary number is present at the interface 31, by which the desired- value store 510 of the light source 51 is connected to one of the generators 41 to 43, it being possible for the generator 41 to be selected, for example, by means of manual selector switches. In this case, the desired value just stored in the store 510 is displayed on an indicator 411, and can be changed by an actuating element 412. The allocation of the individual light sources to the individual selector keys can be changed by corresponding connection of the light sources to the outputs of the computer connection 23.

The illustrated apparatus may control up to lno4 lioht sources, as indicated above.

However, in practice, the total number of light sources employed in an installation will generally be substantially less than this number, and in this case, there is afforded the possibiilty of arranging the keys allotted to the light sources on the keyboard in a stylised stage outline, whereby extremely great ease of operation can be obtained. The cost threby involved may be quite acceptable even in the case of small installations comprising, for example, only 50 light sources, because the cost of the matrix with the row and column conductors and the two binary converters is relatively low as compared with the cost of the number of necessary selector keys. In particular, the cost of such an arrangement can be substantially less than for a keyboard which is custom designed for a specific number of light sources and/or a specific stage outline.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Lighting control apparatus comprising a switch keyboard having a matrix of m column conductors and n row conductors and at least one selector key which can selectively be positioned at any desired one of the matrix intersections such that in use, actuation of the key produces a change of potential in the associated column and row conductors, the apparatus further comprising two binary converters which have inputs connected respectively to the column and row conductors and are arranged to output respective binary numbers corresponding to the column conductor and row conductor upon which a change of potential occurs due to actuation of the key or one of the keys.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of said selector keys.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, including at least one control means for controlling a respective light source, which means, in use, is addressed by a respective combination of binary numbers from the binary converters.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, including generating means for generating a desired-value signal for a light source.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 and 4, wherein the or each said control means when addressed by its respective combination of binary numbers, is arranged to receive a respective desired value signal from the generating means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 3, to claims 3 and 4, or to claim 5, wherein said, or at least one of said, control means comprises a desired-value store for storing a desired-value signal for a respective light source.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, including a process computer arranged to feed a desired-value signal to said, or one of said, control means, when addressed.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. can comprise a maximum of 32 row conductors and 32 column conductors, that is to say, a total of 1024 possible positions. The individual selector keys provided in the keyboard 10 are so constructed in known manner that on actuation they produce a potential change of a particular duration at the associated row conductor and at the associated column conductor. Upon actuation of the selector key 102, therefore, a signal would be temporarily present at the row conductor 112 and at the column conductor 123. These signals are then converted into a corresponding ten-digit binary address by the binary converters 211, 212. In addition, the selector keys are so constructed in known manner that, on actuation of one key, inadvertent actuation of a further key is prevented. Light sources controlled by the illustrated apparatus are denoted by 51, 52, 5n, and each comprises a respective control means for the light source, including a desiredvalue store 510, 520, 5nO. The connection of a desired-value signal generator 41, 42, 43 to a light source selected by a respective selector key is effected with th aid of a process computer 3 having interfaces 31, 32 and 33. The keyboard 10 is connected to the interface 31 by way of the binary converters 211, 212, as a single computer connection 21. The desired-value signal generators 41, 42, 43 are also connected by way of a computer connection 22 to the interface 32, and the light sources 51, 52, 5n are connected to the interface 33 by way of a computer connection 23. The linkage between the computer connections 22 and 23 and the interfaces 32 and 33 is only symbolically indicated by a conductor. Of course, conductors for a control unit and an alarm circuit are also provided at all the computer connections. It will be assumed that, on actuation of the selector key 102, a binary number is present at the interface 31, by which the desired- value store 510 of the light source 51 is connected to one of the generators 41 to 43, it being possible for the generator 41 to be selected, for example, by means of manual selector switches. In this case, the desired value just stored in the store 510 is displayed on an indicator 411, and can be changed by an actuating element 412. The allocation of the individual light sources to the individual selector keys can be changed by corresponding connection of the light sources to the outputs of the computer connection 23. The illustrated apparatus may control up to lno4 lioht sources, as indicated above. However, in practice, the total number of light sources employed in an installation will generally be substantially less than this number, and in this case, there is afforded the possibiilty of arranging the keys allotted to the light sources on the keyboard in a stylised stage outline, whereby extremely great ease of operation can be obtained. The cost threby involved may be quite acceptable even in the case of small installations comprising, for example, only 50 light sources, because the cost of the matrix with the row and column conductors and the two binary converters is relatively low as compared with the cost of the number of necessary selector keys. In particular, the cost of such an arrangement can be substantially less than for a keyboard which is custom designed for a specific number of light sources and/or a specific stage outline. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Lighting control apparatus comprising a switch keyboard having a matrix of m column conductors and n row conductors and at least one selector key which can selectively be positioned at any desired one of the matrix intersections such that in use, actuation of the key produces a change of potential in the associated column and row conductors, the apparatus further comprising two binary converters which have inputs connected respectively to the column and row conductors and are arranged to output respective binary numbers corresponding to the column conductor and row conductor upon which a change of potential occurs due to actuation of the key or one of the keys.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein m=32 and n=32, to provide 1024 matrix intersections and therefore 1024 possible key locations, and each binary converter has five outputs, all of the converter outputs being connected to the computer by a single connector.

9. Lighting control apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A lighting installation comprising at least one light source connected to be controlled by an apparatus according to any preceding claim.

11. An installation according to claim 10, comprising a plurality of light sources connected to be controlled by an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A theatre or studio incorporating a lighting installation according to claim 10 or 11.