Fixture data over powerline network

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for fixture data over a powerline network. In one aspect, fixture interfaces can receive control data on a powerline network and provide the control data to a fixture on a fixture network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system including a first fixture interface for providing control data from a first powerline network to one or more fixtures configured to use one or more power supplies associated with the first powerline network, the first fixture interface comprising:
 (a) a first interface for connecting the first fixture interface to one or more conductor lines providing the one or more power supplies associated with the first powerline network;   (b) a second interface for communicating with a fixture via a first fixture network; and   (c) control logic for
 (i) receiving control data and address data on the first powerline network, wherein the control data indicates settings for operating parameters of the fixture, 
 (ii) determining the address data corresponds to the fixture on the first fixture network, and 
 (ii) forwarding the control data to the fixture on the first fixture network corresponding to the address data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fixture comprises a light. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the settings for the operating parameters correspond with operations of the light, the settings for the operating parameters selected from the group including light intensity, orientation, motion, color, lens position (focus), gobo (pattern) selection, shutter state, and special effects. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fixture is selected from the group including a light, a dimmer rack, a color scroller, an audio/video controller, a smoke or fog generator, a contact closure, and a pyrotechnics effects instrument. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control logic for determining includes translating the address data from an address corresponding to the first powerline network to an address corresponding to the first fixture network. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control logic for forwarding includes translating the control data from a first protocol providing the settings for the operating parameters to a second protocol providing the settings for the operating parameters. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a powerline bridge interface for extracting a subset of the control data and the address data from the first powerline network and providing the subset of the control data and the address data to a second powerline network, the subset corresponding with fixtures communicating with a second interface fixture connected with the second powerline network.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first powerline network is a three-phase power network, and the first interface for connecting the first fixture interface to the first powerline network comprises a connection to two or more conductor lines of the three-phase powerline network. 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing control data from a first powerline network to one or more fixtures configured to use one or more power supplies associated with the first powerline network, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a fixture interface, control data and address data on the first powerline network, wherein the control data indicates settings for operating parameters of the fixture;   determining, by the fixture interface, the address data corresponds to the fixture on a first fixture network; and   forwarding, by the fixture interface, the control data to the fixture on the first fixture network corresponding to the address data.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the fixture comprises a light. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the settings for the operating parameters correspond with operations of the light, the settings for the operating parameters selected from the group including light intensity, orientation, motion, color, lens position (focus), gobo (pattern) selection, shutter state, and special effects. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the fixture comprises a fog machine. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , the method further comprising:
 translating the address data from an address corresponding to the first powerline network to an address corresponding to the first fixture network.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , the method further comprising:
 translating the control data from a first protocol providing the settings for the operating parameters to a second protocol providing the settings for the operating parameters.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 extracting, by a powerline bridge interface, a subset of the control data and the address data from the first powerline network and providing the subset of the control data and the address data to a second powerline network, the subset corresponding with fixtures communicating with a second interface fixture connected with the second powerline network.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first powerline network is a three-phase power network, and the first interface for connecting the first fixture interface to the first powerline network comprises a connection to two or more conductor lines of the three-phase powerline network. 
     
     
         17 . A controller interface for providing control data from a controller network to a first powerline network, and ultimately, via the first powerline network, to a first fixture to which the control data is addressed, the controller interface comprising:
 (a) an interface for connecting the controller interface to the controller network;   (b) an interface for connecting the controller interface to the first powerline network, wherein the first powerline network is configured to provide the control data over one or more conductor lines of the first powerline network;   (c) control logic for
 (i) receiving first control data and first address data from the controller network and addressed to the first fixture on the first powerline network, the first address data based on the controller network; and 
 (ii) forwarding the first control data addressed to the first fixture to the first powerline network, wherein the forwarding comprises mapping the first address data from the controller network to a first address corresponding to the first powerline network. 
   
     
     
         18 . The controller interface of  claim 17 , wherein the control logic for receiving is further for receiving second control data and second address data from the controller network and addressed to a second fixture on a second powerline network. 
     
     
         19 . The controller interface of  claim 18 , wherein the control logic for forwarding is further for organizing the first control data and the second control data to be provided on the first powerline network. 
     
     
         20 . The controller interface of  claim 19 , wherein the first control data corresponds to a first channel data range, the second control data corresponds to the first channel data range, and the control logic is further for forwarding the second control data by modifying the first channel data range corresponding to the second control data to a second channel data range, the first data channel range and the second data channel range being different. 
     
     
         21 . The controller interface of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a powerline bridge interface for extracting the second control data on the first powerline network and providing the second control data on the second powerline network.   
     
     
         22 . The controller interface of  claim 21 , wherein the powerline bridge interface for extracting is further for modifying the second channel data range to the first channel data range. 
     
     
         23 . The controller interface of  claim 17 , wherein the first powerline network is a three-phase power network. 
     
     
         24 . The controller interface of  claim 17 , wherein the controller interface is further for providing the first control data on two or more conductor lines of the first powerline network. 
     
     
         25 . A method for providing control data from a controller network to a first powerline network, and ultimately, via the first powerline network, to a first fixture to which the control data is addressed, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a controller interface, first control data and first address data from the controller network and addressed to the first fixture on the first powerline network, the first address data based on the controller network; and   forwarding, by the controller interface, the first control data addressed to the first fixture to the first powerline network, wherein the forwarding comprises mapping the first address data from the controller network to a first address corresponding to the first powerline network.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , the method further comprising:
 receiving second control data and second address data from the controller network and addressed to a second fixture on a second powerline network.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , the method further comprising:
 organizing the first control data and the second control data to be provided on the first powerline network.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the first control data corresponds to a first channel data range, the second control data corresponds to the first channel data range, and the method comprises forwarding the second control data by modifying the first channel data range corresponding to the second control data to a second channel data range, the first data channel range and the second data channel range being different. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 extracting, by a powerline bridge interface, the second control data on the first powerline network and providing the second control data on the second powerline network.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , the method further comprising:
 modifying the second channel data range to the first channel data range.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first powerline network is a three-phase power network. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , the method further comprising:
 providing the first control data on two or more conductor lines of the first powerline network.   
     
     
         33 . A method for commissioning addresses for fixtures by a controller interface configured to translate addresses from a controller network to one or more powerline networks, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the controller interface, a unique fixture identifier for each fixture on one or more fixture networks from one or more fixture interfaces communicating with the first fixture network on a first powerline network;   establishing, by the controller interface, a powerline network address for each of the unique fixture identifiers; and   correlating, by the controller interface, each powerline network address with a controller network address.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the controller interface, one or more unique fixture identifiers for each fixture on a second powerline network from a first bridge interface, the first bridge interface communicating with the first powerline network and a second bridge interface, the second bridge interface communicating with the second powerline network;   establishing, by the controller interface, a powerline network address for each of the unique fixture identifiers for each fixture on the second powerline network; and   correlating, by the controller interface, each of the powerline network addresses for each of the unique fixture identifiers for each fixture on the second powerline network with a controller network address.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 discovering, by the controller interface, the one or more fixture interfaces and the bridge interface communicating with the first powerline network, and the second bridge interface communicating with the second powerline network.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the controller interface, a powerline network address for the first bridge interface and the second bridge interface; and   programming, by the controller interface, the first bridge interface to forward data on the first powerline network corresponding to the fixtures on the second powerline network to the second bridge interface.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 establishing, by the controller interface, a powerline network address for each fixture interface on the first powerline network.   
     
     
         38 . A controller interface configured to commission addresses for fixtures and configured to translate addresses from a controller network to one or more powerline networks, the controller interface comprising control logic for:
 receiving a unique fixture identifier for each fixture on one or more fixture networks from one or more fixture interfaces communicating with the first fixture network on a first powerline network;   establishing a powerline network address for each of the unique fixture identifiers; and   correlating each powerline network address with a controller network address.   
     
     
         39 . The controller interface of  claim 38 , the control logic further for:
 receiving one or more unique fixture identifiers for each fixture on a second powerline network from a first bridge interface, the first bridge interface communicating with the first powerline network and a second bridge interface, the second bridge interface communicating with the second powerline network;   establishing a powerline network address for each of the unique fixture identifiers for each fixture on the second powerline network; and   correlating each of the powerline network addresses for each of the unique fixture identifiers for each fixture on the second powerline network with a controller network address.   
     
     
         40 . The controller interface of  claim 39  the control logic further for:
 discovering the one or more fixture interfaces and the bridge interface communicating with the first powerline network, and the second bridge interface communicating with the second powerline network. 
 
     
     
         41 . The controller interface of  claim 39 , the control logic further for:
 establishing a powerline network address for the first bridge interface and the second bridge interface; and   programming the first bridge interface to forward data on the first powerline network corresponding to the fixtures on the second powerline network to the second bridge interface.   
     
     
         42 . The controller interface of  claim 39 , the control logic further for:
 establishing a powerline network address on the first powerline network for each fixture interface on the second powerline network.