Follow Spot Control System

Abstract

A method of controlling a plurality of follow spots is provided. Pan and tilt orientation of a mounting mechanism for a follow spot controller is sensed. Operator pan and tilt parameters based on the sensed pan and tilt of the mounting mechanism are sent to a first automated luminaire. Individual calculated pan and tilt parameters are sent to each of the other automated luminaires, based on the pan and tilt parameters of the first automated luminaire and a three-dimensional model of a surface of a performance area and individual locations and mounting orientations of each of the plurality of automated luminaires relative to the performance area.

1 . A method of controlling a plurality of follow spots, comprising:
 creating a three-dimensional model comprising:
 one or more surfaces of a performance area; 
 individual locations and mounting orientations for each of a plurality of automated luminaires, relative to the performance area; and 
 location and mounting orientation for a camera, relative to the performance area; 
   calculating a vector representing a center of a light beam projected by a first automated luminaire of the plurality of luminaires, based on the location and mounting orientation of the first automated luminaire;   calculating a target point on a surface of the performance area based on the vector;   calculating individual pan and tilt parameters for each of the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires based on the luminaire target point; and   sending the individual pan and tilt parameters to each associated automated luminaire.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sensing a physical orientation of a follow spot controller;   sending operator pan and tilt parameters to the first automated luminaire; and   wherein calculating the vector representing the center of the light beam projected by the first automated luminaire is further based on the operator pan and tilt parameters.   
     
     
         3 . The method of controlling a plurality of follow spots of  claim 2 , wherein sending the individual pan and tilt parameters to each associated automated luminaire comprises:
 receiving control parameters sent to the plurality of automated luminaires from a lighting control desk;   replacing pan and tilt parameters in the received control parameters for the first one of the plurality of automated luminaires with the operator pan and tilt parameters;   replacing pan and tilt parameters in the received control parameters for the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires with the individual calculated pan and tilt parameters; and   sending the received control parameters with the replaced pan and tilt parameters to the plurality of automated luminaires.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the operator pan and tilt parameters and the individual pan and tilt parameters are sent substantially continuously to associated ones of the plurality of automated luminaires. 
     
     
         5 . A method of remotely controlling an automated luminaire, the method comprising:
 receiving control parameters sent to an automated luminaire from a lighting control desk;   sensing a physical orientation of a mounting mechanism configured to mount a follow spot controller for motion in at least pan and tilt axes of movement, the physical orientation of the mounting mechanism sensed in the at least pan and tilt axes of movement;   creating modified control parameters by replacing received pan and tilt parameters in the received control parameters with replacement pan and tilt parameters that are based on the sensed physical orientation of the mounting mechanism in the at least pan and tilt axes of movement; and   sending the modified control parameters to the automated luminaire via a unidirectional communication link, the received pan and tilt parameters and the replacement pan and tilt parameters indicating physical orientations of the automated luminaire.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein creating modified control parameters further comprises:
 replacing other control information in the received control parameters with information based on a state of a user-operated control of the follow spot controller.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving a video signal; and   displaying the video signal on a display screen of the follow spot controller.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the video signal is received from a camera mechanically coupled to the automated luminaire. 
     
     
         9 . A method of controlling a plurality of follow spots, the method comprising:
 sensing a physical orientation of a mounting mechanism configured to mount a follow spot controller for motion in at least pan and tilt axes of movement, the physical orientation of the mounting mechanism sensed in at least pan and tilt axes of movement;   sending operator pan and tilt parameters to a first automated luminaire of a plurality of automated luminaires, the operator pan and tilt parameters based on the sensed physical orientation of the mounting mechanism; and   sending individual calculated pan and tilt parameters to each of a remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires, the individual calculated pan and tilt parameters based on (i) the pan and tilt parameters of the first automated luminaire and (ii) a three-dimensional model of a surface of a performance area and individual locations and mounting orientations of each of the plurality of automated luminaires relative to the performance area, the operator pan and tilt parameters indicating a physical orientation of the first automated luminaire and the individual calculated pan and tilt parameters indicating physical orientations of the associated ones of the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the calculated pan and tilt parameters are calculated based on a target point on the surface of the performance area, the target point calculated based on the operator pan and tilt control parameters. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the operator pan and tilt parameters and calculated pan and tilt parameters are sent substantially continuously to associated ones of the plurality of automated luminaires. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving a video signal; and   displaying the video signal on a display screen of the follow spot controller.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the video signal is received from a camera mechanically coupled to the first automated luminaire. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving control parameters sent to the plurality of automated luminaires from a lighting control desk, wherein
 sending operator pan and tilt parameters to a first automated luminaire of a plurality of automated luminaires comprises:
 creating modified control parameters for the first one of the plurality of automated luminaires by replacing received pan and tilt parameters in the received control parameters for the first one of the plurality of automated luminaires with the operator pan and tilt parameters; and 
 sending the modified control parameters for the first one of the plurality of automated luminaires to the first one of the plurality of automated luminaires; and 
 
 sending individual calculated pan and tilt parameters to each of a remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires comprises:
 creating modified control parameters for the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires by replacing received pan and tilt parameters in the received control parameters for the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires with the corresponding individual calculated pan and tilt parameters; and 
 sending the modified control parameters to the remainder of the plurality of automated luminaires. 
 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 creating other modified control parameters for one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires by replacing other control information in the received control parameters for the one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires with information based on a state of a user-operated control of the follow spot controller; and   sending the other modified control parameters to the one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 creating additional modified control parameters for one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires by replacing one or more additional control parameters in the received control parameters for the one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires, where the replaced one or more additional control parameters include one or more of zoom, intensity, and iris control parameters, the replaced additional control parameters configured to maintain one or both of constant intensity and constant spot size at a target point on the surface of the performance area for the one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires; and   sending the additional modified control parameters for the one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires to the one or more of the plurality of automated luminaires.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the video signal is received from a camera mounted on a pan-tilt-zoom system, the method further comprising controlling an orientation of the camera. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the video signal is received from a camera mounted on a pan-tilt-zoom system, the method further comprising controlling an orientation of the camera.