Infra-red coupling mechanism for a light projector

A light projector comprising:

• a stationary projector portion including a base with panning mechanism secured thereto;
• a rotatable projector portion, including a housing and support means for retaining said housing;
• a shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end being fixedly attached to said support means and said second end being fixedly attached to said panning mechanism, said panning mechanism being operative to effectuate rotation of said shaft, thereby effectuating rotation of said rotatable projector portion;
• power coupling means for supplying electrical operating power to electrical components of said rotatable projector portion from said upper projector portion without the use of wires connected therebetween, said power coupling means functioning to supply power during continuous full-circle rotation of said rotatable portion;
• and,
• communication coupling means for transmitting and receiving control and information signals between said rotatable portion and said stationary portion without the use of wires connected therebetween, said communication coupling means functioning to supply said control and information signals during continuous full-circle rotation of said rotatable portion.

An individual light projector of a lighting system comprising a communications coupling mechanism, said communications coupling mechanism comprising:

• a stationary base including a central control unit;
• a rotatable portion including a local control unit;
• a rotatable shaft having a first end and a second end, said first end being coupled to said stationary base and said second end being coupled to said rotatable portion, for coupling said rotatable portion to said stationary base;
• first transmitter and receiver means attached to said rotatable portion for receiving control signals from said central control unit and for transmitting information signals to said central control unit;
• second transmitter and receiver means attached to said stationary base for relaying control signals to said first receiver means from said central control unit and for relaying information signals to said central control unit from said first transmitter.