Method, apparatus and system for image projection lighting

A lighting system comprising:

• a first digital communications path compliant with a DMX protocol;
• a second digital communications path having a bandwidth sufficient for transferring content in digital form;
• a plurality of light fixtures interconnected by the first digital communications path, the light fixtures including a plurality of image projection lighting devices having respective unique device addresses and being interconnected by both the first and second digital communications paths;
• and
• a DMX controller interconnected with the light fixtures by the first digital communications path;
• wherein the second digital communications path is a bidirectional path comprising a plurality of addressable content transfer channels individually selectable by the Do controller in accordance with the addresses thereof.

A multiparameter light comprising:

• an internal control system;
• a light valve;
• an image control interface coupling the light valve to the internal control system;
• a communications port coupled to the internal control system;
• wherein the internal control system comprises:
• a component for recognizing a unique device address received at the communications port on a control channel;
• and
• a component for selectively accessing a plurality of content transfer channels having respective unique content transfer channel addresses to communicate content in digital form thereon in response to receipt of the unique device address and at least one of the content transfer channel addresses at the communications port on the control channel.

A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a digital communications path with a bandwidth sufficient for communicating a plurality of content signals in digital form on respective transfer channels having respective unique channel addresses, and a plurality of image projection lighting devices interconnected by the digital communications path and having respective unique device addresses, the method comprising:

• selecting a first one of the image projection lighting devices by the unique device address thereof;
• instructing the first image projection lighting device to communicate a first content signal on a first one of the transfer channels of the digital communications path by the unique channel address thereof;
• selecting a second one of the image projection lighting devices by the unique device address thereof;
• and
• instructing the second image projection lighting device to communicate a second content signal on a second one of the transfer channels of the digital communications path by the unique channel address thereof.

A lighting system comprising:

• a central controller;
• an image projection lighting device comprising a housing, a light valve contained within the housing, and at least one communications connector mounted to the housing;
• and
• a digital communications path comprising a plurality of content transfer channels having respective unique content transfer channel addresses, the digital communications path being coupled to the central controller and further being coupled to the image projection lighting device via the communications connector.

A lighting system comprising:

• a central controller;
• an image projection lighting device comprising a housing, a light valve contained within the housing, an external video input mounted to the housing, an external audio input mounted to the housing, and at least one communications connector mounted to the housing;
• and
• a digital communications path comprising a plurality of content transfer channels having respective unique content transfer channel addresses, the digital communications path being coupled to the central controller and further being coupled to the image projection lighting device via the communications connector.

A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a digital communications path and a plurality of image projection lighting devices interconnected by the digital communications path, the method comprising:

• instructing a first one of the image projection lighting devices by a first device address to transmit an image-containing signal to the digital communications path, the first device address being unique to the first image projection lighting device;
• and
• instructing a second one of the image projection lighting devices by a second device address to receive an image-containing signal from the digital communications path, the second device address being unique to the second image projection lighting device;
• wherein transfer of an image from the first image projection lighting device to the second image projection lighting device occurs when the first image projection lighting device is transmitting and the second image projection lighting device is receiving, regardless of when the first image projection lighting device instructing step occurs relative to the second image projection lighting device instructing step.

A lighting system comprising:

• a digital communications path having a control channel;
• a plurality of image projection lighting devices having respective unique device addresses and being interconnected by the digital communications path;
• and
• a central controller interconnected with the image projection lighting devices by the digital communications path;
• wherein at least one of the image projection lighting devices comprises a camera;
• and
• wherein the image projection lighting devices are individually selectable by their respective device addresses to receive a camera control signal from the control channel of the digital communications path.

A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a digital communications path, a central controller, and a plurality of image projection lighting devices, the central controller and the image projection lighting devices being interconnected by the digital communications path, the method comprising:

• instructing a first one of the image projection lighting devices by a first device address to transmit an image-containing signal to the digital communications path, the first device address being unique to the first image projection lighting device;
• and
• enabling the central controller to receive an image-containing signal from the digital communications path;
• wherein transfer of an image from the first image projection lighting device to the central controller occurs when the first image projection lighting device is transmitting and the central controller is receiving, regardless of when the first image projection lighting device instructing step occurs relative to the central controller instructing step.

A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a digital communications path, a central controller, and a plurality of image projection lighting devices, the central controller and the image projection lighting devices being interconnected by the digital communications path, the method comprising:

• instructing a first one of the image projection lighting devices by a first device address to receive a first image-containing signal from the digital communications path, the first device address being unique to the first image projection lighting device;
• instructing a second one of the image projection lighting devices by a second device address to receive a second image-containing signal from the digital communications path, the second device address being unique to the second image projection lighting device;
• transmitting the first image-containing signal to the digital communications path from the central controller;
• and
• transmitting the second image-containing signal to the digital communications path from the central controller,
• wherein transfer of a first image is enabled after both the first image projection lighting device instructing step and the first image-containing signal transmitting step occur, regardless of to order thereof;
• and
• wherein transfer of a second image is enabled after both the second image projection lighting device instructing step and the second image-containing signal transmitting step occur, regardless of the order thereof.

A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a digital communications path, a ventral controller, and a plurality of image projection lighting devices, the central controller and the image projection lighting devices being interconnected by the digital communications path, the method comprising:

• transmitting a first image-containing signal to the digital communications path from the central controller;
• receiving the first image-containing signal from the digital communications path at a first one of the image projection lighting devices based on a first device address, the first device address being unique to the first image projection lighting device;
• transmitting a second image-containing signal to the digital communications path from the central controller;
• and
• receiving the second image-containing signal from the digital communications path at a second one of the image projection lighting devices based on a second device address, the second device address being unique to the second image projection lighting device;
• wherein transfer of a first image occurs after both the first image-containing signal transmitting step and the first image-containing signal receiving step occur, regardless of the order thereof;
• and
• wherein transfer of a second image occurs after both the second image-containing signal transmitting step and the second image-containing receiving step occur, regardless of the order thereof.

A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a digital communications path, a central controller, and a plurality of image projection lighting devices, the central controller and the image projection lighting devices being interconnected by the digital communications path, the method comprising:

• transmitting an instruction from the central controller to a first one of the image projection lighting devices to receive and store an image-containing signal from the digital communications path, the instruction including a first device address unique to the first image projection lighting device;
• receiving the image-containing signal from the digital communications pat with the first image projection lighting device;
• and
• storing an image from signal received in the receiving step in a memory of the first image projection lighting device.

A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a digital communication path, a central controller, and a plurality of image projection lighting devices, the central controller and the image projection lighting devices being interconnected by the digital communication path, the method comprising:

• receiving an image-containing signal from the digital communications path with a first one of the image projection lighting devices;
• transmitting an instruction from the central controller to the first image projection lighting device, by a first device address unique to the first image projection lighting device, to act upon the image-containing signal from the receiving step;
• and
• acting upon the image-containing signal from the receiving step in accordance with the instruction from the transmitting step under control of a microprocessor in the first image projection lighting device.

A method of controlling a lighting system comprising a digital communications path, a central controller, and a plurality of image projection lighting devices, the central controller and the image projection lighting devices being interconnected by the digital communications path, the method comprising:

• selecting a channel bandwidth from among a plurality of channel bandwidths to establish a level of image quality;
• transmitting an instruction from the central controller to a first one of the image projection lighting devices by a first device address to receive an image-containing signal at the selected bandwidth from the digital communications path, the first device address being unique to the first image projection lighting device;
• and
• transmitting the image-containing signal to the digital communication path at no greater than the selected bandwidth.