US 9,287,991 B2Granted

Light module interlock system

AssigneeChristie Digital Systems USA, Inc.

InventorEric Vieth

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Abstract

Described is a light module interlock system comprising: an optical cable enabled to transmit light of a first wavelength and a second wavelength different than the first wavelength; a first light module enabled to provide the first wavelength to the optical cable; a second light module enabled to provide the second wavelength to the optical cable; a sensor enabled to detect the first wavelength transmitted by the optical cable, the sensor located at an opposite end of the optical cable as the first light module; and an interlock in communication with the sensor, the interlock enabled to: disable the second light module when the sensor fails to detect the first wavelength, such that the second wavelength is no longer provided to the optical cable.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A light module interlock system comprising:

a plurality of optical cables, each of the plurality of optical cables configured to transmit light of a respective first wavelength and a respective second wavelength different than the respective first wavelength, each of the plurality of optical cables further configured to convey the second wavelength to projection optics;
a plurality of first light emitters in a one-to-one relationship with the plurality of optical cables, each respective first light emitter, of the plurality of first light emitters, configured to emit the respective first wavelength to a respective optical cable of the plurality of optical cables, each of the plurality of first light emitters comprising a non-visible light emitter and the respective first wavelength comprises a non-visible wavelength that is non-visible to a human eye, each of respective first wavelengths emitted by the plurality of first light emitters being different from each other;
a plurality of second light emitters in a one-to-one relationship with the plurality of optical cables, each respective second light emitter, of the plurality of second light emitters, configured to emit the respective second wavelength to the respective optical cable, the respective second light emitter located at an opposite end of the respective optical cable as the respective first light emitter of the plurality of optical cables, each of the plurality of second light emitters comprising a laser and the light of the respective second wavelength comprises laser light that is visible to the human eye;
a sensor configured to:
detect, and distinguish between, the respective first wavelengths transmitted by respective optical cables from each of the plurality of first light emitters, the sensor located at a respective opposite end of the plurality of optical cables as the respective first light emitters, the sensor configured to detect when an intensity of one or more of the respective first wavelengths falls below a threshold intensity, the threshold intensity lower than a respective initial intensity of one or more of the respective first wavelengths;
and
an interlock in communication with the sensor, the interlock configured to:
when the sensor detects that a respective intensity of one or more of the respective first wavelengths falls below the threshold intensity, disable the plurality of second light emitters associated with the respective first wavelengths that have fallen below the threshold intensity.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A light module interlock system comprising:

a plurality of optical cables, each of the plurality of optical cables configured to transmit light of a respective first wavelength and a respective second wavelength different than the respective first wavelength, each of the plurality of optical cables further configured to convey the second wavelength to projection optics;
a plurality of first light emitters in a one-to-one relationship with the plurality of optical cables, each respective first light emitter, of the plurality of first light emitters, configured to emit the respective first wavelength to a respective optical cable of the plurality of optical cables, each of the plurality of first light emitters comprising a non-visible light emitter and the respective first wavelength comprises a non-visible wavelength that is non-visible to a human eye, each of respective first wavelengths emitted by the plurality of first light emitters being different from each other;
a plurality of second light emitters in a one-to-one relationship with the plurality of optical cables, each respective second light emitter, of the plurality of second light emitters, configured to emit the respective second wavelength to the respective optical cable, the respective second light emitter located at an opposite end of the respective optical cable as the respective first light emitter of the plurality of optical cables, each of the plurality of second light emitters comprising a laser and the light of the respective second wavelength comprises laser light that is visible to the human eye;
a sensor configured to:
detect, and distinguish between, the respective first wavelengths transmitted by respective optical cables from each of the plurality of first light emitters, the sensor located at a respective opposite end of the plurality of optical cables as the respective first light emitters, the sensor configured to detect when an intensity of one or more of the respective first wavelengths falls below a threshold intensity, the threshold intensity lower than a respective initial intensity of one or more of the respective first wavelengths;
and
an interlock in communication with the sensor, the interlock configured to:
when the sensor detects that a respective intensity of one or more of the respective first wavelengths falls below the threshold intensity, disable the plurality of second light emitters associated with the respective first wavelengths that have fallen below the threshold intensity.

5 more elements