The present disclosure generally relates to an automated luminaire, specifically to a light control system in an automated luminaire.
Luminaires with automated and remotely controllable functionality are well known in the entertainment and architectural lighting markets. Such products are commonly used in theatres, television studios, concerts, theme parks, night clubs, and other venues. A typical product will commonly provide control over the pan and tilt functions of the luminaire allowing the operator to control the direction the luminaire is pointing and thus the position of the light beam on the stage or in the studio. Typically this position control is done via control of the luminaire's position in two orthogonal rotational axes usually referred to as pan and tilt. Many products provide control over other parameters such as the intensity, color, focus, beam size, beam shape, and beam pattern. The beam pattern is often provided by a stencil or slide called a gobo which may be a steel, aluminum, or etched glass pattern. The products manufactured by Robe Show Lighting such as the Robin MMX Spot are typical of the art.
The optical systems of such automated luminaires may be designed such that a very narrow output beam is produced so that the units may be used with long throws or for almost parallel light laser like effects. These optics are often called ‘Beam’ optics. To form this narrow beam with the large light sources in the prior art, the output lens either needed to be very large with a large separation between the lens and the gobos or of a short focal length and much closer to the gobos. It is problematic to use a large separation with a large lens as such an arrangement makes the luminaire large and unwieldy, and makes automation of the pan and tilt movement difficult. Thus, the normal solution is a closer and smaller lens with a short focal length. Alternatively, the thick heavy front lens may be replaced with a Fresnel lens where the same focal length is achieved with a much lighter molded glass lens using multiple circumferential facets. Fresnel lenses are well known in the art and can provide a good match to the focal length of an equivalent plano-convex lens, however the image projected by such a lens is typically soft edged and fuzzy and not a sharp image as may be desired when projecting gobos or patterns.
More recently lamps 21 with extremely small light sources 22 have been developed. These often use a very short arc gap, of the order of 1 millimeter (mm), between two electrodes as the light producing means. These lamps are ideal for producing a very narrow beam as their source etendue is low, and the size of the lenses and optical systems to collimate the light from such a small source can be substantially reduced. However, the short arc and small light source coupled with the short focal length, and thus large light beam angles, of the reflector also tend to produce substantial amounts of unwanted and objectionable light spill which can escape between gobos or around the dimming shutters.
There is an increased need for an improved light control system for an automated luminaire utilizing a light source with an intense hotspot such that light spill around or between gobos and/or through the dimming shutter is reduced.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like features and wherein:
Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the FIGUREs, like numerals being used to refer to like and corresponding parts of the various drawings.
The present disclosure generally relates to an automated luminaire, specifically to the design and operation of a light control system for use within the automated luminaire utilizing a light source with an intense hotspot, such that light spill around or between gobos and/or through the dimming shutter is reduced.
Because of the short focal length of the light source 32 and reflector 30 the light beam passing through the static gobo system 37 and rotating gobo system 38 is sharply diverging, far from a parallel beam. This diverging beam provides increased possibility for light spill through one gobo on the first wheel past the edges of another gobo on the second wheel.
In operation the light control system coordinates the use of the large aperture 56 and medium aperture 54 on the static gobo system 37 with the movement of the rotating gobo system 38 in order to minimize light spill. If the user is only utilizing the fixed gobo system 37 and the rotating gobo system 38 is positioned such that the open hole 50 is across the light path, then the system will utilize the medium aperture 54 as being the open hole for that wheel. In such case the large aperture 56 cannot be selected by the user and the system will avoid it when the wheel is rotated. The use of the medium aperture 54 instead of the large aperture 56 avoids excessive light spill from the large aperture 56 which could create haloes and patterns in the light beam. However, as soon as the user selects any gobo on rotating gobo system 38 other than the open hole 50, such as gobo 52, then the static gobo system 37 will automatically rotate from the medium aperture 54 to the large aperture 56 as its open hole. The use of the large aperture 56 on static gobo wheel in conjunction with any gobo other than the open aperture on the rotating gobo wheel results in improved light output through the rotating gobo wheel and, because a rotating gobo is in place, the risk of light spill is minimized.
Starting at step 70, if another position other than open hole is selected on the rotating gobo wheel at step 71 and another position other than open hole is selected on the fixed wheel at step 75, then the fixed wheel position is retained at step 77, and the inquiry repeats at steps 71.
If another position other than open hole is selected on the rotating gobo wheel at step 71, and there is no selection other than open hole on the fixed wheel at step 75, then the large size aperture on the fixed wheel is automatically selected at step 76 and the inquiry repeats at step 71.
If there is no position other than open hole selected on the rotating gobo wheel at step 71, and another position other than open hole is selected on the fixed wheel at step 72, then the fixed wheel position is retained at step 74 and the inquiry repeats at step 71.
If there is no position other than open hole selected on the rotating gobo wheel at step 71 and there is no selection other than open hole on the fixed wheel at step 72, then the medium size aperture on the fixed wheel is automatically selected at step 73 and the inquiry repeats at step 71.
In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the light control system makes further use of the static gobo wheel system 37 to minimize light spill from the luminaire when it is dimmed to blackout. The discharge lamps used in automated luminaires such as those used in light source 32 shown herein cannot typically be electrically dimmed to a full blackout. Enough current has to be left running to maintain the arc discharge. Thus, to obtain a full blackout of the luminaire, a secondary dimming or shutter system such as dimmer shutter 49 must be provided. These systems are typically mechanical, utilizing blades, shutters, irises diaphragms, or similar devices well known in the art to selectively restrict light from the optical system thus dimming it. At the extreme position of such a mechanical dimmer the shutter or blade may be completely across the light beam. However, with the short arc, short focal length lamps described herein, extreme angle light may still be able to escape through or around the dimmer system resulting in objectionable ghosting of stray light and an incomplete blackout. The light control system described recognizes when the mechanical dimmer is in its minimum, or blackout position, and automatically moves the static gobo system 37 to the nearest position intermediate between two patterns or gobos thus providing a secondary block to stray light. For example, as shown in
If the mechanical dimmer is in a blackout position at step 82 and the fixed wheel is not in the large aperture position at step 84, then (1) if the fixed wheel is between positions at step 86 then the inquiry repeats or (2) if the fixed wheel is not between positions at step 86 then the fixed wheel is moved ½ position at step 88 so it is between gobo positions, and the inquiry repeats.
If the mechanical dimmer is NOT in a blackout position at step 82 and the fixed wheel is NOT between gobo positions at step 92 the inquiry repeats.
If the mechanical dimmer is NOT in a blackout position at step 82 and the fixed wheel is between gobo positions at step 92 then the fixed wheel is returned to the last user or automatically selected hole position at step 94 and the inquiry repeats.
While the disclosure has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the disclosure as disclosed herein. The disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/042,759 filed on Oct. 1, 2013.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170108187 A1 | Apr 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14042759 | Oct 2013 | US |
Child | 15137780 | US |