Portable control unit for theater, television, and film lighting control

Abstract

A self-contained portable unit for use with theater and television dimming systems and, in particular, with one control console of a microprocessor-based lighting control system having a data display device such as a CRT. The unit includes a digitizer tablet, a stylus and an overlay to be placed on the tablet. The keyboard of the console is reproduced in the overlay in the form of keys replicating indicia printed or silk-screened on the overlay. An area is also provided on the overlay for placement of the designer's lighting pattern layout. Lighting pattern information and lighting levels are entered into the system by the unit by touching the stylus to specific points in the layout and to specific key indicia selected by the user. Initially, each symbol on the lighting pattern layout is defined by using the unit or the console to enter the channel, the light level in each channel, cueing instructions, or other information which the symbol represents into the system. Thereafter, by touching the stylus to the symbol when it is in position on the overlay, the complete line or list of information represented by the symbol is immediately displayed on the CRT screen without the necessity of rekeying all the symbol definitional information into the system.