Method for controlling objects, use of the method, and object for carrying out the method

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling objects (6), wherein a transmitter (9) is arranged in a space (1), and wherein a plurality of objects (6) are provided in the space (1) within the reception range of the transmitter (9), each object comprising a receiver which is designed to receive signals emitted by the transmitter (9), and wherein each object (6) is assigned an address which represents the position of the object (6) in the space (1), and wherein the objects (6) are distributed within the space (1), and wherein control signals are subsequently transmitted to the objects (6) such that different control signals are transmitted to objects (6) located at different positions in the space (1). According to the invention, the objects (6) are each assigned an address after the objects (6) have been distributed within the space (1), wherein the transmitter (9) emits a bundled signal beam and is designed to emit the signal beam in different directions, the signal beam emitted by the transmitter contains address signals, the address signals contain information that varies depending on the orientation of the signal beam, and the address of the object is automatically determined within the object (6) from said address information. The invention also relates to a use of said method and to an object (6) for carrying out the method.

Description

[0001] December 2, 2025

[0002] 84957-0028- PWO - Ra / Lha / Jhu

[0003] Applicant: Burkhard Herbach, Dornberger Str. 398, 33619 Bielefeld

[0004] Method for controlling objects, and use of the method, and object for carrying out the method

[0005] The invention relates to a method for controlling objects, wherein a transmitter is arranged in a room, and wherein several objects are provided in the room and within the receiving range of the transmitter, each object having a receiver configured to receive signals emitted by the transmitter. Each object is assigned an address representing its position in the room. The objects are arranged in a distributed manner within the room. Subsequently, control signals are transmitted to the objects such that different control signals are transmitted to objects located at different positions in the room.

[0006] Such a method is known from practical experience. A typical application is the localization of people at events such as concerts, where many people are located within a predetermined area, e.g., outdoors on a site, in a stadium, or within an enclosed building, e.g., in a hall. The objects that need to be addressed can be designed, for example, as caps or hats, wristbands, or similar items, so that each can be worn by a specific person, or they can be designed as objects that are carried by a specific person and held, e.g., in one or both hands. Various methods are known for locating an object within the space. These are generally based on the exchange of electromagnetic waves in the non-optical range and their propagation properties such as wavelength, travel time, and phase.These methods are known from practical experience for navigation via GPS (Global Positioning System) or from UWB (Ultra Wide Band) positioning and sensor technology; they require a relatively high level of microelectronics and antenna technology on both the transmitter and receiver sides. Object localization is possible very precisely with these methods.

[0007] For example, it is common practice to prepare the seating within a stadium before an event by placing an object at each seat, such as a wristband, on the seat or holding it against an armrest or backrest. Attendees take their seats and put on their assigned wristband. The location of each object is thus precisely defined. From a control center, such as the event technology control panel, the objects can be individually controlled to achieve specific effects.If the objects are designed to emit light, they can be controlled individually or in groups to create, for example, chasing lights or geometric patterns such as circles, stripes, crosses, or the like, using the lights of the controlled objects in the stadium. These lighting effects can immerse visitors in the event experience in a particularly intense way. The lighting effects can be static, or they can move around the stadium by switching adjacent objects on and off sequentially, creating an effect that propagates across the entire stadium.

[0008] The ultimate goal of this well-known method is therefore to identify specific individuals at specific locations within a space, thereby providing them with a unique event experience. This is achieved by activating their personal belongings, thus transforming them into participants – spectators or listeners into active participants. However, it is not necessary to identify each individual in a way that constitutes identification; rather, they simply need to be assigned to a specific location within the event space to create the desired effects. For this purpose, the objects are pre-arranged and placed at specific locations within the space, such as on the seats of the audience. Direct identification of each individual, for example, through biometric recognition, can be both insecure and legally impermissible due to data protection concerns.The localization of attendees is achieved using the aforementioned objects. Each object is assigned to a specific person and thus a specific location within the event space for the duration of the event. These objects can be, for example, headwear, buttons, wristbands, or other items. The objects are equipped with simple and, due to the very high number of attendees, inexpensive electronics. This electronics typically aim primarily to engage the wearer of the object in the event and intensify their experience through acoustic (sound) or visual (light) signals. The object is controlled externally. If this is done in a coordinated manner for several objects, they form a group, and effects can be generated within the group of objects or people, making them an active part of the event and thus increasing the intensity of the experience.Activating the controlled objects serves to execute specific commands within them. Such a command might, for example, involve switching certain or all LEDs arranged within the object on and off in a specific sequence and / or color to create continuous light, light pulses, or chasing lights. Simultaneously or sequentially coordinated execution of commands across multiple objects produces the desired effect in the event space.

[0009] The known methods offer the advantage of enabling effects with high spatial resolution, as each individual object can be controlled independently. However, these methods are very complex. Firstly, each object must be assigned a unique identifier to allow for individual control or control as part of a specific group. Secondly, the objects must be precisely positioned in predetermined locations within the space to ensure the desired lighting effects are achieved. Given the tens of thousands of seats in large stadiums, the effort required, both technically and in terms of personnel, is considerable, making this economically disadvantageous.A functional disadvantage is that, in order to achieve the desired effects, the objects must maintain their position in the room, which is not guaranteed, for example, in standing areas or after a break.

[0010] Furthermore, it is a known practice to illuminate objects at events using infrared light. All objects detected by the light beam then emit a specific light signal. By placing a shutter in front of the IR spotlight, the detectable objects can be selected in such a way that the illuminated objects together form a circle, a star, or similar shape. In this process, the objects are indistinguishable and have no individual identifier, ID, or address. The purely optical influence on which objects are detected by the IR beam determines the design of the effect achieved by the illuminated objects.

[0011] The invention is based on the objective of improving a generic method in such a way that it enables, as economically as possible, the assignment of objects—and thus of people—to a specific location, as well as the control of the objects within a space. Furthermore, the invention is based on the objective of enabling, as economically as possible, the assignment of objects during an event and of specifying an object suitable for carrying out the method.

[0012] This problem is solved by a method according to claim 1, by the use of the method according to claim 10, and by an object according to claim 11. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0013] The invention thus proposes that the objects are assigned their respective addresses after the objects have been arranged in the space, wherein the transmitter emits a focused signal beam and is configured to emit the signal beam in different directions, the signal beam emitted by the transmitter contains address signals, the address signals contain information that is variable depending on the orientation of the signal beam, and the object's address is automatically determined from this address information.

[0014] The address signals contain information that changes depending on the orientation of the signal beam. This means that different addresses can be assigned to objects located at different points in space.

[0015] The considerable effort required to prepare each object by first equipping it with its own unique identifier and then positioning it at a specific location in the room can be eliminated according to the invention. In particular, it is not necessary to assign each object a unique, individual identifier or address before the event. Rather, each object only receives an address once it is in the room, so that specific objects can then be controlled using this address to trigger effects at a particular location in the room. For example, two or more objects can have the same address, e.g., if they are located close to each other at practically the same location in the room. The transmitter can, for example, be mounted in such a way that its signal beam can be tilted both vertically and swiveled horizontally.In this way, the signal beam can sweep across the floor of the event room and transmit address signals to the objects that are currently within the detection range of the focused signal beam.

[0016] The address signals can, for example, contain an individual identifier for each transmitter, so that if several transmitters are positioned in the room, the respective signal beams will contain correspondingly different transmitter identifiers. In particular, the address signals contain information depending on the transmitter's current orientation, for example, depending on the values ​​of the respective current tilt and swivel angles. The topography of the room, e.g., rising rows of seats, a flat or inclined stage, or the like, is known before the event begins, so that, for example, the lighting control system knows the tilt and swivel angles at which spotlights must be aimed to illuminate a specific area of ​​the room.Similarly, for the transmitter used according to the invention, a specific orientation of its focused signal beam can be assigned to a specific location in the room, namely where the signal beam strikes the floor. The objects of the persons located there accordingly receive an address signal that is individualized based on this orientation of the signal beam.

[0017] In this embodiment of the method, the different orientations of the signal beam result in different address signals, which are transmitted to the respective detected objects. Therefore, after addresses have been assigned to the objects, they can be controlled location-dependently by sending control commands to specific addresses to trigger certain effects on the objects, such as generating sounds or lights. Within the scope of the present invention, address signals are defined as signals transmitted to one or more objects to assign them an address. Control signals are defined as signals transmitted to one or more objects to transmit a control command to them.In order to transmit the control command to only one or more specific objects, a control signal also contains address information, so that only objects with the relevant address respond to the control command.

[0018] All objects attached to individuals are initially identical and therefore indistinguishable. For example, they can be distributed to event attendees at the entrance gates of the venue without considering where within the venue the individual will ultimately go. Distinguishability of the objects only arises when an address is assigned to the object, such as after the individual, along with the object, has taken up their position. It is possible that not every single object is distinguishable from all other objects; rather, an object can be distinguished from objects with different addresses, and several closely adjacent objects may share the same address.The objects of individual persons or groups can only be addressed with control commands once an address has been assigned to each object, namely transmitted to the object in question.

[0019] According to the invention, the signal beam for transmitting the address signals is not emitted with a spherical propagation, but rather focused, for example as a directional radio beam or as a light beam. This ensures that, depending on the focusing, only one or a few objects are detected by the signal beam, so that the subsequent light or sound effects can be generated with a correspondingly high spatial resolution. It is also possible for different signal beams to simultaneously sweep across different areas in the room, so that address or control signals can be transmitted to objects in the room simultaneously and independently of one another.To assign an address to the objects detected by a signal beam, the address signals transmitted with the signal beam can be encoded or processed in some other way; in the simplest case, however, the address signal transmitted to an object via the signal beam is automatically adopted by the object as its address. The determination and transmission of the address occur practically simultaneously, since an address is stored in each object detected by the signal beam based on the address signals, which also change with changes in the direction of the signal beam.

[0020] The feature that the address signals contain information that changes depending on the orientation of the signal beam can be implemented in such a way that, as described above, the values ​​of the tilt and swivel angles are incorporated into the address signal as address information, so that objects located at different points in space are assigned correspondingly different addresses.

[0021] Alternatively, the address signals can contain information that changes depending on the orientation of the signal beam. This is achieved by allowing the address information to be the same for objects located at multiple points in space, while assigning one or more different addresses to objects at specific other locations. This creates groups of objects located at different points in space that share the same address. For example, objects within a rectangular area in space can be assigned the same address, forming a first group of objects that will later respond identically to the same control command, such as emitting a light of a specific, initial color. However, within the rectangle, a different address can be transmitted to some objects, creating a second group of objects that, for example,emit light in a specific, second color. The ability to address the objects allows for the creation of control commands that also contain address information, enabling the simultaneous generation of multiple different effects in virtually any pattern.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment, the method is carried out by transmitting two or more signal beams with different address signals to an object, in particular by either one transmitter emitting differently oriented signal beams within whose respective detection range the object is located, or by two or more transmitters emitting signal beams within whose respective detection range the object is located. Preferably, the multiple address information received from the object is used to determine the address assigned to the object by means of averaging, such as arithmetic mean, median, or cluster analysis.

[0023] Depending on the beam's focus, the distance between individual objects, and the distance of an object from the transmitter, multiple objects can be detected simultaneously and receive the same address signal. If the transmitter is controlled in such a way that the signal beam is aligned randomly or along predetermined paths and travels through space, it is expected that not all of these previously detected objects will be detected again when the signal beam sweeps over them with a changed orientation. However, some of these objects can receive address signals a second or even repeatedly in this way. The transmitter identification, if present, would remain the same in this case; however, the panning angle data relating to the signal beam's orientation would be altered.A similar situation arises when not just one, but two or more transmitters are used to send out signal beams with address signals. In this case, too, objects can receive address signals two or more times, namely from two or more transmitters. Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that the same transmitter detects certain objects two or more times and transmits address signals to these objects. The accuracy of the addressing, or the differentiability of the addresses, can be improved by averaging the address information, for example, by arithmetic averaging, median calculation, cluster analysis, or similar methods. This significantly increases the spatial resolution of the addresses. If the resulting average contains decimal places due to multiple address assignments, it can be automatically rounded to generate a unique and easily processable address.

[0024] The method can advantageously be implemented by controlling the transmitters via a bus system, in particular by transmitting the signals to be sent to the transmitters via the data bus. It is especially advantageous to control the transmitters using the Digital Multiplex ("DMX") control protocol, which is well-known in the field of lighting technology. The DMX control takes into account the location of the objects detected by the signal beam at a specific angle of the transmitter: in the conventional use of DMX control to generate visible lighting effects, the lighting system is first configured for the specific space, for example, depending on its topography, such as whether the floor on a stage or in an auditorium is horizontal or inclined.With this setup, the person operating the DMX control only needs to specify that a particular spot should be illuminated with a specific color; the alignment of one or more spotlights to this spot is then done automatically via the DMX control, without the person needing to know and adjust the horizontal and vertical swivel angles of the spotlights to align the spotlight(s) to this spot.

[0025] The control commands for aligning the spotlight in the desired direction are stored in the DMX controller, for example in a control console. When using the DMX control protocol for the method according to the invention, this digitally available information can be modulated onto the signal beam to generate the alignment-dependent address signals. An interface allows the address or control signals transmitted via the DMX protocol to be converted so that they can be modulated onto the transmitter's light beam.

[0026] To enable address programming via the angular positions of the signal emitter, additional information about the room to be illuminated and the transmitter's position would potentially be required. The effort required to convert spherical to spatial Cartesian coordinates can be avoided by using existing lighting equipment already employed for events, where the operation of the associated lighting consoles is known and familiar to the responsible personnel. A common lighting standard uses DMX signals for the pre-calculated orientation of the transmitter, just as it does for controlling a spotlight that emits visible light to illuminate specific areas in the room. The address can, in principle, be freely chosen.However, it is considered advantageous to derive the address from virtual color information, which is transmitted to the transmitter like the color information of visible light. In the case of an infrared emitter, the transmitter cannot emit visible light due to system limitations, which is why the information is referred to as virtual color information. The transmitter can, however, receive this color information. An additional device called an interface converts this color information into an address, which is then modulated onto the infrared beam, sent to the object, received there, and registered. The addresses can thus be distributed like a virtual color field and are therefore particularly easy to control with existing lighting equipment.

[0027] Since the event space is known before the event begins, specific color distributions in the room can be programmed using a screen-based system.

[0028] In an advantageous embodiment, the method is implemented such that the transmitters emit signal beams in the form of electromagnetic radiation in the non-visible range. In principle, the signal beams can be focused using microwave radio technology. However, reflection and diffraction effects of the radio waves can impair accuracy, differentiation, and spatial resolution. The beams can be emitted in the light wave range and / or as infrared radiation. The signal beam is advantageously invisible to the spectators carrying the objects, because this allows for repeated re-addressing of the objects without affecting the lighting. This is the case, for example, with an infrared beam. In this way, the attention of the event attendees is not diverted, as would be unavoidable with the use of visible light.Furthermore, the existing technical equipment can also be used to carry out the method according to the invention, which is both economically advantageous and allows the method to be carried out with a technical system and its operation that is already familiar to the personnel who otherwise operate the DMX control console. Only a spotlight that emits invisible light is required, so that this spotlight can be used to transmit the address signals to the objects.

[0029] In one embodiment, the method is implemented by encoding RGB values, particularly those from lighting technology, to generate the address and / or control signals. The digital RGB information can assume, for example, 256 different values ​​for each of the colors red, green, and blue, allowing for the encryption of more than 16 million different pieces of information using only the RGB values, thus generating a correspondingly large number of addresses. In addition to the respective address, the control commands contain further information such as the visible color to be generated, brightness values, and time information regarding the duration and / or start time. Therefore, the number of possible different control commands is many times greater than the number of possible addresses.Even for events with large numbers of attendees and for a wide variety of effects to be created using the objects, a sufficient number of addresses and control commands can be generated using RGB values ​​and event lighting technology. When assigning addresses, the RGB information is not used to create specific colors; rather, this information, familiar from event technology, can be described as virtual colors or color values ​​and used to generate different addresses, with the RGB values ​​themselves representing the respective addresses. For example, the RGB values ​​can be modulated onto an infrared light beam to transmit address signals to the objects. Once the objects have received their addresses, control commands can be sent to them.These contain the information known in lighting technology, so that in this case the RGB values ​​contained in the control signal do not relate to virtual colors, but actually contain the color information about the visible light to be generated.

[0030] The RGB values ​​are integer values. If, due to multiple address assignments and subsequent averaging, the resulting address contains decimal places, this numerical value can be automatically rounded to create a unique address that can be easily processed using the RGB numerical values.

[0031] Since the event space is known before the event begins, a specific distribution of each virtual color used for address assignment can be defined on-screen. This distribution then forms a group of objects during the event, which, due to their identical addresses, should respond identically to a specific control command. Several different distributions of virtual colors can subsequently be transferred to the DMX control console, allowing the respective address distribution in the room to be retrieved from the console's memory to achieve specific effects, such as different patterns created from a multitude of illuminated objects.

[0032] The control signals can be transmitted by means of a second transmitter, which, for example, emits the control signals spherically, so that many objects—and certainly more than when transmitting address signals—receive the control commands simultaneously. Only those objects addressed during the transmission of the control signals then execute the control commands. To enable high spatial resolution for effects generated with multiple objects, such as high-resolution graphic patterns when the light from certain objects is switched on or off, or shines in a specific color, the addresses are assigned to the objects with a correspondingly high spatial resolution, so that only one or a few objects receive the same address at any given time. In contrast, when transmitting control signals, it is advantageous to reach many objects simultaneously using the signal beam transmitting the control signals.

[0033] In an advantageous embodiment, the method is implemented such that the control signals are transmitted using the same transmitter as the address signals. This simplifies the required system technology, since the same transmitter can be used both initially for transmitting the address signals and later for transmitting the control signals, thus eliminating the need for two separate signal paths. When using lighting technology for signal transmission, particularly the aforementioned DMX control protocol, the operation is familiar to the lighting technician. Therefore, operating the technical equipment (control console) is as simple as possible, and the desired effects to be achieved with the objects can be reliably accomplished because incorrect operation of the control console is unlikely.If fixed sequences of specific effects are programmed that only need to be recalled during an event, this programming is facilitated by the aforementioned familiarity. The focusing of the radio or light signal beam can be influenced by means of mechanical apertures, optical lenses, or similar devices, so that a tightly focused signal beam can be used for address assignment and a more diffused signal beam for transmitting the control signals.

[0034] In an advantageous embodiment, the method is implemented such that each object contains a radio module, which is specifically configured to exchange radio signals bidirectionally with neighboring identical radio modules of other objects. Preferably, after receiving an address or control signal transmitted by a transmitter, one of the objects automatically sends this signal to the radio modules of neighboring objects via its radio module. Unlike short-wave electromagnetic radiation such as light, especially infrared radiation, longer-wave radio waves are subject to stronger diffraction and reflection effects. This is particularly advantageous at close range. In contrast to infrared and light radiation, radio waves can be transmitted and received via the same element – ​​whereas, for example, no light bulb is known that can meaningfully receive light. Bidirectional operation with light is therefore impossible.Effective radio transmitting antennas, on the other hand, are usually also good radio receivers, and vice versa.

[0035] The radio modules provide redundancy for particularly secure information transmission: firstly, two different transmission paths, such as light and radio, can be used to transmit the respective address or control signals to a specific object. The transmitter sends out light signals, and the object receives the same signal via radio from another object or a radio transmitter. The objects can then communicate with each other using radio signals. Secondly, if both the transmitter and the objects use only radio signals, the security of the signal transmission is increased simply due to the dual transmission, as each object receives signals from both the transmitter and neighboring objects.Thirdly, if in this third case both the transmitter and the objects use exclusively radio signals, a particularly high level of signal transmission security can be achieved by using two different radio standards, for example by using a first radio standard by the transmitter, while the objects communicate with each other using a second radio standard, which can also be designed as short-range radio and thus have a shorter range than the first radio standard used by the transmitter, as is the case, for example, with the aforementioned PIP radio standard of the objects.

[0036] The radiation used to transmit the respective address or control signals, especially in the case of IR signals, can be susceptible to shadowing, meaning that it cannot always be guaranteed that every object receives its address or control command. Shadowing can be caused by the person carrying the object, depending on how they are carrying it and how they are oriented in relation to the transmitter. Shadowing can also occur due to nearby people, for example, those standing close together, or due to structural features such as pillars or similar objects. These "gaps" in the addressing system prevent the affected individuals from participating in certain events due to the lack of reach of their objects, thus preventing them from becoming part of the group that would otherwise perform and experience the event.For communication between objects, a short-range radio system with a range similar to Bluetooth can be used. However, it can be assumed that many Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as mobile phones, are present in the room and near the objects, so Bluetooth communication can be subject to significant interference. Therefore, a short-range radio system with a different, proprietary radio standard can preferably be used for communication between objects, such as a so-called PIP radio system, which is well-known in practice. PIP stands for "Primus Inter Pares" (Prime Among Equals). See https: / / www.syncrotec.de, under the heading "Technology," the information "PIP is our standard."

[0037] In the event of shading, the bidirectional radio modules in the objects serve to inform the radio modules of neighboring objects which command the sending object is currently executing. In the case of address transfer, the sending object communicates its address to a receiving object. Since the surrounding neighboring objects also transmit such messages successively via their radio modules, the shaded object, which initially remained "addressless," can receive multiple addresses and, as mentioned above, determine its own address through cluster analysis (in the case of multiple addressing) or other averaging methods, thereby also becoming addressable by adopting the information from its neighbors.

[0038] This "virality," which compensates for shadowing, is effective not only in address assignment but also in the transmission of control commands, for example, when these are transmitted via light signals such as IR (infrared radiation). Virality triggers a mesh function that, based on the received signal strength and repeat function, can forward a received command as a radio signal. The latter can also be used as a so-called avalanche effect, in which, for example, a lighting effect of the aforementioned wristbands, buttons, or similar objects originates from a single object and is triggered in its respective neighbors, and then in the neighboring objects of each of these neighboring objects. This effect thus spreads and intensifies in the room like an avalanche, provided that the address in the control command is identical to the address of the object receiving the forwarded control command.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the method is implemented such that the radio modules in the objects are each configured as short-range radio modules and / or that the number of so-called hops—that is, the number of stations to which the signal has been sent to radio modules of adjacent objects—is automatically logged. Particularly preferably, after a predetermined number of hops has been reached, the forwarding of signals to further adjacent objects is automatically terminated. In this way, a specific address information or a specific control command is limited to a specific, narrowly defined spatial area, thus ensuring an increase in spatial resolution, for example, with regard to the patterns of lighting effects. For instance, the forwarding can be limited to only 2 or 3 hops.As expected, shadowed objects that have not received an address or control signal from the transmitter will reliably receive this signal from neighboring objects via radio technology, even with a limited relay of only 2 or 3 hops. This counteracts uncontrolled propagation, which could result in an undesirable avalanche effect.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the method is implemented such that the transmitter is repeatedly aligned in the same or nearly the same way at time intervals. This is preferably done such that its focused signal beam repeatedly reaches the same areas of the room. Particularly preferably, the signal beam emitted by the transmitter contains the address signals. This compensates for the movements of the objects and ensures that, despite changes in the objects' positions, certain commands (light, sound, vibration) continue to be executed in a location-specific manner, and the desired effects remain location-specific. In particular, if the signal beams sweep across the room almost continuously and transmit address signals, it is ensured that location-specific effects can always be achieved precisely, since the objects located at a desired location A possess the corresponding address.Objects that were previously located at location A and to which an address had previously been assigned at location A, but which have since moved from location A to location B, have now received a new address. Therefore, control commands relating to location A are not executed by these objects that have moved to location B. If it can be assumed that all people—and thus the respective objects—remain in their initially occupied positions during the event, the retransmission of addresses can be limited, for example, to the time after a break. However, if the people in the room are freely movable during the event, for example, at open-air concerts or in standing areas, the multitude of possible changes in the objects' positions can be compensated for by a near-continuous transmission of address signals.Re-parameterization of object addresses is therefore possible at any time and multiple times, especially during the event. If significant changes in the location of visitors occur, re-parameterization allows objects located in specific locations to receive the commands intended for those locations, even if they were previously in a different location.

[0041] The invention further relates to the use of the inventive method for assigning addresses to objects during an event. Visitors to the event are each provided with an object. The objects are equipped to emit light and / or sound signals. Each object is assigned an address after it has been arranged in the room. This use of the inventive method represents a preferred application of the invention. In comparison to equipping large event spaces with objects before the start of the event, each object being placed in a specific location and remaining there, and each object being assigned a fixed address or identification before being distributed throughout the room, the organizational, personnel, and time-related effort can be significantly reduced by means of the inventive method.

[0042] The invention further relates to an object, in particular for carrying out the method according to the invention, wherein the object comprises: firstly, a receiving device configured to receive the address and / or control signals emitted by the transmitter; secondly, an effects device configured to generate light and / or sound and / or vibration signals on the basis of the received control signals; and thirdly, an energy storage device configured to supply the components of the receiving device and the effects device with electrical energy.

[0043] The receiving technology depends on how the transmitter sends its address and / or control signals; it may therefore include, for example, an IR receiver. The receiving technology may also include a radio module to communicate bidirectionally with other objects and to receive and / or forward the address and / or control signals. The effect technology can incorporate widely available and therefore inexpensive components, such as those used in mobile phones, e.g., LEDs in different colors or the ability to make the same LED illuminate in different colors as a multi-color LED. The same applies to loudspeakers or vibration motors, which can form part of the object's effect technology.

[0044] The design of the object can be virtually arbitrary, for example, as an item attached to the person or their clothing, such as a hat, button, bracelet, or the like, or as an object not attached to the person or their clothing, but rather freely movable and held by the person in one or both hands. This free movement expands the possibilities for creating light effects in the audience, because the objects can, for example, be swung at arm's length while the person otherwise remains still.

[0045] In an advantageous embodiment, the object comprises a first area, referred to as the base body, and a second area, referred to as the functional element, in which the receiving technology, the effects technology, and / or the energy storage device are arranged. The two distinct areas allow the object to be manufactured from different materials; for example, the base body could be a flexible wristband made of a first, relatively soft or malleable material, and the functional element made of a comparatively harder or less malleable material, which provides good protection for the embedded electronics. Alternatively, the two distinct areas of the object could be manufactured as separate components by specialized companies, for example, the functional element by a company specializing in the processing of electronic components.In a preferred embodiment, the functional element is detachably attached to the object's base body. The base body can therefore also be used without the functional element. This offers the possibility of using the base bodies without the functional elements at certain events, while at the same or a different event, the same base bodies, each equipped with a functional element, can be used as more expensive premium objects. Furthermore, the base bodies can be manufactured independently of the functional elements, so that their production can be carried out with only minor modifications and without a particularly complex retooling of the production facilities. The minor modification could, for example, involve the geometry of the base body to enable a connection with a functional element.

[0046] For economic reasons, the object can be assembled by the audience themselves, with each visitor attaching the functional element to the base. For example, at an entrance to the event, the functional elements can be distributed to visitors either separately or together with the bases, but not connected to them, so that the visitors can then assemble the two components into a single object. This approach not only strengthens the visitors' participation but also minimizes the preparation effort for the event organizers.

[0047] The separability of the functional element and the base body also allows the functional element to be used independently of the base body. This means that, compared to the volume of the entire object, the functional element can be carried around due to its significantly smaller dimensions, without risking damage to the object. For example, the functional element can be worn like a pendant on a necklace, allowing it to be used after the event, such as at private parties, where it can generate light, sound, or vibration signals without requiring control commands from a transmitter during the event.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, the object features a Bluetooth radio module, the Bluetooth function preferably being selectively switchable on and off. This is advantageous, for example, with regard to later use of the object after the event, e.g., at home: Bluetooth communication then enables communication with a mobile phone or similar Bluetooth-enabled device outside the event venue, allowing the use of apps or computing power running on the mobile phone. The ability to use the object's Bluetooth communication is only activated upon or after leaving the event, for example, to avoid interference from the many Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones present during the event, or if, for technical reasons, the simultaneous use of Bluetooth and the event's radio protocol, e.g., the aforementioned PIP radio, is not possible.

[0049] The ability to selectively activate and deactivate the Bluetooth function, and in particular to activate it for the first time, is preferably reserved for the artist or the event organizer. This activation can occur, for example, automatically when passing through a wireless barrier at the exit of the venue, or it can occur after a preset time interval or similar. Alternatively, it can be done via a dedicated app provided by the organizer or artist, which can be installed on the visitor's Bluetooth-enabled device. The app can then be used to activate the device's Bluetooth communication, and the organizer or artist has the option of making this function available to the app only after the event has ended.

[0050] In one example of how the object's Bluetooth module can be used, a music recognition app runs on the Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a mobile phone. The phone's microphone is used to detect music playing in the vicinity—for example, from a radio. When a specific song or song by a particular artist is playing and this is detected by the mobile phone and recognized by the app, the object receives a control command from the mobile phone via Bluetooth and generates a specific light, sound, or vibration signal.

[0051] Preferably, the object has writable memory so that it can reproduce certain sounds, such as applause, a jingle, or the like, through its own speakers. These contents can be loaded into the object's memory using a mobile phone. Referring back to the first example mentioned above, the object could, for instance, reproduce such applause when a specific song or a song by a particular artist is recognized by the mobile phone app.

[0052] For sound quality reasons, songs or more complex sounds may not be played back via a speaker built into the object, but rather via a Bluetooth-enabled device. However, the object may also have a structure-borne sound transducer, also known as an exciter.

[0053] Especially if the object has a replaceable and / or rechargeable energy storage device, it can continue to be used for a long time after the event has ended, which is advantageous in terms of sustainable, resource-conserving material use. For example, components commonly found in large quantities in mobile phones, such as batteries, QL charging antennas, or USB-C charging ports, can also be used for this purpose.

[0054] The effect technique can incorporate lamps, such as LEDs, which are either arranged on the outside of the object or, while located inside the object, extend into its outer surface so that their light is immediately visible from the outside. In one embodiment, the object is made of a translucent material. The effect technique is particularly preferably configured to shine light into the translucent material. The lamps are preferably arranged entirely and thus protected inside the object. In this case, the effect technique is configured to shine light into the translucent material. The translucent material allows the emitted light to be perceived from the outside, and in one embodiment, the material can even be transparent, so that it is not only translucent but also see-through.The entire material of the object, the base body, or the functional element can be designed to be translucent, but it is also possible to provide only individual translucent areas, for example strips that extend over the height of the object and into which light is shone by an LED arranged underneath.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment, the translucent material is permeable to IR radiation, so that the receiving technology of the object can be protected inside the object and still receive light signals from a transmitter.

[0056] In the method according to the invention, the control commands do not have to be executed immediately, but can also contain time information that determines an execution time, either as a time after the control signal is sent or as a time based on a common time base of the objects. Alternatively, instead of precisely defining an execution time, it can also be indeterminate: for this purpose, the control command is designed such that it is not executed immediately, but is stored in the object until a trigger control command activates this stored control command at a later time and determines its execution.

[0057] The trigger control command can, for example, be triggered manually, so that certain effects can be generated using the objects in sync with certain movements of an artist.

[0058] Instead of a single control command, a sequence of control commands can also be transmitted to the object. When this sequence is executed, a series of commands is processed to, for example, effect changes in brightness, color gradients, or similar actions. Like a single control command, the sequence can be executed immediately or contain timing information and be stored in the object, allowing the sequence to be executed at a specific time or triggered. Using a sequence of control commands, complex processes can be programmed without having to generate and transmit many commands to the objects virtually simultaneously. This is advantageous, for example, for achieving desired synchronization with an artist's movements.

[0059] Further features, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the wording of the claims and from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the purely schematic drawings. This shows

[0060] Fig. 1 shows a room during an event, and Fig. 2 shows an addressable and controllable object.

[0061] Figure 1 shows a room 1 in which an event is being held. The room 1 can be an open area, a semi-open building such as a partially covered sports stadium, or an enclosed space such as a hall, auditorium, or the like. On a stage 2, a person 3 performs an artistic act. In front of the stage 2, within the room 1, is an auditorium 4 containing several spectators 5. Each spectator 5 carries an object 6, which includes a receiver, an effects unit, and an energy storage device. The energy storage device is configured to supply the components of the receiver and the effects unit with electrical energy. The receiver of each object 6 is configured to receive address and / or control signals transmitted by a transmitter.The effect technology of object 6 is each designed to generate light and / or sound and / or vibration signals in object 6 based on the received control signals.

[0062] Behind stage 2 is a control console 7 for lighting effects. This console uses the DMX control protocol to control spotlights, and some of its rotary and slide controls are shown symbolically in Fig. 1. Commands from the control console 7 are transmitted via a data bus system 8, referred to as a "daisy chain," to transmitters 9, which emit invisible electromagnetic radiation in the infrared range and are depicted as spotlights in Fig. 1. The transmitters 9 are pivotable about two axes—such as a horizontal and a vertical axis—and are distributed throughout the room 1 so that their emitted IR beams can cover the entire auditorium 4.The data transmitted from control panel 7 to transmitters 9 concerns the orientation of the respective transmitter, so that the operation of control panel 7 remains unchanged for the operator compared to controlling visible light using highly focused spotlights. In one variant of the method, this data directly contains information about the respective swivel angles of the transmitter; in another variant, RGB color values ​​are used as virtual colors to assign addresses to the respective objects, so that in this case, objects located at different places in room 1 can receive the same address and thus form a group whose members react identically to a control command.

[0063] Simultaneously, the commands from the control panel 7 are also transmitted to interfaces 10 via the data bus system 8. These interfaces are each represented as a cylinder in Fig. 1, with each transmitter 8 being assigned an interface 10. Since the data transmitted from the control panel 7 to the transmitters 9 pertains to the orientation of the respective transmitter, this data can be converted into an address in the interface 10 and modulated onto the IR light beam emitted by the transmitter 9, so that the light beam becomes a signal beam carrying a coded address signal. The objects 6 that are struck by the invisible IR signal beam when the transmitter 9 is in a specific orientation are thus assigned their corresponding address. Other objects that are struck by the signal beam when the transmitter 9 is in a different orientation receive a correspondingly different address.

[0064] In another embodiment of the procedure, the addresses of the objects 6 are assigned by programming a virtual light pattern in the auditorium 4 using the control panel 7, so that each location in the auditorium 4 is assigned a specific color in the form of a specific RGB value. These RGB values ​​are then assigned to the respective objects 6 via the transmitters 9 by sweeping the signal beams of the IR spotlights across the entire auditorium 4. The lighting technician programs the virtual color for each location completely freely, as is known from the assignment of visible colors to specific locations in the room 1. Each location can then be identified by its assigned color in the form of a digital RGB value.A control command containing the actual visible color information for that location is then sent to that location, so that the effect technique emits visible light of the desired color from the objects located at that location.

[0065] In addition to the respective orientation command, a specific color command can also be transmitted from the control panel 7 to the transmitters 9 and the associated interfaces 10. Since the transmitters 9, designed as IR spotlights, cannot reproduce color, the color information, which is technically only a color value or a number, is processed in the interfaces and used to generate an IR remote command. The position of each transmitter 9 is stored in the DMX mixing console, as is the virtual color (= an RGB color value). This color value can be identical for all objects 6 within the detection range of a signal beam or completely individual. Depending on the desired address resolution, the signal beam of a transmitter 9 can be focused or widely dispersed. The transmitted color value is first converted by the interface 10 into an individual or group address and modulated onto the signal beam.The number of possible groups corresponds to the number of possible color values. For the person operating control panel 7, this corresponds to a virtual color distribution across the objects 6. Objects 6 of the same "color" are members of a "color" group.

[0066] Using the two methods described above, the group addresses are assigned in a first step, so that each object 6 is subsequently assigned an address. From this address onward, control signals can be sent via addressable IR commands using the signal beams of the transmitters 9. These control signals can relate to real color values, brightness levels, time sequences, trigger signals, etc., so that the effect technology in the objects 6 generates the corresponding light, sound, or vibration signals based on these control signals.

[0067] Figure 1 shows that, in addition to the transmitters 9, which emit signal beams in the form of invisible light, control signals can also be transmitted to the objects 6 via a radio link after address assignment, using a dedicated radio standard such as a so-called PIP radio. While the IR signal beams of the transmitters 9 have a long range, they can be subject to shadowing, meaning that some objects 6 may not be reached. Therefore, each control signal is also transmitted via PIP radio. The radio signals are significantly less susceptible to shadowing than the light signals, but, according to the regulations of the respective radio standard, they typically have a shorter range. This is particularly important because, preferably, only radio standards with low energy consumption are suitable, allowing for the use of correspondingly small energy storage devices in the objects 6.

[0068] Whether the respective control information is transmitted by an IR signal or a radio signal is irrelevant, as the information is identical in content. This redundancy ensures a high level of transmission reliability, guaranteeing that the desired control commands are reliably transmitted from the control panel 7 to the objects 6. The radio signals fill gaps in the illumination, ensuring near-complete reachability of all addressed objects 6. For this purpose, fixed radio transmitters 11 are arranged in room 1. These are shown in Fig. 1, each together with an interface 10, and receive the same signals from the control panel 7 via the data bus system 8 as their respective interface 10. In the auditorium 4, as shown in Fig.1 also fixed radio transmitters 11 are arranged, whereby these can be omitted in deviation from the illustrated embodiment if the range of the radio transmitters 11 installed outside the auditorium 4 is sufficiently large.

[0069] Each object 6 has its own bidirectional radio module 12, which is illustrated in the figure by the fact that each of the three depicted objects is assigned its own small symbol of a radio transmitter. Objects 6 that receive an address or control signal via radio or IR light beam transmit this signal through their radio module 12 to the radio modules of neighboring objects 6.

[0070] Fig. 2 shows an object 6, which is designed in two parts and comprises a base body 13 and a functional element 14, wherein the functional element 14 can be optionally separated from or connected to the base body 13. The receiving technology, the effect technology, and the energy storage of the object 6 are arranged in the functional element 14. Three lamps in the form of LEDs 15 are shown in the functional element 14 as part of the effect technology.

[0071] The inventive method makes it possible to assign addresses as well as to reproduce true colors, namely light effects of objects 6, via commands, without having to leave the known DMX event technology.

[0072] The invention is not limited to one of the embodiments described above, but can be modified in a variety of ways. All features and advantages arising from the claims, the description, and the drawings, including design details, spatial arrangements, and process steps, can be essential to the invention both individually and in various combinations. Reference numerals list 1 space

[0073] Stage 2

[0074] 3 Person

[0075] 4 auditorium

[0076] 5 spectators 6 objects

[0077] 7 Control panel

[0078] 8 Data bus system

[0079] 9 channels

[0080] 10 Interface 11 Radio transmitter

[0081] 12 radio module

[0082] 13 basic shapes

[0083] 14 Functional element

Claims

1. Patent claims 1. A method for controlling objects (6), wherein a transmitter (9) is arranged in a space (1), and wherein several objects (6) are provided in the space (1) and in the receiving area of ​​the transmitter (9), each having a receiver configured to receive signals emitted by the transmitter (9), and wherein each object (6) is assigned an address representing the position of the object (6) in the space (1), and wherein the objects (6) are arranged in a distributed manner in the space (1), and wherein control signals are subsequently transmitted to the objects (6) such that different control signals are transmitted to objects (6) located at different positions in the space (1), characterized in that the objects (6) are assigned their respective addresses after the objects (6) have been arranged in a distributed manner in the space (1), wherein • the transmitter (9) emits a focused signal beam and is designed to emit the signal beam in different directions, • the signal beam emitted by the transmitter (9) contains address signals, • the address signals contain information that changes depending on the orientation of the signal beam, • and from this address information in the object (6) its address is automatically determined.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that two or more signal beams with different address signals are transmitted to an object (6) by either a transmitter (9) emitting differently oriented signal beams in whose respective detection range the object (6) is located, or by two or more transmitters (9) emitting signal beams in whose respective detection range the object (6) is located, wherein the multiple address information received by the object (6) is used to determine the address assigned to the object (6) in a manner similar to averaging, arithmetic mean, median, or cluster analysis.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transmitters (9) are controlled by means of the Digital Multiplex (“DMX”) control protocol.

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmitters (9) emit signal beams in the form of electromagnetic beams in the non-visible range, in particular infrared beams.

5. Method according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that RGB values ​​of the lighting technology are encrypted to generate the address and / or control signals.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control signals are transmitted by means of the same transmitter as the address signals.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the objects (6) each contain a radio module (12) which is configured to exchange radio signals bidirectionally with neighboring similar radio modules (12) of other objects (6), wherein an object (6), after receiving an address or control signal emitted by a transmitter (9), automatically sends this signal by means of its radio module (12) to the radio modules (12) of neighboring objects (6).

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the radio modules (12) in the objects (6) are each designed as short-range radio modules and that the number of hops is automatically logged, and that after reaching a predetermined number of hops, the forwarding of the signals to further adjacent objects (6) is automatically terminated.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmitter (9) is repeatedly aligned in the same or approximately the same way at time intervals, such that its bundled signal beam reaches the same areas of space (1) multiple times, and that the signal beam emitted by the transmitter (9) contains the address signals in each instance.

10. Use of the method according to one of the preceding claims for assigning addresses to objects (6) during an event, wherein visitors to the event are each equipped with an object (6), and wherein the objects (6) are equipped to emit light and / or sound signals, and wherein an address is assigned to each of the objects (6) after the objects (6) have been arranged in the room (1).

11. Object (6) for carrying out a method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the object (6) comprises: • a receiving device designed to receive the address and / or control signals emitted by the transmitter (9), • an effects technique designed to generate light and / or sound and / or vibration signals based on the received control signals, and • an energy storage device designed to supply electrical energy to the components of the receiving technology and the effects technology.

12. Object according to claim 11, characterized in that the object (6) has a first area designated as the base body (13) and a second area designated as the functional element (14) in which the receiving technology, the effect technology and the energy storage are arranged.

13. Object according to claim 12, characterized in that the functional element (14) is detachably arranged on the base body (13) of the object (6).

14. Object according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the object (6) has a Bluetooth radio module, wherein the Bluetooth function can be switched on and off selectively.

15. Object according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the object (6) has a translucent material, and that the effect technique is configured to shine light into the translucent material.

Images