Modular Video Switcher Panel with Multicolor LED Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Video production switchers face challenges with large control panels that require numerous buttons and lamps for joystick control, leading to impractical layouts, difficulty in identifying functions, and issues with color uniformity and brightness control, which affect operator efficiency and accuracy in live production environments.
Innovation Solution
A modular video production switcher panel with a user-controllable input device, multicolor lighting arrangements, and a calibration system for consistent illumination, allowing for flexible grouping of buttons and improved identification of key types, along with a dual menu display system for enhanced usability and reconfigurability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a large number of buttons and lamps are provided on the control panel to control each function, then each function can be clearly identified and controlled, but the panel real estate is wasted and the layout becomes impractical
Solution Approach 1:
A single button is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a selection button for delegating joystick control and an indicator lamp to show which function is currently being controlled. When pressed, the button illuminates to indicate the active function, eliminating the need for separate indicator lamps for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the function of selection buttons and indicator lamps into a single integrated component. The button itself provides visual feedback through illumination, combining what were traditionally separate elements into one space-efficient unit.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple buttons are selected to delegate multiple functions simultaneously, then more functions can be controlled by the joystick, but it becomes difficult to quickly assess which function is being controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The button illumination provides clear visual feedback through color changes to indicate which functions are currently delegated to the joystick. This allows the operator to quickly assess the current state of function delegation without having to mentally track multiple button selections.
Solution Approach 2:
The illuminated buttons provide immediate visual feedback about the current joystick delegation state. When multiple functions are delegated, multiple buttons illuminate simultaneously, giving the operator clear feedback about which functions are active without requiring cognitive effort to track selections.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed physical locations and colors are used for button groups, then the panel layout is simple to manufacture, but the groupings cannot be changed or customized
Solution Approach 1:
The button illumination colors are made dynamically changeable through software control, allowing the functional groupings to be reconfigured without physical changes to the panel. This enables the system to adapt to different operational modes and user preferences while maintaining a simple fixed physical layout.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination parameters (color, intensity) of the buttons are made programmable, allowing the same physical button to represent different functional groups at different times. This enables flexible reconfiguration of control panels for different scenarios without manufacturing changes.
4Ease of manufacture
If single-color light sources are used for button illumination, then the implementation is simple and cost-effective, but the color uniformity and aesthetic appeal are limited
Solution Approach 1:
Each button is equipped with multiple light sources of different colors (RGB LEDs), allowing each button to have independent color control. This enables precise local color adjustment to achieve uniform appearance across all buttons while maintaining individual customization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system uses programmable parameters to control the color and intensity of each light source. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves consistent color uniformity across all buttons while maintaining aesthetic appeal through coordinated color schemes.
5Reliability
If individual light sources are controlled independently with high refresh frequency, then the brightness control is precise and flicker is minimized, but the circuitry complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic PWM (pulse-width modulation) to control light source brightness. By switching light sources on and off at controlled duty cycles, precise brightness control is achieved without requiring complex analog circuitry. The periodic nature of PWM allows for efficient implementation using simple switching elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system dynamically adjusts the operation of individual light sources based on current functional groupings. Not all light sources operate simultaneously, and their operation is timed to match the active functions, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining precision where needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances operator efficiency by simplifying function delegation, improving button identification, ensuring consistent and aesthetically pleasing lighting, and allowing for flexible panel configurations, thereby reducing operator errors and increasing productivity in live video production.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of light sources, and a controller that controls a brightness of each light source based on its respective position in the group
Data Source
AI summary
Various improvements for video production switchers are disclosed. In a user input module, a Link button is operable to link key functions with a user controllable input device. A multicolor lighting arrangement may be provided, and possibly calibrated, for illuminating each button of a switcher with a controllable color and/or intensity. In an improved Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) scheme, a PWM output is dependent on a pseudo-random number and a threshold. A display on a keyer module may be used to provide indications of a key source and type currently associated with the keyer module. A switcher menu system may be enhanced by providing a first display for accessing a full menu system, and a second display for accessing at least a portion of the full menu system. In a modular switcher panel, a panel structure carries button modules, at least one of which is interchangeable without displacing other button modules.