Stage Automation Message Broker for Multi-Device Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stage automation systems face inefficiencies in communication and control due to the use of hardware and software from disparate manufacturers, requiring extensive programming to coordinate and communicate between various devices, making them difficult to modify and expand.
Innovation Solution
A stage automation system that employs a server to manage distributed program objects, allowing for the coordination of actionable mechanisms across different manufacturers' devices using a common communication protocol, enabling efficient communication and control through time-stamped variables and data packets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional stage automation systems use hardware and software from disparate manufacturers with indexed register communication, then device compatibility is achieved, but programming complexity and coordination difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a message broker as an intermediary component that receives messages from publishing components and routes them to subscribing components. This mediator abstracts the communication complexity, allowing components from different manufacturers to interact through a standardized message-passing interface rather than requiring direct register-based communication protocols. The message broker handles routing, filtering, and protocol translation, thereby reducing programming complexity while maintaining device compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal communication framework where all stage automation components (lights, elevators, winches, etc.) use a common message structure and protocol regardless of manufacturer. This universal interface allows a single controller to communicate with diverse hardware without manufacturer-specific programming, achieving multi-functionality across different device types while simplifying the control software.
2Reliability
If traditional stage automation systems require extensive programming for each hardware device, then precise control is achieved, but system modifiability and expandability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the stage automation system into independent, loosely-coupled components that communicate through standardized messages. Each component (light fixture, elevator, winch, etc.) operates as an independent module with its own control logic, allowing individual modification or replacement without affecting other parts of the system. This segmentation maintains control precision through dedicated component controllers while enabling easy system modification and expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic, event-driven architecture where components can be added, removed, or modified at runtime through the message broker. The system adapts to changes in real-time without requiring complete reprogramming, allowing flexible modification of stage automation configurations while maintaining precise control through the persistent message-passing framework.
3Reliability
If stage automation systems use manufacturer-specific communication protocols, then device-specific functionality is optimized, but coordination efficiency between devices deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enforces homogeneity in the communication layer by requiring all components to use a standardized message structure, data format, and protocol regardless of manufacturer or device type. This homogeneous interface layer enables efficient coordination between diverse devices while preserving device-specific functionality through the message content and routing logic, rather than requiring different communication protocols for different manufacturers.
Data Source
AI summary
A stage automation system, may include: at least one processor device implementing a physics engine; at least one memory device; one or more instructions stored in the memory device that, when executed by the at least one processor device implementing a physics engine, configure the at least one processor device for: receiving at least one target case corresponding to a user-interface specified position of a virtual object representative of a real-world object within a virtual space representative of a real-world space; providing position data defining the target case as a seed value to a physics engine; computing at least one effect-of-gravity solution from the seed value; comparing the effect-of-gravity position solution to the target case to determine if the effect-of-gravity position is within one or more position tolerance values relative to the target case; and providing user notification indicative of the comparison between the effect-of-gravity solution and the target case.