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US-20260126166-A1 - COVER PLATE FOR A LUMINAIRE CAMERA ACCESS PORT

US20260126166A1US 20260126166 A1US20260126166 A1US 20260126166A1US-20260126166-A1

Abstract

A system includes a luminaire having a head configured for rotation relative to a fixed enclosure of the luminaire. The head includes a camera access port. The system also includes a housing for a camera configured to be removably mounted to the camera access port of the luminaire, and a cover plate configured to be removably mounted to the luminaire head to cover the camera access port. When the housing is mounted to the camera access port, the cover plate is removed from the luminaire head.

Inventors

  • Pavel Jurik
  • Jan Vilem
  • Josef VALCHAR

Assignees

  • ROBE LIGHTING S.R.O.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251230

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An apparatus, comprising: a housing configured to receive a camera; and a mounting base coupled to the housing, wherein the mounting base is configured to be removably mounted to an external surface of a luminaire and to cover a camera access port of the luminaire, wherein the mounting base is configured to support and hold the camera external to the luminaire when the mounting base is mounted to the external surface of the luminaire, and wherein the mounting base comprises a gasket configured to seal the luminaire, wherein the gasket is configured to seal to a mating region on the external surface of the luminaire, and wherein the mating region comprises at least one of a recess that is configured to interface with the gasket, a microtextured surface, and a polished surface.
  2. 2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gasket is configured to seal the luminaire to an IP65 rating.
  3. 3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a signal connector and a power connector configured to couple to the camera and routed through the mounting base, wherein the signal connector and the power connector are configured to be coupled to corresponding signal and power connectors of the luminaire through the camera access port.
  4. 4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a signal to the luminaire when coupled to the luminaire, wherein the signal is an indication that a camera is electrically coupled to the luminaire.
  5. 5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor configured to interact with a corresponding second sensor of the luminaire when the mounting base is mounted to the luminaire, wherein the first sensor interacting with the second sensor is configured to indicate that the mounting base is mounted to the luminaire.
  6. 6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first sensor comprises an electromechanical sensor, a magnetic sensor, or an optical sensor.
  7. 7 . A system, comprising: a luminaire comprising a head configured for rotation relative to a fixed enclosure of the luminaire, wherein the head comprises a camera access port; a housing configured to receive a camera, wherein the housing is configured to be removably mounted to the camera access port of the luminaire; and a cover plate configured to be removably mounted to the luminaire head to cover the camera access port, wherein when the housing is mounted to the camera access port, the cover plate is removed from the luminaire head.
  8. 8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein a weight of the cover plate approximately matches a weight of a camera module that includes the housing and a camera.
  9. 9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises a mounting base, and wherein the mounting base comprises a gasket to seal the luminaire to an IP65 rating.
  10. 10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the mounting base is configured to be removably mounted to an external surface of the luminaire head, wherein the gasket is configured to seal to a mating region on the external surface of the luminaire head, and wherein the mating region comprises at least one of a recess that is configured to interface with the gasket, a microtextured surface, and a polished surface.
  11. 11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the cover plate comprises a gasket configured to seal the luminaire to an IP65 rating.
  12. 12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the cover plate is configured to be removably mounted to an external surface of the luminaire head, wherein the gasket is configured to seal to a mating region on the external surface of the luminaire head, and wherein the mating region comprises at least one of a recess that is configured to interface with the gasket, a microtextured surface, and a polished surface.
  13. 13 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the luminaire comprises a signal connector and a power connector configured to be electrically coupled to corresponding signal and power connectors of a camera mounted in the housing through the camera access port, wherein the signal connector of the luminaire is electrically coupled to an output connector on the fixed enclosure of the luminaire.
  14. 14 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the cover plate comprises a plurality of removable counterweight modules on an inner face of the cover plate.
  15. 15 . A luminaire, comprising: a head configured for rotation relative to a fixed enclosure of the luminaire and comprising: a camera access port; and a cover plate configured to be mounted to the head to cover the camera access port, wherein the cover plate is removable to allow mounting of a housing for a camera to the head, wherein the cover plate is removed from the luminaire head when the housing is mounted to the camera access port.
  16. 16 . The luminaire of claim 15 , wherein the cover plate comprises a gasket configured to seal the luminaire to an IP65 rating.
  17. 17 . The luminaire of claim 16 , wherein the head comprises a mating region that surrounds the camera access port, and wherein the mating region is configured to interface with either a) the gasket of the cover plate to provide the IP65 rating when the cover plate is mounted to the head, or b) a gasket of a mounting base of the housing configured to provide the IP65 rating when the housing is mounted to the head.
  18. 18 . The luminaire of claim 17 , wherein the mating region comprises at least one of a recess that is configured to interface with the gasket, a microtextured surface, and a polished surface.
  19. 19 . The luminaire of claim 15 , wherein the cover plate comprises a plurality of removable counterweight modules on an inner face of the cover plate.
  20. 20 . The luminaire of claim 15 , further comprising: a first sensor configured to interact with a corresponding second sensor of the housing when the housing is coupled to the luminaire, wherein the first sensor comprises an electromechanical sensor, a magnetic sensor, or an optical sensor; and a control system coupled to the first sensor, wherein the control system is configured to generate a signal that indicates that the housing is coupled to the luminaire based on the first sensor interacting with the second sensor.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/820,913 filed Aug. 30, 2024, entitled “SYSTEMS FOR A LUMINAIRE”, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/580,290 filed Sep. 1, 2023, entitled “SYSTEMS FOR A LUMINAIRE”, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure generally relates to luminaires, and more specifically to a removable camera system and an optical system for an automated luminaire. BACKGROUND Some luminaires in the entertainment and architectural lighting markets include automated and remotely controllable functions. Such luminaires may be used in theatres, television studios, concerts, theme parks, night clubs, and other venues. A luminaire may provide control over the pan and tilt functions of the luminaire allowing an operator to control a direction that the luminaire is pointing and thus a position of the luminaire's light beam on a stage or in a studio. Such position control may be obtained via control of the luminaire's position in two orthogonal rotational axes, which may be referred to as pan and tilt. Some luminaires provide control over other parameters such as intensity, color, focus, beam size, beam shape, and/or beam pattern. Where such luminaires are remotely controllable, they may be referred to as automated luminaires. The optical systems of such automated luminaires may be designed to enable a user to control the beam size, from a very narrow output beam to a wider, wash beam. Such control may allow such luminaires to be used with long throws to a target or for almost parallel light effects as well as for wider, more traditional wash effects. Optical systems with the ability to produce narrow beams may be referred to as ‘Beam’ optics, while optical systems with the ability to produce wide beams may be referred to as ‘Wash’ optics. SUMMARY In a first embodiment, a system includes a luminaire having a head configured for rotation relative to a fixed enclosure of the luminaire. The head includes a camera access port. The system also includes a camera module configured to be removably mounted to the camera access port of the luminaire, and a cover plate configured to be removably mounted to the luminaire head to cover the camera access port. A weight of the cover plate approximately matches a weight of the camera module. In a second embodiment, a luminaire includes a head configured for rotation relative to a fixed enclosure of the luminaire. The head includes a camera access port and a cover plate configured to be mounted to the head to cover the camera access port. The cover plate is removable to allow mounting of a camera module to the head, and a weight of the cover plate approximately matches a weight of the camera module. In a third embodiment, a camera module includes a camera configured to generate image data based on light received from a field of view of the camera. The camera module also includes a mounting base coupled to the camera, where the mounting base is configured to be removably mounted to a luminaire and to cover a camera access port of the luminaire. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following brief description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like features. FIG. 1 presents an isometric view of a luminaire according to the disclosure in a first configuration; FIG. 2 presents an isometric view of the luminaire of FIG. 1 with a camera module attached to the head; FIG. 3 presents a schematic view of a cover plate for the luminaire of FIG. 1 including removable counterweight modules according to the disclosure; FIG. 4 presents an isometric view of the luminaire of FIG. 2 with a head cover removed and showing an output connector of the camera; FIG. 5 presents an isometric view of the luminaire of FIG. 2 with a second head cover removed, revealing the internal optical system; FIG. 6 presents an exploded view of the internal optical system of the luminaire of FIG. 2; FIG. 7 presents a view of a gobo wheel of the internal optical system according to the disclosure; FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C present diagrammatic views of an iris protection system according to the disclosure; and FIG. 9 presents a flow chart of a method of controlling a luminaire according to the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Preferred embodiments are illustrated in the figures, like numerals being used to refer to like and corresponding parts of the various drawings. Some luminaires (both automated and non-automated) comprise a light source including a discharge lamp or a light emitting diode (LED) array, or laser-based light source, where a laser LED is used as a pump for a light emitting phosphor. Some automated luminaires may be used as followspots, allowing a remote operator to control the pan and tilt of a l