Virtual video environment display systems

• US 10,623,609 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VE Virtual Environment, LLC
• Original Assignee: VE Virtual Environment, LLC
• Inventors: Welch, Andrew, Uichanco, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Application Number:
  US16/172,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20200137267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 348383
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/20 Details of the management of multiple sources of image data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44504 Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/44 Colour synchronisation

Abstract

Systems enable viewing of video images over a plurality of scalable modular video displays include a video wallpaper subsystem and a video central computer subsystem. The video wallpaper has video displays having a same pixel pitch, and a width and height. The video displays include a video scaler and video mixer configured to enable video signals provided to the video displays to appear as one of a single video image a plurality of separate video images. Each of the video images appearing on a subset of the video displays as an overlay over the single video image, wherein the single video image and each of the plurality of separate video images are displayed at predetermined resolutions. The video central computer subsystem includes a video processing unit which receives video signals from a plurality of video sources and selects video signals to process and send to the video displays and includes a synchronizing frame buffer with time base correction to provide video synchronization of the selected video signals.

Claims

1. A system for enabling viewing of video images over a plurality of scalable modular video displays comprising:

a) a video wallpaper subsystem including;

at least two first video displays having a same pixel pitch and a first height and width;

at least two second video displays having said same pixel pitch and a second height and width, wherein the second height and width is smaller than the first height and width, said second height is evenly divisible into said first height and said second width is evenly divisible into said first width;

wherein said first video displays and said second video display are for being horizontally and vertically arrayed on a flat surface;

each of said first video displays and second video displays including a video scaler and video mixer configured to enable video signals provided to said first video displays and second video displays to appear as one of a single video image on said displays at its native resolution and a plurality of separate video images, each at its native resolution, each of said plurality of separate video images appearing on a subset of said first and second video displays as an overlay over said single video image;

b) a video central computer subsystem coupled to said video wallpaper subsystem, said video central computer subsystem including a video processing unit which receives video signals from a plurality of video sources and selects video signals to process and send to said video displays from said plurality of video sources, and includes a synchronizing frame buffer with time base correction to provide video synchronization of the selected video signals when said single video image and said plurality of separate video images are displayed on said video displays.

2. The system defined by claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of video sources provides an image representing a background, portions of which are displayed on each of said video displays and at least a second one of plurality of video sources provides an image representing an overlay which is displayed on at least one of said video displays, said overlay replacing portions of said background, wherein said background and said at least one overlay are displayed at their native, high resolution format.

3. The system defined by claim 1 wherein each of said video displays includes an inter-panel position adjustment to enable images displayed across multiple video displays to be aligned by adjusting said inter-panel position adjustment.

4. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said video central computer subsystem includes a plurality of said video processing units, and in a 3-dimension video environment, each of said plurality of said video processing units determines a portion of a 3-dimensional video image to process and send to at least one of said video displays.

5. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said video central computer subsystem includes a plurality of said video processing units, each of which receives predetermined color corrections to create a unitary video image which compensate for physical differences in each video image being displayed.

6. The system defined by claim 1 wherein a background image is created by use of ray tracing, including adaptive super-sampling and condensed light and optics.

7. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said video central computer subsystem includes a plurality of said video processing units, which operate to synchronize video frames so that each said video processing unit displays the video frame it is expected to display at a given time.

8. The system defined by claim 1 wherein a plurality of live video feeds are provided as said video sources to a plurality of said video processing units and each of said video processing units receives its own set of overlay images corresponding to said live video feeds using a protocol including a leader in the video central computer, time synchronization (PTP/VBL), multicasting (UDP), and replica management allowing failsafe real-time video data distribution to said video processing units.