Extending type of display apparatus and display system using the same

• US 20030146882A1
• Filed: 03/10/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daichu Denshi Company Limited Fourie Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Daichu Denshi Company Limited Fourie Incorporated
• Inventors: Nishida, Shinsuke, Ogino, Osamu, Motoshima, Takahiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,791,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/3026 Video wall, i.e. stackable semiconductor matrix display modules video wall control systems G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2085 Special arrangements for addressing the individual elements of the matrix, other than by driving respective rows and columns in combination
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2088 with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2092 Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant

Abstract

An extending type of display apparatus of which the screen can be extended by connecting a plurality of display units each having the same configuration to each other, in which the display unit comprises a plurality of display elements arrayed in a matrix, a controller for controlling each display state of each display element, a memory for storing therein each address information for each of the display elements, a signal transmitting section for signal transaction between controllers, and a power transmitting section for supplying power, and the controller executes signal transaction with controllers of any other display units adjacent to the controller through the signal transmitting section, recognizes a size of the screen obtained by connecting a plurality of the display units to each other as well as a position of the unit in the screen, and generates each address information according to the position of the unit to be stored in a memory.

Claims

1. An extending type of display apparatus of which a screen can be extended by connecting a plurality of display units each having the same configuration to each other;

wherein

said display unit comprises a plurality of display elements arrayed in a matrix, a controller for controlling each display state of each of said plurality of display elements, a storing section for storing therein each address information for each of the display elements in said screen, a signal transmitting section for signal transaction between said controller and an external device or any other display units, and a power transmitting section for supplying power to said plurality of display elements, controller, storing section, and said signal transmitting section,

said power transmitting section can electrically be connected, when a plurality of said display units are connected to each other, to power transmitting sections of said display units adjacent to said power transmitting section,

said signal transmitting section can execute, when a plurality of said display units are connected to each other, signal transaction with signal transmitting sections of said display units adjacent to said signal transmitting section, and

each controller for each of said plurality of display units executes, when a plurality of said display units are connected to each other, signal transaction with controllers of any other display units adjacent to said controller through said signal transmitting section, recognizes a size of the screen obtained by connecting a plurality of said display units to each other as well as a position of the unit in said screen, and generates each address information for each display element in said screen according to the position of said unit to be stored in said storing section.

2. An extending type of display apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein

each controller for each of said plurality of display units determines, when having received a display signal including display address information specifying said display element as well as display data information indicating display contents from an external device or from any other display units adjacent to said controller, whether any address information matching said display address information exists or not by referring to said storing section of the unit, and changes, if it is determined that the matching address information exists therein, the display state of any display element having the corresponding address information according to said display data information.

3. An extending type of display apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein each address information for each display element in said screen is obtained by first dividing said screen into four areas, adding thereto each of first area addresses with two bits of “

00”

, “

01”

, “

10”

, “

11”

each correlating to each position of the divided screens, then, further dividing the ¼

screen specified by one of the first area addresses into four areas, adding thereto each of second area addresses with two bits of “

00”

, “

01”

, “

10”

, “

11”

each correlating to each position of the divided screens, and then further dividing the ⅛

screen specified by one of the second area addresses into four areas, adding thereto each of third area addresses with two bits of “

00”

, “

01”

, “

10”

, “

11”

each correlating to each position of the divided screens, repeating the processing for dividing the screen n-times thereafter and on so that the number of display elements in the divided screen will be one unit therein, and adding thereto the obtained n-th area address, and each of the address information obtained as described above is indicated by rows of bits arrayed in the order from the first area address to the n-th area address.

4. An extending type of display apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein said signal transmitting section is an infrared communicating means.

5. An extending type of display apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein a power transmitting section in any one of display unit among the plurality of display units connected to each other is connected to an external power supply unit, and power is supplied to any other display units through the display unit connected to said external power supply unit.

6. An extending type of display apparatus according to claim 5;

wherein, when a size of the screen obtained by connecting a plurality of said display units to each other and a position of the unit in said screen are to be recognized, the controller of any display unit connected to said external power supply unit instructs start of processing for said recognition.

7. An extending type of display apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein each controller for each of said plurality of display units gives a request, when there is found any change in a connection state of any display units adjacent to said controller, of starting the processing for said recognition to any other display units.

8. An extending type of display apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein each controller for each of said plurality of display units executes signal transaction with controllers of any other display units adjacent to said controller, determines how many display units are present in the right side, left side, upper side, and lower side from the unit respectively, and recognizes a size of the screen obtained by connecting a plurality of said display units to each other and a position of the unit in said screen.

9. An extending type of display apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein said display unit has 2^2m units (m;

an integer) of display element arrayed in a (2 m)×

(2 m) matrix.

10. A display system using the extending type of display apparatus comprising an extending type of display apparatus according to claim 1, a power supply unit for supplying power to said extending type of display apparatus, and a control unit for supplying a display signal including display address information and display data information indicating display contents to said extending type of display apparatus.

11. A display system using the extending type of display apparatus comprising an extending type of display apparatus of which a screen can be extended by connecting a plurality of display units each having the same configuration to each other, a power supply unit for supplying power to said extending type of display apparatus, and a control unit for supplying a display signal including display address information and display data information indicating display contents to said extending type of display apparatus;

wherein

each display unit for said extending type of display apparatus comprises a plurality of display elements arrayed in a matrix, a controller for controlling each display state of said plurality of display elements, a storing section for storing therein each address information for each of the display elements in said screen, a signal transmitting section for signal transaction between said controller and said control unit or any other display units, and a power transmitting section for supplying power to said plurality of display elements, controller, storing section, and said signal transmitting section,

said control unit comprises a determining means for receiving, from each display unit for said extending type of display apparatus, each connection state of any display units adjacent to said display unit and determining a size and a shape of the entire screen of said extending type of display apparatus, and an address information setting means for generating each address information for a display element of each of said display units and setting the address information in the storing section of the corresponding display unit, and

said control unit stores, when said extending type of display apparatus and said control unit are connected to each other, each address information for each display element of said extending type of display apparatus in corresponding each storing section.