Large screen display apparatus using a plurality of display screens

• US 5,784,035 A
• Filed: 10/16/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozono, Manami, Tanaka, Atsushi, Hagiwara, Toshiyuki, Kameyama, Masatoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US08/734,405
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1, 345/2, 345/3, 345/903, 348/206
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/903 Modular display

Abstract

A large screen display apparatus comprises a plurality of displays constituting a single large screen for displaying an object. The object is formed on the basis of screen data which is generated by a screen data generating section. Each of the displays is provided with a local data generating section for converting a coordinate of the screen data from the screen data generating section into a coordinate of a local coordinate system peculiar to the individual displays. Because the local data generating sections, each provided to one respective display, executes coordinate conversion to the screen data, it is possible to reduce load to the screen data generating section, and to thereby provide a display performance with a rapid response.

Claims

1. A large screen display apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of displays which together act as a single screen for displaying an object;

a screen data generating section for generating screen data for forming the object; and

a plurality of local data generating sections connected to respective displays for converting coordinates of the screen data from the screen data generating section into a local coordinate system corresponding to the respective displays, wherein

said screen data generating section includes a local data selecting circuit for selecting from the screen data, local screen data for local screens corresponding to the respective displays, and a data outputting circuit for sending selected local screen data in a predetermined order to a corresponding local data generating section, and

a switching circuit is connected to said data outputting circuit for switching said predetermined order in accordance with content of the object.

2. A large screen display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said local screen data is successively transmitted to the displays in a horizontal sequence.

3. A large screen display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said local screen data is successively transmitted to the displays in a vertical sequence.

4. A large screen display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said local screen data is successively transmitted to the displays in a diagonal sequence.

5. A large screen display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said local screen data is successively transmitted to the displays in a spiral sequence.

6. A large screen display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said screen data generating section further includes a stamping circuit which stamps a time stamp onto the selected local screen data, and said local data generating section includes a stamp determining circuit for determining a time specified by the time stamp, and a screen image generating circuit for causing the respective displays to display at the time specified on the basis of corresponding local screen data.

7. A large screen display apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of displays which together act as a single screen for displaying an object;

a screen data generating section for generating screen data for forming the object; and

a plurality of local data generating sections connected to respective displays for converting coordinates of the screen data from the screen data generating section into a local coordinate system corresponding to the respective displays, wherein

said screen data generating section includes a local data selecting circuit for selecting from the screen data, local screen data for local screens corresponding to the respective displays, and a data outputting circuit for sending selected local screen data in a predetermined order to a corresponding local data generating section, and

a greater number of said local data generating sections are provided than the number of displays, said local data generating sections being switchably connected to the displays via a switching circuit.

8. A large screen display apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of displays which together act as a single screen for displaying an object;

a screen data generating section for generating screen data for forming the object; and

a plurality of local data generating sections connected to respective displays for converting coordinates of the screen data from the screen data generating section into a local coordinate system corresponding to the respective displays, wherein

said screen data generating section includes a local data selecting circuit for selecting from the screen data, local screen data for local screens corresponding to the respective displays, and a data outputting circuit for sending selected local screen data in a predetermined order to a corresponding local data generating section, and

said screen data generating sections further includes a processing capacity measuring circuit for measuring processing capacity of the local data generating sections, and a data amount changing circuit for changing volume of the screen data on the basis of the processing capacity measured.

9. A large screen display apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of displays which together act as a single screen for displaying an object;

a screen data generating section for generating screen data for forming the object; and

a plurality of local data generating sections connected to respective displays for converting coordinates of the screen data from the screen data generating section into a local coordinate system corresponding to the respective displays, wherein

said local data generating sections each include a local data selecting circuit for selecting from the screen data, local screen data corresponding to the respective displays, and said screen data generating section outputs the screen data in multicast, and

a greater number of said local data generating sections are provided than the number of displays, said local data generating sections being switchably connected to the displays via a switching circuit.

10. A large screen display apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said screen data generating section further includes a stamping circuit for stamping a time stamp onto the selected local screen data, and said local data generating section includes a stamp determining circuit for determining a time specified by the time stamp, and a screen image generating circuit for causing the respective displays to display on the basis of corresponding local screen data at the time specified.

11. A large screen display apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of displays which together act as a single screen for displaying an object;

a screen data generating section for generating screen data for forming the object; and

a plurality of local data generating sections connected to respective displays for converting coordinates of the screen data from the screen data generating section into a local coordinate system corresponding to the respective displays, wherein

said local data generating sections each include a local data selecting circuit for selecting from the screen data, local screen data corresponding to the respective displays, and said screen data generating section outputs the screen data in multicast, and

said screen data generating sections further includes a processing capacity measuring circuit for measuring processing capacity of the local data generating sections, and a data amount changing circuit for changing volume of the screen data on the basis of the processing capacity measured.

12. A method for displaying a single large screen object image by combining the displays of a plurality of local display units, said method comprising the steps of:

generating screen data needed to form the large screen object image;

selecting from the generated screen data, local screen data which is particular to respective local display units;

sending selected local screen data in a predetermined order to local data generating units each connected to a corresponding local display unit;

converting coordinates of the local data sent to the local data generating units into local coordinate systems particular to the corresponding local display units; and

generating a single display image from the combined displays of the coordinate converted local screen data of the local display units,

wherein a greater number of local data generating units are provided than local display units, and the local data processing units are selectively connected to local display units via a switching unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

selecting the predetermined order in which local screen data is sent to the plurality of data processing units in accordance with the content of the object image.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the selected predetermined order is a horizontal sequence.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the selected predetermined order is a vertical sequence.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the selected predetermined order is a diagonal sequence.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the selected predetermined order is a spiral sequence.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

stamping a time stamp onto selected local screen data to allow coordinated display of image data between the local display units.

19. A method for displaying a single large screen object image by combining the displays of a plurality of local display units, said method comprising the steps of:

generating screen data needed to form the large screen object image;

selecting from the generated screen data, local screen data which is particular to respective local display units;

sending selected local screen data in a predetermined order to local data generating units each connected to a corresponding local display unit;

converting coordinates of the local data sent to the local data generating units into local coordinate systems particular to the corresponding local display units;

generating a single display image from the combined displays of the coordinate converted local screen data of the local display units;

measuring processing capacity of the plurality of local data generating units; and

changing the volume of screen data based on the measured processing capacity.