Modular display system
First Claim
1. A display system for displaying a source image having a plurality of pixels in predetermined positions, said system comprising:
- a screen;
at least two image generators generating overlapping adjacent portions of the source image on said screen, wherein the overlapping adjacent portions of the source image overlap and wherein unadjusted pixels of the overlapping adjacent portions of the image need not correspond to the pixels of the source image in position and/or intensity; and
an image processor providing source image data to said image generators including pixel data representative of particular pixels of the source image in the overlap that are adjusted for position and intensity so that the respective pixels generated in the overlap by said two image generators combine to form on said screen the particular pixels of the source image at the predetermined positions of the source image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Large visual displays are comprised of an array of smaller display devices or modules, each of which displays a portion of the image to be displayed so that together the array of smaller display devices displays the complete image. Unlike conventional large displays which necessarily seek to minimize the edge areas of the smaller display elements that do not display an image so as to minimize the “seams” or gaps between the image portions, the present display device projects image portions scanned from less than the entire display area of the smaller display devices in an array to create an image on a substantially flat panel that is substantially free of visual “seams” or gaps between the image portions. Thus the display device may employ display elements that do not have narrow edges and that are not contiguous to generate overlapping sub-images. Image pixels in what would otherwise be “seams” or gaps are generated from the image data and are displayed in proper position and brightness in the displayed image, such as in the overlap regions of overlapping sub-images. Where the scanning beams are electron beams, the flat panel is a faceplate that includes phosphors that are excited by the electron beam to produce light, and where the beams are light beams, the flat panel is a distributor of light, such as a diffuser panel.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A display system for displaying a source image having a plurality of pixels in predetermined positions, said system comprising:
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a screen;
at least two image generators generating overlapping adjacent portions of the source image on said screen, wherein the overlapping adjacent portions of the source image overlap and wherein unadjusted pixels of the overlapping adjacent portions of the image need not correspond to the pixels of the source image in position and/or intensity; and
an image processor providing source image data to said image generators including pixel data representative of particular pixels of the source image in the overlap that are adjusted for position and intensity so that the respective pixels generated in the overlap by said two image generators combine to form on said screen the particular pixels of the source image at the predetermined positions of the source image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 42)
wherein said projector of light is selected from the group consisting of an optical projector, a cathode ray tube, and a liquid crystal display including a light source.
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19. A display system comprising:
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a screen for displaying a source image;
a plurality of image generators each generating a portion of said source image on said screen, wherein portions of said source image generated by adjacent image generators overlap in regions at their respective peripheries but need not, absent weighting, correspond in position and intensity to said source image; and
an image processor providing image data to said image generators wherein image data for pixels of the portions of said source image at least in the overlap regions are weighted relative to position and intensity to combine to display said source image. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A modular display system comprising:
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a screen on which a unitary image is to be displayed; and
a plurality of image generating modules positioned adjacent each other and on a side of said screen opposite that on which the unitary image is to be viewed, wherein each said image generating module comprises;
at least one image generator responsive to image data for generating a predetermined portion of the unitary image on said screen, wherein pixels thereof along each edge of the predetermined portion include pixels that are also along adjacent edges of adjacent predetermined portions of the unitary image that are generated by respective adjacent image generator modules, whereby adjacent predetermined portions of the unity image overlap in an overlap region near their adjacent edges;
an image processor for generating the image data representative of said predetermined portion of said unitary image responsive to predetermined portions of unitary image data and to sensor data; and
a sensor located proximate said screen for generating sensor data representative of at least pixels of the predetermined portion of the unitary image on said screen in the regions of overlap of adjacent predetermined portions of the unitary image. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of forming a pixelated image comprising:
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forming two contiguous pixelated sub-images having a region of overlap at their common edge;
determining the value of particular pixels of the pixelated sub-images at least in said region of overlap;
determining a correction function for changing the determined value of the particular pixels of the pixelated sub-images in at least said overlap region to a given value representative of pixels of the pixelated image in corresponding positions of the pixelated image; and
applying said correction function to respective pixel values of each of said pixelated sub-images for each of said particular pixels at least in said overlap region. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
determining the value of particular pixels in respective regions of said two contiguous sub-images other than said region of overlap;
determining a second correction function for changing the determined value of the particular pixels in said respective regions of said two contiguous sub-images to a second given value; and
applying said second correction function to respective pixel values of each of said pixelated sub-images for each of said particular pixels in said respective regions of said two contiguous sub-images other than said overlap region.
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39. The method of claim 38 wherein at least one of said determining a correction function and said determining a second correction function comprises:
weighting at least a given characteristic of the values of particular pixels of at least one of said two contiguous pixelated sub-images.
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40. The method of claim 39 wherein said weighting at least a given characteristic includes weighting at least one of pixel brightness and pixel position.
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41. The method of claim 39 wherein said weighting at least a given characteristic includes weighting the respective given characteristic of particular pixels in a neighborhood of said at least one of said two contiguous pixelated sub-images.
Specification