Modular electronic sign and method of assigning a unique identifier to common modules of said sign

• US 7,495,576 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2006
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald D. Maskeny, Jeffery L. West
• Original Assignee: Donald D. Maskeny, Jeffery L. West
• Inventors: West, Jeffery L, Maskeny, Donald D
• Primary Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US11/460,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 941 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.45, 340/815.4, 340/815.42, 340/907, 345/1.1, 345/82, 345/46, 345/244, 345/55, 345/204
• US Class Current: 340/815.45
• 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 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A plurality of common, modular panels attach to a support frame carrying power and data connections for an electronic display sign. LEDs are used as the light mechanisms for illumination of said sign. Each modular panel is under separate microcontroller control and includes its own on-board memory. The electronic display sign includes a master control element that connects to a PC or laptop computer for loading data or programs into the memory of each modular board. The master control sends out commands or data that is interrogated by every microcontroller on each modular panel of the entire sign such that only the panel with a unique identification number will process data intended therefore. The on-board memory allows for the creation of a virtual screen such that each modular panel of the entire sign is rendering the entire message being displayed on said sign even though each modular panel may only be actually illuminating a portion of said message on the LEDs of each panel. A novel auto-baud scheme re-sets the baud rate for the sign for each packet of data received. A novel identifier assignment scheme allows the end user to assign serial numbers to each panel after the sign is attached to the support frame.

Claims

1. An electronic messaging display sign including at least one modular panel, each at least one modular panel comprising:

a) an electrical circuit board;

b) a plurality of lights coupled to said circuit board;

c) a microcontroller coupled to said circuit board for receiving data from a master control and illuminating said plurality of lights through a driver element based on said data through a driver element, the microcontroller including a control mechanism and memory, the master control common to each of said at least one modular panel;

d) a power source;

e) a single serial data wire for connection to said at least one modular panel, the single serial data wire transmitting said data from said master control to said at least one modular panel to display a message on said electronic messaging display sign;

f) the data received by said microcontroller of said at least one modular panel transmitted in frames; and

g) the frames including character sets, picture data, animation, load frame data, frame display commands and frame manipulation commands.

2. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises EROM and RAM.

3. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 1, wherein the power source and single serial data wire are provided on a support frame to which said at least one modular panel attaches.

4. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 1, wherein the at least one modular panel comprises a plurality of modular panels, each of said plurality of modular panels having an uniquely assignable serial number distinguishing each modular panel from all others of said electronic messaging display sign.

5. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 4, wherein said uniquely assignable serial number is stored in said memory of said microcontroller for each of said plurality of modular panels.

6. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 5, wherein specifically directed data of said transmitted data along said single serial data wire is received by a specific modular panel of said plurality of modular panels based upon an address within said specifically directed data that equates to a particular uniquely assignable serial number of said panel.

7. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 4, wherein the uniquely assignable serial number is re-assignable.

8. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 1, further comprising a virtual screen created by said memory of said at least one modular panel, the virtual screen rendering a complete message in response to said at least one modular panel receiving said data from said master control even though said plurality of lights of said at least one modular panel is rendering only a portion of said complete message.

9. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lights are LEDs.

10. An electronic messaging display sign including at least one modular panel, each at least one modular panel comprising:

a) an electrical circuit board;

b) a plurality of lights coupled to said circuit board;

c) a microcontroller coupled to said circuit board for receiving data from a master control and illuminating said plurality of lights through a driver element based on said data through a driver element, the microcontroller including a control mechanism and memory, the master control common to each of said at least one modular panel;

d) a power source;

e) a single serial data wire for connection to said at least one modular panel, the single serial data wire transmitting said data from said master control to said at least one modular panel to display a message on said electronic messaging display sign; and

f) the data comprising a plurality of data packets, each data packet establishing a baud rate for said sign during reception of each data packet of said plurality of data packets.

11. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 10, wherein a first data bit for every byte of said plurality of data packets has a low value.

12. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 11, wherein a duration value of a start bit for each byte of data for said plurality of data packets is established and half its value is used to decide when a sample is taken in a second data bit regardless of state of said second data bit.

13. The electronic messaging display sign of claim 12, wherein all remaining data bits after said second data bit are sampled after a duration of time elapses which is equal to said duration of said start bit.

14. An electronic messaging display sign system comprising:

a) a plurality of modular panels attached to a support frame, said support frame providing a power and ground connection and a single serial data wire for interconnecting all of said plurality of modular panels along a common data pathway;

b) a master control element;

c) each of said plurality of modular panels having a microcontroller, memory, a plurality of illumination elements and drivers for acting upon said illumination elements in response to data or commands received by said microcontroller along said single serial data wire from said master control;

d) each of said microcontrollers having a uniquely addressable serial number for accepting specific data of said data transmitted from said master control intended for a particular modular panel based upon said serial number;

e) the data received by each of said microcontrollers of said plurality of modular panel transmitted in frames; and

f) the frames including character sets, picture data, animation, load frame data, frame display commands and frame manipulation commands.

15. The electronic messaging display sign system of claim 14, further comprising a virtual screen created by said memory of said plurality of modular panels, the virtual screen rendering a complete message in response to said plurality of modular panels receiving said data from said master control even though said plurality of illumination elements are rendering only a portion of said complete message.