Apparatus and method for allowing display modules to communicate information about themselves to other display modules in the same display panel

• US 7,948,450 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ross Video, Inc.
• Original Assignee: D3 Led LLC (Southpaw Sports & Entertainment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koon, Jon D., Robertus, Bryan L., Swimley, Brett D., Daughenbaugh, Jason A., Lukes, Anthony J., Kay, Jason E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu; Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Gene W
• Application Number:
  US11/558,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.3, 345/1.2, 345/1.1
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• 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 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information

Abstract

An apparatus for allowing display modules to communicate information about themselves to other display modules in the same display panel, comprising a module-based display panel wherein each face of the panel comprises a plurality of display modules, wherein the transmitters, receivers and/or transceivers are configured so that each transmitter or transceiver on a given display module is adjacent to a receiver or transceiver on an adjacent display module, wherein the transmitters or transceivers on a given display module transmit information about that display module to the adjacent receivers or transceivers, wherein the receivers or transceivers on a given display module receive information about the adjacent display module from the adjacent transmitters or transceivers, and wherein the information is used by the display modules and/or a main controller to determine the location of the display module within a display panel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for allowing display modules to communicate information about themselves to other display modules in the same display panel, comprising a module-based display panel,

wherein the display panel comprises one or more faces,

wherein each face comprises a plurality of display modules,

wherein each display module comprises at least three borders,

wherein at least one of the borders is adjacent to another display module,

wherein a transmitter, receiver or transceiver is located on each border that is adjacent to another display module,

wherein the transmitters, receivers and/or transceivers are configured so that each transmitter or transceiver on a given display module is adjacent to a receiver or transceiver on an adjacent display module,

wherein each display module has a unique identifier,

wherein the transmitters or transceivers on a given display module transmit that display module'"'"'s unique identifier to the adjacent receivers or transceivers within a bandwidth of 10 Kbps or less,

wherein the receivers or transceivers on a given display module receive the unique identifier of each adjacent display module from the adjacent transmitter[s] or transceiver[s] within a bandwidth of 10 Kbps or less,

wherein each display module sends its own unique identifier and the unique identifiers of the adjacent display modules to a main controller, and

wherein the unique identifiers are used by the main controller to determine the location of the display module within a display panel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitters, receivers and/or transceivers communicate information using LC resonator circuits to generate alternating magnetic fields between adjacent display modules.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information that is transmitted and received between adjacent display modules is identifier information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the identifier information from the display modules is transmitted to a sign mapping software program that maps the location of the display modules on the display panel.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sign mapping software program discovers all separate sign faces and assigns x-y coordinates to every display module in each sign face.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the x-y coordinates that are assigned to each display module by the sign mapping software program are converted to actual x-y coordinates.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the actual x-y coordinates are converted to video coordinates.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein communication links between adjacent display modules are unidirectional only.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein no data other than a start code header, the unique identifier of a given display module and a checksum is transmitted by that display module to an adjacent display module.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is a Media Access Control address.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display modules do not process any location data.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module comprises four borders,

wherein the apparatus requires only two transmitters and two receivers, and

wherein the two transmitters are located on two of the module borders, and the two receivers are located on the other two module borders.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module comprises a first border, a second border, a third border and a fourth border, and

wherein a transmitter is located on the first border, a transmitter is located on the second border, a receiver is located on the third border, and a receiver is located on the fourth border.

8. A method for allowing display modules to communicate information about themselves to other display modules in the same display panel, comprising:

(a) wherein a display panel comprises one or more faces, wherein each face comprises a plurality of display modules, wherein each display module comprises at least three borders, wherein at least one of the borders on each display module is adjacent to another display module, locating a transmitter, receiver or transceiver on each border that is adjacent to another display module; and

(b) configuring the transmitters, receivers and/or transceivers so that each transmitter or transceiver on a given display module is adjacent to a receiver or transceiver on an adjacent display module,

wherein each display module has a unique identifier,

wherein the transmitters or transceivers on a given display module transmit that display module'"'"'s unique identifier to the adjacent receivers or transceivers within a bandwidth of 10 Kbps or less,

wherein the receivers or transceivers on a given display module receive the unique identifier of each adjacent display module from the adjacent transmitter[s] or transceiver[s] within a bandwidth of 10 Kbps or less,

wherein each display module sends its own unique identifier and the unique identifiers of the adjacent display modules to a main controller, and

wherein the unique identifiers are used by the main controller to determine the location of the display module within a display panel.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising using LC resonator circuits to communicate information between the transmitters, receivers and/or transceivers by generating alternating magnetic fields between adjacent display modules.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the information that is transmitted and received between adjacent display modules is identifier information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifier information from the display modules is transmitted to a sign mapping software program that maps the location of the display modules on the display panel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sign mapping software program discovers all separate sign faces and assigns x-y coordinates to every display module in each sign face.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the x-y coordinates that are assigned to each display module by the sign mapping software program are converted to actual x-y coordinates.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the actual x-y coordinates are converted to video coordinates.