Translation table

• US 8,001,455 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daktronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Daktronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Burghardt, Neil R., Mueller, Matthew R., Gloege, Chad N., Schulte, Joseph G., Wendler, Brett D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAPP, AMELIA L
• Application Number:
  US11/805,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20090021532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 715/202
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

The present invention relates to image displays and signage, and more particularly, to displays of custom or arbitrary shape. Such shaped displays include channel letter displays, logo or design displays, multiple displays in an assembly, multiple display modules, curved or round displays, or other arbitrary shaped or unusual aspect ratio displays. The present invention further relates to software, apparatus, and methods for a translation table which maps graphical data from an initial shape to an arbitrary shape for use on such displays.

Claims

1. A method for displaying graphical data on a display of arbitrary shape comprising the steps of:

providing a graphical display having a non-rectangular, arbitrary shape, graphical data having an initial rectangular organizational scheme, a preprocessing computer, and a translation table;

loading the graphical data into memory on the preprocessing computer;

loading the translation table into a memory device on the preprocessing computer; and

,

using the translation table to map the graphical data into a new organizational scheme configured for display on the graphical display having a non-rectangular, arbitrary shape, wherein the non-rectangular, arbitrary shape includes a channel letter display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial rectangular organizational scheme includes graphical data organized as a matrix in a rectangular array of rows and columns.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical display includes a plurality of LED modules.

4. A method, for execution by one or more processors, for displaying graphical data on a display of arbitrary shape, comprising:

providing a graphical display having an arbitrary shape;

transforming a first graphical data array corresponding to a first shape to a second graphical data array corresponding to the arbitrary shape of the graphical display; and

transmitting the transformed data to the graphical display, wherein the arbitrary shape includes a channel letter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transforming includes converting the first graphical data array from a rectangular graphical data array into the second graphical data array which corresponds to logical rows and logical columns of pixels, wherein the pixels define the arbitrary shape which is different than the shape of a starting rectangular image.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein transforming includes providing a map for converting rectangular rows and columns to logical rows and columns of the arbitrary shape.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein transforming includes using a translation table which is stored in a memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the translation table is provided a first address corresponding to a pixel of the first graphical data array and translates the first address to a second address of the second graphical data array.