Large scale LED display system

• US 8,558,755 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADTI Media LLC
• Original Assignee: ADTI Media, LLC140
• Inventors: Kharrati, Hamid, Sefton, Robert J., Black, Sheldon Lee, Kline, Daniel S., Barghini, Anthony D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PREMAL R
• Application Number:
  US12/001,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20090146931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 34, 345/82
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• 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: G09G 2330/04 Display protection
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/045 Protection against panel overheating
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/08 Fault-tolerant or redundant circuits, or circuits in which repair of defects is prepared
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A system distributes data in a robust manner to a large scale LED display formed of a number of display panels. The system includes a plurality of data hubs wherein each display panel is connected to at least two data hubs to receive redundant pixel data for each pixel of the panel. Each data hub is further connected to at least two panels of the display to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module; and

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected,

wherein each data hub performs diagnostics for the one or more panels to which it is connected and monitors a status of its associated power hub.

2. The display system according to claim 1, wherein each data hub is connected to at least two pixel modules of each panel such that at least four pixel modules of each panel directly receive redundant pixel data for each pixel of the panel.

3. The display system according to claim 2, wherein each of the four pixel modules of the panel directly receiving redundant data from the data hubs distribute the received data to a plurality of other pixel modules of the panel.

4. The display system according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of pixel modules of the display are capable of receiving data directly from any one of four other pixel modules.

5. The display system according to claim 1, wherein the pixel modules of the display are aligned in columns and each data hub transfers the data to a panel column by column.

6. The display system according to claim 1, wherein the data provided by a data hub includes a column header identifying a column of the display followed by data for each pixel of the column.

7. The display system according to claim 6, wherein the data provided by the data hub includes a segment header following the column header, the segment header identifying a segment of pixel modules in the identified column, the segment header being followed by the data for each pixel module of the segment.

8. The display system according to claim 1, including:

a plurality of power hubs, each power hub converting A.C. power to D.C. power for at least one panel of the display.

9. The display system according to claim 1, wherein each data hub receives D.C. power from a power hub and distributes D.C. power from the power hub to the display.

10. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module;

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected; and

a plurality of power hubs, each power hub converting A.C. power to unregulated D.C. power for at least one panel of the display, wherein each of a plurality of pixel modules in a first group includes a voltage regulator to convert the unregulated power to regulated power for a plurality of pixel modules in a second group,

wherein each pixel module in the first group houses its own voltage regulator that includes a switching regulator to convert the unregulated power to regulated power for the plurality of pixel modules in the second group, and wherein each pixel module of the second group houses its own linear regulator.

11. The display system according to claim 10, wherein the voltage regulator includes at least one switching voltage regulator.

12. The display system according to claim 10, wherein each data hub is connected to at least two pixel modules of each panel such that at least four pixel modules of each panel directly receive redundant pixel data for each pixel of the panel.

13. The display system according to claim 12, wherein each of the four pixel modules of the panel directly receiving redundant data from the data hubs distribute the received data to a plurality of other pixel modules of the panel.

14. The display system according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of pixel modules of the display are capable of receiving data directly from any one of four other pixel modules.

15. The display system according to claim 10, wherein the pixel modules of the display are aligned in columns and each data hub transfers the data to a panel column by column.

16. The display system according to claim 10, wherein the data provided by a data hub includes a column header identifying a column of the display followed by data for each pixel of the column.

17. The display system according to claim 10, wherein the data provided by the data hub includes a segment header following the column header, the segment header identifying a segment of pixel modules in the identified column, the segment header being followed by the data for each pixel module of the segment.

18. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module; and

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected wherein a first data hub that is connected to a first display panel provides data for the entire display to a second data hub that is connected to a display panel to which the first data hub is not connected,

wherein each data hub is directly connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub is directly connected to at least two panels of the display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected.

19. The display system according to claim 18, wherein a third data hub that is connected to a second display panel provides data for the entire display to a fourth data hub.

20. The display system according to claim 19, wherein the fourth data hub is connected to a display panel to which the third data hub is not connected.

21. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module;

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected; and

a plurality of power hubs, each power hub converting A.C. power to unregulated D.C. power for at least one panel of the display, wherein each of a plurality of pixel modules in a first group includes a voltage regulator to convert the unregulated power to regulated power for a plurality of pixel modules in a second group,

wherein each data hub is directly connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub is directly connected to at least two panels of the display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected.

22. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module;

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected; and

a plurality of power hubs, each power hub converting A.C. power to unregulated D.C. power for at least one panel of the display, wherein each of a plurality of pixel modules in a first group includes a voltage regulator to convert the unregulated power to regulated power for a plurality of pixel modules in a second group,

wherein each data hub performs diagnostics for the one or more panels to which it is connected and monitors a status of its associated power hub.

23. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module; and

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected,

wherein each data hub is directly connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub is directly connected to at least two panels of the display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected.

24. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module; and

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected,

wherein each pixel module in a first group houses its own voltage regulator that includes a switching regulator to convert unregulated power to regulated power for the plurality of pixel modules in a second group, and wherein each pixel module of the second group houses its own linear regulator.

25. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module; and

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected wherein a first data hub that is connected to a first display panel provides data for the entire display to a second data hub that is connected to a display panel to which the first data hub is not connected,

wherein each data hub performs diagnostics for the one or more panels to which it is connected and monitors a status of its associated power hub.

26. A display system comprising:

a plurality of display panels, wherein each panel is formed of a two dimensional array of LED pixel modules, each pixel module having a housing supporting a plurality of multi-color LEDs, wherein each pixel module houses its own controller responsive to received pixel data to control the intensity of the LEDs of the module; and

a plurality of data hubs, each display panel being connected to at least two data hubs to allow a display panel to receive pixel data for each pixel of the panel from one or more of the data hubs to which it is connected, each data hub being connected to a different pixel module of the panel and each data hub being connected to at least two panels of a display to allow a data hub to provide pixel data for each pixel of the panels to which the data hub is connected wherein a first data hub that is connected to a first display panel provides data for the entire display to a second data hub that is connected to a display panel to which the first data hub is not connected,

wherein each pixel module in a first group houses its own voltage regulator that includes a switching regulator to convert unregulated power to regulated power for the plurality of pixel modules in a second group, and wherein each pixel module of the second group houses its own linear regulator.