System and method for dynamic load sharing between electronic displays

• US 9,974,142 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Inventors: Dunn, William, Wasinger, Jerry, Williams, Dave, Schuch, John
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US15/068,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/60 Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An electronic display assembly which allocates power to a plurality of displays without exceeding a maximum current level for the circuit is disclosed. An exemplary system preferably includes an AC current sensor, a power load sharing controller, ambient light sensors for each display, and a brightness controller for each display. A maximum total current draw may be selected. The ambient light contacting each display may be measured and a corresponding desired brightness calculated. Depending on the present amount of current draw, the system determines if the displays can be driven at the desired brightness without exceeding the maximum total current draw. If yes, the displays are driven at their desired brightness. If no, the desired brightness for each display may be slightly reduced to prevent exceeding the maximum total current draw. Thus, as the ambient light varies between the displays, the available power may be shared.

Claims

1. An electronic display assembly comprising:

an incoming AC current sensor which measures the total current being drawn from an AC supply circuit;

a common power load sharing controller in electrical connection with the AC current sensor;

a first display in electrical connection with the AC current sensor and having associated therewith;

an ambient light sensor in electrical connection with the common power load sharing controller, and

a brightness controller in electrical connection with the common power load sharing controller; and

a second display in electrical connection with the AC current sensor and having associated therewith;

an ambient light sensor in electrical connection with the common power load sharing controller, and

a brightness controller in electrical connection with the common power load sharing controller.

2. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the common power load sharing controller is adapted to determine the desired brightness for each display based on data from the ambient light sensors.

3. The electronic display assembly of claim 2 wherein:

the common power load sharing controller is further adapted to drive each display at or near the desired brightness level without exceeding a maximum current draw from the AC circuit as measured by the current sensor.

4. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the first and second displays are selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display and an OLED display.

5. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein the common power load sharing controller includes:

a microprocessor and memory; and

programming configured to analyze signals from the ambient light sensors, to resultantly determine a brightness setting for each display, and to communicate the brightness level for a given display to the brightness controller associated with that display.

6. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the first and second displays are positioned so that they are not co-planar.

7. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the first and second displays are positioned so that they are facing opposite directions.

8. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a third display in electrical connection with the AC current sensor and having

an ambient light sensor in electrical connection with the common power load sharing controller, and

a brightness controller in electrical connection with the common power load sharing controller.

9. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a plurality of electronic displays powered by a single AC circuit, each display having an ambient light sensor positioned to measure ambient light level, and a brightness controller;

an incoming AC current sensor in electrical connection with the AC circuit and configured to measure the total current being drawn from the single AC circuit;

a common power load sharing controller in electrical connection with the AC current sensor, as well as the ambient light sensor and the brightness controller of each electronic display, the common power load sharing controller programmed to allocate available power from the single AC circuit to each electronic display based on an analysis of data received from the ambient light sensors.

10. The electronic display assembly of claim 9 wherein:

the common power load sharing controller manages the power sent to the plurality of displays so as not to exceed a maximum current draw from the circuit.

11. The electronic display assembly of claim 9 wherein:

the common power load sharing controller allocates more power to electronic displays having higher ambient light measurements and less power to electronic displays having lower ambient light measurements.

12. The electronic display assembly of claim 9 wherein:

the common power load sharing controller allocates power to each electronic display corresponding to a desired brightness for the display, while preventing the total current draw from the AC circuit from exceeding a maximum value.

13. The electronic display assembly of claim 9 wherein:

the common power load sharing controller accepts a maximum current draw value for the single AC circuit and allocates an amount of power to each display that is related to the amount of ambient light at each display, without exceeding the accepted maximum current draw value.

14. The electronic display assembly of claim 9 wherein:

the plurality of electronic displays comprises a pair of electronic displays positioned back to back.

15. An electronic display assembly comprising:

a plurality of electronic displays powered by a single AC circuit, each display having an ambient light sensor positioned to measure the ambient light level near the display and to produce resulting data, and a brightness controller that controls the brightness of the display;

an incoming AC current sensor in electrical connection with the AC circuit and configured to measure the total current being drawn from the single AC circuit;

a common power load sharing controller in electrical connection with the AC current sensor, as well as the ambient light sensor and the brightness controller of each electronic display, the common power and load sharing controller including a microprocessor, memory, and programming configured to;

receive and analyze data from the ambient light sensors,

calculate a brightness setting for each display that will produce a brightness level that is as close as possible to a desired brightness level based on the data from the ambient light sensors, while simultaneously prohibiting the total current draw on the AC circuit from exceeding some maximum value, and

communicate to each brightness controller a calculated brightness level for its associated display.

16. The electronic display assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the maximum allowable total current draw on the AC circuit is selectable by a user.

17. The electronic display assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the common power load sharing controller is programmed to instruct the brightness controller of each display to drive its display at the desired level of brightness unless the resulting total current draw on the AC circuit would exceed the maximum allowable total current draw.

18. The electronic display assembly of claim 15 wherein:

each electronic display has a different position relative to the sun.

19. The electronic display assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the plurality of electronic displays comprises a first and second display that are positioned back to back.

20. The electronic display assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the common power load sharing controller is programmed to allocate to the brightness controllers less than the amount of power required to drive each display at its calculated desired brightness level if the resulting total current draw on the AC circuit would exceed the maximum allowable current draw.