Modular display panels

• US 10,248,372 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ultravision Technologies, LLC (Ultravision International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ultravision Technologies, LLC (Ultravision International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, William Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US15/409,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20170123749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 345690, 345545, 345 13, 345 82, 348383, 361692
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• 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 2310/0286 Details of a shift registers arranged for use in a driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/04 Display device controller operating with a plurality of display units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/06 Remotely controlled electronic signs other than labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2088 with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2096 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/04 of switch contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/18 Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components H05K1/0201, H05K1/023, H05K1/0243, and H05K1/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing or adjusting assemblages of electric components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 : Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/04 : Metal casings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/06 : Hermetically-sealed casings specially adapted for small components H05K5/0095
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 : Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 : Switch making

Abstract

An embodiment method of manufacturing modular panels includes manufacturing a group of modular display panels, including a first and second modular display panel that have the same size and shape. The first modular display panel includes a first pixel array arranged at a first pitch, and the second modular display panel includes a second pixel array that is arranged at a second pitch that is different than the first pitch. Any two modular display panels in the group are capable of being attached to each other in an integrated display system.

Claims

1. A modular display panel comprising:

a casing having a recess and attachment points for use in attachment as part of a multi-panel modular display, a perimeter of the casing being substantially rectangular and having a height and a width, wherein the height is half of the width;

a printed circuit board disposed in the recess;

a display surface comprising an array of LEDs attached to a front side of the printed circuit board, wherein

each of the LEDs of the LED array is spaced from each respective adjacent LED of the LED array by a pitch,

wherein the pitch is a predetermined constant number, and

wherein the pitch does not depend on the height and the width; and

a driver circuit electrically coupled to the printed circuit board.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the display panel is waterproof against submersion in up to 3 feet of water.

3. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the pitch is selected from the group consisting of 6.35 mm, 16.62 mm, 18.525 mm, 21.7 mm, 24.24 mm, 28.05 mm, 25.4 mm, and 30.48 mm.

4. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a plastic casing.

5. The display panel of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises an aluminum casing.

6. The display panel of claim 1, wherein each of the LEDs of the array of LEDs is a surface mount device (SMD) module, the SMD module comprising a plurality of LED devices, and wherein the pitch is selected from the group consisting of 6.35 mm, 16.62 mm, 18.525 mm, and 21.7 mm.

7. The display panel of claim 1, further comprising a cable connector configured to provide power and data to the modular display panel, the cable connector comprising:

a plurality of data connectors surrounded by an end enclosure, each data connector electrically coupled to a corresponding data wire; and

a plurality of power connectors surrounded by the end enclosure, each power connector electrically coupled to a corresponding power wire.

8. The display panel of claim 1, further comprising a power supply unit mounted outside the casing.

9. The display panel of claim 1, further comprising a power supply unit disposed within the casing.

10. A modular display panel comprising:

a casing having a recess and attachment points for use in attachment as part of a multi-panel modular display, a perimeter of the casing being substantially rectangular and having a height and a width, wherein the height is half of the width;

a printed circuit board disposed in the recess;

an array of LEDs attached to a front side of the printed circuit board, the LEDs arranged along a plurality of rows, wherein along any row of the plurality of rows, each of the LEDs of the LED array is spaced from each respective adjacent LED of the LED array by a fixed distance along a row, and wherein the fixed distance does not depend on the height and the width;

a driver circuit electrically coupled to the printed circuit board; and

a power converter for powering the array of LEDs, wherein the display panel is configured to be detachably attached to a support structure, wherein the support structure is configured to support a plurality of display panels.

11. The display panel of claim 10, wherein the display panel is completely waterproof against submersion in up to 3 feet of water.

12. The display panel of claim 10, wherein the casing comprises a plastic casing.

13. The display panel of claim 10, wherein the casing comprises an aluminum casing.

14. The display panel of claim 10, Wherein each of the LEDs of the array of LEDs is a surface mount device (SMD) module, the SMD module comprising a plurality of LED devices.

15. The display panel of claim 10, further comprising a cable connector configured to provide power and data to the modular display panel, the cable connector comprising:

a plurality of data connectors surrounded by an end enclosure, each data connector electrically coupled to a corresponding data wire; and

a plurality of power connectors surrounded by the end enclosure, each power connector electrically coupled to a corresponding power wire.

16. The display panel of claim 10, wherein the power converter is mounted outside the casing.

17. The display panel of claim 10, wherein the power converter is disposed within the casing.

18. A modular digital display system comprising:

a mechanical support structure comprising a plurality of vertical beams and a plurality of horizontal beams;

a plurality of digital display panels mounted to the mechanical support structure so as to form an integrated display panel, the integrated display panel comprising a display surface, wherein the mechanical support structure is configured to provide mechanical support to the plurality of digital display panels, wherein the display surface is water proof and requires no additional weather protection cabinetry;

wherein all of the plurality of digital display panels have the same length, width, height, and shape, wherein each display panel has a substantially rectangular perimeter having a height and a width, wherein the height is half of the width; and

wherein each of the display panels comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in a pixel array, wherein, for each of the display panels,

each LED of the plurality of LEDs is spaced from each respective adjacent LED of the plurality of LEDs by a predefined pitch, and

wherein the predefined pitch does not depend on the height and the width.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the display surface comprises a first region and a second region;

wherein the first region comprises a first display panel and the second region comprises a second display panel attached to the first display panel; and

wherein the pixel array of the first display panel has a first resolution and the pixel array of the second display panel has a second resolution that is different than the first resolution.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of digital display panels further comprises a third display panel, and wherein the third display panel comprises a third pixel array having a third resolution that is different from the first resolution.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the second display panel is located along a bottom edge of the display surface.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the first display panel is one of a plurality of display panels having the first resolution that are arranged in a central region of the display surface, and wherein the second display panel is one of a plurality of display panels having the second resolution located at an outer edge of the display surface.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising a receiver unit coupled to the plurality of digital display panels;

wherein the first display panel further comprises a first video memory;

wherein the second display panel further comprises a second video memory;

wherein the receiver unit is configured to provide a first identifiable video segment to the first display panel and a second identifiable video segment to the second display panel;

wherein the first display panel is configured to digitally store the first identifiable video segment in the first video memory in accordance with a first unique identifier, the first unique identifier comprising a time-slot number or an address; and

wherein the second display panel is configured to digitally store the second identifiable video segment in the second video memory in accordance with a second unique identifier, the second unique identifier comprising a time-slot number or an address.

24. The system of claim 19, further comprising a receiver unit coupled to the plurality of digital display panels;

wherein the first display panel further comprises a first video memory of a first size;

wherein the second display panel further comprises a second video memory of a second size that is different than the first size;

wherein the receiver unit is configured to provide the first display panel a first video segment sized in accordance with the first size preceded by a second video segment sized in accordance with the second size;

wherein the first display panel is configured to shift the second video segment to the second display panel;

wherein the second display panel is configured to digitally store the second video segment to completely fill the second video memory; and

wherein the first display panel is configured to digitally store the first video segment to completely fill the first video memory.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein each display panel further comprises a power supply and a switch array coupled to the power supply and to the pixel array;

and

wherein, for each display panel, the switch array is configured to switch power to an input of a light emitting pixel unit in the pixel array in accordance with at least one of a scan select signal, a scan timer, and an address select signal.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein each display panel further comprises a data switch and a plurality of controllers;

wherein, for each display panel, the data switch is configured to select a first active controller from the plurality of controllers in accordance with at least one of a scan select signal, a scan timer, an address select signal, a latch signal, and a data counter; and

wherein the first active controller comprises a first shift register coupled to a first current driver.

27. A method of manufacturing a plurality of display panels, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of housings, each housing having a recess and attachment points for use in attachment as part of a multi-panel modular display, wherein each display panel has a height and a width, wherein the height is half of the width, and wherein all of the plurality of display panels have the same height and width;

forming a first-display panel by mounting a first printed circuit board within a first one of the housings, the first printed circuit board having a first array of LEDs, the LEDs being attached to a front side of the first printed circuit board to form a first display, wherein each of the LEDs of the first array of LEDs is spaced from each respective adjacent LED of the first array of LEDs by a fir pitch; and

forming a second display panel by mounting a second printed circuit board within a second one of the housings, the second printed circuit board having a second array of LEDs, the LEDs being attached to a front side of the second printed circuit board to form a second display, wherein each of the LEDs of the second array of LEDs is spaced from each respective adjacent LED of the second array of LEDs by a second pitch, and wherein the second pitch is different than the first pitch.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

sealing the first display panel to be completely waterproof against submersion in up to 3 feet of water; and

sealing the second display panel to be completely waterproof against submersion in up to 3 feet of water.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

sealing the first display panel against water penetration within the recess; and

sealing the second display panel against water penetration within the recess.