Modular display panels with different pitches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9582237-B2
Application number	US-201414550685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of displaying media, the method comprising:
providing a digital display system comprising a plurality of modular digital display panels so as to form an integrated display surface, each modular display panel having a first size and shape with a dimension of one foot by two feet, and wherein each modular display panel includes an LED pixel array arranged at a pitch selected from the group consisting of 6.35 mm, 7.62 mm, 9.525 mm, 12.7 mm, 15.24 mm, 19.05 mm, 25.4 mm, and 30.48 mm; and
displaying media on the digital display system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each modular display panel further comprises a switch array coupled to a power source and to the LED pixel array, wherein the switch array switches power to at least one active pixel from the LED pixel array in accordance with at least one of a scan select signal, a scan timer, and an address select signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each modular display panel further comprises a plurality of shift registers and a register switch coupled to the plurality of shift registers; and
wherein the register switch selects a first active shift register from the plurality of shift registers 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.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital display system further comprises a receiver unit coupled to the plurality of modular display panels;
wherein each modular display panel further comprises a video memory; and
wherein the receiver unit provides an identifiable video segment to each modular display panel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display surface comprises a first region and a second region, the first region comprising ones of the modular display panels and the second region having other ones of the modular display panels;
wherein each of the ones of the modular display panels have a first pitch and each of the other ones of the modular display panels have a second pitch that is different than the first pitch; and
displaying the media comprises simultaneously displaying a first media in the first region and a second media in the second region.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the media is displayed at a higher resolution than the second media, and wherein the first media is displayed at a higher frame rate than the second media.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first media comprises video and the second media comprises text.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the ones of the modular display panels are located at a central region of the display surface, and wherein the other ones of the modular display panels are located at an outer edge of the display surface.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of modular display panels further comprises a third modular display panel that is one foot by two feet in dimension, the third modular display panel comprising a third LED pixel array arranged at a third pitch that is different than the first pitch and the second pitch.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the digital display system further comprises a receiver unit coupled to the plurality of modular display panels;
wherein each modular display panel of the first region further comprises a first video memory;
wherein each modular display panel of the second region further comprises a second video memory;
wherein the receiver unit provides a first identifiable video segment to each modular display panel of the first region and a second identifiable video segment to each modular display panel of the second region;
wherein each modular display panel of the first region digitally stores 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 each modular display panel of the second region digitally stores 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.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the digital display system further comprises a receiver unit coupled to the plurality of modular display panels;
wherein one of the modular display panels of the first region further comprises a first video memory of a first size; and
wherein one of the modular display panels of the second region is coupled to the of the modular display panels of the first region and further comprises a second video memory of a second size that is different from the first size.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the receiver unit is configured to provide to the one of the modular display panels of the first region a first video segment sized in accordance with the first size preceded by a second video segment sized in accordance with the second size.

13. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the one of the modular display panels of the first region is configured shifts the second video segment to the one of the modular display panels of the second region such that the one of the modular display panels of the second region digitally stores the second video segment to completely fill the second video memory, and
wherein the one of the modular display panels of the first region is configured digitally stores the first video segment to completely fill the first video memory.

14. 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 comprising a display surface, wherein the mechanical support structure is configured to provide mechanical support to the plurality of digital display panels, wherein each of the digital display panel is water and weather proof and requires no additional weather protection cabinetry;
wherein each of the display panels has the same size and shape, each display panel having a substantially rectangular perimeter having a dimension of one foot by two feet; and
wherein each of the display panels comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in a pixel array having a pitch selected from the group consisting of 6.35 mm, 7.62 mm, 9.525 mm, 12.7 mm, 15.24 mm, 19.05 mm, 25.4 mm, and 30.48 mm.

15. The system of claim 14 , 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.

16. The system of claim 14 , 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.

17. The system of claim 14 , 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

Assignees

• Ultravision Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hall William Y

Classifications

• G09G3/2088

  with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix · CPC title

• Y10T29/49007

  Indicating transducer · CPC title

• G09G2300/026

  Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions · CPC title

• G06F3/1446 Primary

  display composed of modules, e.g. video walls · CPC title

• G09G2340/14

  Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed · CPC title