# US 2019/0244550 A1 · Modular flip-disc display system and method

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- Number: US 2019/0244550 A1
- Document ID: US20190244550A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/389,822
- Filed: 2019-04-19
- Published: 2019-08-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-28
- Assignees: Breakfast, LLC
- Applicants: Breakfast, LLC
- Inventors: Andrew Zolty; Mattias Gunneras
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190244550A1

## CPC

- G09F 9/3026: {Video wall, i.e. stackable semiconductor matrix display modules (video wall control systems G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026)}
- G06F 3/1438: {using more than one graphics controller}
- G06F 3/1446: {display composed of modules, e.g. video walls}
- G09F 9/375: {the position of the elements being controlled by the application of a magnetic field}
- G09G 2300/026: Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
- G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)

## Abstract

One variation of a method for updating a flip-disc display includes, at each panel controller within each panel within the flip-disc display: accessing a frame defining target color positions of flip-disc pixels in each module in the corresponding panel; designating a subset of flip-disc pixels in the panel based on differences between target color positions of flip-disc pixels defined in the frame and current color positions of flip-disc pixels in the panel; defining a discontinuous order for serially issuing update commands to each module in the panel; and, during each update instance in a series of update instances within the current update cycle, serving a next update command to each module in the panel to invert one flip-disc pixel in each module in the panel according to the discontinuous order of update commands assigned to each module in the panel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for updating a flip-disc display comprising an array of panels, each panel in the array of panels comprising a grid array of modules, each module in the grid array of modules comprising a grid array of flip-disc pixels, the method comprising:
at a first panel controller electrically coupled to a first array of modules arranged within a first panel, accessing a new frame region defining a target color position of each flip-disc pixel in each module in the first panel;
designating a subset of flip-disc pixels in the first panel for inversion during a current update cycle based on differences between target color positions of flip-disc pixels defined in the new frame region and current color positions of flip-disc pixels in the first panel;
for each flip-disc pixel in the subset of flip-disc pixels, accessing an update command executable by a corresponding module in the first panel to invert the color position of the flip-disc pixel;
defining an order for serially issuing update commands to each module in the first panel, the order skipping flip-disc pixels excluded from the subset of flip-disc pixels and specifying a discontinuous sequence of inversions of flip-disc pixels across an area of each module in the first array of the module; and
during each update instance in a series of update instances in the current update cycle, serving a next update command to each module in the first panel to invert one flip-disc pixel in each module in the first panel according to the order for serially issuing update commands defined for each module in the first panel.

### Claim 2

A method for updating a flip-disc display comprising an array of panels, each panel in the array of panels comprising a grid array of modules, each module in the grid array of modules comprising a grid array of flip-disc pixels, the method comprising:
at a first panel controller electrically coupled to a first array of modules arranged within a first panel, accessing a new frame region defining a target color position of each flip-disc pixel in each module in the first panel;
for each module in the first panel:
identifying a subset of flip-disc pixels in the module for inversion during a current update cycle based on a difference between pixel values in the new frame region and current color positions of corresponding pixels in the module;
compiling a set of update commands for the module for the current update cycle, each update command in the set of update commands corresponding to a particular flip-disc pixel in the module and executable by the module to invert the color position of the particular flip-disc pixel; and
defining a pixel order for serially issuing update commands in the set of update commands to the module, the pixel order skipping flip-disc pixels excluded from the subset of flip-disc pixels and specifying a discontinuous sequence of inversions of flip-disc pixels in the subset of flip-disc pixels to yield a substantially uniform distribution of flip-disc pixel inversions across an area of the module; and
during each update instance in a sequence of update instances within the current update cycle, distributing next update commands, in sets of update commands compiled for the current update cycle, to each corresponding module in the first panel according to pixel orders defined for each set of update commands.

### Claim 3

A display system comprising:
a set of panels arranged in a global grid array, each panel in the set of panels comprising:
a chassis;
a panel controller; and
a set of modules transiently coupled to the chassis in a regional grid array and electrically coupled to the panel controller, each module in the set of modules comprising:
a set of parallel and offset column electrodes;
a set of parallel and offset row electrodes, each row electrode in the set of row electrodes crossing over and electrically isolated from the set of column electrodes;
a driver configured to selectively drive each column electrode in the set of column electrodes and each row electrode in the set of row electrodes between a high-voltage state, a low-voltage state, and a high-impedance state according to an update command received from the panel controller; and
a set of flip-disc pixels arranged in a local grid array across the module, each flip-disc pixel comprising:
a disc support arranged proximal an intersection of one column electrode in the set of column electrodes and one row electrode in the set of row electrodes;
a disc arranged in the disc support, defining a first color across a first side, and defining a second color across a second side opposite the first side; and
an electromagnetic element proximal the disc support and electrically coupled to one column electrode in the set of column electrodes and one row electrode in the set of row electrodes, configured to flip the disc to expose the first side of the disc when the column electrode is driven to the high-voltage state and the row electrode is driven to the low-voltage state, and configured to flip the disc to expose the second side of the disc when the column electrode is driven to the low-voltage state and the row electrode is driven to the high-voltage state; and
a master controller configured to serve a sequence of frames to panel controllers in the set of panels; and
wherein, upon receipt of a frame from the controller, each panel controller selectively issues update commands to the driver in the corresponding module to invert a subset of flip-disc pixels in the corresponding module according to target color positions specified in the frame for the subset of flip-disc pixels.