# US 2019/0377535 A1 · Modular display system with ethernet connection and control

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- Number: US 2019/0377535 A1
- Document ID: US20190377535A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/416,841
- Filed: 2019-05-20
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-07
- Assignees: Cirrus Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Cirrus Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Stephen David Rycyna; Christian Knight; Roshan Barua
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190377535A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/1446: {display composed of modules, e.g. video walls}
- H04L 12/403: with centralised control, e.g. polling
- 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)}
- H04L 12/28: characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] (wireless communication networks H04W {; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00})
- H04N 7/08: Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band {, e.g. by time division (H04N7/007 takes precedence)}
- H04N 7/10: Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable (H04N7/12 takes precedence)
- G09G 2300/026: Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
- G09G 2360/04: Display device controller operating with a plurality of display units
- G09G 2360/18: Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel
- G09G 2370/04: Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
- G09G 2370/10: Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- 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)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

The present invention provides a modular display system that uses Ethernet connection to directly send control and display data to each display module. The modular display system includes a master control unit and a plurality of display modules that are arranged and connected together to create a larger unified display. The control unit is connected to the display modules to send display and control data, and to receive diagnostic data, all via Ethernet connection. In some embodiments, each display module has an input Ethernet connection for upstream communication and an output Ethernet connection for downstream communication. The modules in this configuration are connected together in a daisy-chain fashion and Ethernet connection between the control unit and display modules creates a local area network (LAN) where all modules are addressable by the control unit and relevant data can be transferred.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control system for the control of a modular display to enable the direct exchange of control and display data to the modular display, wherein the modular display includes a plurality of display modules, the system comprising:
a controller having one or more Ethernet data exchange ports; and
one or more Ethernet connections between the controller and the plurality of display modules,
wherein the controller is coupled to the plurality of display modules through the one or more Ethernet data exchange ports,
wherein the controller is configured to send and receive data associated with visual displays generated on the plurality of display modules, and
wherein each of the plurality of display modules has one or more Ethernet data exchange ports for transmitting and receiving the control and display data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display system of claim 1, wherein the one or more Ethernet data exchange ports of the controller is a plurality of Ethernet data exchange ports a number of which is the same as or greater than a number of the plurality of display modules, and wherein each of the plurality of display modules is coupled directly to the controller through the one or more Ethernet connections.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The display system of claim 1, wherein the one or more Ethernet data exchange ports of the controller is at least one Ethernet data exchange port, wherein the at least one Ethernet data exchange port of the controller is coupled through one of the one or more Ethernet connections to an Ethernet input port of a first one of the plurality of display modules, wherein the first one of the plurality of display modules includes an Ethernet output port, wherein the Ethernet output port of the first of the plurality of display modules is coupled through one of the one or more Ethernet connections to an Ethernet input of a second one of the plurality of display modules, and wherein remaining ones of the plurality of display modules are coupled together in a daisy-chain configuration through the one or more Ethernet connections until all of the plurality of display modules are coupled to the controller in a serial configuration.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein connections between the controller and the plurality of display modules are used to form a local area network among the plurality of display modules and the controller to enable addressing and transmission of data from the controller to the plurality of display modules through the local area network.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more Ethernet connections is a data/power cable.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of display modules includes a 2-port Ethernet switch, a microcontroller and a plurality of LED drivers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of display modules includes either a media independent interface or a reduced media independent interface configured to transfer Ethernet packets received at the 2-port Ethernet switch to the microcontroller.

### Claim 8

A method for preparing and sending data from a controller to a plurality of display modules to generate a video display on an array of the plurality of display modules, the method comprising the steps of:
establishing one or more Ethernet connections between the controller and the plurality of display modules;
processing generated video frames into 8-bit values corresponding to red, green and blue colors;
configuring the 8-bit valued video frames and control commands into Ethernet II packets; and
sending the Ethernet II packets from the controller to the plurality of display modules through the one or more Ethernet connections for uploading and displaying the video display on the plurality of display modules.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more Ethernet connections are a plurality of Ethernet connections equaling in number the number of the plurality of display modules, and wherein the Ethernet II packets are transmitted directly from the controller to all of the plurality of display modules.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more Ethernet connections are a single Ethernet connection and the plurality of display modules are coupled together in a daisy-chain configuration, and wherein the Ethernet II packets are transmitted from the controller in a serial manner to successive ones of the plurality of display modules in the daisy-chain configuration.

### Claim 11

A method for receiving and processing video display data in an Ethernet II packet format by a display module among a plurality of display modules that are controlled by a controller that is configured to send video frame and control information, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving on an Ethernet port of the display module from the controller an Ethernet II packet;
parsing the Ethernet II packet by a microcontroller of the display module to determine whether the packet contains any video data;
upon confirmation that the Ethernet II packet includes video data, checking whether the video data is assigned to the display module among the plurality of display modules; and
upon confirmation that the video data is assigned to the display module, configuring a display buffer of the display module to display the video data on a display of the display module.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of, upon confirmation that there is no video data in the Ethernet II packet, checking the Ethernet II packet to determine whether the display buffer for the display module is to be updated to change the display.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of, upon confirmation that there is no video update information in the Ethernet II packet, checking the Ethernet II packet to determine whether the packet includes a mapping command for updating X-Y coordinates for the display module.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the Ethernet II packet is received through a direct Ethernet connection between the controller and the display module.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the Ethernet II packet is received indirectly from the controller through a direct Ethernet connection between the display module and one or more others of the plurality of display modules.