AU2021107401A4

AU2021107401A4 - Electronic sign system

Info

Publication number: AU2021107401A4
Application number: AU2021107401A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Zhiwei Liu; Jesse McLachlan; Paul Moutzouris
Original assignee: Church Communities Australia
Current assignee: Church Communities Australia
Priority date: 2021-08-25
Filing date: 2021-08-25
Publication date: 2021-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2029-08-25

Abstract

An electronic sign system, including: at least one display panel, each panel including: one or more tiles each having a plurality of display elements; and a control module device configured to: receive input data representing at least one image for rendering on the display panel; process the input data to generate a display data for the display panel; transmit the display data to the one or more tiles of the display panel, wherein each of the one or more tiles is configured to processes the received display data independently to each other tile, such that the one or more tiles collectively display the at least one image on the panel, and wherein the one or more tiles are configured as a tile network, such that the display data is broadcast to the tile network via a communications networking protocol. 2/7 100 CD CD cjl 01 0)0 n~ Q0 oE 0 Fig(l

Description

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"Electronic sign system"

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic sign system for the display of information on one or more digital display panels, such as for example light-emitting diode (LED) based display panels.

Background

[0002] Electronic sign systems are used to display digital images, videos, web pages, and other media content on a digital display. These systems are typically deployed to visually broadcast particular information, such as for example to provide utility in outdoor advertising, marketing, and wayfinding activities. The use of the displays panels in this manner is also referred to as "digital signage".

[0003] The display panels of an electronic sign system are typically substantially flat and include visual indication elements, or "display elements", specific to the display technology used to implement the panel. For example, a light-emitting diode (LED) based display uses an array of LEDs as pixels to render images of an input video signal. LED based displays have advantages over other display panel technologies, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) panels and electronic ink based films, including an ability to produce an illuminated display with high contrast ratios and brightness levels while maintaining a long lifespan and consuming less energy.

Summary

[0004] There is provided an electronic sign system, including: at least one display panel, each panel including: one or more tiles each having a plurality of display elements; and a control module device configured to: receive input data representing at least one image for rendering on the display panel; process the input data to generate a display data for the display panel; transmit the display data to the one or more tiles of the display panel, wherein each of the one or more tiles is configured to processes the received display data independently to each other tile, such that the one or more tiles collectively display the at least one image on the panel, and wherein the one or more tiles are configured as a tile network, such that the display data is broadcast to the tile network via a communications networking protocol.

[0005] In some embodiments, each of the tiles of the display panel includes a video receiver, wherein the video receiver of any particular one of the tiles is configured to process the received display data to activate one or more of the display elements of the particular tile to cause a display of a corresponding section of the image, wherein the corresponding section of the image is determined based on the relative position of the particular tile in the display panel.

[0006] In some embodiments, generating the display data by the control module device includes: receiving panel configuration data indicating a configuration of the display panel, the configuration including at least an indication of the relative position of the respective tiles in the display panel; processing image data of the at least one image to determine one or more image sections based on the panel configuration data; mapping each of the determined image sections to a corresponding one or more of the tiles based on the relative position of the tiles on a surface of the display panel; and generating display data by, for one or more tiles in the display panel, encapsulating the image data corresponding to the image section mapped to the tile together with an identifier of the tile.

[0007] In some embodiments, the processing of the received display data by a tile includes: receiving tile configuration data including at least an indication of the relative position of the tile in the display panel; processing image data of the at least one image to determine one or more image sections based on the tile configuration data; determining a mapped image section for display by the tile, the mapped image section being determined based on the relative positions of the tile on a surface of the display panel; and generating display element control data for the tile, including control instructions that cause the rendering of the mapped image section on the tile, in response to the processing of the display element control data.

[0008] There is also provided a controller device of an electronic sign system, the controller device configured to: receive input data representing at least one image for rendering on at least one display panel of the electronic sign system, each panel including one or more tiles, each having a plurality of display elements; process the input data to generate display data for the display panel; transmit the display data to the one or more tiles of the display panel, wherein each of the one or more tiles is configured to processes the received display data independently to each other tile, such that the one or more tiles collectively display the at least one image on the panel, and wherein the one or more tiles are configured as a tile network, such that the display data is broadcast to the tile network via a communications networking protocol.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0009] Some embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0010] Figure la is an example of a conventional electronic sign system;

[0011] Figure Ib is an example of an electronic sign system according to one embodiment;

[0012] Figure I cis an example of an electronic sign system according to another embodiment;

[0013] Figure 2 is a flow diagram of a process for the operation of the electronic sign system according to the embodiments;

[0014] Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a content display process for the electronic sign system according to one embodiment;

[0015] Figure 4 is a flow diagram of a display data processing sub-process of the content display process for the electronic sign system according to one embodiment; and

[0016] Figure 5 is a flow diagram of a display data generation sub-process of the content display process for the electronic sign system according to one embodiment.

Description of Embodiments

[0017] The present disclosure relates to electronic sign systems, and corresponding processes for controlling the display of images of an input video signal on one or more digital display panels of the systems. Although the described embodiments relate to systems and processes that utilize LED based display panels, the skilled addressee will appreciate that the concepts and techniques presented herein are applicable to electronic sign systems that utilize alternative display elements of other technologies, such as for example LCD displays, electronic ink ("e ink") displays, or hybrid displays incorporating a combination of LED, LCD, or like technologies.

[0018] Electronic sign systems typically include one or more display screens or panels, and control circuitry which receives input from one or more media sources to render the image content of the sources (e.g., a video or image). The input is typically a video signal in the form of a continuous time-varying signal representing a sequence of frames (i.e., images) of the video content, but may also be an image signal representing a static image. The input media content signal may be a digital signal or an analogue signal. The input signal is processed as an input data stream by the control circuitry, and is therefore often referred to generally as "input data" of the particular media content.

[0019] In some applications, the electronic sign systems are also configured to interface with a management server. The management server may be associated with a content management system that manages the creation and modification of the digital content displayed by the system. The management server may also provide display control functionality that enables a user of the electronic sign system to specify display control information to the system from a remote location.

[0020] In many applications, data is exchanged between the display and the media sources for the purpose of transferring audio-visual information to the system for rendering on the display panels. Furthermore, communication between the display panels, the control circuitry, and the management server typically involves the transmission of the data over a local or wide area network.

[0021] Fig. 1a illustrates an exemplary configuration of a conventional electronic sign system 100', including a single display panel sign 102'. Sign 102' is configured to communicate with a management server platform 106 (referred to for simplicity as a "cloud server"). The cloud server 106 communicates with a sign 102' to enable the control of various functions of the sign system 100' via a software application (e.g., a web-based application) executing on the user device 101. Communication between the cloud server 106 and the sign 102' occurs via a wide area network, such as the Internet or a cellular network.

[0022] Sign 102' further includes a processor component 110' connected to input/output (I/O) components 120', and a video sender 114'. I/O components 120' provide the sign 102' with input data (e.g., a video signal) via a connection to one or more media sources. Processor component 110' controls the operation of the sign 102' including, receiving input video data from I/O components 120', processing the input video data (e.g., by performing various playback related functions), and transmitting the processed display data to video sender 114'. Video sender 114' is configured to relay the display data to at least one corresponding video receiver

103'. In some embodiments of the system 100', the processor 110' and video sender 114' are integrated into a single device or unit performing the logical functions of both components.

[0023] In such implementations, video receivers 103' act as hubs for one or more associated tiles (104a'-104f'), each having a plurality of display elements, such as LEDs, 107'. Each receiver 103' processes the display data to control the associated tiles to display corresponding video content (i.e., to render a sequence of images over a time period). In some embodiments, video receivers 103' are serially connected to the sender 114' in a chain (i.e., video receiver 2 connecting to the sender 114' indirectly through a connection to video receiver 1 103', unlike the parallel connection configuration shown in Fig. la). As each receiver 103' manages a dedicated group of tiles, the sender 114' transmits distinct display data to each receiver 103' depending on the associated tiles 104'. Typically, there are a maximum number of tiles 104' that may be associated with each video receiver 103'. Transmission of the display data from the sender 114' to the receivers 103' is typically via a wired connection.

[0024] As shown in Fig. la, the conventional implementation of electronic sign system 100' is based on a single sign 102' configured as a "standalone" display panel. This type of configuration is characterized by the localization of the control components (e.g., processor 110' and video sender 114' circuitry) on the same physical structure as the tiles 104' (within the display panel 102'). That is, conventional sign systems rely on direct server-to-panel transmission of video and control information. Processing is performed at the sign level, where tiles 104' are controlled from the embedded video sender 114' that is outputting to multiple video receivers 103' driving their own tile groups.

[0025] There are several drawbacks associated with the conventional sign system 100'. Often the media source providing the sign 102' with input data is a digital media distribution system configured to utilize an online delivery medium. This type of media source is typically remotely located from the sign 102' which is located in a deployment environment. Consequently, the input data often needs to be transmitted via a wide area network, such as the Internet, and sometimes over non-lossless channel (e.g., WiFi). Consequently, there is a need to perform server-based processing of video data prior to transferring the data to the sign for display (e.g., downscaling to reduce bandwidth requirements).

[0026] The association of particular tiles 104' with the display panel 102' is hard-wired and necessarily involves a logical binding to a corresponding receiver 103'. This has several consequences. First, the panel 102' must be reconfigured in the event of hardware changes, particularly if the video sender 114' or receiver modules 103' are replaced. This is due to the non-uniform driving and functional capabilities of the tiles 104' resulting in compatibility issues when tiles with different requirements are connected to a single receiver. In the inverse problem, the receiver 103' of each group must be chosen to have functional capabilities that satisfy the requirements of each associated tile 104'. That is, a hardware failure in one component (e.g., receiver 103' of group 1) often results in the need to replace multiple other components (e.g., one or more tiles 104a'-104f within tile group 1) to restore panel functionality.

[0027] Second, the panel 102' must be physically breached in order to replace, or perform maintenance on, a display or control component. Further, display panels with a large number of tiles require a correspondingly large number of video receiver hubs introducing logical and physical complexity (e.g., due to the need for excessive cabling between tiles and receivers). Specifically, the configuration or arrangement of the tiles 104' on the panel 102' may be constrained by the functional limitations of the receivers 103' (e.g., the maximum number of connected tiles).

Electronic sign system

[0028] The described embodiments of the present invention include an electronic sign system (ESS) that attempts to overcome the aforementioned problems, or to at least provide a useful alternative, by: (i) replacing the conventional panel-based graphics control architecture (i.e., the embedding of the control circuitry locally within each display panel) with a dedicated control module that is decoupled from the display panel(s); and (ii) providing, within each display panel, an interconnected network of tiles configured to independently process display data received from the control module to render portions of images on the panel(s).

[0029] As shown in Fig. ib, the ESS 100 includes at least one display panel 102, the panel 102 including one or more tiles (e.g., the group of six tiles 104a-104f as depicted in Fig. lb). Each display panel 102 may be configured with any integer number of tiles, with distinct panels including a different number of tiles. Tiles 104a-104f are configured to house a plurality of display elements, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), 107, where the LEDs are dispersed over an exterior surface of each tile. ESS 100 further includes a control module device 110 configured to receive input data representing at least one image for rendering on the display panel 102, process the input data to generate a display data for the display panel 102, and transmit the display data to the one or more tiles 104a-104f of the display panel 102. In response to receiving the display from the control module 110, each tile 104a-104f processes the display data independently of each other tile in the display panel 102. This independent processing of the display data collectively by the tiles 104a-104f enables the one or more tiles 104a-104f to collectively render the image represented by the display data (i.e., via activation of one or more of the LED display elements).

[0030] In the described embodiments, the tiles 104a-104f of each display panel 102 are configured as a tile network, such that the display data is broadcast to the tile network via a communications networking protocol. For example, in some embodiments, the tile network has a ring topology such that each tile is interconnected to at least one other like tile within the display panel 102. The collective interconnection of the tiles enables the propagation of the display data through the tile network (e.g., in response to the transmission of the display data, from the control module 110, to at least two tiles in the ring).

[0031] For example, Fig. lb depicts tiles 104a-104f arranged in a ring configuration. The use of this type of interconnected tile configuration enables data communication to occur with improved redundancy (i.e., since each tile transmits the display data to adjacent panels to propagate the data over the ring, such that the data travels in both directions around the ring simultaneously thereby preventing any single interconnection from acting as a point of failure). In other embodiments, the tile network may have a different topology such as a daisy chain, or star topology, where each tile receives the display data from the control module (e.g., via a direct Ethernet connection to a switch).

[0032] Unlike for conventional systems, such as the ESS 100' depicted in Fig. la, in the ESS 100 each tile 104a-104f has its own embedded receiver (referred to as a "tile receiver" not shown in Fig. lb) which is configured to perform signal processing operations (e.g., image decoding) on the display data provided by the control module 110 independently of each other tile. This eliminates some of the physical and logical constraints associated with the use of shared video receiver components (e.g., the need for excessive cabling between receiver hubs 114' and tiles 104', and the limitation of a particular maximum number of tiles 104' per localized tile group), and thereby improves the modularity and simplicity of the display panel 102.

[0033] In the described embodiments of the ESS 100, unique addresses are provided for each of the tiles 104a-104f, and/or for predetermined specified groups of the tiles 104a-104f. The ability of each tile 104a-104f to independently receive and process display data (as described below) enables the control module 110 to exercise direct control over each individual tile 104a 104f. In conventional ESS system 100', video receiver 103' extracts the applicable display data for the associated group of tiles 104'. This requires receiver 103' to maintain local configuration information to identify the associated tiles and their geometry, where each receiver 103' performs display data processing and translation operations for their respective locally associated tiles.

[0034] The ESS 100 is configured to display the media content (i.e., sequences of images of a video) of the input data on the panel 102 by mapping one or more of the tiles 104a-104f to corresponding sections of the respective images. The process of mapping parts of the images of the input data to corresponding tiles 104 is referred to as "image localization". The localization process utilizes the relative position of each tile 104a-104f in the display panel 102 and corresponding positions of portions of the images to be rendered on the surface of the panel 102 on which the tiles are located. The tile position information may be determined based on information that is provided to the control module 110 (e.g., during a user configuration operation) or from information that is generated by the module 110 (e.g., during a learning process).

[0035] In the described embodiments of the ESS 100, display data is broadcast to the tile network via a communications networking protocol, where a video receiver of each tile 104 processes the display data independently to the other tiles. That is, the video receiver of each tile 104a-104f (tile receiver) is configured to process the received display data to activate one or more LEDs to cause a display of the corresponding section of the image by the tile. In some embodiments, the tile receiver may also detect the absence of an expected input data and perform processing to recreate the missing display data, or to notify the control device 110 of the missing data, for example, to enable an automatic configuration operation.

[0036] The control module 110 maybe configured to generate display data to localize image data to the one or more tiles 104a-104f based on knowledge of the tile geometry and relative position of each tile 104a-104f on the panel 102 surface. In other embodiments, the control module 110 generates display data by applying image and/or video pre-processing operations to the input data, and transmits all image data to all tiles (i.e., within the display data), such that the individual tiles 104 parse the received display data to identify and display the corresponding image section (i.e., based on a local indication of their relative position). In either embodiment, the localization of sections of the images to tiles is based on the tile relative position, and this enables the same image section to be displayed on multiple tiles from the display data broadcast by the control module.

[0037] In some embodiments, each tile 104a-104f may be allocated a unique address that is used by the control module 110 to reference the tile. For example, control module 110 may maintain an indication of a device identifier for each tile, and/or for each predetermined group of the tiles 104a-104f, such as the MAC address of the tile receiver component, enabling the identification of any particular tile 104a-104f (or group) of the display panel 102 from any other tile (or group) of any display panel of the system. Addressing each tile with a unique address is advantageous in that it enables the control module to reference each tile individually and irrespective of the panel in which the tile is installed in. For example, using a unique ID of a tile enables the detection of the presence of the tile within any panel, and the detection of a failure of the tile (i.e., to allow for an on-the-fly automatic reconfiguration). This provides an advantage over conventional systems where the sender 114' is agnostic of all tiles/receivers.

[0038] In some embodiments, the ESS 100 includes one or more sensors 130 to provide the system 100 with information in relation to the operating conditions of the panel 102. For example, the sensors 130 may include an ambient light sensor 132, a temperature sensor 134, or any other sensor configured to collect data in relation to operating conditions of the panel 102. In some embodiments, sensors may be included within a dedicated sensor array as a separate physical component to the panel 102, and placed in the environment of the panel 102. In other embodiments, the sensors 130 may be embedded in the panel 102, and/or in one or more of the individual tiles 104a-104f.

[0039] In some embodiments, the ESS 100 is configured to perform monitoring and self diagnostic functions to automatically detect and assess operating conditions of one or more components of the system 100 based on the data provided by the sensors 130. For example, the control module 110 may receive data from sensors 132, 134 in relation to display panel 102 for the purpose of monitoring the status and/or operating parameters of the panel 102 such as: one or more tile or critical component temperatures, internal humidity; and one or more tile power supply or component voltage and/or current. This information may be used to infer a particular operating condition of the panel 102, such as a LED open or short circuit condition, or to automatically adjust the operation of the panel 102. For example, the output of ambient light sensor 132 may be used to adjust the brightness of the LED image (e.g. brighter during the day), while the output of the temperature sensor 134 may be used to, for example, adjust a dynamic temperature readout on the sign without needing to involve the management server 106. Diagnostic feedback may also be provided to a user of the system 100 by the transmission of the sensor data back to the control module 110 and/or management server 106.

[0040] The embodiments of the ESS 100 described herein are advantageous in that the encapsulation of the control functionality within a dedicated control module 110 that is separated from the display panel 102 results in a system 100 with improved modularity and scalability. Without the need to embed the control components, the power, cost, and physical space requirements of the display panels are reduced compared to conventional standalone sign systems.

[0041] Furthermore, the control module device 110 maybe remotely located from the display panels, such as to enable the use of existing communication networks (e.g., LANs) to facilitate data transfer between the panels 102 and controller 110 module. This promotes the deployment and configuration of panels based on the ability to connect with the deployed controller device 110 in an ad-hoc manner (i.e., increasing the flexibility of the solution provided by the system 100).

[0042] Advantages are also provided by the use of tiles 104a-104f that are configured to independently receive and process a display data of the control module 110, and operate in a tile network within panel 102 such as to receive display data via a broadcast over network connection. In addition to eliminating physical and logical constraints associated with the requirement of shared video receiver hubs (as discussed above), the modularity and configurability of the panel is improved (i.e., facilitating the easy connection, configuration, and replacement of tiles). Additionally, when the tile network is formed in a ring topology, the system has improved physical redundancy against single points of failure in data transmission, particularly when implemented in combination with control module based techniques (e.g., forward error correction on real time data to allow reconstruction of lost or corrupted display data without transmission control).

System components

[0043] With reference to Fig. ib, an exemplary implementation of the ESS 100 is discussed herein below. ESS 100 is configured to communicate with cloud server 106 which provides

I1

display contents delivery and device management functionality to users of the ESS 100. In some embodiments, server 106 operated by a third-party vendor and resides outside the scope of the ESS 100.

[0044] Server 106 is implemented as one or more computing devices each including one or more processors configured to execute programming instructions of one or more software modules stored on non-volatile (e.g., hard disk or solid-state drive) storage associated with the computer device. The device also includes volatile memory components, such as random access memory (RAM), and one or more levels of processor bound memory, such as registers and cache memory, according to the architecture of the processor.

[0045] Each computer device of server 106 also includes a network interface which connects the device to a communications network, such as the Internet, to facilitate the exchange of data between the server 106 device(s) and other network connected devices, such as control module device 110. Each computer device of server 106 may optionally include one or more external interfaces, such as for example universal serial bus (USB) interfaces for connecting the device to one or more corresponding peripherals (e.g., a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse). The server 106 includes a number of standard software modules, including an operating system such as Linux or Microsoft Windows, configured to execute one or more user applications. In some embodiments, the devices may include other data structures and corresponding data management applications, such as one or more databases accessed by a database management system (DBMS) of the device.

[0046] In the described embodiments, server 106 is configured to execute a display control or video management server application 150 to perform content display management and control functions. A user of the ESS 100 accesses the content display management and control functions via a user device 101. The user device 101 may be a mobile computing device configured to interface with the video management server application 150, such as via a web application 160 executing either as a standalone program or within a browser program of the user device 101.

[0047] The cloud server 106 provides the user device 101 with functionality enabling management of the content displayed on the display panels 102 via the video management server application 150. The video management server application 150 is configured to provide functionality to, for example: upload media content; and control the display of the uploaded media content on panel 102. For example, the application 150 provides functions to create playlists to display particular content, and to initiate and schedule the display of content according to defined parameters, such as start and end dates, and active display times and/or days. The displayed content may include multiple additional elements such as text or images which are preconfigured to be displayed for a specified period of time (as described below). For example, indications of Date, Time and Temperature text can be overlayed on the display.

[0048] In some embodiments, the video management application 150 enables a selection of the media content to be displayed by the ESS 100. In some embodiments, the video management application 150 is configured to direct the local media source 122 to cause the generation of input video data representing the selected media content. The video management application 150 may specify one or more constraints on the format of the generated media content. For example, the video content may be scaled to the resolution of the display 102 to reduce the amount of processing that needs to be performed by the control components of the system. This provides an advantage for a management server 106 that is to be used with a conventional (i.e., pre-existing) ESS 100' with a standalone panel 102', as an alternative to, or additionally with, the system 100.

[0049] The cloud server 106 is configured to transmit control and display management data to the control module 110 of the ESS 100. Data is transferred between the server 106 and the control module 110 via a communications module 108, such as a modem or transceiver configured to implement one or more wired or wireless networking protocols (e.g., 3G/4G, 802.xx, WiFi). Communication between the server 106 and the ESS 100 typically occurs via a wide area network, such as the Internet or a cellular network, enabling remote operation of the functionality of the control module 110 (e.g., for the purpose of displaying media content from source 122). However, server 106 may also be connected to the control module 110 by a local connection. In some embodiments, the ESS 100 is configured to operate without the management server 106, such as via a software application that executes on the control module 110.

Control module device

[0050] Control module 110 includes one or more computing devices, each including hardware components such as a central system bus, a memory, a central processing unit (CPU), a networking system, display interfaces, and I/O device interfaces. The processing unit may be any microprocessor which performs the execution of sequences of machine instructions, and may have architectures consisting of a single or multiple processing cores such as, for example, a system having a 32- or 64-bit architecture. The processor issues control signals to other device components via the system bus, and has direct access to at least some form of the memory system, including random access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory (such as Flash Memory, ROM or EPROM), cache memory and registers for fast access by the processing unit.

[0051] In some embodiments, the control module device 110 is implemented as a self contained physical system that incorporates the aforementioned computing components, such as a Computer on Module (CoM). In such embodiments, the functionality of the operation and playback module 112 and the video sender module 114 may be executed by one or more dedicated hardware components of the control module 110, such as dedicated microcontrollers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and/or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0052] In alternative embodiments, the control module device 110 is implemented as one or more standard computer systems, such as an Intel Architecture computer system configured as a desktop or laptop workstation. In such embodiments, the functionality of the operation and playback module 112 and the video sender module 114 may be provided as programming instructions of one or more software modules stored within the memory, and executable by an operating system of the device 110.

[0053] The control module device 110 incorporates the video sender 114 directly in the described embodiments. However, in other embodiments, the control module 110 may connect to a separate (discrete) video sender 114 component via an external local connection. The combination of the operating system and display control software are represented by the operation and playback module 112 as shown in Fig. lb. The operation and playback module 112 may store operating system data and media content data in an internal storage device. In some embodiments, the operation and playback module 112 provides functionality for the storage of data on an associated external storage device, such as Micro-SD Card or USB flash drive.

Operation module

[0054] The operation and playback module 112 provides display control and management functionality through the execution of a video management client application 170 corresponding to the video management application 150 of server 106. The display control and management functions provided by the operation and playback module 112 include content playback and display panel configuration functions. The control module 110 is configured to playback its media content received from local media source 122 via an input interface 116 of the device 110. The media content may include static pictures (images), motion pictures (video, as a sequence of images), or any other playable contents.

[0055] The local media source 122 supplies the control module 110 with an input data from a media signal, such as a video signal, for display by the ESS 100. The control module 110 also includes an output interface for providing output data to one or more external monitoring devices 124. The input and output interfaces 116, 118 may be any interface defined for the purpose of transmitting audio and/or video data, such as for example, interfaces according to the HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, DSI, DPI, or LVDS protocols. Playback refers to the processing of the input media signal for display on the one or more panels 102 of the ESS 100, in accordance with the display control and management functions of module 112.

[0056] The playback of the media content may be repeated at a programmed interval, and paused or resumed from remote commands. Playback is performed at a specified resolution of the panel 102 and at a particular specified framerate (e.g., 30 frames per second). In addition to the images of the media content, the playback functionality may involve the display of multiple additional elements, including for example: diagnostic information obtained from local sensors or an online source; date and time information; RSS feed information such as posts with text, images or video; and social media content such as feed entries obtained from an account of the network. The operation and playback module 112 enables the additional elements to be on a distinct region of the panel 102 or overlayed on top of other contents rendered on the panel 102.

[0057] The playback module 112 enables media contents to be arranged in one or more playlists, for which playback is performed according to criteria such as a predetermined time schedule, a priority ranking, and/or any other type of date/time filter. For example, if a High priority playlist is enabled between 8-9am, then only it, and other enabled high priority playlists will play during that time. Outside that time, the next highest priority playlists will be selected to play.

[0058] The operation and playback module 112 is configured to store display panel configuration data representing a particular configuration of the display panels 102 for performing playback. The configuration of the display panels 102 may be set by an authorized user locally through a management interface of the control module device 110, or remotely through the video management application 150 of the cloud server 106 (as described below).

[0059] Display panel configuration data includes, for a particular panel 102, a set of one or more panel parameters that may include, but are not limited to: screen size and resolution; a scaling factor; a global brightness value; a colour temperature value; a white balance value; and tile configuration data, including position and order values specifying the relative location of the tile 104a-104f in the panel 102. In some embodiments, the panel parameters also include a tile address table (TAT) which specifies the unique address of each tile 104a-104f in the panel 102, enabling the identification of any particular tile 104a-104f of the display panel 102 from any other tile of any display panel of the ESS 100.

[0060] In some embodiments, control module 110 is configured to accept remote commands from the management server 106. Commands may be delivered over a real-time persistent connection between the control module 110 and the server 106, such as through WebSocket, Socket.io, or a similar protocol. Remote commands may include, but are not limited to: system restart; adjust global brightness; change colour temperature; change white balance; change external sensor period; start playback; stop playback; play specific content; create playlist; query system status. Each command is provided in the form of a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) to an interface of the operation and playback module 112. The RPC may specify one or more display panel identifiers indicating the panel 102 to which the command is to apply. RPCs may be issued to the operation and playback module 112 by the video management application 150 executing on the server 106, such as in response to a direction of the user (i.e., issued from the web application 160 of the user device 101).

[0061] The control module 110 is also configured to provide system status information to the server 106 in the form of status report data. The status report data may include, for one or more panels: current playback content information; display brightness level; sensor values (e.g., temperature and ambient light level); LED failure detection results; system and OS statistics; error logs; system voltage and power consumption parameters; and fan control speed and feedback parameters. In some embodiments, the control module 110 generates and transmits the status report data to the server 106 periodically according to a predetermined reporting schedule. In other embodiments, the status report data is generated and/or transmitted dynamically in response to a specified event or condition of the relevant panel 102 (e.g., a sensor value exceeding a predetermined threshold).

Video sender module

[0062] The control module 110 includes a video sender module 114 in communication with the operation and playback module 112, and the input 116 and output interfaces 118. The video sender module 114 accepts a digital media input (such as a video signal), processes the input data to generate display data for the display of the media content by a corresponding one or more receivers, and then transmits the display data to the receivers. In the ESS 100, the video sender module 114 transmits the display data to panel 102 via a wired or wireless network.

[0063] In the described embodiments, the video sender 114 implements functions that are invoked by the operation and playback module 112 to facilitate the control of tiles 104a-104f. Input data processing performed by the video sender 114 is subject to the display panel configuration data provided by the operation and playback module 112. That is, the operation and playback module 112 directs the generation of the display data by the video sender 114 in response to an operation (such as playback of a content playlist for a designated panel).

[0064] In some implementations, the video sender 114 is provided with multiple input data streams via input interface 116 and/or directly from the operation and playback module 112. The video sender 114 may be configured to preferentially select the input to be displayed (i.e., for which the display data is to be generated from). The input preference of the video sender 114 is configurable by the video management application 150 of the server 106. The video sender 114 may also be configured to output "final stage" rendered images, as represented by the display data, as a stream though output interface 116. These rendered final stage images can reflect the output of the display panel 102. For example, in the case that only a portion of the input video data has tiles on the panel 102 the output will still display the full video, not just the portion displayed on the panel 102.

[0065] The video sender 114 is configured to generate the display data by applying one or more signal processing functions to the input media data. For example, the video sender 114 may process an input video signal according to display resolution settings received from the operation and playback module 112. In some embodiments, the sender 114 performs dynamic upscaling and/or downscaling to fit images (corresponding to video frames) to a particular tile. In other embodiments, the sender 114 does not downscale or upscale the video data. That is, if the input image is greater than the display resolution then only the section of the image corresponding to present tiles will be displayed, and if the input image is less than the display resolution then remaining pixels (represented by LEDs of the tile, as described below) may be off.

[0066] In the described embodiments, video sender 114 receives the input data from input interface 116 and converts the serial differential signal data containing interleaved video and audio packets to a 24bit (RGB 8,8,8) parallel data bus with a pixel clock and sync signals. The RGB data is received by an FPGA which performs near real-time conversion of the data into a transmittable package and transmits the data through one or two Ethernet output ports to tiles 104a-104f.

[0067] The video sender 114 is configured to perform packet generation functions to package the display data for transmission. For example, the sender 114 may generate the required packet header and identification information to facilitate the delivery of the generated display data to the tile network via a broadcast transmission. The sender 114 may be configured to use a maximum packet size for the transmission, such as for example 1500 bytes. In some embodiments, the video sender 114 implements forward error correction (FEC) to provide a configurable amount of data transmission redundancy as determined by the sender 114 in real time.

[0068] In some embodiments, the video sender 114 is configurable to operate in a low data rate mode. When operating in the low data rate mode the data output by the video sender 114 to the panel 102 is reduced. For example, in the low data rate mode the video sender 114 may: only transmit portions of the video signal; support duplication or overlapping of tile video frames; implement a variable frame rate in the transmitted video signal; and transmit video data only through selected network segments that provide a path to the intended tiles 104a-104f.

[0069] In some embodiments, the video sender 114 is configured to perform tile control and status relay functions. Tile control functions are invoked by the operation and playback module 112 and involve the sender 114 generating and transmitting tile control data to one or more tiles 104a-104f to control the operation of the tile (i.e., to display an image). In some embodiments, the video sender 114 is configured to receive status data from the panel 102 (such as an indication of LED Tile status and/or LED open or short circuit information), or from a diagnostic sensor array, and transmit the status data to the control module 110.

Display Panel

[0070] ESS 100 shown in Fig. lb includes a display panel 102, where panel 102 includes a set of one or more tiles 104a-104f. Other embodiments of the ESS 100 may include additional display panels each having a corresponding tile set. In the described embodiments, tiles 104a 104f are LED tiles each containing a plurality of LEDs 107 organized in an array such that one or more LEDs represents a single pixel for displaying an image of a video signal. In other embodiments, each tile 104a-104f may include display elements other than, or in addition to, LEDs.

[0071] For example, each LED 107 may make up a sub-pixel in the case that there are multiple LEDs, e.g. red, green, blue LEDs, or where multiple LEDs are used in tandem to increase the visual properties of a pixel (e.g., to boost the brightness). These "LED clusters" may be formed to represent either standalone pixels, or otherwise combined into a submodule consisting of multiple LEDs of various colours which may represent a pixel. Tiles 104a-104f are collectively arranged on a display surface of panel 102 (e.g., an externally facing front surface), such that activation of the LEDs (e.g., in response to the processing of the display data) is effective to render an image on the display surface when viewed from a suitable viewing distance.

[0072] The physical properties of the LED tiles may vary based on the implementation of the ESS 100. In the described embodiments, each tile 104 is identically sized at 320x320mm, and mounted on a common frame within the panel 102. In one embodiment, the tiles 104a-104f include a 48x48 full colour RGB LED array mounted on the front side of a printed circuit board (PCB) base, with other components optionally located at the rear side. Panels 102 may be configured using tiles of a different LED density and/or colour palate in other embodiments. All LEDs are spaced evenly within the tile array, with the same pitch in between. In some embodiments, the tile PCB is housed in an enclosure formed from a protective material such as plastic or aluminum.

[0073] The individual LEDs of each tile have properties including an RGB colour profile and a brightness value. The colour profile is specified by the dominant wavelength of each subpixel of RGB, which for the described embodiments is set to: R - 625nm; G - 525nm; B - 470nm. The RGB values are typically determined, at least in part, in response to the intrinsic physical properties of the LED 107, and therefore may vary between parts. LED brightness is dynamically controlled based on tile control data supplied to the tile 104, or automatically based on either the illuminance or the contrast ratio such that the LED is suitable for reproducing true colour (24 bit) images in direct sunlight. Tiles are configured to maintain a contrast ratio of

200:1 in full direct sunlight of a single colour image with uniform brightness of 3% nits and colour distribution of 3 % . The tiles have a colour depth of 24 bit in low ambient light conditions with the display dimmed to 300 nits.

[0074] Each tile has connectors including: two Ethernet ports for display data reception and transmission; and two power connectors which provides power for the tile and enables the connection of the tile with subsequent tiles. The Ethernet ports of adjacent tiles are connected using RJ45 cables for Gigabit Ethernet. The power connectors of adjacent tiles may also be connected using power cables for power transmission. When mounted in the panel 102, the distance between two adjacent LEDs on each side of the touching edge of the two neighbouring tiles is kept the same as the pitch for the tile. As a result, there is no visual deviation in pitch sizing across the panel 102 display.

[0075] Additional properties of the display panel 102 and corresponding tiles 104a-104f may be set to promote effective viewing of rendered images. For example, the display panel may be configured to provide: a minimum overall viewing angle (e.g., 140 degrees); a maximum and a minimum brightness (set based on the contrast levels of the LEDs); and features for shading its LEDs from interference of direct sunlight. Additionally, the display panel may be physically configured so that when a picture is taken of the panel 102 using a photo camera, or slow motion video device, there is no black or blank sections for shutter speed that is over 1/2000, and no visible screen tearing for shutter speed that is over 1/250.

[0076] Tiles 104a-104f are arranged within panel 102 to form a tile network with a ring topology. Each tile 104 is interconnected with first and second other tiles neighbouring the tile 104, with the exception of two tiles within the ring that connect to one neighbouring tile and the video sender 114. That is, the tile network results in the interconnection of the tiles with at least one other like tile. This "ring" arrangement can be utilised to provide redundancy in the distribution of the display data by enabling the tiles to transmit in both directions (i.e., from either of the Ethernet data ports) until the ring is broken, or packets meet in the middle.

[0077] Tiles 104a-104f are each provided with a video receiver submodule including a processor configured to perform tile specific image processing operations (referred to as a "tile receiver"). The tile receiver receives the display data from either port of the receiving interface. If duplicate data is subsequently received from another port, it will not be displayed. In some embodiments, the tile receiver is configured to decode and process the display data in real time.

The tile receiver extracts the relevant image data from the received display data according to the tile's position (i.e., as maintained by the tile receiver and the tile configuration data).

[0078] The tile receiver includes a LED driver implementing PWM control. Each RGB LED in the tile LED array is individually PWM controlled to produce a specific colour that represents a single full colour pixel in the received video (display) data. That is, the tile receiver is configured to control all RGB LEDs of the array substantially simultaneously (i.e., within an imperceptible period) to form an image tile specified by the display data. LED driver controls the activation and colour of each LED in response to processing tile control data. In the described embodiments, the LED driver scans lines within the pixel PWM frame period, rather than outside it so there is no noticeable tearing or blanking visible in photographic captures of the panel at high shutter speeds (e.g., at 50Hz, a 1:4 multiplexed line will not refresh lines at 200Hz, but much faster, scanning all 4 lines multiple times within the frame).

[0079] In the described embodiments, the LED driver is configured to control the brightness of each LED (e.g., according to received tile control data). The LED driver has an output current PWM control resolution of at least 12-bit and supports line multiplexing for at least 8 lines. Large pitch displays may support lower levels or no multiplexing based on the LED brightness requirements. The LED driver also includes functionality to detect faults in the LEDs, for example via the detection of LED open, short, or output leakage conditions.

[0080] In the described embodiments, video frame data is be buffered on reception by the tile receiver. The buffered data will be corrected for corrupt or missing packets using the transmitted FEC. Frame data from the buffer is displayed on LEDs at a defined sync time. Frame display sync is maintained by each tile as defined by the video sender 114 such that tiles 104 display frames in concert. Conversion of video data to LED greyscale data is performed in less than a maximum of 30ms. The tile receiver itself is implemented as a removable sub-module of each tile 104 which connects to each "sub-tile" PCB configured to house the LEDs 107 (e.g., four sub-tiles per tile 104).

[0081] Other image processing functions performed by the tile receiver include: greyscale encoding where the tile receiver converts the RGB pixel data into greyscale PWM code compatible with the LED driver; dot correction, as applied to the generated greyscale data; and FEC to improve the reliability of the display. Frames which do not decode without error will not be displayed on the pixel buffer, and the last valid frame will remain displayed on the tile for a predetermined specified time (e.g., 1000ms).

[0082] In some embodiments, the tiles 104a-104f are configured to perform status reporting operations. A tile 104 determines the status of the LED array in response to a control command received from the video sender 114, or automatically based on the occurrence of a reporting condition (e.g., generation of a periodic reporting event by the tile). The status determination is performed by the processor of the tile receiver which queries the LEDs of the local array in order to determine status. Once LED status is obtained, the processor shall generate a status packet and report the packet back to control module 110.

[0083] The tile configuration data maintained by the operation and playback module 112 of the control module 110 specifies the position of each tile 104 relative to the panel surface defined by the tile network. In some embodiments, at least the position of a tile 104 is specified by a user following the assembly of the tile 104 into the display panel 102. In other embodiments, the operation and playback module 112 obtains the position of a tile 104 automatically either following connection of the tile 104 to the panel 102, or in response to a control command sent by the control module 110 to the panel 102.

[0084] The LEDs 107 of each tile 104a-104f are controlled by the respective tile receiver to display, on the tile, a corresponding section of the image of the display data. The section of the image that is displayed by a particular tile is determined based on the relative position of the particular tile in the display panel 102. Multiple tiles may be mapped to the same section of an image (e.g., double sided panels displaying identical images on each side). Pixel correction data may also be programmed into each tile from a factory process. The correction data is stored on the LED array (sub-tile) PCB in some embodiments, such that the control module 110 requires no knowledge of the calibration information of tiles 104a-104f that are installed within the respective panel 102. In some embodiments, the correction data is included in the tile configuration data of the operation and playback module 112. The tile configuration data additionally includes other configuration parameters such as overall brightness and white balance of the tile 104 enabling adjustment of the operation of the tile according to title control data generated by the control module 110.

[0085] Video sender 114 is configured to exchange data with the tiles 104a-104f of the panel 102 via a communications networking protocol, such as Ethernet. Data transmission circuitry of the sender 114 simultaneously receives and transmits large data packets at a sustained data rate (e.g., 1Gbps) such as to transmit the display signal to the tiles 104a-104f and to receive feedback data from the tiles 104a-104f (e.g., in relation to the operation of the panel 102). The use of an Ethernet based communication channel to facilitate the data exchanges between the panel 102 and the control module 110 enables the adhoc installation of panels on any site where there is a pre-existing local area network increasing the flexibility and applicability of the ESS 100.

[0086] Fig. I illustrates an embodiment in which ESS 100 includes multiple display panels 102a, 102b, each with an independent tile network including LED tiles 104a-104f. In such embodiments, video sender module 114 provides the display data to each panel 102a, 102b via an intermediate switch or relay module 109. For example, relay module 109 may include at least one Ethernet switch according to the IEEE 802.3 standard, e.g., at 100/1000 Mbps, capable of connecting a plurality of panels to the control module 110.

[0087] In some embodiments, the display panel 102 is constructed to include a mechanical encapsulation of the tiles 104a-104f to increase the robustness of each tile to physical and environmental effects. For example, tile and/or panel enclosures may be fabricated using waterproofing/potting materials, and techniques to prevent moisture ingress (e.g., caused by the air pressure differential). Minimization of the physical profile of each tile may also result from reducing the dimensions of the tile enclosures, resulting in a minimalistic profile thereby assisting with the ability to mount the panel (i.e., by reducing tile weight and thickness).

Sensor board

[0088] The control module 110 connects to a diagnostic management board 130 that is configured to monitor the operational and status parameters of the panel 102 based on information collected by one or more sensors of the board. The sensors include at least: an ambient light sensor 132; and a temperature sensor 134. The sensors 132, 134 are deployed in the environment of the panel 102 which may be remotely located from the control module 110. Sensors 132, 134 are configured to perform data collection operations to measure the external ambient light and external temperature respectively. The collection operations are performed periodically with a period that is configurable by the operation and playback module 112.

[0089] In some embodiments, the diagnostic management board transfers data to the control module 110 via the video sender module 114, such as through a USB connection. The video sender module 114 transfers the sensor data to the operation and playback module 112 via a status relay message. The video management application 170 of the operation and playback module 112 may be configured to interpret the sensor data, and/or to transmit the data back to the management application 150. In the described embodiments, this includes data in relation to ambient light, temperature, and other status information of the panel 102.

[0090] In the described embodiments, the temperature sensor is configured with a detection range in between -40°C and 85°C, and with an accuracy of at least 0.5°C. The ambient light sensor is configured to have a peak sensitivity wavelength within range 500nm ~ 600nm. The output from the ambient light sensor is reported to a level of precision that enables the control of the display brightness to comfortable viewing levels. In some embodiments, the brightness is automatically adjusted by the operation and playback module 112 based on the data collected by the sensor 132 (i.e., in a feedback loop).

[0091] In some embodiments, the diagnostic management board additionally includes a power supply sensor, such as for example a RS485 transceiver, which is configured to communicate the power supply status back to the operational and playback module 112, and then to the management application 150 of the server 106. In other embodiments, power supply monitoring is performed by a power sensor that is integrated into one or more of the tiles 104a-104f.

Power management

[0092] As shown in Fig. ib, the ESS 100 includes several power supplies 140 configured to power the control module 110 and tiles 104a-104f of the display panel 102. The control module 110 is powered by a 240VAC-5VDC supply (i.e., a supply capable of converting mains power at 240VAC to 5VDC) with current capacity at least 3A. This supply is capable of withstanding 300VAC surge for 5 seconds and provides overvoltage, overcurrent, transient and reverse polarity protection for its connected load. The surge protection for the power supply 140 has a zero load power consumption of less than 0.5 Watts.

[0093] The tiles 104a-104f are powered by a supply that converts 240VAC to 48VDC with current capacity of at least 10A. In some embodiments, additional power supplies 140 may be required to supply power to the one or more panels 102 and corresponding tiles 104. The number and electrical configuration of the additional supplies may be set in order to achieve a particular power availability or consumption requirement of the system 100 (e.g., consuming less than W average power per tile at full white brightness).

[0094] In some embodiments, power is delivered to the tiles via a daisy chain between the tiles, and not a 'star' configuration from the power supply itself In some embodiments, power supply 140 of the tiles 104a-104f includes a final stage buck power supply regulation function for improved energy efficiency, lower loss, and adjustability based on LED binning. In some embodiments, the power supply 140 is configured to operate at a higher voltage (but still within ELV limits) distribution enabling lighter gauge, cheaper power cables, and power daisy chaining.

Operation of the electronic sign system

[0095] Figure 2 illustrates a process 200 for the operation of the ESS 100. At step 202, a user of the ESS 100 performs a login operation to access the content display management and control functions of the system 100 via management server 106. The login operation requires the user to provide the server 106 with security credentials (e.g., a username and password combination) verifying that the user is authorized to access the ESS 100. Following a successful login operation, the server 106 is configured to provide content display management and control functions to a user of the ESS 100, via a Web application 160 executing on user device 101. The functions available to the user may vary based on a categorization of the user as either: a sign owner user; or a system administrator user.

[0096] The video management application 150 is configured to enable a sign owner user to perform functions such as, but not limited to: uploading the media content for display by the system; initiate the display of particular uploaded content by the ESS 100; and otherwise managing the operation of one or more panels 102 ("signs") that are allocated to the owner user. In some embodiments, the server 106 provides separate functionality to admin users, such as for example: viewing all signs allocated to one or more users; and viewing diagnostic data collected from one or more signs.

[0097] At step 204, the user configures the ESS 100 to display particular media content. Remote configuration is performed by interfacing with video management application 150 of the management server 106 (e.g., through the Web application 160 executing on user device 101). Alternatively, or in addition, control module 110 provides the user with a local interface to facilitate configuration (e.g., a graphical user interface of the playback application 170). The user may select one or more panels 102 to configure. Configuration operations performed on a selected panel may include one or more of: setting the panel parameters such as a screen size and/or resolution, a scaling factor, a global brightness, a colour temperature, a white balance; and setting tile configuration parameters.

[0098] In some embodiments, the user manually updates the tile configuration parameters following a hardware modification to the tiles network of the panel 102. That is, the user performs a configuration operation to provide the ESS 100 with information of the tile arrangement of panel 102, including the relative position of any tile, or tile connection, that is new or modified in some way. Configuration may also involve allocating a unique address to each tile 104a-104f enabling the identification of any particular tile of the display panel 102 from any other tile of any display panel of the system 100. In the described embodiments, the tile address table (TAT) is implemented as a list data structure configured to record the MAC address of the tile video receiver of each tile 104.

[0099] In some embodiments, the ESS 100 is configured to notify the user of a need to perform a tile configuration operation on the detection of a change in tile hardware and/or tile network configuration. The notification is delivered to the user device 101 as a configuration request message of a predetermined form (e.g., an SMS). In other embodiments, the ESS 100 is configured to automatically update the tile configuration data on detection of modification to the tile network. This includes the automatic detection of new tiles, the detection of removed tiles, and the detection of changes in interconnections between nodes of the tile network (e.g., tiles and sender 114) and consequent updating: the relative position and order data; and the addresses stored in the TAT (if applicable).

[0100] The parameter values set during the configuration operation are transmitted to the control module 110 and stored as part of the display panel configuration data maintained by the operation and playback module 112. Since each tile is uniquely addressed, the tile configuration data parameters of each individual tile 104 can be set independently of the panel 102 in which the tile 104 is deployed in.

[0101] In some embodiments, such as where the tiles perform the image localization, the tile configuration data parameters are transmitted to the panel 102 via sender 114. The data parameters are propagated to each tile 104a-104f such that the video receiver of the tile maintains at least an indication of the tile's relative position. Unique addressing of tiles also enables the addition of features to displays 102 that are already installed and operating in the field, and also assists with preventing corruption of the configuration data during the upgrading process. Specifically, it is possible to individually program particular tiles to use hardcoded "golden" images that are displayed by default if an upgrade fails. This prevents bricking a component in the field while remotely upgrading it.

[0102] For example, in some embodiments, each tile 104a-104f and control module 110 are programmed, at the time of manufacture, to contain unique identifiers and configuration information which cannot be modified or lost in the field. This may include one or more default settings which can be modified and then reverted to (e.g., during a "reset" operation). The identifiers and configuration information can be updated during configuration or update operations. If these operations fail, or memory corruption results in an invalid program, the component is able to automatically load a 'golden' program from the read only/write protected memory. This enables the restoration of basic function for the component (e.g., tile 104) and allows for subsequent updating and reprogramming.

[0103] At step 206, the ESS 100 displays, on the one or more panels 102, media content represented by the input data. The input data is video data that represents at least one image for rendering on the display panel 102. Figure 3 illustrates a content display process 300 for performed by the ESS 100 At step 402, the video receiver of tile 104 retrieves tile panel configuration data. The configuration data may be maintained within local storage on the tile 104, or from a configuration repository of panel 102.

[0104] In some embodiments, the video receiver processes the extracted tile configuration parameters to determine a relative position of tile 104, with respect the configuration of other tiles 104a-104f in panel 102. For example, each tile may be positioned as located at respective non-overlapping regions on the panel surface, as defined by the relative position coordinates (e.g., a pair of (x,y) coordinate values indicating the upper left and lower right corners of each tile).

[0105] At step 404, video receiver processes image data of the display data to determine one or more image sections based on the tile configuration data. The image sections have corresponding position coordinates on the surface of display panel 102 (e.g., as based on a positioning of the entire image on the surface). For example, the image size may be divided by the tile size to produce a series of sections spanning the surface along the dimensions of the coordinates. Image sections are assigned an address on the surface corresponding to their position as defined by the coordinates. As such, the definition of an image section may remain constant over the sequence of images defined by the video signal (i.e., the section coordinates need only be calculated once in order to enable the processing of all frames of the video).

[0106] The video receiver of tile 104 then determines which of the image sections to display based on its relative position and the corresponding position of the mapped section on the surface (i.e., at step 406). For example, consider panel 102 implemented to include only the 6 tiles 104a 104f depicted in Fig. ib, where each tile 104 is 320mm x 320mm in size. Image section 1 may be the square section defined by (0,0) and (320,320), which is mapped to tile 104a as shown. Image section 2 may be the canvas region defined by (320,0) and (640,640), which is mapped to tile 104b.

[0107] Then, at step 408, the receiver generates LED control data including control instructions that cause the LED driver of the tile 104 activate the LEDs of the tile LED array according the extracted image data of the mapped image section for display. This causes the tile 104 to render the corresponding portion of the image on display panel 102. Although illustrated as sequential steps in Fig. 3, step 310 may be conducted simultaneously with, or following, step 308 in various embodiments. In embodiments in which the tiles include display elements other than LEDs, the control data generated includes instructions that are specific to those display elements for the purpose of rendering the corresponding portion of the image.

[0108] Figure 5 illustrates the generation of the display data in embodiments where the image to tile localization is performed by the control module 110 (i.e., at step 304). At step 502, the video sender 114 receives display panel configuration data from the operation and playback module 112 for panel 102. Video sender 114 extracts display parameters from the received display panel configuration data including at least an indication of the respective tiles 104a-104f and their corresponding relative positions in the display panel 102.

[0109] In some embodiments, the video sender 114 processes the extracted display parameters to construct a virtual surface for the placement of the sequence of images (of the input data) on panel 102, with respect the configuration of tiles 104a-104f. For example, the surface panel 102 may be represented by the sender 114 as a 2D grid defined by a pixel width and height and aligned with axes of a corresponding coordinate system (e.g., a Cartesian system as described above).

[0110] At step 504, the video sender 114 processes image data of the input data to determine one or more image sections based on the panel configuration data. For example, the image size may be divided by the tile size to produce a series of sections spanning the panel surface along the dimensions of the coordinates. Data for each image section is assigned an address on the surface corresponding to the section position as defined by the coordinates. As such, the definition of an image section may remain constant over the sequence of images defined by the video data (i.e., the section coordinates need only be calculated once in order to enable the processing of all frames of the video).

[0111] The video sender 114 then maps each of the determined image sections to a corresponding one or more of the tiles 104a-104f based on the relative position of the tiles (i.e., at step 506). In some embodiments, each tile 104a-104f is mapped to at least one image section. In other embodiments, the sender 114 may leave one or more tiles 104a-104f unmapped. At step 508, the sender 114 packetizes the image data corresponding to each image section together with an indication (i.e., an identifier) of the tile mapped to the image section. Null signal data may be generated for unmapped tiles and packetized together with the tile indicator. The packetized data is encapsulated within the display data for transmission to the panel 102 within a broadcast signal as described above. That is, for a particular tile, the display data contains an encapsulation of the image data corresponding to the image section mapped to the tile together with an identifier of the tile.

[0112] The tile receiver parses the received display data to extract packets that correspond to the image section for display by the tile indicator information (i.e., at step 310 of Fig. 3). That is, the tile receiver does not need to know the position of its tile 104 in the panel 102, since the tile 104 receives the data addressed to it by the video sender 114 and then generates the required control data to display the image section, as described above.

[0113] The input data processing, display data generation, and tile based image rendering operations are described above in the context of an ESS 100 with a single display panel 102. However, other embodiments may involve the display of video signal images over multiple display panels 102, as shown in Fig. Ic. The plurality of panels 102a, 102b may be configured to operate in a series display mode (i.e., such that the panels are arranged together to form a joint viewing surface), or in a duplication display mode (i.e., where each single image is replicated on all panels, or on a sub-set of tiles in one or more of the panels). The allocation of a unique address to each particular tile of each display panel enables the ESS 100 to support both modes of display, and allows for a user to selectively switch between display modes via the management application 150.

[0114] Referring back to Fig. 2, at step 208 the ESS 100 monitors the operation of the panel 102 during the display of media content. Monitoring of the panel 102 is performed based on diagnostic information received at the control module 110 from sensors 132, 134. The control module 110 is configured to perform self-diagnostic functions to automatically detect and assess one or more operating conditions of the tiles 104a-104f. In the described embodiments, operational monitoring extends to each individual LED in the panel 102, such that the system 100 is monitored for both open and shorted conditions. RGB LEDs of tiles 104a-104f each have a red, green and blue circuit providing operational data measurements. The measurement data is transferred from each tile 104 to the video sender 114 of the control module 110. The video management application 170 of the control module 110 processes the diagnostic information and provides a notification of any relevant operational or status conditions to users and/or maintenance personnel. In some embodiments, the control module 110 transmits diagnostic output data to the management application 150 executing on the server 106, enabling the server 106 to notify users.

[0115] In some embodiments, the self-diagnostic functions performed by the control module 110 use status and/or operating data previously collected by the sensors in order to build an operational profile of the panel(s) 102. Sensor data collected in real-time is then assessed based on the profiles to determine the existence of any abnormal or hazardous condition. In some embodiments, the operational profile is constructed using machine learning based on supervised model training with the historical status and/or operating data samples. Particular parameters of the tiles 104a-104f may also be modified based on data measured during the monitoring process. Modification may be performed by a user, such as through an operation performed during the configuration step 204.

[0116] In some embodiments, the ESS 100 performs an automatic self-adjustment of the display parameters. For example, the control module 110 is configured to alter the brightness of the display in certain conditions to prevent premature failure of components. Artificial intelligence processes, such as an evolutionary algorithm, may be implemented by the control module 110 to optimize the tile parameter(s) in response to the diagnostic information that is fed back from the sensors 132, 134.

[0117] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An electronic sign system, including:

at least one display panel, each panel including:

one or more tiles each having a plurality of display elements; and

a control module device configured to:

receive input data representing at least one image for rendering on the display panel;

process the input data to generate display data for the display panel;

transmit the display data to the one or more tiles of the display panel,

wherein each of the one or more tiles is configured to processes the received display data independently to each other tile, such that the one or more tiles collectively display the at least one image on the panel, and

wherein the one or more tiles are configured as a tile network, such that the display data is broadcast to the tile network via a communications networking protocol.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the tiles of the display panel includes a video receiver, wherein the video receiver of any particular one of the tiles is configured to process the received display data to activate one or more of the display elements of the particular tile to cause a display of a corresponding section of the image,

wherein the corresponding section of the image is determined based on the relative position of the particular tile in the display panel.

3. The system of any of claims 1 to 2, wherein generating the display data by the control module device includes: receiving panel configuration data indicating a configuration of the display panel, the configuration including at least an indication of the relative position of the respective tiles in the display panel; processing image data of the at least one image to determine one or more image sections based on the panel configuration data; mapping each of the determined image sections to a corresponding one or more of the tiles based on the relative position of the tiles on a surface of the display panel; and generating display data by, for one or more tiles in the display panel, encapsulating the image data corresponding to the image section mapped to the tile together with an identifier of the tile.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processing of the received display data by a tile includes:

receiving tile configuration data including at least an indication of the relative position of the tile in the display panel;

processing image data of the at least one image to determine one or more image sections based on the tile configuration data;

determining a mapped image section for display by the tile, the mapped image section being determined based on the relative position of the tile on a surface of the display panel; and

generating display element control data for the tile, the display element control data including control instructions that cause the rendering of the mapped image section on the tile, in response to the processing of the display element control data.

5. A controller device of an electronic sign system, the controller device configured to:

receive input data representing at least one image for rendering on at least one display panel of the electronic sign system, each panel including one or more tiles, each having a plurality of display elements; process the input data to generate display data for the display panel; transmit the display data to the one or more tiles of the display panel, wherein each of the one or more tiles is configured to processes the received display data independently to each other tile, such that the one or more tiles collectively display the at least one image on the panel, and wherein the one or more tiles are configured as a tile network, such that the display data is broadcast to the tile network via a communications networking protocol.