JPH05210371A - Multi-screen display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the multi-screen display device which can make variegated image displays while synchronizing respective display units. CONSTITUTION:This device is provided with a means which sends a trigger signal from a system controller 10 to optional display units 1, 2... at the same time. The display units 1, 2... are also provided with plural frame memories 101 and 102 and a means 104 which composes an image signal. Further, the display unit is provided with a means which transmits the trigger signal to a display unit contacting the display unit. The trigger signal is supplied to the display units at the same time and then the switching of display screens, and wiping and fading can be performed at the same time, so an effective image display is obtained. Further, the display units 1, 2... displays screens synchronously to obtain effective special reproduction on the whole multi-screen display device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-screen display device capable of displaying a predetermined image as a large screen in high definition by a plurality of regularly arranged display devices and performing special effects such as screen switching. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for obtaining a large-screen image, there is, for example, a projection type projection device, but the screen is dark and it is troublesome to install and adjust. Further, there is a rear projection device as an alternative, but it has a drawback that the depth is deep and installation is not easy and expensive.

Therefore, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-107192, not only a large screen image is realized as a whole by projecting an image on a plurality of display devices, but also a memory is provided in each display device to perform abnormality processing, etc. It is proposed to control.

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, no consideration has been given to means or methods for realizing special effects such as screen switching and fade / wipe in synchronization with each display unit.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to switch a screen in a multi-screen display device composed of a plurality of display devices while synchronizing the display units with each other.
It is to realize image display aiming at various special effects such as fade and wipe.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a plurality of display units having a frame memory and a unit for converting image information stored in the frame memory into an image signal are arranged to simultaneously display a plurality of displays. In an image display device for displaying an image, a system controller controlling the plurality of display units and a trigger signal can be applied to any desired display unit from the system controller.

Further, each of the above display units is also provided with a plurality of frame memories in a single display unit, a means for converting image information stored in the frame memories into an image signal, and an image signal reproduced from the plurality of frame memories. And a CPU for managing the frame memory and the means for synthesizing the image signal.

Further, means for transmitting a trigger signal to the display unit in contact with the display unit and means for processing the trigger signal from the display unit in contact with the display unit are provided.

[0009]

By providing a system controller for controlling the display unit, means for simultaneously transmitting a trigger signal from the system controller to each display unit, and means for inhibiting the trigger signal for any display unit, any plural display units can be provided. Since a trigger signal can be applied simultaneously to the plurality of display units, it is possible to simultaneously perform an operation in which a plurality of arbitrary display units are designated. Therefore, effective trick play display can be performed as the entire multi-screen display device.

Each of the display units also has a plurality of frame memories, a means for converting the image information stored in the frame memories into an image signal, a means for synthesizing the image signals reproduced from the plurality of frame memories, and the frame. By comprising the memory and the CPU that manages the means for synthesizing the image signals, it is possible to perform high-speed screen switching and effective reproduction display such as wipe and fade in each display unit.

Further, the specific display unit is provided with means for transmitting a trigger signal to the display unit in contact with the display unit and means for processing the trigger signal from the display unit in contact with the display unit. By displaying the screen in synchronism with the display units whose units are adjacent to each other, it is possible to enable special reproduction such as smooth wipe and fade as the entire multi-screen display device.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, components 1 and 2 are display units,
10 is a system controller, 11 and 12 are displays, 20 is a video signal reproducing device, 30 is a data bus, 40 is an address bus, 50 is a trigger signal line, 10
1 is a first frame memory, 102 is a second frame memory, 103 is a switch, 104 is an image synthesizing device, 10
5 is a switch, 106 is a ROM, 107 is a RAM, 1
08 is a CPU, 109 is a data latch, and 110 is an AND
A circuit, 111 is an ID storage device, and 112 is a comparator.

The display unit 1 and the display unit 2 are display units forming a multi-screen display device, and a large screen is formed by combining a plurality of display units. Each display unit is connected to a display, and the multi-screen display device has four display units, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
A large screen is constructed by combining six, nine, sixteen, or more display units. FIG. 2 shows an example in which four display units are combined, and FIG.
It is an example in which two display units are combined. 2 and 3, constituent elements 1 to 6 are display units, and constituent elements 11 to 16 are displays connected to the respective display units. A display device using a CRT or a rear projection type projector can be applied as the display, but by combining a plurality of display devices, it is possible to display a large screen as the entire multi-screen display device. Each display unit is connected to the system controller 10 by a bus and controlled.

Since each display unit has the same structure, only the display unit 1 will be described in detail.
In FIG. 1, a first frame memory 101 and a second frame memory 102 are readable and writable storage devices for storing image data. Further, in the present invention, the frame memory includes means for reading image data and converting it into an image signal that can be displayed on a display. By providing a plurality of frame memories inside each display unit, it becomes possible to store a plurality of different image data in a single display unit.

The switch 103 is a changeover switch for selecting a frame memory for storing image data sent from the data bus 30 connected to the system controller. The image synthesizing device 104 is a device for selecting and synthesizing the image signals output from the first frame memory 101 and the second frame memory 102, which will be described later in detail. The switch 105 is a switch for switching between the video signal sent from the video signal reproducing device 20 and the image signal generated inside the display unit 1. The image signal selected by the switch 105 is sent to the display 11 to display an image.

ROM 106 is a read-only memory for storing programs for controlling CPU 108, RA
M107 is a readable / writable memory for storing data necessary for the CPU 108 to control the display unit 1. The data latch 109 holds a signal in response to an instruction from the CPU 108. The held signal is input to the AND circuit 110, and A with the trigger signal sent from the system controller 10 via the trigger signal line 50.
The ND is taken and input to the CPU 108.

The ID storage device 111 is the ID of the display unit.
Specify and store information. As a means for realizing the ID storage device 111, for example, a plurality of mechanical switches may be arranged and the ID information may be expressed by the ON / OFF state of the switches. Alternatively, electrically erasable and writable EEPROM or a battery may be used for backup. It may also be realized by a built-in SRAM. The system controller 10 outputs the ID of the display unit to be controlled to the address bus for control. The comparator 112 compares the ID information designated by the address bus 40 from the system controller 10 with the ID information stored in the ID storage device 111 of the display unit, and if they match, sends a signal to the CPU 108 to display its own display unit. Is selected by the system controller 10.

The operation of the multi-screen display device will be described. First, the system controller 10 sets the address bus 4
The ID information of each display unit is placed on 0, and a fixed length command is sent to the display unit. The instruction can be given by, for example, expressing the instruction with a data string of a fixed length, expressing the type of the instruction with the first word, and then sending a parameter. The comparator 112 compares the ID information sent by the address bus 40 with the contents of the ID storage device 111, and if the contents match, the instruction sent by the data bus 30 is sent to the RAM 1
It is stored in 07. The commands sent from the system controller 10 are a data transfer command from the data bus to the frame memory, a write frame memory designation command, a display frame memory designation command, an image synthesizing device control command,
Data write command to data latch, R from data bus
There is an instruction to write program data to the AM 107.

The system controller 10 sends a write frame memory switching command to the CPU 10 of the display unit 1.
8 to switch the switch 103 to the first frame memory 101, thereby designating the first frame memory 101 as a write frame memory.
Next, the system controller 10 issues a data transfer command from the data bus to the frame memory to the CPU 108 and then sends the image data from the data bus 30 to the display unit 1.
To transfer the image data to the first frame memory 101. After that, the image data is similarly transferred to the second frame memory 102. By transferring image data of different images to the first and second frame memories, one display unit can have images for two planes.

After the image data is transferred, the system controller 10 issues a display frame designation command to the CPU 108. Upon receiving the instruction, the CPU 108 takes out the image signal from the first frame memory 101 by the image synthesizing device 104 and sends it to the switch 105. Furthermore, the switching device 1
The image signal from the first frame memory 101 is sent to the display 11 by connecting 05 to the image synthesizing device 104. As a result, the image recorded in the frame memory 101 is displayed on the display 11.

The RAM 107 stores a program to be executed when the CPU 108 receives a trigger signal. The transfer of the program to the RAM 107 is performed by the system controller in the same manner as the transfer of the image data to the frame memory by the program write command from the data bus to the RAM. Whether to accept the trigger signal is controlled by the state of the data stored in the data latch 109.

If the trigger signal is positive logic, and if the data latch 109 is negative, even if the trigger signal becomes positive, AN
Since the D circuit 110 continues to have the negative logic, the trigger signal is not transmitted to the CPU 108. When the data latch is positive, the positive signal is also transmitted to the CPU 108 when the trigger signal becomes positive. In this way, the CPU 108 uses the data latch 10
The trigger signal can be prohibited or permitted by 9.

When the images displayed on a plurality of display units are switched at the same time, the system controller 10 stores the image data in the two frame memories of the display unit for switching the images. Next, a program instructing to switch the image by trigger input is stored in the RAM of the display unit that switches the image, and then the information of positive logic is held in the data latch to enable the trigger input. Set. In the above state, the system controller 10 gives a trigger signal to all the display units, so that the display units requiring the screen switching switch the screens. Further, the display unit that does not require screen switching continues to display the previous screen without switching the screen. In this way, the system controller can simultaneously implement screen switching only for display units that require screen switching.

When the screens are switched, there is a method called crossfade or dissolve in which the two screens are gradually switched in time in addition to the two screens being switched instantaneously. 4 and 5 are examples of circuits for realizing the crossfade. FIG. 4 shows an example of a circuit that realizes crossfade by digital processing. In the figure,
The components 101 and 102 are frame memories, and output the stored image drawing data as digital data. 201 and 202 are multipliers, 203 is an adder, and 204 is a D / A converter. Components 201-2
Reference numeral 04 corresponds to the image synthesizing device 104. The multipliers 201 and 202 increase or decrease the image data by multiplying the image information read from the frame memories 101 and 102 by the data given from the CPU 108.

At the stage of starting the crossfade, the multiplier 201 multiplies the image data from the first frame memory 101 by 1, and the multiplier 202 multiplies the image data from the second frame memory 102. Multiply by 0. An adder 203 adds the data from the multipliers 201 and 202, and a D / A converter 204 converts the image signal into an analog signal which can be displayed on a display. When crossfading is performed, the image on the display is changed from the image in the first frame memory 101 by gradually decreasing the multiplication ratio in the multiplier 201 and increasing the multiplication ratio in the multiplier 202. The image in the second frame memory 102 changes continuously. Here, when the data of the three primary colors of RGB are separately stored in the frame memory, the image synthesizing device 10 for each of the RGB colors is stored.
4 circuits are required.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a circuit that realizes crossfade by analog processing. In the figure, the constituent elements 101 and 102 are frame memories and output the stored image data as digital data. Reference numerals 211 and 212 are D / A converters, 213 and 214 are attenuation circuits, and 215 is an analog addition circuit. Component 21
1 to 215 correspond to the image synthesizing device 104. The image data output from the frame memories 101 and 102 is converted into analog signals by the D / A converters 211 and 212. The attenuation circuits 213 and 214 are the CPU 10
Although it is composed of an operational amplifier whose gain can be controlled by 8, it controls the amplitude of the image signals output from the D / A converters 211 and 212. Attenuation circuit 213
The analog image signals output from the output signals 214 and 214 are added by the addition circuit 215 and displayed on the display.

At the stage of starting the crossfade, the attenuation circuit 213 does not attenuate the image data from the first frame memory 101, and the attenuation circuit 214 does not attenuate all the image signals from the second frame memory 102. Attenuate the signal. The adder circuit 215 is an attenuation circuit 213 and 214.
Because the information from is added and displayed on the display,
The image stored in the frame memory of is displayed. When crossfading is performed, the rate of attenuation in the attenuation circuit 213 is gradually increased, and at the same time the rate of attenuation in the attenuation circuit 214 is decreased, so that the image on the display is changed from the image in the first frame memory 101. The image of the second frame memory 102 changes continuously. Here, when the data of the three primary colors of RGB are separately stored in the frame memory, the image synthesizing device 1 for each color of RGB is used.
04 circuit is required.

By transferring the contents of the second frame memory to the first frame memory while displaying the contents of the first frame memory in FIGS. 4 and 5, an effect called wipe can be realized. .. In this case, it is possible to realize various pattern wipes by setting the pattern for transferring the image data.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, components having the same numbers as the component numbers in FIG. 1 have the same contents as in FIG. What is different from FIG. 1 is a trigger signal processing means. In this embodiment, the trigger signal is directly transmitted from the system controller 10 to each display unit. In the figure, the trigger signal line 50 is directly input to the CPU 108 inside the display unit 1. The trigger signal line 51 is input to the display unit 2, and the trigger signal lines 52 to 55 are also connected to other display units.
The system controller 10 can send the trigger signal only to the display unit whose display image is desired to be changed. In the above configuration, it is necessary to prepare as many trigger signal lines as there are display units, but there is an advantage that the data latch can be omitted in each display unit.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the operation flow of the multi-screen display device. Numbers 701 to 710 in the figure show the contents of the processing. Reference numeral 711 indicates a multi-screen state before screen switching, and 712 indicates a multi-screen state after screen switching. In the figure, the display units 1 to 4 each display the contents of the first frame memory as ABCD, and all or some of the display units are synchronized with each other by a trigger signal from the system controller. The sequence at the time of switching a display screen to screen A'B'C'D 'is shown.

In process 701, the system controller 10 sends a command to the display unit 1,
When the image data of A ′ is sent to the second frame memory inside the display unit and the trigger signal is further accepted, the display image is displayed from the first frame memory currently being displayed to the second frame memory.
A program for switching to the frame memory of is instantly or by crossfading is sent to the RAM, and then the trigger signal is set to be accepted. Further, the system controller 10 performs the same processing on the display units 2 to 4 in processing 702 to 704.

After the setting of the display units is completed, the system controller sends a trigger signal to each of the display units at the same time when the screen needs to be switched, as shown in process 705. Each display unit processes 706-70
The display is switched as shown in 9. Here, the display screen changes from the multi screen 711 to the multi screen 712. After the screen switching is completed, each display unit enters the state of waiting for the next command as shown in process 710.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an operation flow in each display unit. Numbers 801 to 806 in the figure
Indicates the processing content. In the initial state, the display unit waits for an instruction and waits for a trigger signal or various instructions from the system controller. In process 801, a trigger signal is detected. If a trigger signal is detected, process 80
In step 2, the preset trigger signal is processed. If no trigger signal is detected, the presence or absence of an instruction is checked in step 803. If no instruction comes, the process returns to step 801 to continue the loop. When an instruction arrives, the contents of the instruction are interpreted in a process 804, and if the instruction is a trigger process setting command, a trigger process is set in a process 805. Otherwise, execute the sent instruction.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, components 1 to 9 represent display units. 108 is CP
U, 109 are data latches, 110 is an AND circuit, 11
1 is a 5-input OR circuit, 901 is a trigger signal line to the display unit, 902 is a trigger signal line to the upper unit, 90
3 is a trigger signal line from the upper unit, 904 is a trigger signal line from the right unit, 905 is a trigger signal line to the right unit, 906 is a trigger signal line to the lower unit, and 907 is a lower unit. Trigger signal line, 908
Is a trigger signal line from the left unit, and 909 is a trigger signal line to the left unit.

Each display unit is arranged in 3 rows and 3 columns.
Image signals shall be sent to each display,
Since each unit has the same configuration, the central display unit 5 will be described. AND with data latch 109
Circuit 110 operates similarly to the embodiment of FIG. CPU
108 is capable of sending a trigger signal to a display unit connected to a display arranged on the upper, lower, left and right sides of the display displayed by the display unit, if necessary. Trigger signal lines 902, 906, 909, and 905 are used to transmit trigger signals to the upper, lower, left, and right display units. Trigger signal lines 903, 907, 908, and 904 input trigger signals from the upper, lower, left, and right units. The input trigger signal is OR
Since the signal is ORed by the circuit 111 and is input to the CPU 108, the CPU 108 will accept the trigger signal regardless of which of the display units on the top, bottom, left and right generates the trigger signal. It is necessary for the system controller 10 to set the conditions for each display unit to generate a trigger signal and the processing when the trigger signal is received.

With these trigger signals, for example, when the upper display unit cross-fades and is finished, the lower display unit has the effect of switching the screen, and when the upper screen wipe is completed, It is possible for the unit to perform a similar wipe and the like.

[0037]

Since the system controller for controlling the display units can simultaneously apply the trigger signal to the arbitrary plural display units, the plural specified display units can be simultaneously made to perform the designated operation. You can Therefore, effective trick play display can be performed as the entire multi-screen display device.

Further, each display unit can also perform high-speed switching of screens and special effect reproduction such as wipe and fade by synthesizing image signals reproduced from a plurality of frame memories inside the display unit.

Further, the specific display unit transmits a trigger signal to the display unit in contact with the display unit to display the screen in synchronization with the display units in which the units are adjacent to each other, thereby displaying a multi-screen. It is possible to enable special playback such as effective wipe and fade as the entire display device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a multi-screen having a four-sided configuration.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a multi-screen having a six-sided configuration.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a screen synthesis device.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a screen synthesis device.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence of the multi-screen display device.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation sequence of the display unit.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 to 9 ... Display unit, 10 ... System controller,
11 to 16 ... Display, 20 ... Video signal reproducing device, 30 ... Data bus, 40 ... Address bus, 50-5
5 ... Trigger signal line, 101 ... First frame memory, 1
02 ... second frame memory, 103 ... switch, 10
4 ... Image synthesizing device, 105 ... Switching device, 106 ... RO
M, 107 ... RAM, 108 ... CPU, 109 ... Data latch, 110 ... AND circuit, 111 ... ID storage device,
112 ... Comparator, 201-202 ... Multiplier, 203 ... Adder, 204 ... D / A converter, 211-212 ... D / A
Converters, 213-214 ... Attenuation circuit, 215 ... Addition circuit, 701-710 ... Processing, 711-712 ... Multi-screen, 801-806 ... Processing, 901-909 ... Trigger signal line, 911 ... OR circuit.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image display device for displaying images simultaneously on a plurality of displays by arranging a plurality of display units each having a frame memory and means for converting image information stored in the frame memory into an image signal. A multi-screen display device, comprising: a system controller for controlling the control unit, means for simultaneously transmitting a trigger signal from the system controller to each display unit, and means for inhibiting a trigger signal for an arbitrary display unit. 2. Arranging a plurality of display units each having a plurality of frame memories, a unit for converting image information stored in the frame memories into an image signal, and a unit for synthesizing image signals reproduced from the plurality of frame memories. In an image display device that simultaneously displays images on a plurality of displays, a system controller that controls the display unit, a means for simultaneously transmitting a trigger signal from the system controller to each display unit, and a trigger signal for an arbitrary display unit are prohibited. A multi-screen display device comprising a means. 3. An image display device for displaying images on a plurality of displays at the same time by arranging a plurality of display units each having a frame memory and a means for converting image information stored in the frame memory into an image signal. 2. The display unit according to claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting a trigger signal to a display unit in contact with the display unit, and means for processing a trigger signal from the display unit in contact with the display unit. Item 2. A multi-screen display device according to item 2.