JP2010091845A - Image display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display a composite picture of one pc screen or a plurality of PC screens by simultaneously connecting with the plurality of PCs and selecting connected pc screens, in an image display device which can network-connect with PCs or the like. <P>SOLUTION: Image data of PC 91 to 93 connected through a network 15 by a data transmitting and receiving part 4 transmitting or receiving data through a network 15 are received, image data of a composite picture is made by a CPU 5 and one out of image data of PC 91 to 93 or any one of image data of the composite picture is selected and is written in a frame buffer for output. A display device 7 displays the image data written in the frame buffer 6 as an output pcture. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image display device that receives and displays image data from a personal computer or the like, and more particularly to a projector used in a conference or the like.

  When a presentation is performed while a display screen displayed on a monitor of a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) is displayed on an image display device such as a projector, conventionally, RGB analog signals from a PC monitor are connected with a cable. It is common to output to an image display device. For this reason, the image display device and the PC have to be arranged close to each other. Further, since the image display apparatus and the PC are connected one-to-one, it is necessary to change the cable when using a different PC.

  However, in recent years, with the spread of computer networks such as Ethernet (registered trademark of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.), methods for transmitting and displaying presentation data and the like via the network have come to be used. As a result, a network connection cable is still necessary, but it is not necessary to change the cable every time a different PC is used.

  A method of using software for image data from a PC to an image display device via a network has also been devised. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for sending image processing target data for defining a display screen of a PC to an image display device using a method called VNC (Virtual Network Computing) based on bitmap transmission. Yes.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-284195 (page 3, FIG. 3)

  Conventionally, when image data from a PC connected via a network is displayed on a projector screen of an image display device and a presentation is performed, only one screen of one PC can be displayed on the projector screen at the same time. Met.

  However, in recent years, many conference participants have brought their own PCs. For the purpose of comparing data of one participant with the data of other participants, only one screen of one PC can be used. However, there has been a growing demand to display a plurality of PC screens simultaneously on the projector screen.

  The present invention has been made to satisfy the above-described demands. A composite screen obtained by combining a plurality of PC screens is constructed, and a display screen is transmitted from a plurality of PCs connected via a network. An object of the present invention is to provide an image display device that can be selected from any one of the above and a composite screen.

  In the image display device according to the present invention, image data of each display screen is received from a plurality of PCs connected via a network, a composite screen is constructed from the image data, and any one of the display screens of each PC and the composite Enabled to switch in the screen.

  In the image display device according to the present invention, display screens sent from a plurality of PCs can be combined to display a plurality of PC screens on one screen at the same time, and the display screen is one of the display screens of each PC. And can be switched in the composite screen.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an image display system including an image display device 10 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image display apparatus 10 is connected to PCs 91 to 93 and PC 8 via a network 15 such as a wireless LAN. The PCs 91 to 93 are display devices to be displayed on the image display device 10, and the PC 8 is a control external device that remotely operates the image display device 10 via the network 15.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image display device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a virtual frame buffer 2 in which image data of a composite screen is written, a data transmission / reception unit 4 that transmits or receives data via a network 15, The image forming means, the display image switching means, a CPU 5 serving as means for performing various other controls, an output frame buffer 6, and a display device 7 for displaying an image. The display device 7 is, for example, a projection device or a monitor that projects an image on a screen, and displays the image data written in the output frame buffer 6 as an output screen.

Hereinafter, the operation of the image display system in the first embodiment will be described. In this image display system, by operating the PC 8, an image to be output by the display device 7 can be selected from any one of the display screens sent from the PCs 91 to 93 and the composite screen.

First, a case will be described in which one piece of image data on any PC screen is selected from the image data sent from the PCs 91 to 93 and displayed. In this case, first, the PC 8 capable of remotely operating the image display device 10 is operated, and a request signal for displaying image data of any PC screen on the display device 7 is transmitted to the image display device 10 via the network 15. To do. The data transmission / reception unit 4 that has received the request signal outputs the received request signal to the CPU 5. Upon receiving the request signal, the CPU 5 controls the data transmission / reception unit 4 and sends a signal requesting image data on the display screen to any of the PCs 91 to 93 via the network 15. The PC that has received the request among the PCs 91 to 93 encodes and transmits the image data of the display screen into a data format suitable for network transmission, and this data is received by the data transmission / reception unit 4 via the network 15, and the CPU 5 Are decoded into the original data format which can be written to the frame buffer.

The CPU 5 that has decoded the image data writes the decoded image data into the output frame buffer 6. The image data written in the output frame buffer 6 is output to the display device 7 and displayed.

Next, a case where a composite screen is selected will be described. In this case, first, the PC 8 is operated, and a request signal for requesting display of the composite screen on the display device 7 is transmitted to the image display apparatus 10 via the network 15. The data transmission / reception unit 4 that has received the request signal outputs the received request signal to the CPU 5. The CPU 5 controls the data transmission / reception unit 4 based on the request signal. The data transmission / reception unit 4 sends a signal requesting image data of the display screen to all of the PCs 91 to 93 via the network 15 based on the control by the CPU 5. The PCs 91 to 93 that have received the signal encode the image data of each display screen into a data format suitable for network transmission and transmit it. These data are received by the data transmission / reception unit 4 via the network 15 and decoded by the CPU 5 into the original data format which can be written to the frame buffer.

Next, based on the decoded data, the CPU 5 creates image data of the composite screen, and the image data is written into the virtual frame buffer 2. The composite screen image data written in the virtual frame buffer 2 is read by the CPU 5, sent to the output frame buffer 6, and displayed on the display device 7.

As described above, the image output to the display device 7 can be selected by the PC 8 from any one of the images sent from the PCs 91 to 93 and the composite screen.

  Next, software implemented to realize the functions described so far will be described. The function of the PC 91 to 93 encoding and transmitting the image data of the display screen and decoding it by the CPU 5 of the image display device 10 is called VNC (Virtual Network Computing) described in detail in Patent Document 1, for example. This can be realized by using software for remotely operating a PC with another PC. This software is divided into VNC server software and VNC viewer software. The VNC server software is activated on the remotely operated PC, and the VNC viewer software is activated on the remotely operated PC. In VNC, image data, which is the bitmap data of the graphics screen displayed on the PC running the VNC server software, is called Remote Frame Buffer (RFB) on the PC running the VNC viewer software via the network. It can be transmitted by protocol and displayed on the screen of the PC running the VNC viewer software. It should be noted that when the keyboard or mouse of the PC running the VNC viewer software is operated, the operation signal can be sent to the PC running the VNC server software via the network. As a result, it is possible to remotely control the machine on which the VNC server software is activated on the PC on which the VNC viewer software is activated, and it is possible to operate applications on the PC on which the VNC server software is activated.

  FIG. 2 is a relationship diagram illustrating a correspondence relationship between software activated on the PCs 91 to 93 and the control PC 8 and software activated on the CPU 5 of the image display system 10 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment, each of the PCs 91 to 93 activates VNC server software A to C for sending image data, and the CPU 5 on the image display apparatus 10 side uses the VNC server software A to C. VNC viewer software A to C corresponding to each of C is started. As a result, the image data of the display screens of the PCs 91 to 93 is encoded, sent to the image display device 10 via the network 15, and can be decoded by the CPU 5.

On the other hand, the CPU 5 also performs video composition processing, and the image data sent from the PCs 91 to 93 is synthesized and written into the virtual frame buffer 2. This video composition processing can be realized by using the aforementioned VNC and graphics display software called “X Window System”. The “X Window System” is composed of X server software and X client software. The X server software displays a plurality of screens (X window screens) on the machine to be started and accepts keyboard / mouse operation inputs. On the other hand, the X client software generates graphics data such as a user interface to be displayed on the screen of the X server software. Communication is established between the X client and the X server by a method called an X protocol. The X client software and the X server software may be activated on the same machine, or may be separated into different machines. In the image display device 10 according to the first embodiment, both the X client software and the X server software are activated on the CPU 5. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, three VNC viewer software corresponding to each of the VNC server software running on the PCs 91 to 93 are started simultaneously as X window screens, so that three PC screens become one screen. A composite screen to be displayed above can be constructed. If only two are activated, a composite screen of two PC screens can be constructed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a composite screen created on the CPU 5 of the image display device 10 according to the first embodiment. Here, the letters A, B, and C are displayed on the screens of the PCs 91 to 93, and these screens are displayed on the same screen by the three X window screens 101 to 103, and the composite screen 100 is constructed. Has been. The image data of the composite screen 100 constructed in this way is written into the virtual frame buffer 2.

In order to control the composite screen constructed in the CPU 5 on the PC 8, the VNC server software D is activated on the CPU 5 and the VNC viewer software D is activated on the PC 8, as shown in FIG. As a result, the CPU 5 reads the composite screen written on the virtual frame buffer 2, encodes the image data of the composite screen, sends it to the PC 8 via the data transmission / reception unit 4 and the network 15, and the PC 8 receives the received image data. It can be decrypted and displayed on the screen. As mentioned above, since VNC can use the mouse and keyboard of the PC running the corresponding VNC viewer software as a mouse and keyboard for operating applications on the machine running the VNC server software, it is built with CPU5. The X window screen can be controlled from the PC 8.

  As for the network portion, by mounting a wireless LAN adapter as the data transmission / reception unit 4 and having a wireless LAN access point function, wireless network connection with a plurality of PCs can be simultaneously established, and a cable is not necessary. The degree of freedom of arrangement of the image display device is increased. Of course, a network may be constructed using a cable.

Further, the image display device 10 connects each PC to the network 15 through one network interface and takes in image data from each PC. However, the image display device 10 is connected to each PC independently. Also good.

  In the first embodiment, most of the functions are constructed by software. However, when the number of connected PCs increases or the CPU performance is not sufficient, the functions are constructed by hardware having similar functions. Also good.

  As described above, according to the image display device in the first embodiment, display screens sent from a plurality of PCs can be combined, and the screen to be displayed is one of the display screens of each PC and the combined screen. You can switch at home.

In addition, since the request signal is received from the PC 8 and the image data transmitted from the display device can be output as it is or the composite image data is output based on the request signal, the PC 8 can switch over the display device 7. You can switch screens.

In addition, the X window screen can be controlled by operating the keyboard and mouse of the PC 8, a composite screen is constructed on the virtual frame buffer 2, the image data of the composite screen is sent to the PC 8, and displayed on the monitor of the PC 8 Since it is configured to be able to do so, the composite screen can be edited while viewing the monitor of the PC 8 without displaying the composite screen on the display device 7 of the image display device 10. This eliminates the need to display an unfinished composite screen being edited on the display device 7.

Also, by providing a wireless LAN access point function, a wireless network connection with a plurality of PCs can be established at the same time, a cable is not necessary, and the degree of freedom in arranging the PC and the image display device is increased.

In addition, since a plurality of PC screens are combined on the dedicated virtual frame buffer 2 and the virtual frame buffer 2 is provided integrally with the CPU 5, the processing speed is increased compared to the case of directly combining on the output frame buffer 6. There is a possibility.

In addition, since the connection between the PC and the image display apparatus 10 is enabled by the wireless LAN, the image display apparatus and the PC can be freely arranged as long as the network connection is possible, and a cable is not necessary.

It is a block diagram which shows the image display system in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a relationship diagram which shows the relationship of the software activated in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the synthetic | combination screen produced in Embodiment 1 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  2 virtual frame buffer, 4 data transmission / reception unit, 5 CPU, 6 output frame buffer, 7 display device, 8 PC, 10 image display device, 15 network, 91 PC, 92 PC, 93 PC, 100 composite screen

Claims (4)

Data receiving means for receiving a request signal for requesting display of a predetermined image from a plurality of display devices from a plurality of display devices via a network;
Image synthesizing means for synthesizing image data from a plurality of display devices received by the data receiving means to create synthesized image data;
Display image switching means for outputting either one of the image data sent from a plurality of display devices or the composite image data based on the request signal received by the data receiving means;
An image display device comprising: a display device that displays image data output from the display image switching means.   The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the data receiving means is constituted by a wireless LAN access point. Data receiving means for receiving a request signal for requesting display of a predetermined image and operation input data from an external device from a plurality of display devices via a network;
Based on the operation input data received by the data receiving means, image composition means for composing image data from the plurality of display devices to create composite image data;
A virtual frame buffer for storing composite image data created by the image composition means;
Data transmission means for transmitting the composite image data stored in the virtual frame buffer to the external device via a network;
Display image switching means for outputting either one of the image data sent from the plurality of display devices or composite image data based on the request signal received by the data receiving means;
An image display device comprising: a display device that displays image data output from the display image switching means.   The image display device according to claim 3, wherein the data receiving unit and the data transmitting unit are configured by a wireless LAN access point.

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