KR102672698B1 - Cascading video wall system for failure response, and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cascading video wall system and a method of operating the same. The cascading video wall system according to the present invention includes a plurality of sub-display modules, each of which includes a plurality of display devices; a plurality of wall servers that receive image source data from one or more image source devices and control display of the image source data through one sub-display module among the plurality of sub-display modules; a switch unit that switches the connection relationship between each wall server and each sub-display module; And when a failure occurs in the first wall server, which is one of the plurality of wall servers, the first sub-display module connected to the first wall server is connected to a second wall server in which the failure did not occur among the plurality of wall servers. It includes a controller that controls the switch unit and controls the second wall server to replace the role of the first wall server before the failure occurred.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a failure response system that can respond quickly and flexibly even if any of the plurality of wall servers in the control room fails, and that can be implemented at an economical cost.

Description

Cascading video wall system for failure response and operating method thereof {CASCADING VIDEO WALL SYSTEM FOR FAILURE RESPONSE, AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a video wall system and a method of operating the same, and more specifically, to a cascading video wall system and its operation that provide a response function to failures occurring when operating a cascading system in which a plurality of wall systems are connected. It's about how it works.

Video wall systems are applied in situation rooms such as situation rooms, control centers, and airports. At this time, when it is difficult to operate as a single wall system because there are many input sources that need to be displayed in the situation room or because video display through a large screen is required, a cascading wall system is applied that integrates multiple individual systems and operates like a single system. I'm doing it.

In places where 24-hour continuous monitoring is required, a system failure can cause serious problems, so a backup system is often installed to prepare for failure. However, as described above, a cascading system in which multiple systems are integrated requires a lot of system components, so it costs a lot to build and operate a backup system, making it difficult to actually duplicate the system. For this reason, in the case of a cascading wall system, the reality is that immediate response to failures cannot be achieved, such as some displays waiting in a black screen state until the failure is restored.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a failure response system that can respond quickly and flexibly to failures that occur during the operation of the cascading wall system, and at the same time, can be implemented at a relatively economical cost.

Korean Patent No. 10-0839953 (June 13, 2008)

The present invention was created to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and is a cascading video system that can provide a quick and flexible response to failures that occur during the operation of a cascading wall system and can be implemented at an economical cost. The purpose is to provide a wall system and its operation method.

The above object is to provide a cascading video wall system according to an aspect of the present invention, comprising: a plurality of sub-display modules each including a plurality of display devices; a plurality of wall servers that receive image source data from one or more image source devices and control display of the image source data through one sub-display module among the plurality of sub-display modules; a switch unit that switches the connection relationship between each wall server and each sub-display module; And when a failure occurs in the first wall server, which is one of the plurality of wall servers, the first sub-display module connected to the first wall server is connected to a second wall server in which the failure did not occur among the plurality of wall servers. This can be achieved by a cascading video wall system that includes a controller that controls the switch unit and controls the second wall server to replace the role of the first wall server before the failure occurred.

Here, each wall server sends system operation information, including information about video source data displayed through the video wall system and configuration information of wall screens provided through the plurality of sub-display modules, to other wall servers and the It may include a synchronization unit that synchronizes with the controller and monitors operation status information of the other wall servers.

Meanwhile, the second wall server, based on the information synchronized through the synchronization unit and the monitored operation status information, transfers the video source data that the first wall server controlled to display before the failure occurred to the first sub. It can be controlled to be displayed through the display module.

In addition, the second wall server is a spare wall server that prepares in case a failure occurs in the plurality of wall servers of the video wall system, and operates the sub-display module before a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of wall servers. The display of video source data may not be performed.

Meanwhile, the controller controls the first wall server, which has been restored after the failure has been resolved, to operate as a spare wall server in case a failure occurs in another wall server, or displays video source data among the plurality of sub-display modules. This can be controlled to display video source data through the sub-display module that is not being implemented.

In addition, the controller stores priority information for the plurality of sub-display modules, and at the time of occurrence of the failure, all of the plurality of wall servers perform control for displaying the image source data through the sub-display module. If so, the second wall server that will replace the role of the first wall server among the plurality of wall servers can be determined based on the priority information.

In addition, when the image source data cannot be displayed through at least one sub-display module among the plurality of sub-display modules due to a failure of the wall server, the controller controls the wall displayed on the plurality of sub-display modules. You can adjust the layout of the screen composition.

To this end, the controller may adjust the size of the layout based on screen ratio information of some sub-display modules capable of displaying the image source data among the plurality of sub-display modules.

Alternatively, the controller may select some of the plurality of image source data and change the layout by reflecting the selected portion of image source data.

Meanwhile, at least one of the plurality of wall servers corresponds to a spare wall server in case a failure occurs in the plurality of wall servers of the video wall system, and the spare wall server is the first wall server in which the failure occurs. Basically, a buffering process is performed to store video source data received from the video source device in a buffer before a control signal for server replacement is received from the controller, and the video source data is stored in response to reception of the control signal. A process for decoding and rendering may be initiated.

In addition, the above-described object is to provide a method of operating a cascading video wall system according to another aspect of the present invention, wherein a controller includes a plurality of sub-display modules, each of which includes a plurality of display devices, and the plurality of sub-display modules. Registering information about a plurality of wall servers that control the display of image source data through one sub-display module among the display modules; detecting, by the controller, whether a failure occurs in a first wall server, which is one of the plurality of wall servers; transmitting, by the controller, a control signal to the second wall server so that a second wall server in which no failure occurs among the plurality of wall servers replaces the role of the first wall server before the failure occurs; And the controller provides a control signal for controlling a switch unit that switches the connection relationship between each wall server and each sub-display module so that the first sub-display module connected to the first wall server is connected to the second wall server. It can also be achieved by a method of operating a cascading video wall system, which includes the step of transmitting to the switch unit.

As described above, according to the present invention, when a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of wall servers in the control room, the connection relationship between the wall server and the sub-display module is switched through the switch unit, so that the normal wall server changes the position of the server in which the failure occurred. By enabling rapid replacement, it is possible to provide an immediate and flexible response to failures that occur during the operation of the cascading system, while also providing a failure response system that can be implemented at an economical cost.

In addition, according to the present invention, by applying a failure response scenario based on position priorities between displays, a failure occurs in which there is no spare wall server in the spare position or the number of failed wall servers exceeds the number of spare wall servers. You can respond flexibly to any situation.

Additionally, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively respond to a black screen situation by adaptively adjusting the layout according to the situation in which a failure occurs, such as reducing the size of the wall screen layout or selecting some video source data.

In addition, according to the present invention, the normal wall server can quickly link the position of the failed wall server based on information and monitoring information synchronized through the synchronization unit.

In addition, according to the present invention, by having the spare wall server perform the buffering process of storing video source data in the buffer in the background, it is possible to minimize the delay from the position change of the wall server for failure response to video display, making it seamless ( Seamless linked operation is possible.

In addition, the present invention can be applied not only to a single situation room but also to the operation of multiple situation rooms, and can be applied to various applications to which the cascading wall system is applied.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a cascading video wall system according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a reference diagram for explaining the process of monitoring the operating status of a wall server according to an embodiment of the present invention in a multi-situation room situation;
Figure 3 is a reference diagram for explaining a first example of a layout adjustment method by a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention in response to a failure situation of a wall server;
Figure 4 is a reference diagram for explaining a second example of a layout adjustment method by a controller according to an embodiment of the present invention in response to a failure situation of a wall server;
Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a method of operating a cascading video wall system according to a first embodiment of the present invention in response to the occurrence of a failure;
FIG. 6 is a reference diagram for explaining the operation method of the cascading video wall system according to FIG. 5;
Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a process in which a wall server in a spare position processes video source data according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 8 is a flowchart showing a method of operating a cascading video wall system according to a second embodiment of the present invention in response to the occurrence of a failure; and
FIG. 9 is a reference diagram for explaining the operation method of the cascading video wall system according to FIG. 8.

Hereinafter, an embodiment disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, identical or similar components will be assigned the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes “module” and “part” for components used in the following description are given or used interchangeably only for the ease of preparing the specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves. Additionally, when describing an embodiment disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of an embodiment disclosed in this specification, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only for easy understanding of an embodiment disclosed in the present specification, and the technical idea disclosed in the present specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and all aspects included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention are not limited. It should be understood to include modifications, equivalents or substitutes.

Terms containing ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In this application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but are not intended to indicate the presence of one or more other features. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the possibility of the existence or addition of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a cascading video wall system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the cascading video cascading system 1 (hereinafter referred to as 'cascading system') according to an embodiment of the present invention is a wall system in which a plurality of individual wall systems are integrated and operated as a single system. The system includes a plurality of sub-display modules 100, a plurality of wall servers 200, a switch unit 300, and a controller 400. The above cascading system (1) can form one situation room.

The sub-display module 100 is a subset of the overall display module of the cascading system 1, and each includes one or more individual display devices 111, and is displayed through a plurality of sub-display modules 100. The entire wall screen of the situation room is displayed.

The plurality of sub-display modules 100 may display one video source data on the entire wall screen according to a preset layout, and each sub-display module 100 and/or display device 111 may display different video sources. Data can be displayed. In this way, the plurality of sub-display modules 100 display images according to the layout of the screen composition and arrangement set as a whole for the cascading system 1, that is, according to the preset and template. For reference, a preset is a preset display format for displaying video source data on the wall screen of the situation room, including the name of the input video source displayed on the screen, the display location of each video source data, the displayed size, audio status, and display order. Includes information on etc. Additionally, the template is division information for the wall screen of the situation room and may be defined as the number of screen divisions of the sub-display module 100 to the individual display device 111. For example, screen division information for each individual display 111 and/or sub-display module 100 may be displayed, such as 4-split screen, 8-split screen, etc.

The plurality of wall servers 200 each receive video source data from one or more video source devices 500, and display video source data through one sub-display module 100 that it is in charge of among the plurality of sub-display modules 100. Control the display of data individually. For reference, the video source device 500 is a device that generates and/or transmits video source data displayed through the sub-display module 100, for example, CCTV, IP camera, DVR (Digital Video Recorder), NVR (Network Various types of devices such as video recorders, streaming servers, etc. may be included. The wall server 200 may receive video data from one or more video source devices 500 through communication protocols such as Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) and Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF).

Each wall server 200 includes a resource control unit 210 and a synchronization unit 220.

The resource control unit 210 controls the display of various objects, such as images and texts, of the sub-display module 100 through a display interface (not shown) such as HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). The resource control unit 210 processes video source data received from the video source device 500 according to system operation information such as templates and preset information received from the controller 400 and is connected to itself via the switch unit 300. It is displayed on the sub display module 100.

Since the cascading system 1 is a system that integrates several individual wall systems, information sharing between each component is necessary to ensure that the multiple individual systems operate smoothly as a single system. Accordingly, the synchronization unit 220 is a module for synchronizing information by sharing various system operation information necessary for operating the cascading system 1 with other wall servers 200 and the controller 400. Here, synchronization can be achieved by automatically transmitting and updating the data of a specific configuration to another configuration when the data of a specific configuration is changed to ensure that the information of each configuration matches.

Information synchronized through the synchronization unit 220 includes, for example, information about the video source expressed through the cascading system 1 (e.g., name of the input video source, camera address, login information, etc.), a plurality of sub Through the screen layout information such as templates and presets displayed on the display module 100, the unique state settings of the situation room to which the cascading system 1 is applied, the on/off status of the situation room, and the sub display module 100. Information on the current status of the situation room wall screen on which various video source data is displayed, information on the plurality of wall servers 200 that make up the situation room, etc. may be included. For reference, information about the plurality of wall servers 200 includes the identification information of each wall server 200, the role (position) currently played by each wall server 200 within the cascading system 1, and each wall server 200. It may be information on the sub-display module 100 connected to the wall server 200, etc.

For reference, the position refers to the role played by each wall server 200 within the cascading system 1, and the sub display module 100 in which the wall server 200 is currently in charge of display control It is decided according to For example, the position may be determined based on predetermined criteria, such as the location and priority of the sub-display module 100. According to this, it can be seen that the position is information that changes depending on the connection relationship between the wall server 200 and the sub-display module 100. Meanwhile, if the wall server 200 is not currently displaying images through any sub-display module 100, it may be classified as a spare position. The spare position is prepared in case a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of wall servers 200. The wall server 200 having the spare position is connected to a specific sub display module 100 and displays the current video source data. It is distinguished from the current wall server (200).

Additionally, the synchronization unit 220 monitors the operation status information of other wall servers 200. Here, the operating status information includes the on/off status of each wall server 200, information about whether video source data is currently being displayed by each wall server 200, and what video source data is being displayed, and each wall server (200) 200) may include information on the position currently in charge.

The synchronization unit 220 is connected to the controller 400 and other wall servers 200 through a wired or wireless network, and can synchronize various information and monitor operating states. The controller 400 and the plurality of wall servers 200 periodically or aperiodically perform information synchronization and monitoring to share the latest status information and the latest information of the other wall servers 200 and the controller 400. The synchronization unit 220 determines whether its currently held information is the latest information based on the time stamp or index of the data received from the controller 400 and other wall servers 200, and if the held information is not the latest information, Performs an update process with received data. Information synchronized and monitored through the synchronization unit 220 can be used to take immediate response when a failure occurs in a specific wall server 200, as will be described later.

Meanwhile, when multiple situation rooms are being operated, at least one wall server 200 may be shared with other situation rooms, and in this case, monitoring by the synchronization unit 220 is performed based on each situation room. This will be explained with reference to FIG. 2.

Figure 2 is a reference diagram for explaining the operation status monitoring process by the synchronization unit 220 according to an embodiment of the present invention in a multi-situation room situation, an example of a multi-situation room in which two situation rooms are operated as a first situation room and a second situation room. shows.

Referring to FIG. 2, a cascading wall system is applied in the first situation room, and a single wall system is operated in the second situation room. At this time, the fourth wall server 200d is shared between the first situation room and the second situation room, and its position is operated differently depending on the situation room. That is, from the perspective of situation room 2, it is connected to the fourth sub-display module (110d) and plays the role of the main position displaying images, but from the perspective of situation room 1, any sub-display module (100a) in situation room 1 is currently in charge. It can be seen that it is not connected to -100c) and is in charge of a reserve position.

In this way, the wall server 200 may have different server positions for each situation room, and at this time, the wall server 200 in each situation room monitors the operating status based on the corresponding situation room. For example, the first to third wall servers 200a-200c and the first controller 400a in the first situation room of FIG. 2 recognize the position of the fourth wall server 200d as a preliminary position, while the first 2 Another wall server (if present) and the second controller 400b in the situation room recognize the position of the fourth wall server 200d as the main position according to the fourth sub display module 110d.

Next, referring to FIG. 1 again, the switch unit 300 is configured to switch the one-to-one connection relationship between each wall server 200 and each sub-display module 100, and the wall server 200 and the sub-display module 100 (100) It is configured to include at least one switch that mediates the connection between the two. The switch unit 300 switches the connection between the wall server 200 and the sub-display module 100 by performing a switching operation under the control of the controller 400, as will be described later. Accordingly, the position of the wall server 200 within the cascading system 1 may be changed.

The controller 400 registers information about a plurality of sub-display modules 100, a plurality of wall servers 200, and video sources input to the system 1 and lists them. It manages and controls the overall image display process through the cascading system 1, including wall screen composition and arrangement, and includes a control unit 410 and a synchronization unit 420. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 1, the controller 400 controls user input devices such as a mouse and keyboard to receive various user inputs from the system administrator, user interfaces such as displays, and communication for controlling the wall server 200, etc. It may further include a communication interface that provides functions.

The control unit 410 can operate according to standards set by the user or preset, and transmits layout information for screen composition and arrangement, such as set templates and presets, to a plurality of wall servers 200, and operates a cascading system ( 1) Controls the entire display process of the situation room wall screen. Additionally, the control unit 410 controls the switch unit 300 in response to failure of at least one wall server 200, thereby switching the connection relationship between the wall server 200 and the sub-display module 100.

The synchronization unit 420 communicates with the wall server 200 to monitor status information of the plurality of wall servers 200 and shares various information regarding the operation of the cascading system 1 with the plurality of wall servers 200. This performs information synchronization. At this time, the synchronized information and status information are the same as those described in the synchronization unit 220 of the wall server 200. The controller 400 can determine whether the synchronization unit 220 of each wall server 200 is abnormal through this synchronization and monitoring process.

The control unit 410 can detect whether a failure has occurred through the results of monitoring the operating state of the wall server 200 through the synchronization unit 420, and the wall server 200 in which a failure has occurred can be positioned as a reserve in a reserve position. It is processed so that it can be replaced by another normal wall server (200), including the wall server (200).

That is, when a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of wall servers 200 that were displaying images through a specific sub-display module 100, the control unit 410 causes a failure in another normal wall server 200 provided in the situation room. A control signal is transmitted to the normal wall server 200 to replace the role of the faulty wall server 200, and the sub-display module 100 connected to the faulty wall server 200 is connected to the normal wall server 200. The switching operation of the switch unit 300 is controlled to ensure connection.

At this time, the control unit 410 stores priority information between the plurality of sub-display modules 100 and determines whether to replace the failed wall server 200 and a specific wall server 200 to replace based on the priority information. You can. For example, when the priority of the sub-display module 100 connected to the faulty wall server 200 is lowest and there is no wall server 200 in a spare position, the controller 400 moves to another wall server 200. You can decide not to replace it. On the other hand, if there is a sub-display module 100 with a relatively lower priority than the sub-display module 100 connected to the fault wall server 200, the normal wall connected to the sub-display module 100 with the lowest priority exists. The server 200 may switch to replace the position of the failed wall server 200. In this priority-based failure response scenario, the spare wall server 200 in the spare position does not exist, or even if the spare wall server 200 exists, the number of failed wall servers 200 is equal to the spare wall server 200. It can be useful in situations where the number of .

Meanwhile, even though at least one wall server 200 has failed, it is difficult to replace it with another normal wall server 200 due to reasons such as no more available spare wall servers 200 or low priority. , If the existing layout is maintained, it is inevitable that the display of some video source data will be omitted. Accordingly, the control unit 410 can effectively respond to a situation where some video source data is not displayed due to a failure by adjusting the layout, that is, a preset or template, regarding the composition and division of the wall screen.

Figures 3 and 4 are reference diagrams for explaining an example of layout adjustment by the controller 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention in response to a failure situation of the wall server 200.

As an example of layout adjustment, the controller 400 may adjust the size of the layout based on screen ratio information of some sub-display modules 100 that can display image source data among the plurality of sub-display modules 100.

This will be explained with reference to FIG. 3. 3 shows a situation in which first to third image source data received through a plurality of image source devices 500 are displayed through the first to third sub-display modules 100a-100c, as shown in (a), An example of layout adjustment of the controller 400 is shown when a failure occurs in the second wall server 200b, which is in charge of the position of the second sub-display module 100b with the second priority.

In response to the occurrence of a failure of the second wall server (200b), the controller 400 changes the position of the third wall server (200c) connected to the third sub-display module (100c) with the lowest priority to the existing second wall server ( Control to switch to the position 200b). Accordingly, as shown in (b) of FIG. 3, the connection relationship is switched through the switch unit 300 and the third wall server 200c is connected to the second sub-display module 100b.

According to this, since it is no longer possible to display images through the third sub-display module 100c, the controller 400 displays the first to third images through the remaining sub-display modules 100a and 100b that are capable of displaying images. To enable source data to be displayed, the size of the layout may be reduced based on screen ratio information of the first and second sub-display modules 100a and 100b. According to this, the overall image size is slightly reduced, but all video source data can be displayed as before the failure occurred.

Next, looking at another example, the controller 400 may select some of the plurality of image source data displayed through the plurality of sub-display modules 100 and change the layout by reflecting the selected portion of the image source data. . To this end, the controller 400 provides priority information (importance information) regarding a plurality of image source data displayed through a plurality of sub-display modules 100a-100c or the image source device 500 that provides the corresponding image source data. You can save and select some of the plurality of video source data based on the above information.

This will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. 4 shows the expression of first to eighth image source data 501-508 received through a plurality of image source devices 500 through first to third sub-display modules 100a-100c, as shown in (a). In this situation, if a failure occurs in the second wall server (200b), which is in charge of the position of the second sub-display module (100b) with the second priority, an example of changing the layout by selecting some source data is given. It shows.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 4, as described in FIG. 3, the controller 400 sets the position of the third wall server 200c connected to the third sub-display module 100c with the lowest priority. 2 Control is performed to switch to the position of the wall server 200b. In addition, the controller 400 selects some of the image source data 501, 502-504, among the first to eighth image source data 501-508 based on priority information between image sources that is pre-stored or set by the user. 506, 507) can be selected, and the layout can be changed so that some of the selected image source data 501, 502-504, 506, and 507 are displayed through the first and second sub-display modules 100a and 100b.

Meanwhile, as described above, when image display through some sub-display modules 100 is not possible, the controller 400 may maintain the current layout before the failure occurs without adjusting the layout. For example, if some video source data is not displayed but does not significantly affect the situation room monitoring process, or if the video size is reduced too much when the layout is reduced and it is difficult to identify it, the currently set layout can be applied as is.

In this way, the controller 400 stores layout change standards according to each video source data of the situation room and the number of available sub-display modules 100, and determines whether to adjust the layout based on this, thereby automatically adjusting the layout. Alternatively, it can be adjusted by applying the layout selected through user input.

When detecting a failure of at least one wall server 200, the controller 400 automatically performs processing to replace the failed wall server 200 with a normal wall server 200 as described above. In addition to the failure response mode, it is possible to provide both a manual failure response mode that notifies the user of the occurrence of a failure and performs processing to replace it with a normal wall server 200 according to the user's selection. Depending on which of the two modes is set by the user, automatic or manual failure response functions may be optionally provided.

In this way, when a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of wall servers 200 included in the system, the cascading system 1 according to the present invention uses the spare wall server 200 or another wall server (200) with a relatively low priority. 200) is switched to take over the role of the server position in which a failure occurred, enabling immediate and flexible response to the occurrence of a failure.

Hereinafter, we will look at the organic operation method of each component for responding to failures of the cascading system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation method of the cascading system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention in response to the occurrence of a failure, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation method of the system 1 according to FIG. 5. This is a reference diagram.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the cascading system 1 includes a first wall server (200a), a second wall server (200b), a third wall server (200c), and a fourth wall server (200d). In addition, it is assumed that the fourth wall server 200d is in a reserve position to prepare for failure of the other wall servers 200a-200c.

First, in order to display a wall screen through the cascading system 1, the controller 400 uses a plurality of sub-display modules 100a-100c and a plurality of wall servers 200a-200d that constitute the system 1. Register information about (S100). As described above, the registered information includes information on the sub-display modules 100a-100c connected to each wall server 200a-200d and/or position information for each wall server 200a-200d.

Each wall server (200a-200d) receives various information for resource control, including layout information such as templates and presets set from the controller 400, and each sub-display module connected to itself via the switch unit 300. Controls the display of video sources through (100a-100c) (S110, S120).

In this way, in a series of processes in which the wall screen is displayed through the first to third wall servers 200a to 200c, a plurality of wall servers 200a to 200d, including the fourth wall server 200d in a reserve position, And the controller 400, as described above, operates the cascading system (1), such as information about the video source, information about the screen layout such as presets and templates, unique state settings of the situation room, and on/off status of the situation room. Various related information is synchronized and monitoring of the operating status of the wall servers 200a-200d is performed (S130). For reference, in FIG. 5, for convenience of expression, only synchronization and monitoring are performed between adjacent components, but in reality, synchronization and monitoring are performed between all components (200a-200d, 400) including the fourth wall server (200d). Note that this is performed.

In this way, in the process of displaying the image constituting the wall screen through the sub-display modules 100a-100c connected to the first to third wall servers 200a-200c, the controller 400 performs image display. It is possible to determine that a failure has occurred in at least one of the first to third wall servers 200a-200c (S140). Here, a failure refers to a state in which the wall servers 200a-200c do not operate normally, and includes network failures, other hardware failures, etc.

Since communication is continuously made between the controller 400 and the first to third wall servers 200a-200c through the network for transmission and reception of control signals, operation status monitoring, and information synchronization, the controller 400 performs video display control. If there is no response from a specific wall server (200a-200c) for a predetermined period of time, it may be determined that a network failure, etc. has occurred in the corresponding wall server (200a-200c). Alternatively, as described above, the controller 400 may independently detect a failure of the wall servers 200a-200c through whether or not a communication connection is established, but may also detect the occurrence of a failure through user input through a user interface. For reference, in the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, it is assumed that a failure occurs in the first wall server 200a.

As described above, when a failure occurs in at least one of the first to third wall servers 200a-200c, the controller 400 assumes the role of the first wall server 200a in which the failure occurred. Control to replace with the server 200d is performed.

That is, the controller 400 transmits a control signal to the fourth wall server 200d to switch to the position of the first wall server 200a in which a failure occurred (S150), and the first wall server 200a and the fourth wall server 200a before the failure occurred (S150). The switching operation of the switch unit 300 is controlled so that the connected first sub-display module 100a is connected to the fourth wall server 200d (S160). Through this series of steps, the fourth wall server 200d can switch to the position of the first wall server 200a and display images through the first sub-display module 100a (S170).

When position switching between wall servers is performed in this way, as described above through step S130, the fourth wall server (200d) synchronizes information with the other wall servers (200a-200c) and the controller 400 even when it is in the reserve position. and operation status were continuously monitored, so the role of the first wall server 200a can be quickly linked and performed using this information.

As described above, according to the present invention, the spare wall server 200d can quickly replace the position of the server 200a in which a failure occurred based on status information synchronized and monitored during the video display process before the failure occurred. Furthermore, even while waiting in the reserve position, the buffering step is performed as a background process for the video source data received from the video source device 500, and the first wall server 200a in which a failure occurs from the controller 400 In response to the control signal to switch to the position, a decoding and rendering process for displaying the received video source data may be started.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing a process by which the spare wall server 200d processes video source data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the spare wall server 200d receives video source data from the video source device 500 before a control signal for replacing a specific wall server 200a in which a failure occurs is received from the controller 400. Even the buffering process of storing data in a buffer can be performed by default. This is the point at which the video is actually displayed by replacing the faulty wall server 200a when the video source data is received through the video source device 500 and protocols such as RTSP only after the control signal is received from the controller 400. This is because there is a problem of delay occurring until the end.

Accordingly, even before a failure occurs, the wall server 200d basically performs the video source data reception (S710, S720) and the buffering step (S730) from the video source device 500 as a background process, and receives the error wall server from the controller 400. By applying the control signal to switch to the position of (200a) as a trigger, a decoding and rendering process (S740) is initiated to display the image source data that has completed the buffering step on the sub-display module (100a) in response to reception of the control signal. can do. For reference, since the spare wall server 200d cannot know in advance which of the plurality of wall servers 200a-200c to replace, a plurality of video source devices provide video source data being displayed through the situation room even before a failure occurs. A buffering step can be performed in which all video source data is received from 500 and stored in a buffer.

In this way, even if image display is not performed through the sub-display module 100 at the present time, some steps are performed in advance as a background process, so that the decoding and rendering process is performed in response to the control signal for position switching of the controller 400. Since video display is possible just by performing the following steps, seamless video display can be performed by linking the operations of the fault wall server 200a more quickly.

Meanwhile, although not shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, when the failure of the first wall server 200a is recovered, the first wall server 200a communicates with the other wall servers 200b-200d and the controller 400 to synchronize information. By doing so, the latest information about the system 1 can be shared.

In addition, if the first wall server 200a is reconnected to the controller 400 after the problem is resolved, or if the first wall server 200a responds to the controller 400 and determines whether the problem of the first wall server 200a has been resolved, The controller 400 sets the position of the first wall server 200a to a spare position and controls it to operate as a spare wall server in preparation for failure of other wall servers 200b-200d performing video display at the present time. You can. Alternatively, when recovering from a failure of the first wall server (200a), if one of the plurality of sub-display modules (100a-100c) in the situation room is inoperable and no image is displayed due to a failure of another wall server (200b-200d), When the sub-display modules (100a-100c) are present, the controller 400 sets the position of the first wall server (200a) to the server position connected to the non-movable sub-display modules (100a-100c) to display the image. You can also control it.

Each step described above with reference to FIG. 5 may be applied with other steps added or changed depending on the situation.

For example, if a failure occurs in more wall servers (200a-200c) than the number of spare wall servers (200d) provided in the situation room, the roles of all failed servers (200a-200c) are replaced by the spare wall server (200d). If this is not possible, the controller 400 may substitute a spare wall server (200d) among the plurality of failed servers (200a-200c) based on priority information for the preset sub-display modules (100a-100c). An additional step to select some wall servers (200a-200c) may be added.

Next, Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation method of the cascading system 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention in response to the occurrence of a failure, and Figure 9 shows the operation method of the system 1 according to Figure 8. This is a reference diagram for explanation. Hereinafter, in order to avoid duplication of explanation, detailed description of the same content as the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 will be omitted and the description will focus on the differences.

Compared to the first embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6, in the second embodiment, all wall servers 200 perform control for image display through the sub-display module 100 without a spare wall server in a spare position. There is a difference in what is being done.

That is, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the first wall server (200e), the second wall server (200f), and the third wall server (200g) are all connected through the sub-display modules (100e, 100f, and 100g), respectively. It is assumed that a failure occurs in the second wall server 200f while an image is being displayed.

For reference, each step performed before the failure of the second wall server 200f occurs, that is, S200 in which the controller 400 registers information about each configuration (200e-200g, 100e-100g) of the system 1. Step, in order to display video source data through each sub-display module (100e-100g), the controller 400 transmits resource control information to each wall server (200e-200g) and displays video source data based on this. Steps S205 and S210 to perform processing. And step S215, in which information synchronization and monitoring of the operating status are performed between the controller 400 and the plurality of wall servers 200e-200g in the process of displaying the image on the wall screen, corresponds to steps S100 to S130 in FIG. 5. So, the contents described above can be applied equally.

Subsequently, when the controller 400 recognizes the occurrence of a failure of the second wall server 200f based on a non-response from the second wall server 200f through the network or a user input through the user interface (S220), the controller 400 determines the need for replacement of the second wall server 200f.

To this end, the controller 400 may use priority information about a plurality of sub-display modules 100e-100g stored in advance. According to the priority information, if there is a sub-display module (100g) with a relatively lower priority than the second sub-display module (100f) connected to the second wall server (200f), the lowest priority among them is It may be determined that the wall server 200g connected to the sub display module 100g replaces the role of the second wall server 200f (S225, S230). If it is assumed that the third sub-display module 100g has the lowest priority, the third wall server 200g connected to the third sub-display module 100g replaces the role of the second wall server 200f. It can be decided that

In this way, when the third wall server (200g) to replace the failed second wall server (200f) is determined, the subsequent process, that is, the controller 400 connects the third wall server (200g) to the second wall server (200g). Step S235 of transmitting a control signal to change to the position of the server 200f, switching the second sub-display module 100f, which was connected to the second wall server 200f before the failure, to be connected to the third wall server 200g. Step S240, which controls the switching operation of the unit 300, is the same as described in steps S150 and S160 of FIG. 5, respectively.

In response to the control of the controller 400 described above, the third wall server 200g switches its position and performs the role of the second wall server 200f based on the synchronized and monitored information, that is, the second sub-display module 100f ) can be performed immediately (S245).

On the other hand, in the case where the second sub-display module 100f connected to the second wall server 200f in which a failure occurred unlike the above has the lowest priority, the controller 400 plays the role of the second wall server 200f. You can decide not to replace it with another wall server (200e, 200g). In this way, even though a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of wall servers (200e-200g), if there is no other wall server (200e-200g) to replace, the controller 400 determines the wall screen configuration and division. The layout can be adjusted (S250). As explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the controller 400 may reduce the size of the layout or change the layout based on some image source data selected from among a plurality of image source data.

After the position of the third wall server (200g) is converted to the previous position of the second wall server (200f) through steps S235 to S245, when the failure of the second wall server (200f) is recovered, the second wall server (200f) ) synchronizes the latest information through communication between the controller 400 and other wall servers (200e, 200g), and then uses the above information to connect a third sub that is not currently displaying video source data under the control of the controller 400. It can be connected to the display module (100g) to display images.

In this way, according to the present invention, after recovery from a failure, immediate image display is possible through the sub-display module 100 connected to itself based on information synchronized through the synchronization unit 220, so even if a failure occurs, the system (1) ) It is possible to quickly link operations without complicated procedures such as re-registering the wall server 200 and resetting various information. This is the same even when the failed wall server 200 is replaced with a new wall server 200 because it is impossible to recover from the failure. That is, even when replacing the wall server 200 with a new one, quick linkage operations can be performed through information synchronization with other wall servers 200 and the controller 400.

Of course, each step of FIG. 8 described above can also be applied by adding or changing other steps depending on the situation.

For example, in FIG. 8, the layout is shown to be adjusted in step S250. However, if layout adjustment is unnecessary or inappropriate depending on the situation, the current layout may be applied as is without layout adjustment.

Meanwhile, in the above, an embodiment in which the position of the wall server (2000) is switched in response to a failure of a single situation room has been described. However, even when multiple situation rooms are in operation, the position is similarly switched to replace the role of the wall server (200) in which a failure occurs. Action can take place.

In order to control the switching operation between multiple situation rooms, the controller 400 may further store priority information between the sub-display modules 100 of one situation room as well as priority information between a plurality of situation rooms.

For example, in a situation where the first situation room and the second situation room are operated as shown in FIG. 2, if a failure occurs in the second wall server (200b) of the first situation room, the first controller (400a) of the first situation room Based on the ranking information, the second situation room with a relatively lower priority is terminated, and the position of the fourth wall server (200d), which was operating as a spare wall server based on the first situation room, is changed to that of the second wall server (200b). Control can be performed to switch to a position.

When the failure of the second wall server 200b is recovered, the second wall server 200b may be controlled to operate as a spare wall server based on the first situation room. At the same time, the video source data of the second situation room may be displayed through the fourth sub-display module 100d under the control of the second controller 400b of the second situation room.

As described above, according to the cascading video wall system and its operating method according to the present invention, it is possible to implement a cascading system capable of responding to failures at an economical cost. In addition, it has the advantage of being able to respond quickly and flexibly even if a failure occurs in any of the plurality of wall servers 200, and enabling seamless linked operation by minimizing the delay from wall server switching to video display.

The device and its control described above may be implemented with hardware components, software components, and/or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices and components described in one embodiment include a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and a PLU ( It may be implemented using one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers, such as a programmable logic unit, microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing and responding to instructions. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. Additionally, a processing device may access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of software. For ease of understanding, a single processing device may be described as being used; however, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a processing device may include multiple processing elements and/or multiple types of processing elements. You can see that there is. For example, a processing device may include multiple processors or one processor and one controller. Additionally, other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are possible.

Software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, which configures a processing unit to operate as desired or, independently or in combination, instructs a processing unit. can do. Software and/or data may be stored, permanently or temporarily, on any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual device, computer storage medium or device for the purpose of being interpreted by or providing instructions or data to a processing device. It can be materialized. Software may be distributed over networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

The method according to one embodiment may be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., singly or in combination. Program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for one embodiment or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and magnetic media such as floptical disks. -Includes optical media (magneto-optical media) and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. Examples of program instructions include machine language code, such as that produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of an embodiment, and vice versa.

As described above, although one embodiment has been described with reference to a limited embodiment and drawings, various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art from the above description. For example, the described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components are used. Alternatively, appropriate results may be achieved even if substituted or substituted by an equivalent.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims described below.

1: Cascading video wall system
100: Sub-display module
200: Wall server
300: switch part
400: Controller
500: Video source device

Claims (11)

In the cascading video wall system,
A plurality of sub-display modules each including a plurality of display devices;
a plurality of wall servers that receive image source data from one or more image source devices and control display of the image source data through one sub-display module among the plurality of sub-display modules;
a switch unit that switches the connection relationship between each wall server and each sub-display module; and
When a failure occurs in the first wall server, which is one of the plurality of wall servers, the first sub-display module connected to the first wall server is connected to a second wall server in which the failure did not occur among the plurality of wall servers. A cascading video wall system comprising a controller that controls a switch unit and controls the second wall server to replace the role of the first wall server before the failure occurred.
According to paragraph 1,
Each of the above wall servers,
System operation information, including information about video source data displayed through the video wall system and configuration information of wall screens provided through the plurality of sub-display modules, is synchronized with other wall servers and the controller, and A cascading video wall system comprising a synchronization unit that monitors operating status information of the server.
According to paragraph 2,
The second wall server is,
Based on the information synchronized through the synchronization unit and the monitored operation status information, controlling the video source data that was controlled for display by the first wall server before the failure occurred to be displayed through the first sub-display module. Features a cascading video wall system.
According to paragraph 1,
The second wall server is,
As a spare wall server in case a failure occurs in the plurality of wall servers of the video wall system, it does not display video source data through the sub-display module before a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of wall servers. A cascading video wall system characterized in that it does not.
According to paragraph 1,
The controller is,
The first wall server, which has been restored after the failure has been resolved, is controlled to operate as a spare wall server in case a failure occurs in another wall server, or the first wall server in which video source data is not displayed among the plurality of sub-display modules is controlled. A cascading video wall system characterized by controlling the display of video source data through a sub-display module.
According to paragraph 1,
The controller is,
Store priority information for the plurality of sub-display modules,
If all of the plurality of wall servers are performing control for displaying the video source data through the sub-display module at the time of occurrence of the failure, the first wall server among the plurality of wall servers is based on the priority information. A cascading video wall system, characterized in that determining the second wall server to replace the role of the server.
According to paragraph 1,
The controller is,
If the image source data cannot be displayed through at least one sub-display module among the plurality of sub-display modules due to a failure of the wall server, the layout regarding the wall screen configuration displayed on the plurality of sub-display modules is changed. A cascading video wall system characterized by coordination.
In clause 7,
The controller is,
A cascading video wall system, characterized in that the size of the layout is adjusted based on screen ratio information of some sub-display modules capable of displaying the image source data among the plurality of sub-display modules.
In clause 7,
The controller is,
A cascading video wall system, characterized in that some of the plurality of image source data are selected and the layout is changed by reflecting the selected portion of the image source data.
According to paragraph 1,
At least one of the plurality of wall servers corresponds to a spare wall server in case a failure occurs in the plurality of wall servers of the video wall system,
The spare wall server basically performs a buffering process of storing video source data received from the video source device in a buffer before a control signal for replacement of the failed first wall server is received from the controller. , A cascading video wall system, characterized in that initiating a process for decoding and rendering the video source data in response to reception of the control signal.
In a method of operating a cascading video wall system,
A controller registers information about a plurality of sub-display modules, each of which includes a plurality of display devices, and a plurality of wall servers that control the display of video source data through one sub-display module among the plurality of sub-display modules. steps;
detecting, by the controller, whether a failure occurs in a first wall server, which is one of the plurality of wall servers;
transmitting, by the controller, a control signal to the second wall server so that a second wall server in which no failure occurs among the plurality of wall servers replaces the role of the first wall server before the failure occurs; and
The controller sends a control signal for controlling a switch unit that switches the connection relationship between each wall server and each sub-display module so that the first sub-display module connected to the first wall server is connected to the second wall server. A method of operating a cascading video wall system, comprising the step of transmitting to a switch unit.

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