KR20190081162A - Multi display system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multiple display system to perform graphic processing for a plurality of divided pieces of multimedia data at high speed. According to the present invention, the multiple display system comprises a multiple display server and a media player client including a master corresponding to each of a plurality of displays and at least one slave. The multiple display server comprises: an image division module dividing multimedia data into a plurality of pieces based on the number of the displays; an upscaling module using a plurality of processors to upscale the divided pieces of the multimedia data in parallel; and a transmission module transmitting the pieces of the upscaled multimedia data to the media player client. The media player client comprises: a reception module receiving one of the pieces of the upscaled multimedia data; a synchronization module performing synchronization based on a system time of the master; and an output module outputting the one of the pieces of the multimedia data.

Description

[0001] MULTI DISPLAY SYSTEM [0002]

The present invention relates to a multiple display system.

Multivision is a device that displays one full screen or multiple screens on multiple displays. In multi-vision, a plurality of displays are arranged and arranged in order to express an image having a size exceeding a technical constraint or a cost limit, and the divided images are displayed through respective displays after dividing the entire image.

There are various limitations to build such a multivision, expensive equipment is required, and a lot of cost is incurred when a new display is added or replaced.

Meanwhile, in the conventional method of implementing multivision, when the entire image is input to one of the plurality of displays, only the image to be outputted from the display is divided and output, and the entire image is transmitted to the display of the next connected order. Each of the plurality of displays outputs each image at the same time using each clock information. At this time, since each display has different clock information, there is a problem that the syncs of the images output from the respective display devices are inconsistent.

On the other hand, the upscaling technique for the conventional image quality has a problem that the system load due to the upscaling of the high-quality image is still high, and the upscaling result can not be confirmed in a short time, resulting in poor practicality.

Also, when a plurality of displays constituting a multi-vision do not have the same resolution information, even if a high-quality image is upscaled to an ultra-high resolution, deterioration of graphics or quality may occur due to an increase in resolution. For example, if there are four displays that make up a multi-vision, three of the resolutions of each display are 4K, and the remaining one resolution is FHD, the full resolution is supported by FHD, The full resolution is supported at 4K only if all are 4K.

Korean Patent No. 10-0971148 (published on November 19, 2009)

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of dividing multimedia data into a plurality of multimedia data based on the number of displays, do. In addition, according to the present invention, when a plurality of upscaled multimedia data are transmitted to a media player client, the media player client performs synchronization based on the system time of the master and outputs a plurality of multimedia data. It is to be understood, however, that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described technical problems, and other technical problems may exist.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-display system comprising: a multi-display server; And a media player client including a master and at least one slave corresponding to each of the plurality of displays, wherein the multiple display server comprises: an image division module for dividing the multimedia data into a plurality of images based on the number of the plurality of displays; An upscaling module for upscaling the plurality of divided multimedia data in parallel using a plurality of processors and a transmission module for transmitting the upscaled plurality of multimedia data to the media player client, A receiving module for receiving one of a plurality of upscaled multimedia data; A synchronization module for performing synchronization based on the system time of the master, and an output module for outputting one of the plurality of multimedia data.

The above-described task solution is merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, there may be additional embodiments described in the drawings and the detailed description of the invention.

According to any one of the above-described objects of the present invention, since upscaling of each of a plurality of pieces of divided multimedia data is performed in parallel through a plurality of processors, if deterioration of image quality or quality does not occur It is possible to process graphics processing for a plurality of multimedia data segments at high speed. In addition, it is possible to provide an upscaled image in ultra high resolution in real time.

In addition, the present invention can synchronize time between a master and at least one slave in a media player client to provide a seamless image.

1 is a configuration diagram of a multiple display system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram of the multiple display server shown in FIG. 1, according to one embodiment of the present invention.
3A to 3C are views for explaining a comparison between a ray tracing calculation method using a general ray tracing method and a ray tracing calculating method using the ray tracing method of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram of the media player client shown in FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of providing multiple displays, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of performing synchronization based on a system time of a master, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are denoted by like reference characters throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as being "connected" to another part, it includes not only "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" with another part in between . Also, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without departing from the other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

In this specification, the term " part " includes a unit realized by hardware, a unit realized by software, and a unit realized by using both. Further, one unit may be implemented using two or more hardware, or two or more units may be implemented by one hardware.

In this specification, some of the operations or functions described as being performed by the terminal or the device may be performed in the server connected to the terminal or the device instead. Similarly, some of the operations or functions described as being performed by the server may also be performed on a terminal or device connected to the server.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

1 is a configuration diagram of a multiple display system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a multiple display system may include a multiple display server 100 and a media player client 110. However, since the multi-display system of FIG. 1 is only one embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to FIG. 1 and may be configured differently from FIG. 1 according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Generally, each component of the multiple display system of Figure 1 is connected through a network. The network refers to a connection structure in which information can be exchanged between each node such as terminals and servers. The network includes a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wide area network (WWW) Wide Web, wired / wireless data communication network, telephone network, wired / wireless television communication network, and the like.

The multiple display server 100 divides multimedia data into a plurality of pieces of multimedia data based on the number of the plurality of displays 120 and upscales a plurality of pieces of the divided multimedia data using a plurality of processors have. Here, the plurality of processors may be a plurality of GPUs (graphics processing units), and each of the plurality of divided multimedia data may be allocated to each of the plurality of GPUs.

The multiple display server 100 may transmit a plurality of upscaled multimedia data to the media player client 110. [

The media player client 110 may include a master 112 and at least one slave 114, 116, 118 corresponding to each of the plurality of displays 120.

The media player client 110 may receive one of a plurality of upscaled multimedia data from the multiple display server 100. [

The media player client 110 may perform synchronization of at least one slave 114, 116, 118 based on the system time of the master 110, and may output a plurality of multimedia data.

Hereinafter, the operation of each component of the multiple display system of FIG. 1 will be described in more detail.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the multiple display server 100 shown in Figure 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the multiple display server 100 may include an image segmentation module 200, an upscaling module 210, a transmission module 220, a storage module 230, and a rendering module 240. However, the multiple display server 100 shown in FIG. 2 is only one embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications are possible based on the components shown in FIG.

The image segmentation module 200 may divide the multimedia data into a plurality of images based on the number of the plurality of displays 120. [ For example, if the number of displays is four, the image segmentation module 200 can divide the multimedia data into four segments. For example, the multimedia data may be 3D data.

The image segmentation module 200 may include a plurality of memories for storing a plurality of pieces of multimedia data. At this time, in order to recover a data loss or distortion period occurring in the upscaling of the multimedia data corresponding to the border in the visual vision region of the user's view, the data corresponding to the boundary line in each of the divided multimedia data, Can be stored in memory.

The upscaling module 210 may upscale the resolution of the plurality of segmented multimedia data to ultra high resolution.

The upscaling module 210 may upscale a plurality of segmented multimedia data in parallel using a plurality of processors. Here, the plurality of processors may be, for example, a plurality of GPUs (Graphics Processing Units).

The upscaling module 210 may allocate each of the plurality of segmented multimedia data to each of a plurality of GPUs to upscale. Each of the plurality of GPUs may upscale the allocated multimedia data based on the resolution information of the display to output the allocated multimedia data.

For example, the upscaling module 210 may allocate each of a plurality of segmented multimedia data to each of a plurality of GPUs on a one-to-one basis, and upscale each segmented multimedia data on each GPU in parallel.

In another embodiment, if the plurality of GPUs are composed of two or more GPUs, the upscaling module 210 may perform the numbering of the other divided multimedia data, which is waiting for processing in the memory, by the GPU that has been processed for the upscaled multimedia data The up-scaling can be performed based on the order.

According to the present invention, a plurality of pieces of multimedia data divided according to the number of displays are sequentially scaled up in parallel on the basis of resolution information of each display through a plurality of GPUs (a resolution of a display for outputting each divided multimedia data It is possible to improve the processing speed for upscaling and to provide a plurality of multimedia data without degradation of image quality and quality.

The rendering module 240 may render a plurality of 3D data segmented in parallel using a plurality of GPUs. The rendering module 240 can perform high-quality rendering by speeding up computation of a large amount of ray tracing through a plurality of GPUs using a parallelization technique.

For example, the rendering module 240 can visualize a large amount of light particles calculated by SPH in real time using OpenGL, and use OpenGL's shader to visualize such large amounts of light particles in real time Shader). OpenGL and shader technologies are the underlying technology for accelerating high-quality rendering.

Each of the plurality of GPUs can render 3D data assigned through ray tracing calculation. For example, OpenGL and shader techniques can be applied to multiple GPUs.

Each of the plurality of GPUs may determine the search depth of the ray in the ray tracing computation based on the resolution information of the display to output the assigned 3D data and render the assigned 3D data based on the search depth of the determined ray.

On the other hand, ray-tracing method used in ray tracing is an algorithm that can process the regions to be rendered in parallel. This ray tracing scheme is used to process different renderings of a plurality of clients in parallel. Referring to FIG. 3A, a ray tracing method determines a color to be displayed on a screen by searching a light beam from an object on a computer screen to collide with an object, and then searching for a light ray reaching the light. Since the computer screen is composed of 2D and includes a plurality of pixels, parallel processing is possible using a ray tracing method. However, there is a problem that it takes a lot of time to obtain the final result of the rendering.

In general, a ray tracing method generally used is a method in which a large number of photons are sent to a pixel to obtain a result. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3B, in the case of a pixel calculated through ray tracing calculation, the final result is expressed, In the case of pixels that are not well-formed, it is very difficult to have real-time properties because the exact result is not represented (only black).

In order to solve the above-described problem, as shown in FIG. 3C, the rendering module 240 tracks the rays using a method of gradually obtaining the final result, not the conventional method of calculating the final result at a time. For example, the rendering module 240 accumulates images obtained through randomly generated rays to obtain a final image.

Rendering module 240 may determine the search depth of the ray in the ray tracing computation based on the resolution information of the display and render the allocated 3D data based on the search depth of the determined ray.

As shown in FIG. 3C, it can be seen that the more the search depth of the light ray is, the better the surrounding color is. In other words, the quality of the rendering is determined by the search depth of the ray.

The transmission module 220 may transmit a plurality of upscaled multimedia data to the media player client 110.

The storage module 230 may store the number of the plurality of displays 120 and the resolution information of each of the plurality of the displays 120. [ For example, the storage module 230 may further store schedule information of the multimedia image. For example, the multimedia image may be reproduced on the plurality of displays 120 according to the schedule information of the multimedia image.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the image segmentation module 200, the upscaling module 210, the transmission module 220, the storage module 230, and the rendering module 240 may be implemented separately, As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

4 is a block diagram of the media player client 110 shown in FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the media player client 110 may include a receiving module 400, a synchronization module 410, and an output module 420. The media player client 110 shown in FIG. 4 may be a master 112 and slaves 114, 116, 118.

However, the media player client 110 shown in FIG. 4 is only one embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications are possible based on the components shown in FIG.

The receiving module 400 may receive one of a plurality of upscaled multimedia data from the multiple display server 100. [

The synchronization module 410 may perform synchronization based on the system time of the master. Here, the master's system time may be Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

For example, the synchronization module 410 may synchronize the time of the master 112 with the time of the at least one slave 114, 116, 118 based on the system time of the master 112.

Each slave 114,116 and 118 is configured as a network to obtain information for synchronization between the master 112 and at least one slave 114,116 and 118 and each slave 114,116, (112) and at least one of the slaves (114, 116, 118).

For example, at least one slave 114, 116, 118 may receive the system time of the master from the master 112 in response to a connection request to the master 112. At least one of the slaves 114,116 and 118 corrects the system time of the master based on the elapsed time according to the communication of the master 112 and the at least one slave 114,116 and 118, The time can be set to the current time of at least one slave 114, 116, 118.

Because the slaves 114, 116 and 118 are synchronized based on the system time of the master 112, since the master 112 and the at least one slave 114, 116 and 118 can be synchronized with only the internal network share, .

Synchronization module 410 may periodically perform synchronization for master 112 and at least one slave 114, 116, 118, respectively. For example, the synchronization module 410 may synchronize every hour or every minute to adjust the image playback time.

The output module 420 may output one of a plurality of multimedia data.

The output module 420 may output each of the plurality of multimedia data based on the time information of the master 112 and the at least one slave 114, 116, 118 that have been synchronized.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that each of the receiving module 400, the synchronization module 410 and the output module 420 may be implemented separately, or at least one of them may be integrated.

5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of providing multiple displays, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

The method for providing multiple displays according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is performed in a time-series manner in the multiple display server 100, the media player client 110, and the plurality of displays 120 according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. Lt; / RTI > Accordingly, the contents described with respect to the multiple display server 100, the media player client 110, and the plurality of displays 120 of FIGS. 1 to 4 are not limited to the multiplexing according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, But also to a display providing method.

Referring to FIG. 5, in step S501, the multiple display server 100 may divide the multimedia data into a plurality of images based on the number of the plurality of displays 120. FIG.

In step S503, the multiple display server 100 may upscale a plurality of divided multimedia data in parallel using a plurality of processors. Here, the plurality of processors may be, for example, a plurality of GPUs.

In step S505, the multiple display server 100 may transmit a plurality of upscaled multimedia data to the media player client 110. [

In step S507, the media player client 110 may perform synchronization based on the system time of the master 112. [

In step S509, the media player client 110 may output one of the plurality of multimedia data.

In the above description, steps S501 to S509 may be further divided into additional steps or combined into fewer steps, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Also, some of the steps may be omitted as necessary, and the order between the steps may be changed.

6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of performing synchronization based on a system time of a master, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, in step S601, the slave 114 may request the master 112 to access the master 112.

In step S603, the slave 114 can store the current time. At this time, the current time stored is equal to the time when the slave 114 requests connection to the master 1120.

In step S605, when the master 112 receives the connection request from the slave 114, it may transmit the master's system time (e.g., Coordinated Universal Time) to the slave 114. [

In step S607, the slave 114 may store the system time of the master received from the master 112. [

In step S609, the slave 114 can derive the elapsed time from the difference between the current time stored in step S603 and the system time of the master stored in step S607.

In step S611, the slave 114 may set the current time of the slave 114 by delay-correcting the system time of the master by the elapsed time.

In the above description, steps S601 to S611 may be further divided into additional steps or combined into fewer steps, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Also, some of the steps may be omitted as necessary, and the order between the steps may be changed.

One embodiment of the present invention may also be embodied in the form of a recording medium including instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. In addition, the computer readable medium may include both computer storage media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and that those of ordinary skill in the art can readily understand that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. will be. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single entity may be distributed and implemented, and components described as being distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

It is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. .

100: Multiple display server
110: Media Player Client
120: Multiple displays

Claims (8)

In a multiple display system,
Multiple display servers; And
A media player client including a master and at least one slave corresponding to each of the plurality of displays;
, ≪ / RTI &
The multi-
An image division module for dividing the multimedia data into a plurality of images based on the number of the plurality of displays;
An upscaling module for upscaling the divided plurality of multimedia data in parallel using a plurality of processors; And
A transmission module for transmitting the upscaled plurality of multimedia data to the media player client,
Lt; / RTI >
The media player client
A receiving module for receiving one of the plurality of upscaled multimedia data;
A synchronization module for performing synchronization based on a system time of the master; And
An output module for outputting one of the plurality of multimedia data;
/ RTI > display system.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of processors are a plurality of GPUs (Graphics Processing Units)
Wherein each of the plurality of segmented multimedia data is allocated to each of the plurality of GPUs.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein each of the plurality of GPUs upscales the allocated multimedia data based on resolution information of a display to output the assigned multimedia data.
The method according to claim 1,
The multi-
A storage module for storing the number of the plurality of displays and the resolution of each of the plurality of displays,
Further comprising: means for determining whether the multiple display system is in use.
The method according to claim 1,
The system time of the master is Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)
Wherein the synchronization module periodically performs the synchronization.
3. The method of claim 2,
The multimedia data is 3D data,
The multi-
A rendering module for rendering the plurality of divided 3D data in parallel using the plurality of GPUs;
Further comprising: means for determining whether the multiple display system is in use.
The method according to claim 6,
Each of the plurality of GPUs rendering the assigned 3D data through ray tracing computation.
8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein each of the plurality of GPUs determines a search depth of a ray in the ray tracing calculation based on resolution information of a display to output the assigned 3D data and determines the assigned 3D data based on the determined search depth of the ray Lt; / RTI > system.

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