Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural display systems
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-17
2004-11-16
Shalwala, Bipin (Department: 2778)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural display systems
C345S002100, C345S003100, C345S003400, C345S501000, C345S903000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06819303
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
None.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote control system for an electrically controlled sign. The system accepts input data in analog video, digital video, digital or similar forms, converts it to sign and control signals, and transmits the converted signal
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art display sign control systems have been technology dependent and have not provided sharply defined images when combining animation or other signals developed in a character generator and video. The problem arises when the sign control system attempts to fit the digitized version of the original analog character generator signal into the pixel matrix elements of the sign. Since there is not an exact match between the digitized version and the available pixels, the resulting output signal to the individual pixels varies from the optimum representation. The resulting display provided images in which the character generator output looked “fuzzy”.
Further, prior art sign control systems did not accommodate different sizes of signs, but were generally limited to a specific size and/or type of sign. The prior art systems did not always provide for the combination of live video, graphics, animation, real time data, information such as sports statistics, text information, or such features as instant replay. Prior art sign control systems usually represented a highly specialized, specific control system and did not use, as an example, an off-the-shelf personal computer as a primary element of the control system.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing an advanced video display control system for displaying live video, graphics, animation, real time data, informational, such as sports statistics, text information, and instant replay, alone or in combinations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a dynamic sign control system including; a personal computer or similar device for supplying digital display data in a format which corresponds exactly to the pixels available in the sign, a video link controller, which accepts sign display data from the personal computer and other sources in a variety of analog and digital formats, generates clock and command signals which are converted and combined to provide sign data signals in a format suitable for transmission over a high speed data transmission link such as a fiber optic system to a data receiver and distributor, located at the sign site, which receives the transmitted signals and converts them into sign display device control signals for controlling the individual display (pixel) elements of the sign.
The video link controller, preferably implemented by a programmed personal computer and several special purpose cards, includes a control program executed on the personal computer, a video interface card having, for example, provisions for three composite video inputs and two S-video inputs, which may selected, processed and converted to digital form by a dedicated video processor, and sent, over a fiber optic cable, to the transmitter link control card, where the selected video signal may be combined with digital signals representing text, graphics, and other digital data signals provided from the personal computer, or other suitable source, over an RS232 interface line, where it is buffered prior to high speed optical transmission to the data receiver and distributor located in, or at the site of, the controlled sign. The transmitter link control card has an RS232 line interface which is connected to an RS232 output line of the personal computer. Depending on the commands received by the transmitter link control over the RS232 line, any one of the five video input lines, or the data signals provided to the RS232 input from the personal computer, may be individually selected for conversion and transmission to the data receiver and distributor through a fiber optic cable connected to a modulator which is driven by the selected signal.
Alternatively, in overlay mode, the data signals may be combined with a selected digitized video signal and sent to the data receiver and distributor through the fiber optic cable connected to a modulator which is driven by the combined signal.
It will be appreciated that, as previously mentioned, the digital display signals from the personal computer correspond exactly to the individual display elements of the sign.
The data receiver and distributor includes an optical sensor connected to the fiber optic cable, a receiver for converting the signals to digital form, a programmable logic array, a dedicated microprocessor for configuring the programmable logic array and executing commands sent to the device and contained in the programs which run on the microprocessor, a flash memory, which stores certain program data for use in configuring the system at start-up, a plurality of FIFO buffer devices, an EPROM memory for storing the configuration of the programmable logic arrays, and associated I/O devices for interfacing the receiver and distributor to the various input and output lines and devices. Typically, on power-up, the dedicated microprocessor will configure the programmable logic arrays and the output devices according to the program data stored in the flash memory.
The receiver and data distributor is configured according to data and display intensity dimming data supplied from the sign configuration selected from flash memory in response to the command signal portion of the TAXI signal sent to the data receiver and distributor from the video link controller over the fiber optic cable.
The receiver board receives a serial TAXI encoded signal, via the fiber optic cable, and uses the TAXI receiver chip to decode the signal. The TAXI signal includes two types of information: one is a command signal and the other is display data.
The command bytes are used to receive sign configuration data and display intensity dimming information. When new sign configuration information is received, the dedicated microprocessor activates the appropriate programming sequence, reads the selected sign configuration program out of FLASH, and programs the receiver board and the output cards. The display intensity dimming information is passed on to the output cards which then distribute it out throughout the display.
Display data is received and then organized to be passed on to the addressed output card address. The received display data is stored in the RAM located on the output cards.
The data receiver and distributor also includes an RS232 port that can be accessed from the personal computer to directly interact with the dedicated microprocessor, a light detector input for automatic display dimming, a relay output to control the display fans, and a fan/temperature detector input to blank the display in the case of a failure.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved remote controller for an electronic sign.
Another object of the invention is to provide a remote electronic sign controller including a personal computer.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a remote electronic sign controller having the ability to select from a variety of video inputs and transmit the selected video input in digital form to a remote sign.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a input remote electronic sign controller having the ability to combine a selected input from a variety of video inputs and data inputs, combine the selected inputs into a single composite digital signal for transmit the ability to combine a selected input from a variety of video inputs and data inputs, combine the selected inputs into a single composite digital signal for transmission to a remote sign location and transmit the single composite signal video to a remote sign over a high speed fiber optic cable.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a remote electronic sign controller having the ability to combine a selected input from a v
Berger Brent Henry
Kurtenbach Reece Alan
Schulte Daniel Anthony
Schulte Joseph Gerard
Wendler Brett David
Daktronics, Inc.
Jaeger Hugh D.
Lewis David L.
Shalwala Bipin
LandOfFree
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