Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural display systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2002-12-31
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural display systems
C345S001200, C345S001300, C345S205000, C345S660000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C348S383000, C348S840000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06501441
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to the field of displaying video and graphics on display devices. The present invention relates to the field of coordinating the display of video and graphics across several display devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The IEEE 1394-1995 standard, “1394 Standard For A High Performance Serial Bus,” is an international standard for implementing an inexpensive high-speed serial bus architecture which supports both asynchronous and isochronous format data transfers. In addition, the IEEE 1394-1995 bus has a universal clock called the cycle timer. This clock is synchronized on all nodes. Isochronous data transfers are real-time transfers which take place based on the universal clock such that the time intervals between significant instances have the same duration at both the transmitting and receiving applications. Each packet of data transferred isochronously is transferred in its own time period. An example of an ideal application for the transfer of data isochronously would be from a video recorder to a television set.
The video recorder records images and sounds and saves the data in discrete chunks or packets. The video recorder then transfers each packet, representing the image and sound recorded over a limited time period, during that time period, for display by the television set. The IEEE 1394-1995 standard bus architecture provides multiple independent channels for isochronous data transfer between applications. A six bit channel number is broadcast with the data to ensure reception by the appropriate application. This allows multiple applications to simultaneously transmit isochronous data across the bus structure. Asynchronous transfers are traditional reliable data transfer operations which take place as soon as arbitration is won and transfer a maximum amount of data from a source to a destination.
The IEEE 1394-1995 standard provides a high-speed serial bus for interconnecting digital devices thereby providing a universal I/O connection. The IEEE 1394-1995 standard defines a digital interface for the application thereby eliminating the need for an application to convert digital data to analog data before it is transmitted across the bus. Correspondingly, a receiving application will receive digital data from the bus, not analog data, and will therefore not be required to convert analog data to digital data. The cable required by the IEEE 1394-1995 standard is very thin in size compared to other bulkier cables used to connect such devices in other connection schemes. Devices can be added and removed from an IEEE 1394-1995 bus while the bus is operational. If a device is so added or removed the bus will then automatically reconfigure itself for transmitting data between the then existing nodes. A node is considered a logical entity with a unique address on the bus structure. Each node provides in a standard address space, an identification ROM, a standardized set of control registers and in addition, its own address space.
The IEEE 1394-1995 standard defines a protocol as illustrated in FIG.
1
. This protocol includes a serial bus management block
10
coupled to a transaction layer
12
, a link layer
14
and a physical layer
16
. The physical layer
16
provides the electrical and mechanical connection between a device and the IEEE 1394-1995 cable. The physical layer
16
also provides arbitration to ensure that all devices coupled to the IEEE 1394-1995 bus have arbitrated access to the bus as well as actual data transmission and reception. The link layer
14
provides data packet delivery service for both asynchronous and isochronous data packet transport. This supports both asynchronous data transport, using an acknowledgement protocol, and isochronous data transport, providing an un-acknowledged real-time guaranteed bandwidth protocol for just-in-time data delivery. The transaction layer
12
supports the commands necessary to complete asynchronous data transfers, including read, write and lock. The serial bus management block
10
contains an isochronous resource manager for managing isochronous data transfers. The serial bus management block
10
also provides overall configuration control of the serial bus in the form of optimizing arbitration timing, guarantee of adequate electrical power for all devices on the bus, assignment of the cycle master, assignment of isochronous channel and bandwidth resources and basic notification of errors.
In commercially available display systems, it is perceived that the larger the display, the greater the user experience. Accordingly, home theater systems and professional display environments can benefit from large display devices. However, there are limits to the physical size of display devices. Alternatives such as projection systems either do not provide the necessary quality of image or are not feasible for various logistical or expense reasons. An alternative means of achieving a large display system is to scale the video stream across many discrete display devices. Wall-of-video configurations include multiple display devices arranged together to present a video presentation.
The IEEE 1394-1995 standard has been chosen as the industry standard for connecting upcoming generations of audio/video and information technology devices, including digital televisions. When transmitting a digital video stream across an IEEE 1394-1995 network to multiple display devices on a given isochronous channel, conventionally, each display device receiving the given isochronous channel will display the full contents of the stream. In such a configuration, instead of achieving a single display of the video image across multiple display devices, the entire video image is displayed on each display device within the configuration. Currently, there is no known system which controls the partitioning of a video stream across multiple display devices within a wall-of-video configuration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for partitioning, scaling and displaying video and/or graphics across several display devices includes a video source, a master device and multiple display devices arranged into a multiple display configuration. Preferably, the master device partitions the video stream into image sections and assigns each display device a corresponding image section based on its position within the multiple display configuration. Each display device then preferably receives the video stream and separates the data representing the corresponding image section. Preferably, once the data for the corresponding image section is separated, the display devices then scale their respective image sections to a full screen size image and display the scaled image simultaneously with the display of the entire frame on all display devices within the multiple display configuration. In an alternative embodiment, the master device is responsible for partitioning the video stream into image sections, scaling the image sections, encoding the scaled image sections and transmitting the scaled and encoded image sections to the appropriate display devices within the multiple display configuration. The display devices then simultaneously display the image at an appropriate time based on information in the video stream or as specified by the master device. This process is repeated for each frame within the video stream. In a further alternate embodiment, the multiple display configuration includes a combination of display devices capable of physically partitioning an image section from the video stream and display devices to which the master device partitions, scales, encodes and transmits the image for display.
In one aspect of the invention, a method of displaying images on a multiple display configuration including a plurality of display devices includes the steps of determining capabilities and characteristics of the display devices, partitioning an image into a plurality of image sections each corresponding to a display device within the multiple display configuration, assigning each image section to a corre
Eyer Mark Kenneth
Ludtke Harold Aaron
Smyers Scott D.
Haverstock & Owens LLP
Sajous Wesner
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