MONOLITHIC DISPLAY WITH SEPARATELY CONTROLLABLE SECTIONS
The exemplary embodiments herein disclose an electronic display assembly using a monolithic electronic display panel with a single video player in electrical connection with a single timing and control board (TCON) which is in electrical connection with the monolithic electronic display panel. The single video player and TCON are adapted to transmit a combination of both still images and full motion video to be shown simultaneously on the electronic display. Different areas of the display can be used to show different content, either video or still images. Bezels can be graphically generated between the images, which can change shape, location, or be removed altogether as the display content changes.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/084,968 filed on Mar. 30, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/140,164 filed on Mar. 30, 2015. Both aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully cited herein.
TECHNICAL FIELDEmbodiments generally relate to electronic displays used for advertising and point of sale applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE ARTLarge electronic display assemblies have traditionally used an array of multiple separate electronic displays, each having their own video driver, timing and control board, as well as other electronics necessary to operate each display. A border or bezel is generally placed between each separate display in order to secure each display into the overall assembly. The bezels can be unattractive to the eye as they can provide a static shape that cannot change, they take up space that otherwise could be used for images, and they also prevent a seamless image to be shown across the separate displays.
SUMMARY OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTSExemplary embodiments provide a single monolithic electronic display which can be driven with a single video player and TCON to create a number of separately controllable areas on the electronic display. The number and shape of the separate areas can change, resulting in a more attractive and dynamic electronic display assembly that contains less overall components and may be less expensive to operate for the user.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the particular embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
A better understanding of an exemplary embodiment will be obtained from a reading of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein identical reference characters refer to identical parts and in which:
The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/ or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Because these are only visual bezels 108/109, they can appear or disappear between the image areas. They can also move dynamically to create a more fluid and dynamic effect. For example, the bezels 108/109 could rotate from the shown position until they are substantially vertical or perhaps rotating past vertical until they are angled towards the opposite direction. The bezels 108/109 can then rotate back to the shown position, in order to draw the viewer's eye and present a more exiting overall display.
The electronic display 110 can be any flat panel electronic display including but not limited to: liquid crystal displays (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, plasma displays, and electroluminescent polymer displays.
Having shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to affect the described invention and still be within the scope of the claimed invention. Additionally, many of the elements indicated above may be altered or replaced by different elements which will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An electronic display assembly comprising:
- a monolithic electronic display panel; and
- a single video player in electrical connection with a single timing and control board (TCON) which is in electrical connection with the monolithic electronic display panel;
- wherein the single video player and TCON transmit a combination of both still images and full motion video to be shown simultaneously on the electronic display.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 10, 2019
Publication Date: Sep 26, 2019
Inventor: William Dunn (Alpharetta, GA)
Application Number: 16/436,602