Image Processing Device and Playback Control Method for Display Wall System

Abstract

An image processing device and a playback control method for a display wall system. The image processing device is applicable to a display wall system including a plurality of display panels, and these display panels are connected to a playback control device, and the playback control device is connected to the image processing device; the image processing device includes: a storage device for storing an image recombination program; and a processor for executing the image recombination program to perform the following steps: receiving a video image; dividing the video image into a plurality of sub-images; recombining each sub-image corresponding to these display panels into a display frame; transmitting the display frame and the display profile of each display panel to the playback control device; using the playback control device to extract each sub-image related to these display panels from the display frame according to the display profile of each display panel, and playing the extracted each sub-image on the corresponding display panel. The image processing device of the present invention can save the bandwidth required for transmitting image data between it and the playback control device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display system, and more particularly to an image processing device and a playback control method for a display wall system. Background Art

[0002] A display wall system may include a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) display panels arranged in a homogenous or heterogeneous display layout. Since each LED panel has a display directionality, when there are a large number of LED panels, in a heterogeneous display layout, a conventional display wall system often requires a large number of image distributors and image cutters. In addition, since the display frames played in a conventional display wall system need to cover the entire range of all LED panels, a higher-specification output device is also required.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide an image processing device and a playback control method for a display wall system to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide an image processing device and a playback control method for a display wall system to solve the above problems.

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention provide an image processing device applicable to a display wall system. The display wall system includes a plurality of display panels, and these display panels are connected to a playback control device, and the playback control device is connected to the image processing device. The image processing device includes: a storage device for storing an image recombination program; and a processor for executing the image recombination program to perform the following steps: receiving a video image; dividing the video image into a plurality of sub-images; recombining the sub-images corresponding to the display panels into a display frame; transmitting the display frame and the display configuration files of the respective display panels to the playback control device; and using the playback control device to extract the sub-images related to the display panels from the display frame according to the display configuration files of the respective display panels, and playing the extracted sub-images on the corresponding display panels.

[0006] In some embodiments, the image processing device further includes: a video frame buffer and a display frame buffer, and the processor decodes a video file to obtain a video image. The display panels are divided into a first group and a second group, and the first group and the second group are respectively connected in series to a first physical port and a second physical port of the playback control device. The display panels in the first group have a first scanning direction, and the display panels in the second group have a second scanning direction, and the first scanning direction is perpendicular to the second scanning direction.

[0007] In some embodiments, the display configuration file of each display panel includes: the physical port number and the cascading position, the starting X-axis coordinate and the starting Y-axis coordinate of the sub-image corresponding to each display panel, the first pixel width and the first pixel height of the sub-image played on each display panel, the rotation angle and the rotation direction of the sub-image played on each display panel relative to the video image, the pixel width and the pixel height of each display panel, the starting X-axis coordinate and the starting Y-axis coordinate of the sub-image corresponding to each display panel in the display frame buffer, and the second pixel width and the second pixel height of the sub-image corresponding to each display panel in the display frame buffer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the display panels are arranged in an arch shape or in a windmill shape.

[0009] In some embodiments, the image processing device further includes: a video frame buffer and a display frame buffer, and the processor decodes a video file to obtain a video image. The video frame buffer includes a first region and a second region, and the processor alternately writes the decoded video image into one of the first region and the second region, and reads the video image from the other of the first region and the second region. The display frame buffer includes a third region and a fourth region, and the processor alternately writes the sub-image corresponding to each display panel into one of the third region and the fourth region, and reads the display frame from the other of the third region and the fourth region.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first resolution of the sub-image of each display panel is equal to the second resolution of each display panel. The first resolution is x pixels * y pixels, and the processor extracts multiple second sub-images related to the sub-images from the video image and having a third resolution of (x + z) pixels * (y + z) pixels, where x, y, and z are positive integers.

[0011] In some embodiments, the image processing device further includes: an encoding frame buffer, and the encoding frame buffer includes a fifth part and a sixth part. The processor reorganizes the second sub-images into an encoded image, and alternately writes the encoded image into one of the fifth part and the sixth part, and reads the encoded image from the other of the fifth part and the sixth part. The processor encodes the encoded images at different time points into a video file.

[0012] In some embodiments, in response to the processor opening the video file, the processor decodes the video file to obtain an encoded image, and extracts the sub-images from the second sub-images in the encoded image.

[0013] In some embodiments, the display configuration files of the display panels are adjusted by a graphical user interface of an image recombination program. The graphical user interface includes a plurality of icons corresponding to the display panels, and a first position of the icons on the graphical user interface corresponds to a second position of the display panels. In response to inputting / dragging a specific icon related to a specific display panel on the graphical user interface to adjust the first position of the specific icon, the image recombination program correspondingly adjusts the display configuration file of the specific display panel.

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention further provide a playback control method for an image processing device. The playback control method includes: obtaining a video image to be played on a plurality of display panels, where the display panels are connected to a playback control device; dividing the video image into a plurality of sub-images; recombining the sub-images corresponding to the display panels into a display frame; transmitting the display frame and the display configuration files of the display panels to the playback control device; and using the playback control device to extract, according to the display configuration files of the display panels, the sub-images related to the display panels from the display frame, and playing the extracted sub-images on the corresponding display panels.

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention further provide a playback control method for an image processing device. The playback control method includes: obtaining a video image to be played on a plurality of display panels in a display wall, where the display panels are connected to a playback control device; dividing the video image into a plurality of sub-images; recombining the sub-images corresponding to the display panels into a display frame; transmitting the display frame and the display configuration files of the display panels to the playback control device; and using the playback control device to extract, according to the display configuration files of the display panels, the sub-images related to the display panels from the display frame, and playing the extracted sub-images on the corresponding display panels.

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention provide an image processing device and a playback control method for a display wall system. The sub-images required for playing on each display panel in the display wall can be recombined to obtain a display frame, so as to avoid transmitting unnecessary sub-images to the playback control device, thus saving the bandwidth required for transmitting image data between the image processing device and the playback control device. In addition, the playback control device can extract the sub-images corresponding to each display panel from the display frame according to the display configuration files of the display panels, and play the extracted sub-images on the corresponding display panels. Therefore, the display wall system in the embodiments of the present invention can reduce the number of playback control devices to be used. Description of the Drawings

[0017] Figure 1A It is a block diagram showing a display wall system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figures 1B - 1C According to the present invention Figure 1A Schematic diagram of the display wall in the embodiment

[0019] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the video image, display frame, and sub-images played on each display panel in an embodiment according to the present invention

[0020] Figure 3 Flowchart of the playback control method in an embodiment according to the present invention

[0021] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of converting a display frame into an encoded frame in an embodiment according to the present invention

[0022] Figure 5 Flowchart of the playback control method in another embodiment according to the present invention

[0023] Figures 6A - 6D Schematic diagram of the graphical user interface of the image recombination program in an embodiment according to the present invention

[0024] Description of main component symbols:

[0025] 10 Display wall system

[0026] 11 Image transmission channel

[0027] 12 Data transmission channel

[0028] 13, 14 Image data channels

[0029] 17, 18 Scanning directions

[0030] 21, 22, 23 Scanning directions

[0031] 100 Image processing device

[0032] 110 Processor

[0033] 111 Volatile memory

[0034] 112 Storage device

[0035] 114, 115 Transmission ports

[0036] 120 Playback control device

[0037] 121, 122 Transmission ports

[0038] 123, 124 Output ports

[0039] 125 Controller

[0040] 130A, 130B Display panels

[0041] 131 Input Port

[0042] 132 Output Port

[0043] 133 LED Panel

[0044] 140 Display Wall

[0045] 1111 Video Frame Buffer

[0046] 1112 Display Frame Buffer

[0047] 1121 Operating System

[0048] 1122 Image Recombination Program

[0049] 1123 Video File

[0050] 200 Video Image

[0051] 250 Display Frame

[0052] 250' Encoded Frame

[0053] 201, 211, 221, 231 Sub - Images

[0054] 600 Graphical User Interface

[0055] 602, 604 Buttons

[0056] 606, 608, 610 Fields

[0057] 620 Workspace

[0058] 630, 630' LED Light Box Icons

[0059] Location

[0060] Z Pixel

[0061] Steps S302 - S318, S502 - S518 Detailed Implementation Manner

[0062] The following description is the preferred implementation manner for completing the invention, aiming to describe the basic spirit of the present invention, but not intended to limit the present invention. The actual content of the invention must refer to the claims.

[0063] It should be understood that the terms "comprising", "including" and the like used in this specification are used to indicate the presence of specific technical features, numerical values, method steps, operations, components and / or assemblies, but do not exclude the addition of more technical features, numerical values, method steps, operations, components, assemblies, or any combination of the above.

[0064] The terms such as "first", "second", "third" and the like used in the claims are used to modify the elements in the claims, and do not indicate a priority order, precedence relationship, or that one element precedes another element, or the chronological order of performing method steps, but are only used to distinguish elements with the same name.

[0065] Figure 1A FIG. is a block diagram showing a display wall system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1B - 1C According to the present invention Figure 1A Schematic diagram of a display wall in an embodiment.

[0066] The display wall system 10 includes an image processing device 100, a playback control device 120, and a display wall 140. The image processing device 100 is connected to the playback control device 120 through an image transmission channel 11 and a data transmission channel 12. The image processing device 100 can be, for example, a personal computer or a server, which has image playback ability and image output ability. For example, it can decode and play video files in different formats, and can process the decoded video images to obtain display frames for playback on the display panels 130A and 130B in the display wall 140, and transmit the display frames and the display configuration file of the display wall 140 to the playback control device 120 through the corresponding image transmission channel 11 and data transmission channel 12 via transmission ports 114 and 115 respectively.

[0067] As Figure 1A shown, the image processing device 100 includes a processor 110, a volatile memory 111, and a storage device 112. The processor 110 can be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, etc., but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The volatile memory 111 can be implemented by, for example, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM), but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0068] The volatile memory 111 includes a video frame buffer 1111 and a display frame buffer 1112. The video frame buffer 1111 is used to temporarily store, for example, the video images obtained by the processor 110 decoding a video file 1123. The display frame buffer 1112 is used to temporarily store the display frames to be transmitted to the playback control device 120, where the display frames include sub-images to be displayed on each display panel. It should be noted that both the video frame buffer 1111 and the display frame buffer 1112 are designed with ping-pong buffers, which means that the video frame buffer 1111 and the display frame buffer 1112 can each include a first part and a second part. When the current operation performs a storage operation on the first part, the processor 110 will perform a read operation from the second part. Similarly, when the current operation performs a read operation on the first part, the processor 110 will perform a write operation on the second part to avoid the occurrence of a fragmented picture.

[0069] The storage device 112 is used to store an operating system 1121, an image recombination program 1122, and a video file 1123. The operating system 1121 can be, for example, Windows, Linux, MacOS, etc., but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The image recombination program 1122 recombines and arranges the sub-images in the video images temporarily stored in the video frame buffer 1111 to generate display frames for storage in the display frame buffer 1112. The video file 1123 can be, for example, an image compression file, a video stream file, etc., and can have different video compression formats, such as MPG, H.264, etc., but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0070] The playback control device 120 can receive the display frames and the display configuration file of the display wall 140 from the image processing device 100 through the corresponding image transmission channel 11 and data transmission channel 12 of the transmission port 121 (which can be, for example, interfaces such as DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, etc.) and the transmission port 122 (which is, for example, a USB port and can support standards of USB 2.0 or above). In some embodiments, the transmission ports 114 and 115 can be integrated into a USB Type-C transmission port, and the image transmission channel 11 and the data transmission channel 12 can be integrated into one, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0071] The controller 125 in the playback control device 120 obtains information such as the arrangement direction, resolution, and position of each display panel 130A and 130B in the display wall 140 according to the display configuration file of the display wall 140 (note: the details will be described in detail later), and plays each sub-image in the display frame on the corresponding display panel 130A or 130B according to the above information. For example, the controller 125 can be implemented by a general-purpose processor or a microprocessor, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0072] The display wall 140 includes a plurality of display panels 130A and 130B, which are arranged in a predetermined manner, such as Figure 1B the arrangement in the shape of a windmill shown or Figure 1C the arched arrangement shown, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to Figure 1B and Figure 1C the special-shaped display layout arrangements in. The display panels 130A and 130B can also adopt a homomorphic display layout arrangement (that is, both use the same screen scanning direction).

[0073] For example, the screen scanning directions of the display panels 130A and 130B are both raster scan, that is, scanning line by line from left to right and from top to bottom. When some display panels have a rotation angle, for example, the display panel 130B is rotated by 90 degrees, the display wall 140 will include two or more screen scanning directions, such as Figures 1B - 1C the scanning directions 17 and 18 shown in.

[0074] In addition, the display panels 130A and 130B are respectively serially connected to the output ports 123 and 124 of the playback control device 120, such as the video data channels 13 and 14. In some embodiments, the video data channels 13 and 14 can be implemented by interfaces that can achieve serial connection using RJ45, USB, or DisplayPort, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, each of the display panels 130A and 130B is the smallest unit for displaying video data, and each of the display panels 130A and 130B includes an input port 131, an output port 132, and an LED panel 133.

[0075] For example, the display panels 130A and 130B can receive display frames from the playback control device 120 through corresponding video data channels (such as RJ45 network cables) and play the corresponding sub-images in the display frames. For example, the video data transmitted through the video data channels 13 and 14 respectively includes the sub-images to be displayed on the display panels 130A and 130B. The display panels 130A and 130B may include, for example, a network controller (not shown) to identify the device identifier (Device ID) in the video data transmitted through the video data channel 13 or 14. If the video data does not include the sub-images of the local display panel 130A or 130B, the above sub-images will be output to the next display panel 130A or 130B through the output port 132 of the local display panel 130A or 130B.

[0076] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a video image, a display frame, and sub-images played on each display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please also refer to Figures 1A - 1C and Figure 2 .

[0077] In one embodiment, the video image 200 obtained by the processor 110 of the image processing device 100 decoding the video file 1123 is stored in the video frame buffer 1111, where the video image 200 can be cut into multiple sub-images, such as including sub-images 201, 211, 221, and 231, etc. For example, the sub-image 201 (corresponding to the position ) and the sub-images placed horizontally below it (such as the first area), and the sub-image 231 (corresponding to the position ) and the sub-images placed horizontally below it (such as the second area) are used for the display panel 130A to play. The sub-image 211 (corresponding to the position ) and the sub-images placed vertically to its left (such as the third area), and the sub-image 221 (corresponding to the position ) and the sub-images placed horizontally to its left (such as the fourth area) are used for the display panel 130B to play.

[0078] The image recombination program 1122 executed by the processor 110 recombines and arranges the sub-images that will be played on the display panels 130A and 130B in the video image 200 to obtain the display frame 250, where the display frame 250 is stored in the display frame buffer 1112. Simply put, in Figure 2It contains 8 display panels 130A and 8 display panels 130B, so there are a total of 16 sub-images that need to be played on each of the display panels 130A and 130B respectively. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned quantities of the display panels 130A and 130B, and those of ordinary skill in the art of the present invention can adjust the quantities of the display panels 130A and 130B in the display wall 140 according to actual needs.

[0079] The image recombination program 1122 extracts the sub-images corresponding to the respective positions of each of the display panels 130A and 130B from the video image 200 according to the display configuration file of the display wall 140 (including the display configuration files of each of the display panels 130A and 130B), and rearranges the extracted sub-images to obtain the display frame 250. The display panel 130A receives the corresponding sub-image from the playback control device 120 through the image data channel 13, and the display panel 130B receives the corresponding sub-image from the playback control device 120 through the image data channel 14.

[0080] In an embodiment, the display configuration files of each of the display panels 130A and 130B in the display wall 140 are as follows:

[0081]

[0082] Among them, Total_LED_Board defines the number of display panels; PHY_ID indicates which output port (i.e., physical port) of the playback control device 120 this display panel is connected to; ID indicates the cascading position, meaning which position of the output port this display panel is cascaded to; X and Y respectively represent the starting point X-axis / Y-axis coordinates of the sub-image to be displayed in the video image 200 of the video frame buffer 1111 (for example, based on the coordinates of the upper left endpoint of the sub-image); Width and Height respectively represent the pixel width and pixel height of the sub-image to be displayed; Rotate represents the angle by which this display panel needs to be rotated relative to the video image; Rotate_Direction represents the rotation direction of this display panel relative to the video image; LedBoardWidth and LedBoardHeight respectively represent the pixel width and pixel height of this display panel; FB_X and FB_Y respectively represent the starting point X-axis / Y-axis coordinates of the sub-image of this display panel copied to the display frame buffer 1112 (for example, based on the coordinates of the upper left endpoint of the sub-image); FB_Width and FB_Height respectively represent the pixel width and pixel height of the sub-image of this display panel in the display frame buffer 1112.

[0083] Please refer to Figure 2, assume that the resolution of the video image 200 is 1080 (horizontal) × 1080 (vertical) pixels, and the resolution of each display panel 130A and 130B is 240 (horizontal) × 135 (vertical) pixels. At the position the display configuration file content of the display panel 130A is, for example:

[0084] PHY_ID = 0;

[0085] ID = 8;

[0086] X = 300;

[0087] Y = 0;

[0088] Width = 240;

[0089] Height = 135;

[0090] Rotate = 0;

[0091] Rotate_Direction = 0;

[0092] LedBoardWidth = 240;

[0093] LedBoardHeight = 135;

[0094] FB_X = 0;

[0095] FB_Y = 0;

[0096] FB_Width = 240;

[0097] FB_Height = 135;

[0098] For example, the PHY_IDs of the output ports 123 and 124 of the playback control device are 0 and 1 respectively, and the IDs of the display panels 130A and 130B in the video data channels 13 and 14 are 1 to 8 in sequence. Therefore, at the position the display panel 130A is connected to the video data channel 13 of the output port 123, so the PHY_ID is 0, and it is the last display panel in the video data channel 13, so its ID is 8. In the sub-image 201 (corresponding to the position ) in the video image 200 of the video frame buffer 1111, the upper left vertex coordinates (X, Y) are (300, 0), and the pixel width Width and pixel height Height of the sub-image to be displayed are 240 and 135 respectively, which means starting from the position of the coordinates (300, 0) in the video frame buffer 1111, a sub-image with a pixel width and pixel height of 240 × 135 is taken out.

[0099] In addition, since the scanning direction of the sub-image 201 is the same as that of the video image 200, rotation is not required, so Rotate = 0. When the rotation angle is 0, the configuration of the rotation direction Rotate_Direction can be ignored. Since the pixel width and pixel height of the display panel 130A are 240 and 135 respectively, LedBoardWidth and LedBoardHeight are 240 and 135 respectively. In addition, the upper left vertex of the sub-image 201 in the display frame buffer 1112 has coordinates (0, 0), so (FB_X, FB_Y) = (0, 0). In this embodiment, since the resolution of the display panel 130A is the same as that of the sub-image to be played, FB_Width and FB_Height can be configured as 240 and 135 respectively.

[0100] Similarly, at the position the content of the display configuration file of the display panel 130A is, for example:

[0101] PHY_ID = 0;

[0102] ID = 4;

[0103] X = 540;

[0104] Y = 540;

[0105] Width = 240;

[0106] Height = 135;

[0107] Rotate = 0;

[0108] Rotate_Direction = 0;

[0109] LedBoardWidth = 240;

[0110] LedBoardHeight = 135;

[0111] FB_X = 240;

[0112] FB_Y = 0;

[0113] FB_Width = 240;

[0114] FB_Height = 135;

[0115] For example, at the position The display panel 130A is connected to the image data channel 13 of the output port 123. Therefore, the PHY_ID is 0, and it is the 4th display panel in the image data channel 13. Thus, its serial number ID is 4. In the sub-image 231 (corresponding to the position ) in the video image 200 of the video frame buffer 1111, the upper left vertex coordinates (X, Y) are (540, 540), and the width Width and height Height of the sub-image to be displayed are 240 and 135 respectively. That is, starting from the position of the coordinates (540, 540) in the video frame buffer 1111, a sub-image with a pixel width and pixel height of 240×135 is retrieved.

[0116] In addition, since the scanning direction of the sub-image 231 is the same as that of the video image 200, no rotation is required. Therefore, Rotate = 0. In the case where the rotation angle is 0, the configuration of the rotation direction Rotate_Direction can be ignored. Since the pixel width and pixel height of the display panel 130A are 240 and 135 respectively, LedBoardWidth and LedBoardHeight are 240 and 135 respectively. In addition, the upper left vertex of the sub-image 231 has coordinates (240, 0) in the display frame buffer 1112, that is, on the right side of the sub-image 201. Therefore, (FB_X, FB_Y) = (240, 0). In this embodiment, the resolution of the display panel 130A is the same as that of the sub-image to be played. Therefore, FB_Width and FB_Height can be configured as 240 and 135 respectively.

[0117] At the position , the content of the display configuration file of the display panel 130A is, for example:

[0118] PHY_ID = 1;

[0119] ID = 8;

[0120] X = 945;

[0121] Y = 300;

[0122] Width = 135;

[0123] Height = 240;

[0124] Rotate = 90;

[0125] Rotate_Direction = 0;

[0126] LedBoardWidth = 240;

[0127] LedBoardHeight = 135;

[0128] FB_X = 480;

[0129] FB_Y = 0;

[0130] FB_Width = 240;

[0131] FB_Height = 135;

[0132] For example, the display panel 130B at position is connected to the image data channel 14 of the output port 123. Therefore, the PHY_ID is 1, and it is the 8th display panel in the image data channel 14, so its serial number ID is 8. In the sub-image 211 (corresponding to the position ) in the video image 200 of the video frame buffer 1111, the upper left vertex coordinates (X, Y) are (945, 300), and the pixel width Width and pixel height Height of the sub-image to be displayed are 135 and 240 respectively. That is, starting from the position with coordinates (945, 300) in the video frame buffer 1111, a sub-image with a pixel width and height of 135×240 is retrieved.

[0133] In addition, since the sub-image 211 is at a 90-degree angle to the scanning direction of the video image 200, it needs to be rotated counterclockwise (to the left). Therefore, Rotate = 90, and the rotation direction Rotate_Direction = 0. Since the pixel width and pixel height of the display panel 130A are 240 and 135 respectively, LedBoardWidth and LedBoardHeight are 240 and 135 respectively. In addition, the upper left vertex of the sub-image 211 in the display frame buffer 1112 has coordinates (480, 0), that is, to the right of the sub-image 231. Therefore, (FB_X, FB_Y) = (480, 0). In this embodiment, the resolution of the display panel 130A is the same as that of the sub-image to be played, so FB_Width and FB_Height can be configured as 240 and 135 respectively.

[0134] At position the content of the display configuration file of the display panel 130A is, for example:

[0135] PHY_ID = 1;

[0136] ID = 4;

[0137] X = 405;

[0138] Y = 540;

[0139] Width = 135;

[0140] Height = 240;

[0141] Rotate = 90;

[0142] Rotate_Direction = 0;

[0143] LedBoardWidth = 240;

[0144] LedBoardHeight = 135;

[0145] FB_X = 720;

[0146] FB_Y = 0;

[0147] FB_Width = 240;

[0148] FB_Height = 135;

[0149] For example, the display panel 130B at the position is connected to the image data channel 14 of the output port 123. Therefore, the PHY_ID is 1, and it is the 4th display panel in the image data channel 14, so its number ID is 4. In the sub-image 221 (corresponding to the position ) in the video image 200 of the video frame buffer 1111, the upper left vertex coordinates (X, Y) are (405, 540), and the pixel width Width and pixel height Height of the sub-image to be displayed are 135 and 240 respectively. That is, starting from the position of the coordinates (405, 540) in the video frame buffer 1111, a sub-image with a pixel width and pixel height of 135×240 is taken out.

[0150] In addition, since the sub-image 221 is at a 90-degree angle to the scanning direction of the video image 200, it needs to be rotated counterclockwise (to the left). Therefore, Rotate = 90, and the rotation direction Rotate_Direction = 0. Since the pixel width and pixel height of the display panel 130A are 240 and 135 respectively, LedBoardWidth and LedBoardHeight are 240 and 135 respectively. In addition, the upper left vertex of the sub-image 221 is at the coordinates (720, 0) in the display frame buffer 1112, that is, on the right side of the sub-image 211. Therefore, (FB_X, FB_Y) = (720, 0). In this embodiment, the resolution of the display panel 130A is the same as the resolution of the sub-image to be played, so FB_Width and FB_Height can be configured as 240 and 135 respectively.

[0151] Therefore, the playback control device 120 can transmit each sub-image to the corresponding display panel 130A or 130B through the corresponding video data channels 13 and 14 of the output ports 123 and 124 according to the corresponding display configuration files of the respective display panels 130A and 130B, as Figure 2 shown.

[0152] In one embodiment, the display configuration files of the respective display panels 130A and 130B in the display wall 140 can be generated, filled in manually, or automatically recognized by photographing with a mobile device by, for example, the graphical user interface of the image recombination program 1122, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The details of the graphical user interface of the image recombination program 1122 will be described in Figures 6A - 6D the embodiments of.

[0153] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a playback control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please also refer to Figures 1A - 3 .

[0154] In step S302, the video file 1123 is opened. For example, the video file 1123 can be, for example, an image compression file, a video stream file, etc., and can have different video compression formats, such as MPG, H.264, etc., but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0155] In step S304, the processor 110 decodes the video file 1123 and writes each decoded video image into the video frame buffer 1111. For example, Figure 2 it has been illustrated that the video image 200 can be stored in the video frame buffer 1111.

[0156] In step S306, the processor 110 reads the display configuration file of the display wall 140. For example, each of the display panels 130A and 130B in the display wall 140 has a corresponding display configuration file, the details of which can be referred to the foregoing embodiments. In addition, the display configuration file of the display wall 140 can be generated by, for example, the graphical user interface of the image recombination program 1122 and pre-stored in the storage device 112. It should be noted that the execution order of step S306 in Figure 3 the process is not limited to the Figure 3 shown order, and step S306 can be executed in a different order, for example, before step S302 or before step S304, depending on the actual situation.

[0157] In step S308, the processor 110 determines whether the video frame buffer 1111 is ready. When the processor 110 determines that the video frame buffer 1111 is ready, step S310 is executed. When the processor 110 determines that the video frame buffer is not ready, the process returns to step S308 to wait for the video frame buffer 1111 to be ready.

[0158] In step S310, the processor 110 reads the video image from the video frame buffer 1111. For example, the video frame buffer 1111 has a ping-pong buffer design, which means that the video frame buffer 1111 includes a first part and a second part. If the current operation is a storage operation on the first part, the processor 110 will perform a read operation on the second part. Similarly, if the current operation is a read operation on the first part, the processor 110 will perform a write operation on the second part to avoid frame breakup.

[0159] In step S312, sub-images to be displayed on each display panel are extracted from the video image. For example, as Figure 2 shown, only some sub-images in the video image 200 correspond to the display panels 130A and 130B. Therefore, the processor 110 extracts the sub-images to be displayed on each of the display panels 130A and 130B from the video image 200.

[0160] In step S314, rotation processing and / or scaling processing are performed on each of the extracted sub-images. For example, if the resolution of each sub-image is the same as the resolution of the display panels 130A and 130B, no scaling processing is required. If the resolution of each sub-image is different from the resolution of the display panels 130A and 130B, the processor 110 scales the sub-image to match the resolution of the display panels 130A and 130B. In addition, the scanning direction of the display panel 130B is different from that of the video image 200. Therefore, the processor 110 needs to perform rotation processing on the sub-image corresponding to the display panel 130B, such as rotating it 90 degrees to the left, as Figure 2 shown.

[0161] In step S316, the display frame composed of the processed sub-images is written into the display frame buffer, and the display frame is transmitted to the playback control device through the image transmission interface. For example, the display frame 250 shown in Figure 2 is composed of sub-images corresponding to each of the display panels 130A and 130B and does not include sub-images that do not correspond to each of the display panels 130A and 130B. Therefore, the resolution of the display frame 250 is smaller than the resolution of the video image 200, so the bandwidth required for transmitting image data between the image processing device and the playback control device can be saved.

[0162] In step S318, it is determined whether the end of the file has been reached. If the end of the file has been reached, this process ends. If the end of the file has not been reached, the process returns to step S304.

[0163] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram for converting a display frame into an encoded frame according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 It is a flowchart of a playback control method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 .

[0164] In one embodiment, the image processing device 100 can support the function of non-instantaneous playback. For example, the image processing device 100 can pre-obtain the video file 1123 (or the instant-playing video stream) to be played on the display wall system 10, and convert the video file 1123 (or the instant-playing video stream) into another video file for the video wall system 10. For example, in the video frame 250, the sub-images are properly arranged, and each sub-image and its left / right adjacent sub-images may not be adjacent sub-images in the original video image. In addition, if the video file 1123 uses a video coding standard such as H.264, the display frame 250 will be divided into multiple macroblocks for block coding / decoding, and the deblocking process will cause the decoded frame to be blurred. Therefore, the processor 110 can Figure 4 extract Z pixels (for example, Z = 16, not limited) in the up, down, left, and right directions of each sub-image of the display frame 250, and form the obtained sub-image data into an encoded frame 250', and perform video coding on the encoded frame 250' to obtain a new video file, that is, the original general video file 1123 can be converted into a new video file for the display wall system 10. Therefore, the new video file can be used for non-instantaneous playback.

[0165] For example, Figure 5 the process of Figure 3 is similar to Figure 5 , and the difference is that

[0166] the process of Figure 5 is used for non-instantaneous playback. For example, in step S512, the processor 110 extracts the sub-images to be displayed on each display panel and Z pixels in the up, down, left, and right directions thereof from the video image to obtain each sub-image data. Figure 3 For the details of other steps in

[0167] In some embodiments, when the processor 110 decodes the new video file to obtain decoded frames, the processor 110 crops out the sub-images corresponding to each display panel and Z pixels captured in the up, down, left, and right directions from the decoded frames. If the resolution of each sub-image is X (horizontal) * Y (vertical), it means that the size of the above-mentioned cropping area is (X + 2Z) * (Y + 2Z). Then, the playback control device 120 can select the sub-images from each cropping area according to the display configuration file of the display wall 140 and play the corresponding sub-images on each display panel. It should be noted that the relevant parameters (such as parameters like X, Y, Width, Height, FB_X, FB_Y, FB_Width, and FB_Height, etc.) in the display configuration file of each display panel of the display wall 140 also need to be adjusted accordingly. Through the above method, the embodiments of the present invention can avoid the problem of blurring between sub-images described above.

[0168] In other embodiments, when the processor 110 decodes the new video file, the processor 110 can crop out the sub-images corresponding to each display panel from the decoded video image according to the display configuration file of the display wall 140 (for example, it is necessary to remove Z pixels captured in the up, down, left, and right directions of each sub-image in the decoded frames in Figure 4 and the resolution of the cropped sub-image is X * Y), and play the corresponding sub-images on each display panel. It should be noted that the relevant parameters in the display configuration file of each display panel of the display wall 140 also need to be adjusted accordingly (such as parameters like X, Y, Width, Height, FB_X, FB_Y, FB_Width, and FB_Height, etc.). Therefore, through the above method, the embodiments of the present invention can avoid the problem of blurring between sub-images described above.

[0169] Figures 6A - 6D It is a schematic diagram of a graphical user interface of an image recombination program according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figures 1A - 1C and Figures 6A - 6D .

[0170] As Figure 6AAs shown, the graphical user interface 600 of the image recombination program 1122 includes buttons 602 and 604, fields 606 - 610, and a workspace 620. The workspace 620 may include one or more LED light box icons 630, and the size and position of each LED light box icon 630 correspond to the resolution and position of each display panel 130A and 130B. The user can use a mouse (or touch) to drag any LED light box icon 630 in the workspace 620. The coordinates of the upper left corner of the workspace 620 are (0, 0), and each LED light box icon 630 contains a number (No.) and the coordinates of the LED light box icon 630 (based on the coordinates of its upper left vertex).

[0171] For example, the user can fill in the pixel width and pixel height of the LED light box in fields 606 and 608 respectively, and can fill in the rotation angle and the rotation direction below it (such as right turn or left turn) in field 610. In addition, the user can also click on button 602 in the graphical user interface 600 with the mouse to add a new LED light box icon 630 in the workspace 620, and the pixel width, pixel length, and rotation angle of the newly added LED light box icon 630 follow the values in fields 606, 608, and 610.

[0172] As Figure 6B shown, assume that there is originally only one LED light box icon 630 in the workspace 620, and its number is 1. When the user clicks on button 602 in the graphical user interface 600 with the mouse, a new LED light box icon 630 will be added in the upper left corner of the workspace 620, and its number is 2, and its coordinates are (0, 0) at this time. The user can click on the LED light box icon 630 numbered 2 with the mouse and drag it to an appropriate position, such as corresponding to the LED light box icon 630'. At this time, the coordinates of the LED light box icon 630' numbered 2 will change from (0, 0) to (300, 135).

[0173] As Figure 6C shown, the user can use a similar method to sequentially add multiple LED light box icons 630, such as numbered 3 - 5. The user can also click on the LED light box icon 630 numbered 5 in the workspace 620 and drag it to an appropriate position, such as corresponding to the LED light box icon 630'. At this time, the coordinates of the LED light box icon 630' numbered 5 will change from (0, 0) to (300, 540).

[0174] Next, as Figure 6DAs shown, the user has clicked on the LED light box icon 630 numbered 5 in the work area 620. When the user fills in 90 in the field 610 and selects a right turn, the LED light box icon 630 numbered 5 will turn 90 degrees to the right. For example, it corresponds to the LED light box icon 630', and at this time, the coordinates of the LED light box icon 630' numbered 5 will be changed to (405, 540).

[0175] In summary, the embodiments of the present invention provide an image processing device and a playback control method for a display wall system, which can recombine the sub-images required for playback of each display panel in the display wall to obtain a display frame, so as to avoid transmitting unnecessary sub-images to the playback control device. Therefore, the bandwidth required for transmitting image data between the image processing device and the playback control device can be saved. In addition, the playback control device can extract the sub-images corresponding to each display panel from the display frame according to the display configuration file of each display panel, and play the extracted sub-images on the corresponding display panels. Therefore, the display wall system in the embodiments of the present invention can reduce the number of playback control devices to be used.

[0176] Although the embodiments of the present invention are disclosed above as preferred embodiments, they are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Any person of ordinary skill in the art within the technical field, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, should be able to make some modifications and refinements. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An image processing device, which is applicable to a display wall system. The display wall system includes a plurality of display panels, and the plurality of display panels are connected to a playback control device, and the playback control device is connected to the image processing device. The image processing device comprises: a storage device for storing an image recombination program; and a processor for executing the image recombination program to perform the following steps: receiving a video image; dividing the video image into a plurality of sub-images; recombining the plurality of sub-images corresponding to the plurality of display panels into a display frame; transmitting the display frame and the display configuration file of each display panel to the playback control device; using the playback control device to extract the plurality of sub-images related to the plurality of display panels from the display frame according to the display configuration file of each display panel, and playing each extracted sub-image on the corresponding display panel.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, the image processing device further comprises: a video frame buffer and a display frame buffer, and the processor decodes a video file to obtain the video image.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of display panels are divided into a first group and a second group, and the first group and the second group are respectively connected in series to a first physical port and a second physical port of the playback control device.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of display panels in the first group have a first scanning direction, and the plurality of display panels in the second group have a second scanning direction, and the first scanning direction is perpendicular to the second scanning direction.

5. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein the display configuration file of each display panel comprises: physical port number and connection position, the starting X-axis coordinate and starting Y-axis coordinate of the sub-image corresponding to each display panel, the first pixel width and first pixel height of the sub-image played on each display panel, the rotation angle and rotation direction of the sub-image played on each display panel relative to the video image, the pixel width and pixel height of each display panel, the starting X-axis coordinate and starting Y-axis coordinate of the sub-image corresponding to each display panel in the display frame buffer, and the second pixel width and second pixel height of the sub-image corresponding to each display panel in the display frame buffer.

6. The image processing device according to claim 2, wherein the video frame buffer includes a first area and a second area, and the processor alternately writes the decoded video image into one of the first area and the second area, and reads the video image from the other of the first area and the second area; wherein the display frame buffer includes a third area and a fourth area, and the processor alternately writes the sub-images corresponding to each display panel into one of the third area and the fourth area, and reads the display frame from the other of the third area and the fourth area.

7. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein the first resolution of the sub-images of each display panel is equal to the second resolution of each display panel.

8. The image processing device according to claim 7, wherein the first resolution is x pixels * y pixels, and the processor extracts multiple second sub-images related to the multiple sub-images from the video image and having a third resolution of (x + z) pixels * (y + z) pixels, where x, y, and z are positive integers.

9. The image processing device according to claim 8, the image processing device further comprises: an encoding frame buffer, and the encoding frame buffer comprises a fifth part and a sixth part; wherein, the processor reorganizes the multiple second sub-images into an encoded image, and alternately writes the encoded image into one of the fifth part and the sixth part, and reads the encoded image from the other of the fifth part and the sixth part; wherein the processor encodes the encoded images at different time points into the video file.

10. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein in response to the processor opening the video file, the processor decodes the video file to obtain the encoded image, and extracts the multiple sub-images from the multiple second sub-images in the encoded image.

11. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display profile of each display panel is adjusted by the graphical user interface of the image reorganization program; wherein the graphical user interface comprises multiple icons corresponding to the multiple display panels, and the first positions of the multiple icons on the graphical user interface correspond to the second positions of the multiple display panels.

12. The image processing device according to claim 11, wherein in response to inputting a specific icon related to a specific display panel on the graphical user interface to adjust the first position of the specific icon, the image reorganization program correspondingly adjusts the display profile of the specific display panel.

13. A playback control method, the playback control method is used for an image processing device, the playback control method comprises: acquiring a video image to be played on multiple display panels, wherein the multiple display panels are connected to a playback control device; dividing the video image into multiple sub-images; reorganizing the multiple sub-images corresponding to the multiple display panels into a display frame; transmitting the display frame and the display profile of each display panel to the playback control device; using the playback control device to extract the multiple sub-images related to the multiple display panels from the display frame according to the display profile of each display panel, and playing each extracted sub-image on the corresponding display panel.

14. The playback control method according to claim 13, wherein the image processing device comprises a video frame buffer and a display frame buffer.

15. The playback control method according to claim 14, wherein the multiple display panels are divided into a first group and a second group, and the first group and the second group are respectively connected in series to the first physical port and the second physical port of the playback control device.

16. The playback control method according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of display panels in the first group have a first scanning direction, and the plurality of display panels in the second group have a second scanning direction, and the first scanning direction is perpendicular to the second scanning direction.

17. The playback control method according to claim 15, wherein the display configuration file of each display panel comprises: a physical port number and a cascading position, a starting X-axis coordinate and a starting Y-axis coordinate of a sub-image corresponding to each display panel, a first pixel width and a first pixel height of the sub-image played on each display panel, a rotation angle and a rotation direction of the sub-image played on each display panel relative to the video image, a pixel width and a pixel height of each display panel, a starting X-axis coordinate and a starting Y-axis coordinate of the sub-image corresponding to each display panel in the display frame buffer, and a second pixel width and a second pixel height of the sub-image corresponding to each display panel in the display frame buffer.

18. The playback control method according to claim 14, wherein the video frame buffer comprises a first area and a second area, and the display frame buffer comprises a third area and a fourth area, and the playback control method further comprises: decoding a video file to obtain the video image, and alternately writing the decoded video image into one of the first area and the second area, and reading the video image from the other of the first area and the second area; and alternately writing the sub-images corresponding to each display panel into one of the third area and the fourth area, and reading the display frame from the other of the third area and the fourth area.

19. The playback control method according to claim 18, wherein a first resolution of the sub-image of each display panel is equal to a second resolution of each display panel.

20. The playback control method according to claim 19, wherein the first resolution is x pixels * y pixels, and the playback control method further comprises: extracting multiple second sub-images related to the plurality of sub-images and having a third resolution of (x + z) pixels * (y + z) pixels from the video image, where x, y, and z are positive integers.

21. The playback control method according to claim 20, wherein the image processing device further comprises an encoding frame buffer, and the encoding frame buffer comprises a fifth part and a sixth part, and the playback control method further comprises: recombining the multiple second sub-images into an encoded image, and alternately writing the encoded image into one of the fifth part and the sixth part, and reading the encoded image from the other of the fifth part and the sixth part; and encoding the encoded images at different time points into the video file.

22. The playback control method according to claim 21, the playback control method further comprises: in response to opening the video file, decoding the video file to obtain the encoded image, and extracting the plurality of sub-images from the multiple second sub-images in the encoded image.

23. The playback control method according to claim 13, wherein the display configuration file of each display panel is adjusted by a graphical user interface of an image recombination program; The graphical user interface includes a plurality of icons corresponding to the plurality of display panels, and a first position of the plurality of icons on the graphical user interface corresponds to a second position of the plurality of display panels.

24. The playback control method according to claim 23, the playback control method further comprises: In response to inputting a specific icon related to a specific display panel on the graphical user interface to adjust the first position of the specific icon, executing the video recombination program to correspondingly adjust the display profile of the specific display panel.

Images