DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING MULTIPLE DRIVER ICs, MODULAR DISPLAY DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

Comprising a modular display device of a plurality of display devices, comprising: a communication interface; and a plurality of driver integrated circuits (ICs), in which a first driver IC of the plurality of driver ICs is configured to transmit a first signal to a second driver IC adjacent to the first driver IC based on receiving a first signal transmitted by an external device through the communication interface, the first driver IC and the second driver IC are configured such that the first signal is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs of the plurality of driver ICs connected in a daisy chain manner, and each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC is configured to transmit a second signal transmitted by the external device to a first other display device of the plurality of display devices connected to the display device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device, a modular display device, and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a display device including a plurality of driving integrated circuits (ICs), a modular display device including a plurality of display devices connected in a daisy-chain manner, and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Recently, various forms of display systems have been developed and distributed.

[0003] In particular, as display systems become larger and their resolutions become higher, the number of display modules and display devices constituting the display systems also increases proportionally.

[0004] In a modular display device, the size and shape of the modular display device may vary according to the number and size of display devices constituting the modular display device, etc.

[0005] Among a plurality of display apparatuses connected in a daisy-chain manner, when a connection is disconnected or an error occurs during signal transmission, there may be a problem in which the plurality of display apparatuses connected in a continuous manner cannot receive a signal.

[0006] Therefore, when transmission of a driving signal fails, such as when a signal is disconnected in a certain section among a plurality of display devices, a method is needed for allowing the remaining display devices connected after the signal-disconnected section to receive the driving signal. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus for enabling the remaining display devices located after a signal-disconnected section of a plurality of display devices to receive a driving signal.

[0008] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a display device of a modular display device including multiple display devices may include: a communication interface; and multiple driver integrated circuits (ICs), wherein a first driver IC among the multiple driver ICs may be configured to: based on a first signal sent by an external device received through the communication interface, send a first signal to a second driver IC adjacent to the first driver IC, so that the first signal is sequentially sent to the remaining driver ICs among the multiple driver ICs connected in a daisy-chain manner, and each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC may be configured to: send a second signal sent by the external device to a first other display device among the multiple display devices connected to the display device.

[0010] The first signal may include a first driving signal corresponding to the display device, and the second signal may include a second driving signal corresponding to the first other display device.

[0011] The first driver IC may be configured to send the second signal to the second driver IC based on receiving the second signal through the communication interface, and the second driver IC may be configured to send the second signal to the first other display device based on receiving the second signal from the first driver IC.

[0012] The communication interface may include a repeater configured to receive a second signal transmitted by the external device and transmit the second signal to each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC.

[0013] The second driver IC may be further configured to transmit the second signal to the first other display device based on receipt of the second signal through the repeater of the communication interface.

[0014] The external device may include a control box or a second other display apparatus among the plurality of display apparatuses connected to the display apparatus.

[0015] The communication interface may include a switch, and the switch may be configured to identify whether the first signal is received from each of the third driver IC and the fourth driver IC of the second other display apparatus based on that the external device is the second other display apparatus.

[0016] The switch can also be configured to: send a first signal to the first driver IC of the display device based on receiving the first signal from the third driver IC of the second other display device, and send a first signal received from the fourth driver IC of the second other display device to the first driver IC of the display device based on not receiving the first signal from the third driver IC of the second other display device.

[0017] The display apparatus and the first other display apparatus may be connected in a daisy-chain manner, and the first other display apparatus may be adjacent to the display apparatus.

[0018] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a display device of a modular display device including multiple display devices, wherein the display device includes multiple driver integrated circuits (ICs), the method may include: based on receiving a first signal sent by an external device, sending a first signal to a second driver IC among the multiple driver ICs that is adjacent to a first driver IC among the multiple driver ICs, so that the first signal is sequentially sent to the remaining driver ICs among the multiple driver ICs connected in a daisy-chain manner, and each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC sends a second signal sent by the external device to a first other display device among the multiple display devices connected to the display device.

[0019] The first signal may include a first driving signal corresponding to the display device, and the second signal may include a second driving signal corresponding to the first other display device.

[0020] Transmitting the second signal to the first other display device may include: transmitting the second signal to the second driver IC by the first driver IC, and transmitting the second signal to the first other display device by the second driver IC.

[0021] Transmitting the second signal to the first other display apparatus may include receiving, by the repeater, the second signal transmitted by the external device, and transmitting the second signal to each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC.

[0022] The transmitting the second signal to the first other display device may include transmitting the second signal to the first other display device by the second driver IC based on receiving the second signal through the repeater.

[0023] The external device may include a control box or a second other display apparatus among the plurality of display apparatuses connected to the display apparatus.

[0024] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: in a display device of a modular display device including a plurality of display devices, send a first signal to a second driver IC among the plurality of driver ICs that is adjacent to a first driver IC among the plurality of driver ICs based on receiving a first signal sent by an external device, so that the first signal is sequentially sent to the remaining driver ICs among the plurality of driver ICs connected in a daisy-chain manner, and each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC sends a second signal sent by the external device to a first other display device among the plurality of display devices connected to the display device.

[0025] The first signal may include a driving signal corresponding to the display device, and the second signal may include a driving signal corresponding to the first other display device.

[0026] When executed, the instruction may further cause the at least one processor to: send a second signal from the first driver IC to the second driver IC, and send a second signal from the second driver IC to the first other display device.

[0027] When executed, the instructions may further cause the at least one processor to: receive, by the repeater, a second signal sent by an external device, and send the second signal to each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC.

[0028] When executed, the instruction may further cause the at least one processor to: based on receiving the second signal through the repeater, send the second signal by the second driver IC to the first other display device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a modular display device displaying an image according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating a modular display device combining multiple display devices according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a display device transmitting a signal to another display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, which may fail to transmit a signal when an error occurs between the display device and another display device;

[0035] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a display device transmitting a signal to another display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the display device receiving a signal from a first display device and transmitting a signal to a second display device;

[0037] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a display device transmitting a signal to another display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0038] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Terms used in this disclosure will be briefly described, and then one or more embodiments will be described in detail.

[0040] Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Identical components in the figures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted. The embodiments described herein are example embodiments, and therefore, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be implemented in various other forms. It should be understood that, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, singular forms also include plural references. Terms used in this disclosure (including technical or scientific terms) may have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art.

[0041] Since the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and has several embodiments, specific non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be shown in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific non-limiting exemplary embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0042] Terms such as "first," "second," etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish components from each other.

[0043] Unless otherwise specified, singular expressions include plural expressions. It should be understood that terms such as "including" or "consisting of..." are used herein to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, element, component, or combination thereof, without excluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0044] The terms "module," "unit," "component," etc. in this disclosure may be used to refer to an element that performs at least one function or operation, and the element may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. In addition, except for the case where each of multiple "modules," "units," "components," etc. needs to be implemented in separate hardware, these components may be integrated into at least one module and implemented in at least one processor (not shown).

[0045] The following will describe in detail non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts that are not relevant to the description will be omitted, and similar parts will be represented by similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0046] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating a modular display device displaying an image according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0047] The modular display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a plurality of display devices, such as a display device 100 , a display device 200 , and the like.

[0048] For example, refer to Figure 1 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the modular display device 1 includes a plurality of display devices 100, 200, etc., and each of the plurality of display devices 100, 200, etc. can be configured as one display device (i.e., the modular display device 1) through daisy chain connection.

[0049] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating a modular display device combining a plurality of display devices according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0050] Reference Figure 2 , the modular display device 1 may include a plurality of display devices (or a plurality of display modules) 100 , 200 , . . . , 1200 , and the modular display device 1 may display images (or videos) using the plurality of display devices 100 , 200 , . . . , 1200 .

[0051] For example, the modular display device 1 may include multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 arranged in a matrix form (e.g., a 4×3 format). The 4×3 format is merely an example for ease of description, and the arrangement format, quantity, etc. of the multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 may be variously changed (e.g., resolution, size, etc.) according to the parameters of the modular display device 1, the manufacturer's manufacturing purpose, etc.

[0052] According to an embodiment, the modular display device 1 can be implemented as a television, but the embodiment is not limited thereto, and any device with a display function (such as a video wall, a large screen display (LFD), a digital signage (digital signage), a digital information display (DID), a projector display, etc.) can be applied.

[0053] In addition, the modular display device 1 can be implemented using various types of displays (e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), digital light processing (DLP), quantum dot (QD) display panel, quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED), etc.).

[0054] The display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 according to embodiments of the present disclosure may include a plurality of self-luminous elements. Here, the self-luminous elements may be at least one of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or micro-LEDs. Micro-LEDs are ultra-small LEDs with a size of approximately 5-100 microns that emit light independently without the need for color filters.

[0055] At least one display device (e.g., the first display device 100) among the multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 constituting the modular display device 1 of this embodiment can be connected to an external device (e.g., a source device, a timing controller (TCON)), etc., and can receive control signals, drive signals, etc. from the external device.

[0056] According to an embodiment, a plurality of display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 may be connected in a daisy-chain manner. For example, the first display device 100 may be connected to the second display device 200, and the second display device 200 may be connected to the third display device 300. That is, the plurality of display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 may be connected in a coherent manner. In this case, the first display device 100 connected to the external device may transmit a control signal, a drive signal, etc. received from the external device to the second display device 200 connected to the first display device 100, and the signal may be transmitted in a coherent manner to the remaining display devices 200, 300, ..., 1200 connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0057] In addition, the plurality of display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 may be divided into a plurality of groups, and the display devices included in each of the plurality of groups may be connected in a daisy chain manner. Figure 2 As shown, when multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 are arranged in a 4×3 format, the multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 can be divided into first to fourth groups by column. This embodiment is not limited thereto, and the multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 can be divided into first to third groups by row.

[0058] At least one display device (e.g., the lowermost display device or the leftmost display device) among the display devices included in each group can be connected to an external device (e.g., a source device, TCON, etc.) and can receive a control signal, a driving signal, etc. from the external device.

[0059] For example, the first to third display apparatuses 100 to 300 may be a group, the first display apparatus 100 may be connected to the second display apparatus 200, and the second display apparatus 200 may be connected to the third display apparatus 300. In this case, the first display apparatus 100 connected to the external device may sequentially transmit control signals, drive signals, and the like received from the external device to the second and third display apparatuses 200 and 300 included in the same group as the first display apparatus 100.

[0060] In addition, the fourth to sixth display devices 400 to 600 may be a group, the fourth display device 400 may be connected to the fifth display device 500, and the fifth display device 500 may be connected to the sixth display device 600. In this case, the fourth display device 400 connected to the external device may sequentially transmit control signals, drive signals, etc. received from the external device to the fifth and sixth display devices 500 and 600 included in the same group as the fourth display device 400.

[0061] For another example, each display device among the multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 included in the modular display device 1 can be connected in series to each other, and at least one display device that receives a control signal or a drive signal from an external device can send the received control signal, drive signal, etc. to another display module connected in series, and correspondingly, the control signal, drive signal, etc. can be sent sequentially to all display devices among the multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200.

[0062] For example, as the resolution, size, etc. of the modular display device 1 increase, the number of multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 set in the modular display device 1 also increases proportionally, and in addition to the standardized communication connection relationship of the prior art, the connection relationship (for example, the connection relationship of each display device in the multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 for receiving control signals, drive signals, etc. from external devices) can also be variously modified.

[0063] In the present disclosure, for convenience of description, the plurality of display apparatuses 100 , 200 , . . . , 1200 included in the modular display apparatus 1 are divided into a plurality of groups, and the display apparatuses included in each of the plurality of groups are connected according to a daisy chain manner.

[0064] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0065] Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it is assumed that one of the plurality of display apparatuses 100 , 200 , . . . , 1200 is the first display apparatus 100 , however various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in each of the plurality of display apparatuses 100 , 200 , . . . , 1200 .

[0066] The display apparatus 100 according to an example includes a plurality of driver ICs 110 including a first driver IC 110 - 1 , a second driver IC 110 - 2 , an nth driver IC 110 - n , and the like, and a communication interface 120 .

[0067] The communication interface 120 of an embodiment receives various signals and data. For example, the communication interface 120 can communicate with external devices through various wired / wireless communication methods using an application processor (AP)-based wireless local area network (LAN) (WLAN) (e.g., Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Zigbee, wired / wireless LAN, wide area network (WAN), Ethernet, IEEE 1394, high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), universal serial bus (USB), mobile high-definition link (MHL), Audio Engineering Society / European Broadcasting Union (AES / EBU), optical fiber, coaxial cable, radio frequency (RF)-based near field communication (NFC), infrared (IR), etc., and can also communicate with another display device (e.g., second display device 200 connected to first display device 100). For example, the communication interface can be implemented as a wired communication interface, such as V-by-One, an HDMI cable, a low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) cable, a digital video interface (DVI) cable, a D-subminiature (D-SUB) cable, a video graphics array (VGA) cable, an optical cable, etc.

[0068] According to an example, the communication interface 120 may receive a signal sent by an external device. The external device may include an electronic device (eg, a source device, etc.) and a TCON (eg, a controller) provided in a control box of the modular display apparatus 1. Figures 6 to 8 TCON2).

[0069] For example, the TCON provided in the control box of the modular display apparatus 1 may receive a video signal from an electronic device and generate a driving signal for driving the display apparatus 100 based on the video signal.

[0070] For example, when a video signal is received, the TCON may determine an area corresponding to the identification information of the first display device 100 within the entire area of the image corresponding to the video signal. The identification information of the first display device 100 may be pre-stored in the first display device 100. For example, when the identification information of the first display device 100 is ID1, the TCON provided in the control box of the modular display device 1 may determine an area corresponding to ID1 within the entire area of the image.

[0071] The TCON may generate a driving signal for driving a plurality of pixels included in the first display device 100 to display an image corresponding to the determined area through the first display device 100. Subsequently, the TCON may transmit the driving signal to the first display device 100, and the communication interface 120 provided in the first display device 100 may receive the driving signal.

[0072] A first driver IC 110 - 1 connected to the communication interface 120 among the plurality of driver ICs 110 provided in the first display device 100 may receive a driving signal and may control a pixel corresponding to the first driver IC 110 - 1 among the plurality of pixels included in the first display device 100 based on the driving signal.

[0073] The plurality of driver ICs 110 included in the first display apparatus 100 may be connected in a daisy-chain manner, and the first driver IC 110 - 1 may successively transmit a driving signal to the remaining driver ICs 110 - 2 , . . . , 110 - n connected in the daisy-chain manner.

[0074] Multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 are connected in a daisy-chain manner, and the TCON set in the control box of the modular display device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can send driving signals corresponding to the remaining display devices (i.e., the display devices connected to the first display device 100 in a daisy-chain manner) to the first display device 100.

[0075] For example, the multiple display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 included in the modular display device 1 can be divided into multiple groups, and when the display devices included in each of the multiple groups are connected in a daisy chain manner, the TCON set in the control box of the modular display device 1 can send a driving signal corresponding to the first display device 100, a driving signal corresponding to the second display device 200, and a driving signal corresponding to the third display device 300 to the first display device 100 included in the first group (including the first to third display devices 100, 200, 300).

[0076] The first display device 100 may control a plurality of pixels included in the first display device 100 by transmitting a driving signal corresponding to the first display device 100 to each of a plurality of driver ICs 110 included in the first display device 100 (e.g., sequentially transmitting the driving signal to the plurality of driver ICs 110 according to a daisy chain manner).

[0077] The first display apparatus 100 may transmit a driving signal corresponding to the second display apparatus 200 and a driving signal corresponding to the third display apparatus 300 to the second display apparatus 200 connected to the first display apparatus 100 in a daisy chain manner.

[0078] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a display device transmitting a signal to another display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0079] Reference Figure 4 , a first display device 100 among the plurality of display devices 100 , 200 , . . . , 1200 connected to an external device 2 (eg, a TCON provided in a control box of the modular display device 1 ) may receive a first signal A and a second signal B from the external device 2 .

[0080] The first signal A may be a driving signal corresponding to the first display device 100 (i.e., a driving signal for driving a plurality of pixels included in the first display device 100), and the second signal B may be a driving signal corresponding to the second display device 200 (i.e., a driving signal for driving a plurality of pixels included in the second display device 200).

[0081] For ease of description, the first display device 100 is described as being connected to the second display device 200 in a daisy-chain manner, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the first display device 100 may be connected in series with the second display device 200, and the second display device 200 may be connected in series with the third display device 300. In this case, the first display device 100 may receive the first signal A, the second signal B, and the third signal. The third signal may be a drive signal corresponding to the second display device 200 (i.e., a drive signal for driving the plurality of pixels included in the second display device 200).

[0082] Reference Figure 4 , the first display apparatus 100 according to the example may transmit the first signal A and the second signal B to the first driver IC 110 - 1 among the plurality of driver ICs 110 included in the first display apparatus 100 when receiving the first signal A and the second signal B from the external device 2 through the communication interface 120 .

[0083] The first driver IC 110 - 1 may transmit the first signal to the remaining driver ICs 110 - 1 , . . . , 110 - n connected in a daisy-chain manner, and transmit the second signal B to the second display apparatus 200 connected in series with the first display apparatus 100 .

[0084] When the second signal B is received through the communication interface 220 included in the second display apparatus 200, the second display apparatus 200 may transmit the second signal B to the first driver IC 210-1 among the plurality of driver ICs 210 included in the second display apparatus 200. Subsequently, the first driver IC 210-1 included in the second display apparatus 200 may transmit the second signal B to the remaining driver ICs 210-1, ..., 210-n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0085] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, which may fail to transmit a signal when an error occurs between the display device and other display devices.

[0086] Reference Figure 5 , the first display device 100, which is the first of the first to third display devices 100, 200 and 300 connected in a daisy chain manner, can be connected to the external device 2 to receive a driving signal corresponding to the first display device 100, a driving signal corresponding to the second display device 200, and a driving signal corresponding to the third display device 300 from the external device 2.

[0087] According to an embodiment, since the first to third display devices 100, 200, and 300 are connected in a daisy chain manner, the first display device 100 can send a driving signal corresponding to the second display device 200 and a driving signal corresponding to the third display device 300 to the second display device 200, and the second display device 200 can send a driving signal corresponding to the third display device 300 to the third display device 300.

[0088] Since the first to third display devices 100, 200, and 300 are connected continuously in a daisy chain manner, when the connection between one segment (for example, the segment between the first display device 100 and the second display device 200) is disconnected or the transmission of the driving signal fails due to various reasons (such as errors), the multiple display devices connected thereafter (for example, the second to third display devices 200 to 300) may not be able to receive the driving signal.

[0089] To prevent such problems from occurring, the first display device 100 may provide a redundant function for a driving signal corresponding to each of a plurality of display devices (e.g., the second to third display devices 200 to 300) connected thereto, using a plurality of driver ICs 110 included in the first display device 100.

[0090] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a display device transmitting a signal to another display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0091] Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the external device 2 refers to a TCON provided in a control box of the modular display apparatus 1 , but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0092] Reference Figure 6 , when receiving the first signal A and the second signal B from the TCON 2 through the communication interface 120 , the first display apparatus 100 may transmit the first signal A and the second signal B to the first driver IC 110 - 1 among the plurality of driver ICs 110 included in the first display apparatus 100 .

[0093] The first driver IC 110 - 1 may transmit the first signal A to the second driver IC 110 - 2 such that the first signal A is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs 110 - 1 , . . . , 110 - n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0094] Each of the first and second driver ICs 110 - 1 and 110 - 2 may transmit the second signal B to the second display apparatus 200 connected in series with the first display apparatus 100 .

[0095] For example, the first driver IC 110-1 may transmit each of the first signal A and the second signal B to the second driver IC 110-2. Subsequently, the second driver IC 110-2 may transmit the first signal A to a driver IC (e.g., the third driver IC 110-3) connected to the second driver IC 110-2 in a daisy-chain manner. Furthermore, the second driver IC 110-2 may transmit the second signal B to the second display device 200 connected in series with the first display device 100.

[0096] As another example, the communication interface 120 of the first display device 100 may include a repeater 121. Upon receiving the second signal B from the TCON 2, the repeater 121 according to this example may transmit the second signal B to each of the first driver IC 110-1 and the second driver IC 110-2. That is, the repeater 121 may transmit the second signal B received from the TCON 2 to each of the two driver ICs (i.e., the first driver IC 110-1 and the second driver IC 110-2).

[0097] When the second signal B is received through the communication interface 220 included in the second display apparatus 200, the second display apparatus 200 may transmit the second signal B to the first driver IC 210-1 among the plurality of driver ICs 210 included in the second display apparatus 200. Subsequently, the first driver IC 210-1 included in the second display apparatus 200 may transmit the second signal B to the remaining driver ICs 210-1, ..., 210-n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0098] Each of the first and second driver ICs 110 - 1 and 110 - 2 of the first display apparatus 100 transmits the second signal B to the second display apparatus 200 , so that the communication interface 220 of the second display apparatus 200 can receive the two second signals B.

[0099] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication interface 220 of the second display apparatus 200 may include a switch 222 .

[0100] According to an embodiment, the switch 222 may transmit the second signal B received from the first driver IC 110-1 to the first driver IC 210-1 of the second display device 200 when receiving the second signal B from each of the first driver IC 110-1 and the second driver IC 110-2 of the first display device 100. Subsequently, the first driver IC 210-1 of the second display device 200 may transmit the second signal B to the second driver IC 210-2 of the second display device 200, so that the second signal B is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs 210-1, ..., 210-n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0101] In addition, when receiving the second signal B from either the first driver IC 110-1 or the second driver IC 110-2 of the first display apparatus 100, the switch 222 may transmit the second signal B received from either the first driver IC 110-1 or the second driver IC 110-21 to the first driver IC 210-1 of the second display apparatus 200.

[0102] For example, when the second signal B is not received from the first driver IC 110-1 of the first display apparatus 100 and the second signal B is received from the second driver IC 110-2 of the first display apparatus 100, the switch 222 may transmit the second signal B received from the second driver IC 110-2 to the first driver IC 210-1 of the second display apparatus 200.

[0103] Figure 6 It is shown that the first display apparatus 100 and the second display apparatus 200 are connected in a daisy chain manner, and the first display apparatus 100 is connected to the TCON 2 provided in the control box to receive a driving signal from the TCON 2 , but this is only an example and is not limited thereto.

[0104] In various embodiments, the first display apparatus 100 and the third display apparatus 300 may be connected in a daisy chain manner, and this may be achieved by the second display apparatus 200 receiving a driving signal from the first display apparatus 100 and transmitting the driving signal to the third display apparatus 300 .

[0105] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a display device that receives a signal from a first other display device and transmits a signal to a second other display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0106] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example in which TCON2 provided in a control box 2-1 of a modular display device 1 sends a driving signal corresponding to a first display device 100, a driving signal corresponding to a second display device 200, and a driving signal corresponding to a third display device 300 to a first display device 100 included in a first group (including first to third display devices 100, 200, 300), and each of the first to third display devices 100 to 300 provides a redundant function.

[0107] Based on the identification information corresponding to each display device included in each of the multiple groups, the control box 2-1 can identify the area corresponding to each of the multiple groups in the overall area of the image, and the connection order between the display devices included in each of the multiple groups.

[0108] For example, the control box 2-1 may divide the plurality of display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 included in the modular display device 1 into a plurality of groups, and based on the identification information (e.g., ID1, ID2, ID3) of each of the first to third display devices 100, 200, 300 included in a first group among the plurality of groups, the first group may include the first to third display devices 100, 200, 300, and the first display device 100 Second display device 200 The connection order of the third display device 300 can be identified. In addition, the control box 2-1 can identify the area corresponding to the first group in the entire area of the image corresponding to the video signal, one area corresponding to the first display device 100 in the area corresponding to the first group, one area corresponding to the second display device 200, and one area corresponding to the third display device 300.

[0109] The control box 2-1 can obtain a driving signal corresponding to the first display device 100 (hereinafter referred to as the first signal A), a driving signal corresponding to the second display device 200 (hereinafter referred to as the second signal B), and a driving signal corresponding to the third display device 300 (hereinafter referred to as the third signal C) based on the connection order between the first to third display devices 100, 200, 300 and an area corresponding to each of the first to third display devices 100, 200, 300.

[0110] The TCON 2 included in the control box 2 - 1 may transmit the first signal A, the second signal B, and the third signal C to the first display apparatus 100 .

[0111] According to an embodiment, when the first signal A, the second signal B, and the third signal C are received from the TCON 2 through the communication interface 120, the first display apparatus 100 may transmit the first signal A to the first driver IC 110-1 among the plurality of driver ICs 110 included in the first display apparatus 100. The first driver IC 110-1 may transmit the first signal A to the second driver IC 110-2 such that the first signal A is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs 110-1, ..., 110-n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0112] The repeater 121 included in the communication interface 120 of the first display device 100 may transmit the second signal B and the third signal C to each of the first driver IC 110-1 and the second driver IC 110-2 upon receiving the second signal B and the third signal C (i.e., the remaining driving signals (e.g., the second signal B and the third signal C) except for the driving signal (e.g., the first signal A) corresponding to the first display device 100) from the TCON 2. That is, the repeater 121 may transmit each of the one second signal B and the one third signal C received from the TCON 2 to each of the two driver ICs (i.e., the first driver IC 110-1 and the second driver IC 110-2).

[0113] The first driver IC 110-1 may then transmit the second signal B and the third signal C to the second display apparatus 200. In addition, the second driver IC 110-2 may also transmit the second signal B and the third signal C to the second display apparatus 200.

[0114] After receiving the second signal B from the first driver IC 110-1 of the first display apparatus 100, the switch 222 included in the communication interface 220 of the second display apparatus 200 may transmit the second signal B to the first driver IC 210-1 of the second display apparatus 200. The first driver IC 210-1 may transmit the second signal B to the second driver IC 210-2, such that the second signal B is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs 210-1, ..., 210-n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0115] When the second signal B is not received from the first driver IC 110-1 of the first display apparatus 100 and the second signal B is received from the second driver IC 110-2 of the first display apparatus 100, the switch 222 included in the communication interface 220 of the second display apparatus 200 may transmit the second signal B to the first driver IC 210-1 of the second display apparatus 200. The first driver IC 210-1 may transmit the second signal B to the second driver IC 210-2 such that the second signal B is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs 210-1, ..., 210-n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0116] When receiving the third signal C from at least one of the first driver IC 110-1 of the first display device 100 or the second driver IC 110-2 of the first display device 100, the repeater 221 included in the communication interface 220 of the second display device 200 may transmit the third signal C to each of the first driver IC 210-1 and the second driver IC 210-2, respectively. That is, the repeater 221 may transmit at least one third signal B received from the first display device 100 to both driver ICs (i.e., the first driver IC 210-1 and the second driver IC 210-2).

[0117] The first driver IC 210-1 may transmit the third signal C to the third display apparatus 300. The second driver IC 210-2 may transmit the third signal C to the third display apparatus 300.

[0118] When receiving the third signal C from the second driver IC 210-1 of the second display apparatus 200, the switch 322 included in the communication interface 320 of the third display apparatus 300 transmits the third signal C to the first driver IC 310-1 of the third display apparatus 300. The first driver IC 310-1 may transmit the third signal C to the second driver IC 310-2 such that the third signal C is sequentially transmitted to the other driver ICs 310-1, ..., 310-n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0119] When the third signal C is not received from the first driver IC 210-1 of the second display apparatus 200 and the third signal C is received from the second driver IC 210-2 of the second display apparatus 200, the switch 322 included in the communication interface 320 of the third display apparatus 300 transmits the third signal C to the first driver IC 310-1 of the third display apparatus 300. The first driver IC 310-1 may transmit the third signal C to the second driver IC 310-2 such that the third signal C is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs 310-1, ..., 310-n connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0120] Even if the connection in one segment (e.g., a segment between the first driver IC 210-1 of the second display device 200 and the third display device 300) is released or the transmission of the driving signal fails due to various reasons (such as an error), as long as the transmission of the driving signal through the remaining segment (e.g., a segment between the second driver IC 210-2 of the second display device 200 and the third display device 300) is successful, the third display device 300 can receive the driving signal.

[0121] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a display device transmitting a signal to another display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0122] In the above example, it is assumed that one display device (e.g., the second display device 200) receives a driving signal from an adjacent first other display device (e.g., the first display device 100) and sends the driving signal to an adjacent second other display device (e.g., the third display device 300), but this is merely an example and is not limited thereto.

[0123] For example, a display apparatus (eg, the first display apparatus 100 ) may receive a driving signal from the external device 200 , but may transmit the driving signal to another display apparatus (eg, the third display apparatus 300 ) that is connected in series but not adjacent.

[0124] For example, the first display device 100 can receive a driving signal corresponding to the first display device 100 and a driving signal corresponding to the third display device 300 from the external device 2, and each of the first driver IC 110-1 and the second driver IC 110-2 set in the first display device 100 can send a driving signal corresponding to the third display device 300 to the third display device 300.

[0125] For example, the second display device 200 can receive a driving signal corresponding to the second display device 200 and a driving signal corresponding to the fourth display device 400 from the external device 2, and each of the first driver IC 210-1 and the second driver IC 210-2 set in the second display device 200 can send a driving signal corresponding to the fourth display device 400 to the fourth display device 400.

[0126] However, this is merely an example, and embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, all of the display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 may be connected in a daisy-chain manner, and the first display device 100 of the daisy-chained display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 may be connected to an external device 2 (e.g., a control box). Furthermore, the first display device 100 may receive all of the drive signals corresponding to each of the display devices 100, 200, ..., 1200 from the external device 2.

[0127] N display devices are connected in a daisy-chain manner, and when a first display device receives a driving signal corresponding to each of the first to nth display devices, the first display device can use a plurality of driver ICs included in the first display device to provide a redundant function for a driving signal corresponding to each of the second to nth display devices connected thereto.

[0128] The (n-1)th display device may provide a redundant function for a driving signal corresponding to the subsequently connected (n)th display device using a plurality of driver ICs included in the (n-1)th display device.

[0129] In the above example, the control box (e.g. Figure 7 The control box 2 - 1 ) includes one or more processors and controls the overall operation of the modular display device 1 .

[0130] According to one or more embodiments, the processor may be implemented as at least one of a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, and a TCON. The processor is not limited thereto and may include at least one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a communication processor (CP), an advanced reduced instruction set computing (RISC) machine (ARM) processor, and an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or may be defined as a corresponding term. The processor may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) type, a large-scale integration (LSI) type (in which a processing algorithm is built), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) type. The processor may perform various functions by executing computer-executable instructions stored in a memory.

[0131] The one or more processors may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an accelerated processing unit (APU), an integrated many-core (MIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a neural processing unit (NPU), a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator. The one or more processors may control one or more other components of the electronic device or any combination of components and may perform operations related to communication or data processing. The one or more processors may execute one or more programs or instructions stored in a memory. For example, the one or more processors may execute the method according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure by executing one or more instructions stored in a memory.

[0132] When the method according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes multiple operations, the multiple operations may be performed by one processor or may be performed by multiple processors. For example, when the method according to one or more embodiments performs a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by the first processor, the first operation and the second operation may be performed by the first processor (e.g., a general-purpose processor), and the third operation may be performed by the second processor (e.g., an artificial intelligence-specific processor).

[0133] The one or more processors may be implemented as a single-core processor including one core, or may be implemented as one or more multi-core processors including multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multi-core or heterogeneous multi-core). When the one or more processors are implemented as a multi-core processor, each of the multiple cores included in the multi-core processor may include processor internal memory (such as a cache and on-chip memory), and a common cache shared by the multiple cores may be included in the multi-core processor. In addition, each of the multiple cores included in the multi-core processor (or a portion of the multiple cores) may independently read and execute program commands for implementing the method of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, and may be combined with all (or a portion of) the multiple cores to read and execute program commands for implementing the method of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0134] When the method of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure includes multiple operations, the multiple operations can be performed by one of the multiple cores included in the multi-core processor, or can be performed by the multiple cores. For example, when performing the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation according to the method of one or more embodiments, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation can all be performed by the first core included in the multi-core processor, and the first operation and the second operation can be performed by the first core included in the multi-core processor, and the third operation can be performed by the second core included in the multi-core processor.

[0135] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a processor may refer to a system on a chip (SoC), a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, or a core included in a single-core processor or a multi-core processor that integrates one or more processors and other electronic components, wherein the core may be implemented as a CPU, GPU, APU, MIC, DSP, NPU, hardware accelerator, or machine learning accelerator, but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0136] The display device 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a memory (not shown).

[0137] According to one or more embodiments, the memory can store data required by various embodiments of the present disclosure. According to one or more embodiments, the memory can be implemented as a memory embedded in the modular display device 1 or a memory detachable from the modular display device 1, depending on the purpose of data storage.

[0138] For example, data used to drive the modular display device 1 can be stored in a memory embedded in the modular display device 1, and data used to upgrade the modular display device 1 can be stored in a memory removable from the modular display device 1. The memory embedded in the modular display device 1 can be implemented as at least one of volatile memories such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), or non-volatile memories such as one-time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (such as NAND flash or NOR flash), hard disk drive (HDD), or solid state drive (SSD). As for the memory removably attached to the modular display device 1, the memory can be implemented as a memory card such as compact flash (CF), secure digital (SD), micro secure digital (micro-SD), mini secure digital (mini-SD), extreme digital (xD), or multimedia card (MMC), as well as an external memory such as a USB memory that can be connected to a USB port.

[0139] According to one embodiment, the memory may store at least one instruction for controlling the modular display device 1 or a computer program including instructions.

[0140] Specifically, the memory may include an identification corresponding to each of the plurality of display apparatuses 100 , 200 , . . . , 1200 included in the modular display apparatus 1 .

[0141] Each of the plurality of display devices 100 , 200 , . . . , 1200 includes a display, and the display may be implemented as a display including a self-luminous element or a display including a non-self-luminous element and a backlight.

[0142] For example, the display may be implemented as various types of displays, such as, but not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an LED, a micro-LED, a mini-LED, a plasma display panel (PDP), a quantum dot (QD) display, a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED), etc. The display 130 may also include a backlight unit and a driving circuit that may be implemented as an a-Si thin-film transistor (TFT), a low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) TFT, an organic TFT (OTFT), etc. The display may be implemented as a touch screen coupled to a touch sensor, a flexible display, a rollable display, a three-dimensional (3D) display, a display with multiple display modules physically connected, etc.

[0143] Figure 9is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling a display device according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0144] A method for controlling a display device included in a modular display device composed of multiple display devices may include: in operation S910, based on receiving a first signal sent by an external device, sending a first signal to a second driver IC adjacent to a first driver IC, so that the first signal is sequentially sent to the remaining driver ICs connected in a daisy-chain manner.

[0145] The method may include transmitting, by each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC, a second signal transmitted by the external device to a first other display apparatus among the plurality of display apparatuses connected to the display apparatus in operation S920 .

[0146] The first signal may be a driving signal corresponding to the display device, and the second signal may be a driving signal corresponding to a first other display device.

[0147] According to one or more embodiments, in operation S920 , transmitting to the first other display device may include transmitting the second signal to the second driver IC by the first driver IC, and transmitting the second signal to the first other display device by the second driver IC.

[0148] According to one or more embodiments, in operation S920 , transmitting to the first other display apparatus may include receiving, by the repeater, the second signal transmitted by the external device and transmitting the second signal to each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC.

[0149] In operation S920 , transmitting to the first other display apparatus may include transmitting, by the second driver IC, the second signal to the first other display apparatus based on receiving the second signal through the repeater.

[0150] The external device may be a control box, or any one of the second other display apparatuses among the plurality of display apparatuses connected to the display apparatus.

[0151] The method may further include identifying, through the switch, whether the first signal is received from each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC among a plurality of driver ICs included in the second other display apparatus based on the external device being the second other display apparatus.

[0152] The method may further include: sending the first signal to the first driver IC included in the display device based on receiving the first signal from the first driver IC included in the second other display device, and sending the first signal received from the second driver IC included in the second other display device to the first driver IC included in the display device based on not receiving the first signal from the first driver IC included in the second other display device.

[0153] The display apparatus according to one or more embodiments and the first other display apparatus may be connected in a daisy chain manner, and the first other display apparatus may be adjacent to the display apparatus.

[0154] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied not only to electronic devices but also to various types of electronic devices including displays.

[0155] Furthermore, one or more of the above embodiments may be implemented in a computer-readable medium (e.g., a computer or similar device) using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. In some cases, one or more of the embodiments described herein may be implemented by a processor itself. Depending on the software implementation, embodiments such as the processes and functions described herein may be implemented using separate software modules. Each software module may perform one or more of the functions and operations described herein.

[0156] According to an embodiment, computer instructions for executing the processing operations of the device may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. When the computer instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium are executed by a processor of a specific device, the specific device may perform processing operations on the electronic device 100 according to one or more of the above-described embodiments.

[0157] Non-transitory computer-readable media may include media that semi-permanently store data rather than storing data for a very short period of time, such as registers, caches, memories, etc., and can be read by a device. For example, the aforementioned various application programs or programs can be stored in non-transitory computer-readable media such as compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), hard disks, Blu-ray discs, USBs, memory cards, ROMs, etc., and can be provided.

[0158] Although one or more embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and it should be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure as claimed in the appended claims. Furthermore, it is intended that these modifications should not be interpreted independently of the technical concept or vision of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A display device comprising a modular display device of a plurality of display devices, the display device comprising: Communication interface; as well as Multiple driver integrated circuits IC, Wherein, a first driver IC among the plurality of driver ICs is configured as: Based on a first signal transmitted from an external device received through the communication interface, the first signal is transmitted to a second driver IC adjacent to the first driver IC, so that the first signal is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs of the plurality of driver ICs connected in a daisy-chain manner, and Each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC is configured to transmit the second signal transmitted by the external device to a first other display device connected to the display device among the plurality of display devices.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The first signal includes a first driving signal corresponding to the display device, and The second signal includes a second driving signal corresponding to the first other display device.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The first driver IC is configured to: transmit the second signal to the second driver IC based on receiving the second signal through the communication interface, and The second driver IC is configured to send the second signal to the first other display device based on receiving the second signal from the first driver IC.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The communication interface includes a repeater, wherein the repeater is configured to: receiving the second signal sent by the external device; as well as The second signal is transmitted to each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein The second driver IC is further configured to transmit the second signal to the first other display device based on receipt of the second signal by the repeater of the communication interface. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein: The external device includes a control box or a second other display device connected to the display device among the plurality of display devices.

7. The display device according to claim 6, wherein: The communication interface includes a switch, and The switch is configured to identify whether the first signal is received from each of a third driver IC and a fourth driver IC of the second other display device based on the external device being the second other display device.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein: The switch is further configured to: transmitting the first signal to the first driver IC of the display device based on receiving the first signal from the third driver IC of the second other display device, and The first signal received from the fourth driver IC of the second other display device is transmitted to the first driver IC of the display device based on the first signal not being received from the third driver IC of the second other display device.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein The display device and the first other display device are connected in a daisy-chain manner, and The first other display device is adjacent to the display device.

10. A method of controlling a display device of a modular display device including a plurality of display devices, the display device including a plurality of driver integrated circuits (ICs), the method comprising: transmitting the first signal to a second driver IC adjacent to the first driver IC among the plurality of driver ICs based on receiving a first signal transmitted by an external device, so that the first signal is sequentially transmitted to the remaining driver ICs among the plurality of driver ICs connected in a daisy-chain manner; as well as A second signal transmitted from the external device is transmitted by each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC to a first other display device connected to the display device among the plurality of display devices.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The first signal includes a first driving signal corresponding to the display device, and The second signal includes a second driving signal corresponding to the first other display device.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Sending the second signal to the first other display device includes: sending the second signal from the first driver IC to the second driver IC; and The second driver IC sends the second signal to the first other display device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein: Sending the second signal to the first other display device includes: receiving, by the repeater, the second signal sent by the external device; and The second signal is transmitted to each of the first driver IC and the second driver IC.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein Sending the second signal to the first other display device further includes: Based on the second signal received by the repeater, the second driver IC transmits the second signal to the first other display device.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein The external device includes a control box or a second other display apparatus among the plurality of display apparatuses connected to the display apparatus.

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