Display device for executing dehumidification mode, image processing device for controlling same, and control method thereof

Abstract

A display device is disclosed. The display device connected to at least one other display device to constitute one modular display device comprises: a display; a communication interface; a power supply unit for supplying power to the display; and at least one processor for controlling the display and the power supply unit to output an image corresponding to an image signal when the image signal is received from an image processing device through the communication interface, controlling the display and the power supply unit to drive the display in a dehumidification mode when a pre-configured order among all display devices constituting the modular display device is reached after the reception of the image signal ends and a pre-configured time elapses, and controlling the display and the power supply unit to turn off the display while at least one other display device operates in the dehumidification mode according to the pre-configured order.

Description

A display device executing a dehumidification mode, an image processing device controlling the same, and a control method thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device capable of operating in a dehumidifying mode, an image processing device for controlling the same, and a control method thereof.

[0002] Advances in electronic technology have led to the increasing popularity of modular display devices, which consist of multiple display units. Modular display devices combine multiple display units to create a single display. Modular display devices are often used in locations requiring a large screen, such as outdoors or building lobbies.

[0003] For modular display devices installed outdoors, or for display devices used indoors in countries or regions with high humidity, there is a possibility of failure due to moisture.

[0004] Therefore, dehumidification drive is required to prevent this.

[0005] Previously, there was the inconvenience of having to manually set the dehumidification mode, and there was the problem of increased power consumption and limited screen use during the long-term dehumidification mode.

[0006] This problem becomes even more acute, especially for large modular display devices. Therefore, the need for technologies that can address these issues has emerged.

[0007] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, an image processing device may include a communication interface for performing communication with a modular display device including a plurality of LED cabinets, a memory storing at least one command, and a processor. Here, the processor may play content, transmit a video signal of the content to the modular display device through the communication interface, and, when a display operation of the modular display device is terminated and a preset time has elapsed, transmit a control signal to the modular display device through the communication interface so that the plurality of LED cabinets sequentially operate in a dehumidification mode in units of a preset number based on the at least one command.

[0008] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a display device that is connected to at least one other display device to form a modular display device includes a display, at least one processor, a communication interface, and a power supply for supplying power to the display. Here, the at least one processor controls the display and the power supply to output an image corresponding to the image signal when an image signal is received from an image processing device through the communication interface, controls the display and the power supply to operate the display in a dehumidifying mode when a preset order arrives among all display devices forming the modular display device after the image output is terminated and a preset time has elapsed, and controls the display and the power supply to turn off the display while the at least one other display device operates in the dehumidifying mode according to the preset order.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a display device that is connected to at least one other display device to form a modular display device may include: receiving a video signal from an image processing device; outputting an image corresponding to the video signal; driving a display included in the display device in a dehumidifying mode when a preset order arrives among all display devices forming the modular display device after output of the video is terminated and a preset time has elapsed; and turning off the display while the at least one other display device operates in the dehumidifying mode according to the preset order.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of an image processing device and a modular display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining an LED cabinet constituting a modular display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image processing device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a dehumidifying operation of a modular display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIGS. 6 to 11 are drawings for explaining the dehumidification operation of a display device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] The terms used in the various embodiments of this disclosure have been selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of this disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the relevant disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the overall content of this disclosure, rather than simply their names.

[0018] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in the present disclosure to specific embodiments, but include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutes of the embodiments.

[0019] In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.

[0020] The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items, unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0021] In this disclosure, each of the phrases "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

[0022] The term "and / or" includes any combination of a plurality of related described elements or any one of a plurality of related described elements.

[0023] Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish one component from another and do not qualify the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

[0024] Terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the present disclosure, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0025] When a component is said to be “connected,” “coupled,” “supported,” or “in contact with” another component, this includes not only cases where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact, but also cases where the components are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact through a third component.

[0026] When we say that a component is "on" another component, this includes not only cases where the component is in contact with the other component, but also cases where there is another component between the two components.

[0027] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings below.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining the operation of an image processing device and a modular display device according to one embodiment.

[0029] In the present disclosure, the modular display device (20) is a single display device configured by combining multiple displays, and the image processing device (10) is a device that provides an image signal to be output from the modular display device (20).

[0030] The modular display device (20) may alternatively be referred to as a display system, a display device, or a video wall. Each display constituting the modular display device (20) may be referred to as a display device or a cabinet. If implemented with LEDs, it may be referred to as an LED cabinet.

[0031] In Fig. 1, a case is illustrated where four LED cabinets are arranged in three lines in the horizontal direction and implemented as a modular display device (20) with a total size of 4*3, but the number of LED cabinets, arrangement direction, arrangement location, shape, etc. can be modified in various ways depending on the purpose of use, location, etc. of the modular display device (20).

[0032] The image processing device (10) can provide image signals of various contents. The image processing device (10) can be implemented in various forms, such as a set-top box, multimedia player, one-connect box, PC, laptop PC, game player, etc. The image processing device (10) can also be described as an image providing device, a content processing device, a control device, etc.

[0033] According to FIG. 1, an image processing device (10) is connected to a modular display device (20). The image processing device (10) can reproduce content and transmit the image signal of the content to the modular display device (20). The reproduced content may vary depending on the type of the image processing device (10), the purpose of use of the modular display device (20), the location, etc.

[0034] For example, the image processing device (10) can play TV broadcast programs or VOD content, etc. If the content to be played by the image processing device (10) includes image data, the image processing device (10) can decode the image data and transmit the generated image signal to the modular display device. Accordingly, the modular display device (20) can display a single image (21).

[0035] The method by which the image processing device (10) provides an image to the modular display device (20) can be implemented in various ways.

[0036] For example, the entire image (21) can be provided to at least one LED cabinet among the plurality of LED cabinets within the modular display device (20). Specifically, when there are a plurality of LED cabinets arranged in lines 1 to 3 as shown in FIG. 1, the image processing device (10) can first provide the entire image to the LED cabinet arranged in the third line, which is the lowest. The LED cabinet that has received the entire image can compare the entire image with the arrangement positions of the entire LED cabinets to detect an image to be displayed at its own position. Thereafter, the LED cabinet can transmit the entire image to the next LED cabinet in the order (e.g., an LED cabinet arranged in the second line). In this way, when the LED cabinets of the entire line detect the images to be displayed at their respective positions and then display the images simultaneously, a single screen can be expressed as shown in FIG. 1. To this end, each of the plurality of LED cabinets may store information about its own position within the modular display device (20) in advance.

[0037] As another example, the image processing device (10) may divide the entire image into segments according to the number and position of each LED cabinet, and then transmit each segmented image to each of the plurality of LED cabinets constituting the modular display device (20).

[0038] In addition, communication between the image processing device (10) and the modular display device (20) can be implemented in various ways depending on the connection method.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining an LED cabinet constituting a modular display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] In Fig. 2, a modular display device (20) is shown consisting of a total of 12 LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200).

[0041] Each of the plurality of LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) may also be configured with a plurality of display modules. In this case, each of the plurality of LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) may include a base plate on which a plurality of display modules may be mounted. The base plate may be implemented in a form in which each display module may be mounted on the front of the base plate. Accordingly, each of the LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in a form without a bezel, and in a modular display device in which these LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) are combined, a seamless image with hardly any discernible break between cabinets may be displayed.

[0042] As described above, each of the plurality of LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) may be implemented as a display device in itself and may include a processor that can receive a video signal and control the video output through the display. The individual components included in each of the plurality of LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) will be described in detail in the following section. Hereinafter, for the convenience of explanation, the LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) are referred to as display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200). In addition, the configuration of each LED cabinet (100, 200, ..., 1200) will be described based on the display device (100), which is one of them.

[0043] The display device (100) may include a plurality of self-luminous elements. Here, the self-luminous elements may be at least one of a light emitting diode (LED) or a micro LED. Here, the micro LED is an LED having a size of about 5 to 100 micrometers, and is an ultra-small light emitting element that emits light on its own without a color filter.

[0044] The display device (100) can be connected to other display devices (200 to 1200) in various ways (e.g., daisy chain method) to form a single display device, i.e., a modular display device (20). Accordingly, the modular display device (20) can display an image (21) using a plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200).

[0045] Meanwhile, while each LED cabinet (100, 200, ..., 1200) in the modular display device (20) is being operated, it is difficult for moisture to penetrate into the LED cabinet (100, 200, ..., 1200) due to the heat generated by the LEDs and other components, and even if moisture does penetrate, it can easily evaporate. On the other hand, when the image display operation of the modular display device (20) is finished, it can be affected by external humidity. Due to the characteristics of the modular display device (20), even if a malfunction occurs due to humidity in one LED cabinet, it can interfere with viewing the entire image (21).

[0046] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the modular display device (20) can automatically execute the dehumidification mode when the display operation is terminated and a preset time has elapsed. The modular display device (20) can execute the dehumidification mode on its own according to the execution of a pre-stored program or a pre-stored command, or can execute the dehumidification mode according to a control signal received from the image processing device (10).

[0047] As described in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the modular display device (20) includes a plurality of LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200), the modular display device (20) sequentially operates the plurality of LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) in a dehumidifying mode in units of a preset number. For example, when the modular display device includes LED cabinets (100, 200, ..., 1200) stacked in three lines as in FIGS. 1 and 2, four LED cabinets (e.g., 100, 400, 700, 1000) belonging to one of these lines may be operated in the dehumidifying mode first, and then four LED cabinets (200, 500, 800, 1100) belonging to the next line may be operated in the dehumidifying mode.

[0048] In the present disclosure, operating in dehumidification mode may be an operation of driving the LED cabinet to an appropriate degree to prevent or remove moisture infiltration. For example, it may be an operation of applying an electrical signal (in the form of current or voltage) of a certain size to each display module or LED included in the LED cabinet. An LED cabinet operating in dehumidification mode may maintain a black screen or display a screen of another single color (e.g., a blue screen). However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and text or other images may be displayed while operating in dehumidification mode. This will be described in detail in the following section. In the present disclosure, since the entire LED cabinet (100, 200, ..., 1200) does not operate in dehumidification mode simultaneously, but rather partially operates in dehumidification mode, power consumption can be significantly reduced compared to when the entire LED cabinet (100, 200, ..., 1200) performs dehumidification. In addition, when switching from dehumidification mode to image display mode, the dehumidification mode can be quickly terminated. The dehumidification mode in the present disclosure partially and sequentially drives the entire LED cabinet (100, 200, ..., 1200), and therefore may be otherwise described as a partial dehumidification mode or a sequential dehumidification mode.

[0049] As described above, the dehumidification mode may be performed by control of the image processing device (10). Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described in detail.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image processing device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] According to FIG. 3, the image processing device (10) may include a communication interface (11), a memory (12), and a processor (13).

[0052] The communication interface (11) is a configuration that performs communication with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods. The communication interface (11) may include a wireless communication module or a wired communication module. Each communication module may be implemented in the form of at least one hardware chip.

[0053] A wireless communication module may be a module that communicates wirelessly with an external device. For example, the wireless communication module may include at least one of a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, an infrared communication module, or other communication modules.

[0054] Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules can communicate via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, respectively. When using a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module, various connection information, such as the service set identifier (SSID) and session key, is first transmitted and received. This information is then used to establish a communication connection before various other information can be transmitted and received.

[0055] Infrared communication modules perform communication based on infrared communication (IrDA, infrared Data Association) technology, which transmits data wirelessly over short distances using infrared light, which is between visible light and millimeter waves.

[0056] In addition to the above-described communication method, other communication modules may include at least one communication chip that performs communication according to various wireless communication standards such as zigbee, 3G (3rd Generation), 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE Advanced), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), etc.

[0057] A wired communication module may be a module that communicates with an external device via wires. For example, the wired communication module may include at least one of a Local Area Network (LAN) module, an Ethernet module, a paired cable, a coaxial cable, a fiber optic cable, or an Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) module. Furthermore, the wired communication module may include interfaces such as an HDMI port, DP, RGB, DVI, USB, or Thunderbolt.

[0058] The communication interface (11) is implemented in a form that includes at least one of the various interfaces described above, and can communicate with various external devices such as the modular display device (20) or an LED cabinet constituting the modular display device (20).

[0059] According to various embodiments, the communication interface (11) may be connected to different communication modules between the modular display device (20) and other external devices. For example, the communication interface (11) may utilize at least one of an Ethernet module or a Wi-Fi module to communicate with an external server, and may be connected to an external device such as the modular display device (20) via an HDMI interface. However, this is only one embodiment and is not limited thereto.

[0060] The memory (12) is electrically connected to the processor (13) and can store data, programs, commands, etc. required for various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the memory (12) can store commands for performing a process for determining whether to execute the above-described dehumidification mode, a process for generating a control signal according to a decision to execute the dehumidification mode, etc.

[0061] The memory (12) may be implemented in the form of a memory embedded in the image processing device (10) or may be implemented in the form of a memory that can be attached or detached to the image processing device (10) depending on the purpose of data storage. For example, data for driving the image processing device (10) may be stored in a memory embedded in the image processing device (10), and data for the expansion function of the image processing device (10) may be stored in a memory that can be attached or detached to the image processing device (10). When implemented as a memory embedded in the image processing device (10), the memory (12) may be at least one of volatile memory (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g., NAND flash or NOR flash), hard drive, or solid state drive (SSD)).

[0062] When the image processing device (10) is implemented with a detachable memory, the memory (12) may be a memory card (e.g., CF (compact flash), SD (secure digital), Micro-SD (micro secure digital), Mini-SD (mini secure digital), xD (extreme digital), MMC (multi-media card), etc.), an external memory (e.g., USB memory) that can be connected to a USB port, etc.

[0063] The processor (13) controls the overall operation of the image processing device (10). Specifically, the processor (13) can control various hardware or software components included in the image processing device (10) and perform various data processing and calculations. In addition, the processor (13) can load commands or data received from at least one of the other components into volatile memory and process them, and store various data in non-volatile memory.

[0064] For this purpose, the processor (13) may be named by various names such as a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a Micro Controller Unit (MCU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), a controller, a Timing Controller (TCON), etc., but is described as a processor (13) in this specification.

[0065] The processor (13) may be implemented as a SoC (System on Chip), an LSI (large scale integration), or may be implemented in the form of an FPGA (Field Programmable gate array). In addition, the processor (13) may include volatile memory such as SRAM.

[0066] When a content playback command is input from a user, the processor (13) can receive content from a source providing the content or read and play content stored in the memory (12).

[0067] Specifically, the processor (13) can demultiplex content into video data, audio data, additional data, etc., and decode the video data to obtain a video signal. The processor (130) can transmit the obtained video signal to the modular display device (20) through the communication interface (11). In the present disclosure, transmitting to the modular display device (20) can be interpreted in various ways depending on the configuration of the modular display device (20). For example, if the modular display device (20) includes an integrated controller that controls the operation of the entire LED cabinet, it can be interpreted as transmitting to the integrated controller. Alternatively, if one of the LED cabinets of the modular display device (20) operates as a master device, it can be interpreted as transmitting to a processor included in the master device. Alternatively, if the modular display device (20) is implemented to operate individually for each LED cabinet, it can be interpreted as transmitting to at least some LED cabinets among all LED cabinets.

[0068] The processor (13) may determine that the dehumidification mode should be performed when the display operation of the modular display device (10) is terminated and a preset time has elapsed.

[0069] Specifically, the processor (13) can process the content by dividing it into a certain number of packet units and continuously transmit the video signal of the content to the modular display device (20).

[0070] The processor (13) can end playback when a playback end command is input, playback is completed to the last part of the content, a turn-off command is input, etc. The processor (13) can determine that the display operation of the modular display device (20) is being performed while the content is being played and the video signal is being transmitted to the modular display device (20). On the other hand, when the content is played back or the video signal transmission is terminated, the processor (13) can determine that the display operation is terminated. Information about the preset time may be stored in advance in the memory (12).

[0071] The processor (13) can transmit a control signal to the modular display device (20) through the communication interface (11) to operate in a dehumidification mode based on at least one command stored in the memory (12) after the content playback is terminated and a preset time has elapsed.

[0072] The control signal may be a signal that causes a plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) included in the modular display device (20) to sequentially operate in a dehumidification mode. The control signal may include various information, such as information on the dehumidification mode operation sequence for all display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200), information on the unit time for performing the dehumidification mode, and information on the operation to be performed during the dehumidification mode. The modular display device (20) may perform the dehumidification mode in various ways according to the control signal.

[0073] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a dehumidifying operation of a modular display device according to one embodiment.

[0074] According to FIG. 4, the processor (13) of the image processing device (10) can transmit a control signal to the modular display device (20) through the communication interface (11) to cause a plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) included in the modular display device (20) to sequentially operate in a dehumidification mode in units of a preset number.

[0075] In FIG. 4, the processor (13) illustrates a case where the modular display device (20) transmits a control signal to sequentially operate in the dehumidification mode in units of four display devices arranged in one line. That is, the processor (13) can transmit a control signal to the modular display device (20) to first operate the display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000) of the third line among the modular display devices (20) in the dehumidification mode, and then operate the display devices (200, 500, 800, 1100) of the second line in the dehumidification mode. As described above, the processor (13) may transmit a control signal that determines the dehumidification order of each display device once, but is not limited thereto, and may transmit a new control signal for each line. Alternatively, the control signal may be transmitted first to some display devices (e.g., the third line) among all display devices regardless of the dehumidification order, and then the display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000) may be implemented to perform the dehumidification mode and then transmit the control signal to the next line.

[0076] Here, the processor (13) is described as transmitting the above-described control signal to a single processor that controls the entire modular display device (20), but it is not limited thereto, and the above-described control signal can be transmitted to each of the plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) that constitute the modular display device (20).

[0077] For example, the processor (13) can transmit a control signal to each of the three rows of display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000). At this time, each of the three rows of display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000) can operate in a dehumidifying mode based on the control signal, and then transmit the control signal to the two rows of display devices (200, 500, 800, 1100). Accordingly, each of the two rows of display devices (200, 500, 800, 1100) can operate in a dehumidifying mode and then transmit the control signal to the next row of display devices (300, 600, 900, 1200) based on the control signal.

[0078] As described above, the processor (13) can automatically perform the dehumidification mode when the content playback ends and a preset time has elapsed, even without a separate setting by the user. Therefore, user convenience can be improved and the risk of malfunction due to user negligence can be reduced. Meanwhile, the processor (13) can generate a control signal to turn off display devices other than the preset number of display devices operating in the above-described dehumidification mode among the plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200).

[0079] For example, the processor (13) can generate a control signal to turn off display devices (200, 300, 500, 600, 800, 900, 1100, 1200) other than the four display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000) operating in the dehumidification mode among the plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) and transmit the control signal to the modular display device (20).

[0080] Specifically, the processor (13) can generate a control signal to transmit to the modular display device (20) a control signal to cause the remaining LED cabinets, other than the preset number of LED cabinets operating in the dehumidification mode among the plurality of display devices, i.e., the LED cabinets, to remain in a turn-off state during the dehumidification operation of the preset number of LED cabinets and to operate in the dehumidification mode when the preset order arrives.

[0081] Accordingly, the modular display device (20) operates in a dehumidifying mode in units of a preset number of displays, and the remaining display devices that are not operating in the dehumidifying mode can be turned off. In this case, power consumption due to the dehumidifying mode can be reduced.

[0082] The operation of each of the plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) included in the modular display device (20) will be described in detail in the following section.

[0083] Meanwhile, when an event occurs to resume display operation of the modular display device (20) while a plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) are sequentially operating in a dehumidification mode in units of a preset number, the processor (13) may generate a control signal for terminating the dehumidification mode and transmit the signal to the modular display device (20).

[0084] Events that trigger display operation resumption may include various events. For example, the processor (13) may determine that display operation is resumed when various events occur, such as an event in which a user re-enters a content playback command, an event in which a scheduled content playback time arrives, or an event in which a turn-on command is entered.

[0085] When a content playback command is input, a reservation time has arrived, or a turn-on command is input, the processor (13) can identify content to be played. The processor (13) can play the identified new content, terminate the video signal and dehumidification mode of the content being played, and transmit a new control signal to the modular display device (20) via the communication interface (11) to output the video signal.

[0086] Meanwhile, the processor (13) may wait for a preset waiting time if the dehumidification mode has been completed up to the display device corresponding to the last order in the preset order. Information regarding the waiting time may be stored in the memory (12). When the waiting time has elapsed, the processor (13) may transmit a control signal to sequentially perform the dehumidification mode again in the preset order to resume the dehumidification operation.

[0087] According to this embodiment, the processor (13) can control the modular display device (20) to immediately switch to display operation while the above-described dehumidification mode is being sequentially and partially performed. Accordingly, the inconvenience of viewing the modular display device (20) being restricted due to a long-term dehumidification operation as in the past can be prevented.

[0088] The operation of each of the multiple display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) according to this will be described in detail in the following section.

[0089] Meanwhile, as described above, the modular display device (20) can perform various operations under the control of the image processing device (10). The operations of the plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) constituting the modular display device (20) will be described in detail below.

[0090] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a display device according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The display device (100) of FIG. 5 may be connected to at least one other display device to form a modular display device (20) as described in the above embodiments. The display device (100) and other display devices described in FIG. 5 may be an entire LED cabinet constituting the modular display device (20) in the above embodiments.

[0091] For convenience of explanation, one of the LED cabinets will be used as an example. The remaining LED cabinets can be implemented in the same manner as in Fig. 5, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and some detailed configurations may vary.

[0092] According to FIG. 5, the display device (100) may include a communication interface (110), a display (120), at least one processor (130), and a power supply (140). Descriptions of components that overlap with the examples and descriptions described above will be omitted.

[0093] The display (120) is a configuration for displaying various screens under the control of at least one processor (130). The display (120) can be implemented in various forms such as an LCD (liquid crystal display), an OLED (organic light-emitting diode), an LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), a DLP (Digital Light Processing), a QD (quantum dot) display panel, a QLED (quantum dot light-emitting diodes), a μLED (Micro light-emitting diodes), a Mini LED, etc. Meanwhile, the display (120) can also be implemented as a touch screen combined with a touch sensor, a flexible display, a rollable display, a 3D display, a display in which a plurality of display modules are physically connected, etc.

[0094] The display (120) may be implemented in a form in which multiple display modules are physically connected. In this case, each display module may be implemented as an LED display module including an LED. Specifically, each display module may be implemented as an LED display module including multiple pixels each of which implements a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED as sub-pixels in a single chip.

[0095] The display device (100) may include at least one processor (130). The number of processors (130) may vary depending on the type and implementation method of the display device (100). For example, when a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes multiple operations, the multiple operations may be performed by one processor or multiple processors. For example, when a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation are performed by a method according to an embodiment, the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation may all be performed by the first processor, or 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-dedicated processor).

[0096] At least one processor (130) may be implemented as a single core processor including one core, or may be implemented as one or more multicore processors including multiple cores (e.g., homogeneous multicores or heterogeneous multicores). When at least one processor (130) is implemented as a multicore processor, each of the multiple cores included in the multicore processor may include an internal processor memory, such as a cache memory or an on-chip memory, and a common cache shared by the multiple cores may be included in the multicore processor. In addition, each of the multiple cores (or some of the multiple cores) included in the multicore processor may independently read and execute a program instruction for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, or all (or some) of the multiple cores may be linked to read and execute a program instruction for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0097] In embodiments of the present disclosure, a processor may mean a system on a chip (SoC) having at least one processor and other electronic components integrated therein, a single-core processor, a multi-core processor, or a core included in a single-core processor or a multi-core processor, wherein the core may be implemented as a CPU, a GPU, an APU, a MIC, a DSP, an NPU, a hardware accelerator, or a machine learning accelerator, but embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0098] The display device (100) may be equipped with a power supply (140) for supplying power to components provided in the display device (100), such as at least one display (120), one or more processors (130), etc.

[0099] According to one embodiment, the power supply unit (140) can convert the input voltage into an output DC voltage of a size corresponding to the display (120) and other components and supply it.

[0100] The power supply unit (140) can be largely composed of an AC-DC rectifier, a DC-DC switching converter, an output filter, and an output unit. The power supply unit (140) can be implemented, for example, as a switched mode power supply (SMPS). An SMPS is a DC stabilized power supply device that stabilizes output by controlling the on-off time ratio of a semiconductor switch element, and has the characteristics of high efficiency, small size, and light weight. The power supply unit (140) can include a switch that can cut off the power supply. At least one processor (130) can control whether to supply power by controlling the operation of the switch.

[0101] At least one processor (130) can control the display (120) and power supply (140) to output an image corresponding to the image signal when an image signal is received through the communication interface (110).

[0102] At least one processor (130) can control the display (120) and the power supply (140) to drive the display (120) in a dehumidifying mode when a preset order arrives among all display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) constituting the modular display device (20) after reception of the video signal is terminated and a preset time has elapsed.

[0103] For example, when the display operation is terminated and a preset time has elapsed, and the display device (100) reaches a preset order among the display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) constituting the modular display device (20), a condition for driving the display device (100) in the dehumidification mode may be satisfied. Here, the preset order may vary depending on where the display device (100) is placed within the entire modular display device (20) or what order it is connected to the image processing device (10). Information about the preset order may be stored in a memory inside or outside at least one processor (130). In addition, the conditions for driving in the dehumidification mode may be set in various forms and stored in the memory.

[0104] At least one processor (130) can control the display (120) and the power supply (140) to dehumidify the display (120) when these conditions are met. Specifically, the at least one processor (130) can transmit an enable signal for a dehumidification mode to the display (120) and the power supply (140), thereby enabling a driver IC included in the display (120) to dehumidify the LED module at an appropriate voltage.

[0105] Meanwhile, at least one processor (130) can control the display (120) and the power supply (140) to turn off the display (120) while at least one other display device (100) operates in a dehumidifying mode according to the preset sequence when a preset sequence is reached among all display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) constituting the modular display device (20) after reception of the video signal is terminated and a preset time has elapsed.

[0106] For example, if the display device (100) does not have a turn according to the preset order, or if the display device (100) has already completed dehumidification according to the preset order and another display device in the next order is operating in the dehumidification mode, at least one processor (130) can control the display (120) and the power supply (140) to turn off the display (120).

[0107] That is, by turning off the display (120) when the display device (100) is not operating in dehumidification mode, there is an effect of reducing unnecessary power consumption.

[0108] However, it is not limited thereto, and at least one processor (130) may control the display (120) to display a single-color screen such as black or blue while controlling the power supply (140) to maintain power supply to the display (120) even when the display device (100) is not operating in a dehumidifying mode.

[0109] Alternatively, the display (120) may be controlled in stages according to the elapsed time. For example, the processor (130) may control the power supply unit (140) to maintain power supply to the display (120) even after a preset first period of time (e.g., 5 minutes) has elapsed while the display operation has ended, while the display (120) may be deactivated to display a monochrome image or other low-power state. After this, if a second period of time (e.g., 30 minutes after the display has ended) has elapsed beyond the first period of time, the processor (130) may control the power supply unit (140) to cut off power supply to the display (120).

[0110] Meanwhile, at least one processor (130) may wait for a preset standby time when the dehumidification time of the display device corresponding to the last order in the preset order ends. When the standby time has elapsed, the processor (130) may resume the dehumidification operation according to the preset order. That is, if the display device (100) is set to perform the dehumidification mode first, the processor (130) may perform the dehumidification mode immediately according to that order. Conversely, if the display device (100) is set to perform the dehumidification mode next, the processor (130) may maintain a turn-off state until the other display device completes the dehumidification mode again, and may perform the dehumidification mode when its order arrives.

[0111] Meanwhile, when the display device (100) corresponds to the last order in the preset order, at least one processor (130) may control the display and the power supply to drive the display in the dehumidification mode when the order arrives. When the dehumidification time ends, at least one processor (130) may control the display and the power supply to turn off the display, and then transmit a signal to the image processing device (100) to notify that the dehumidification mode has ended. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and at least one processor (130) may not transmit a separate signal even when the dehumidification time ends. Alternatively, at least one processor (130) may transmit a signal to the image processing device to turn off the image processing device through the communication interface (110).

[0112] Accordingly, unnecessary power consumption in the image processing device (10) and modular display device (20) can be prevented until the image is output again.

[0113] Meanwhile, when a new image signal is received from the image processing device (10) through the communication interface (110) while driving the display (120) in the dehumidifying mode, at least one processor (130) can control the display (120) and the power supply (140) to terminate the dehumidifying mode and output an image corresponding to the new image signal.

[0114] According to the above, when the image processing device (10) receives new content, it can transmit a video signal of the new content to the modular display device (20). When the display device (100) constituting the modular display device (20) receives a video signal, at least one processor (130) can control the display (120) and the power supply unit (140) to terminate the dehumidification mode for image output and output an image corresponding to the received image signal.

[0115] According to another embodiment, the image processing device (10) may transmit, in addition to the new image signal, a control signal to the modular display device (20) that causes the display device (100) to exit the dehumidification mode and output a new image. In this case, at least one processor (130) may control the display (120) or the like to exit the dehumidification mode and output an image, similarly to the above, based on the received new control signal.

[0116] When the display device (100) operates in the dehumidification mode according to a preset order and dehumidification is completed, the next display device in the order can perform the dehumidification mode.

[0117] FIGS. 6 to 11 are drawings for explaining the dehumidification operation of a display device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0118] According to FIG. 6, the display device (100) can be connected to an image processing device (10) and another display device (200).

[0119] According to one embodiment, at least one processor (130) of the display device (100) may receive a control signal from an external image processing device (10). The processor (130) may operate in a dehumidifying mode as described above according to the received control signal. When the dehumidifying mode is terminated, the processor (130) may transmit the control signal to another connected display device (200). The other display device (200) may also perform the dehumidifying mode in the same manner and then transmit the control signal to the display device (300). When implemented in this manner, each display device (100, 200, ..., 1200) may sequentially perform the dehumidifying mode according to the connection order without separately storing information on the dehumidifying order.

[0120] Meanwhile, the control signal received in FIG. 6 may include information regarding a preset dehumidification time. That is, at least one processor (130) may control the display (120) and the power supply (140) to operate the display (120) in a dehumidification mode for a preset dehumidification time based on such a control signal.

[0121] Alternatively, the control signal as above may also include information about the device that will perform the dehumidification mode next or information about the dehumidification order. That is, when at least one processor (130) controls the display (120) to operate in the dehumidification mode based on the control signal received, the control signal may be transmitted to the next display device in the preset order when the preset dehumidification time has elapsed. In this case, at least one processor (130) may control the display (120) and the power supply (140) to turn off the display (120).

[0122] The above examples illustrate a case where multiple display devices operate in dehumidification mode together, line by line. However, the number of devices performing dehumidification mode may vary. For example, the dehumidification mode may be performed on a single display device basis. Figure 7 illustrates a case where the dehumidification mode is performed on a single device basis.

[0123] According to FIG. 7, at least one processor (130) of the display device (100) can receive a control signal from the image processing device (10) when the display operation is terminated and a preset time has elapsed. When the preset order is '100, 400, 700, ...', the display device (100) operates in a dehumidification mode for a preset dehumidification time. At this time, the other display devices (200, 300, 400, ...) are in a turned-off state. When the preset dehumidification time has elapsed, the display device (100) transmits a control signal to the next display device (400) in the preset order. Similarly, the other display device (400) operates in a dehumidification mode for a preset dehumidification time, and the remaining display devices (100, 200, 300, 500, ...) are in a turned-off state. When the preset dehumidification time has elapsed, the other display device (400) transmits a control signal to the next other display device (700), and the other display device (700) can repeat the same operation.

[0124] Ultimately, the image processing device (10) transmits a control signal to one display device (100), so that all of the plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) constituting the modular display device (20) can be sequentially dehumidified.

[0125] As described above, a case in which a dehumidification operation is performed in a single display device (100) unit has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a dehumidification operation may be performed sequentially in a plurality of display device units according to various embodiments.

[0126] According to FIG. 8, the modular display device (20) can operate in a dehumidifying mode in units of two display devices. As described above, the image processing device (10) can transmit a control signal to the modular display device (20) so that a plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) sequentially operate in a dehumidifying mode in units of a preset number. Accordingly, the two display devices (100, 1000) can receive the control signal from the image processing device (10) and operate in the dehumidifying mode for a preset dehumidifying time. Thereafter, the two display devices (100, 1000) can transmit the control signal to the next display device (200, 1100) in the preset order. The other display device (200, 1100) operates in a dehumidification mode for a preset dehumidification time, then transmits a control signal to the next display device (300, 1200), and the next display device (300, 1200) repeats the same operation.

[0127] In the above, it has been described that each of the display devices (100, 200, 1000, 1100) transmits a control signal to one of the display devices (200) in the next order, but this is merely an example, and the display devices (100, 200, 1000, 1100) may transmit a control signal to multiple display devices in the next order according to a preset order.

[0128] Meanwhile, when the modular display device (20) sequentially performs the dehumidification mode in units of display devices, it can display a display indicating the dehumidifying status on the display device being dehumidified.

[0129] FIGS. 9 and 10 are drawings for explaining an operation of displaying text according to one embodiment.

[0130] According to FIG. 9, the processor (13) of the image processing device (10) can transmit information and a control signal indicating a state of operation in a dehumidification mode to the display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000) of the third line of the modular display device (20). Here, the control signal may be a signal to display the above information. In this case, the text (22) ‘dehumidifying’ may appear on the display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000) of the third line. At least one processor (130) can control the display (120) and the power supply (140) to display a text indicating a state of operation in the dehumidification mode while operating in the dehumidification mode. Thereafter, according to a preset order, other display devices (200, 500, 800, 1100) can display the same text (22) when operating in the dehumidification mode. Here, the text (22) is not limited to 'dehumidifying', and the text (22) can be displayed as various phrases that can be recognized by the user as a dehumidifying state.

[0131] As another embodiment, as in FIG. 10, even when the image processing device (10) first transmits a control signal to the display devices (100, 200, 300) of the first row, the display devices (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) performing the dehumidifying operation according to the preset order can display text (22) such as 'dehumidifying'.

[0132] As described above, at least one processor (130) can control the display (120) to be turned on only while operating in the dehumidification mode. In this case, at least one processor (130) can control the display (120) to display a display indicating the status while operating in the dehumidification mode, thereby allowing the user to directly check the dehumidification progress of the modular display device (20).

[0133] Meanwhile, information indicating the status of operation in the above-described dehumidification mode is not limited to text (22) such as 'dehumidifying', and may be displayed as various types of content that enable the user to recognize the dehumidification status.

[0134] FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining an operation of displaying a low-luminance image according to one embodiment.

[0135] According to FIG. 11, the processor (13) of the image processing device (10) can transmit a low-brightness image and a control signal corresponding to the dehumidification mode to a plurality of display devices (100, 200, ..., 1200) operating in the dehumidification mode.

[0136] Here, the control signal may be a signal for displaying a low-brightness image. At least one processor (130) may control the display and power supply to display a low-brightness image corresponding to the dehumidification mode while operating in the dehumidification mode. Thereafter, according to a preset sequence, other display devices (200, 500, 800, 1100) may display a low-brightness image while operating in the dehumidification mode.

[0137] Low-brightness images can be low-brightness ambient images that typically display softly colored patterns to help users relax or focus. Since the display is activated during dehumidification mode, displaying interior images, such as wallpaper patterns or decorations, rather than a single-color display like a blue screen can improve user satisfaction. In other words, low-brightness images may not be high-definition, high-brightness images intended for actual user viewing, but rather images with brightness or resolution appropriate for dehumidification. Alternatively, low-brightness images may be described as "dehumidification images."

[0138] Or, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the low-luminance image may be a part (23) of an image (21) of a specific content. For example, if the content that was played before the image processing device (10) operates in the dehumidifying mode is stored in the memory (12), the display device (100, 400, 700, 1000) operating in the dehumidifying mode may display a part of the image (21) of the content as a low-luminance image. The image displayed by each of the display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000) operating in the dehumidifying mode may be an image corresponding to the position of the corresponding display device among the original-sized images (21). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and each of the display devices (100, 400, 700, 1000) operating in the dehumidifying mode may display the original image (21) by reducing its size.

[0139] Accordingly, just as when text is displayed on a display device operating in dehumidification mode, the user can directly determine the dehumidification progress of the modular display device (20) by identifying the display device displaying a low-brightness image.

[0140] The low-brightness image or the text described above may be received from the image processing device (10), but may also be stored in the memory (not shown) within the display device (100).

[0141] Fig. 12 is a flowchart for explaining a method for controlling a display device according to one embodiment.

[0142] According to FIG. 12, the display device can receive a video signal from the video processing device (S1210) and output an image corresponding to the video signal (S1220). Since the video signal of the content has been described in the various embodiments described above, a redundant description thereof will be omitted.

[0143] When the reception of the video signal is terminated (S1230), a preset time has elapsed (S1240), and a preset order has arrived among all the display devices constituting the modular display device (S1250), the display can be driven in the dehumidifying mode (S1260). The control signal for driving the display in the dehumidifying mode has been described in the various embodiments described above, so a redundant description will be omitted.

[0144] Alternatively, the display may be turned off while at least one other display device is operating in dehumidifying mode according to a preset sequence (S1270). The cases where the other display device is operating in dehumidifying mode and the case where it arrives last in the preset sequence have been described in the various embodiments described above, and thus a redundant description thereof will be omitted.

[0145] The control method of Fig. 12 can be performed by a display device having a configuration similar to that of Fig. 5, but is not necessarily limited thereto, and may be performed by a device having a different configuration.

[0146] Additionally, the various embodiments described above may be implemented independently of each other, or may be implemented in whole or in part in combination with various other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0147] Meanwhile, the methods according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above can be implemented only with a software upgrade or a hardware upgrade for an existing display device.

[0148] Additionally, the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above can also be performed through an embedded server provided in the display device or an external server of the display device.

[0149] In addition, each of the components (e.g., modules or programs) according to the various embodiments described above may be composed of a single or multiple entities, and some of the corresponding sub-components described above may be omitted, or other sub-components may be further included in various embodiments. Alternatively or additionally, some components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single entity, which may perform the same or similar functions as those performed by each of the corresponding components prior to integration. Operations performed by modules, programs or other components according to various embodiments may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively or heuristically, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

[0150] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or prospect of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A communication interface for communicating with a modular display device including a plurality of LED cabinets; a memory in which at least one instruction is stored; and Processor; including; The above processor, By playing the content, the video signal of the content is transmitted to the modular display device through the communication interface, An image processing device that transmits a control signal to the modular display device through the communication interface, based on at least one command, to cause the plurality of LED cabinets to sequentially operate in a dehumidification mode in units of a preset number when the display operation of the modular display device ends and a preset time has elapsed.

2. In paragraph 1, The above processor, An image processing device that generates the control signal to operate in the dehumidification mode when a preset number of LED cabinets, other than the preset number of LED cabinets operating in the dehumidification mode among the plurality of LED cabinets, are turned off during the dehumidification operation of the preset number of LED cabinets, and when a preset order arrives.

3. In paragraph 1, The above processor, An image processing device that transmits a control signal for terminating the dehumidification mode to the modular display device through the communication interface when an event for resuming the display operation occurs while the plurality of LED cabinets are sequentially operating in the dehumidification mode in units of a preset number.

4. In paragraph 1, An image processing device in which the processor transmits, through the communication interface, information indicating a state in which an LED cabinet is operating in the dehumidification mode among the plurality of LED cabinets and a control signal for displaying the information.

5. In paragraph 1, An image processing device in which the processor transmits, through the communication interface, a low-brightness image corresponding to the dehumidification mode and a control signal for displaying the low-brightness image for an LED cabinet operating in the dehumidification mode among the plurality of LED cabinets.

6. In paragraph 1, The above processor, When all of the above multiple LED cabinets complete the dehumidification mode in the preset order, it waits for the preset waiting time, An image processing device that transmits a control signal to the modular display device through the communication interface to cause the plurality of LED cabinets to sequentially operate in the dehumidification mode again in the preset order when the waiting time has elapsed.

7. In a display device that is connected to at least one other display device to form a modular display device, display; At least one processor; communication interface; and A power supply unit for supplying power to the above display; At least one processor, When an image signal is received from an image processing device through the communication interface, the display and the power supply are controlled to output an image corresponding to the image signal. After the output of the above image is terminated and a preset time has elapsed, when a preset order arrives among all display devices constituting the modular display device, the display and the power supply are controlled to drive the display in a dehumidifying mode. A display device that controls the display and the power supply to turn off the display while the at least one other display device operates in the dehumidifying mode according to the above-determined order.

8. In paragraph 7, At least one processor, A display device that controls the display and the power supply to drive the display in the dehumidification mode when a control signal for operating in the dehumidification mode is received from the image processing device or at least one other display device after the output of the image has ended and the preset time has elapsed.

9. In paragraph 8, At least one processor, A display device that controls the display and the power supply to operate the display in the dehumidification mode for a preset dehumidification time based on the control signal.

10. In paragraph 9, At least one processor, A display device that controls the display and the power supply to transmit the control signal to the next display device in the preset order when the dehumidification time has elapsed and turn off the display.

11. In paragraph 7, At least one processor, When a new image signal is received from the image processing device through the communication interface while the display is being driven in the dehumidifying mode, A display device that controls the display and the power supply to terminate the dehumidification mode and output an image corresponding to the new image signal.

12. In paragraph 7, At least one processor, A display device that controls the display and the power supply unit to display text indicating a state of operation in the dehumidification mode while operating in the dehumidification mode.

13. In paragraph 7, At least one processor, A display device that controls the display and the power supply unit to display a low-brightness image corresponding to the dehumidification mode while operating in the dehumidification mode.

14. In paragraph 7, At least one processor, When the dehumidification time of the display device corresponding to the last order among the above-mentioned preset order ends among the above-mentioned entire display devices, it waits for the preset waiting time, A display device that resumes the dehumidification operation according to the preset sequence when the above waiting time has elapsed.

15. A method for controlling a display device that is connected to at least one other display device to form one modular display device, A step of receiving an image signal from an image processing device; A step of outputting an image corresponding to the above image signal; After the output of the above image is terminated and a preset time has elapsed, when a preset order arrives among all display devices constituting the modular display device, a step of driving the display included in the display device in a dehumidifying mode; and A control method comprising: a step of turning off the display while the at least one other display device operates in the dehumidifying mode according to the above-determined sequence;

Images