Display Edge Lighting for Seamless Visual Transitions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display devices with multiple separate units suffer from visible gaps between image content areas, leading to an unharmonious visual transition and viewer fatigue due to frame enclosures and separate housings, which disrupt the seamless viewing experience.

Innovation Solution

A display device with a lighting system that analyzes the color information from the edge regions of each display unit to control ambient lighting, ensuring a harmonious transition by matching the lighting color to the adjacent display areas, using a light detection device and color control system to adjust the lighting dynamically.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple separate display units are arranged next to each other, then different image content can be displayed independently on each unit, but visible gaps remain between the display areas creating an unharmonious visual transition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent display content capabilityVSAvoidvisual continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

A lighting device is introduced as an intermediary element between separate display units. The lighting device emits light that illuminates the gap areas between display units, creating a visual bridge that connects the otherwise disconnected display areas. This mediator (light) fills the spatial void and harmonizes the visual transition while preserving the independence of each display unit's content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The lighting device dynamically adjusts its emitted light color to match the color characteristics of the adjacent display areas. By analyzing color information from the display units and adapting the lighting color accordingly, the system creates a harmonious visual transition that blends seamlessly with the displayed content, eliminating the perception of gaps while maintaining independent display capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

2Strength

If frames enclose each display area, then the display units are structurally defined and protected, but the frames create visible boundaries that disrupt the seamless viewing experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural definitionVSAvoidvisual seamless transition
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The lighting device emits light with colors that match the adjacent display areas, causing the frames and gap areas to visually blend with the displayed content. This color adaptation makes the structural boundaries (frames) less perceptible while maintaining their protective and defining functions, creating a seamless visual experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The frames, which originally create harmful visual disruptions by defining rigid boundaries, are transformed into beneficial elements through lighting. The lighting device illuminates the frames and gap areas in a way that makes them appear as integral parts of the displayed image, converting the harmful visual boundary effect into a beneficial seamless transition effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of manufacture

If separate housings are used for each display unit, then independent assembly and power supply are enabled, but the housing walls create spacing that makes the separation between display units clearly visible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent assembly capabilityVSAvoidvisual continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

Light serves as an intermediary that fills the spatial gap created by separate housings. The lighting device emits light into the gap area between display units, creating a visual connection that overrides the physical separation imposed by the housings. This allows independent assembly while maintaining visual continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The lighting device adapts its emitted light color to match the adjacent display areas, causing the gap areas and housing boundaries to visually blend with the displayed content. This color matching eliminates the perception of physical separation while preserving the independent housing structure for manufacturing and assembly purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a seamless visual transition between display units and their environment, reducing viewer fatigue by creating a harmonious and continuous lighting effect that masks the edges of the display units, enhancing the overall viewing experience.

Implementation Method 1

at least one light catcher (337) for capturing light emitted from an image block (111-126) of the at least one display unit (110, 120)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight detection: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3218794B1Display device and method of operating the same
Publication Date: 2021.03.24 NOVOMATIC AG
  • EP3218794B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2B
  • EP3218794B1 patent drawingFigure 2C~2D
  • EP3218794B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

The present invention relates to a display device (600) comprising at least one display unit (611-614) and an illumination device (621-624) for illuminating an edge region of the at least one display unit. The invention further relates to a method for operating such a display device and to an entertainment device comprising such a display device. The display device according to the invention comprises, in addition to the at least one display unit and the illumination device, at least one determination means (631, 641, 651, 661) for determining a color information from an image block of the at least one display unit, and further comprises a color control means (632, 642, 652, 662) for controlling the color and/or color spectrum of the light emitted by the illumination device as a function of the color information. The color information can be obtained from the light which is actually emitted by the display unit in said image block, for which a light detection device having an observation region that is limited to the image block can be provided.