Distributed Display Controllers for Multi-Panel Bandwidth Bottlenecks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing systems for multi-panel displays face limitations due to bandwidth constraints between host devices and display devices, which restrict the resolution and capability of displaying large, high-resolution images, as the connection between the encoder and decoders often acts as a bottleneck.
Innovation Solution
A method and system where multiple display controllers manage a plurality of display panels, each receiving and processing a portion of the image data, allowing for efficient movement and repositioning of bounded regions across panels with minimal host intervention, by coordinating with each other to minimize data transfer and utilize shared or local memory for efficient data access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple separate display panels with associated decoders are used to simulate a large display, then the display resolution and size can be increased, but the bandwidth bottleneck between encoder and decoders worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is segmented into multiple display panels, each with its own decoder, allowing the overall display resolution to exceed the capabilities of a single panel while distributing the decoding workload across multiple independent units
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-point encoder to a distributed multi-point decoder architecture, adding spatial distribution as a new dimension to the system architecture. This allows parallel decoding operations across multiple panels, effectively increasing the system's data processing capacity without proportionally increasing the encoder-decoder bandwidth requirement
2Productivity
If display data is sent to multiple decoders for separate panels, then the collective display capability is improved, but the connection bandwidth between encoder and decoders becomes a bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The encoder transmits compressed display data that is then copied and distributed to multiple decoders. Each decoder independently decompresses and renders its portion of the display, eliminating the need for the encoder to send separate full-resolution data streams to each decoder, thereby reducing overall bandwidth requirements while maintaining collective display capability
3Adaptability or versatility
If bounded regions are moved between display panels, then the display flexibility and functionality are improved, but the data retransmission requirements increase bandwidth consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where decoder information about already-decoded tiles is shared between decoders. When a bounded region needs to be moved between panels, the destination decoder can request tile data from the source decoder rather than requiring retransmission from the encoder, reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining display flexibility
Data Source
AI summary
A display device has a plurality of display panels (21) together forming a single display screen, where each display panel (21) is connected to a display controller (24) which receives display data of a portion of a complete image for display on the display panel (21). The complete image (S1) includes one or more bounded regions (S2, S3, S4, S5) of display data. Each display controller (21) also receives position information relating to a change in lateral position and/or stacking order position of one or more bounded regions that are to be displayed at least partly on that display panel (21). If the display controller (24) determines that it does not have knowledge of display data in the bounded region (S2, S3, S4, S5) to be displayed on the display panel for which the position information was received, it obtains that knowledge from another display controller (24) that has such knowledge. The display controller (24) then processes the display data for the portion of the complete image utilising the knowledge obtained from another display controller (24), and outputs the processed display data for the portion of the complete image to the corresponding display panel (21).