Network Video Wall Server Using GPU Frame Buffer Splitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional video-wall display systems face limitations in size, distance, and cost due to the requirement for physical video outputs and powerful servers, and struggle with real-time content delivery and high-resolution rendering, especially when dealing with multiple displays.
Innovation Solution
A network-based video wall system that uses a central server to distribute compressed video frames over a standard TCP/IP network, leveraging both CPU and GPU for efficient processing and rendering, with direct memory maps for transformations and failover capabilities to ensure seamless playback across multiple displays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional video cards are connected to the server for video wall output, then video output capability is provided, but the server must be physically close to the video wall or require expensive proprietary video extension systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network intermediary system that converts video signals to digital packets for transmission over standard network infrastructure. The video server encodes video as digital streams, transmits them through network switches, and remote video wall processors decode and display them, eliminating the need for proprietary video extension cables and allowing flexible physical placement of video walls anywhere within network range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical video signal transmission system (video cables, connectors, signal conditioning equipment) with a digital network-based system. Video signals are converted to digital packets transmitted over Ethernet networks, substituting physical video cable infrastructure with standard network infrastructure that offers greater flexibility and lower cost.
2Reliability
If the server houses one physical video output for each video wall segment, then video output capability is ensured, but the size and distance limitations are imposed
Solution Approach 1:
The network acts as an intermediary transmission medium, allowing video signals to be transmitted over standard Ethernet infrastructure rather than requiring direct physical video cable connections. This enables video walls to be placed at any distance within network range while maintaining signal integrity through digital packet transmission and reconstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The video wall system is segmented into independent functional components: video encoding on the server, network transmission of digital packets, and video decoding/display on remote video wall processors. This segmentation allows each component to be optimally positioned and eliminates the need for a one-to-one physical video output connection between server and each display segment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If real-time content is delivered over network to endpoint devices, then flexibility and cost reduction are achieved, but bandwidth constraints require compression which may affect quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts video encoding parameters (compression level, resolution, bitrate) based on network conditions and display capabilities. Video streams are encoded with adjustable quality settings that can be optimized for real-time transmission while maintaining acceptable visual quality, allowing flexible adaptation to different network bandwidths and endpoint device capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is disclosed for improving the flexibility and performance of video walls including a method for using a primary GPU for initial rendering to a GPU frame buffer, copying of this frame buffer to system memory for processing into multiple sub-frames then outputting the sub-frames via multiple secondary graphics controllers. This system enables the video wall server to leverage performance advantages afforded by GPU acceleration and maintaining performance while providing full flexibility of the CPU and system memory to apply the required transformations to the sub-images as well as flexibility in the selection of secondary graphics controllers (including network graphics approaches where the graphics controller is connected over a network) for outputting the multiple sub-images to a plurality of displays. This has applications generally in the field of real-time multiple display graphics processing as well as specific applications in the field of video walls and network video walls. A method and computer readable medium are also disclosed that operate in accordance with the system.