Video moving message display

Claim 2

A video message display system for displaying an overall image distributed across a plurality of video display devices (VDDs) and appearing to be shifting relative to the VDDs in a first direction, comprising: a plurality of VDDs in a linearly cascaded arrangement; means for generating image data representing the overall image so that the overall image is larger than the display capacity of a single VDD in the first direction when substantially filling a VDD transversely to the first direction; and means for causing the overall image to appear distributed along the VDDs so that at least three of the VDDs display respective, different portions of the overall image which shift relative to the VDDs and together the VDDs display the shifting overall image as a composite, said causing means comprising: a plurality of video modules each associated with and controlling the display of at least a respective one of said VDDs; and means for transferring the image data from one of said video modules to the next in succession so that said video modules each cause the associated VDD to display the respective portion of the overall image based on the transferred image data and cause each of the respective portions of the overall image to appear to scroll across the respective VDD and to cascade from one VDD to the next in succession, said transferring means being independent of said generating means when transferring the image data between the video modules.

Claim 3

A system as in claim 1, wherein said VDDs are stacked one over the other.

Claim 4

A system as in claim 1, wherein said VDDs are arranged side by side.

Claim 5

A system as in claim 1, wherein said generating means is in communication with two of said video modules at respective ends of said cascade.

Claim 6

A system as in claim 1, wherein said generating means is at an end of said cascade.

Claim 7

A video message display system for displaying an overall image distributed across a plurality of video display devices (VDDs) and appearing to be shifting relative to the VDDs in a first direction, comprising: a plurality of VDDs in a linearly cascaded arrangement; means for generating image data representing the overall image so that the overall image is larger than the display capacity of a single VDD in the first direction when substantially filling a VDD transversely to the first direction; and means for causing the overall image to appear distributed along the VDDs so that at least three of the VDDs display respective, different portions of the overall image which shift relative to the VDDs and together the VDDs display the shifting overall image as a composite, said causing means comprising: a plurality of video modules each associated with and controlling the display of at least a respective one of said VDDs; means for transferring the image data from one of said video modules to the next in succession so that said video modules each cause the associated VDD to display the respective portion of the overall image based on the transferred image data and cause each of the respective portions of the overall image to appear to scroll across the respective VDD and to cascade from one VDD to the next in succession, said transferring means being independent of said generating means when transferring the image data between the video modules; and said VDDs each having pixels and said video modules each including memory means for storing the image data in a matrix of memory, counter means including column and row counters for accessing the image data in said matrix respectively with respect to column addresses and row addresses, means for reassigning at least one of any of said row and column counters so as to change said addresses which are accessible by said counter means, reading means for reading said image data by accessing the image data with said counter means in accordance with said column and row addresses as well as with respect to any reassignment by said reassigning means, and means for sending the image data as read by said reading means to said pixels of an associated one of said VDDs in correspondence with said column and row addresses before and after said reassignment by said reassigning means, each of said VDDs displaying a respective portion of the overall image in response to said sending means and having blanking intervals during which the respective portion of the overall image shifts by at least one pixel in a predetermined direction after each reassignment, said pixels of said VDDs being in correspondence with said column and row addresses of said video modules, respectively.

Claim 8

A video message display system for displaying an overall image distributed across a plurality of video display devices (VDDs) and appearing to be shifting relative to the VDDs in a first direction, comprising: a plurality of VDDs in a linearly cascaded arrangement; means for generating image data representing the overall image so that the overall image is larger than the display capacity of a single VDD in the first direction when substantially filling a VDD transversely to the first direction; and means for causing the overall image to appear distributed along the VDDs so that at least three of the VDDs display respective, different portions of the overall image which shift relative to the VDDs and together the VDDs display the shifting overall image as a composite, said causing means comprising: a plurality of video modules each associated with and controlling the display of at least a respective one of said VDDs; means for transferring the image data from one of said video modules to the next in succession so that said video modules each cause the associated VDD to display the respective portion of the overall image based on the transferred image data and cause each of the respective portions of the overall image to appear to scroll across the respective VDD and to cascade from one VDD to the next in succession, said transferring means being independent of said generating means when transferring the image data between the video modules; and said VDDs each having pixels and said video modules each including memory means for storing the image data in a matrix of memory, counter means including column and row counters for accessing the image data in said matrix respectively with respect to column addresses and row addresses, means for reassigning at least one of any of said row and column counters so as to change said addresses which are accessible by said counter means, reading means for reading said image data by accessing the image data with said counter means in accordance with said column and row addresses as well as with respect to any reassignment by said reassigning means, and means for sending the image data as read by said reading means to said pixels of an associated one of said VDDs in correspondence with said column and row addresses before and after said reassignment by said reassigning means, each of said VDDs displaying a respective portion of the overall image in response to said sending means and having blanking intervals during which the respective portion of the overall image shifts by at least one pixel in a predetermined direction after each reassignment, said pixels of said VDDs being in correspondence with said column and row addresses of said video modules, respectively.

Claim 9

A video message display system for displaying an overall image distributed across a plurality of video display devices (VDDs) and appearing to be shifting relative to the VDDs in a first direction, comprising: a plurality of VDDs in a linearly cascaded arrangement; means for generating image data representing the overall image so that the overall image is larger than the display capacity of a single VDD in the first direction when substantially filling a VDD transversely to the first direction; and means for causing the overall image to appear distributed along the VDDs so that at least three of the VDDs display respective, different portions of the overall image which shift relative to the VDDs and together the VDDs display the shifting overall image as a composite, said causing means comprising: a plurality of video modules each associated with and controlling the display of at least a respective one of said VDDs; means for transferring the image data from one of said video modules to the next in succession so that said video modules each cause the associated VDD to display the respective portion of the overall image based on the transferred image data and cause each of the respective portions of the overall image to appear to scroll across the respective VDD and to cascade from one VDD to the next in succession, said transferring means being independent of said generating means when transferring the image data between the video modules; and said video modules each including a microcontroller, a display memory array, an asynchronous interface in bidirectional communication with said microcontroller and with at least another of said video modules, a programmable gate array in communication with said microcontroller and with said display memory array, a triple video digital to analog converter in communication with said display memory array and a video clock generator and a video sync generator, said microcontroller being in communication with both of said generators and in bidirectional communication with said display memory array, said triple video digital to analog converter also being in communication with a respective one of said VDDs.

Claim 10

A video message display system for displaying an overall image distributed across a plurality of video display devices (VDDs) and appearing to be shifting relative to the VDDs in a first direction, comprising: a plurality of VDDs in a linearly cascaded arrangement; means for generating image data representing the overall image so that the overall image is larger than the display capacity of a single VDD in the first direction when substantially filling a VDD transversely to the first direction; and means for causing the overall image to appear distributed along the VDDs so that at least three of the VDDs display respective, different portions of the overall image which shift relative to the VDDs and together the VDDs display the shifting overall image as a composite, said causing means comprising: a plurality of video modules each associated with and controlling the display of at least a respective one of said VDDs; means for transferring the image data from one of said video modules to the next in succession so that said video modules each cause the associated VDD to display the respective portion of the overall image based on the transferred image data and cause each of the respective portions of the overall image to appear to scroll across the respective VDD and to cascade from one VDD to the next in succession, said transferring means being independent of said generating means when transferring the image data between the video modules; and said video modules each including a microcontroller, a display memory array, an asynchronous interface in bidirectional communication with said microcontroller and with at least another of said video modules, a programmable gate array in communication with said microcontroller and with said display memory array, a triple video digital to analog converter in communication with said display memory array and a video clock generator and a video sync generator, said microcontroller being in communication with both of said generators and in bidirectional communication with said display memory array, said triple video digital to analog converter also being in communication with a respective one of said VDDs.

Claim 11

A system as in claim 7, wherein said programmable gate array includes two comparators and a counter for providing address information and includes means for decoding color selection to be displayed on a respective one of said VDDs.

Claim 14

A method as in claim 9, further comprising arranging the VDDs side by side.

Claim 15

A method as in claim 9, further comprising stacking the VDDs one over the other.

Claim 16

A method as in claim 9, further comprising: supplying the image data from a source to at least one of the video modules, the step of transferring including transferring the image data from one VDD to the next independent of the source.

Claim 17

A video message display system for displaying an overall image distributed across a plurality of video display devices (VDDs), said overall image appearing to be shifting relative to the VDDs, in a first direction comprising: a plurality of VDDs in a linearly cascaded arrangement; means for generating image data representing the overall image so that the overall image is greater than the display capacity of a single VDD in the first direction when substantially filling a VDD transversely to the first direction; a plurality of video modules each associated with a respective one of the VDDs, at least three of the video modules causing the associated display VDD to display a respective portion of the overall image wherein a plurality of respective portions are needed to form the overall image, the video modules transferring the image data between each other in succession; means for scrolling each respective portion of said overall image across the corresponding VDD, so that the overall image appears to travel along the linearly arranged VDDs.

Claim 18

A video message display system for displaying an overall image distributed across a plurality of video display devices (VDDs), said overall image appearing to be shifting relative to the VDDs, in a first direction comprising: a plurality of VDDs in a linearly cascaded arrangement; means for generating image data representing the overall image so that the overall image is greater than the display capacity of a single VDD in the first direction when substantially filling a VDD transversely to the first direction; a plurality of video modules each associated with a respective one of the VDDs, at least three of the video modules causing the associated display VDD to display a respective portion of the overall image wherein a plurality of respective portions are needed to form the overall image, the video modules transferring the image data between each other in succession; means for scrolling each respective portion of said overall image across the corresponding VDD, so that the overall image appears to travel along the linearly arranged VDDs.