Abstract:
The present invention provides a display system ( 200 ) for wirelessly driving display devices. In one embodiment, the display system includes a signal processing unit ( 210 ), an interface unit ( 220 ) having a control unit ( 222 ), a first antenna ( 201 ), a second antenna ( 202 ) and a display device ( 230 ). In contrast to a conventional wirelessly driven display system, the control unit of the present invention is integrated into the interface unit. By doing so, the display area of the display device may be enlarged. Furthermore, the display system may also allow two-way communication between the display device and the signal processing unit by incorporating an input signal detector.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to a display system, and more particularly, to a display system that is operated by means of wireless connections.  
         [0003]     2. Prior Art  
         [0004]     Conventionally, a display device, such as a liquid crystal display, is connected to a signal generation device, such as a personal computer, through cables. However, cable connections between a display device and a signal generation device limit the distance between the display device and the signal generation device to the length of the cable used. Further, as more and more peripheral devices are connected to the signal generation device, a large amount of cables needs to be employed, resulting in inconvenient and unmanageable wiring and poor aesthetic appearance. Thus, wireless connections between signal generation devices and peripheral devices are gradually replacing cable connections.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,492,973 issued to Kuroki et al. teaches a “method of driving a flat display capable of wireless connection and device for driving the same.”  FIG. 3  shows a pertinent conventional display system  300 . The display system  300  comprises a signal generation unit  310 , a modulator  320 , a transmitter  330 , a first antenna  301 , a second antenna  302 , a receiver  340 , a demodulator  350 , a control unit  360 , an x-direction driving circuit  361 , a y-direction driving circuit  362 , and a display panel  363 . The signal generation unit  310  generates the signals to be displayed, and sends the signal to the modulator  320 . The modulator  320  then modulates the signals to be displayed into radio frequency waves, and sends the radio frequency waves to the transmitter  330 . The transmitter  330  sends out the radio frequency waves  303  through the first antenna  301 . The receiver  340  then receives the radio frequency waves  303  sent from the first antenna  302  through the second antenna  302 , and sends the received radio frequency waves  303  to the demodulator  350 . The demodulator  350  demodulates the radio frequency waves, and recovers them into the signals to be displayed. The control unit  360  then converts the signals to be displayed from the demodulator  350  into x-direction image signals and y-direction image signals. The x-direction driving circuit  361  and the y-direction driving circuit  362  then take the x-direction image signals and the y-direction image signals, respectively, from the control unit  360 , and drive the display panel  363  in accordance with the x-direction image signals and the y-direction image signals.  
         [0006]     However, in accordance with the teachings of Kuroki et al., the control unit  360  as shown in  FIG. 3  is integrated in the display device; that is, at the side of the second antenna  302 , which limits the display module size of the display device from further shrinking. In addition, Kuroki et al.&#39;s teaching only provides one-way communication between a signal generation unit and a display device. In many contemporary applications, a touch-screen display device is needed for receiving input signals from the display device. This is not provided in the teaching of Kuroki et al.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     One objective of the present invention is to provide a display system such that a control unit is integrated into an interface unit at a side of a first antenna, so as to shrink the display module size of a display device.  
         [0008]     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a display system that receives input signals from the display device.  
         [0009]     To achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention, in accordance with one particular embodiment, discloses a display system comprising a signal generation unit, an interface unit comprising a control unit and a transmitting unit, a first antenna, a second antenna, and a display device comprising a receiving unit, a display panel, an x-direction driver and a y-direction driver. The control unit of this particular embodiment is integrated in the interface unit so as to shrink the display module size of the display device.  
         [0010]     In accordance with another particular embodiment of the present invention, a display system is disclosed comprising a signal processing device, an interface unit comprising a control unit and a first transceiver unit, a first antenna, a second antenna, and a touch-screen display device comprising a second transceiver unit, a touch-screen display panel, an x-direction driver and a y-direction driver. The control unit of this particular embodiment is also integrated in the interface unit so as to shrink the display module size of the display device, while the touch-screen display device is capable of two-way communication between the display device and the signal processing device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The present invention is better understood by referring to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a display system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a display system, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a conventional display system.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 1 a  display system  100  in accordance with one particular embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The display system  100  comprises a signal generation device  110 , an interface unit  120  comprising a transmitting unit  121  and a control unit  122 , a first antenna  101 , a second antenna  102 , and a display device  130  comprising a receiving unit  131 , a x-direction driver  132 , a y-direction driver  133  and a display panel  134 . In this particular embodiment, the signal generation unit  110  is a personal computer, while in other particular embodiments, the signal generation unit  110  may alternatively be a server computer, a personal digital assistant, a television set, a television phone or a television conference system. The display device  130  in this particular embodiment is a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) device. The display device  130  may alternatively be a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device. The first antenna  101  and the second antenna  102  are capable of sending and receiving, respectively, radio frequency waves  103 . In this particular embodiment, the radio frequency waves  103  are millimeter waves, i.e. the wavelengths of the radio frequency waves  103  are of the order of millimeters.  
         [0016]     In  FIG. 1 , the signal generation unit  110  generates signals to be displayed. The control unit  122  then receives the signals to be displayed from the signal generation unit  110 , and converts the signals to be displayed into driving signals. The driving signals are signals for driving the display device  130 . The transmitting unit  121  receives the driving signals from the control unit  122 , and converts the driving signals into radio frequency waves  103 . The first antenna  101  sends out the radio frequency waves  103  from the transmitting unit  121 , while the second antenna  102  receives the radio frequency waves  103  sent from the first antenna  101 . The receiving unit  131  then receives the radio frequency waves  103  from the second antenna  102 , and converts the radio frequency waves  103  into the driving signals. The receiving unit  131  further separates the driving signals into x-direction image signals and y-direction image signals. The display panel  134  has a plurality of display pixels (not shown) arranged in rows and columns. Since the structure of the display pixels (not shown) is known in the art, illustration of them is omitted. The display panel  134  comprises an x-direction drive line  135  arranged for each row of the display pixels, and a y-direction drive line  136  arranged for each column of the display pixels. The x-direction driver  132  supplies the x-direction drive line  135  with the x-direction image signals received from the receiving unit  131 , while the y-direction driver  133  supplies the y-direction drive line  136  with the y-direction image signals from the receiving unit  131 .  
         [0017]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 a  display system  200  in accordance with another particular embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The display system  200  comprises a signal processing device  210 , an interface unit  220  comprising a first transceiver unit  221  and a control unit  222 , a first antenna  201 , a second antenna  202 , and a display device  230  comprising a second transceiver unit  231 , a x-direction driver  232 , a y-direction driver  233  and a touch-screen display panel  234 . In this particular embodiment, the signal processing unit  210  is a personal computer, while in other particular embodiments, the signal processing unit  210  may alternatively be a server computer, a personal digital assistant, a television set, a television phone or a television conference system. The display device  230  in this particular embodiment is a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) device. The display device  230  may alternatively be a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device. The first antenna  201  and the second antenna  202  are capable of sending and receiving radio frequency waves  203 . In this particular embodiment, the radio frequency waves  203  are millimeter waves, i.e. the wavelengths of the radio frequency waves  203  are of the order of millimeters. The touch-screen display panel  234  comprises an input signal detector (not shown) for receiving input signals from pressing of the touch-screen display panel  234  by a finger or a stylus pen.  
         [0018]     In  FIG. 2 , the signal processing unit  210  generates signals to be displayed and receives input signals. The control unit  222  then receives the signals to be displayed from the signal processing unit  210 , and converts the signals to be displayed into driving signals. The driving signals are signals for driving the display device  230 . The first transceiver unit  221  converts the driving signals into forward radio frequency waves  203 , and provides input signals for the signal processing unit  210  from backward radio frequency waves  204 . The first antenna  201  sends out the forward radio frequency waves  203  from the first transceiver unit  221 , and receives the backward radio frequency waves  204 . The second antenna  202  receives the forward radio frequency waves  203  sent from the first antenna  201 , and sends the backward radio frequency waves  204  to the first antenna  201 . The second transceiver unit  231  receives the forward radio frequency waves  203  from the second antenna  202 , converts the forward radio frequency waves  203  into the driving signals, separates the driving signals into x-direction image signals and y-direction image signals, and converts input signals into backward radio frequency waves  204 . The touch-screen display panel  234  has a plurality of display pixels (not shown) arranged in rows and columns. Since the structure of the display pixels (not shown) is known in the art, illustration of them is omitted. The touch-screen display panel  234  comprises an x-direction signal line  235  arranged for each row of the display pixels, and a y-direction signal line  236  arranged for each column of the display pixels. Each display pixel (not shown) comprises an input signal detector (not shown) for detecting input signals. The input signal detector may be of a resistive type, a capacitive type, an optical type or an ultrasonic type. Since the structure of the input signal detector is also known in the art, illustration thereof is omitted. In this particular embodiment, the input signal detector is of a resistive type, which comprises an upper electrode (not shown) and a lower electrode (not shown) both composed of indium-tin oxide (ITO). By pressing the upper electrode and the lower electrode by a finger or a Stylus pen, one may short-circuit the upper electrode and the lower electrode. The contact point that the finger or a Stylus pen presses one the upper electrode may thereafter be derived. The x-direction driver  232  supplies the x-direction drive line  235  with the x-direction image signals, and detects the input signals in the x-direction. The y-direction driver  233  supplies the y-direction drive line  236  with the y-direction image signals, and detects the input signals in the y-direction.  
         [0019]     While the present invention is described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments, it will be appreciated that no limitation is intended by the above descriptions. The particular embodiments as described above only illustrate one display device for each respective display system, as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . It will be appreciated that the display system of the present invention may drive more than one display device. Various equivalent modifications or alterations of the preferred embodiments described above will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art; however, they are to be construed as being exemplary of the present invention as defined in the following claims. That is, all equivalent modifications or alterations of the preferred embodiments given above are to be considered within the spirit and scope of the present invention.