Display apparatus and controlling method thereof

A display apparatus includes a display that displays at least a first part of an image, a power supply that supplies power to the display apparatus and an input/output port that connects in parallel the power supply and another power supply of another display apparatus that displays at least a second part of the image.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2016-0153021, filed on Nov. 17, 2016 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Devices and methods consistent with the present disclosure relate to a display apparatus and a controlling method thereof, and more particularly, to a display apparatus capable of sharing power with another display apparatus and a controlling method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

A display system including a plurality of display devices is commonly used in a field of advertisement, entertainment, sports, or broadcasting for displaying an image.

For example, the display system including a plurality of display devices may be used in an exhibition or the like. Each of the respective display devices of the display system display the same image at the same time or display different images to express one whole image.

When a plurality of display devices are connected and used, if the power of one or more of the display devices is defective and the image cannot be displayed on the screen of the one or more of the display devices, the utilization of the display system is drastically decreased. Specifically, when one full image is displayed using a plurality of display apparatuses and the screens of the one or more display devices are turned off, consumers may be very sensitive to this problem and the system cannot be used until the normal operation is performed by replacing the defective component. For example, in a place where the display system is continuously used, such as a situation room of a broadcasting station or a public institution, when a problem arises, measures to quickly resolve the problem are required.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the exemplary embodiment, there is provided a display apparatus, comprising: a display configured to display at least a first part of an image, a power supply configured to supply power to the display apparatus and an input/output port configured to connect in parallel the power supply and another power supply of another display apparatus that displays at least a second part of the image.

The display apparatus may further comprise: a detector configured to detect a power output state of the power supply and generate a detection result and a processor configured to transmit the detection result to the other display apparatus.

The processor may be further configured to reduce power consumption of the display apparatus in response to detecting one of a failure of the power supply of the display apparatus based on the detection result, and a failure of the other power supply of the other display apparatus based on power state information received from the other display apparatus.

The processor may be further configured to control the display to reduce a brightness value of the image displayed on the display by a predetermined ratio.

The predetermined ratio may correspond to a number of display apparatuses having defective power supply.

The processor may be further configured to, in response to detecting the failure of the other power supply of the other display apparatus, control the display to display a user interface for receiving an input selection regarding whether to reduce power consumption in the display apparatus based on a number of display apparatuses having defective power supply.

The input/output port may be connected to another input/output port of the other display apparatus via a cable.

The power supply may be configured to generate a plurality of direct current (DC) power levels, and the input/output port may include a plurality of terminals which connect in parallel each of the plurality of DC power levels.

According to an aspect of the exemplary embodiment, there is provided a controlling method of a display apparatus, the controlling method comprising: receiving power state information of another display apparatus, which is connected in parallel with the display apparatus, detecting a failure of another power supply of the other display apparatus based on the received power state information and in response to detecting the failure of the other power supply of the other display apparatus, reducing power consumption of the display apparatus.

The controlling method may further comprise: detecting a power output state of the display apparatus, transmitting a result of the detecting to the other display apparatus through an input/output port which connects in parallel a power supply of the display apparatus and the other power supply of the other display apparatus and in response to detecting a failure of the power supply of the display apparatus based on the result of the detecting, reducing the power consumption of the display apparatus.

The input/output port may be connected to another input/output port of the other display apparatus via a cable.

The power supply of the display apparatus may generate a plurality of direct current (DC) power levels, and the input/output port may include a plurality of terminals which connect in parallel each of the plurality of DC power levels.

The reducing the power consumption may comprise reducing a brightness value of an image displayed on a display by a predetermined ratio.

The predetermined ratio may correspond to a number of display apparatuses having defective power supply.

The controlling method may further comprise: displaying a user interface for receiving a selection regarding whether to reduce the power consumption in the display apparatus based on a number of display apparatuses having defective power supply.

According to an aspect of the exemplary embodiment, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable recording medium including a program to execute a controlling method of a display apparatus, wherein the controlling method of the display apparatus comprises: receiving power state information of another display apparatus, which is connected in parallel with the display apparatus, detecting a failure of a another power supply of the other display apparatus based on the received power state information and in response to detecting the failure of the other power supply of the other display apparatus, reducing power consumption of the display apparatus.

According to an aspect of the exemplary embodiment, there is provided a display system comprising: a plurality of display apparatus, wherein a first display apparatus, among the plurality of display apparatus, comprises: a display configured to display content, a first power supply configured to provide power to the display and a processor configured to control providing of power to a second display apparatus, in response to receiving information indicating that a second power supply of the second display apparatus is defective.

The processor of the first display apparatus may be further configured to control the first power supply of the first display apparatus to provide the power to the second display apparatus.

The processor of the first display apparatus may be further configured to control the first display apparatus to operate in a first power state that is lower than a second power state, the second power state being a power state at which the first display apparatus operates at prior to the processor controlling the providing of the power to the second display apparatus.

The first display apparatus may further comprise a connector configured to facilitate the providing of the power to the second display apparatus.

The display system may further comprise a node configured to aggregate the power provided from the first display apparatus and power provided from a third display apparatus, different from the second display apparatus, and provide the aggregated power to the second display apparatus.

According to an aspect of the exemplary embodiment, there is provided a display apparatus comprising: a display configured to display content, a power supply configured to provide power to the display and a processor configured to control providing of power to another display apparatus, in response to receiving information indicating that another power supply of the other display apparatus is defective.

The processor may be further configured to control the power supply of the display apparatus to provide the power to the other display apparatus.

The processor may be further configured to control the display apparatus to operate in a first power state that is lower than a second power state, the second power state being a power state at which the display apparatus operates at prior to the processor controlling the providing of the power to the other display apparatus.

The display apparatus may further comprise a connector configured to facilitate the providing of the power to the other display apparatus.

According to an aspect of the exemplary embodiment, there is provided a controlling method of a display apparatus, the controlling method comprising: displaying a content on a display of the display apparatus, supplying, by a power supply of the display apparatus, power to the display and controlling, by a processor of the display apparatus, power provided from the power supply of the display apparatus to another display apparatus, in response to receiving information indicating that another power supply of the other display apparatus is defective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the terms used in exemplary embodiments will be briefly explained, and exemplary embodiments will be described in greater detail.

Terms used in the present disclosure are general terminologies currently widely used in consideration of the configuration and functions of the present disclosure, but may vary depending on intention of those skilled in the art, a precedent, appearance of new technologies, and the like. Further, in specific cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected. In this case, the meaning of the terms will be described in the description of the corresponding embodiments. Accordingly, the terms used in the description should not necessarily be construed as simple names of the terms, but be defined based on meanings of the terms and overall contents of the present disclosure.

The exemplary embodiments may vary, and may be provided in different examples. Various exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of an exemplary embodiment, and therefore, it should be understood that all the modifications, equivalents or substitutes included under the invented spirit and technical scope are encompassed. In describing the exemplary embodiments, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail if it is believe that they would obscure the specification with unnecessary detail.

The terms such as “first,” “second,” and so on may be used to describe a variety of elements, but the elements should not be limited by these terms. The terms are used simply to distinguish one element from other elements.

A singular form includes a plural form unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. The terms, “include”, “is configured to”, etc. of the description are used to indicate that there are features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combination thereof, and they should not exclude the possibilities of combination or addition of one or more features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combination thereof.

In an exemplary embodiment, ‘a module’ or ‘a unit’ performs at least one function or operation, and may be realized as hardware, software, or combination thereof. In addition, a plurality of ‘modules’ or ‘units’ may be integrated into at least one module and may be realized as at least one processor in an integrated manner except for ‘modules’ or ‘units’ that should be realized in specific hardware.

The exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described in greater detail below in a manner that will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. However, exemplary embodiments may be realized in a variety of different configurations, and not limited to descriptions provided herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present disclosure in the drawings, portions unrelated to the description may be omitted, and like reference numerals have been assigned to like portions throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a view schematically illustrating a display system including a plurality of display apparatuses according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 1, a display system1000includes a plurality of display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, and each display apparatus may display the same image at the same time, or different images may be displayed at each display apparatus to form one image in combination.

FIG. 1illustrates that each of the four display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3, and100-4, displays a part of an image to depict one image of apples. However, each of the four display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3, and100-4, may display the same image.

In this case, the four display apparatuses.100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4may be connected in a loop, and the image displayed on four display apparatuses100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4may be input from one external display apparatus and transmitted to another display apparatus sequentially. In this case, if a power failure occurs in one of the display apparatuses, data cannot be transmitted from the display apparatus where power failure occurs and the data cannot be transmitted to other display apparatuses which are supposed to receive the data sequentially.

Alternatively, the four display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4may be connected to an external source and receive image data respectively from the external source. In this case, if power failure occurs in one of the display apparatuses, there is no influence on the data reception of the other display apparatuses and thus, only the display apparatus in which the power failure occurs is not operated.

According to an exemplary embodiment, if power failure occurs in one of a plurality of display apparatuses, the remaining display apparatuses may share power themselves to recover from the power failure without adding a separate element. The configuration and operation thereof will be described in detail with reference toFIGS. 2 to 7.

Although four display apparatuses are illustrated in the above exemplary embodiment, this is only for convenience of explanation, and the number of display apparatuses forming the display system1000is not limited thereto.

FIG. 2is a view illustrating the structure of a display system including a plurality of display apparatuses according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 2, the display system1000includes the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4. Specifically, the first display apparatus100-1includes a display110-1, a power supply120-1, an input/output port130-1, a detector140-1, and a processor160-1. The second display apparatus100-2may also include a display110-2, a power supply120-2, an input/output port130-2, a detector140-2, and a processor160-2. The third and the fourth apparatuses may include the same elements as the first and the second display apparatuses.

The power supply120-1of the first display apparatus100-1may receive alternating current (AC) power10-1, convert the AC power to direct current (DC) power, and provide the converted DC power to each element of the display apparatus100-1. Specifically, the power supply120-1may output the DC power and provide the DC power to the processor160-1and the display110-1. In this case, the power supply120-1may output 24V, which is the driving voltage of the display apparatus100-1and provide the voltage to the processor160-1and the display110-1. The driving voltage of the processor160-1may be 13V and thus, the processor160-1may have a converter for converting the voltage of 24V to 13V and use the converted voltage.

The detector140-1may detect a power output state of the power supply120-1. In addition, the detector140-1may be connected to a detector of another display apparatus and share a power output state of each display apparatus.

The operations of each element of the second to the fourth display apparatuses,100-2,100-3and100-4, are the same as those of each element of the first display apparatus100-1described above.

In this case, each of the first to fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, may be connected in parallel. To be specific, the power supply of each of the first to fourth external devices,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, may be connected in parallel through the input/output ports130-1,130-2provided on the display apparatus. In this case, a DC output terminal of each power supply may be connected in parallel through an input/output port of each display apparatus, and the input/output port of each display apparatus may be connected via cable.

According to an exemplary embodiment, each display apparatus may not be connected in parallel under normal operation. However, a switch may be provided for parallel connection in case of an event such as a power failure of one of the display apparatuses.

Accordingly, the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, may share DC power. Therefore, if it is detected that the power output state of one of the parallel-connected display apparatuses is defective, the display apparatus having the defective power output state may be operated using the power of the remaining display apparatuses.

For example, if a power output failure occurs in the power supply120-2of the second display apparatus100-2which receives the input of the AC power10-2, the detector140-2may detect this power output failure and share the detected power state information with each detector of the other display apparatuses, that is, the first, the third and the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-3and100-4. The operations of the third and the fourth display apparatuses100-3and100-4are the same as those of the first display apparatus10-1and thus, only the first display apparatus100-1will be described.

If a power output failure is detected in the second display apparatus100-2which is connected to the detector140-1of the first display apparatus100-1by the detector140-2of the second display apparatus100-2, the processor160-1of the first display apparatus100-1may obtain power to be provided to the second display apparatus100-2by reducing power consumption of the first display apparatus100-1. Specifically, the processor160-1of the first display apparatus100-1may obtain power by reducing the brightness value of the image occupying the largest portion of the power consumption by a predetermined ratio and supply the obtained power to the second display apparatus100-2.

According to the above exemplary embodiment, a processor included in each of a plurality of displays reduces a brightness value and the like by a predetermined ratio to reduce power consumption. However, according to another embodiment, if each of the plurality of display apparatuses is connected to an external apparatus to receive data, a control command and the like from the external apparatus, power consumption can be reduced by the control of the external apparatus.

Although the power supply of each display apparatus is connected in parallel to supply power to a display apparatus having a defective power output state from another display apparatus, according to another exemplary embodiment, power can be also supplied by the control of the processor. For instance, a processor may be configured to control power supply to a second display apparatus, in response to receiving information indicating that a power supply of the second display apparatus is defective. The processor may directly supply power through a connector configured to facilitate the power supply to the second display apparatus. According to an exemplary embodiment, the connector may be the input/output port130illustrated inFIG. 3.

The third and the fourth display apparatuses,100-3and100-4, may perform the same operations as the first display apparatus100-1. In this case, the power supplied from the first display apparatus100-1, the third display apparatus100-3and the fourth apparatus100-4to the second display apparatus,100-2, may be provided to the processor160-2and the display110-2so that the second display apparatus100-2can display an image and the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, can operate in a normal or a substantially normal manner. For instance, the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, can operate as a video wall in a normal or a substantially normal manner. However, since the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, are controlled so as to reduce power consumption, the brightness value of the entire image may be reduced and the image can be displayed may be darkened.

As described above, as the power supply of the plurality of display apparatuses are connected in parallel, even if one of the display apparatuses has a defective power output state, the power of another display apparatus can be shared and thus, the user convenience can be improved.

The specific operation of each element of a display apparatus will be described in detail with reference toFIGS. 3 and 4according to exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 3is a block diagram illustrating configuration of one of the plurality of display apparatuses forming a display system according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 3, the display apparatus100includes the display110, the power supply120and the input/output port130.

The display110may display an image corresponding to data input from outside. Specifically, the display110may display an image corresponding to a predetermined area of the input data. For example, if the display apparatus100is disposed in the upper left side of the plurality of apparatuses, the display110may display an image corresponding to the upper left side of the input image which is divided into four parts. As such, the display system allows each display apparatus to display a partial area of the image, respectively, thereby displaying the entire image. According to another exemplary embodiment, each display apparatus may display the same image.

The power supply120supplies power to the display apparatus100. Specifically, the power supply120may receive AC power, convert the AC power to DC power, and provide the converted DC power to each element of the display apparatus100.

For example, if the power required to drive the processor is 13V and the power required to drive the display110is 24V, the power supply120may generate a plurality of DC power supplies of 13V and 24V and provide the generated power supplies to each element. Alternatively, if the power supply120has a converter capable of converting 24V to 13V, the processor may generate only 24V and if the processor has a converter capable of converting 13V to 24V, the power supply120may generate only 13V and provide the generated power to each element. In this case, the power supply120may be switched mode power supply (SMPS).

The power supply120may supply DC power to another display apparatus which is connected in parallel. Specifically, the DC output end of the power supply120and the DC output end of another display apparatus may be connected in parallel through the input/output port130. In this case, the input/output port130may be a terminal which can be connected to the input/output port of another display apparatus via cable. Here, the input/output port130may be a display port (DP), a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) port, etc.

If the power supply120generates a plurality of DC power supplies, the input/output port130may be a plurality of terminals which connect the plurality of DC power supplies in parallel, respectively. Specifically, the input/output port130may include a terminal connecting in parallel the DC output ends provided to each processor from the respective power supply of the plurality of display devices, and a terminal connecting in parallel the DC output ends provided to each display from the respective power supply of the plurality of display apparatuses.

As such, as the power supply120is connected to the power supply of other display apparatuses in parallel, it becomes possible to share power between the plurality of display apparatuses. Thus, when there is a problem in the power output of one of the display apparatuses, the problem can be overcome without an additional separate element.

FIG. 4is a block diagram illustrating a structure of the display apparatus ofFIG. 3according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 4, the display apparatus100includes the display110, the power supply120, the input/output port130, the detector140, the communicator150, and the processor160.

The display110performs the same operation as the display illustrated inFIG. 3and thus, redundant description will be omitted.

The power supplier120may supply power to each element of the display apparatus100. Specifically, the power supply120may supply power to the display110, the communicator150and the processor160so that each element can operate.

In addition, the power supply120may reduce power supplied to each configuration under the control of the processor160and supply extra power to another display apparatus. In this case, the power supply120may supply the extra power to another display apparatus through the input/output port130.

The detector140may detect the power output state of the power supply120. Specifically, the detector140may be connected to the power supply120and detect the power output state of the power supply120. In this case, the detector140may be connected to the DC output end of the power supply120and detect the DC power output state of the power supply120. WhileFIG. 4illustrates that the power output from the power supply120is provided to the processor160and the display110from the detector140, respectively, this is only for convenience of explanation. The power can be supplied to each element by a separate element, and there may be a plurality of detectors140to detect the output state of power provided to the processor160and the display110.

In addition, the detector140may be connected to a detector of another display apparatus and share a power output state of the display apparatus to the other display apparatus and vice versa. Here, the detector140may be a load share integrated circuit (IC). The load share IC provided on each display apparatus may be connected to each other and share the power output state of each power supply. In this case, by sharing the power output state, the display apparatus100may identify the number and location of display apparatuses, which have a defective power output state with each other.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the detector140is a separate element, but this is only an example. According to another exemplary embodiment, the detector140may be an element included in the processor160instead of a separate element, or may be an element included in the power supply120. In this case, each processor or each power supply of the plurality of display apparatuses may be connected to share the power output state.

The communicator150may perform communication with an external apparatus. Specifically, the communicator150may receive image data or a control command from an external apparatus and transmit the received image data or control command to another display apparatus.

The communicator150may perform communication with at least one other display apparatus. Specifically, if the display apparatus100is not connected to an external apparatus, the communicator150may receive image data or a control command from another display apparatus. Here, the received image data or control command may be received by another display apparatus from an external apparatus to which the other display apparatus is connected. Subsequently, the communicator150may transmit the received image data or control command to yet another display apparatus.

FIG. 4illustrates that the communicator150is a separate element, but according to an exemplary embodiment, the communicator150may be the same element as the input/output port130. In this case, the communicator150may operate in a wired manner using at least one of HDMI, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), Red Green Blue (RGB), D-Subminiature (DSUB), Super Video (S-Video), Component Video, and Composite Video which is a connection port provided in the display apparatus100. The communicator150may operate not only in a wired manner but also in a wireless manner using Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a Long Term Evolution (LTE), a Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBRO), a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), etc.

The processor160may control each element of the display apparatus100. Specifically, if the processor160detects a failure in the power output state of at least one of the display apparatus100and other display apparatuses based on the detection result shared by the detector160, it may be possible to reduce the power consumption of the display apparatus100.

Specifically, if a failure occurs in the power supply of another display apparatus, the processor160may reduce the power consumption in order to supply constant power to the other display apparatuses. In this case, if part of necessary power cannot be supplied from the power supply120due to a failure in the power supply120of the display apparatus100, the processor160may be operated by the power supplied from the power supply120and thus, reduce the power consumption of the display apparatus100. In this case, the display apparatus100may be operated by the power supplied from the power supply120and the power supplied from other display apparatuses. If it is not possible to receive all of the required power from the power supply120due to a failure in the power supply120of the display apparatus100, the processor160may be operated by the power supplied from other display apparatus and thus, reduce the power consumption of the display apparatus100. In this case, the display apparatus100may be operated only by the power provided from the other display apparatus.

Here, the processor160may control the display apparatus100to reduce the brightness value of the image displayed on the display110by a predetermined ratio. Specifically, the processor160may control the backlight of the display apparatus100, which takes up significant portion of the power consumption to lower the brightness of the image in order to reduce the power consumption.

In this case, the predetermined ratio may correspond to the number of display apparatuses with a defective power supply. For example, in a video wall including a total of nine display apparatuses, when the power supply of one display device is defective, the brightness of the remaining eight display apparatuses is reduced by 15% so that the generated extra power can be provided to the display apparatus where the power failure occurs. If the power failure occurs in two display apparatus, the brightness of the remaining seven display apparatuses is reduced by 30% so that the generated extra power can be provided to the two display apparatus where power failure occurs.

The above-described predetermined ratio is only an example, according to an exemplary embodiment, the ratio may vary depending on the power supply capacity of the power supply, the power consumed by the backlight, etc.

The above exemplary embodiment illustrates a case in which the power consumption is reduced by reducing the brightness value of the image, according to an exemplary embodiment, if the audio of the image is not required, the power supplied to the speaker may be cut off or the power of other unnecessary elements can be cut off in order to reduce the power consumption.

According to an exemplary embodiment, when a failure in the power output state of at least one of the other display apparatuses is detected based on the detection result shared by the detector140, the processor160may control the display110to display a UI for receiving a user's selection regarding whether to reduce the power consumption of the display apparatus100based on the number of detected defective display apparatuses.

Specifically, if the number of detected display apparatuses is greater than a predetermined value, the processor160may not reduce the power consumption immediately. Instead, according to an exemplary embodiment, the processor may be configured to receive a user's selection regarding whether to operate the display apparatuses having a defective power state by reducing the power consumption. In this case, as illustrated inFIG. 6, the processor160may display a UI for receiving a user's selection on the display110, or may notify or inform the user using audio output, etc. and may receive a user's selection. In this case, the user may select whether to reduce the power consumption by using a touch input, a remote controller, a voice input, a button and the like provided on the display apparatus100.

The other operations of the display110, the power supply120and the input/output port130are the same as those of the display110, the power supply120and the input/output port130illustrated inFIG. 3, and therefore, the redundant description has been omitted.

It is to be understood that the display apparatus100may further include a storage, a microphone, a camera, a speaker, etc. which are typically provided in the display apparatus100in addition to the elements described above.

According to an exemplary embodiment, as the power supply120may be connected to the power supply of other display apparatuses in parallel, it becomes possible to share power between the plurality of display apparatuses. Accordingly, when there is a problem in the power output of one of the display apparatuses, the problem can be overcome without an additional separate element.

FIG. 5is a view illustrating a configuration of a display system including a plurality of display apparatuses according to another exemplary embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 5, the display system1000includes the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4. Specifically, the first display apparatus100-1comprises a display110-1, a power supply120-1, an input/output port130-1, a detector140-1, and a processor160-1. The second display apparatus100-2may also comprise a display110-2, a power supply120-2, an input/output port130-2, a detector140-2, and a processor160-2. The third and the fourth apparatuses may comprise the same elements as the first and the second display apparatuses.

The power supply120-1of the first display apparatus100-1may receive AC power10-1, convert the AC power to DC power, and provide the converted DC power to each element of the display apparatus100-1. Specifically, the power supply120-1may output the DC power and provide the DC power to the processor160-1and the display110-1. In this case, the power supply120-1may output 13V which is the driving voltage of the display apparatus160-1and provide the voltage to the processor160-1and output 24V which is the driving voltage of the display100-1and provide the voltage to the display110-1.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the detectors140-1(1) and140-1(2) may detect the power output state of the power supply120-1. In addition, the detectors140-1(1) and140-1(2) may be connected to the detectors of other display apparatuses and share the power output state of each display apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the detectors140-2(1) and140-2(2) may separately detect to the power output state of the power supply120-2. For instance, the detector140-2(1) may detect the power supply to the processor160-2to determine if there is a power supply failure to the processor160-2. Separately, the detectors140-2(2) may detect the power supply to the display110-2to determine if there is a power supply failure to the display110-2. According to an exemplary embodiment, if it is determined by the processor160-2that there is power supply failure to the processor160-2, a power supply120-1of the display apparatus100-1may supply power to the processor160-2via the input/output port130-1(1) and input/output port130-2(1).

According to an exemplary embodiment, another element of the display apparatus100-1or another element of another display apparatus, that there is power supply failure to the processor160-2. Also, the power supply of the other display apparatuses100-3and100-4may supply power the processor160-2in addition to the power supply120-1of the display apparatus100-1. According to an exemplary embodiment, the power supply of the other display apparatuses100-3and100-4may supply power to the processor160-2instead of the power supply120-1of the display apparatus100-1.

Similarly, according to an exemplary embodiment, if it is determined that there is power supply failure to the display110-2, a power supply120-1of the display apparatus100-1may supply power to the display110-2via the input/output port130-2(1) and input/output port130-2(2).

The operations of each element of the second to the fourth display apparatuses,100-2,100-3and100-4, are the same as those of each element of the first display apparatus100-1described above.

In this case, each of the first to fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, may be connected in parallel. To be specific, each power supply of the first to fourth external devices,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, may be connected in parallel through the input/output port provided in the display apparatus. In this case, a DC output terminal of each power supply may be connected in parallel through an input/output port of each display apparatus, and the input/output port of each display apparatus may be connected via cable.

Here, the input/output port,130-1(1) and130-2(1), connecting in parallel the DC output ends which provide power to the processor from each power supply of the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, and the input/output port130-1(2),130-2(2) connecting in parallel the DC output ends which provide power to the display from each power supply of the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, may be provided as separate elements.

Each display apparatus is not generally connected in parallel, but may further include a switch for parallel connection in case of an event such as a power failure of one of the display apparatuses.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the display system may include a node at which the power supply from the first display apparatus and power supply from one or more third display apparatus, different from the second display apparatus, are aggregated and supplied to the second display apparatus.

Accordingly, the first to the fourth display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, may share DC power. Therefore, if it is detected that the power output state of one of the parallel-connected display apparatuses is defective, the display apparatus having the defective power output state may be operated using the power of the remaining display apparatuses.

For example, if a power output failure occurs in the power supply120-2of the second display apparatus100-2which receives the input of the AC power10-2, the detector140-2may detect this power output failure and share the detected power state information with each detector of the other display apparatuses, that is, the first, the third and the fourth display apparatuses100-1,100-3and100-4. The operations of the third and the fourth display apparatuses100-3and100-4are the same as those of the first display apparatus10-1and thus, only the first display apparatus100-1will be described.

If a power output failure is detected in the second display apparatus100-2to which the detectors140-1(1) and140-1(2) of the first display apparatus100-1are connected based on the detection result by the detectors140-2(1) and140-2(2) of the second display apparatus100-2, the processor160-1of the first display apparatus100-1may reduce power consumption in the first display apparatus100-1in order to secure power to be provided to the second display apparatus100-2. Specifically, the processor160-1of the first display apparatus100-1may obtain power by reducing the brightness value of the image occupying the largest portion of the power consumption by a predetermined ratio and supply the obtained power to the second display apparatus100-2.

In this case, the first display apparatus100-1may provide power to be provided to the processor160-2of the second display apparatus100-2through the input/output port130-1(1) which connects processors in parallel, and provide power to be provided to the display110-2of the second display apparatus100-2through the input/output port130-1(2) which connects displays in parallel.

The operations of each element excluding the above-described features have been described in detail with reference toFIGS. 2 to 4and thus, the redundant description is omitted.

As described above, as the power supply of the plurality of display apparatuses are connected in parallel, even if one of the display apparatuses has a defective power output state, the power of another display apparatus can be shared and thus, the user convenience can be improved.

FIG. 6is a view illustrating a User Interface (UI) which is displayed to receive a user's selection when a power failure occurs in one or more of the display apparatuses according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 6, a display system1000includes a plurality of display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, and each display apparatus may display the same image at the same time, or different images may be displayed at each display apparatus to form one image in combination.

Each of the plurality of display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4may be connected to each other to share power. In this case, if there is a problem in power output in one of the display apparatuses, each of the plurality of display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4may provide power to the display apparatus where the power problem occurs. However, when there are a large number of defective display apparatuses, it may be difficult for the display system to operate in a viable or a substantially viable since the brightness of the image is may be too dark due to a large amount of power consumption reduction in each display apparatus. In this case, if the number of the display apparatuses with defective power output is greater than a predetermined value, each of the plurality of display apparatuses,100-1,100-2,100-3and100-4, may not provide power by reducing power consumption immediately. Instead, the display apparatus may request, and in response, receive a user's selection regarding whether to provide power consumption. In an exemplary embodiment, as illustrated inFIG. 6, a UI for receiving a user's selection may be displayed on a part of all of the display apparatuses having normal power output.

According to an exemplary embodiment, inFIG. 6, it is assumed that while an image is displayed using a total of four display apparatuses which are connected to an external apparatus and receive image data, respectively, a problem occurs in the power output in the first display apparatus100-1and the third display apparatus100-3. In such a case, if the four display apparatuses are connected in a loop form, in which, the second display apparatus100-2receives image data from an external apparatus, and the image data is transmitted in an order to the third display apparatus100-3, the fourth display apparatus100-4and the first display apparatus100-1, the third display apparatus100-3, the fourth display apparatus100-4and the first display apparatus100-1may not operate, except for the second display apparatus100-2may not operate.

According to an exemplary embodiment, if a problem in power output occurs in other display apparatuses, each display apparatus may perform the operation of reducing power consumption without a user command only when the number of defective display apparatuses is less than a predetermined value. When the number of defective display apparatuses is greater than a predetermined value, whether to perform the operation of reducing power consumption can be confirmed by the user.

For example, if it is set to perform the operation of reducing power consumption without a user command when a problem in power output occurs in one of four display apparatuses, as illustrated inFIG. 6, when a problem in power output occurs in two display apparatuses, the display apparatus having normal power output may display a UI for receiving user's confirmation regarding whether to perform power consumption reduction.

FIG. 6illustrates that a UI is displayed in only the fourth display apparatus out of the second display apparatus100-2and the fourth display apparatus100-4which have normal power output, but a UI also be displayed on the second display apparatus100-2along with the fourth display apparatus100-4.

WhileFIG. 6illustrates that a UI is displayed for receiving a user's selection, the user may be informed by audio output and the like, and the user's selection may be received. In this case, the user may select whether to reduce the power consumption by using a touch input, a remote controller, a voice input, a button and the like provided on the display apparatus.

FIG. 7is a flowchart illustrating a power sharing method of a display apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Firstly, the display apparatus may detect a power output state (S710). Specifically, the display apparatus may detect the output state of DC power which is output from a power supply. In this case, the display apparatus may detect the output state of DC power provided to a processor and a display together, or may detect the output state of DC power provided to each of the processor and the display separately.

Subsequently, the display apparatus may transmit the detection result to other display apparatuses which are connected in parallel (S720). According to an exemplary embodiment, the display apparatus may share the detection result with other display apparatuses which are connected in parallel. Specifically, the detector of the display apparatus may be connected to the detectors of other display apparatuses and share the power output states of the display apparatus and other display apparatuses. Here, the detector of the display apparatus may be a separate element such as a load share IC or may be included in a processor or a power supply.

Subsequently, the display apparatus may detect a failure in the power output state (S730). Specifically, the display apparatus may determine the number and position of display apparatuses having a defective power output state based on the power output state of each display apparatus shared by the detector.

Subsequently, the display apparatus may reduce the power consumption (S740). Specifically, the power supply of the display apparatus is connected in parallel to the power supply of the other display apparatuses, and when the power supply output state of the other display apparatus is detected to be defective, the display apparatus reduces the power consumption and provide the extra power to the other display apparatus. If it is detected that the power output state of the display apparatus is defective, the display apparatus may reduce the power consumption and receive extra power from other display apparatuses to operate the processor, the display and the like.

In this case, the display apparatus may reduce the power consumption by reducing the brightness value of an image. Accordingly, when at least one of the display apparatus and the other display apparatuses is defective in the power output state, the display apparatus may display a darker image than in the normal operation mode.

According to the above-described various exemplary embodiments, the parallel connection of the respective power output ends enables power sharing between the plurality of display apparatuses and thus, if a problem occurs in the power output in one of the display apparatuses, the problem can be overcome without an additional element.

Various exemplary embodiments described above may be embodied in a recording medium that may be read by a computer or a similar apparatus to the computer by using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. According to the hardware embodiment, exemplary embodiments that are described in the present disclosure may be embodied by using at least one of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Digital Signal Processing Devices (DSPDs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, electrical units for performing other functions. In some cases, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented by the processor120. According to the software embodiment, various embodiments of procedures and functions described in the specification may be implemented with separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described in the present specification.

The controlling method of the display apparatus according to the various exemplary embodiments may be stored on a non-transitory readable medium. The non-transitory readable medium may be installed and used in various apparatuses.

The non-transitory readable medium refers to a medium which may be readable by machine, a processor, and the like, and may store data semi-permanently unlike a register, a cache, or a memory that stores data for a short time. Specifically, programs of performing the above-described various methods can be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium such as a CD, a DVD, a hard disk, a Blu-ray disk, universal serial bus (USB), a memory card, ROM, or the like, and can be provided.

The foregoing embodiments are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present disclosure. The present teaching may be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.