Source: http://patents.com/us-20170112009.html
Timestamp: 2018-12-19 16:30:43
Document Index: 512425289

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 62', 'Application No. 61', 'Application No. 61', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62', 'Application No. 62']

Application # 2017/0112009. System and Method for a Modular Multi-Panel Display - Patents.com
United States Patent Application 20170112009
Hall; William Y. April 20, 2017
Family ID: 1000002372940
Appl. No.: 15/396102
Current CPC Class: H05K 5/0256 20130101; H05K 2201/10106 20130101; G09G 3/32 20130101; H05K 7/20127 20130101; H05K 5/0017 20130101; H05K 5/0247 20130101; H05K 5/03 20130101; H05K 7/2039 20130101; H05K 5/06 20130101; H05K 7/20954 20130101; F21K 9/20 20160801; F21K 9/90 20130101; F21V 23/023 20130101; F21V 31/005 20130101; H05K 1/181 20130101; H05K 3/32 20130101; G09G 2300/026 20130101; G09G 2360/04 20130101; F21Y 2115/10 20160801; G06F 3/1446 20130101
International Class: H05K 5/02 20060101 H05K005/02; G09G 3/32 20060101 G09G003/32; H05K 7/20 20060101 H05K007/20; H05K 5/00 20060101 H05K005/00; H05K 5/03 20060101 H05K005/03; H05K 3/32 20060101 H05K003/32; F21K 9/20 20060101 F21K009/20; F21K 9/90 20060101 F21K009/90; F21V 23/02 20060101 F21V023/02; F21V 31/00 20060101 F21V031/00; H05K 1/18 20060101 H05K001/18; G06F 3/14 20060101 G06F003/14; H05K 5/06 20060101 H05K005/06
1. A method of assembling a modular multi-panel display system, the method comprising: assembling a mechanical support structure; at a first location, detachably mounting a plurality of display panels to the mechanical support structure so as to assemble a plurality of integrated display panel sub-assemblies, each sub-assembly including a plurality of display panels arranged in rows and columns, wherein each display panel includes: an array of display elements comprising a plurality of rows of display elements and a plurality of columns of display elements so as to form a display panel surface, wherein the display panel surface is sealed to be waterproof, a display driver coupled to the array of display elements, a housing, a receiver circuit disposed inside the housing, and a power supply electrically coupled to the receiver circuit and the display driver, wherein the power supply is configured to convert an alternative current (AC) received at an input and output a direct current (DC); wherein the mechanical support structure is configured to provide mechanical support to the plurality of display panels without providing waterproof sealing; wherein the plurality of integrated display panel sub-assemblies are configured to be moved to a second location remote from the first location; and wherein, at the second location, the plurality of integrated display panel sub-assemblies are configured to be built into a multi-panel display system by assembling the sub-assemblies into an integrated display panel.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a catwalk attached to the mechanical support structure at a back side, wherein the back side is opposite the side to which the plurality of display panels is detachably mounted.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein each display panel of each row is electrically connected to an adjacent display panel within that row; wherein, for each row, a first end display panel receives an input data connection from a data source and has an output data connection to a next display panel in the row, each further display panel until a second end display panel providing data to a next adjacent display panel; and wherein a power line is run across each row to power the display panels in that row.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-panel display system includes no cabinets, is cooled passively and includes no air conditioning, fans, or heating units.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein each display panel includes a board in contact with the housing.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the board physically contacts a thermally conductive material at a backside of the board, and wherein the thermally conductive material physically contacts an inner wall of the housing.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the housing comprises a plastic housing.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanical support structure includes a top bar, a bottom bar, a left bar, a right bar, and at least one vertical bar extending from the top bar to the bottom bar, the vertical bar disposed between the left bar and the right bar.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the top bar, the bottom bar, the left bar and the right bar are each capable of bearing a load of 1.738 lb/ft and wherein the vertical bar is capable of bearing a load of 3.23 lb/ft.
10. A method of assembling a modular multi-panel display system, the method comprising: assembling a plurality of mechanical support structures that each include a plurality of beams; receiving from a first location, a plurality of display panels mounted to a plurality of beams of each of a plurality of mechanical support structures so as to assemble a plurality of integrated display panel sub-assemblies, each sub-assembly including a plurality of display panels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the display system includes no cabinets, wherein the display system is cooled passively and includes no air conditioning, fans, or heating units, and wherein the sub-assemblies are received at a second location remote from the first location; and at the second location, building a multi-panel display system by assembling the sub-assemblies into an integrated display panel.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising mounting a data receiver box adjacent the array to provide power, data, and communication to the array of display panels, wherein the power and the data are supplied from the data receiver box through separate wires within an integrated cable.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data receiver box provides direct current (DC) power to each of the display panels and wherein a power supply unit of each display panel is configured to convert the DC power to DC power at a different voltage level.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of display panels are mounted to the plurality of mechanical support structures with attachment plates.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the attachment plates comprise corner plates and wherein each display panel within an interior portion of the array of display panels is attached to two respective vertical beams by four of the corner plates, each corner plate being mechanically connected to corners of four of the display panels to secure the display panels to the respective vertical beam.
15. A method of assembling a modular multi-panel display system, the method comprising: receiving from a first location a plurality of integrated display panel sub-assemblies comprising a plurality of display panels detachably mounted to a mechanical support structure, each sub-assembly including a plurality of display panels arranged in rows and columns, wherein each display panel comprises a waterproof outer front surface and includes: a shell comprising a hollow region therein, an array of light emitting diodes comprising a plurality of rows of light emitting diodes and a plurality of columns of light emitting diodes so as to form a display panel surface, first circuitry coupled to the array of light emitting diodes and disposed within the hollow region of the shell, second circuitry disposed within the hollow region of the shell, and a power converter electrically coupled to the first circuitry and the second circuitry, wherein the power converter is configured to receive an alternative current (AC) at an input and to output a direct current (DC); and at a second location remote from the first location, building a multi-panel display system by assembling the sub-assemblies into an integrated display panel.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the mechanical support structure provides mechanical support to the plurality of display panels without providing waterproof sealing.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the integrated display panel is mounted to a wall.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the integrated display panel is mounted to a preexisting billboard.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the array of light emitting diodes are attached to a printed circuit board, and wherein the printed circuit board is disposed outside the hollow region of the shell.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein the power converter is disposed within the hollow region of the shell.
21. The method of claim 15, wherein the power converter is disposed outside the hollow region of the shell.
22. The method of claim 15, further comprising replacing a defective one of the plurality of display panels after building the multi-panel display system.
23. A method of maintaining a modular multi-panel display that includes a mechanical support structure and a plurality of LED display panels detachably coupled to the mechanical support structure, wherein each LED display panel is mechanically coupled to the mechanical support structure, the method of maintaining comprising: determining that a defective LED display panel has a defect; electrically disconnecting the defective LED display panel from the multi-panel display; removing the defective LED display panel from the multi-panel display; placing a replacement LED display panel at a location formerly taken by the defective LED display panel; and electrically connecting the replacement LED display panel to the multi-panel display.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of LED display panels comprises: a thermally conductive housing; a plurality of LEDs attached to a first side of a printed circuit board; circuitry coupled to a second side of the printed circuit board, wherein the second side is opposite the first side, the circuitry being disposed within the thermally conductive housing; and a power supply coupled to the circuitry.
25. The method of claim 23, wherein determining that the defective LED display panel has a defect comprises automatically monitoring the defective LED display panel.
26. The method of claim 23, wherein determining that the defective LED display panel has a defect comprises determining that a pixel of the defective LED display panel is not drawing power.
27. The method of claim 23, wherein electrically connecting the replacement LED display panel to the multi-panel display comprises electrically connecting an input of the replacement LED display panel to a first adjacent LED display panel and connecting an output of the replacement LED display panel to a second adjacent LED display panel.
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/948,939 filed on Nov. 23, 2015, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/341,678 filed on Jul. 25, 2014 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,195,281), which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/025,463, filed on Jul. 16, 2014 and also the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/922,631, filed on Dec. 31, 2013, which applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/328,624 (attorney docket: UVI-004), filed Jul. 10, 2014, also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/922,631 (attorney docket: UVI-004P) and is also incorporated herein by reference. The following applications are also related to this provisional application: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/444,719 (attorney docket: UVI-006); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/444,747 (attorney docket: UVI-009); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/444,775 (attorney docket: UVI-008); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/550,685 (attorney docket: UVI-011); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/582,908 (attorney docket: UVI-012); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/627,923 (attorney docket: UVI-008C1); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/641,130 (attorney docket: UVI-011C1); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/641,189 (attorney docket: UVI-012C1); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/664,526 (attorney docket: UVI-009C1); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/720,544 (attorney docket: UVI-013); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/720,560 (attorney docket: UVI-0014); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/720,610 (attorney docket: UVI-015); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/829,469 (attorney docket: UVI-008C2); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/850,632 (attorney docket: UVI-006C1); U.S. Patent Application No. 62/065,510 (attorney docket: UVI-011P); U.S. Patent Application No. 62/093,157 (attorney docket: UVI-012P); U.S. Patent Application No. 62/113,342 (attorney docket: UVI-013P); U.S. Patent Application No. 62/158,707 (attorney docket: UVI-014P); U.S. Patent Application No. 62/158,989 (attorney docket: UVI-015P); and PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US14/72373 (attorney docket: UVI-0112PCT).
[0021] FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate another embodiment of a display configuration;
[0110] Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, one embodiment of a 16.times.18 panel display 1100 is illustrated that includes two hundred and eighty-eight panels arranged in sixteen rows and eighteen columns. Each power line connects to a single 110 v 20 amp breaker. All external power cables are 14 AWG SOW UL while internal power cables must be 14 AWG UL. For purposes of example, the display 1100 uses the previously described main panel 500 of FIG. 5 (a `B` panel) and the slave panel 700 of FIG. 7 (a `C` panel). As described previously, these panels have separate input and outpoint connection points for data communications between the main panel and the slave panels. FIGS. 11C and 11D provide enlarged views of a portion of FIGS. 11A and 11B, respectively.
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