GB2410389A

GB2410389A - Display device and system

Info

Publication number: GB2410389A
Application number: GB0401153A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Martinez
Original assignee: ICE 21 Ltd
Current assignee: ICE 21 Ltd
Priority date: 2004-01-20
Filing date: 2004-01-20
Publication date: 2005-07-27
Also published as: GB0401153D0

Abstract

A display system comprises a display device and a remote image capture device 24. The display device is a container 10, preferably a briefcase, having open and closed configurations incorporating a display 12 on its external surface, preferably the surface of an upper briefcase portion. The container 10 may house a power supply and display driver, and may be powered by solar cells 20. The remote image capture device 24 transmits image data to the display device, preferably via RF transmission. The display device may transmit the data to, and receive data from, a further remote transceiver, preferably a node of a communications network. The display device may also incorporate a camera to allow conferencing via said network. The display device may be remotely operable, wirelessly, or hardwired, allowing control of the images displayed. The image capture device 24 may attach to another object, such as a boom or remote controlled carriage.

Description

241 0389 Display Device and System This invention relates to a display

device and to a system S for capturing and displaying sound and images.

Presentation devices having a visual display unit on an exterior surface of a briefcase or other container are already known from PCT/GB98/01257. In that application, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, a briefcase that could be used as a self- contained mobile presentation device was disclosed. The briefcase with its exterior display can be driven by a variety of sources, such as laptops, notebooks, portable DVD players, and other devices, such as those based on PC cards.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a presentation device having an exterior display screen which can be used in more difficult situations such as those experienced by armed forces emergency services, search and commercial operations and in more difficult and/or remote situations.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a display system comprises a display device and a remote image capture device, wherein the display device is a container having open and closed configurations and wherein the display device incorporates a visual display on an external surface thereof; the remote image capture device being operable to capture images at a location remote from the display device and to transmit said captured images to the display device.

The remote image capture device may be operable to transmit said captured images to the display device for display on the visual display of the display device.

The container may be a case or briefcase. The container may have upper and lower portions defining a cavity. The visual display is preferably located on the exterior of the upper portion.

The cavity may be adapted to receive and/or retain a power supply, such as one or more batteries. .The cavity may be adapted to receive and/or retain a display driver operable to provide images for display on the display device. The display driver may be a computer or image reproduction device, such as a DVD player.

The container is preferably substantially impermeable to water and/or other fluids. The container is preferably remotely operable with remote control means which may be wireless or hardwired. The remote control means may be a keypad or keyboard. The remote control means preferably allows control of the display of images on the display device.

The display device preferably includes a receiver, preferably a radio frequency (RF) receiver, preferably for receiving RF signals form the remote image capture device.

The remote image capture device may include a RF transmitter, preferably for transmitting RF signals to the RF receiver of the display device.

The remote image capture device may include attachment means, which may be adapted to secure the device to a boom, or a remote-controlled device, such as a carriage, robot, or aircraft.

The display device may incorporate solar cells operable to power the display device and/or charge a battery of the display device.

The display device may be operable to retransmit data received from the remote image capture device to a remote receiver. The remote receiver may be a part, preferably a node, of a communications network. The methods and/or protocols of transmission from the remote image capture device to the display device and from the display device to the remote receiver may be different from each other.

The display device may incorporate an RF transceiver in addition to the RF receiver. The RF transceiver being operable to communicate with said remote receiver, and receive signals from said communications network.

The display device may incorporate a camera to allow use of the display device for video conferencing via said communications network, using said RF transceiver of the display means.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a display device having an external display screen which device communicates with a remote image capture device; and Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of display device having an external display screen, which device communicates with a remote image capture device.

A first embodiment of display system includes a case 10 having a visual display screen 12 on a lid portion 14 of the case 10.

The screen 12 is an LCD or other flat screen such as those based on lightemitting polymers, micro-cathode, etc. built as a video monitor and is arranged to be driven by a standard laptop, palmtop, sub-note book, portable DVD player or PC card reader as described further in PCT/GB98/01257. The screen 12 maybe a 38 cm super thin film transistor (TFT) high performance screen with a wide viewing angle of approximately 160 . These features make it beneficial for presentations to up to twelve people.

The case 10 also carries a battery pack (not shown) in an interior cavity of the case 10 to provide power to the screen 12 and the driving computer, such as a laptop.

The case 10 also includes a 20-watt audio amplifier (not shown) and a composite waterproof video input port 16.

The case 10 also includes a portable storage device (not shown) which may be a hard disk, a PC card, a re-writable CDROM, a re-writable DVD, a magnetic storage device or other such suitable storage mediums. A radio frequency (RF) receiver 18 is located on the case, in this example on the lid 14.

Having a flat screen 12 fitted to the outside lid 14 of the case 10 means that in use, the product can be used in a closed configuration. Such a configuration allows a rugged version of the case to be manufactured, for field use, which can be made entirely waterproof. Such field use may include field surveillance, exploration and location activities which may be carried out by the armed services, or search/rescue services or commercial operations requiring communications and image capture in remote locations.

The case 10 is manufactured in either aluminium, titanium or other suitable material for ruggedness and acceptability to armed services.

The screen 12 has back lighting provided by LED's, which is considerably more efficient than a standard back lighting arranging. In addition, LED's can last many thousands of hours before failure.

The case also includes solar panels 20 to provide an additional power source to maintain operations of the case and keep the battery charged. Each side of the case, including the lid 14 and a base portion 22 have one or two fold-down protective covers 23, on the inside of which are solar panels 20. Those on the base are not shown.

A remote image capture device 24 also forms a part of the display system and includes an RF transmitter 26 and a camera portion 28.

The RF transmitter 26 on the remote image capture device 24 is operable to transmit signals to the RF receiver 18 on the case 10 for display on the screen 12, together with any audio output included in the RF signal transmitted.

Thus, the camera portion 28, which is a miniature video camera, captures images for display on the screen 12. The camera portion 28 has a battery, with its own built-in transmitter 26.

The remote image capture device 24 may be fitted to a boom, a remote controlled robot 30, a remote controlled micro-helicopter (not shown), a remote controlled plane (not shown), or any other suitable transport device.

In use, the remote image capture device 24 can be despatched to a difficult to access or remote location away from the case 10 by suitable remote control of the robot 30 or manipulation of the boom. Images of the remote location can be captured and transmitted by the RF transmitter 26 to the RF receiver 18 on the case 10 for viewing on the screen 12.

The screen 12 and its driver circuitry may be controlled via a handheld unit which communicates Tirelessly, e.g. by a Bluetoothconnection, with the case 10 to ensure that the waterproof seal on the case 10 is not broken. If required, hard wired connections to the case 10 for control of the screen 12 can also be made waterproof.

A second embodiment of display system is shown in Figure 2. The display system shown in Figure 2 has much in common with the system shown in Figure 1. Like numerals are given to like parts and like parts function and are controlled in the same manner.

In addition to the RF receiver 18 present in the first embodiment, the second embodiment also includes an RF transceiver 32 as part of the case 10. The RF transceiver 32, and associated electronics (not shown), operate both as a video conferencing device linking to a node of a communications system for a video system network, such as the 2.5G/3G telephone infrastructure already under development. The video conferencing works with a camera 36 located close to the screen 12, in the known manner with the screen 12. In addition, the transceiver 32 allows re-transmission by the case 10 of sound and image data received from the remote image capture device 24 via the receiver 18, which image capture device 24 also forms a part of this embodiment. Images and sound signals can be re-transmitted to a node of the communications network mentioned above.

The node of the video system network may be a base station which is operable to communicate with a large number of presentation devices incorporated into different cases 10 in a number of remote locations. Each of said cases 10 provides signals from a remote image capture device 24 communicating with said cases. The remote image capture device 24 may be controlled via the case 10, as mentioned in relation to the previous embodiment.

Both the embodiments described above are able to receive video and sound signals from the remote image capture device 24. Each of the display devices 10 is operable to store those images on a local storage device, as mentioned above, for later use. In the second embodiment these images can also be re-transmitted to the video system network.

The frequencies for the remote image capture device 24 and control thereof and transmission to the video system network are different to avoid any interference between the various parts of the system, for example frequencies used between the cases 10 and remote image capture devices 22 and the node or nodes in the video network are kept different. The link between incoming signals from the remote image capture devices 24 and those transmitted to the central node takes place at the base band video frequencies displayed on the screen 12. One example of a suitable frequency for the remote image capture device 24 to communicate with the RF receiver 18 would be to use the Bluetoothstandard, which has a relatively small range.

This would be suitable for a remote image capture device 24 located on the end of a boom 31. If the remote image capture device 24 were located on a remote controlled robot 30 (see Figure 1) or micro- helicopter, where the operational range may be much greater, a different, long range, wide band RF link will be required.

The second embodiment may also include in addition to audio output amplifiers and speakers, a microphone 34, in addition to an appropriate remote controlled keyboard which, as discussed above, allows the case 10 to be operated whilst closed and so to remain waterproof.

The display device formed by the case 10 may in addition be operable to receive signals from a number of remote image capture devices 24 for retransmission to the video network mentioned above and/or for local storage. The video signals received may be compressed before storage.

The two embodiments discussed above, provide a rugged system for capture and display of video images in difficult situations, such as may be encountered by armed forces and emergency services, as well as commercial operations in remote locations.

Also, the provision of a waterproof case for the screen 12 advantageously allows operation of the screen in very harsh conditions, because the screen 12 is an external face of the case 10 and so can be viewed when the case is closed and sealed.

The second embodiment additionally provides re- transmission facilities for remotely captured video/sound signals, as well as local storage in the display device of those signals. Thus, re- transmission to a larger network is possible for images captured in remote locations.

The display system may also be used as a presentation system, preferably with the case 10 only being used to display images supplied by the driving computer or DVD player or similar.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features

disclosed in this specification (including any

accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A display system comprises a display device and a remote image

capture device, wherein the display device is a container having open and closed configurations and wherein the display device incorporates a visual display on an external surface thereof) the remote image capture device being operable to capture images at a location remote from the display device and to transmit said captured images to the display device.
2. A display system as claimed in claim 1, in which the remote image capture device is operable to transmit said captured images to the display device for display on the visual display of the display device.
3. A display system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, which the container is a case or briefcase.
4. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the visual display is located on the exterior of the upper portion.
5. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the container has upper and lower portions defining a cavity.
6. A display system as claimed in claim 5, in which the cavity is adapted to receive and/or retain a power supply, such as one or more batteries.
7. A display system as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, in which the cavity is adapted to receive and/or retain a display driver operable to provide images for display on the display device.
8. A display system as claimed in claim 7, in which the container is remotely operable with remote control means, which may be wireless or hardwired.
9. A display system as claimed in claim 8, in which the remote control means allows control of the display of images on the display device.
10. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the display device includes a receiver for receiving RF signals from the remote image capture device.
11. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the remote image capture device includes a RF transmitter for transmitting RF signals to the RF receiver of the display device.
12. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the remote image capture device includes attachment means, which are adapted to secure the device to a boom, or a remote-controlled device, such as a carriage, robot, or aircraft.
13. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the display device incorporates solar cells operable to power the display device and/or charge a battery of the display device.
14. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the display device is operable to retransmit data received from the remote image capture device to a remote receiver.
15. A device system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the remote receiver is a node of a communications network.
16. A display system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the display device incorporates an RF transceiver in addition to the RF receiver, the RF transceiver being operable to communicate with said remote receiver, and receive signals from said communications network.
17. A display system as claimed in claim 16, in which the display device incorporates a camera to allow use of the display device for video conferencing via said communications network, using said RF transceiver of the display means.
18. A display system substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.