Portable computer system and display method thereof

• US 20030014576A1
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Cheon-Moo
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels

Abstract

A portable computer system includes a portable computer equipped with a graphic chip, and an LCD monitor receiving a video signal from the graphic chip and displaying the video signal. The portable computer system further includes an external video signal input part provided at the portable computer and receiving an external video signal from an external computer, an A/D converter provided at the portable computer and converting the external video signal inputted through the external video signal input part into a digital signal, and a control part controlling the video signal and the digital signal from the graphic chip and the A/D converter to be outputted to the LCD monitor. With this configuration, the present invention provides a portable computer system enhancing the utility of the LCD monitor by receiving an external video signal from an external computer and displaying it on an LCD monitor.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a portable computer including a graphic chip, and a liquid crystal display monitor receiving a video signal from the graphic chip and displaying the video signal;

an external video signal input part provided at the portable computer and receiving an external video signal from an external computer;

an analog to digital converter provided at the portable computer and converting the external video signal inputted through the external video signal input part into a digital signal; and

a control part controlling the video signal and the digital signal from the graphic chip and the analog to digital converter to be selectively outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a main board, the graphic chip being mounted on the main board; and

the control part comprising of a video multiplexer provided at the main board.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, with the control part controlling the digital signal from the analog to digital converter to be outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor when the video signal is not transmitted from the graphic chip.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, with the control part controlling the digital signal from the analog to digital converter to be outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor when the video signal is not transmitted from the graphic chip.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, with the control part outputting both the video and digital signals respectively received from the graphic chip and the analog to digital converter to the liquid crystal display monitor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, with the control part outputting both the video and digital signals respectively received from the graphic chip and the analog to digital converter to the liquid crystal display monitor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, with the liquid crystal display monitor being integrated with the portable computer.

8. A display method of a portable computer unit comprising a portable computer equipped with a graphic chip, and a liquid crystal display monitor receiving a video signal from the graphic chip and displaying the video signal, comprising the steps of:

preparing an external video signal input part at the portable computer;

receiving the external video signal from the external computer through the external video signal input part;

converting the external video signal received through the external video signal input part into a digital signal;

transmitting the digital signals to be selectively outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor; and

selectively displaying the digital signals through the liquid crystal display monitor.

9. The display method according to claim 8, with the converting step being performed by an analog to digital converter provided at the portable computer.

10. The display method according to claim 8, with the transmitting step transmitting both video and digital signals respectively received from the graphic chip and the analog to digital converter to the liquid crystal display monitor.

11. The display method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the video signal from the graphic chip;

transmitting the video signals along with the digital signals to be selectively outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor; and

selectively displaying any one of the received video signals, the digital signals, and both the video signals and digital signals to the liquid crystal display monitor.

12. The display method according to claim 8, further comprised of the transmitting step being performed by a video multiplexer provided at the portable computer.

13. The display method according to claim 9, further comprised of the transmitting step being performed by a video multiplexer provided at the portable computer.

14. The display method according to claim 10, further comprised of the transmitting step being performed by a video multiplexer provided at the portable computer.

15. The display method according to claim 11, further comprised of the transmitting step being performed by a video multiplexer provided at the portable computer.

17. The portable computer of claim 16, further comprising a graphic chip generating a video signal, the control part controlling the video signal from the graphic chip to be selectively outputted to the liquid crystal display.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, with the control part being a video multiplexer provided on the main board.

19. The portable computer of claim 18, further comprising:

a low voltage differential signaling encoder receiving the video signal and the digital signal from the video multiplexer; and

a low voltage differential signaling decoder converting the video signal and the digital signal passed through the low voltage differential signaling encoder for display on the liquid crystal display through a timing controller.

20. The portable computer of claim 16, further comprised of the controller part being a program in a memory unit being executed by the central processing unit.

16. A portable computer, comprising:

a liquid crystal display coupled to a casing including a main board with a central processing unit processing data, the liquid crystal display accommodating the display of variable video;

an input part receiving an external video signal from an external computer;

an analog to digital converter converting the external video signal into a digital signal; and

a control part controlling the digital signal to be selectively outputted to the liquid crystal display.