Portable device for providing dual display and method thereof

• US 20030128197A1
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ATI Technologies Incorporated (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Charles, Aleksic, Milivoje, Turner, Steven, Yang, Yin Wong
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for supporting an external display on a portable device. A system on a chip (SOC) of the portable device provides a first set of graphics data to a graphics controller. The embedded graphics controller renders the first set of graphics data for output using an LCD screen integrated with the portable device. The SOC renders a second set of graphics data and provides rendered graphics data to an external display interface. The external display interface formats the rendered graphics data for output on an external, remote display.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising:

an embedded system on a chip having a first interface and a second interface;

an embedded graphics controller to generate a first rendered graphics data to be displayed on an integrated display, said embedded graphics controller having an a first interface coupled to the first interface of said embedded system on a chip and a second interface coupled to the integrated display;

an embedded display interface to format a second rendered graphics data for output to a first remote display, said embedded display interface having at least a first input coupled to the second interface of said embedded system on a chip; and

said integrated display having an interface coupled to the second interface of the embedded graphics controller.

2. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein the embedded system on a chip includes a display controller used to generate said second rendered graphics data and provide said second rendered graphics data to said embedded display interface.

3. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein:

said system on a chip provides non-rendered graphics data to said embedded graphics controller; and

said embedded graphics controller generates said first rendered graphics data from said non-rendered graphics data.

4. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said embedded graphics controller further includes a third interface to interface with a second input of said embedded display interface, and further wherein said embedded graphics controller is further used to provide said first rendered graphics data to said embedded display interface for display on a second remote display.

5. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said embedded controller generates control signals used to control functionality associated with said embedded display interface.

6. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said integrated display includes a liquid crystal display.

7. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said embedded graphics display interface is coupled to said remote display.

8. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said embedded graphics display interface further includes one of a Video Graphics Adapter output interface.

9. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said embedded graphics display interface further includes a Transition Minimized Differential Signaling output interface.

10. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said embedded graphics display interface further includes a Low Voltage Differential Signaling output interface.

11. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said first rendered graphics data is different from said second rendered graphics data.

12. The portable device as in claim 1, wherein said embedded display interface is disabled to conserve power.

13. A system comprising:

a processor to receive a first and a second set of graphics data;

an output data bus for providing the first set of graphics data to an external graphics controller, said external graphics controller to generate a first rendered graphics data associated with the first set of graphics data provided using the output data bus.

a graphics controller to;

generate a second rendered graphics data based on the second set of graphics data; and

provide the second set of rendered graphics data to an external display interface; and

a memory controller having a first port coupled to said graphics controller and a second port coupled to system memory, said memory controller to provide access of system memory to said graphics controller.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein said graphics controller includes a liquid crystal display controller.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein said external graphics controller provides said first set of rendered graphics data to an integrated display.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein said integrated display includes a liquid crystal display.

17. The system as in claim 13, wherein said first and second set of rendered graphics data is associated with an application processed with said processor.

18. The system as in claim 13, wherein said system includes a portable device.

19. The system as in claim 13, wherein said external display interface formats said second set of rendered graphics data for a remote display.

20. The system as in claim 13, wherein said output data bus further used to provide control data associated with display settings of said external display interface.

21. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first set of graphics data and a second set of graphics data;

providing the first set of graphics data to an external graphics controller, wherein the external graphics controller generates a first set of rendered graphics data associated with the first set of graphics data;

processing the second set of graphics data to generate a second set of rendered graphics data; and

providing the second set of rendered graphics data to a display interface.

22. The method as in claim 21, wherein the external graphics controller provides the first set of rendered graphics data to an integrated display.

23. The method as in claim 22, wherein the integrated display further includes a liquid crystal display screen.

24. The method as in claim 23, wherein the integrated display further includes a thin film transistor screen.

25. The method as in claim 21, wherein the display interface is used to provide the second set of rendered graphics data to a remote display.

26. The method as in claim 25, wherein the remote display includes a video graphics adapter display.

27. The method as in claim 25, wherein the remote display includes a Transition Minimized Differential Signaling display.

28. The method as in claim 25, wherein the remote display includes a Low Voltage Differential Signaling display.

29. The method as in claim 21, wherein the first set of rendered graphics data is different from the second set of rendered graphics data.