System and method for communicating graphics image data over a communication network for display on a single logical screen

• US 20030234749A1
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hochmuth, Roland M., Marks, Johnny
• Application Number:
  US10/176,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234749A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/426 using memory downsizing methods

Abstract

A system and method for communicating graphics image data over a communication network for display on a single logical screen is disclosed. The method comprises reading graphics image data from a plurality of frame buffers of a graphics adapter, each of the plurality of frame buffers storing graphics image data corresponding to different ones of the plurality of physical display units, and formatting at least a portion of the graphics image data stored in each of the plurality of frame buffers into a plurality of packets for transmission by a network interface of the graphics adapter over the communication network for display on the single logical screen.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting graphics image data over a communication network for display on a single logical screen comprised of a plurality of physical display units, said method comprising:

reading graphics image data from a plurality of frame buffers of a graphics adapter, each of said plurality of frame buffers storing graphics image data corresponding to different ones of said plurality of physical display units; and

formatting at least a portion of said graphics image data stored in each of said plurality of frame buffers into a plurality of packets for transmission by a network interface of said graphics adapter over said communication network for display on said single logical screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting said plurality of packets over said communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising locking said plurality of frame buffers prior to said reading.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising unlocking said plurality of frame buffers prior to said formatting.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising unlocking said plurality of frame buffers subsequent to said reading.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an update request from a destination device with which said single logical screen is associated prior to said reading.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said reading graphics image data comprises reading graphics image data from said plurality of frame buffers in response to receiving said update request.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising adding identification information identifying said destination device to each of said plurality of packets.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said identification information is an Internet Protocol (IP) address of said destination device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding identification information identifying at least one of said plurality of physical display units to each of said plurality of packets.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding identification information identifying a physical display unit of said plurality of physical display units to each of a first plurality of packets of said plurality of packets; and

adding identification information identifying another physical display unit of said plurality of physical display units to each of a second plurality of packets of said plurality of packets.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of said first plurality of packets comprises graphics image data to be displayed on said physical display unit and each of said second plurality of packets comprises graphics image data to be displayed on said another physical display unit.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding identification information to each of said plurality of packets, said identification information identifying respective ones of said plurality of physical display units on which to display said graphics image data of respective ones of said plurality of packets.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing said graphics image data stored in each of said plurality of frame buffers prior to said formatting.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a destination device, said plurality of packets over said communication network;

determining respective ones of said plurality of physical display units on which to display said graphics image data of respective ones of said plurality of packets; and

refreshing respective ones of said plurality of physical display units with said graphics image data of said respective packets.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing, prior to said refreshing, said received graphics image data in respective ones of a plurality of frame buffers, each of said plurality of frame buffers being associated with a physical display unit of said plurality of physical display units.

17. A graphics adapter, comprising:

a plurality of frame buffers, each of said plurality of frame buffers operable to store graphics image data to be displayed on different ones of a plurality of physical display units of a single logical screen; and

a network interface operable to receive at least a portion of said graphics image data stored in each of said plurality of frame buffers, said network interface further operable to format said received graphics image data into a plurality of packets for transmission over a communication network for display on said single logical screen.

18. The graphics adapter of claim 17, further comprising a network interface port coupled to said network interface, said plurality of packets being transmitted from said network interface to said communication network via said network interface port.

19. The graphics adapter of claim 18, wherein said network interface port is selected from the group consisting of an Ethernet port, an Infiniband port, and a wireless network transceiver.

20. The graphics adapter of claim 17, further comprising a compression unit coupled to said plurality of frame buffers and operable to compress graphics image data of said plurality of frame buffers into compressed graphics image data.

21. The graphics adapter of claim 20, said network interface further operable to format said compressed graphics image data into a plurality of packets for transmission over said communication network.

22. The graphics adapter of claim 17, said plurality of packets being transmitted to at least one destination device.

23. A method for transmitting graphics image data over a communication network for display on a single logical screen comprised of a plurality of physical display units, said method comprising:

reading graphics image data from a plurality of frame buffers of a graphics adapter, each of said plurality of frame buffers storing graphics image data corresponding to different ones of said plurality of physical display units;

formatting at least a portion of graphics image data stored in each of said plurality of frame buffers into a plurality of packets for transmission by a network interface of said graphics adapter over said communication network; and

transmitting said plurality of packets over said communication network in response to formatting of said graphics image data into said plurality of packets for display on said single logical screen.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising compressing said graphics image data stored in each of said plurality of frame buffers prior to said formatting.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said reading comprises reading in parallel said graphics image data from said plurality of frame buffers.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said formatting comprises formatting in parallel said at least a portion of graphics image data stored in each of said plurality of frame buffers into said plurality of packets.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said compressing comprises compressing in parallel said graphics image data stored in each of said plurality of frame buffers.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising adding to each of said plurality of packets identification information identifying a destination device with which said single logical screen is associated.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising adding to each of said plurality of packets identification information identifying respective ones of said plurality of physical display units on which to display said graphics image data of said respective packets.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising locking said plurality of frame buffers prior to said reading step.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising unlocking said plurality of frame buffers after said reading step.