Multi-mode display

• US 20040027357A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Medina, Oscar I., Mendelson, Jonathan D., Poniatowski, Susan R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,009,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/581
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/06 Adjustment of display parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

A display is capable of displaying images in response to differently formatted signals. The display includes a switch that enables a user to select among a plurality of signal formats. The switch has a first setting that corresponds to a first of the plurality of signal formats and a second setting that corresponds to a second of the plurality of signal formats. The display also includes a memory module that receives requests from a channel and transmits a response associated with the setting of said switch.

Claims

1. A display capable of displaying images in response to differently formatted signals, comprising:

a switch that enables a user to select among a plurality of signal formats, said switch having a first setting corresponding to a first of said plurality of signal formats and a second setting corresponding to a second of said plurality of signal formats; and

a memory module that receives requests from a channel and transmits a response associated with the setting of said switch.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein said memory module comprises a first memory and a second memory, each of said first and second memories containing a response associated with one of the first and second switch settings.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein each of said first and second memories is a serial electrical erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

4. The display of claim 1, wherein said channel is an I²C serial bus.

5. The display of claim 1, wherein said channel is a display data channel (DDC).

6. The display of claim 1, wherein said response is an EDID corresponding to one of said plurality of signal formats.

7. The display of claim 1, wherein said response is an EEDID corresponding to one of said plurality of signal formats.

8. A method of establishing operation between a processor and a display, the display capable of displaying images in response to differently formatted signals generated by the processor, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one of the plurality of signal formats with a switch at the display;

receiving at the display a request originated by the processor; and

transmitting a display originated response associated with the setting of the switch.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving signals from the processor in the selected format if the processor supports the selected format; and

selecting another of the plurality of signal formats with the switch if signals in the selected format are not received from the processor.

13. The display adapter of claim 9, wherein said channel is an I²C serial bus.

14. The display adapter of claim 9, wherein said channel is a display data channel (DDC).

15. The display adapter of claim 9, wherein said response is an EDID corresponding to one of said plurality of signal formats.

16. The display adapter of claim 9, wherein said response is an EEDID corresponding to one of said plurality of signal formats.

10. A display adapter capable of receiving differently formatted signals and converting the differently formatted signals for display on a coupled display device, comprising:

a switch that enables a user to select among a plurality of signal formats, said switch having a first setting corresponding to a first of said plurality of signal formats and a second setting corresponding a second of said plurality of signal formats; and

a memory module that receives requests from a channel and transmits a response associated with the setting of said switch.

11. The display adapter of claim 10, wherein said memory module comprises a first memory and a second memory, each of said first and second memories containing a response associated with one of the first and second switch settings.

12. The display adapter of claim 10, wherein each of said first and second memories is a serial electrical erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

17. A method of establishing operation between a processor and a display adapter, the display adapter capable of receiving differently formatted signals and converting the differently formatted signals for display on a coupled display device, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one of the plurality of signal formats with a switch at the display adapter;

receiving at the display adapter a request originated by the processor; and

transmitting a display adapter originated response associated with the setting of the switch.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

receiving signals from the processor in the selected format if the processor supports the selected format; and

selecting another of the plurality of signal formats with the switch if signals in the selected format are not received from the processor.