Portable electronic device

• US 20060097955A1
• Filed: 03/21/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Masataka
• Application Number:
  US11/084,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097955A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A display operation mediating means is placed between an application executing means for selectively executing a plurality of applications and generating display control information for each application, and first and second display devices. In this display operation mediating means, priorities are preset for a plurality of pieces of display control information expected to be generated when the plurality of applications are executed. When a plurality of pieces of display control information are generated by the application executing means, the supply of the plurality of pieces of generated display control information to the first and second display devices is mediated in accordance with the stored priorities.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first display device;

a second display device formed independently of the first display device;

application executing means for selectively executing a plurality of application programs, and generating display control information for each executed application program; and

display operation mediating means placed between the application executing means and the first and second display devices,

wherein the display operation mediating means comprises;

means for storing preset priorities, assigned to a plurality of display control information, used for mediating; and

means for, when the plurality of display control information are generated by the application executing means, mediating supply of the plurality of generated display control information to the first and second display devices in accordance with the stored priorities.

2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein when the plurality of display control information are generated by the application executing means, the means for mediating supply of display control information selects display control information having the highest priority from the plurality of display control information, and supplies the selected display control information to one of the first and second display devices which is to be controlled.

3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the means for mediating supply of display control information comprises:

means for, when a plurality of display control information are generated by the application executing means, selecting display control information having the highest priority from the plurality of display control information, and supplying the selected display control information to one of the first and second display devices which is to be controlled; and

means for holding display control information other than the selected display control information, and, after a display process by the selected display control information is terminated, supplying the held display control information to one of the first and second display devices which is to be controlled.

4. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

when each of the first and second display devices comprises a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight which illuminates the liquid crystal display panel,

the means for mediating supply of display control information supplies display control information to a liquid crystal display panel to be controlled, and controls ON/OFF of the backlight corresponding to the liquid crystal display panel to be controlled by interlocking with the operation of supplying the display control information.

5. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first display device;

a second display device formed independently of the first display device; and

a control unit connected to the first and second display devices,

wherein the control unit comprises;

first and second display drivers which operate the first and second display devices, respectively;

application executing means for selectively executing a plurality of application programs, and generating display control information for each executed application program; and

display operation mediating means logically placed between the application executing means and the first and second display drivers, and

the display operation mediating means includes;

means for storing preset priorities, assigned to a plurality of display control information, used for mediating; and

means for, when the plurality of display control information are generated by the plurality of application executing means, mediating supply of the plurality of generated display control information to the first and second display drivers in accordance with the stored priorities.

6. The portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein when the plurality of display control information are generated by the application executing means, the means for mediating supply of display control information selects display control information having the highest priority from the plurality of display control information, and supplies the selected display control information to one of the first and second display drivers which is to be controlled.

7. The portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the means for mediating supply of display control information comprises:

means for, when the plurality of display control information are generated by the application executing means, selecting display control information having the highest priority from the plurality of display control information;

means for supplying the selected display control information to one of the first and second display drivers which is to be controlled;

means for holding display control information other than the selected display control information; and

means for, after a display process by the selected display control information is terminated, supplying the held display control information to one of the first and second display drivers which is to be controlled.

8. The portable electronic device according to claim 5, wherein

when each of the first and second display devices comprises a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight which illuminates the liquid crystal display panel,

the means for mediating supply of display control information controls ON/OFF of the backlight by interlocking with a display control operation, which is based on the display control information, of the liquid crystal display panel.