System and method for display input selection

• US 20060282793A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Stephens, Jeffrey, Habas, Andrew G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

Input sources to a display, such as a television, are depicted with a first indicator if active, such as active with a signal having visual information, and are depicted with a second indicator if inactive, such as lacking an active signal. A selection module allows a user of the display to select an active source but precludes selection of an inactive source. For instance, a user is allowed to select highlighted input sources that are active but not allowed to select grayed out input sources that are inactive. An override allows the user to present all input sources with the first indicator, whether or not the input sources are active.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a display panel operable to display visual information from a selected one or more of plural inputs;

plural input connectors, each input connector operable to receive visual information;

an input detection module operable to determine if the input connectors are active or inactive; and

an input selection module interfaced with the input detection module and operable to display active input connectors with a first indicator and inactive input connectors with a second indicator.

2. The display of claim 1 wherein the input selection module is further operable to accept a user selection of an active input connector and prevent a user selection of the inactive input connectors.

3. The display of claim 1 wherein the input selection module is further operable to selectively display all input connectors with the first indicator.

4. The display of claim 1 wherein the first indicator is highlighted and the second indicator is grayed out.

5. The display of claim 1 wherein the active connectors have an interfaced device.

6. The display of claim 5 wherein the active connector interfaced device further has power applied.

7. The display of claim 1 wherein the display panel has a primary display mode and a secondary display mode, the input detection module further operable to determine if connectors are active or inactive by interfacing with the connectors through the secondary display mode.

8. A method for selecting an input source for a display from plural input sources, the method comprising:

polling the input sources to determine active input sources and inactive input sources;

presenting the active input sources at the display with a first indicator;

subduing the presenting of the inactive input sources at the display; and

accepting a user selection of an active input source at the display.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein in subduing the presenting of the inactive input sources further comprises hiding the inactive input sources from display.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein subduing the presenting of the inactive input sources further comprises presenting the inactive input sources at the display with a second indicator.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

selectively presenting the inactive input sources at the display with the first indicator.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein polling further comprises:

detecting a change in ground at a connector to determine that the input source associated with the connector is active.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein polling further comprises:

detecting a video signal at a connector to determine that the input source associated with the connector is active.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

detecting a user request to select an input source; and

activating a PIP mode to perform the polling.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the input sources comprise one or more of component video, composite video, S-video, digital tuner, analog tuner and DVI.

16. A system for selection of an input source to a display from among plural input sources, the system comprising:

an input detection module interfaced with the input sources and operable to determine the status of each input source as active or inactive; and

an input selection module interfaced with the input detection module, the input selection module operable to present the input sources at the display, the active input sources depicted with a first indicator, the inactive input sources depicted with a second indicator, the input selection module further operable to apply a user selection of one of the active input sources to display visual information from the selected input source at the display.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein active input sources comprise input sources having a signal with visual information.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein active input sources comprise input sources having a ground associated with a connector.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the input selection module is further operable to selectively depict all input sources with the first indicator.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the input selection module is further operable to preclude user selection of an inactive input source.