Auxiliary display within a primary display system

• US 20070268200A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fuller, Andrew J., Dongen, Niels Van, Rhoten, Matthew P., Parks, Gregory H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,898,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use

Abstract

An auxiliary processing state of a computing device provides an auxiliary display within a primary display device of the computing device. As such, a computing device can switch from a primary processing state (e.g., full power, full operating system, full functionality) to an auxiliary processing state and yet still provide a user interface through the primary display device. The auxiliary processing state may employ a different processor than the primary processing state. Alternatively, auxiliary processing state and the primary processing state may employ different processing modes of the same processor. Transitions between the auxiliary display of the auxiliary processing state and the primary display of the primary processing state may be transitioned to preserve some consistency between the two displays.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

a primary display device;

one or more processors configured to execute a primary application in a primary processing state and the primary application presents a primary display in the primary display device, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute an auxiliary application in an auxiliary processing state and the auxiliary application presents an auxiliary display in the primary display device.

2. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processor includes a primary processor configured to execute a primary application and an auxiliary processor configured to execute an auxiliary application, and further comprising:

a display input multiplexer configured to receive display input signals controlled by the auxiliary processor and the primary processor, wherein the display input multiplexer selectively transmits the display input signals to the primary display device.

3. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processor includes a primary processor configured to execute a primary application and an auxiliary processor configured to execute an auxiliary application, and the primary processor consumes more power in the primary processing state than the auxiliary processor consumes in the auxiliary processing state.

4. The computing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more processors executes the auxiliary application when the computing system is in a standby state.

5. The computing system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more processors executes the auxiliary application when the computing system is in a hibernation state.

6. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors includes a single processor having an auxiliary processing mode in which the auxiliary application is executed and a primary processing mode in which the primary application is executed.

7. The computing system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors includes a single processor having an auxiliary processing mode in which the auxiliary application is executed and a primary processing mode in which the primary application is executed, and the auxiliary processing mode consumes less power than the primary processing mode.

8. The computing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a context datastore that stores context data relating to the auxiliary display to allow consistency between the auxiliary display and the primary display.

9. The computing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a rules datastore that stores rules controlling at least one of the triggering of an auxiliary display in the auxiliary processing state or the triggering of a transition from the auxiliary processing state to the primary processing state.

10. A method of presenting an auxiliary display in a primary display device of a computing device, the method comprising:

transitioning the computing device from a primary processing state to an auxiliary processing state;

detecting within the auxiliary processing state a trigger for presentation of the auxiliary display;

signaling the primary display device of the computing device to present the auxiliary display, responsive to detecting the trigger.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

executing an auxiliary application within the auxiliary processing state of the computing device, wherein the auxiliary application provides a user interface in the auxiliary display.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein a primary processor executes a primary application to display the primary display in the primary display device in the primary processing state and an auxiliary processor executes an auxiliary application to display the auxiliary display in the primary display device in the auxiliary processing state.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein a primary processor executes a primary application to display the primary display and an auxiliary processor executes an auxiliary application to display the auxiliary display, and the primary processor consumes more power in the primary processing state than the auxiliary processor consumes in the auxiliary processing state.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the computing device is in a standby sub-state when in the auxiliary processing state.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the computing device is in a hibernation sub-state when in the auxiliary processing state.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein computing device includes a processor having an auxiliary processing mode in which a auxiliary application is executed in the auxiliary processing state and a primary processing mode in which the primary application is executed in the primary processing state.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein computing device includes a processor having an auxiliary processing mode in which a auxiliary application is executed in the auxiliary processing state and a primary processing mode in which the primary application is executed in the primary processing state, and the auxiliary processing mode consumes less power than the primary processing mode.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process that implements the operations recited in claim 10.

19. A method of transitioning between an auxiliary display in a primary display device of a computing device and a primary display in the primary display device of the computing device, the method comprising:

recording context data pertaining to the auxiliary display in an auxiliary processing state, wherein the auxiliary display includes a user interface of an auxiliary application;

transitioning the computing device between the auxiliary processing state to a primary processing state;

signaling the primary display device of the computing device to present the user interface of the auxiliary application in the primary display in accordance with the context data within the primary processing state.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process that implements the operations recited in claim 19.