HDMI SOURCE/SINK INTEROPERABLE CONFIGURATION DETERMINATION PROCESS

• US 20120327250A1
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lazarus, David B., Ogden, John D., Zhang, Yaxi
• Granted Patent: US 9,344,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/180
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/12 Test circuits or failure detection circuits included in a display system, as permanent part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

A method and system that configures an HDMI source device to use initial output parameters for communicating with an HDMI sink device, detects an abnormal operation performed by the HDMI sink device, selects a test of the HDMI sink device, applies the test, evaluates a result to determine whether the test produces a desired result, and modifies the initial output parameters to create revised output parameters. When the test produces the desired result, the revised output parameters will enable the HDMI sink device to produce the desired result. When the test fails to produce the desired result, the revised output parameters are conservative parameters that fail to produce the abnormal operation. The method reconfigures the HDMI source device to use the revised output parameters for communicating with the HDMI sink device, and saves the revised output parameters.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

configuring an HDMI source device to use initial output parameters for communicating with an HDMI sink device;

detecting an abnormal operation performed by the HDMI sink device;

selecting a test of the HDMI sink device, wherein the test is of a function that the HDMI sink device performs and that relates to correction of the abnormal operation;

applying the test when communicating with the HDMI sink device;

evaluating a result of the test to determine whether the test produces a desired result;

modifying the initial output parameters to create revised output parameters, wherein when the test produces the desired result, the revised output parameters will enable the HDMI sink device to produce the desired result, and wherein when the test fails to produce the desired result, the revised output parameters are conservative parameters that fail to produce the abnormal operation;

reconfiguring the HDMI source device to use the revised output parameters for communicating with the HDMI sink device; and

saving the revised output parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring of the HDMI source device further comprises:

receiving public output parameters from the HDMI sink device; and

determining the initial output parameters based on the public output parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the abnormal operation further comprises:

receiving a notification from a user of the HDMI sink device that the HDMI sink device performed the abnormal operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the abnormal operation further comprises:

automatically recognizing an error condition produced by the HDMI sink device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating of the result further comprises:

receiving the result as an observation from a user of the HDMI sink device;

evaluating the observation from the user; and

comparing the observation from the user to the desired result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating of the result further comprises:

receiving the result from the HDMI sink device as a health status collected by the HDMI source device;

evaluating the health status; and

comparing the health status to the desired result.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the saving of the revised output parameters further comprises:

storing the revised output parameters in an HDMI configuration database, thereby allowing configuration of another HDMI source device to use the revised output parameters for communicating with the HDMI sink device.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory device resident in a computing device; and

a processor disposed in communication with the memory device, the processor configured to;

configure an HDMI source device to use initial output parameters for communicating with an HDMI sink device;

detect an abnormal operation performed by the HDMI sink device;

select a test of the HDMI sink device, wherein the test is of a function that the HDMI sink device performs and that relates to correction of the abnormal operation;

apply the test when communicating with the HDMI sink device;

evaluate a result of the test to determine whether the test produces a desired result;

modify the initial output parameters to create revised output parameters, wherein when the test produces the desired result, the revised output parameters will enable the HDMI sink device to produce the desired result, and wherein when the test fails to produce the desired result, the revised output parameters are conservative parameters that fail to produce the abnormal operation;

reconfigure the HDMI source device to use the revised output parameters for communicating with the HDMI sink device; and

save the revised output parameters.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein to configure the HDMI source device, the processor is further configured to:

receive public output parameters for the HDMI sink device; and

determine the initial output parameters based on the public output parameters.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein to detect the abnormal operation, the processor is further configured to:

receive a notification from a user of the HDMI sink device that the HDMI sink device performed the abnormal operation.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein to detect the abnormal operation, the processor is further configured to:

automatically recognize an error condition produced by the HDMI sink device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein to evaluate the result, the processor is further configured to:

receive the result as an observation from a user of the HDMI sink device;

evaluate the observation from the user; and

compare the observation from the user to the desired result.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein to evaluate the result, the processor is further configured to:

receive the result from the HDMI sink device as a health status collected by the HDMI source device;

evaluate the health status; and

compare the health status to the desired result.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein to save the revised output parameters, the processor is further configured to:

store the revised output parameters in an HDMI configuration database, thereby allowing configuration of another HDMI source device to use the revised output parameters for communicating with the HDMI sink device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computing device, perform steps of:

configuring an HDMI sink device to use initial output parameters for communicating with an HDMI sink device;

detecting an abnormal operation performed by the HDMI sink device;

selecting a test of the HDMI sink device, wherein the test is of a function that the HDMI sink device performs and that relates to correction of the abnormal operation;

applying the test when communicating with the HDMI sink device;

evaluating a result of the test to determine whether the test produces a desired result;

modifying the initial output parameters to create revised output parameters, wherein when the test produces the desired result, the revised output parameters will enable the HDMI sink device to produce the desired result, and wherein when the test fails to produce the desired result, the revised output parameters are conservative parameters that fail to produce the abnormal operation;

reconfiguring the HDMI sink device to use the revised output parameters for communicating with the HDMI sink device; and

saving the revised output parameters.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the configuring of the HDMI sink device further comprises:

receiving public output parameters from the HDMI sink device; and

determining the initial output parameters based on the public output parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the detecting of the abnormal operation further comprises:

receiving a notification from a user of the HDMI sink device that the HDMI sink device performed the abnormal operation.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the detecting of the abnormal operation further comprises:

automatically recognizing an error condition produced by the HDMI sink device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the evaluating of the result further comprises:

receiving the result as an observation from a user of the HDMI sink device;

evaluating the observation from the user; and

comparing the observation from the user to the desired result.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the evaluating of the result further comprises:

receiving the result from the HDMI sink device as a health status collected by the HDMI source device;

evaluating the health status; and

comparing the health status to the desired result.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the saving of the revised output parameters further comprises:

storing the revised output parameters in an HDMI configuration database, thereby allowing configuration of another HDMI source device to use the revised output parameters for communicating with the HDMI sink device.