Configurable Information Handling System Display Communication Link

• US 20130335430A1
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Douglas, David W., Thelen, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 9,646,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/520
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2350/00 Solving problems of bandwidth in display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• 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 cable supports communication of display information and peripheral information between a display and an information handling system by selectively adapting data links of the display cable to include peripheral information. The data links can switch between display information and peripheral information communication or can include identifier information to support switching of both types of information on a common data link.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

components disposed in the housing and operable to cooperate to process information;

a graphics system disposed in the housing and interfaced with the components, the graphics system operable to process the information to generate pixel values for presenting the information as visual images at a display;

a graphics connector interfaced with the graphics system and operable to communicate information from the graphics system to a display cable, the graphics connector having an auxiliary link for communicating management information and plural data links for communicating the pixel values; and

a protocol selection controller interfaced with the graphics system and operable to adapt the protocol used on each of the plural data links based upon one or more predetermined factors.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the protocol selection controller adapts the protocol by selecting one or more of DisplayPort, 1394, USB, PCIe, and SATA protocols for use on one or more of the plural data links.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more predetermined factors comprise the protocol associated with a peripheral device connected to the display and generating information for communication to the information handling system.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the peripheral comprises a webcam connected to the display.

5. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the peripheral comprises a wireless transceiver connected to the display.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more predetermined factors comprise a bandwidth associated with uninterrupted communication of the pixel values from the information handling system to the display.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the protocol selection controller further comprises switching logic operable to include an identifier with information for communication through the data links, the identifier associated with the protocol of the information, and to switch the information through any of the data lines by reference to the identifier.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the information comprises packets and the identifier comprises a packet header.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the protocol selection controller comprises a housing separate from the graphics connector, the housing having first and second ends, the first end adapted to couple to the graphics connector in the place of the cable and the second end adapted to accept the cable.

10. A method for communicating between an information handling system graphics system and a display, the method comprising:

exchanging management information between the graphics system and the display through an auxiliary link;

transmitting pixel values from the information handling system to the display through plural data links;

selectively adapting one or more of the plural data links to transmit peripheral information from the display to the information handling system in response to a predetermined condition.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein selectively adapting further comprises switching peripheral information and pixel values for transmission across at least one common data link of the plural data links.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the pixel values comprise DisplayPort packets and switching peripheral information and pixel values further comprises including a header on the DisplayPort packets, the header distinguishing the pixel values from the peripheral information packets.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein selectively adapting further comprises coupling an adapter to a graphics connector of at least one of the information handling system and display, the adapter providing a connector for accepting a display cable and communicating with an auxiliary link and plural data links disposed in the display cable.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined condition comprises a predetermined bandwidth associated with transmitting of the pixel values.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein selectively adapting further comprises selecting a peripheral protocol from plural peripheral protocols to transmit the peripheral information.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein selecting a peripheral protocol further comprises selecting first and second peripheral protocols, the first peripheral protocol for transmitting peripheral information across a first data link, the second peripheral for transmitting peripheral information across a second data link.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein at least some of the peripheral information in the first peripheral protocol and second peripheral protocol are transmitted across a common data link.

18. A system for communicating display information and peripheral information between a display and an information handling system, the system comprising:

a protocol selection controller operable to communicate protocol selection information through a display cable auxiliary link and to apply the protocol selection information to determine a selected protocol from plural protocols for communicating peripheral information over one or more display cable data links; and

a switch interfaced with the protocol selection controller and the display cable, the switch operable to coordinate communication of peripheral information over the one or more display cable data links in the selected protocol.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the switch is further operable to coordinate communication of both peripheral information and display information through a common data link.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the switch is further operable to coordinate communication of peripheral information in plural selected protocols over a common data link.