DEVICE CONFIGURATION INCLUDING A MASTER COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE WITH A SLAVE DEVICE EXTENSION

• US 20150227337A1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: NAHIDIPOUR, Aram
• Granted Patent: US 10,061,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A master communications device/slave device configuration is disclosed where a master communications device discovers a slave device when the master communications device does not have the necessary features and resources to perform a service requested by an operator. The master communications device utilizes the slave device to provide additional features and resources to the master communications device in performing the service requested by the operator. The master communications device and the slave device interact as a single device provided by the master communications device/slave device configuration. The slave device serves as an extension to the master communications device providing a larger interface to the operator.

Claims

1. A communications device, comprising:

a first display device; and

a second display device configured to assist the first display device with displaying information and to serve as an extension to the first display device,

wherein the first and the second display devices are configured to display a first portion and a second portion, respectively, of the information, and

wherein the second display device is configured to mechanically unfold from the first display device to assist the first display device with displaying information.

2. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the first display device is further configured to detect the second display device as being able to serve as the extension to the first display device.

3. The communications device of claim 2, wherein the communications device further comprises:

a communications device controller, the communications device controller being configured to route the second portion of the information to the second display device when the second display device is detected as being able to serve as the extension to the first display device.

4. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the second display device is configured to be tucked away behind the first display system.

5. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the first display device and the second display device each comprise a sensor,

wherein the sensor of the first display device is configured to detect the presence of the second display device once the sensor of the second display device comes within a detection range of the sensor of the first display device.

6. The communications device of claim 5, wherein the first display device wirelessly communicates with the second display device once the sensor of the second display device comes within the detection range.

7. The communications device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third display device configured to further assist the first display device with displaying the information and to serve as an additional extension to the first display device,

wherein the third display device is further configured to display a third portion of the information, and

wherein the third display device is further configured to be physically adjacent to the second display device and to mechanically unfold from the first display device when requested to serve as the extension of the first display device.

8. The communications device of claim 7, wherein the first display device and the third display device each further comprise a sensor,

wherein the sensor of the first display device is configured to detect the presence of the third display device once the sensor of the third display device comes within a detection range of the sensor of the first display device.

9. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the second display device is configured to be inactive and not visibly when not requested to serve as the extension of the first display device.

10. A method for seamlessly displaying information among a plurality of devices, comprising:

receiving, by a second display device from among the plurality of devices, an instruction from a first display device from among the plurality of devices to enter a mode to allow the first display device to select the second display device to aid with displaying the information;

mechanically expanding the second display device from the first display device when the second display device is to aid with displaying the information;

engaging, by the second display device, the first display device to aid the first display device in displaying the information; and

receiving a portion of the information, by the second display device, to display the portion of the information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting, by the first display device, the second display device as being able to operate as an auxiliary display device with the first display device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

routing, by a communications controller, the portion of the information to the second display device when the second display device is detected as being able to operate as the auxiliary display device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting, by a sensor of the first display device, the presence of the second display device once a sensor of the second display device comes within a detection range of the sensor of the first display device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the portion of the information to the second display device once the sensor of the second display device comes within the detection range.

15. A communications device, comprising:

a first display device; and

a second display device, a third display device, and a fourth display device coupled to the first display device and configured to serve as extensions of the first display device,

wherein the first display device, the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device are configured to display a first portion, a second portion, a third portion, and a fourth portion, respectively, of the information,

wherein the second display device and the fourth display device are configured to be mechanically expanded from the first display device to serve as extensions of the first display device.

16. The communications device of claim 15, wherein the first display device is further configured to detect the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device as being able to operate as auxiliary display devices for the first display device.

17. The communications device of claim 16, wherein the first display device further comprises:

a communications controller, the communications controller being configured to route the second portion, the third portion, and the fourth portion of the information to the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device, respectively, when the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device are being able to operate as the auxiliary display devices.

18. The communications device of claim 15, wherein the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device are configured to be tucked away in or behind the first display device.

19. The communications device of claim 15, wherein the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device each further comprise a sensor,

wherein the sensor of the first display device is configured to detect the presence the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device once the respective sensors of the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device come within a detection range of the sensor of the first display device.

20. The communications device of claim 19, wherein the first display device is further configured to wirelessly communicate with the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device once each respective sensor of the second display device, the third display device, and the fourth display device come within the detection range.