Monitor for use with computer system and method of controlling supply of power to computer peripherals connected with the monitor

• US 6,147,682 A
• Filed: 05/07/1997
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JIMMY H
• Application Number:
  US08/852,732
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 345/211, 345/156, 345/326, 345/518, 345/520, 361/729, 361/682, 710/62, 710/63, 710/64, 710/65, 713/300, 713/310, 395/750.01, 395/750.03, 395/750.06, 395/750.07, 395/882
• US Class Current: 345/211
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/167 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a CRT details suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006, specific for a flat panel G09G3/2096
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/02 Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/045 using multiple communication channels, e.g. parallel and serial

Abstract

A computer monitor for allowing the easy connection of computer peripherals thereto, and supplying a power supply voltage from an internal power supply therein to the computer peripherals via universal serial bus hubs. The monitor has a power supply for converting externally applied AC power into DC power; and a universal serial bus hub having at least one upstream port and at least two downstream ports; wherein the upstream port is electrically connected in communication with the computer system, and the downstream ports receive DC power in response for a power switching signal in accordance with power supply control information from the computer system through the upstream port to selectively provide the DC power to external devices connected therewith in response to the power switching signal.

Claims

1. A computer monitor, comprising:

a power supply for converting an externally applied alternating current power into a direct current (DC) power; and

a universal serial bus hub having at least one upstream port and a plurality of downstream ports;

means for electrically connecting said upstream port in communication with a computer system having a root hub, for electrically connecting said plurality of downstream ports in response to a power switching control signal in accordance with power supply control information from the computer system through said upstream port, and for selectively providing said direct current (DC) power to external devices respectively connected with said plurality of downstream ports in response to said power switching control signal.

2. The computer monitor according to claim 1, wherein said computer monitor is a cathode ray tube monitor.

3. The computer monitor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a monitor controller for generating two groups of control signals in response to monitor driving information applied through said upstream port from said computer system, a first of said two groups of control signals being required to process a plurality of video signals and a second of said two groups of control signals being required to control screen and focus of said computer monitor;

a video signal processor for processing said plurality of video signals from said computer system via a universal serial bus cable connected between said computer system and said computer monitor to provide processed video signals to a plurality of electron guns of said computer monitor; and

a horizontal/vertical synchronization signal processor for deflecting beams generated from said plurality of electron guns in response to horizontal and vertical synchronization signals applied from said computer system via said universal serial bus cable so as to adjust said screen and said focus of said computer monitor.

4. The computer monitor according to claim 1, wherein said power supply includes a display power management system of video electronic standard association for controlling said power supply.

5. The computer monitor according to claim 4, wherein said power supply operates in accordance with power saving operations including a stand-by mode, a suspend mode and a power off mode.

6. The computer monitor according to claim 1, wherein said power supply uses said direct current (DC) power of about +5 volts (V) as an operation voltage of said plurality of downstream ports.

7. The computer monitor according to claim 1, wherein said upstream port has two power sources and two data transmitting segments, said two power sources having a power supply segment and a ground segment.

8. The computer monitor according to claim 1, wherein said universal serial bus hub comprises a universal serial bus controller for performing a control operation in accordance with information received from said computer system via said root hub, and a power switching portion for selectively providing said direct current (DC) power to a plurality of universal serial bus devices by means of control of said universal serial bus controller.

9. The computer monitor according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of universal serial bus devices include any one of peripheral devices including a keyboard, an audio system and a printer.

10. The computer monitor according to claim 9, wherein a monitor controller and said universal serial bus controller are electrically connected by any one of interintegrated circuit serial interface (I² C) and universal asynchronous receiver transmitter.

11. The computer monitor according to claim 8, wherein said universal serial bus controller receives data from said computer system over said upstream port and relays said data to said plurality of downstream ports.

12. The computer monitor according to claim 8, wherein said universal serial bus controller stores and analyzes two groups of control signals from said computer system so as to retransmit said two groups of control signals to a monitor controller by means of a protocol of any one of inter-integrated circuit serial interface (I² C) and universal asynchronous receiver transmitter, a first of said two groups of control signals being required to process a plurality of video signals and a second of said two groups of control signals being required to control screen and focus of said computer monitor.

13. The computer monitor according to claim 8, wherein said universal serial bus controller further comprises means for decoding digital information of voice generated for a speaker unit and means for encoding an analog signal of voice generated from a microphone unit.

14. The computer monitor according to claim 13, wherein said decoding means comprises a digital-to-analog converter for converting said digital information of voice into analog signal, and wherein said encoding means comprises an analog-to-digital converter for converting said analog signal of voice into a digital signal.

15. The computer monitor according to claim 8, wherein said monitor further comprises a decoder for decoding digital information of voice generated for a speaker unit, and an encoder for encoding an analog signal of voice generated from a microphone unit, said decoder and said encoder being located outside said universal serial bus controller.

16. The computer monitor according to claim 8, further comprising means for decoding digital information of voice generated for a speaker unit.

17. The computer monitor according to claim 8, further comprising means for encoding an analog signal of voice generated from a microphone unit.

18. The computer monitor according to claim 16, wherein said means for decoding comprises a decoder for decoding said digital information of voice into an analog signal.

19. The computer monitor according to claim 17, wherein said means for encoding comprises an encoder for encoding said analog signal of voice into a digital signal.

20. The computer monitor according to claim 8, further comprising a speaker unit connected to one downstream port of said plurality of downstream ports.

21. The computer monitor according to claim 20, wherein said speaker unit comprises a speaker, means for converting digital information of voice generated for said speaker into an analog voice signal, and a universal serial bus device connector connected to said one downstream port of said plurality of downstream ports.

22. The computer monitor according to claim 8, further comprising a microphone unit connected to a downstream port of said plurality of downstream ports.

23. The computer monitor according to claim 22, wherein said microphone unit comprises a microphone and means for converting an analog voice signal provided from said microphone into a digital voice signal.

24. The computer monitor according to claim 8, further comprising a speaker unit connected to one downstream port of said plurality of downstream ports and a microphone unit connected to another downstream port of said plurality of downstream ports.

25. The computer monitor according to claim 24, wherein said speaker unit comprises a speaker, means for converting digital information of voice generated for said speaker into an analog voice signal, and a universal serial bus device connector connected to said one downstream port, and wherein said microphone unit comprises a microphone and means for converting an analog voice signal provided from said microphone into a digital voice signal.

26. A method of controlling a power supply for use with a computer monitor, comprising the steps of:

providing a power supply for the computer monitor for converting an externally applied alternating current (AC) power into a direct current (DC) power;

providing a universal serial bus hub for the computer monitor having at least one upstream port and a plurality of downstream ports, said upstream port being electrically connected in communication with a computer system, and said plurality of downstream ports selectively receiving said direct current (DC) power in response to a power switching control signal in accordance with power supply control information from said computer system through said upstream port so as to selectively provide said direct current (DC) power to external devices respectively connected with said plurality of downstream ports in response to said power switching control signal;

generating said power switching control signal in accordance with said power supply control information from said computer system;

designating a downstream port of said plurality of downstream ports in response to said power switching control signal so as to supply said direct current (DC) power through the designated downstream port to a universal serial bus device connected with the designated downstream port;

determining whether said direct current (DC) power through the designated downstream port is above a limit value of over-current;

providing a signal indicative of more than the limit value of said over-current, when said direct current (DC) power through the designated downstream port is above the limit value of said over-current; and

intercepting supply of said direct current (DC) power to said designated downstream port, when said direct current (DC) power through the designated downstream port is above the limit value of said over-current.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said universal serial bus hub comprises a universal serial bus controller for performing a control operation in accordance with information received from said computer system via a root hub, and a power switching portion for selectively providing said direct current (DC) power to the universal serial bus device by means of control of said universal serial bus controller.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said computer monitor further comprises:

a monitor controller for generating two groups of control signals in response to monitor driving information applied through said upstream port from said computer system, a first of said two groups of control signals being required to process a plurality of video signals and a second of said two groups of control signals being required to control screen and focus of said computer monitor;

a video signal processor for processing said plurality of video signals from said computer system via a universal serial bus cable connected between said computer system and said computer monitor to provide processed video signals to a plurality of electron guns of said computer monitor; and

a horizontal/vertical synchronization signal processor for deflecting beams generated from said plurality of electron guns in response to horizontal and vertical synchronization signals applied from said computer system via said universal serial bus cable so as to adjust said screen and focus.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said computer monitor further comprises:

a monitor controller for generating two groups of control signals in response to monitor driving information applied through said upstream port from said computer system, a first of said two groups of control signals being required to process a plurality of video signals and a second of said two groups of control signals being required to control screen and focus of said computer monitor;

a video signal processor for processing said plurality of video signals from said computer system via a universal serial bus cable connected between said computer system and said computer monitor to provide processed video signals to a plurality of electron guns of said computer monitor; and

a horizontal/vertical synchronization signal processor for deflecting beams generated from said plurality of electron guns in response to horizontal and vertical synchronization signals applied from said computer system via said universal serial bus cable so as to adjust said screen and focus.