Removable computer display interface

• US 6,300,921 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1997
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PDACO LIMITED
• Original Assignee: Elonex IP Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan, Moriconi, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAO, LUNYI
• Application Number:
  US08/968,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 364/708.1, 248/917-923, 361/681-683, 361/684, 439/296, 439/326, 439/926, 439/261, 439/31, 345/1-3, 345/905, 345/901, 345/507, 345/508, 345/511, 345/204, 345/55, 345/132, 345/559, 345/501, 345/530
• US Class Current: 345/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• 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 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• 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: Y10S 248/917 Video display screen support

Abstract

A portable computer is configured to accept removable modular display panels of different types that plug into a structure hinged to the body of the computer. Each display panel has a sliding engagement means fixed along a lower edge, and the hinged structure has a mating sliding engagement means along an upper edge and parallel to the axis of the hinge, allowing a display panel to engage and disengage in the direction of the axis of the hinge. In an embodiment of the invention, display modules adaptable to the computer have a code stored in a memory device that is accessible on start-up by the computer, to identify and load a display driver routine capable of driving the display module assembled to the computer.

Claims

1. A portable computer having a computer module and a detachable flat panel display of a specific type and having a non-volatile memory, comprising:

engagement apparatus including mechanical apparatus for attaching said detachable flat panel display to said computer module and a first multi-pin electrical connector for providing electrical data and command signals between the detachable flat panel display and the computer module; and

control circuitry including a memory device in the portable computer;

wherein the control circuitry signals the detachable flat panel display through one or more pins of the first multi-pin electrical connector to return a unique identity code stored in the non-volatile memory of the flat-panel display through one or more pins of the multi-pin electrical connector, the unique identity code specific to the type of flat-panel display, and wherein the control circuitry selects a driver routine associated with the unique identity code and stored in said memory device, and utilizes the driver routine to operate said detachable flat panel display.

2. A portable computer as in claim 1 having an outer case and comprising a hinged mounting structure pivotally attached to the case, wherein the hinged mounting structure and the flat panel display module each have mating slide rails arranged for engaging and disengaging by moving the flat-panel display module in the direction of the hinge axis.

3. A portable computer as in claim 2 wherein the engagement direction for the first and second multi-pin electrical connectors is the same direction as for the slide rails.

4. A flat panel display module of a specific type, comprising:

physical engagement apparatus for attaching the display module to a portable computer;

a multi-pin electrical connector for receiving commands and data from the portable computer to drive the display; and

a non-volatile memory device connected to at least one pin of the multi-pin electrical connector and containing a unique identity code unique to the specific type of the display module.

5. A flat panel display as in claim 4 wherein the non-volatile memory device is an electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

6. A method for replacing a first modular flat panel display attached to a portable computer with a second modular flat panel display of a second type and having a non-volatile memory, and of identifying and driving the second modular flat panel display, comprising the steps of:

(a) disengaging the first modular flat panel display physically at a mechanical attachment apparatus and electrically at a multi-pin electrical connector;

(b) engaging the second modular flat panel display physically at the mechanical attachment apparatus and electrically at the multi-pin electrical connector;

(c) accessing a unique identity code stored in the non-volatile memory in the second modular flat panel display by operating circuitry in the portable computer, the code unique to the type of the second modular flat panel display;

(d) matching the unique identity code with a driver code routine associated with the code word and stored in a memory in the portable computer; and

(e) executing the driver code routine in the portable computer to operate the second modular flat panel display by the operating circuitry in the portable computer.

7. In a computer having a flat panel display module hinged to close over the computer case to provide a compact package for transport and storage, wherein the display module and the computer allow for interchanging different types of displays, a system for recognizing the display type attached and selecting an appropriate driver protocol, the system comprising:

a non-volatile memory device in the flat panel display module, the non-volatile memory device containing a unique identity code specific to the type of the flat panel display module;

a plurality of drive routines stored in a memory of the computer, each drive routine associated with a unique identity code; and

control circuitry in the computer;

wherein the control circuitry in the computer retrieves the unique identity code in the flat panel display module, matches the code from the display module with one of the unique codes associated with a drive routine stored in the memory of the computer, and loads and executes the associated drive routine to drive the attached display module.