Control of video device by multiplexing accesses among multiple applications requesting access based on visibility on single display and via system of window visibility rules

• US 6,389,487 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2001
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grooters, Brandon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tanh Q
• Application Number:
  US09/931,450
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 710/20, 710/21, 710/36, 710/51, 710/107, 710/29, 710/41, 710/200, 709/100, 709/104, 709/107, 709/108, 709/204, 345/113, 345/119, 345/120, 345/114, 345/115, 345/118, 345/339, 345/340, 345/343, 345/344, 345/345, 340/825.06, 348/552
• US Class Current: 710/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

A method and apparatus for allowing several applications to share a single video overlay resource via multiplexing are disclosed. The multiplexing is accomplished from the application end through a multiplexing abstraction layer provided to the developers of end applications as an application program interface. Through the application program interface, each applications may, at any time, request, release, or modify the attributes of the video overlay device such as picture quality, tuning, source, etc. The application program interface provides all basic functionality of the hardware as accessible through other means including normal operating system support and device driver services.

Claims

1. In an information handling system, a method for controlling a video device, comprising:

providing access in a multi-window environment to the video device to one or more applications executable by the information handling system, wherein each application of the one or more applications has a corresponding window displayable on a single display device of the information handling system; and

upon multiple applications of the one or more applications requesting access to the video device, multiplexing access to the video device among the multiple applications via a system of window visibility rules based on the corresponding windows as displayed on the single display device of the information handling system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the window visibility rules include when a window corresponding to a requesting application is visible on the single display device, the requesting application is provided access to the video device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the window visibility rules include when a window corresponding to a requesting application is not visible on the single display device, the requesting application is denied access to the video device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of registering an application prior to said providing step.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether an application is registered prior to said providing step upon receiving a request from the application to access the video device; and

denying access to the video device by the application if the application is not registered.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of unregistering the registered application upon receiving a release request from the registered application.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a pointer to a previous application upon a subsequent application obtaining access to the video device; and

restoring access to the video device to the previous application upon the subsequent application relinquishing access to the video device.

8. In an information handling system, a method for controlling a video device with a video device manager, comprising:

receiving a request by an application to access the video device, wherein a window corresponding to the application is displayable in a multi-window environment on a single display device of the information handling system;

denying access to the video device by the application if a window corresponding to the application is not visible on the single display device of the information handling system; and

providing access to the video device by the application via a system of window visibility rules if a window corresponding to the application is visible on the single display device of the information handling system.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said denying access step includes denying access to the video device by the application until the window corresponding to the application is visible on the single display device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of registering an application prior to said providing step.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether an application is registered prior to said providing step upon receiving a request from the application to access the video device; and

denying access to the video device by the application if the application is not registered.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of unregistering the registered application upon receiving a release request from the registered application.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a pointer to a previous application upon a subsequent application obtaining access to the video device; and

restoring access to the video to the previous application upon the subsequent application relinquishing access to the video device.

14. In an information handling system, a method for controlling a video device with a video device manager, comprising:

registering a first application executable by the information handling system with the video device manager by placing the first application on a registration list internal to the video device manager;

receiving a request from the first application to access the video device;

providing access to the video device by the first application;

registering a second application executable by the information handling system with the video device manager by placing the second application on the registration list internal to the video device manager,

receiving a request from the second application to access the video device; and

providing access to the video device in a multi-window environment based upon a system of window visibility rules wherein a determination of access to the video device is based upon a visibility of a first window corresponding to the first application on a single display device and a visibility of a second window corresponding to the second application on the single display device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a respective application is registered prior to providing access to the video device by the respective application upon receiving a request from the respective application to access the video device; and

denying access to the video device by the respective application if the respective application is not registered.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the window visibility rules include when a window corresponding to a respective application is visible to a user, the respective application is provided access to the video device.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the window visibility rules include when a window corresponding to a respective application is not visible to a user, the respective application is denied access to the video device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of unregistering a respective registered application upon receiving a release request from the respective registered application.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a pointer to a previous application upon a subsequent application obtaining access to the video device; and

restoring access to the video device to the previous application upon the subsequent application relinquishing access to the video device.

20. A computer readable medium whose contents cause a computer to perform method steps for controlling a video device, the method steps comprising:

providing access in a multi-window environment to the video device to one or more applications executable by an information handling system, wherein each application of the one or more applications has a corresponding window displayable on a single display device of the information handling system; and

upon multiple applications of the one or more applications requesting access to the video device, multiplexing access to the video device among the multiple applications via a system of window visibility rules of the corresponding windows as displayed on the single display device of the information handling system.

21. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 20, wherein the window visibility rules include when a window corresponding to a requesting application is visible on the single display device, the requesting application is provided access to the video device.

22. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 20, wherein the window visibility rules include when a window corresponding to a requesting application is not visible on he single display device, the requesting application is denied access to the video device.

23. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the step of registering an application prior to said providing step.

24. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether an application is registered prior to said providing step upon receiving a request from the application to access the video device; and

denying access to the video device by the application if the application is not registered.

25. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 23, further comprising the step of unregistering the registered application upon receiving a release request from the registered application.

26. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a pointer to a previous application upon a subsequent application obtaining access to the video device; and

restoring access to the video device to the previous application upon the subsequent application relinquishing access to the video device.

27. An information handling system, comprising:

a processor suitable for performing a program of instructions;

a single display device coupled to the processor, the single display device suitable for providing a display of data;

a video device suitable for providing video data; and

a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device suitable for storing a program of instructions, wherein the program of instructions configures the processor to provide access in a multi-window environment to the video device to one or more applications executable by the information handling system, wherein each application of the one or more applications has a corresponding window displayable on the single display device of the information handling system, and upon multiple applications of the one or more applications requesting access to the video device, configures the processor to multiplex access to the video device among the multiple applications via a system of window visibility rules of the corresponding windows as displayed on the single display device of the information handling system.

28. The information handling system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the window visibility rules include when a window corresponding to a requesting application is visible on the single display device, the requesting application is provided access to the video device.

29. The information handling system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the window visibility rules include when a window corresponding to a requesting application is not visible on the single display device, the requesting application is denied access to the video device.

30. The information handling system as claimed in claim 27, further comprising the step of registering an application prior to said providing step.

31. The information handling system as claimed in claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether an application is registered prior to said providing step upon receiving a request from the application to access the video device; and

denying access to the video device by the application if the application is not registered.

32. The information handling system as claimed in claim 30, further comprising the step of unregistering the registered application upon receiving a release request from the registered application.

33. The information handling system as claimed in claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a pointer to a previous application upon a subsequent application obtaining access to the video device; and

restoring access to the video device to the previous application upon the subsequent application relinquishing access to the video device.