Multi-screen display system and method

• US 6,493,008 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yui, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H.
• Application Number:
  US09/505,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145, 345/146, 345/157, 345/807, 345/856, 345/840, 345/841
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows

Abstract

This invention provides a multi-screen display system, which unifies the control relating to each image on a multi-screen. The multi-screen display system receives images from a plurality of image sources, and displays the received images at the same time on the multi-screen of a display device. In the multi-screen display system, a multi-screen control part determines a type of each image source and a display region where a multi-screen control cursor is positioned on the multi-screen. The multi-screen control part determines a role of the multi-screen control cursor in the display region according to the type of the image source of an image displayed in the display region where the multi-screen control cursor is positioned. The multi-screen control part controls generation of the multi-screen control cursor and the operation thereof so that the multi-screen control cursor can play the determined role.

Claims

1. A multi-screen display system comprising:

input means for inputting images from a plurality of image sources;

display means having a multi-screen capable of displaying the inputted images;

image source determining means for determining a type of each of said image sources;

layout determining means for determining a layout of display regions for arranging the inputted images on said multi-screen of said display means;

cursor control means for generating a multi-screen control cursor for inputting commands on said multi-screen and controlling operation thereof; and

display region identifying means for identifying a display region on said multi-screen of said display means in which said multi-screen control cursor is positioned; and

wherein said cursor control means determines a role of said multi-screen control cursor in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned according to a type of an image source of an image displayed in the display region, and said cursor control means controls generation of said multi-screen control cursor and the operation thereof so that said multi-screen control cursor can play the determined role.

2. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of image sources includes at least one image source providing an interactive operational environment, and said cursor control means sets a role of said multi-screen control cursor corresponding to the interactive operational environment when an image source of an image displayed in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned provides the interactive operational environment.

3. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one image source providing said interactive operational environment has a cursor generation controlling function of generating a cursor on said at least one image source and controlling operation of said cursor, and said cursor control means has control transfer means operable if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned has said cursor generation controlling function, for transferring control relating to the generation and operation of said multi-screen control cursor to said cursor generation controlling function of said image source having said cursor generation controlling function so that said multi-screen control cursor is switched to said cursor generated by the image source having said cursor generation controlling function.

4. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 3, wherein said image source having said cursor generation controlling function is an information processing apparatus including a personal computer and a workstation.

5. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 3, wherein said image source having said cursor generation controlling function is provided with a serial bus, and said cursor control means has a serial bus connected to said serial bus of said image source;

said control transfer means reconstructs the connection of said serial bus of said cursor control means and said serial bus of said image source while said image source is operating, and then transfers the control relating to the generation and operation of said multi-screen control cursor to said cursor generation controlling function of said image source.

6. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 5, wherein said serial bus of said image source and said serial bus of said cursor control means are universal serial buses or serial buses conforming to an IEEE 1394 standard.

7. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 2, wherein said plurality of image sources includes at least one image source having a cursor generation controlling function of controlling said cursor control means to generate an interactive cursor for moving and changing exclusively interactive select buttons, and wherein if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned has said cursor generation controlling function, said cursor control means turns off a display of said multi-screen control cursor to generate said interactive cursor according to said cursor generation controlling function of said image source and controls operation of said interactive cursor.

8. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 2, wherein said plurality of image sources includes at least one image source having a cursor generation controlling function of controlling said cursor control means to generate said multi-screen control cursor, and wherein if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned has said cursor generation controlling function, said cursor control means generates said multi-screen control cursor according to said cursor generation controlling function of said image source and changes size, color and movement amount of said multi-screen control cursor according to a resolution of said display region where said image of said image source having said cursor generation controlling function is displayed.

9. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 7, wherein said image source having said cursor generation controlling function provides a digital broadcasting according to an integrated digital broadcasting system.

10. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 8, wherein said image source having said cursor generation controlling function provides a digital broadcasting according to an integrated digital broadcasting system.

11. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 9, wherein if said multi-screen control cursor on said multi-screen is located in a display region of said digital broadcasting according to said integrated digital broadcasting system, said cursor control means converts a position of said multi-screen control cursor to a position desired by a provider of said integrated digital broadcasting system, and wherein if the converted position of said multi-screen control cursor is within a region of a button property of changing interactive scenes, said cursor control means takes an action to change scenes according to a scenario of the digital broadcasting when received.

12. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 10, wherein if said multi-screen control cursor on said multi-screen is located in a display region of said digital broadcasting according to said integrated digital broadcasting system, said cursor control means converts a position of said multi-screen control cursor to a position desired by a provider of said integrated digital broadcasting system, and wherein if the converted position of said multi-screen control cursor is within a region of a button property of changing interactive scenes, said cursor control means takes an action to change scenes according to a scenario of the digital broadcasting when received.

13. A multi-screen display method which comprises:

a receiving step of receiving images from a a plurality of image sources;

displaying the received images on a multi-screen of one display unit;

an image source type determining step of determining a type of each of said image sources;

a layout determining step of determining a layout of display regions, for arranging the received images on said multi-screen of said display unit;

a cursor generating step of generating a multi-screen control cursor for inputting commands on said multi-screen and operating said multi-screen control cursor;

a display region identifying step of identifying a display region on said multi-screen of said display means in which said multi-screen control cursor is positioned; and

a cursor control step of determining a role of said multi-screen control cursor in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned according to a type of an image source of an image displayed in said display region, and controlling generation of said multi-screen control cursor and operation thereof so that said multi-screen control cursor can play the determined role.

14. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 13, wherein said plurality of image sources includes at least one image source providing an interactive operational environment, and said cursor control step sets a role of said multi-screen control cursor corresponding to the interactive operational environment when an image source of an image displayed in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned provides the interactive operational environment.

15. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 14, wherein said at least one image source providing said interactive operational environment has a cursor generation controlling function of generating a cursor on said at least one image source and controlling operation of said cursor, and wherein if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned has said cursor generation controlling function, said cursor control step transfers control relating to the generation and operation of said multi-screen control cursor to said cursor generation controlling function of said image source having said cursor generation controlling function so that said multi-screen control cursor is switched to said cursor generated by the image source having said cursor generation controlling function.

16. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 15, wherein said image source having said cursor generation controlling function is an information processing apparatus including a personal computer and a workstation.

17. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 16, wherein said image source having said cursor generation controlling function is provided with a serial bus, and said cursor control means has a serial bus connected to said serial bus of said image source, and wherein said cursor control step comprises reconstructing the connection of said serial bus of said cursor control means and said serial bus of said image source while said image source is operating, and then transferring the control relating to the generation and operation of said multi-screen control cursor to said cursor generation controlling function of said image source.

18. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 17, wherein said serial bus of said image source and said serial bus of said cursor control means are universal serial buses or serial buses conforming to an IEEE 1394 standard.

19. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 14, wherein said plurality of image sources includes at least one image source having a cursor generation controlling function of controlling said cursor control means to generate an interactive cursor for moving and changing exclusively interactive select buttons, and wherein if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned has said cursor generation controlling function, said cursor control step turns off a display of said multi-screen control cursor to generate said interactive cursor according to said cursor generation controlling function of said image source and controls operation of said interactive cursor.

20. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 14, wherein said plurality of image sources includes at least one image source having a cursor generation controlling function of controlling said cursor control means to generate said multi-screen control cursor, and wherein if the image source of the image displayed in the display region where said multi-screen control cursor is positioned has said cursor generation controlling function, said cursor control step generates said multi-screen control cursor according to said cursor generation controlling function of said image source and changes size, color and movement amount of said multi-screen control cursor according to a resolution of said display region where said image of said image source having said cursor generation controlling function is displayed.

21. A multi-screen display system as defined in claim 19, wherein said image source having said cursor generation controlling function provides a digital broadcasting according to an integrated digital broadcasting system.

22. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 20, wherein said image source having said cursor generation controlling function provides a digital broadcasting according to an integrated digital broadcasting system.

23. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 21, wherein if said multi-screen control cursor on said multi-screen is located in a display region of said digital broadcasting according to said integrated digital broadcasting system, said cursor control step converts a position of said multi-screen control cursor to a position desired by a provider of said integrated digital broadcasting system, and wherein if the converted position of said multi-screen control cursor is within a region of a button property of changing interactive scenes, said cursor control step takes an action to change scenes according to a scenario of the digital broadcasting when received.

24. A multi-screen display method as defined in claim 22, wherein if said multi-screen control cursor on said multi-screen is located in a display region of said digital broadcasting according to said integrated digital broadcasting system, said cursor control step converts a position of said multi-screen control cursor to a position desired by a provider of said integrated digital broadcasting system, and wherein if the converted position of said multi-screen control cursor is within a region of a button property of changing interactive scenes, said cursor control step takes an action to change scenes according to a scenario of the digital broadcasting when received.