Method and apparatus for controlling image-display devices collectively

• US 6,970,145 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Aoki, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, DAVID LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/714,154
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 13, 345 4- 5, 345901-905, 345/502, 345 21- 23, 345/3.1, 707/104, 715716-726, 715/764, 715/808, 715/810
• US Class Current: 345/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

An image-transmitting device connected to image-display devices through a bus cable is provided. The image-transmitting device includes a memory unit storing a set of screen data whose correspondence to each of the image-display devices and a displaying order of the screen data to be displayed on the image-display devices are predetermined; a transmission-data-generating unit selecting specific screen data from among the set of the screen data by following the correspondence and the displaying order, and generating transmission data that each of the image-display devices is to display based on the selected specific screen data; a bus interface connected to the image-display devices through the bus cable; and a transmission unit transmitting the transmission data from the bus interface through the bus cable to each of the image-display devices. The image-transmitting device transmits as the screen data, a combination of data specifying an updating area of the screen data displayed on an image-display device and data used for updating part of the screen data displayed in the updating area, to the image-display device through the bus cable, so that the image-display devices can simultaneously update the screen data displayed thereon.

Claims

1. An image-transmitting device connected to a plurality of image display devices through a bus cable, said image-transmitting device comprising:

a memory unit storing a set of screen data, each individual of said set of screen data corresponding to one of said plurality of image-display devices, said memory unit further storing a displaying order of said individual of said set of screen data to be displayed on said corresponding image-display devices;

a transmission-data-generating unit selecting specific screen data from among the set of the screen data by following the correspondence between each individual of said set of screen data and respective of said image display devices and the displaying order, and generating transmission data that each of said image-display devices is to display based on the selected specific screen data;

a bus interface connected to said image-display devices through the bus cable;

a transmission unit transmitting the transmission data from said bus interface through the bus cable to each of said image-display devices; and

an instruction-input unit that is used by a user to select one of the screen data and one of said image-display devices through a graphical user interface (GUI), and to direct the selected image-display device to display the selected screen data, wherein the transmission data is generated based on the selected screen data by said transmission-data-generating unit, and then is transmitted to the selected image-display device by said transmission unit,

wherein said transmission data includes data of a first data type for an entire screen and area updating data of a second data type different from the first data type for updating part of the entire screen, the area updating data including data specifying an updating area of the screen data displayed on an image-display device and data used for updating part of the screen data displayed in the updating area.

2. The image-transmitting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said memory unit further includes a two-dimensional arrangement in which file names of the screen data are placed in a position corresponding to an image-display device that is to display said screen data and the displaying order of said screen data.

3. The image-transmitting device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a setting unit by which a user sets the correspondence of the screen data to each of said image-display devices and the displaying order of the screen data in advance.

4. The image-display system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a setting unit setting the correspondence of the screen data to each of said image-display devices and the displaying order of the screen data in advance by following the instruction inputted by the user through said instruction-input unit.

5. The image-transmitting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image-transmitting device is a computer including a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface as said bus interface, and said bus cable is a USB cable.

6. An image-display system including a control device and a plurality of image-display devices connected through a bus interface to said control device,

said control device comprising:

a memory unit storing a set of screen data, each individual of said set of screen data corresponding to one of said plurality of image-display devices, said memory unit further storing a displaying order of said individual of said set of screen data to be displayed on said corresponding image-display devices;

a transmission-data-generating unit selecting specific screen data from among the set of the screen data by following the correspondence between each individual of said set of screen data and respective of said image display devices and the displaying order, and generating transmission data that each of said image-display devices is to display based on the selected specific screen data;

a transmission unit transmitting the transmission data through said bus interface to each of said image-display devices; and

an instruction-input unit that is used by a user to select one of the screen data and one of said image-display devices through a graphical user interface (GUI), and to direct the selected image-display device to display the selected screen data, wherein the transmission data is generated based on the selected screen data by said transmission-data-generating unit, and then is transmitted to the selected image-display device by said transmission unit,

wherein said transmission data includes data of a first data type for an entire screen and area updating data of a second data type different from the first data type for updating part of the entire screen, the area updating data including data specifying an updating area of the screen data displayed on an image-display device and data used for updating part of the screen data displayed in the updating area.

7. An image-display system comprising:

a computer including a primary image-display device that displays a document including a plurality of pages;

a plurality of image-display devices that are connected to said computer, and that are configured to display the document; and

a user interface configured to allow a user to relate a specific page in the document to a specific image-display device among said plurality of image-display devices in a one-to-one correspondence between said specific page and a respective specific of the plurality of image-display devices, said user interface including;

an instruction-input unit that is used by a user to select one of the screen data and one of said image-display devices through a graphical user interface (GUI), and to direct the selected image-display device to display the selected screen data, wherein the transmission data is generated based on the selected screen data by said transmission-data-generating unit, and then is transmitted to the selected image-display device by said transmission unit,

wherein said user interface displays icons indicating said image-display devices on said primary image-display device, and allocates the specific page to an icon to display the specific page on an image-display device corresponding to the icon.

8. The image-display system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said image-display system displays identification information of said image-display device and information about correspondence of said image display device to the specific page when displaying the specific page on said image-display device.

9. The image-display system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said user interface allocates the specific page to the icon by dragging and dropping said specific page to said icon.

10. The image-display system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said user interface displays a pop-up menu on one of the specific page and an area indicating the specific page on the primary image-display device, said pop-up menu being used for selecting the image display device to display the specific page thereon.

11. The image-display system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said image-display system allocates each of previously displayed screen data and screen data to be displayed next to currently displayed screen data on said primary image-display device to any of said image-display devices.

12. The image-display system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said image-display system displays a scroll button on a screen of said primary image-display device, said scroll button being used for scrolling the screen of the image-display device displaying said specific page.

13. The image-display system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said document is a hypertext document, and each page of said document includes links to other pages.

14. A method of controlling screen data displayed on a plurality of image-display devices connected to a control device through a bus interface, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a set of the screen data, each individual of said set of screen data corresponding to one of said plurality of image-display devices, and further storing a displaying order of said individual of said set of screen data to be displayed on said corresponding image-display devices, in said control device;

selecting the screen data corresponding to each of said image-display devices from among the set of the screen data by following the correspondence between each individual of said set of screen data and respective of said image display devices and the displaying order;

updating the screen data displayed on each of said image-display devices simultaneously based on the selected screen data through the bus interface; and

selecting, by a user, one of the screen data and one of said image-display devices through a graphical user interface (GUI), and directing the selected image-display device to display the selected screen data, wherein the transmission data is generated based on the selected screen data by said selecting step, and then is transmitted to the selected image-display device,

wherein the step of updating the screen data displayed on each of said image-display devices simultaneously comprises a step of transmitting data including data of a first data type for an entire screen and area updating data of a second data type different from the first data type for updating part of the entire screen, the area-updating data including data specifying an updating area of the screen data displayed on an image-display device and data used for updating part of the screen data displayed in the updating area.

15. A method of controlling screen data displayed on a plurality of image-display devices connected to a control device through a bus interface, said method comprising the steps of:

storing a set of the screen data, each individual of said set of screen data corresponding to one of said plurality of image-display devices, and further storing a displaying order of said individual of said set of screen data to be displayed on said corresponding image-display devices, in said control device;

selecting the screen data corresponding to each of said image-display devices from among the set of the screen data by following the correspondence between each individual of said set of screen data and respective of said plurality of image display devices and the displaying order;

generating transmission data that each of said image-display devices is to display based on the selected screen data;

transmitting the transmission data to each of said image-display devices through said bus interface; and

selecting, by a user, one of the screen data and one of said image-display devices through a graphical user interface (GUI), and directing the selected image-display device to display the selected screen data, wherein the transmission data is generated based on the selected screen data by said selecting step, and then is transmitted to the selected image-display device; and

updating the screen data displayed on each of said image-display devices simultaneously by transmitting data including data of a first data type for an entire screen and area updating data of a second data type different from the first data type for updating part of the entire screen, the area-updating data including data specifying an updating area of the screen data displayed on an image-display device and data used for updating part of the screen data displayed in the updating area.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the step of:

setting the correspondence of the screen data to each of said image-display devices and the displaying order of the screen data by following the instruction inputted.

17. A record medium readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for controlling images displayed on a plurality of image-display devices connected to an image-transmitting device through a bus interface, said method steps comprising:

storing a set of screen data, each individual of said set of screen data corresponding to one of said plurality of image-display devices, and further storing a displaying order of said individual of said set of screen data to be displayed on said corresponding image-display devices, in said control device;

selecting the screen data corresponding to each of said image-display devices from among the set of the screen data by following the correspondence between each individual of said set of screen data and respective of said plurality of image display devices and the displaying order;

generating transmission data that each of said image-display devices is to display based on the selected screen data;

transmitting the transmission data to each of said image-display devices through said bus interface;

selecting, by a user, one of the screen data and one of said image-display devices through a graphical user interface (GUI), and directing the selected image-display device to display the selected screen data, wherein the transmission data is generated based on the selected screen data by said selecting step, and then is transmitted to the selected image-display device; and

updating the screen data displayed on each of said image-display devices simultaneously by transmitting data including data of a first data type for an entire screen and area updating data of a second data type different from the first data type for updating part of the entire screen, the area-updating data including data specifying an updating area of the screen data displayed on an image-display device and data used for updating part of the screen data displayed in the updating area.

18. The record medium as claimed in claim 17, wherein said method steps further comprises the step of:

setting the correspondence of the screen data to each of said image-display devices and the displaying order of the screen data by following the instruction inputted.