Portable computer system having LCD monitor for selectively receiving video signals from external video signal input from external computer

• US 7,305,501 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Cheon-Moo
• Primary Examiner(s): Peyton; Tammara
• Application Number:
  US10/113,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,071 Days
• Field of Search: 710 60- 62, 710/34, 710/38, 345/3.1, 345/31, 345/501, 345/596, 708/141, 348/552
• US Class Current: 710/62
• 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 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

Abstract

A portable computer system includes a portable computer equipped with a graphic chip, and an LCD monitor receiving a video signal from the graphic chip and displaying the video signal. The portable computer system further includes an external video signal input part provided at the portable computer and receiving an external video signal from an external computer, an A/D converter provided at the portable computer and converting the external video signal inputted through the external video signal input part into a digital signal, and a control part controlling the video signal and the digital signal from the graphic chip and the A/D converter to be outputted to the LCD monitor. With this configuration, the present invention provides a portable computer system enhancing the utility of the LCD monitor by receiving an external video signal from an external computer and displaying it on an LCD monitor.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a portable computer including a graphic chip and a liquid crystal display monitor, said liquid crystal display monitor receiving a video signal from the graphic chip and displaying the video signal;

an external video signal input part provided at the portable computer for receiving an external video signal from an external computer;

an analog to digital converter provided at the portable computer for converting the external video signal received through the external video signal input part into a digital signal; and

a control part for controlling the video signal and the digital signal from the graphic chip and the analog to digital converter, respectively, so that it is selectively outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a main board, the graphic chip being mounted on the main board;

and

wherein the control part comprises a video multiplexer provided at the main board.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, the control part controlling the digital signal from the analog to digital converter so that it is outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor when the video signal is not transmitted from the graphic chip.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, the control part controlling the digital signal from the analog to digital converter so that it is outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor when the video signal is not transmitted from the graphic chip.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, the control part outputting, to the liquid crystal display monitor, both the video signal received from the graphic chip and the digital signal received from the analog to digital converter.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, the control part outputting, to the liquid crystal display monitor, both the video signal received from the graphic chip and the digital signal received from the analog to digital converter.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, the liquid crystal display monitor being integrated with the portable computer.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said portable computer further comprises:

a central processing unit for executing application programs and calculations, said graphic chip generating a video signal according to an operation of said central processing unit;

a microcomputer connected to said central processing unit; and

an input device for entry of data by a user for use by said central processing unit executing application programs and calculations, said microcomputer controlling said input device;

wherein said liquid crystal display monitor is incorporated with said portable computer in one body.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said portable computer comprises one of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, and a palmtop computer.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said external video signal input part comprises a cathode ray tube input port, the external video signal being an analog cathode ray tube video signal received through the cathode ray tube input port, the analog to digital converter converting the external video signal to the digital signal so as to accommodate an analog signal to be read and processed at said liquid crystal display monitor.

24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said external video signal input part receiving the external video signal comprises an analog signal including a plurality of color signals, a horizontal synchronous signal and a vertical synchronous signal for display.

25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said external video signal directly accommodates a display of an image on a display device.

8. A display method of a portable computer unit which includes a portable computer equipped with a graphic chip and a liquid crystal display monitor, said liquid crustal display monitor receiving a video signal from the graphic chip and displaying the video signal, said method comprising the steps of:

preparing an external video signal input part at the portable computer;

receiving an external video signal from an external computer through the external video signal input part;

converting the external video signal received through the external video signal input part into a digital signal;

transmitting the digital signal so that it is selectively outputted to the liquid crystal display monitor; and

selectively displaying the digital signal at the liquid crystal display monitor.

9. The display method according to claim 8, the converting step being performed by an analog to digital converter provided at the portable computer.

10. The display method according to claim 8, the transmitting step comprising transmitting both the video signal received from the graphic chip and the digital signal received from the analog to digital converter to the liquid crystal display monitor.

11. The display method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the video signal from the graphic chip;

transmitting the video signal along with the digital signal for selective output to the liquid crystal display monitor; and

selectively displaying any one of the received video signal, the digital signal, and both the video signal and digital signal at the liquid crystal display monitor.

12. The display method according to claim 8, wherein the transmitting step is performed by a video multiplexer provided at the portable computer.

13. The display method according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting step is performed by a video multiplexer provided at the portable computer.

14. The display method according to claim 10, wherein the transmitting step is performed by a video multiplexer provided at the portable computer.

15. The display method according to claim 11, wherein the transmitting step is performed by a video multiplexer provided at the portable computer.

16. A portable computer, comprising:

a liquid crystal display coupled to a casing including a main board having a central processing unit for processing data, the liquid crystal display accommodating display of a variable video;

an input part for receiving an external video signal from an external computer;

an analog to digital converter for converting the external video signal into a digital signal; and

a control part for controlling the digital signal for selective output to the liquid crystal display.

17. The portable computer of claim 16, further comprising a graphic chip for generating a video signal, the control part controlling the video signal from the graphic chip so that it is selectively outputted to the liquid crystal display.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, the control part comprising a video multiplexer provided on the main board.

19. The portable computer ofclaim 18, further comprising:

a low voltage differential signaling encoder for receiving the video signal and the digital signal from the video multiplexer; and

a low voltage differential signaling decoder for converting the video signal and the digital signal passed through the low voltage differential signaling encoder for display on the liquid crystal display through a timing controller.

20. The portable computer of claim 16, the controller part comprising a program in a memory unit, the program being executed by the central processing unit.