Screen display device

• US 7,439,964 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Kenji, Nojiri, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Afroza Y
• Application Number:
  US10/530,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 345/204, 345/1.1, 345/87
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/66 Transforming electric information into light information scanning details H04N3/00

Abstract

Herein disclosed is a display controlling apparatus, comprising: data output units (140) to be electrically connectable to respective display apparatuses; an information inputting unit (110) to be operable to have inputted therein information to be required for said display apparatuses to display on screens; a controlling unit (120) for producing contents to be displayed by said display apparatuses from said information inputted by said information inputting unit; and a video memory (130) having stored therein said contents produced by said controlling unit, wherein said controlling unit (120) is operative to adjust the resolution of each of said contents to be displayed by said display apparatuses on the basis of the number of said display apparatuses electrically connected to said signal outputting units, and to output said contents to be displayed at said adjusted resolution by said display apparatuses through said data output units (140).

Claims

1. A display controlling apparatus, being connectable to a predetermined number of display apparatuses, comprising:

a single video memory for storing image data at an original resolution; and

a controlling unit for outputting the image data from the single video memory to;

(a) each of a plurality of display apparatuses at a lower resolution when the predetermined number of display apparatuses is more than one display apparatus, the lower resolution being lower than the original resolution, or

(b) one display apparatus at the original resolution when the predetermined number of display apparatuses is one display apparatus;

wherein, the image data includes a plurality of layers,

at least one layer of the plurality of layers is provided to a first display apparatus of the plurality of display apparatuses, and

at least one further layer of the plurality of layers is provided to a display apparatus other than the first display apparatus of the plurality of display apparatuses.

2. A display controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower resolution depends on the predetermined number of display apparatuses.

3. A display controlling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower resolution is inversely proportional to the predetermined number of display apparatuses.

4. A display controlling apparatus, being connectable to a predetermined number of display apparatuses, comprising:

a single video memory for storing image data at an original resolution; and

a controlling unit for outputting the image data from the single video memory to;

(a) each of a plurality of display apparatuses at a lower resolution when the predetermined number of display apparatuses is more than one display apparatus, the lower resolution being lower than the original resolution, or

(b) one display apparatus at the original resolution when the predetermined number of display apparatuses is one display apparatus;

wherein,

the image data includes a plurality of layers,

a portion of at least one layer of the plurality of layers is provided to a first display apparatus of the plurality of display apparatuses, and

a further portion of the at least one layer of the plurality of layers is provided to a display apparatus other than the first display apparatus of the plurality of display apparatuses.

5. A display controlling apparatus, being connectable to a predetermined number of display apparatuses, comprising:

a single video memory for storing image data at an original resolution; and

a controlling unit for outputting the image data from the single video memory to;

(a) each of a plurality of display apparatuses at a lower resolution when the predetermined number of display apparatuses is more than one display apparatus, the lower resolution being lower than the original resolution, or

(b) one display apparatus at the original resolution when the predetermined number of display apparatuses is one display apparatus;

wherein,

the image data includes a plurality of layers;

a portion of at least one layer of the plurality of layers is provided to a first display apparatus of the plurality of display apparatuses; and

a portion of the at least one further layer of the plurality of layers is provided to a display apparatus other than the first display apparatus of the plurality of display apparatuses.