System and method for modular display

• US 7,518,624 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ford, Jeremy M., Thelen, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US11/040,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20060164325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 345/903, 345/904, 345/905, 348/839, 348/552, 348/706, 348/725, 348/211.99, 340/815.4, 340/815.47
• US Class Current: 348/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/642 Disposition of sound reproducers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/903 Modular display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A modular display system and method assembles an external interface module with a display module to support built-to-order display configurations. The display module has display panel, timing controller and speaker components assembled in a display module housing that accepts a single LVDS and a single audio interface. The external interface module couples to the display module housing to form an integral display system. Selective assembly of the display system from plural types of external interface modules allows selective configuration of the display system with various television and information handling system display functionalities, such as to fill a purchaser order in a build-to-order manufacturing process.

Claims

1. A system for presentation of audiovisual information, the system comprising:

a display module housing having a cutaway portion;

a display panel disposed in the display module housing and operable to present visual information as pixels organized in rows and columns;

a timing controller disposed in the display module housing and interfaced with the display panel, the timing controller operable to communicate visual information to the rows and columns;

speakers associated with the display module housing and operable to present audio information as sounds;

an external interface module housing sized to fit in the cutaway portion as an integral unit, the external interface module having a single visual information interface positioned proximate the cutaway portion to interface with the timing controller and having a single audio information interface positioned proximate the cutaway portion to interface with the speakers; and

an external interface module disposed in the external interface module housing, the external interface module having external visual interface components operable to receive external visual information and communicate the visual information to the single visual information interface and having external audio interface components operable to receive external audio information and communicate the audio information to the single audio information interface.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a power supply disposed in the display module housing and operable to supply power to the display panel, timing controller and speakers; and

a power interface disposed in the display module housing at the cutaway portion operable to provide power from the power supply to the external interface module.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the external visual interface components comprise a television tuner.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the external visual interface components comprise component video processing components.

5. The system claim 1 wherein the external visual interface components comprise DVI component processing components.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the single visual information interface comprises an LVDS interface.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the external visual interface components comprise one more components selected by a purchaser of the system from the group of television tuner components, composite video components, S-video components, and component video components.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the visual interface components further comprise one or more components selected by a purchaser of the system from the group of VGA components and DVI components.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the display panel is a LCD panel.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the display panel is a plasma display.