System and method for error messaging of an incorrect information handling system graphics cable connection

• US 7,755,503 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Osgood, Stanley, Bonorden, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US10/869,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20050280640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,218 Days
• Field of Search: 340/686.1
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

An incorrect connection of an information handling system graphics cable to a display peripheral is automatically detected with an error message presented by the display peripheral. For instance, a graphics projector accepts a VGA input from an information handling system through a VGA cable and port to project information for display. The graphics projector includes a graphics output loop that sends inputted VGA signals to an output port for communication to other peripherals, such as monitor. A cable connector detector associated with the VGA output port detects the incorrect coupling of a cable carrying an incoming graphics signal and displays an error message from the projector that the cable is connected to an incorrect port, such as a depiction of the input and output ports or a video showing disconnection of the cable from the outbound port and reconnection of the cable to the inbound port.

Claims

1. A system for error messaging of an incorrect graphics cable connection, the system comprising:

an information handling system having a graphics output port and operable to output a graphics signal at the port;

a peripheral having a graphics input port and operable to display a graphics signal communicated from an information handling system to the graphics input port, the peripheral further having a graphics output loop and graphics output port, the graphics output loop operable to communicate graphics signals received at the graphics input port for output at the graphics output port;

a graphics cable having first and second ends, the graphics cable operable to communicate the graphics signal from the information handling system; and

a cable connection detector associated with the peripheral graphics output port, the cable connection detector operable to detect a graphics signal input to the graphics output port and to display an error message with the peripheral in response to detecting the graphics signal input.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the peripheral comprises a graphics projector.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the graphics input port, the graphics output port, and the cable ends have the same form factor.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the graphics input port, graphics output port and the cable are VGA compliant.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the graphics signal comprises a reference voltage signal, the cable connection detector operable to detect the reference signal to determine that a graphics signal for input to the peripheral from an information handling system is connected to the peripheral output port.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the error message comprises a depiction of the peripheral graphics input and output ports.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the depiction of the peripheral graphics input an output ports comprises a video depicting removal of a cable from the peripheral graphics output port and connection of the cable to the peripheral graphics input port.

8. A method for error messaging of an incorrect information handling system graphics cable connection, the method comprising:

connecting a graphics cable to a display peripheral graphics output port;

communicating a graphics signal from an information handling system output port through the graphics cable to the display peripheral graphics output port;

detecting at the display peripheral the input of the graphics cable signal to the output port; and

displaying in response to the detecting an error message with the display peripheral that explains that the graphics cable signal is input to an incorrect port.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the display peripheral comprises a graphics projector and displaying an error message comprises projecting an image with the graphics projector.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the image comprises a depiction of the graphics projector having a correct and incorrect graphics cable connection.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the image comprises a video depicting removal of the graphics cable from the output port and connection of the graphics cable to the input port.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the graphics cable comprises input and output leads having the same form factor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the graphics cable, the information handling system output port, and the display peripheral output port are each VGA compliant.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein detecting further comprises detecting the reference voltage signal output from the graphics cable to the display peripheral output port reference pin.

15. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

disconnecting the graphics cable from the display peripheral output port in response to the error message; and

connecting the graphics cable to the display peripheral input port in response to the error message.

16. A graphics projector comprising:

a housing;

processing components disposed in the housing and operable to accept a graphics signal for projecting an image;

an input port disposed at the housing and operable to accept the graphics signal from a cable lead having a first form factor;

an output port disposed at the housing and operable to send a graphics signal to a cable lead having a second form factor;

a graphics output loop operable to communicate graphics signals received at the input port to the output port; and

a cable connection detector interfaced with the output port and operable to detect a graphics signal input to the graphics output port and to project an error message with the processing components in response to detecting the graphics signal input.

17. The graphics projector of claim 16 wherein the first and second form factors comprise VGA compliant form factors having a reference signal pin for communicating a reference signal with the graphics signal.

18. The graphics projector of claim 17 wherein the cable connection detector is further operable to detect a reference signal communicated into the output port.

19. The graphics projector of claim 16 wherein the error message comprises a depiction of the output and input ports with a correct cable connection for inputting a graphics signal.

20. The graphics projector of claim 16 wherein the error message comprises a video depicting a cable disconnected from the output port and reconnected to the input port.