Auxiliary display unit for a computer system

• US 7,786,952 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vong, William H., Fry, Kenneth V., Kaneko, Steven T., Adan, Manolito E., Robertson, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdulselam; Abbas I
• Application Number:
  US11/333,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20060170613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/1.2, 345/1.3, 345/2.1, 345/3.1, 345/5, 709/216, 709/223, 709/232, 709/238, 715/733, 715/734, 715/804, 710/33, 708/104
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1612 Flat panel monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

Abstract

A host computer is provided with a main display unit and an auxiliary display unit. The host computer can free up screen space on the main display screen by routing certain types of display information to the auxiliary display unit for display. Display information can range from notification of events such as receipt of email, appointments, system messages, and information from separate applications. The auxiliary display panel may function as a user interface for audio, video, “push information”, MP3 player or become the hardware equivalent of a multimedia player. The auxiliary display panel may be integrated together with the host computer in the same physical structure or may be part of a standalone display unit that is wired or wirelessly coupled to the host computer.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a host computer, and a first display unit and second display unit coupled to the host computer, a method for controlling the display of information associated with a first active application and a second active application, said method comprising:

configuring the first display unit to receive and display first information associated with the first active application on the host computer;

determining whether the second display unit is available to display information associated with the second active application, wherein the information is received from an external network;

receiving instructions from the host computer;

coupling the second display unit with the external network responsive to the instructions received from the host computer, without connecting to the external network through the host computer;

sending the information associated with the application to the second display unit for display when the second display unit is available; and

sending the information associated with the application to the first display unit for display when the second display unit is not available to display the information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the information associated with the application to the first display unit for display when the second display unit is available to display the information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second display unit is available to display the information associated with the application, further comprising sending second information associated with the application to the first display unit for display, the second information differing from the information sent to the second display unit.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information is a graphical user interface for an audio, video or multimedia player.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information is a notification associated with a messaging application.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises determining whether the second display unit has sufficient display-space to display the information.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including determining whether the user is authorized to receive the second information associated with the second active application and only displaying the second information associated with the second active application responsive to determining that the user is authorized.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said determining includes receiving an authorization input from the user.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the authorization input is a biometric associated with the user.

10. A personal computer system comprising:

a personal computer;

a main display unit coupled to said personal computer, said main display unit configured to receive and display first information associated with a first active application on said personal computer; and

an auxiliary display unit coupled to said personal computer and distinct from said main display unit, said auxiliary display unit configured to receive second information from an external network associated with a second active application being run on said personal computer, said auxiliary display unit including,

a display for displaying the second information, wherein the second information is not displayed on the main display unit,

a processing unit for receiving and processing instructions received from said personal computer, and

a modem configured to couple said auxiliary display unit to the external network responsive to the instructions received by said processing unit from said personal computer, without connecting to the external network through said personal computer.

11. The personal computer system according to claim 10, wherein the second information is pushed from the external network.

12. The personal computer system according to claim 11, wherein the second information includes news information.

13. The personal computer system according to claim 10, wherein said auxiliary display unit is physically remote from said main display unit.

14. The personal computer system according to claim 10, wherein said personal computer and said auxiliary display unit are separately addressable by the external network.

15. The personal computer system according to claim 10, wherein said personal computer and said auxiliary display unit can independently and contemporaneously communicate over the external network and different external networks without sharing the same bandwidth.

16. The personal computer system according to claim 10, wherein said personal computer communicates over the external network by way of a first communication link and said auxiliary display unit communicates over the external network by way of a second communication link.