Mini monitor on shared peripheral bus

• US 7,876,287 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Wegmuller, David, McLarty, Hugh J., Tiphane, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Srilakshmi K
• Application Number:
  US11/404,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 31, 345530-573
• US Class Current: 345/2.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2350/00 Solving problems of bandwidth in display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A system with a main monitor for a host computer and a second, mini monitor for displaying a portion of the display normally intended for the main monitor. In one embodiment, the mini monitor is connected to the computer over a shared, peripheral bus, such as the universal serial bus (USB). The smaller size of the mini monitor and either compression or slower refresh rates allow it to be connected to the USB just like other peripheral devices.

Claims

1. A monitor system comprising:

a host computer;

a first monitor connected to said host computer;

a second monitor, separate and unattached to said first monitor, smaller than said first monitor, and coupled to said host computer via a shared peripheral bus interface; and

a video driver in said host computer configured to;

i) provide a portion of a display on said first monitor to said second monitor, ii) determine whether a stored image is different from an image currently displayed on the second display, iii) transmit a lower than full resolution image of the stored image to the second monitor for display if the stored image is different from the image currently displayed on the second monitor, and iv) thereafter transmit additional image data to the second monitor to bring the image displayed on the second monitor to full resolution.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said shared peripheral bus interface is a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and wherein a peripheral device other than said second monitor is coupled to said host computer via said shared peripheral bus interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said second monitor is powered via said shared peripheral bus.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion of a display comprises a separate window from said first monitor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said portion of a display is provided only to said second monitor.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a compression unit for compressing said portion of said display for transmission to said second monitor.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a software operating system controlling said first computer, said operating system controlling the transmission of video data to said second monitor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said second monitor includes:

a display screen;

a display controller coupled to said display screen;

a video memory coupled to said display controller; and

a second shared peripheral bus interface coupled to said video memory.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a display screen on said second monitor is less than 8.5 inches diagonally.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said second monitor includes a touch screen.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said second monitor includes a transmission capability for providing data to said computer on the activation of buttons.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmission capability is wireless.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the second monitor is configured to function as a control pad for the first monitor.

14. A monitor system comprising:

a host computer;

a first monitor connected to said host computer;

a second monitor, separate and unattached to said first monitor, smaller than said first monitor, and coupled to said host computer via a shared peripheral bus interface; and

a video driver in said host computer configured to;

i) collect a plurality of changed video sets, ii) order each set of changed video in a queue, iii) discard from the queue each earlier set of changed video that is configured for display on the same portion of the second monitor as a subsequent set of changed video, and vi) thereafter transfers the sets of changed video in the queue to the second monitor for display.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said shared peripheral bus interface is a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and wherein a peripheral device other than said second monitor is coupled to said host computer via said shared peripheral bus interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said second monitor is powered via said shared peripheral bus.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said portion of a display comprises a separate window from said first monitor.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said portion of a display is provided only to said second monitor.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a compression unit for compressing said portion of said display for transmission to said second monitor.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a software operating system controlling said first computer, said operating system controlling the transmission of video data to said second monitor.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein said second monitor includes icons for control of a display on said first monitor.