System and method for adding transport layer to uncompressed visual information packets

• US 7,929,525 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Winter, Robert, Montag, Bruce, Quinn, Liam B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAMARA, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US11/769,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 370/438, 370/522, 386/46, 386/125, 345/1.2, 710/62
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams

Abstract

DisplayPort micropackets of uncompressed visual information are adapted for communication across a network by stuffing packets with sink device identification information. For example, a packet stuffer adds selected portions of sink device EDID information to DisplayPort packets, such as EDID bytes 8 through 15, to a predetermined portion of the DisplayPort packets, such as between symbols FS and FE. Adding sink device identification information to each DisplayPort packet supports routing or switching of the packets to the identified sink device.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

plural processing components configured to generate uncompressed visual information packets;

a source device interfaced with the plural processing components to receive the uncompressed visual information packets and configured to communicate the uncompressed visual information packets to a sink device, the source device further configured to retrieve identification information from the sink device; and

a packet stuffer associated with the source device, the packet stuffer configured to add a predetermined portion of the identification information to a predetermined position in each uncompressed visual information packet.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the identification information comprises extended display identification data (EDID) information stored at the sink device.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the predetermined portion of the identification information comprises extended display identification data (EDID) bytes 8 through 15.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the source device comprises a DisplayPort source device.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the predetermined position in each uncompressed visual information packet comprises a position between symbols Fill Start (FS) and Fill End (FE).

19. The system of claim 4 wherein the predetermined position in each uncompressed visual information packet comprises a position between symbols Fill Start (FS) and Fill End (FE).

6. A method for communicating uncompressed visual information packets from an information handling system, the method comprising:

retrieving identification information from a selected sink device by a source device;

extracting a selected portion of the identification information; and

adding the selected portion of the identification information to a predetermined position in each uncompressed visual information packet; and

sending from the source device to the sink device the modified uncompressed visual information packet.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising sending the uncompressed visual information through a network to the selected sink device by reference to the predetermined portion of the identification information of each packet.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein sending the uncompressed visual information through the network further comprises routing the uncompressed visual information by reference to the predetermined portion of the identification information of each packet.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein sending the uncompressed visual information through the network further comprises switching the uncompressed visual information by reference to the predetermined portion of the identification information of each packet.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the identification information comprises extended display identification data (EDID) information stored at the sink device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined portion of the identification information comprises extended display identification data (EDID) bytes 8 through 15.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the source device comprises a DisplayPort source device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the predetermined position in each uncompressed visual information packet comprises a position between symbols Fill Start (FS) and Fill End (FE).

14. A system for communicating uncompressed visual information packets from an information handling system, the system comprising:

a source device configured to send uncompressed visual information packets through a cable to a sink device;

the source device further configured to retrieve identification information from the sink device; and

a packet stuffer associated with the source device, the packet stuffer configured to add a predetermined portion of the identification information to a predetermined position in each uncompressed visual information packet.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the identification information comprises extended display identification data (EDID) information stored at the sink device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the predetermined portion of the identification information comprises extended display identification data (EDID) bytes 8 through 15.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the source device comprises a DisplayPort source device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the display device ports comprise DisplayPort ports.