System and method for an information handling system having an external graphics processor system for operating multiple monitors

• US 7,982,742 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Gonzalez, Gabriel, Azor, Frank C., Casparian, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRADDOCK, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US11/899,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/1.3, 345/502, 345/520, 345/2.1, 345/503
• US Class Current: 345/502
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/08 Power processing, i.e. workload management for processors involved in display operations, such as CPUs or GPUs
• 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 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for an information handling system comprising an internal graphics system and an external graphics system, wherein both the internal and external graphics systems may operate simultaneously to support multiple monitors. The internal graphics system may be provided, for example, from a notebook computer. The external graphics system may comprise a pass thru port providing graphics from the internal graphics to a first monitor simultaneously with a graphics card of the external graphics system supporting a second monitor. The external graphics system can support two monitors, as well. HDTV can be supported instead of one of the monitors supported by the external graphics system. The system which contains internal graphics capabilities may include an Express card socket, wherein an external graphics processor unit of the external graphics system is coupled to Express card socket.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a sub-information handling system having internal graphics processing capabilities; and

an external graphics system having external graphics processing capabilities, the external graphics system coupled to the sub-information handling system to provide externally generated graphics from information provided to the external graphics system by the sub-information handling system, the information provided to the external graphics system to provide externally generated graphics being provided from the sub-information handling system in a manner that bypasses the internal graphics processing capabilities of the sub-information handling system,

wherein the sub-information handling system and the external graphics system are coupled together in a manner such that both internally generated graphics and externally generated graphics may be provided simultaneously at separate graphics outputs of the external graphics system and being coupled together in a manner in which the internally generated graphics pass through the external graphics system without being processed by the external graphics processing capabilities.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the sub-information handling system is a notebook computer.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein the external graphics system further comprising a pass thru port to provide the internally generated graphics at a graphics output of the external graphics system.

4. The information handling system of claim 3, wherein the pass thru port is configured to provide internally generated graphics from the notebook computer to a first monitor simultaneously with externally generated graphics being provided from an external graphics card of the external graphics system being provided to a second monitor.

5. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the external graphics system supports two monitors.

6. An external graphics processing system, comprising:

an external system made to connect to a computing system;

an external graphics processing unit within the external system; and

a pass thru port configured to pass internal graphics from the computing system through the external system to a monitor, so that the internal graphics bypasses the external graphics processing unit,

wherein the pass thru port provides internal graphics from the computing system to a first monitor simultaneously with the external graphics processing unit providing graphics supporting a separate second monitor.

7. The external graphics processing system of claim 6, wherein the computing system is a notebook computer.

8. The external graphics processing system of claim 7, wherein the external graphics processing unit supports two monitors.

9. The external graphics processing system of claim 7, wherein the notebook computer comprises an express card socket.

10. The external graphics processing system of claim 9, wherein the external graphics processing unit is coupled to an Express card slot.

11. A method of configuring an information handling system, comprising:

providing a sub-information handling system having an internal graphics system;

providing an external graphics system having an external graphics processor; and

coupling the internal graphics system and the external graphics system together to enable the simultaneous provision of internally generated graphics and externally generated graphics at outputs of the external graphics system so that the internally generated graphics are generated in a manner that bypasses the external graphics processor and the externally generated graphics are generated in a manner that bypasses the internal graphics system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sub-information handling system is a notebook computer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the external graphics system comprises a pass thru port for providing the internally generated graphics.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pass thru port is configured to provide graphics from the notebook computer to a first monitor simultaneously with external graphics being provided to a second monitor, the external graphics being generated from an external graphics card within the external graphics system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the coupling is performed by docking the notebook computer to the external graphics system.

16. A system configured to be coupled to a computing system, comprising:

an external graphics processing system configured to be coupled to the computing system by mounting the computing system on top of the external graphics processing system; and

an external graphics processing unit inside the external graphics processing system, external generated graphics being generated by the external graphics processing unit from information provided to the external graphics processing system from the computing system the external graphics processing unit further comprising a pass thru port configured to pass graphics from the computing system through to a monitor without processing by the external graphics processing unit to allow graphics from the computing system to be provided to a first monitor simultaneously with the external graphics processing unit supporting a second monitor, the first and second monitors being separate.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising an adjustable mounting system upon which the computing system is mounted.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising at least one adjustable support arm, wherein adjustment of the support arm alters a mounting angle of the adjustable mounting system so as to adjust the angle of placement of the computing system.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein a footprint of the external graphics processing system is substantially the same as or less than a footprint of the computing system.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the computing system is a notebook computer and the notebook computer docks with the external graphics processing system.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the notebook computer comprises an Express card slot.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the external graphics processing unit is coupled to the Express card slot.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the external graphics system is a docking station.