Automatic configuration of multiple monitor systems

• US 8,368,616 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott C Harris
• Original Assignee: Scott C Harris
• Inventors: Harris, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US13/540,798
• Time in Patent Office: 217 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/1.2, 345/1.3, 345/2.1, 345/2.2, 345/3.1, 345/3.2, 345/3.3, 345/3.4, 715/751, 715/752, 715/753, 715/754, 715/755, 715/756, 715/757, 715/758, 715/759, 715/761, 715/778
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/007 Circuits for displaying split screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/02 Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/971 Cooperative decision support systems for group of users

Abstract

Control of multiple display screens associated with a computer, wherein the auxiliary screen display content that depends on conditions of the computer. During some times the auxiliary screen displays content associated with the presently executing program, and during other times the auxiliary screen displays history information. The rules can be automatically changed or manually changed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting applications which are running on a computer;

using conditions, including both said applications which are running and preset preferences, to automatically control a content which is displayed on both a main screen and at least one auxiliary screen associated with the computer, wherein said using comprises operating in a first mode in which content on the auxiliary screen includes content associated with said main screen and in which said content on said auxiliary screen is different than the content on the main screen, and operating in a second mode in which said auxiliary screen includes content associated with a previous operation of the computer that is not associated with said main screen, said operating in said first or second mode depending on said conditions that includes both said applications which are running and said preset preferences, wherein in said second mode, said auxiliary screen displays miniature versions of multiple different windows which are running on said computer, said multiple different windows that are displayed on said auxiliary screen being windows that represent only inactive windows other than an active window associated with said main screen; and

defining computer-based rules specifying said conditions, which rules define that if a first condition occurs, then a specified content should be displayed on the auxiliary screen, and using a computer to execute said rules to define said content for said auxiliary screen.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said defining computer based rules defines a plurality of computer-based rules having conditions and results, which rules define that if a first condition occurs, where said first condition is that a computer is currently executing an application that is multiple screen enabled and can display different information on different screens, then said application is displayed on both the main screen and on the auxiliary screen as first specified content, and that if a second condition occurs, where said second condition indicates that said application is not multiple screen enabled, then a second specified content, different than the first specified content, is displayed on said auxiliary screen, where the second specified content that is displayed when the second condition is present, is not associated with said application.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein said preferences include a history content, which shows a previously running operation in the auxiliary screen which includes copies of all open but inactive windows other than said active window, said copies being reduced size copies.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein said using conditions comprises determining a selection and changing said rules based on said selection.

5. The method as in claim 1 further comprising associating both said main screen and said auxiliary screen with a single computer.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising associating said main screen and said auxiliary screens with separate computers and connecting said computers by a computer connection protocol.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising manually changing said rules.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein said inactive windows include a history of plural different documents that were previously opened for editing.

9. A method of determining content for multiple associated computer screens, comprising:

operating an operating system on a computer in which multiple windows of information are open at once, said operating system controlling said multiple windows of information, according to a plurality of computer-based rules having conditions and results which rules define that if a first condition occurs, where said first condition is that a computer is currently executing an application that is multiple screen enabled and can display different information on different screens including at least a main screen and an auxiliary screen, then said application is automatically displayed on both the main screen and on the auxiliary screen in a way that allows interacting with parts of said application that are displayed on said main screen, and also interacting with parts of said application that are displayed on said auxiliary screen, and that if a second condition, occurs, where said second condition indicates that said application is not multiple screen enabled, then a second specified content, different than said application is automatically displayed on said auxiliary screen, where the second specified content that is displayed when the second condition is determined, is not associated with said application; and

using the computer to display main content on a main computer screen and to execute said computer-based rules to automatically determine the content of the auxiliary screen automatically changing the rules when a user changes a content of the screens for specified conditions.

10. The method as in claim 9 further comprising manually editing said rules.

11. The method as in claim 9 further comprising operating an operating system on a computer in which multiple windows of information are open at once, said operating system controlling said multiple windows of information, according to said rules.

12. A method comprising:

detecting conditions in a computer system which has a main display screen associated therewith and an auxiliary display screen associated therewith;

displaying a currently running program in the main display screen, and which operates an operating system on the computer system in which multiple windows of information are open at once, said operating system controlling said multiple windows of information, and where different and separately running applications are open in different windows;

detecting whether a preference of said computer has been set to automatic or manual, and setting a content of the auxiliary screen dependent on said conditions if said preference is set to automatic, and

when said preference is set to automatic, using a plurality of computer-based rules to automatically determine the content on said auxiliary screen, said rules having conditions and results which rules define that if a first condition indicating that a computer is currently executing an application that is multiple screen enabled and can display different information on different screens, then said application is displayed on both the main screen and on the auxiliary screen in a way that allows interacting with parts of said application that are displayed on said main screen, and also interacting with first specified content from said application that are displayed on said auxiliary screen, and that if a second condition indicating that said application is not multiple screen enabled occurs, then a second specified content, different than the first specified content, is displayed on said auxiliary screen, where the second specified content that is displayed when the second condition is determined, is not associated with said application; and

using said computer for automatically changing the rules when a user changes a content of the screens for specified conditions.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein said automatic setting operates according to said conditions of the computer including at least an application which is running and a previous history of applications which are running.

14. The method as in claim 12 wherein said preference is set by a setting on said auxiliary screen.

15. The method as in claim 12 further comprising using a plurality of rules which rules define that if a first condition occurs, then a specified content should be displayed on the auxiliary screen in said automatic setting.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a computer including a processor, a memory, at least one application running on the computer and an operating system running on the computer;

a plurality of display ports, each said display port associatable with a display, each of said display producing outputs that display content associated with said computer;

said operating system operating to automatically display content associated with a currently running program on a main screen associated with said computer, and to display content associated with a current main program on an auxiliary screen of the computer in a first mode of operation, and to automatically display content associated with a previous history of said computer on said auxiliary screen in a second mode of operation, said first mode or said second mode being automatically selected; and

wherein said memory stores computer-based rules which rules define that if a first condition occurs that indicates that the currently running program is capable of being displayed on multiple screens, then said first mode is established and a first specified content is displayed on the auxiliary screen wherein said first specified content on said auxiliary screen is associated with said content on said main screen in a way that allows interacting with parts of said application that are displayed on said main screen, and also interacting with parts of said application that are displayed on said auxiliary screen, and if a second condition occurs that indicates that the currently running program is not capable of being displayed on multiple screens, then said second mode is established and a second specified content is displayed on said auxiliary screen, where said second specified content is not associated with content on the main screen; and

said operating system programmed for and operating for automatically making new rules when a user changes a content of the screens for specified conditions.

17. The apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said second specified content on said auxiliary screen represents miniature versions of multiple different windows which are running on said computer, said multiple different windows that are displayed on said auxiliary screen being windows that represent only inactive windows other than an active window associated with said main screen.

18. The apparatus as in claim 16 further comprising an interface to said memory that allows manually changing said rules.