Configuring display properties of display units on remote systems

• US 8,799,425 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Lonkar, Amruta Satish, Khatib, Imtiyaz Altafhussain
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, PELING ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US12/277,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-221, 709/223, 345/1.1, 345/2.1, 348/E5.104, 715/771
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0693 Calibration of display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal

Abstract

An administrator system provided according to an aspect of the present invention enables the configuration of display properties of display units on remote systems to desired values. In an embodiment, the user can specify the desired values for multiple systems together. The remote systems may further enable the previously configured values of the display properties to be displayed on the administrator system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of remote systems, each remote system generating images according to a set of display properties on an associated display unit coupled to each remote system;

an administrator system; and

a network coupling said administrator system to said plurality of remote systems,

wherein said administrator system is operable to enable a user via a graphical user interface to select one of said plurality of remote systems and to specify a set of desired values for a set of properties of a display unit associated with the selected remote system, said administrator system is operable to enable selecting via said graphical user interface a first display unit and a second display unit, said administrator system is operable to enable said graphical user interface to display a value for a display property of said first and second display units and is further operable to enable said graphical user interface to display a pre-defined notation when said first display unit has a different value for said display property than said second display unit;

wherein the values of said display properties are set to said set of desired values in response to said user specifying said set of desired values such that the selected remote system thereafter generates images on said associated display unit according to said set of desired values for said set of display properties.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said administrator system enables said user to select more than one remote systems contained in said plurality of remote systems and to specify said set of desired values for all of said more than one remote systems together,

wherein the values of said display properties of each of said more than one remote systems are set to said set of desired values such that all of said more than one remote systems thereafter generates images on corresponding associated display units according to said set of desired values for said set of display properties.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said administrator system is associated with a first display unit and a first set of input components, wherein said selection of said more than one remote systems and said specifying of said set of desired values are performed based on said first display unit and said first set of input components, without having to use the display units and input components associated with said plurality of remote systems.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said administrator system is further operable to retrieve a previous configured values of said plurality of display properties of each of said more than one remote systems, and to display said previous configured values on said administrator display unit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said administrator system is operable to:

display said plurality of remote systems via said graphical user interface on said first display unit;

receive an indication from an input component that said more than one remote systems are selected by said user according to said graphical user interface;

receive said set of desired values according to said user graphical interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said user graphical interface comprises a single screen displayed on said first display unit, said single screen comprising:

a first portion in which said plurality of remote systems are displayed, wherein said user selects said more than one remote systems based on said first portion;

a second portion in which said previously configured values are displayed;

a third portion in which said user can specify said set of desired values; and

a fourth portion, which upon selection sends data on said network to cause each of said more than one remote systems to set said set of display properties to said set of desired values.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said administrator system stores a plurality of display profiles, each specifying a different set of values for said set of display properties, said single screen further comprising:

a fifth portion in which said user selects one of said plurality of display profiles, wherein said third portion displays the values stored in the selected display profile for said set of display properties in response to the user selecting the profile.

8. A remote system coupled to a first display unit and a second display unit, said remote system comprising:

a memory to store a first set of values for a set of display properties;

a network configuration manager to receive a second set of values on a network from an administrator system coupled to said network, and to overwrite said first set of values with said second set of values at a time instance, wherein said remote system is coupled to said network, wherein said administrator system is operable to enable a user via a graphical user interface to select said remote system and to specify said second set of values for a set of display properties, said administrator system is operable to enable selecting via said graphical user interface said first and second display units, said administrator system is operable to enable said graphical user interface to display a value for a display property of said first and second display units and is further operable to enable said graphical user interface to display a pre-defined notation when said first display unit has a different value for said display property than said second display unit; and

a display interface to display image frames on said first and second display units according to the values for said set of display properties stored in said memory,

such that said images are displayed according to said first set of values prior to said time instance and according to said second set of values after said time instance.

9. The remote system of claim 8, wherein said network configuration manager is designed to receive a request from said administrator system for values for said set of display properties, said network configuration manager being designed to send said first set of values as a response if said request is received before said time instance and said second set of values otherwise.

10. The remote system of claim 9, wherein said remote system is associated with a set of input components, further comprising:

an input interface to receive a third set of values from said set of input components for said set of display properties at another time instance; and

a user configuration manager to store said third set of values for said set of display properties in response to said receiving of said third set of values.

11. The remote system of claim 10, further comprising:

a virtual terminal interface to receive a fourth set of values for said set of display properties at a third time instance,

wherein said input interface receives said fourth set of values from said virtual terminal interface and stores said fourth set of values for said set of display properties at said third time instance.

12. The remote system of claim 8, wherein said display interface is comprised in a graphics controller and said network configuration manager is implemented as a device driver in said remote system.

13. A computer readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions causing an administrator system to enable a user to configure display properties of display units associated with remote systems, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said administrator system causes said one or more processors to perform the actions comprising:

enabling a user via a graphical user interface to select one of a plurality of remote systems and to specify a set of desired values for a set of properties of a display unit associated with the selected remote system, wherein each remote system is coupled to a display unit, enabling selection via said graphical user interface of a first display unit and a second display unit, enabling said graphical user interface to display a value for a display property of said first and second display units and further enabling said graphical user interface to display a pre-defined notation when said first display unit has a different value for said display property than said second display unit; and

sending said set of desired values to the selected remote system to cause said set of display properties to be configured with said set of desired values in said selected remote system.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said enabling enables said user to select more than one remote systems contained in said plurality of remote systems and to specify said set of desired values for all of said more than one remote systems together,

wherein said sending sends said set of desired values to each of said more than one remote systems.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein said administrator system is associated with a first display unit and a first set of input components, wherein said selection of said more than one remote systems and said specifying of said set of desired values are performed based on said first display unit and said first set of input components, without having to use the display units and input components associated with said plurality of remote systems.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

sending a request for a previously configured values for said set of display properties to a first remote system; and

receiving from said first remote system said previously configured values of said plurality of display properties of each of said more than one remote systems, in response to said sending of said request.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a first data from an input component indicating that said first remote system has been selected, wherein said sending to said first remote system is performed in response to receiving said first data; and

displaying said previously configured values on said administrator display unit.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying said plurality of remote systems via said graphical user interface on said first display unit;

receiving an indication from an input component that said more than one remote systems are selected by said user according to said user graphical interface;

receiving said set of desired values according to said user graphical interface.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said user graphical interface comprises a single screen displayed on said first display unit, said single screen comprising:

a first portion in which said plurality of remote systems are displayed, wherein said user selects said more than one remote systems based on said first portion;

a second portion in which said previously configured values are displayed;

a third portion in which said user can specify said set of desired values; and

a fourth portion, which upon selection sends data on said network to cause each of said more than one remote systems to set said set of display properties to said set of desired values.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein said administrator system stores a plurality of display profiles, each specifying a different set of values for said set of display properties, said single screen further comprising:

a fifth portion in which said user selects one of said plurality of display profiles, wherein said third portion displays the values stored in the selected display profile for said set of display properties in response to the user selecting the profile.