Method and apparatus for accommodating display migration among a plurality of physical displays

• US 9,164,646 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheng, Jeffrey G., Li, Xiaoqing Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Sing-Wai
• Application Number:
  US12/872,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• 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 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A method and apparatus provides for the accommodation of display migration among a plurality of physical displays. In one example, the method and apparatus detects a display migration condition from at least a second physical display to a first physical display. The method and apparatus then controls compositing of a plurality of desktop surfaces so as enable access of each one of the plurality of desktop surfaces on the first physical display. The plurality of desktop surfaces include at least a desktop surface associated with the second physical display. The desktop surface is the content in a piece of memory in a frame buffer, which represents all the display content presented on the associated physical display. In one example, the plurality of desktop surfaces may be composited into at least one three-dimensional display object. The three-dimensional display object includes but is not limited to a revolving door object or other three-dimensional shape or object (e.g., a cube object).

Claims

1. A method for accommodating display migration among a plurality of physical displays, the method comprising:

detecting a display migration condition from at least a second physical display to a first physical display; and

controlling compositing of a plurality of desktop surfaces by combining the plurality of desktop surfaces into a display object that includes the plurality of desktop surfaces on different surfaces of the display object in response to detecting the display migration condition from the at least the second physical display to the first physical display, so as to enable access to each one of the plurality of desktop surfaces of the display object on the first physical display, wherein the plurality of desktop surfaces comprise at least a desktop surface associated with the second physical display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of desktop surfaces are composited into a three-dimensional display object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling compositing comprises:

generating at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display; and

generating a migration result desktop surface associated with the first physical display, wherein the migration result desktop surface includes the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first physical display is operatively connected to at least a first processor and the second physical display is operatively connected to at least a second processor;

and wherein controlling compositing comprises;

intercepting at least a drawing command submitted to the second processor by at least one application associated with the second physical display; and

submitting the intercepted drawing command to the first processor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein controlling compositing further comprises:

generating, by the first processor, at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display based on the drawing command; and

generating, by the first processor, a migration result desktop surface associated with the first physical display, wherein the migration result desktop surface includes the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

causing presentation, on the first physical display, of the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces;

receiving an input representing a selection of a desktop surface from the three-dimensional display object presented on the first physical display; and

causing display of the selected desktop surface on the first physical display or on a third physical display in response to the selection of the desktop surface.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a display migration condition from the first physical display to at least the second physical display;

determining at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display from the plurality of desktop surfaces; and

causing display of at least the determined desktop surface associated with the second physical display on the second physical display.

8. An apparatus comprising:

driver logic, comprising one or more processors, operative to;

detect a display migration condition from at least a second physical display to a first physical display; and

control compositing of a plurality of desktop surfaces by combining the plurality of desktop surfaces into a display object that includes the plurality of desktop surfaces on different surfaces of the display object in response to detecting the display migration condition from the at least the second physical display to the first physical display, so as to enable access to each one of the plurality of desktop surfaces of the display object on the first physical display, wherein the plurality of desktop surfaces comprise at least a desktop surface associated with the second physical display.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising composite logic operative to composite the plurality of desktop surfaces into a three-dimensional display object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the driver logic is further operative to:

control generation of at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display; and

control generation of a migration result desktop surface associated with the first physical display, wherein the migration result desktop surface includes the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a first processor including the composite logic, a second processor, and a third processor including the driver logic, wherein the first physical display is operatively connected to at least the first processor and the second physical display is operatively connected to at least the second processor;

and wherein the driver logic is further operative to;

intercept at least a drawing command submitted to the second processor by at least one application associated with the second physical display; and

submit the intercepted drawing command to the first processor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the driver logic is further operative to:

control generation, by the first processor, of at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display based on the drawing command; and

control generation, by the first processor, of a migration result desktop surface associated with the first physical display, wherein the migration result desktop surface includes the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the driver logic is further operative to:

cause presentation, on the first physical display, of the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces; and

in response to a selection of a desktop surface from the three-dimensional display object presented on the first physical display, cause display of the selected desktop surface on the first physical display or on a third physical display; and

wherein the apparatus further comprises configuration logic operative to receive an input representing the selection of the desktop surface from the three-dimensional display object presented on the first physical display.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the driver logic is further operative to:

detect a display migration condition from the first physical display to at least the second physical display;

determine at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display from the plurality of desktop surfaces; and

cause display of at least the determined desktop surface associated with the second physical display on the second physical display.

15. A method for accommodating display migration among a plurality of physical displays, the method comprising:

in response to a display migration condition from at least a second physical display to a first physical display, causing presentation, on the first physical display, of a three-dimensional display object composited from a plurality of desktop surfaces, wherein the plurality of desktop surfaces comprise at least a desktop surface displayed on the second physical display before the display migration condition and displayed as a desktop surface of the three-dimensional display object on the first physical display in response to the display migration condition;

receiving an input representing a selection of a desktop surface from the three-dimensional display object presented on the first physical display, wherein the three-dimensional display object includes the plurality of desktop surfaces on different surfaces of the three-dimensional display object; and

causing display of the selected desktop surface on the first physical display or on a third physical display in response to the selection of the desktop surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected desktop surface is displayed in a full-screen mode.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the three-dimensional display object includes a revolving door object.

18. An apparatus comprising:

driver logic, comprising one or more processors, operative to;

in response to a display migration condition from at least a second physical display to a first physical display, cause presentation, on the first physical display, of a three-dimensional display object composited from a plurality of desktop surfaces, wherein the plurality of desktop surfaces comprise at least a desktop surface displayed on the second physical display before the display migration condition and displayed as a desktop surface of the three-dimensional display object on the first physical display in response to the display migration condition; and

in response to a selection of a desktop surface from the three-dimensional display object presented on the first physical display, cause display of the selected desktop surface on the first physical display or on a third physical display; and

configuration logic operative to receive an input representing the selection of the desktop surface from the three-dimensional display object presented on the first physical display, wherein the three-dimensional display object includes the plurality of desktop surfaces on different surfaces of the three-dimensional display object.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the selected desktop surface is displayed in a full-screen mode.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the three-dimensional display object includes a revolving door object.

21. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

detect a display migration condition from at least a second physical display to a first physical display; and

control compositing of a plurality of desktop surfaces by combining the plurality of desktop surfaces into a display object that includes the plurality of desktop surfaces on different surfaces of the display object in response to detecting the display migration condition from the at least the second physical display to the first physical display, so as to enable access to each one of the plurality of desktop surfaces of the display object on the first physical display, wherein the plurality of desktop surfaces comprise at least a desktop surface associated with the second physical display.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the plurality of desktop surfaces are composited into a three-dimensional display object.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22 further comprising executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

generate at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display; and

generate a migration result desktop surface associated with the first physical display, wherein the migration result desktop surface includes the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the first physical display is operatively connected to at least a first processor and the second physical display is operatively connected to at least a second processor, the computer readable storage medium further comprising executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

intercept at least a drawing command submitted to the second processor by at least one application associated with the second physical display; and

submit the intercepted drawing command to the first processor.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24 further comprising executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

generate, by the first processor, at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display based on the drawing command; and

generate, by the first processor, a migration result desktop surface associated with the first physical display, wherein the migration result desktop surface includes the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22 further comprising executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

cause presentation, on the first physical display, of the three-dimensional display object composited from the plurality of desktop surfaces;

receive an input representing a selection of a desktop surface from the three-dimensional display object presented on the first physical display; and

cause display of the selected desktop surface on the first physical display or on a third physical display in response to the selection of the desktop surface.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21 further comprising executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to:

detect a display migration condition from the first physical display to at least the second physical display;

determine at least the desktop surface associated with the second physical display from the plurality of desktop surfaces; and

cause display of at least the determined desktop surface associated with the second physical display on the second physical display.