Method and system for displaying data from auxiliary display subsystem of a notebook on a main display of the notebook

• US 9,195,428 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Toorians, Arman
• Primary Examiner(s): Okebato, Sahlu
• Application Number:
  US11/398,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20070236407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,520 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 13, 713/300
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• 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 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• 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 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

In some embodiments, a notebook including a main display, a main graphics subsystem, and an auxiliary display subsystem, but typically not an auxiliary display, wherein the notebook is configured to display on the main display one or both of data from the auxiliary display subsystem (or a scaled or otherwise processed version of such data), and data from the main graphics subsystem. Preferably, the notebook is configured to display a scaled version of data from the auxiliary display subsystem on part of the main display'"'"'s screen. Other embodiments are timing controllers and other circuitry for use in such a notebook and methods for displaying data from such a notebook'"'"'s auxiliary display subsystem on all or part of the main display'"'"'s screen. The notebook can include a timing control subsystem for asserting to the main display one or both of display data from the auxiliary display subsystem (or a processed version thereof) and display data from the main graphics subsystem. The timing control subsystem can include a scaler for receiving raw auxiliary display data and a multiplexer having inputs for receiving the output of the scaler and display data from the main graphics subsystem.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a graphics processor operable to access first data;

an auxiliary processor operable to access second data;

input devices coupled to said auxiliary processor and operable to receive user input;

memory coupled to said auxiliary processor and configured to store user identity data;

a controller coupled to said graphics processor and said auxiliary processor wherein said controller is separate from said graphics processor and said auxiliary processor and receives inputs from said graphics processor and said auxiliary processor;

a display screen coupled to said controller, wherein said display screen comprises a first region and a second region,

wherein said controller is operable to communicate said first data to said display screen for display using said first region, wherein said controller is operable to communicate said second data to said display screen for display using said second region,

wherein said auxiliary processor is operable to authenticate a user'"'"'s access to said system based on said user identify data stored in said memory and said user input when said graphics processor remains in a power-saving mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a scaling component operable to perform a scaling operation on said second data for display on said display screen.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said scaling operation comprises a downscaling of said second data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a multiplexer, and wherein said multiplexer is operable to select between said first data and said second data for communication to said display screen.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to communicate said first data to said display screen for display thereon in accordance with first timing, and wherein said controller is operable to communicate said second data to said display screen for display thereon in accordance with second timing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first region comprises substantially all of a displayable area of said display screen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first region comprises said second region.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said second region is smaller than said first region.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that a component of said system is on, an indication that a component of said system is off, an indication that a component of said system is powering up, and an indication that a component of said system is shutting down.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that a component of said system is in a standby state, an indication that a component of said system is in a suspended state, and an indication that a component of said system is in a hibernation state.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a battery; and

wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that said battery is charging, an indication that said battery is discharging, a charge level of said battery, and a low battery alarm associated with said battery.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that communication with a component of said system is in progress, an indication associated with a program executed by said graphics processor, a current date, and a current time, wherein said controller is configured to communicate said second data to said auxiliary processor when said graphics processor remains in said power-saving mode.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said display screen is a liquid crystal display.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said display screen comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes operable to illuminate an image displayed on said display screen.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary processor is further operable to conserve power by powering only a portion of a backlight corresponding to said second region.

15. A method of processing data for display using a system, said method comprising:

accessing first data using a graphics processor;

accessing second data using an auxiliary processor;

communicating said first data, using a controller, to a display screen for display in a first region of said display screen wherein said controller is separate from said

graphics processor and said auxiliary processor and receives inputs from said graphics processor and said auxiliary processor, wherein said controller is operable to scale data received from said auxiliary processor and output the scaled data to downstream components via a multiplexer;

communicating said second data, using said controller, to said display screen for display in a second region of said display screen;

storing user identity data in a cache coupled to said auxiliary processor; and

said auxiliary processor authenticating a user based on said user identity data when said graphics processor remains in a power-saving mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said communicating said first data is performed contemporaneously with said communicating said second data, and further comprising:

performing, using said controller, a scaling operation on said second data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said scaling operation comprises a downscaling of said second data.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

selecting between, using a multiplexer of said controller, said first data and said second data for communication to said display screen.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said communicating said first data further comprises communicating said first data to said display screen for display thereon in accordance with first timing, and wherein said communicating said second data further comprises communicating said second data to said display screen for display thereon in accordance with second timing.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said first region comprises substantially all of a displayable area of said display screen.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said first region comprises said second region.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein said second region is smaller than said first region.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that a component of said system is on, an indication that a component of said system is off, an indication that a component of said system is powering up, and an indication that a component of said system is shutting down.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that a component of said system is in a standby state, an indication that a component of said system is in a suspended state, and an indication that a component of said system is in a hibernation state.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that a battery of said system is charging, an indication that said battery is discharging, a charge level of said battery, and a low battery alarm associated with said battery.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that communication with a component of said system is in progress, an indication associated with a program executed by said graphics processor, a current date, and a current time.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein said display screen is a liquid crystal display.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein said display screen comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes operable to illuminate an image displayed on said display screen.

30. A system comprising:

a first processor operable to access first data;

a first display device coupled to said first processor, wherein said first display device is operable to display said first data;

a second processor operable to access second data;

memory coupled to said second processor and configured to store user identity data; and

a second display device coupled to said second processor, wherein said second display device is operable to display said second data contemporaneously with a configuration of said first processor in a low-power state, and

wherein said second processor is further operable to change a power state of said first processor and wherein a controller separate from said first processor and said second processor receives inputs from said first processor and said second processor, and wherein said controller is operable to scale data received from said second processor and output the scaled data to downstream components via a multiplexer; and

wherein said second processor is operable to authenticate a user'"'"'s access to said system based on said user identity data stored in said memory when said first processor remains in said low-power mode.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising:

a memory coupled to said second processor;

a communication component coupled to said second processor;

an audio output component coupled to said second processor;

a user interface component coupled to said second processor; and

wherein said memory, said communication component, said audio output component, and said user interface component are functional while said first processor is in said low-power state.

32. The system of claim 31 further comprising:

a housing comprising a cover; and

wherein said user interface component is accessible when said cover is in a closed position.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that a component of said system is on, an indication that a component of said system is off, an indication that a component of said system is powering up, and an indication that a component of said system is shutting down.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that a component of said system is in a standby state, an indication that a component of said system is in a suspended state, and an indication that a component of said system is in a hibernation state.

35. The system of claim 30 further comprising:

a battery; and

wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that said battery is charging, an indication that said battery is discharging, a charge level of said battery, and a low battery alarm associated with said battery.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein said second data comprises data selected from a group consisting of an indication that communication with a component of said system is in progress, an indication associated with a program executed by said first processor, a current date, and a current time.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein said first display device and said second display device are each liquid crystal displays.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein said first display device comprises a first plurality of light emitting diodes operable to illuminate an image displayed on said first display device, and wherein said second display device comprises

a second plurality of light emitting diodes operable to illuminate an image displayed on said second display device.