Routing content in a dual-display computing device

• US 9,880,800 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Knepper, Lawrence E., Files, Jace W., Pelissier, Gerald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Drennan, Barry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pringle-Parker, Jason
• Application Number:
  US15/334,503
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

In some implementations a computing device may comprise at least a first display device and a second display device. The computing device may receive a selection to display protected content. The computing device may determine a display mode associated with the first display device and the second display device. The computing device may determine an orientation (e.g., landscape or portrait) and modify (e.g., by rotating) the content based on the orientation to create modified content. The computing device may determine a routing of the modified content and route the modified content to at least one of the first display device or the second display device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device comprising a first display device and a second display device, that protected content is to be displayed on the computing device;

determining, by the computing device, that a display mode of the computing device comprises an extended display mode wherein the second display device is configured as an extension of the first display device;

determining, by the computing device, an orientation of the computing device;

determining, by the computing device, a routing based at least in part on the orientation of the computing device;

instructing, by the computing device, a crossbar switch to select the routing from a plurality of routings; and

sending, by the computing device, the protected content in an unencrypted format to either the first display device or to the second display device based at least in part on the routing.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second selection to display second content;

determining that the display mode has been changed from the extended display mode to a clone mode wherein the second display device is configured as a clone of the first display device;

determining a second orientation of the first display device;

modifying the second content based at least in part on the second orientation to create second modified content;

determining a second routing of the second modified content; and

sending, based on the second routing, the second modified content in the unencrypted format to both the first display device and the second display device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third selection to display third content;

determining that the display mode comprises a single display mode wherein one of the first display device or the second display device is used;

determining a third orientation of the computing device;

modifying the third content based at least in part on the third orientation to create third modified content;

determining, based at least in part on the third orientation, a third routing of the third modified content; and

sending, based on the third routing, the third modified content in the unencrypted format to one of the first display device or the second display device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying unprotected content across both the first display device and the second display device by;

sending a portion of the unprotected content from an embedded DisplayPort port of the computing device; and

sending a remaining portion of the unprotected content from a DisplayPort port of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying unprotected content across both the first display device and the second display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the protected content in the unencrypted format to either the first display device or to the second display device based at least in part on the routing comprises:

modifying the protected content based at least in part on the orientation of the computing device to create modified content; and

sending the modified content in the unencrypted format to either the first display device or to the second display device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a DisplayPort (DP) port of the computing device outputs a portion of unprotected content; and

an embedded DisplayPort (eDP) of the computing device outputs;

a remaining portion of the unprotected content; and

the protected content in the unencrypted format.

8. A computing device comprising:

a first display device;

a second display device;

a crossbar switch;

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a selection to display protected content;

determining that a display mode of the computing device comprises an extended display mode wherein the second display device is configured as an extension of the first display device;

determining an orientation of the computing device;

determining a routing of the protected content based at least in part on the orientation of the computing device, wherein the routing is one of a plurality of routings associated with the crossbar switch; and

sending, based at least in part on the routing, the protected content in an unencrypted format to either the first display device or the second display device.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the orientation of the first display device comprises one of a book orientation, a vertical tablet orientation, a tent orientation, a presentation orientation, a horizontal tablet orientation, or a clamshell orientation.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a location of the first display device relative to the second display device, wherein the location comprises one of a left location, a right location, a top location, or a bottom location.

11. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying unprotected content across both the first display device and the second display device by;

sending a portion of the unprotected content from an embedded DisplayPort port of the computing device; and

sending a remaining portion of the unprotected content from a DisplayPort port of the computing device.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving data from at least one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, a magnetic compass, a proximity sensor, a camera, an operating system, or a device driver of the computing device; and

determining the orientation of the computing device based at least in part on the data.

13. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising:

a DisplayPort (DP) port to output at least a portion of unprotected content; and

an embedded DisplayPort (eDP) port to output;

the protected content in the unencrypted format; and

a remaining portion of the unprotected content.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection to play protected content on a computing device comprising a first display device and a second display device;

determining that a display mode of the computing device comprises an extended display mode wherein the second display device is configured as an extension of the first display device;

determining an orientation of the computing device;

determining a routing of the protected content based at least in part on the orientation;

selecting the routing from a plurality of routings associated with a crossbar switch; and

sending, based on the routing, the protected content in an unencrypted format to either the first display device or the second display device.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein:

a DisplayPort (DP) port of the computing device outputs a portion of unprotected content; and

an embedded DisplayPort (eDP) of the computing device outputs;

a remaining portion of the unprotected content; and

the protected content in the unencrypted format.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

modifying the protected content based at least in part on the orientation of the computing device to create modified content; and

sending the modified content in the unencrypted format to either the first display device or the second display device.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein modifying the protected content comprises rotating, based at least in part on the orientation of the computing device, the protected content between approximately zero degrees and approximately two hundred and seventy degrees.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

receiving first user input; and

locking at least one of the routing or the orientation based on the first user input.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

receiving second user input; and

unlocking the routing and the orientation based on the second user input.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

displaying unprotected content across both the first display device and the second display device.