Signal source detection and selection system, electronic system having the same, and method of detecting and selecting a signal source for a display apparatus

• US 10,255,877 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Li, Xiaoyu, Geng, Lihua, Pablo, Navarrete Michelini
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daley, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US15/528,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20180190237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/22 Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

The present application discloses a signal source detection and selection system for detecting and selecting a signal source for a display apparatus having a plurality of signal input interfaces configured to receive a plurality of input signals from a plurality of signal sources. The signal source detection and selection system includes an input interface scanner, an interface selector, a signal processor, and an output terminal. The input interface scanner is configured to scan each of the plurality of signal input interfaces and determine whether at least one signal input interfaces receives input signals. The interface selector, coupled to the input interface detector, is configured to select a signal input interface as a selected signal input interface, and gate an input signal from the selected signal input interface to the signal processor. The signal processor, coupled to the input interface selector, is configured to process the input signal from the selected signal input interface to generate a processed signal. The output terminal is configured to output the processed signal.

Claims

1. A signal source detection and selection system for detecting and selecting a signal source for a display apparatus having a plurality of signal input interfaces configured to receive a plurality of input signals from a plurality of signal sources, comprising an input interface scanner, an interface selector, a signal processor, and an output terminal;

wherein the input interface scanner is configured to scan each of the plurality of signal input interfaces and determine whether at least one signal input interfaces receives input signals;

the interface selector, coupled to the input interface scanner, is configured to select a signal input interface as a selected signal input interface, and gate an input signal from the selected signal input interface to the signal processor;

the signal processor, coupled to the input interface selector, is configured to process the input signal from the selected signal input interface to generate a processed signal; and

the output terminal is configured to output the processed signal;

wherein at least two signal input interfaces receive input signals;

the interface selector is configured to select a signal input interface having a highest priority according to a priority table out of the at least two signal input interfaces as the selected signal input interface, the priority table ranking the plurality signal input interfaces by priority; and

gate an input signal from the selected signal input interface to the signal processor; and

wherein the interface selector comprises a priority setter for adjusting priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table.

2. The signal source detection and selection system of claim 1, further comprising an input interface coupled to the priority setter, the input interface being configured to receive a priority adjustment information from a user;

wherein the priority setter is configured to adjust priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table upon receiving the priority adjustment information from the input interface.

3. The signal source detection and selection system of claim 1, wherein the interface selector further comprises a statistic analyzer configured to collect usage condition information of the plurality signal input interfaces and generate usage condition statistic based on the usage condition information;

the priority setter is configured to adjust priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table based on the usage condition statistic.

4. The signal source detection and selection system of claim 3, wherein the usage condition information comprises at least one of an accumulated number of uses in a time period and an accumulated usage duration in the time period.

5. The signal source detection and selection system of claim 4, wherein the statistic analyzer comprises a timer and a plurality of accumulators, each of the plurality of accumulators corresponding to each of the plurality of signal input interfaces;

each of the plurality of accumulators is configured to accumulate a number of uses in the time period;

the timer is configured to determine whether the time period has lapsed; and

transmit a signal to the priority setter when the time period has lapsed to adjust the priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table according to the accumulated number of uses corresponding to each of the plurality of signal input interfaces in a lapsed time period.

6. The signal source detection and selection system of claim 1, wherein the interface selector further comprises a counter, a selector, and a gate;

the counter is configured to calculate a total number of signal input interfaces receiving input signals;

the selector is configured to select a signal input interface as the selected signal input interface; and

the gate is configured to gate the input signal from the selected signal input interface to the signal processor.

7. The signal source detection and selection system of claim 6, when only one signal input interface receives input signals, the selector is configured to select the only one signal input interface as the selected signal input interface.

8. The signal source detection and selection system of claim 6, when the total number of signal input interfaces receiving input signals are at least two, the selector is configured to select a signal input interface having a highest priority according to a priority table out of the at least two signal input interfaces as the selected signal input interface.

9. The signal source detection and selection system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor comprises a first signal sub-processor and a second signal sub-processor;

the first signal sub-processor is configured to execute a protocol converting process to convert the input signal from the selected signal input interface to a converted signal; and

the second signal sub-processor is configured to execute a scan format converting process on the converted signal.

10. A method of detecting and selecting a signal source for a display apparatus having a plurality of signal input interfaces configured to receive a plurality of input signals from a plurality of signal sources, comprising scanning each of the plurality of signal input interfaces and determining whether at least one signal input interfaces receives input signals;

selecting a signal input interface as a selected signal input interface;

processing an input signal from the selected signal input interface to generate a processed signal; and

outputting the processed signal to the display apparatus for broadcasting;

wherein at least two signal input interfaces are determined to receive input signals;

the step of selecting comprises selecting a signal input interface having a highest priority according to a priority table out of the at least two signal input interfaces as the selected signal input interface, the priority table ranks the plurality signal input interfaces by priority; and

wherein the step of selecting further comprises adjusting priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting further comprises receiving priority adjustment information from a user;

and the step of adjusting priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table comprises adjusting priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table upon receiving the priority adjustment information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of selecting further comprises collecting a usage condition information of the plurality signal input interfaces and generating usage condition statistic based on the usage condition information;

and the step of adjusting priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table comprises adjusting priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table based on the usage condition statistic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the usage condition information comprises at least one of an accumulated number of uses in a time period and an accumulated usage duration in the time period.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of collecting usage condition information of the plurality signal input interfaces and generating usage condition statistic based on the usage condition information comprises accumulating a number of uses of each of the plurality of signal input interfaces in the time period;

and the step of adjusting priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table comprises, when the time period has lapsed, adjusting the priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table according to the accumulated number of uses of each of the plurality of signal input interfaces in a lapsed time period.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

adding one to a number of uses of the selected signal input interface in the time period;

determining whether the time period has lapsed subsequent to the adding step; and

when the time period has lapsed, setting the signal input interface having a maximum accumulator value as the signal input interface having the highest priority;

resetting the time period and restarting the accumulating step.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting whether a new signal source is coupled to the display apparatus;

determining whether a signal input interface corresponding to the new signal source has a priority higher than that associated with the selected signal input interface;

when the signal input interface corresponding to the new signal source has a priority higher than that associated with the currently selected signal input interface;

gating the input signal from the new signal source to the signal processor and in turn to the output interface for broadcasting;

when the signal input interface corresponding to the new signal source has a priority lower than that associated with the currently selected signal input interface;

requesting user instruction on whether to switch to the signal input interface corresponding to the new signal source; and

upon receiving user instruction to switch to the signal input interface corresponding to the new signal source, switching the priority setting associated with the signal input interface corresponding to the new signal source with that associated with the selected signal input interface;

selecting the signal input interface corresponding to the new signal source for broadcasting on the display apparatus.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

when it is determined that only one signal input interface receives input signals, an input signal from the only one signal input interface is selected as the selected signal input interface; and

when it is determined that at least two signal input interfaces receive input signals, selecting a signal input interface having a highest priority according to a priority table out of the at least two signal input interfaces as the selected signal input interface, the priority table ranks the plurality signal input interfaces by priority.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of processing an input signal from the selected signal input interface to generate a processed signal comprises:

executing a protocol converting process to convert the input signal from the selected signal input interface to a converted signal; and

executing a scan format converting process on the converted signal.

19. An electronic system, comprising:

a display apparatus having a plurality of signal input interfaces configured to receive a plurality of input signals from a plurality of signal sources;

a memory; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, is configured to execute instructions comprising scanning each of the plurality of signal input interfaces and determining whether at least one signal input interfaces receive input signals;

selecting a signal input interface as a selected signal input interface;

processing an input signal from the selected signal input interface to generate a processed signal; and

outputting the processed signal;

wherein selecting the signal input interface comprises selecting a signal input interface having a highest priority according to a priority table out of the at least two signal input interfaces as the selected signal input interface, the priority table ranks the plurality signal input interfaces by priority; and

adjusting priority associated with the plurality signal input interfaces in the priority table.

20. The electronic system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of decoding chips, each of the plurality of decoding chips corresponding to each of the plurality of signal input interfaces;

wherein scanning each of the plurality of signal input interfaces comprises scanning a plug signal from each of the plurality of decoding chips corresponding to each of the plurality of signal input interfaces.