System and method for displaying an image on a network attachable display device

• US 20030079919A1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hochmuth, Roland M., Marks, John
• Application Number:
  US10/004,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079919A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

A network attachable display device comprises a display network interface operable to receive graphics image data of an image over a communication network. The network attachable display device also comprises a display frame buffer operable to store the received graphics image data and a display refresh unit operable to read the stored graphics image data from the display frame buffer. The display refresh unit is further operable to display the image on a display unit.

Claims

1. A network attachable display device, comprising:

a display network interface operable to receive graphics image data of an image over a communication network;

a display frame buffer operable to store said received graphics image data; and

a display refresh unit operable to read said stored graphics image data from said display frame buffer, said display refresh unit further operable to display said image on a display unit.

2. The network attachable display device of claim 1, further comprising a display network interface port coupled to said display network interface, said graphics image data being received over said communication network via said display network interface port.

3. The network attachable display device of claim 2, wherein said display network interface port is selected from the group consisting of an Ethernet port, an Infiniband port, and a wireless network transceiver.

4. The network attachable display device of claim 1, further comprising a display decompression unit coupled to said display frame buffer and operable to decompress said graphics image data into decompressed graphics image data.

5. The network attachable display device of claim 1, further comprising a display decompression unit operable to decompress said graphics image data into decompressed graphics image data prior to being stored in said display frame buffer.

6. The network attachable display device of claim 1, said graphics image data being part of a plurality of packets received from a remote source device.

7. The network attachable display device of claim 6, wherein said remote source device is a graphics adapter.

8. The network attachable display device of claim 6, wherein said remote source device is a graphics appliance.

9. A method for displaying an image on a network attachable display device, comprising:

receiving, by a display network interface of said network attachable display device, graphics image data of said image over a communication network;

storing said received graphics image data in a display frame buffer of said network attachable display device;

reading said stored graphics image data from said display frame buffer by a display refresh unit; and

displaying said image on a display unit.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising decompressing said graphics image data into decompressed graphics image data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing said decompressed graphics image data in said display frame buffer.

12. The method of claim 11, said graphics image data and said decompressed graphics image data being stored in different portions of said display frame buffer.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising decompressing said graphics image data into decompressed graphics image data prior to storing said graphics image data in said display frame buffer.

14. The method of claim 13, said decompression being performed at a rate at least as fast as a rate at which said image is being displayed on said display unit.

15. A network attachable display device, comprising:

a display frame buffer operable to store graphics image data; and

a network attachable display controller coupled to said display frame buffer, said network attachable display controller comprising;

a display network interface operable to receive graphics image data of an image over a communication network, said display network interface further operable to provide said graphics image data to said display frame buffer;

a display decompression unit operable to decompress said graphics image data into decompressed graphics image data; and

a display refresh unit operable to read graphics image data of said image from said display frame buffer, said display refresh unit further operable to display said image on a display unit.

16. The network attachable display device of claim 15, further comprising a display network interface port coupled to said network attachable display controller, said graphics data being received over said communication network via said display network interface port.

17. The network attachable display device of claim 16, wherein said display network interface port comprises an Infiniband port.

18. The network attachable display device of claim 15, said display decompression unit being operable to decompress said graphics image data into decompressed graphics image data prior to being stored in said display frame buffer.

19. The network attachable display device of claim 15, said graphics image data being part of a plurality of packets received from a remote source device.

20. The network attachable display device of claim 19, wherein said remote source device is a graphics adapter.

21. The network attachable display device of claim 15, said display decompression unit being operable to decompress said graphics image data at a rate at least as fast as a rate at which said image is being displayed on said display unit.

22. The network attachable display device of claim 15, wherein said display unit comprises an element selected from the group consisting of a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a Thin Film Transistor (TFT), a Light Emitting Diode (LED), and an organic polymer.