Mini monitor on shared peripheral bus

• US 20060256034A1
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Tiphane, Guy, Wegmuller, David, McLarty, Hugh J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2350/00 Solving problems of bandwidth in display systems
• 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 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 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A system with a main monitor for a host computer and a second, mini monitor for displaying a portion of the display normally intended for the main monitor. In one embodiment, the mini monitor is connected to the computer over a shared, peripheral bus, such as the universal serial bus (USB). The smaller size of the mini monitor and either compression or slower refresh rates allow it to be connected to the USB just like other peripheral devices.

Claims

1. A monitor system comprising:

a host computer;

a first monitor connected to said host computer;

a second monitor, smaller than said first monitor; and

a video driver in said host computer for providing a portion of a display on said first monitor to said second monitor.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a shared peripheral bus connected between said host computer and said second monitor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said second monitor is powered by said shared peripheral bus.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said shared peripheral bus is a universal serial bus.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said portion of a display comprises a separate window from said first monitor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said portion of a display is provided only to said second monitor.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a compression unit for compressing said portion of said display for transmission to said second monitor.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a software operating system controlling said first computer, said operating system controlling the transmission of video data to said second monitor.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said second monitor includes:

a display screen;

a display controller coupled to said display screen;

a video memory coupled to said display controller; and

a bus interface coupled to said video memory.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein a display screen on said second monitor is less than 8.5 inches diagonally.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said second monitor includes a touch screen.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said second monitor includes icons for control of a display on said first monitor.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said second monitor includes a transmission capability for providing data to said computer on the activation of buttons or icons on said second monitor.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said transmission capability is wireless.

15. A monitor system comprising:

a host computer;

a shared peripheral bus connected to said host computer;

a first monitor connected to said host computer;

a second monitor, smaller than said first monitor, connected to said shared peripheral bus, said second monitor including

a display screen on said second monitor of less than 8.5 inches diagonally;

a display controller connected to said display screen,

a video memory connected to said display controller,

a bus interface connected to said video memory, and

a power input connected to said bus so that the power for said second monitor is derived from said shared peripheral bus;

a compression unit in said host computer for compressing said portion of said display for transmission to said second monitor;

a video driver in said host computer for providing a separate window of a display to said second monitor and not to said first monitor.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said shared peripheral bus is a universal serial bus.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising a software operating system controlling said first computer, said operating system controlling the transmission of video data to said second monitor.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a second display screen for connection to a host computer having a first display screen, said second display screen being smaller than said first display screen;

a display controller coupled to said second display screen;

a video memory coupled to said display controller; and

a bus interface, coupled to said video memory, for providing an interface with a shared peripheral bus.