SYNCHRONOUS MEDIA DISPLAY THROUGH AUTOMATIC HARDWARE PROFILES ACROSS MULTIPLE DISPLAY UNITS

• US 20140062974A1
• Filed: 09/03/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: PANVELWALA, ABDEALI H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,086,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, an apparatus and a system of synchronous media display through automatic profiles across multiple display units. A method of a display driver involves automatically identifying a hardware profile data associated with a plurality of display units, applying a logic function to the hardware profile data to create a set of synchronization display settings when a match of the hardware profile data with a set of synchronization display settings in a hardware profile lookup table is not found, and automatically applying the set of synchronization display settings to simultaneously display a sequence of graphics signals across the plurality of display units. The method may also include automatically designating one display unit from the plurality of display units as a master display unit and setting a synchronization timing based on an automatic designation of the one display unit from the plurality of display units as the master display unit.

Claims

1. A method of a display driver comprising:

automatically identifying a hardware profile data associated with a plurality of display units;

applying a logic function to the hardware profile data to create a set of synchronization display settings when a match of the hardware profile data with a set of synchronization display settings in a hardware profile lookup table is not found; and

automatically applying the set of synchronization display settings to simultaneously display a sequence of graphics signals across the plurality of display units.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically designating one display unit from the plurality of display units as a master display unit;

setting a synchronization timing based on an automatic designation of the one display unit from the plurality of display units as the master display unit; and

automatically designating the plurality of display units other than the master display unit as a set of slave units, to follow the synchronization timing set by the master display unit;

automatically designating a synchronization frequency to be compatible with the hardware profile data;

communicating at least one of the synchronization timing and the synchronization frequency through a synchronization signal sent by the master display unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically monitoring the sequence of graphics signals;

reapplying the set of synchronization display settings if the sequence of graphics signals fail to meet a set of performance criteria;

reporting an error if the hardware profile data does not support synchronized display of the sequence of graphics signals; and

recording the error in an error log.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a view of the synchronization display settings at a display associated with a user;

enabling the user to create a modified set of synchronization display settings;

associating the modified set of synchronization display settings with the hardware profile data; and

storing the modified set of synchronization display settings in the hardware profile lookup table.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

associating the modified set of synchronization display settings with the user; and

generating a view with a set of preferred synchronization display settings based on the modified set of synchronization display settings associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically detecting a change in the hardware profile data according to a set of change criteria;

automatically generating a new set of synchronization display settings corresponding to the change in the hardware profile data; and

applying the new set of synchronization display settings to the plurality of display units.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a view at a user display associated with a user, to alert the user about the change in the hardware profile data and about the new set of synchronization display settings; and

enabling the user to create a modified set of synchronization display settings.

8. A method comprising:

displaying a sequence of graphics signals across a plurality of display units;

automatically applying a set of synchronization display settings to the plurality of display units; and

modifying the set of synchronization display settings to correspond to a hardware profile data collected from the plurality of display units.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

automatically designating one display unit from the plurality of display units as a master display unit, to set a synchronization timing;

automatically designating the display units other than the master display unit as a set of slave units, to follow the synchronization timing set by the master display unit;

automatically designating a synchronization frequency to be compatible with the hardware profile data; and

communicating at least one of the synchronization timing and the synchronization frequency through the synchronization signal.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

automatically monitoring the sequence of graphics signals;

reapplying the set of synchronization display settings if the sequence of graphics signals fails to meet a set of performance criteria;

reporting an error if the hardware profile data does not support synchronized display of the sequence of graphics signals; and

recording the error in an error log.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a view of the set of synchronization display settings at a user display associated with a user;

enabling the user to create a modified set of synchronization display settings;

associating the modified set of synchronization display settings with the hardware profile data; and

storing the modified set of synchronization display settings in a hardware profile lookup table.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating the modified set of synchronization display settings with the user; and

generating a view with a set of preferred synchronization display settings based on the set of synchronization display settings associated with the user.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

automatically detecting a change in the hardware profile data according to a set of change criteria;

automatically generating a new set of synchronization display settings corresponding to the change in the plurality of display units;

applying the new set of synchronization display settings to the plurality of display units.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating a view at a user display associated with a user, to alert the user about the change in the hardware profile data and about the new set of synchronization display settings; and

enabling the user to create a modified set of synchronization display settings.

15. A graphics display system comprising:

a data processing device to apply a logic function of a display driver to a hardware profile data to create a set of synchronization display settings when a match of the hardware profile data with a set of synchronization display settings in a hardware profile lookup table is not found; and

a plurality of display units communicatively coupled to the data processing device and synchronously operated through the display driver.

16. The graphics display system of claim 15 further comprising:

a synchronization module associated with the data processing device to process the hardware profile data and to automatically generate the set of synchronization display settings; and

a hardware control module of the data processing device to coordinate a presentation of a sequence of graphics signals across the plurality of display units, using the set of synchronization display settings.

17. The graphics display system of claim 15 further comprising:

a timing module of the data processing device to;

designate one display unit from the plurality of display units as a master display unit,

designate all other display units as slave units,

automatically set a synchronization frequency to be compatible with the hardware profile data, and

automatically initiate a presentation of a sequence of graphics signals.

18. The graphics display system of claim 15 further comprising:

a control module to;

create a modified set of synchronization display settings that are stored in a storage device in association with the hardware profile data.

19. The graphics display system of claim 15 further comprising:

a signal monitoring module to;

automatically monitor the sequence of graphics signals,

trigger a signal display module to reapply the set of synchronization display settings if the sequence of graphics signals fails to meet a set of criteria, and

trigger a storage device to associate the set of synchronization display settings with the hardware profile lookup table.

20. The graphics display system of claim 19 wherein the signal monitoring module is further configured to:

automatically detect a change in the plurality of display units according to a set of change criteria;

automatically generate a new synchronization profile corresponding to the change the plurality of display units; and

automatically apply the new synchronization profile to the plurality of display units.