SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES FOR NATIVE AND VIRTUALIZED VIDEO IN A HYBRID DOCKING STATION

• US 20180074546A1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Targus International LLC
• Original Assignee: Targus International LLC
• Inventors: DeCamp, Ronald, Tsang, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 10,705,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104

Abstract

A hybrid docking station determines whether native video data exists and can be passed through to a video port or whether a virtual video processor should be activated to provide virtual video data to a video port. For example, a laptop is connected to a hybrid docking station using a USB™ 3.0 connection. The hybrid docking station recognizes that the USB™ 3.0 connection includes a native video data and passes the native video data to a DisplayPort™. By avoiding activating a virtualized video processor and using native video data, the laptop avoids installing software to communicate with the virtualized video processor and communicates with one or more displays using a native video channel. By avoiding installing software, it simplifies IT'"'"'s and user'"'"'s usage and experience with universal docking station.

Claims

1. A hybrid docking station comprising:

a data interface configured to receive data and native video data from a computing device;

an output video interface configured to provide video data to a display;

a virtual video processor configured to;

when the native video data is absent from the data interface, activate and receive virtualized video data from the data interface and provide the virtualized video data for use with the output video interface;

a detector configured to detect the native video data over the data interface and when the native video data is not detected, activate the virtual video processor; and

a signal router configured to pass through the native video data to the output video interface when the native video data is present.

2. The hybrid docking station of claim 1, wherein the data interface comprises a data port configured to accept a data cable.

3. The hybrid docking station of claim 2, wherein the detector is configured to identify a pin configuration for the native video data from a set of pin configurations for the data port.

4. The hybrid docking station of claim 2, wherein the data interface comprises a USB interface.

5. The hybrid docking station of claim 4, wherein the native video data comprises DisplayPort™

data.

6. The hybrid docking station of claim 4, wherein the virtualized video data comprises DisplayLink™

data.

7. The hybrid docking station of claim 2, wherein the data interface comprises a wireless interface.

8. The hybrid docking station of claim 1, wherein the signal router is further configured to receive the virtualized video data from the virtual video processor and provide the virtualized video data to the output video interface.

9. The hybrid docking station of claim 1, wherein the data interface is further electrically coupled to a power source and configured to provide power to the computing device through the data interface.

10. The hybrid docking station of claim 1, wherein the data interface is configured to receive power, data and native video over one, two or three cables.

11. The hybrid docking station of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to identify a native video data configuration from a set of native video configurations with a plurality of pin configurations.

12. A method for switching a native video signal comprising:

detecting a data channel coupled to a computing device;

detecting whether the data channel comprises native video data;

when the data channel comprises the native video data;

separating the native video data from the data channel;

passing-through the native video signal to a video output port;

when the data channel is without the native video data;

activating a virtualized video processor;

connecting the virtualized video processor to the data channel; and

providing an output of the virtualized video processor to the video output port.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising coupling the data channel to a legacy docking station.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing power to the computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing power to the computing device further comprises wirelessly coupling the power to the computing device.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising wirelessly coupling the data channel to the computing device and wirelessly receiving the native video data within the data channel.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting whether the data channel comprises the native video data further comprises detecting DisplayPort™

alternate mode over USB™

.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein when the data channel comprises the native video data, disable the virtualized video processor.

19. A hybrid docking adapter comprising:

a computing system data interface configured to receive data and native video data from a computing device;

a legacy docking station interface configured to be coupled to a legacy docking station and provide data to the legacy docking station;

a virtual video processor configured to;

when the native video data is absent from the computing system data interface, activate and receive virtualized video data from the computing system data interface and provide the virtualized video data for use with one or more displays;

a detector configured to detect the native video data over the computing system data interface and when the native video data is not detected, activate the virtual video processor; and

a signal router configured to pass through the native video data for use with the one or more displays when the native video data is present.

20. The hybrid docking adapter of claim 19, further comprising speakers, audio interface, video camera or microphone coupled to a data channel provided by the computing system data interface.

21. The hybrid docking adapter of claim 19, further comprising a wireless charging interface.

22. The hybrid docking adapter of claim 19, further comprising a video output port configured to couple to the legacy docking station and provide the virtualized video data or the native video data to the legacy docking station for display.

23. The hybrid docking adapter of claim 19, further comprising a video output port configured to couple to a display and provide the virtualized video data or the native video data to the one or more displays.