Computer presentation and command integration apparatus

• US 7,496,846 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ross Video Limited
• Original Assignee: Lc Portalis
• Inventors: Malmstrom, R. Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US11/044,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 715/788, 715/765, 715/762, 715/733, 715/742, 715/740, 715/734, 715/744, 709/223, 709/224, 700/90
• US Class Current: 715/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a display, input device, display processor, and command processor. The display may receive a composite display signal and render a composite image corresponding thereto viewable by a user. The input device may receive commands from a user. The display processor may receive display signals of disparate forms from each of various electronic devices, generate the composite display signal to define multiple windows wherein each of the display signal corresponds to at least one window, and transmit the composite display signal to the display. The command processor may be configured to selectively control, according to the commands received from a user through the input device, the relative size, position, or the like of each window presented on the display.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one display configured to receive a composite display signal and render a composite image corresponding thereto viewable by a user;

at least one input device to receive commands from a user;

a display processor configured to receive a plurality of display signals comprising a display signal from each device of a plurality of electronic devices, said each device operating independently from any control by the display processor, generate the composite display signal to define a plurality of windows wherein each signal of the plurality of display signals corresponds to at least one window of the plurality of windows, and transmit the composite display signal to the at least one display;

the display processor, further comprising a resizer programmed to receive an entire content from each signal of the plurality of display signals, represent the entire content with an image thereof, and resize pixelation thereof in accordance with the commands while continually maintaining and updating the display of the content as it is changing in real time; and

a command processor programmed to route at least one of the commands to at least one device of the plurality of electronic devices, and configured to selectively control and assign to a button for substantially simultaneous recall upon activation by a user, according to the commands, the relative size of each window of the plurality of windows.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the button is virtual and the relative size is selected to be an arbitrary size selected by a user in accordance with personal preference.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the command processor is further configured to selectively control and assign to the button for substantially simultaneous recall upon activation by a user, according to the commands, the relative positioning of each window of the plurality of windows.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

at least one display signal of the plurality of display signals communicates a screen image; and

the command processor is further configured to selectively control, according to the commands, a subset of the screen image and display the subset as window of the plurality of windows.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least two of the plurality of display signals are physically disparate in form.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the display processor further operates on the plurality of display signals to form a plurality of processed display signals of common physical form.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the display processor further integrates the plurality of processed display signals to generate the composite display signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one input device is selected from the group consisting of a pointing device, custom input device, a touchscreen, and a keyboard.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the command processor is further configured to selectively control and save for reuse by a user, according to the commands, the relative positioning of each window of the plurality of windows.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

at least one display signal of the plurality of display signals communicates a screen image; and

the command processor is further configured to selectively control, according to the commands, a subset of the screen image and display the subset as window of the plurality of windows.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of windows comprises at least one thumbnail, subwindow containing substantially exclusively the subset, and full window.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one thumbnail comprises a boarder delineating the subset.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the command processor is further configured to scale cursor movements throughout the composite image.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device is selected from a group consisting of a pointing device, keyboard, custom input device, and touchscreen.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the command processor is further configured to share control of a device of the plurality of electronic devices with another apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the command processor is further configured to control the relative size of each window of the plurality of windows through magnification and reduction without changing the position of, or altering the display content within, each window of the plurality of windows.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display signals of the plurality of display signals are of a form selected from a group consisting of digital component image signal, analog component image signal, digital composite image signal, analog composite image signal, digital compressed image signal, a voltage, a current, a contact condition, an encoded digital signal, and a value corresponding to a state of a component.

18. An apparatus comprising:

at least one display;

at least one input device to receive commands from a user;

a display processor configured to receive a plurality of display signals comprising a display signal from each device of a plurality of electronic devices, said each device operating independently from any control by the display processor, at least two of the plurality of display signals being physically disparate in form;

the display processor further configured to generate a composite display signal defining a plurality of windows, Wherein each signal of the plurality of display signals corresponds to at least one window of the plurality of windows, and transmit the composite display signal to the at least one display;

the display processor further comprising a resizer programmed to receive an entire content from each signal of the plurality of display signals, represent the entire content with an image thereof, and resize pixelation thereof in accordance with the commands while continually maintaining and updating the display of the content as it is changing in real time; and

a command processor programmed to route at least one of the commands to at least one device of the plurality of electronic devices, and configured to selectively control and assign to a button for substantially simultaneous recall upon activation by a user, according to the commands, relative positioning of each window of the plurality of windows.

19. An apparatus comprising:

at least one display;

at least one input device to receive commands from a user;

a display processor configured to receive a plurality of display signals comprising a display signal from each device of a plurality of electronic devices, said each device operating independently from any control by the display processor, at least two of the plurality of display signals being physically disparate in form;

the display processor further configured to generate a composite display signal defining a plurality of windows, wherein each signal of the plurality of display signals corresponds to at least one window of the plurality of windows, and transmit the composite display signal to the at least one display;

the display processor, further comprising a resizer programmed to receive an entire content from each signal of the plurality of display signals, represent the entire content with an image thereof, and resize pixelation thereof in accordance with the commands while continually maintaining and updating the display of the content as it is changing in real time; and

a command processor programmed to route at least one of the commands to at least one device of the plurality of electronic devices, and configured to selectively control and save for reuse by a user, according to the commands, the portion of the image displayed within a window of the plurality of windows.