Synchronous media display through automatic hardware profiles across multiple display units

• US 9,086,838 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2012
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Panvelwala, Abdeali H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US13/602,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20140062974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1, 345/1.3, 345/204, 345/903, 725/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 comprising:

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

creating a set of synchronization settings when the hardware profile data does not match a set of settings in a hardware profile lookup table; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the set of synchronization settings comprises retrieving synchronization settings that correspond to the hardware profile data from a storage device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware profile data is manually input by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware profile data is collected from the set of display units.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware profile lookup table includes information corresponding to a plurality of possible display devices and cables.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization settings include at least one of a synchronization timing and a synchronization frequency.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one display unit in the plurality of display units is designated as a master display unit, and wherein one or more additional display units in the plurality of display units are designated as slave units, and wherein the master display unit communicates a synchronization signal to each of the slave units, the synchronization signal including at least one of a synchronization timing and a synchronization frequency.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a view of the synchronization settings for a user; and

upon determining that the user would like to manually modify the synchronization settings, modifying the synchronization settings based on user input.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising modifying the synchronization settings based on a change in the hardware profile data triggered by a hot unplug event.

10. A system comprising:

a plurality of display units; and

a data processing device communicatively coupled to the plurality of display units, the data processing device configured to;

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

create a set of synchronization settings when the hardware profile data does not match a set of settings in a hardware profile lookup table; and

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

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the synchronization settings include at least one of a synchronization timing and a synchronization frequency.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the data processing device includes a display driver associated with the plurality of display units.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the display driver includes a synchronization module configured to process the hardware profile data and automatically create the set of topology settings.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein creating the set of synchronization settings comprises retrieving synchronization settings that correspond to the hardware profile data from a storage device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the synchronization module includes:

a timing module configured to;

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

designate all other display units in the plurality of display units other than the master display unit as slave units,

automatically set a synchronization frequency that is compatible with the hardware profile data, and

automatically initiate a presentation of the sequence of graphics signals;

a control module configured to create a modified set of synchronization settings;

a signal monitoring module configured to monitor the sequence of graphics signals; and

a signal display module configured to apply the set of synchronization settings to the plurality of display units.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the display driver is configured to modify the synchronization settings based on a change in the hardware profile data triggered by a hot unplug event.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the hardware profile data is collected from the plurality of display units.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the hardware profile lookup table includes information corresponding to a plurality of possible display devices and cables.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the synchronization settings include at least one of a number of display units in the plurality of display units, a shape of each display unit in the plurality of display units, and a scaling factor for each display unit in the plurality of display units.

20. The system of claim 10, further including a storage device that stores the hardware profile data and the hardware profile lookup table.