Hub device, display device and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11023389-B2
Application number	US-201916542093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2019
Priority date	May 15, 2019
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A hub device includes first and second upstream ports, a first bridge, and first and second downstream ports. The first and second upstream ports are connected to a first host and a second host. The first bridge is connected to the second upstream port. The first downstream port is connected to the first bridge and the first upstream port. The second downstream port is connected to the first upstream port and an input device. The first host generates a first operation result according to the input operation of the input device on the first display area. The first host transmits a first indication signal to the second host through the first bridge according to the input operation of the input device on a second display area, so that the second host emulates the input operation on the second display area to generate a second operation result.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hub device, comprising:
a first upstream port, connected to a first host, wherein the first host corresponds to a first display area;
a second upstream port, connected to a second host, wherein the second host corresponds to a second display area;
a first downstream port, connected to the first upstream port;
a first bridge, connected between the second upstream port and the first downstream port; and
a second downstream port, connected to the first upstream port and an input device;
wherein first upstream port, the second upstream port, the first downstream port, the second downstream port and the first bridge are configured such that:
an input operation of the input device on the first display area is communicated from the input device through the second downstream port to the first upstream port and to the first host so as to generate a first operation result on the first display area according to the input operation of the input device on the first display area,
an input operation of the input device on the second display area is communicated from the input device through the second downstream port to the first upstream port and to the first host, and
a first indication signal generated by the first host in response to the input operation of the input device on the second display area is communicated through the first upstream port to the first downstream port to the first bridge to the second upstream port and to the second host, so that the second host emulates the input operation on the second display area according to the first indication signal to generate a second operation result on the second display area.

2. The hub device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a mouse, a keyboard, a touch plate, or a combination thereof.

3. The hub device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hub device is a universal series bus hub, and the first upstream port, the second upstream port, the first downstream port and the second upstream are a universal series bus connector.

4. The hub device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a third upstream port, connected to a third host, wherein the third host corresponds to a third display area;
a third downstream port, connected to the first upstream port; and
a second bridge, connected between the third upstream port and the third downstream port;
wherein first upstream port, the third upstream port, the first downstream port, the third downstream port and the second bridge are configured such that:
an input operation of the input device on the third display area is communicated from the input device through the second downstream port to the first upstream port and to the first host, and
a second indication signal generated by the first host in response to the input operation of the input device on the third display area is communicated through the first upstream port to the third downstream port to the second bridge to the third upstream port and to the third host, so that the third host emulates the input operation on the third display area according to the second indication signal to generate a third operation result on the third display area.

5. An electronic device, comprising:
a first host;
a second host;
a hub device, comprising:
a first upstream port, connected to the first host;
a second upstream port, connected to the second host;
a first downstream port, connected to the first bridge and the first upstream port;
a first bridge, connected between the second upstream port and the first downstream port; and
a second downstream port, connected to the first upstream port and an input device;

a display panel, having a first display area corresponding to the first host and a second display area corresponding to the second host; and
a control device, connected to the display panel, the hub device, the first host and the second host, and configured to generate a setting message to set the first display area and the second display area;
wherein the first host is configured to:
receive the setting message through the control device to obtain a display setting relationship of the first display area and the second display area,
generate a first operation result on the first display area according to an input operation of the input device on the first display area, wherein input operation of the input device on the first display area is communicated from the input device through the second downstream port to the first upstream port and to the first host, and
generate and transmit a first indication signal to the second host according to an input operation of the input device on the second display area, wherein the input operation of the input device on the second display area is communicated from the input device through the second downstream port to the first port and to the first host, and the first indication signal is communicated through the first upstream port to the first downstream port to the first bridge to the second upstream port and to the second host, so that the second host emulates the input operation on the second display area according to the first indication signal to generate a second operation result on the second display area.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the input device comprises a mouse, a keyboard, a touch plate, or a combination thereof.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the hub device is a universal series bus hub, and the first upstream port, the second upstream port, the first downstream port and the second downstream port are respectively a universal series bus connector.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , further configured such that:
the first host further determines whether a position of the input operation enters the second display area from an edge of the first display area;
the first host continues generating the first operation result on the first display area according to the input operation of the input device on the first display area in response to the input operation not entering the second display area from the edge of the first display area; and
the first host discontinues generating the first operation result and transmits the first indication signal to the second host through the first bridge in response to the input operation entering the second display area from the edge of the first display area.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8 , further configured such that:
the second host further determines whether the position of the input operation enters the first display area from an edge of the second display area;
the second host continues emulating the input operation on the second display area to generate the second operation result on the second display area in response to the input operation not entering the first display area from the edge of the second display area; and
the second host discontinues generating the second operation result and transmits a notification signal to the first host through the first bridge in response to the input operation entering the first display area from the edge of the second display area.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:
a third host
a third upstream port, connected to the third host;
a third downstream port, connected to the first upstream port; and
a second bridge, connected between the third upstream port and the third downstream port;
wherein the display panel further has a third display area;
wherein the control device is further connected to the third host, and the control device is further configured to set the third display area corresponding to the third host; and
wherein

Assignees

• Wistron Corp

Inventors

• Wu Hsiang Chia
• Pan Guan Wei

Classifications

• G06F13/4027

  using bus bridges (G06F13/4022 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/023

  Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes · CPC title

• G06F13/4282

  on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus (on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247) · CPC title

• G06F13/107 Primary

  Terminal emulation · CPC title

• G06F3/1454

  involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay · CPC title