Multi-monitor display system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9684482-B2
Application number	US-63457109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2009
Priority date	Jan 13, 2009
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A multi-monitor display is disclosed. A multi-monitor display receives video data configured for a single N×M video display; splits the video data into a plurality of portions spanning the N×M display; and transmits the plurality of portions to a corresponding plurality of displays. The multi-monitor display system can be any system, for example a display-port system or an ePaper system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-monitor system, comprising: an image receiver configured to receive image data of N pixels by M pixels from a number of input lanes, the image receiver comprising: a SERDES receiver configured to: receive the image data from the number of input lanes; and filter the image data based on the number of input lanes to obtain filtered image data, wherein the SERDES receiver comprises a CRPLL configured to recover a link symbol clock embedded in the image data; and a de-framer coupled to the SERDES receiver and a splitter and configured to: unpack the filtered image data to obtain unpacked image data; and provide to the splitter, based on the unpacked image data, a data enable signal, a horizontal sync signal, a vertical sync signal, and a data stream comprising the image data; a plurality of transmitters, each of the plurality of transmitters configured to provide a portion of the image data to a corresponding display of a plurality of displays using, at least in part, a buffer, wherein each display of the plurality of displays is associated with a different portion of the buffer; and the splitter coupled between the image receiver and the plurality of transmitters, the splitter comprising: a controller coupled to the plurality of displays, the controller configured to: receive configuration data for each of the displays using a plurality of auxiliary channels, the configuration data including a pixel size, orientation, and an indication of whether the display is active; divide the image data into the portions based on the received configuration data; generate a plurality of new a data enable signals, a plurality of new horizontal sync signals, a plurality of new vertical sync signals, and a plurality of new data streams, wherein: each portion of the plurality of portions is associated with one of the plurality of new a data enable signals, one of the plurality of new horizontal sync signals, and one of the plurality of new vertical sync signals, and each new data stream of the plurality of new data streams comprises one of the plurality of portions of the image data; and providing, to each transmitter of a plurality transmitters, one new data enable signal of the plurality of data enable signals, one new horizontal sync signal of the plurality of horizontal sync signals, one new vertical sync signal of the plurality of vertical sync signals, and one new data stream of the plurality of new data streams.

2. The multi-monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the image receiver is an electronic paper compatible receiver.

3. The multi-monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the image receiver is a DisplayPort compatible receiver.

4. The multi-monitor system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of transmitters is an electronic paper compatible transmitter.

5. The multi-monitor system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of transmitters is a Display Port compatible transmitter.

6. The multi-monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the portions are arranged horizontally.

7. The multi-monitor system of claim 6 , wherein the portions of image data provided to the plurality of transmitters has M pixels, and the sum of the pixels across the plurality of portions is N pixels.

8. The multi-monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the portions are arranged vertically.

9. The multi-monitor system of claim 8 , wherein the portions of image data provided to the plurality of transmitters has N pixels and the pixels sum to M pixels.

10. The multi-monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the portions are arranged both vertically and horizontally.

11. The multi-monitor system of claim 10 , wherein the portions of image data provided to the plurality of transmitters sums to N pixels horizontally and M pixels vertically.

12. The multi-monitor system of claim 1 , wherein the image data comprises video data.

13. A method of providing a multi-monitor display, comprising: receiving, at an image receiver and from a number of input lanes, image data of size N pixels by M pixels, the image receiver comprising a SERDES receiver and a de-framer, wherein the de-framer is coupled to the SERDES receiver and a splitter, and wherein the SERDES receiver comprises a CRPLL; receiving, at the SERDES receiver, the image data from the number of input lanes; filtering, by the SERDES receiver, the image data based on the number of input lanes to obtain filtered image data; recovering, by the CRPLL, a link signal clock embedded in the image data; unpacking, by the de-framer, the filtered image data to obtain unpacked image data; providing, to the splitter and based on the unpacked image data, a data enable signal, a horizontal sync signal, a vertical sync signal, and a data stream comprising the image data; splitting, by the splitter, the image data into a plurality of portions; generating, by the splitter, a plurality of new data enable signals, a plurality of new horizontal sync signals, a plurality of new vertical sync signals, and a plurality of new data streams, wherein: each portion of the plurality of portions is associated with one of the plurality of new a data enable signals, one of the plurality of new horizontal sync signals, and one of the plurality of new vertical sync signals, and each new data stream of the plurality of new data streams comprises one of the plurality of portions of the image data; providing to each transmitter of a plurality transmitters, by the splitter, one new data enable signal of the plurality of data enable signals, one new horizontal sync signal of the plurality of horizontal sync signals, one new vertical sync signal of the plurality of vertical sync signals, and one new data stream of the plurality of new data streams; and transmitting, by the plurality of transmitters, the plurality of portions to a plurality of displays using, at least in part, a buffer, wherein each display of the plurality of displays is associated with a different portion of the buffer, wherein the splitting is based, at least in part, on a pixel size, orientation, and indication of whether a display is active for each of the plurality of displays.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving image data further includes receiving data for an electronic paper display.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving image data further includes receiving data according to the Display Port standard.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of displays are arranged horizontally and splitting the image data into a plurality of portions includes separating the N pixels by M pixels into a group of pixels for each of the plurality of displays.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a sum of pixels of the groups of pixels is N pixels.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of displays are arranged vertically and splitting the image data into a plurality of portions includes separating the M pixels by N pixels into a group of pixels for each of the plurality of displays.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein a sum of pixels of the groups of pixels is M pixels.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of displays are arranged in an array horizontally and vertically and splitting the image data into a plurality of portions includes separating the N pixels into pixel groups horizontally and separating the M pixels into pixel groups vertically so that an appropriate portion of the image data is displayed on a corresponding one of the plurality of displays.

21. A multi-media display system, comprising: a source; a

Assignees

• Zeng Henry
• Lee Jimmy
• Synaptics Inc

Inventors

• Zeng Henry
• Lee Jimmy

Classifications

• G06F3/1431 Primary

  using a single graphics controller · CPC title

• G09G2380/14

  Electronic books and readers · CPC title

• G09G5/006

  Details of the interface to the display terminal (specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04) · CPC title

• G09G2370/10

  Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline · CPC title

• G06F3/1446

  display composed of modules, e.g. video walls · CPC title