HK1098865B - Systems and methods for modular display - Google Patents

Description

System and method for modular display

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of information handling system displays, and more particularly to a system and method for displaying information through a modular component.

Background

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and business users strive to find additional ways to process and store information. One option available to the user is an information handling system. Information handling systems typically process, compile, store, and/or communicate information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling requirements and requirements vary from user to user or application to application, information handling systems also vary as to what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information can be processed, stored, or communicated. These changes in the information handling system take into account whether the information handling system is general or configured for a particular user or a particular use, such as financial transactions, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, an information handling system may include a variety of hardware and software components configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.

Information handling systems often interact with a number of peripheral devices to transfer, print, display, or otherwise process information. For example, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) and more recently flat panel displays, such as Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) and plasma displays, display information generated by an information handling system and delivered to the display via a standard cable, such as a VGA or DVI cable. In the past, information handling systems generally produced display information at a higher resolution than that available from conventional televisions. However, the advent of High Definition Television (HDTV) has caused convergence of display technology for information handling systems and television display technology. Flat panel LCDs and plasma televisions are now commonly available for displaying digitally provided information, much as is available in information handling system displays. However, flat panel televisions generally have a highly integrated structure for processing and display. As a result, flat panel televisions are built for the then-current display capability, broadcast television and connection standards, and their flexibility is poor after the television is distributed and it is difficult to adapt to the standard development. Furthermore, the user typically responds to a television failure by buying a new television with the latest system capabilities rather than trying to fix the failure. In contrast, information handling system displays tend to rely on processing by the information handling system to produce high quality displays, and the information handling system displays are less prone to failure. Thus, despite the similarities between the display of a flat panel information handling system and a flat panel television, the display of the information handling system does not generally integrate television components.

Some efforts have been made by the information handling system industry to integrate television components with the display of an information handling system to provide television functionality via the display. One example of displaying a television program via the display of an information handling system is by converting the signal via the TV card of the information handling system. However, the converted signal tends to be of poor quality due to interference introduced into the conversion process. Other available solutions attempt to add television functionality to the information handling system using a separate add-on module, or vice versa. For example, Samsung provides a modular television tuner (tuner) connected to a SyncMaster TFT LCD to allow the display to meet different broadcast television standards. Another example is the pioneer pda5002 Video Option Card (Video Option Card), which can input Video to a commercial plasma display. AverMedia sells a stand-alone box that connects to an LCD monitor to provide television functionality, like a plug-and-play multimedia entertainment center with or without an information processing system. Television manufacturers have attempted to add information handling system interfaces to televisions, such as Scientific Altana, which sells set-top boxes connected with a cable to a television or display to display television signals. Each of these solutions only provides for sporadic convergence of the information handling system and the television display, and users often experience confusion in connecting the individual components.

Disclosure of Invention

Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for integrating an information handling system with a television display using a modular architecture that is still integrated.

In accordance with the present invention, a system and method are provided that substantially reduce the disadvantages and problems associated with previous methods and systems to enable an information handling system to display television information. A display system is composed of a display module and a separate external interface module to allow selection by a user of a desired separate external audiovisual interface for the display system. Each of the plurality of types of external interface modules converts audiovisual information into a common single audio signal and a common single video signal such that the components of the external interface module having the desired external interface configure the display system to display information received by the external interface.

More specifically, the display system is build-to-order (build-to-order) to support the desired television external interface and/or information handling system external interface. A plurality of types of external interface modules are constructed using each type of external interface module that converts selected ones of the plurality of external interfaces to a common format, such as LVDS. For example, the external interface is selected from the group consisting of an analog and/or digital television tuner interface, a composite video interface, an S-video interface, a component video interface, a VGA interface, a DVI interface, and an audio interface. The purchaser selects a desired external interface for a display system made by assembling the type of external module associated with the purchaser selected interface onto a display module to form a connected display system. Thus, the same display module is configured to perform the functions of a television or information processing system based on the functions included in the external interface module. If the external interface module fails after distribution to the purchaser, a replacement external interface module is sent to be used as a replacement unit instead of replacing the entire display system.

The present invention provides a number of important technical advantages. An example of an important technical advantage is: flat panel displays are selectively configured to support multiple markets and product families for geographic and temporal vs. market flexibility. Selecting an appropriate external interface module allows the user configuration to be built on order to increase the user experience and reduce manufacturing costs. Component failures or display failures are managed individually, reducing the cost of repairing a failed system by properly replacing the external interface module or flat panel display. By extending the external interface module and/or the flat panel display across product families and generations, flat panel displays with the latest display capabilities, broadcast television standards, and connectivity configurations may be designed and manufactured.

Drawings

The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features, and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.

FIG. 1A depicts a display module and an external interface module arranged for assembly;

FIG. 1B depicts a display module and an external interface module assembled as an integral unit; and

FIG. 2 depicts a functional block diagram of one embodiment of a display module and an external interface module.

Detailed Description

Integrating the display of the television and the information handling system is provided by modularly assembling separate display components and external interface components into a unitary display system that selectively supports the display functionality of the television or the information handling system based on the included external interface components. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any component or collection of components operable to calculate, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, create, exchange, store, display, visualize, detect, record, reproduce, process, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include Random Access Memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.

Referring now to fig. 1A and 1B, a display system 10 is described having a display module 12 separate from an external interface module 14 for assembly into an integral unit having the desired display functions of a television and/or information handling system. Display module 12 includes components for generating a visual display of information, while external interface module 14 includes components for receiving visual information from an external source, such as an information handling system or a television signal, and provides the visual information to the display module to generate a visual image. The type of external interface supported by the display system 10 is configured to receive the desired external signal by selecting the external interface module 14 having the external device interface 16 and associated components. External interface module 14 communicates visual information to a single common visual information interface 18, such as Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS), and a single audio information interface 20. The display module 12 has a housing 22 with a cut-out 24, the cut-out 24 being sized to receive a housing 26 of the external interface module 14. As depicted in fig. 1B, the external interface module housing 26 fits into the cut-out 24 and couples with the display module 22 to form a connected unit.

Display system 10 supports the selected plurality of external interfaces by selecting an external interface module 14 with the selected plurality of external interfaces. The structure of the order built display system 10 is supported by a build that provides the purchaser with a plurality of different sets of external interfaces, such as various television interfaces like a television tuner interface, a composite video interface, an S-video interface or a combination of component interfaces, and an interface to the information handling system, such as a plurality of VGA or DVI interfaces. Different types of external interface modules 14 are constructed to support each available external interface combination. When the received customer purchase order is to purchase a display system 10 having the selected external interface, the external interface module 14 supporting the selected external interface is assembled on the display module 12 and the "build to order" display system 10 is distributed to the purchaser. For example, if the purchaser wants only one television, display system 10 may be configured with external interface module 14 having a plurality of television external interface components selectable by the purchaser, such as various combinations of tuner interface components, composite video interface components, S-video interface components, and/or component video interface components. If the purchaser desires only one information handling system display, display system 10 may be configured with an external interface module 14 having a plurality of information handling system external interface components, such as various combinations of VGA and/or DVI components, that are selectable by the purchaser. Alternatively, display system 10 may be selectively configured as a display for a television and information handling system using an external interface component that selects one of various combinations of components for the television and information handling system. If the display system fails, it is sufficient to only sell an alternative external interface module 14 to the purchaser, the alternative external interface module 14 having a similar structure to that of the existing external interface module.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a functional block diagram of one embodiment of a display system 10 having a separate display module 12 and external interface module 14 is depicted. The display module 12 utilizes a display panel 26 having a plurality of pixels 28 organized in rows and columns to display visual information and a speaker 30 to play audio information. The speaker 30 may be integrated into the display module housing or may be detachable, such as with an extension cord connector. The display panel 26 may be an LCD panel that is illuminated by a backlight 32, the backlight 32 being powered by an inverter 34, but in an alternative embodiment the display panel 26 is a plasma panel. A timing controller TCO36 illuminates pixels 28 in rows and columns to display a visual image based on visual information provided by visual information interface 18, such as visual information in LVDS format. The power supply 38 provides power to operate the components of the display module 12 under the management of the control panel 40 and in response to user input entered via the front panel interface 42. For example, command and control information is provided from the control board 40 to the microcontroller 70, which is transmitted from the remote control and captured by the IR receiver of the front panel interface 42. Thus, display module 12 includes a number of components that support the display of visual information via single visual information interface 18 and the playback of audio information via single audio information interface 20, but are not "intelligent" enough to receive visual information in a variety of television or information handling system formats.

External interface module 14 provides display module 12 with "intelligence" to receive selected ones of a plurality of types of audiovisual information based on the structure of the external interface module assembled to the display module. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, external device interface 16 supported by external interface module 14 comprises a television interface: tuner interface 44, composite video interface 46, S-video interface 48, and component video interface 50, and includes information handling system interfaces: a VGA interface 52, a DVI interface 54, and a separate audio input interface 56. In various alternative embodiments, external interface module 14 is selectively configurable to support a desired external device interface or other external device interface of the plurality of external device interfaces described in FIG. 2. The analog visual signals from the tuner interface 44, the composite video interface 46, and the S-video interface 48 are provided to a video decoder 58 and a video de-interleaver 60 for conversion into visual information by a scaler 62. Digital visual signals, for example, from the high definition television tuner interface 44, the composite video interface 50, the VGA interface 52 and the DVI interface 54 are provided to the scalar 62 either directly or, as appropriate, through an analog-to-digital converter 66. Scalar 62 generates a single visual information output, such as LVDS, for each type of external interface module 14 to ensure compatibility with display module 12. The audio signal is provided to an audio processor 64 and an audio amplifier 68 to produce a single audio signal output that can be used by the speaker 30 for audio compatibility. A microcontroller 20 manages the operation of the various components of the external interface module, such as sending power from the power supply 38 and converting user inputs from the control panel 40. By utilizing selected components to convert external audiovisual information into a single common video signal and a single common audio signal, external interface module 14 allows the configuration of the display module to be selected for use with a television and/or information handling system.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. A system for displaying audiovisual information, the system comprising:

a display module housing having a cut-out portion;

a display panel disposed within the display module housing and operable to display visual information as pixels organized in rows and columns;

a timing controller disposed within the display module housing and coupled to the display panel, the timing controller operable to transmit visual information to the rows and columns;

one or more speakers associated with the display module housing and operable to express audio information as sound;

an external interface module housing sized to fit into the cutaway portion as an integral unit, the external interface module housing having a single visual information interface nearest the cutaway portion and a single audio information interface nearest the cutaway portion, the single visual information interface being connected to the timing controller, the single audio information interface being connected to the speaker; and

an external interface module disposed within the external interface module housing, the external interface module having a plurality of external visual interface components operable to receive external visual information and communicate the external visual information to the single visual information interface, and having an external audio interface component operable to receive external audio information and communicate the external audio information to the single audio information interface;

wherein the system is operable to process images for display through the single visual information interface and in accordance with the external visual interface component, the images being selected from at least: television images and information handling system images.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply disposed within the display module housing and operable to provide power to the display panel, the timing controller, and the speaker; and

a power interface, disposed at the cut-out in the display module housing, operable to provide power from a power source to the external interface module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the external visual interface component comprises a television tuner.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the external visual interface component comprises a plurality of video processing components.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the external visual interface component comprises a plurality of DVI component processing components.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the single visual information interface comprises an LVDS interface.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the external visual interface component comprises one or more components selected from the group of a television tuner component, a composite video component, an S-video component, and a component video component by a purchaser of the system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the visual interface component further comprises one or more components selected from the group of VGA components and DVI components by a purchaser of the system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the display panel is an LCD panel.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the display panel is a plasma display.

11. A method of configuring a display operable to display visual information and audio information, the method comprising:

manufacturing a display module having a display panel, a timing controller and one or more speakers and a single visual information interface associated with a housing of the display module;

providing the display to the purchaser for selection of a plurality of selectable external visual interface components by the purchaser;

accepting a selection of one or more external visual interface components by a purchaser;

manufacturing an external interface module having an external visual interface component selected by a purchaser;

assembling the external interface module and the display module to respond to the purchaser's selection; and

selling the assembly to a purchaser;

wherein the display is operable to process images for display by the single visual information interface receiving external visual information from the external visual interface component and in accordance with the external visual interface component, the images being selected from at least: television images and information handling system images.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

installing a power supply to the display module; and

the external interface module is connected to a power supply.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein assembling the external interface module and the display module in response to the purchaser's selection further comprises:

selecting one external interface module from a list of multiple types of external interface modules; and

the external interface module is fitted into a cut-out portion of the display module to form an integral unit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a fault report from a purchaser; and

an alternative external interface module is distributed to the purchaser for installation by the purchaser into the cut-out portion of the display module.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the display panel is an LCD panel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the display panel is a plasma display.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the inventory of multiple types of external interface modules includes various combinations of television tuner components, composite video components, S-video components, and component video components.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the manifest of the plurality of types of external interface modules includes various combinations of a plurality of VGA components and a plurality of DVI components.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the list of multiple types of external interface modules includes various combinations of television tuner components, composite video components, S-video components, component video components, VGA components, and DVI components.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein assembling the external interface module and the display module further comprises connecting the timing controller and the external interface via a single LVDS interface.