TWI879282B - Docking station and display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A docking station includes a network interface controller, a processor, and an output interface controller. The processor is electrically connected to the network interface controller and the output interface controller. The network interface controller receives an operation instruction from an external control device and correspondingly translates the instruction into a communication protocol message. The processor correspondingly writes the communication protocol message into the memory of the processor to update the firmware of the docking station; or the processor correspondingly transmits the communication protocol message to the output interface controller, so that the output interface controller converts the communication protocol message into a display setting command and transmits the display setting command to display device so as to adjust display parameter of the display device.

Description

Docking station and display device

The present invention relates to a docking station, and in particular to a docking station with a remote control function.

The current docking station needs to be connected to a physical line to perform functions such as firmware update or one-click sleep. However, in some usage scenarios, such as offices, network administrators need to control and manage multiple docking stations. If they go to the site to handle each one individually, it will be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Therefore, there is a need for different access/control channels for docking stations to make it more convenient for network administrators to use.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an expansion socket, including a network interface controller, a processor and an output interface controller. The network interface controller is used to receive operation instructions from an external control device and translate the operation instructions into a first communication protocol message. The processor is electrically connected to the network interface controller to receive the first communication protocol message. The output interface controller is electrically connected to the processor. The processor is used to perform the following operations according to the first communication protocol message: write the first communication protocol message corresponding to the firmware file into the memory of the processor to update the firmware of the expansion socket; or transmit the first communication protocol message to the output interface controller so that the output interface controller converts the first communication protocol message into a display setting instruction and transmits it to at least one display device connected to the output interface controller to adjust at least one display parameter of the at least one display device.

The purpose of the present invention is to propose another expansion socket, including a network interface controller, a processor, an output interface controller and an input interface controller. The network interface controller is used to receive an operation instruction from an external control device and translate the operation instruction into a first communication protocol message. The processor is electrically connected to the network interface controller to receive the first communication protocol message. The output interface controller is electrically connected to the processor. The input interface controller is connected to an electronic device to receive a first audio and video signal from the electronic device. The processor is used to convert the first audio and video signal into a second audio and video signal different from the first audio and video signal according to the first communication protocol message, and transmit the second audio and video signal to the output interface controller. The output interface controller transmits the second video and audio signal to at least one display device connected to the output interface controller, so that the at least one display device displays a display image corresponding to the second video and audio signal.

The purpose of the present invention is to propose another display device, including a network interface controller, a processor and a display and output interface controller. The network interface controller is used to receive an operation instruction from an external control device and translate the operation instruction into a first communication protocol message. The processor is electrically connected to the network interface controller to receive the first communication protocol message. The display and output interface controller is electrically connected to the processor. The processor is used to transmit the first communication protocol message to the display and output interface controller, so that the display and output interface controller converts the first communication protocol message into a display setting instruction and transmits it to an external display device connected to the display and output interface controller to adjust at least one display parameter of the external display device.

The following is a detailed discussion of embodiments of the present invention. However, it is understood that the embodiments provide many applicable concepts that can be implemented in a variety of specific contexts. The embodiments discussed and disclosed are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The terms "first", "second", etc. used herein do not specifically refer to order or sequence, but are only used to distinguish between components or operations described with the same technical terms.

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of an application system of a docking station 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The docking station 100 includes a network interface controller 120, a processor 140, an output interface controller 160, and an input interface controller 180. The arrow symbols shown in FIG. 1 are used to represent the transmission path of the control command. The communication circuit 122 of the network interface controller 120 receives the operation command from the external control device 220, 240 or 260 through the first transmission interface. The output interface controller 160 is connected to the display devices 320 and 340 through the second transmission interface. It should be noted that the number of external control devices in FIG. 1 is only an example, and the number of external control devices may actually be less than or more than three. It should be noted that the number of display devices in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and the actual number of display devices may be less than or more than two.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the external control device 220 is a computer, the external control device 240 is a server, and the external control device 260 is a smart phone. Specifically, the user can use a computer, a server, or a smart phone to remotely connect to the docking station 100 to perform relevant control on the docking station 100. For example, on a computer or a server, the user can use corresponding program software to send an operation instruction to the network interface controller 120, and the smart phone can use a corresponding application to send an operation instruction to the network interface controller 120.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first transmission interface between the communication circuit 122 of the network interface controller 120 and the external control device 220, 240 or 260 may be a wireless network (WiFi) or an Ethernet. In other words, the external control device 220, 240 or 260 communicates with the expansion socket 100 in a remote control manner via the wireless network (WiFi) or the Ethernet. Alternatively, the first transmission interface between the communication circuit 122 and the external control device 220, 240 or 260 may be a wireless communication interface, a serial interface, a USB interface or an audio and video transmission line interface, such as but not limited to: Bluetooth, ZigBee, audio input (AUX), display data channel/command interface (DDC/CI), universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART), serial peripheral interface (SPI), power delivery configuration channel (Power Delivery Configuration Channel, PD CC), controller area network bus (CAN bus), Modbus protocol, consumer electronics control (Consumer Electronics Control, CEC) protocol interface, universal serial bus (USB).

In the embodiment of the present invention, the second transmission interface between the output interface controller 160 and the display devices 320 and 340 is an audio and video transmission line interface, such as HDMI, DisplayPort (DP), USB-C, etc. In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the second transmission interface between the output interface controller 160 and the display devices 320 and 340 can also be an inter-integrated circuit (I ² C) bus interface, AUX, DDCCI, UART, SPI, PD CC, CAN bus, Modbus, CEC, USB.

The command translation circuit 124 of the network interface controller 120 translates the operation command into a first communication protocol message. The processor 140 is electrically connected to the network interface controller 120 to receive the first communication protocol message, and the output interface controller 160 is electrically connected to the processor 140, and the input interface controller 180 is electrically connected to the processor 140. Specifically, the command translation circuit 124 transmits the translated first communication protocol message to the processing circuit 142 of the processor 140. In the embodiment of the present invention, the network interface controller 120 transmits the first communication protocol message to the processor 140 in accordance with the integrated circuit (I ² C) protocol (in other words, the first communication protocol message is an I ² C signal), but the present invention is not limited thereto. The network interface controller 120 and the processor 140 may also transmit the first communication protocol message in accordance with the following communication interfaces: AUX, DDC/CI, UART, SPI, PD CC, CAN bus, Modbus, CEC, USB.

After the processing circuit 142 receives the first communication protocol message from the command translation circuit 124, the processing circuit 142 is responsible for processing the received first communication protocol message and performing corresponding actions according to the first communication protocol message. The above actions include, but are not limited to, obtaining the current firmware version of the expansion seat, obtaining specific firmware operation information of the expansion seat (for engineering personnel to debug), and obtaining the firmware development date of the expansion seat. , update the firmware of the expansion socket, obtain the display parameters of the display device (such as resolution, color temperature, saturation, hue, brightness, contrast, volume, etc.), adjust the display parameters of the display device (such as resolution, color temperature, saturation, hue, brightness, contrast, volume, etc.), control the display screen of the display device to turn on/off, control the display screen of the display device to black out, etc.

Taking the acquisition of the current firmware version of the expansion socket as an example, the following steps are included: (S11) The external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to send a read command to obtain the current firmware version to the communication circuit 122. (S12) The command translation circuit 124 translates the read command into a second communication protocol message to obtain the current firmware version and transmits it to the processor 140. (S13) The processing circuit 142 receives the second communication protocol message to obtain the current firmware version and correspondingly returns the current firmware version message to the external control device 220, 240 or 260 through the network interface controller 120, so that the external control device 220, 240 or 260 knows the current firmware version of the expansion socket 100. In the embodiment of the present invention, in the above step S12, the second communication protocol message is an I ² C signal.

Taking the firmware update of the docking station as an example, the following steps are performed: first, steps S11, S12, and S13 are performed, so that the external control device 220, 240, or 260 knows the current firmware version of the docking station 100 and decides whether to update the firmware of the docking station 100. It is worth mentioning that if the external control device 220, 240, or 260 has confirmed in advance that the current firmware version of the docking station 100 is not the latest, steps S11, S12, and S13 may not be performed first. Then, the following steps are performed, (S14) the external control device 220, 240, or 260 loads the pre-prepared firmware file into the corresponding program. (S15) The communication circuit 122 receives an operation instruction corresponding to the firmware file from the external control device 220, 240 or 260 and the instruction translation circuit 124 translates the operation instruction into a first communication protocol message corresponding to the firmware file. (S16) The processing circuit 142 receives the first communication protocol message corresponding to the firmware file and writes the first communication protocol message into the memory 144 of the processor 140 to update the firmware of the expansion socket 100. In the embodiment of the present invention, in the above step S15, the first communication protocol message is an I ² C signal.

Taking the acquisition of the display parameters of the display device as an example, the steps are as follows: (S21) The external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to transmit a read command for acquiring the display parameters to the communication circuit 122. (S22) The command translation circuit 124 translates the read command into a first communication protocol message for acquiring the display parameters. (S23) The processing circuit 142 receives the first communication protocol message for acquiring the display parameters and converts the first communication protocol message into a display read command for acquiring the display parameters. (S24) The processing circuit 142 transmits a display read command for obtaining display parameters to the command circuit 162 of the output interface controller 160, and the command circuit 162 transmits the display read command for obtaining display parameters to the display device 320 and/or 340 to read the display parameter signal from the display device 320 and/or 340. (S25) The processing circuit 142 receives the display parameter signal from the command circuit 162 and translates the display parameter signal into a second communication protocol message. (S26) The communication circuit 122 receives the second communication protocol message from the processor 140 and transmits it to the external control device 220, 240 or 260, so that the external control device 220, 240 or 260 can know the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340, such as but not limited to resolution, color temperature, saturation, hue, brightness, contrast, volume, etc.

In the embodiment of the present invention, in the above step S25, the second communication protocol message is also an I ² C signal. In the embodiment of the present invention, in the above step S24, the command circuit 162 transmits a display read command to the display device 320 and/or 340 in accordance with the Monitor Control Command Set (MCCS) standard (in other words, the display read command is an MCCS command). In the embodiment of the present invention, in the above step S24, the command circuit 162 reads back the display parameter signal from the display device 320 and/or 340 in accordance with the Monitor Control Command Set (MCCS) standard. Specifically, the embodiments of the present invention can actually support any function within the various monitor control command sets (MCCS) standard specifications, such as but not limited to adjusting color temperature, saturation, hue, brightness, contrast, volume, etc. For details, please refer to the "VESA Monitor Control Command Set Standard" document of the VESA Association.

Taking the adjustment of the display parameters of the display device as an example, the following steps are included: first, steps S21 to S26 are performed, so that the external control device 220, 240 or 260 knows the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340 and decides whether to adjust the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340. It is worth mentioning that if the external control device 220, 240 or 260 has confirmed the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340 in advance or wants to directly adjust the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340, it is not necessary to perform steps S21 to S26 first. Then, the following steps are performed, (S31) the external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to transmit the operation instruction to adjust the display parameters to the communication circuit 122. (S32) The command translation circuit 124 translates the operation command into a third communication protocol message for adjusting the display parameters. (S33) The processing circuit 142 receives the third communication protocol message for adjusting the display parameters and converts the third communication protocol message into a display setting command for adjusting the display parameters. (S34) The processor transmits the display setting command for adjusting the display parameters to the command circuit 162, and the command circuit 162 transmits the display setting command for adjusting the display parameters to the display device 320 and/or 340 to adjust the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340. It is worth mentioning that the above-mentioned function of obtaining or adjusting the display parameters of the display device may also be to obtain the display parameters of the display device 320 and write them into the display parameters of the display device 340 .

In the embodiment of the present invention, in the above step S32, the third communication protocol message is also an I ² C signal. In the embodiment of the present invention, in the above step S34, the command circuit 162 transmits a display setting command to the display device 320 and/or 340 in accordance with the Monitor Control Command Set (MCCS) standard or the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) protocol to adjust the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340 (in other words, the display setting command is an MCCS command or a CEC command). To further explain, after the display device receives the display setting command, it controls the display parameters of the display screen of the display device according to the command content, such as controlling the brightness or contrast, controlling the volume of the sound unit, or controlling the power of the display screen of the display device. Specifically, the embodiments of the present invention can actually support any functions within the various consumer electronics control (CEC) protocol specifications, such as but not limited to one-touch play (when the external control device starts playing, the external control device is allowed to switch the input signal source of the display device to the external control device), system standby (allowing the user to put multiple display devices into standby with one-touch operation), system information (checking the bus address and configuration of all display devices), volume control (allowing one display device to control the volume of another display device), on-screen setting menu (on-screen Display, OSD) display (displaying text with the OSD screen display function of the display device), device menu control (allowing a display device to control the system menu of another display device by passing user interface commands), path control (controlling the switching of the input signal source of the display device), remote control transmission (allowing the transmission of remote control commands of external control devices to another display device), display name transmission of the display device (transmitting the device friendly name or code to the display device (replacing HDMI 1, HDMI 2)).

In the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 , the external control device 240 (server), the external control device 260 (smart phone) or the network interface controller 120 may also be controlled by the cloud server 400, or the external control device 240 (server) itself is the cloud server, and the operation instructions or read instructions mentioned in the above embodiment may be sent by the cloud server 400 as the initiator. In other words, the embodiment of the present invention An example may also be that the cloud server 400 uses a server or a smart phone to connect to the docking station 100 via a wireless network to remotely control the docking station 100 to perform the above-mentioned actions, such as obtaining the current firmware version of the docking station, obtaining specific firmware operation information of the docking station (for engineering personnel to debug), obtaining the firmware development date of the docking station, updating the firmware of the docking station, obtaining the display parameters of the display device, adjusting the display parameters of the display device, etc.

FIG. 2 is a system block diagram of an application system of the docking station 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The arrow symbol shown in FIG. 2 is used to represent the transmission path of the control command. FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, except that the one transmitting the operation command or the read command is an external control device 220 (computer) directly physically connected to the docking station 100 at the near end (for example, through an audio-visual transmission line), and the operation command or the read command transmitted by the external control device 220 (computer) is received by the command circuit 182 of the input interface controller 180. The command circuit 182 also translates the operation command or the read command transmitted by the external control device 220 (computer) into a first communication protocol message or a second communication protocol message, and then transmits it to the processing circuit 142. In addition, corresponding to the above step S13, the processor 140 returns the current firmware version information to the external control device 220 (computer) through the input interface controller 180, so that the external control device 220 (computer) knows the current firmware version of the docking station 100. In addition, corresponding to the above step S26, the input interface controller 180 receives the second communication protocol message from the processor 140 and transmits it to the external control device 220 (computer), so that the external control device 220 (computer) knows the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340. The remaining operations are similar to the operations described above with respect to FIG. 1, so they are not repeated here. Specifically, FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 , except that in FIG. 2 , the user uses a computer physically connected to the docking station to control the docking station 100 at a near end.

FIG3 is a system block diagram of the application system of the docking station 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The arrows in FIG3 are used to indicate the transmission path of the audio and video data. FIG3 is similar to FIG1, except that FIG3 is used to illustrate the transmission path of the audio and video data of the application system of the docking station. As shown in FIG3 , the input interface controller 180 is connected to an electronic device so that the audio and video interface circuit 184 of the input interface controller 180 receives a first audio and video signal from the electronic device. The electronic device is, for example, an external control device 220 (computer) that is physically connected (e.g., via an audio and video transmission line) to the input interface controller 180, or the electronic device is, for example, an external control device 240 (server) or 260 (smart phone) that is remotely connected to the input interface controller 180 via a network via the communication circuit 122. The audio/video interface circuit 164 of the output interface controller 160 receives the first audio/video signal through the processor 140 and transmits the first audio/video signal to the display device 320 and/or 340 so that the display screen of the display device 320 and/or 340 displays a display image corresponding to the first audio/video signal.

In the embodiment shown in FIG3 , the display setting instructions for adjusting the display parameters of the display devices 320 and/or 340 mentioned above can also be used to control the display images displayed on the display screens of the display devices 320 and/or 340. For example, the display screens of the display devices can also be quickly controlled to be blacked out through the display setting instructions, so that the display screens of specific display devices can be controlled not to display.

In some embodiments, the above-mentioned blacking out of the display screen to achieve the effect of not displaying can be achieved using different methods, such as: outputting a specific color screen, displaying only a brand logo, displaying a warning, displaying only a user interface (UI) or an on-screen setting menu (OSD) and blacking out the rest, displaying normally for only a short period of time to facilitate the user to operate the user interface (UI) or the on-screen setting menu (OSD) (for example, one minute), interrupting the output stream or disconnecting the power supply of the display device, etc. In other embodiments, the display device can be prevented from displaying normally by sending a consumer electronics control (CEC) command or disconnecting the power supply of the expansion socket (for example, 5V HDMI power). Alternatively, a command can also be sent to turn off the backlight unit of the display device.

For example, the above-mentioned output of a specific color screen, displaying only a brand logo, displaying a warning, displaying only a user interface (UI) or an on-screen setting menu (OSD) while the rest is blacked out, etc., can be realized through the following steps: (S41) The external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses a corresponding program to transmit a command to control the display screen of the display device to the communication circuit 122. (S42) The command translation circuit 124 translates the command into a communication protocol message to control the display screen of the display device. (S43) The processing circuit 142 receives the communication protocol message and converts the first audio and video signal into a second audio and video signal different from the first audio and video signal according to the communication protocol message, and transmits the second audio and video signal to the output interface controller 160. (S44) The audio-visual interface circuit 164 transmits the second audio-visual signal to the display device 320 and/or 340 so that the display screen of the display device 320 and/or 340 displays a display image corresponding to the second audio-visual signal, such as displaying a specific color image, displaying a brand logo, displaying a warning, displaying a user interface (UI) or an on-screen setting menu (OSD) while the rest of the image is blacked out.

For example, the above-mentioned normal display for only a short period of time to facilitate the user to operate the user interface (UI) can be implemented through the following steps: (S41) The external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to transmit the command to control the display screen of the display device to the communication circuit 122. (S42) The command is translated into a communication protocol message to control the display screen of the display device by the command translation circuit 124. (S51) In a first time period, the processor 140 transmits the first audio and video signal to the output interface controller 160 according to the communication protocol message, and the audio and video interface circuit 164 transmits the first audio and video signal to the display device in the first time period, so that the display screen of the display device correspondingly displays the display screen corresponding to the first audio and video signal. (S52) In a second time period immediately following the first time period, the processor 140 transmits the second audio and video signal to the output interface controller 160 according to the communication protocol message, and the audio and video interface circuit 164 transmits the second audio and video signal to the display device in the second time period so that the display screen of the display device displays a display image corresponding to the second audio and video signal. Through the above steps, the display screen of the display device is normally displayed only in the first time period to facilitate the user to operate the user interface (UI) or the screen setting menu (OSD), and in the second time period immediately after the first time period, the display screen of the display device is displayed, for example, a specific color image, a brand logo, a warning message, etc., so that the user cannot operate the user interface (UI) or the screen setting menu (OSD).

For example, the above-mentioned display screen blacking can be realized through the following steps: (S61) The external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to send a command to black out the display screen of the display device to the communication circuit 122. (S62) The command translation circuit 124 translates the command into a communication protocol message for blacking out the display screen of the display device. (S63) The processing circuit 142 receives the communication protocol message and does not transmit the first video and audio signal to the output interface controller 160 according to the communication protocol message, so that the display device does not display the screen, thereby achieving the purpose of blacking out the display screen.

For example, the above-mentioned normal display for only a short period of time to facilitate the user to operate the user interface (UI) or the screen setting menu (OSD) can be realized through the following steps: (S41) The external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to send a command to control the display screen of the display device to the communication circuit 122. (S42) The command is converted into a communication protocol message for controlling the display screen of the display device by the command conversion circuit 124. (S51) In a first time period, the processor 140 transmits the first audio-visual signal to the output interface controller 160 according to the communication protocol message, and the audio-visual interface circuit 164 transmits the first audio-visual signal to the display device in the first time period, so that the display screen of the display device displays the display image corresponding to the first audio-visual signal. (S52) In a second time period immediately following the first time period, the processor 140 does not transmit the first audio-visual signal to the output interface controller 160 according to the communication protocol message, so that the display device does not display the image. Through the above steps, the display screen of the display device is normally displayed only in the first time period so that the user can operate the user interface (UI) or the screen setting menu (OSD), and in the second time period immediately after the first time period, the display screen of the display device is blacked out so that the user cannot operate the user interface (UI) or the screen setting menu (OSD).

FIG4 is a system block diagram of an application system of the docking station 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The docking station 101 is similar to the docking station 100, except that the docking station 101 includes two input interface controllers 180 and 190, which are respectively connected to a first electronic device (external control device 220 (computer)) and a second electronic device (external control device 222 (computer)), and the audio-visual interface circuit 184 of the input interface controller 180 of the docking station 101 receives a first audio-visual signal from the first electronic device, and the audio-visual interface circuit 194 of the input interface controller 190 of the docking station 101 receives a second audio-visual signal from the second electronic device. The processor 140 of the docking station 101 determines whether to transmit the first audio-visual signal or the second audio-visual signal to the output interface controller 160 according to the control signal transmitted by the switch 600 connected to the processor 140, so that the display device 320 and/or 340 displays the display screen corresponding to the first audio-visual signal or the second audio-visual signal. The operation command or read command transmitted by the external control device 220 (computer) is received by the command circuit 182 of the input interface controller 180 of the docking station 101. The command circuit 182 also translates the operation command or read command transmitted by the external control device 220 (computer) into the first communication protocol message or the second communication protocol message, and then transmits it to the processing circuit 142 of the processor 140. The operation command or read command sent by the external control device 222 (computer) is received by the command circuit 192 of the input interface controller 190 of the expansion socket 101. The command circuit 192 also translates the operation command or read command sent by the external control device 222 (computer) into a first communication protocol message or a second communication protocol message, and then sends it to the processing circuit 142. The expansion socket 101 can determine whether to send the first communication protocol message or the second communication protocol message sent by the command circuit 182 or the command circuit 192 to the output interface controller 160 through the processor 140 or through the switch 600.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are system block diagrams of an application system of a display device 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The arrow symbol shown in FIG. 5 is used to indicate the transmission path of the control command. The arrow symbol shown in FIG. 6 is used to indicate the transmission path of the audio and video data. The display device 500 includes a network interface controller 120, a processor 140, a display and output interface controller 560, and an input interface controller 180. Specifically, the display device 500 is a display device with a built-in expansion socket. The functions of the network interface controller 120, the processor 140, and the input interface controller 180 of the display device 500 of FIG. 5 are substantially similar to those of the network interface controller 120, the processor 140, and the input interface controller 180 of the docking station 100 of FIG. 1, and thus will not be described in detail herein.

Specifically, the processor 140 of the display device 500 can also update the firmware of the display device 500 by writing the first communication protocol message into the memory 144 of the processor 140. Specifically, the processor 140 can also return the current firmware version information to the external control device 220/240/260 through the network interface controller 120, so that the external control device 220/240/260 knows the current firmware version of the display device 500. The display and output interface controller 560 is electrically connected to the processor 140 of the display device 500. The display and output interface controller 560 of the display device 500 is similar to the output interface controller 160 of the docking station 100 and can also adjust the display parameters of the display devices 320 and/or 340 by converting the communication protocol message into a display setting command and transmitting it to the display devices 320 and/or 340 connected to the display and output interface controller 560 (Note: the display devices 320 and/or 340 are external display devices of the display device 500).

The difference between the display device 500 and the docking station 100 is that the display and output interface controller 560 of the display device 500 can receive the video and audio signals so as to display the display screen of the display device 500 corresponding to the video and audio signals. Specifically, as shown in FIG6 , the display and output interface controller 560 of the display device 500 includes a display panel 565, a backlight unit 566 and an audio circuit 567 in addition to the command circuit 162 and the video and audio interface circuit 164, so that the display device 500 can display the display screen and audio corresponding to the video and audio signals.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5 , the display and output interface controller 560 can also read or adjust display parameters of the display device 500 by receiving communication protocol messages.

Taking reading the display parameters of the display device 500 as an example, please refer to FIG. 5 , which is divided into the following steps: (S71) The external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to send a read command for obtaining the display parameters to the communication circuit 122 of the network interface controller 120. (S72) The command translation circuit 124 of the network interface controller 120 translates the read command into a first communication protocol message for obtaining the display parameters. (S73) The processing circuit 142 of the processor 140 receives the first communication protocol message for obtaining the display parameters and transmits the first communication protocol message to the display and output interface controller 560 to read the display parameter signal from the display and output interface controller 560. (S74) The processing circuit 142 of the processor 140 translates the display parameter signal into a second communication protocol message. (S75) The communication circuit 122 of the network interface controller 120 receives the second communication protocol message from the processor 140 and transmits it to the external control device 220, 240 or 260, so that the external control device 220, 240 or 260 knows the display parameters of the display device 500.

Taking the adjustment of the display parameters of the display device 500 as an example, please refer to FIG. 5 , which is divided into the following steps: first, perform steps S71 to S75, so that the external control device 220, 240 or 260 knows the display parameters of the display device 500 and decides whether to adjust the display parameters of the display device 500. It is worth mentioning that if the external control device 220, 240 or 260 has confirmed the display parameters of the display device 500 in advance or wants to directly adjust the display parameters of the display device 500, it is not necessary to perform steps S71 to S75 first. Then, perform the following steps, (S81) the external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to send the operation instruction to adjust the display parameters to the communication circuit 122 of the network interface controller 120. (S82) The command translation circuit 124 of the network interface controller 120 translates the operation command into a third communication protocol message for adjusting the display parameters. (S83) The processing circuit 142 of the processor 140 transmits the third communication protocol message to the display and output interface controller 560 to adjust the display parameters of the display device 500.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5 , the display device 500 can also read or adjust the display parameters of the display devices 320 and/or 340 by sending a display read command or a display setting command.

Taking the acquisition of the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340 as an example, please refer to FIG. 5 , which is divided into the following steps: (S91) The external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to transmit a read command for acquiring the display parameters to the communication circuit 122 of the network interface controller 120. (S92) The command translation circuit 124 of the network interface controller 120 translates the read command into a first communication protocol message for acquiring the display parameters. (S93) The processing circuit 142 of the processor 140 receives the first communication protocol message for acquiring the display parameters and converts the first communication protocol message into a display read command for acquiring the display parameters. (S94) The processing circuit 142 of the processor 140 transmits a display read command for obtaining display parameters to the command circuit 162 of the display and output interface controller 560. The command circuit 162 of the display and output interface controller 560 transmits the display read command for obtaining display parameters to the display device 320 and/or 340 to read the display parameter signal from the display device 320 and/or 340. (S95) The processing circuit 142 of the processor 140 receives the display parameter signal from the command circuit 162 of the display and output interface controller 560 and translates the display parameter signal into a second communication protocol message. (S96) The communication circuit 122 of the network interface controller 120 receives the second communication protocol message from the processor 140 and transmits it to the external control device 220, 240 or 260, so that the external control device 220, 240 or 260 can know the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340.

Taking the adjustment of the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340 as an example, please refer to FIG. 5 , which is divided into the following steps: first, steps S91 to S96 are performed, so that the external control device 220, 240 or 260 knows the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340 and decides whether to adjust the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340. It is worth mentioning that if the external control device 220, 240 or 260 has confirmed the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340 in advance or wants to directly adjust the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340, it is not necessary to perform steps S91 to S96 first. Then, the following steps are performed: (S101) the external control device 220, 240 or 260 uses the corresponding program to transmit the operation command for adjusting the display parameters to the communication circuit 122 of the network interface controller 120. (S102) the command translation circuit 124 of the network interface controller 120 translates the operation command into a third communication protocol message for adjusting the display parameters. (S103) the processing circuit 142 of the processor 140 receives the third communication protocol message for adjusting the display parameters and converts the third communication protocol message into a display setting command for adjusting the display parameters. (S104) The processor transmits a display setting instruction for adjusting display parameters to the instruction circuit 162 of the display and output interface controller 560. The instruction circuit 162 of the display and output interface controller 560 transmits the display setting instruction for adjusting display parameters to the display device 320 and/or 340 to adjust the display parameters of the display device 320 and/or 340.

In summary, the present invention provides a docking station with a remote control function, which can be used by an external control device to perform various operations on the docking station through remote control, such as updating the firmware of the docking station, obtaining or adjusting the display parameters of the display device connected to the docking station, etc. The network administrator no longer needs to go to the site to connect the docking station through a physical line to perform individual processing, which saves time and improves management efficiency.

The above summarizes the features of several embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that they can easily use the present invention as a basis to design or modify other processes and structures to achieve the same goals and/or achieve the same advantages as the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also understand that these equivalent constructions do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and they can make various changes, substitutions and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

100,101: Expansion socket 120: Network interface controller 122: Communication circuit 124: Command translation circuit 140: Processor 142: Processing circuit 144: Memory 160: Output interface controller 162: Command circuit 164: Audio and video interface circuit 180,190: Input interface controller 182,192: Command circuit 184,194: Audio and video interface circuit 220,222,240,260: External control device 320,340: Display device 400: Cloud server 500: Display device 560: Display and output interface controller 565: Display panel 566: Backlight unit 567: Audio circuit 600: Switch

The following detailed description in conjunction with the attached drawings will provide a better understanding of the present invention. It should be noted that, in accordance with standard industry practice, the features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the features may be increased or decreased at will to facilitate discussion. [Figure 1] is a system block diagram of an application system of a docking station according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] is a system block diagram of an application system of a docking station according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] is a system block diagram of an application system of a docking station according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] is a system block diagram of an application system of a docking station according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] is a system block diagram of an application system of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] is a system block diagram of an application system of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

100: Expansion seat

120: Network interface controller

122: Communication circuit

124: Instruction translation circuit

140: Processor

142: Processing circuit

144:Memory

160: Output interface controller

162: Instruction circuit

164: Audio and video interface circuit

180: Input interface controller

182: Instruction circuit

184: Audio and video interface circuit

220,240,260: External control equipment

320,340: Display device

400: Cloud Server

Claims (10)

A docking station includes: a network interface controller for receiving an operation instruction from an external control device and translating the operation instruction into a first communication protocol message; a processor electrically connected to the network interface controller to receive the first communication protocol message; and an output interface controller electrically connected to the processor; wherein the processor is used to perform the following operations according to the first communication protocol message: writing the first communication protocol message corresponding to a firmware file into a memory of the processor to update the firmware of the docking station; or The first communication protocol message is transmitted to the output interface controller so that the output interface controller converts the first communication protocol message into a display setting instruction and transmits it to at least one display device connected to the output interface controller to adjust at least one display parameter of the at least one display device; wherein the network interface controller is further used to receive a first read instruction from the external control device and translate the first read instruction into a second communication protocol message; wherein the processor is further used to receive the second communication protocol message and perform the following operations according to the second communication protocol message: correspondingly returning a firmware information message to the external control device through the network interface controller so that the external control device knows the current firmware information of the expansion seat. The expansion socket as described in claim 1, wherein the expansion socket is further used to: The network interface controller receives a second read command from the external control device and translates the second read command into a third communication protocol message; and The processor receives the third communication protocol message and performs the following operations according to the third communication protocol message: The processor transmits the third communication protocol message to the output interface controller, so that the output interface controller converts the third communication protocol message into a display read command and transmits it to the at least one display device, so as to read back the at least one display parameter of the at least one display device from the at least one display device. An expansion socket as described in claim 1, wherein the output interface controller transmits the display setting command to the at least one display device in accordance with the Monitor Control Command Set (MCCS) standard or the Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) protocol to adjust the at least one display parameter of the at least one display device. The expansion socket as described in claim 2, wherein the output interface controller transmits the display read command to the at least one display device in accordance with a display control command set standard to read the at least one display parameter of the at least one display device. A docking station includes: a network interface controller for receiving an operation instruction from an external control device and translating the operation instruction into a first communication protocol message; a processor electrically connected to the network interface controller to receive the first communication protocol message; an output interface controller electrically connected to the processor; and an input interface controller connected to an electronic device to receive a first video and audio signal from the electronic device; wherein the processor is used to convert the first video and audio signal into a second video and audio signal different from the first video and audio signal according to the first communication protocol message, and transmit the second video and audio signal to the output interface controller; The output interface controller transmits the second audio-visual signal to at least one display device connected to the output interface controller, so that the at least one display device displays a display screen corresponding to the second audio-visual signal. The expansion socket as described in claim 5, wherein the processor is further used to: In a first time period, transmit the first audio-visual signal to the output interface controller according to the first communication protocol message so that the at least one display device displays a display screen corresponding to the first audio-visual signal; and In a second time period immediately following the first time period, transmit the second audio-visual signal to the output interface controller according to the first communication protocol message so that the at least one display device displays a display screen corresponding to the second audio-visual signal. The expansion socket as described in claim 5, wherein the processor is further used to not transmit the first audio and video signal to the output interface controller based on the first communication protocol message so that the at least one display device does not display a picture. The expansion socket as described in claim 5, wherein the processor is further used to: In a first time period, transmit the first video signal to the output interface controller according to the first communication protocol message so that the at least one display device displays a display screen corresponding to the first video signal; and In a second time period immediately following the first time period, do not transmit the first video signal to the output interface controller according to the first communication protocol message so that the at least one display device does not display a screen. A display device, comprising: a network interface controller, for receiving an operation instruction from an external control device and translating the operation instruction into a first communication protocol message; a processor, electrically connected to the network interface controller to receive the first communication protocol message; and a display and output interface controller, electrically connected to the processor; wherein the processor is used to transmit the first communication protocol message to the display and output interface controller, so that the display and output interface controller converts the first communication protocol message into a display setting instruction and transmits it to an external display device connected to the display and output interface controller to adjust at least one display parameter of the external display device; The network interface controller is further used to receive a read command from the external control device and translate the read command into a second communication protocol message; The processor is further used to receive the second communication protocol message and perform the following operations according to the second communication protocol message: Correspondingly, a current firmware version message is returned to the external control device through the network interface controller, so that the external control device knows the current firmware version of the display device. A display device as described in claim 9, wherein the external control device is a computer, a server or a smart phone, and the transmission interface between the external control device and the network interface controller is a wireless network interface, an Ethernet interface, a serial interface or a USB interface, wherein the network interface controller transmits the first communication protocol message to the processor in accordance with the integrated circuit protocol.

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