System for real-time adaptation to changes in display configuration

US 6,282,646 B1
Filed: 05/08/1998
Issued: 08/28/2001
Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
Status: Expired due to Term

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1. A method for reconfiguring a computer system to accommodate changes in a display environment, comprising the steps of:

detecting the addition or removal of an input/output device in the computer system;

determining whether an input/output device which has been added or removed is a video device, in response to said detection;

providing a notification to a display manager when a determination is made that a video device has been added or removed; and

modifying the allocation of display space to display devices via said display manager, in accordance with the addition or removal of a video device.

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Abstract

A hot-plugging capability for video devices is achieved by shifting the responsibility for recognizing changes in the configuration of a display environment from a computer'"'"'s operating system to a device manager. When an input/output device is added to or removed from the computer system, an interrupt signal informs a device manager of the fact that a change in configuration has occurred. In response thereto, the device manager determines whether the changed component relates to the computer'"'"'s display function. If so, the device manager makes a call to the computer'"'"'s display manager, to inform it of the fact that the display configuration has changed. In response to this call, the display manager reconfigures the display space for the computer system and notifies clients as appropriate, to accommodate display features associated with the added component. With this change in the configuration of the display space, the added component becomes immediately available for use.

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33 Claims

1. A method for reconfiguring a computer system to accommodate changes in a display environment, comprising the steps of:
- detecting the addition or removal of an input/output device in the computer system;
  
  determining whether an input/output device which has been added or removed is a video device, in response to said detection;
  
  providing a notification to a display manager when a determination is made that a video device has been added or removed; and
  
  modifying the allocation of display space to display devices via said display manager, in accordance with the addition or removal of a video device.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 22, 23)
- - 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the video device comprises a video card that includes a frame buffer, and said modification step includes assigning a portion of the display space to the frame buffer of an added video card, or deleting the assignment of a portion of the display space to a removed video card.
  - 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said display manager further carries out the step of storing a preferences file that identifies the status of displayed objects prior to a change in the configuration of a computer.
  - 4. The method of claim 3 wherein, upon detection of the addition of a video device, said display manager repositions objects in said display space, in accordance with a status stored in said preferences file.
  - 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said video device is a display device, and said display manager carries out the step of assigning a respective frame buffer, which corresponds to an allocated portion of the display space, to a corresponding display device.
  - 6. The method of claim 1 wherein, upon detection of the addition of a video device, said display manager causes a software program associated with the added device to be launched.
  - 7. The method of claim 1 wherein said display manager further carries out the step of reconfiguring a computer resource to correspond to the status of objects located in the display space.
  - 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said computer resource is a color look-up table.
  - 9. The method of claim 1, further including the step of recognizing an error condition resulting from an attempt to address a frame buffer that has been removed, providing a notification to said display manager in response to said error condition, and deleting an allocation of display space to the removed frame buffer.
  - 22. The method of claim 3, wherein said preference file stores the video devices which make up the configuration of the computer, and the locations of objects displayed on said video devices.
  - 23. The method of claim 22, wherein said preferences file also stores operating parameters for said devices.

10. A system which provides hot-plugging capabilities for display devices, comprising:
- a video device including a frame buffer for storing data that defines an image to be displayed on an associated display device;
  
  a display manager which defines a display space and assigns a portion of said display space to said frame buffer, and which provides data for images to be displayed to said frame buffer; and
  
  a device manager which detects the addition or removal of a device in a computer system, determines whether a device which has been added or removed is a video device, and provides a notification of such addition or removal to the display manager when a video device is determined to have been added or removed, to cause the assignment of a portion of the display space to be modified in accordance with a detected addition or removal.
- View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
- - 11. The system of claim 10, wherein said display manager launches a software program associated with the video device in response to notification that the video device has been added.
  - 12. The system of claim 11 further including a preference file stored in memory which indicates the status of objects being displayed when a video device is removed.

13. A system which provides hot-plugging capabilities for display devices, comprising:
- at least one display for displaying images;
  
  a display manager which defines a display space and assigns a portion of said display space to a display device, and which provides data for images to be displayed on said display device; and
  
  a device manager which detects the addition or removal of a device in a computer system, determines whether a device which has been added or removed is a display device, and provides a notification of such addition or removal to the display manager when a display device is determined to have been added or removed, to cause the assignment of a portion of the display space to be modified in accordance with a detected addition or removal.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
- - 14. The system of claim 13 further including a frame buffer which is associated with an assigned portion of the display space, and wherein said display manager modifies said assignment by associating said frame buffer with said display device.
  - 15. The system of claim 13 further including a preference file stored in memory which indicates the status of objects being displayed when a display device is removed.

16. A computer-readable medium containing a device manager program and a display manager program, wherein said device manager program performs the steps ofdetecting the addition or removal of an input/output device in a computer system, determining whether the input/output device is a video device, and providing a notification to the display manager program when a video device is added or removed;
- and wherein said display manager performs the step of;
  
  modifying the allocation of display space to display devices in response to said notification from the device manager.
- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- - 17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said display manager further performs the steps of storing a preference file relating to the status of objects appearing on a display device, and restoring objects to the status stored in the preferences file when a video device is added.
  - 18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said display manager performs the step of assigning a respective frame buffer to a display device in response to said notification of an added display device, or deleting the assignment of a respective frame buffer from said display device in response to said notification of a removed display device.
  - 19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said display manager performs the further step of launching a software program in response to said notification.
  - 20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said display manager performs the further step of reconfiguring at least one computer resource in accordance with the modification of the display space allocation.
  - 21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein said computer resource is a color look-up table.

24. A method for reconfiguring a computer system to accommodate changes in a display environment, comprising the steps of:
- detecting the addition or removal of a video device in the computer system;
  
  providing a notification to a display manager that a video device has been added or removed;
  
  modifying the allocation of display space to display devices via said display manager, in accordance with the addition or removal of a video device; and
  
  reconfiguring a color look-up table to correspond to the status of objects located in the display space.

25. A system which provides hot-plugging capabilities for display devices, comprising:
- a video device including a frame buffer for storing data that defines an image to be displayed on an associated display device;
  
  a display manager which defines a display space and assigns a portion of said display space to said frame buffer, and which provides data for images to be displayed to said frame buffer;
  
  a device manager which detects the addition or removal of the video device to a computer system, and provides a notification of such addition or removal to the display manager to cause the assignment of a portion of the display space to be modified in accordance with a detected addition or removal; and
  
  means responsive to the removal of a video device for storing a preference file in memory which indicates the status of objects being displayed.
- View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
- - 26. The system of claim 25, wherein said display manager is responsive to the addition or removal of a video device to restore displayed objects to a status stored in said preference file which corresponds to the configuration of the computer system after the video device is added or removed.
  - 27. The system of claim 25, wherein said preference file stores the video devices which make up the configuration of the computer, and the locations of objects displayed on said video devices.
  - 28. The system of claim 27, wherein said preferences file also stores operating parameters for said devices.

29. A computer-readable medium containing a device manager program and a display manager program, wherein said device manager program performs the steps of:
- detecting the addition or removal of a video device in a computer system, and providing a notification to the display manager program when a video device is added or removed;
  
  and wherein said display manager performs the steps of;
  
  modifying the allocation of display space to display devices in response to said notification from the device manager, and storing a preference file relating to the status of objects appearing on a display device, and restoring objects to the status stored in the preferences file when a video device is added.
- View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
- - 30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein said preference file stores the video devices which make up the configuration of the computer, and the locations of objects displayed on said video devices.
  - 31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein said preferences file also stores operating parameters for said devices.

32. A computer-readable medium containing a device manager program and a display manager program, wherein said device manager program performs the steps of:
- detecting the addition or removal of a video device in a computer system, and providing a notification to the display manager program when a video device is added or removed;
  
  and wherein said display manager performs the step of;
  
  modifying the allocation of display space to display devices in response to said notification from the device manager, and reconfiguring at least one computer resource in accordance with the modification of the display space allocation.
- View Dependent Claims (33)
- - 33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein said computer resource is a color look-up table.

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Litigation Data

Current Assignee
Apple Inc.
Original Assignee
Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
Inventors
Urbina, Fernando, Hendry, Ian, Anderson, Eric
Primary Examiner(s)
Grant, William
Assistant Examiner(s)
Hartman, Jr., Ronald D.

Application Number

US09/074,300
Time in Patent Office

1,208 Days
Field of Search

713/100, 710/8, 710/10, 710/17, 710/46, 710/47, 710/48, 714/5, 714/7
US Class Current

713/100
CPC Class Codes

G06F 3/14   Digital output to display d...

G06F 3/1431   using a single graphics con...

G06F 3/147   using display panels

G09G 2330/026   Arrangements or methods rel...

G09G 2370/042   for monitor identification

G09G 2370/047   using display data channel ...

G09G 5/003   Details of a display termin...

G09G 5/006   Details of the interface to...

System for real-time adaptation to changes in display configuration

First Claim

2 Assignments

Litigations

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Accused Products

Abstract

37 Citations

33 Claims

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System for real-time adaptation to changes in display configuration

First Claim

2 Assignments

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Litigations

0 Petitions

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Accused Products

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Abstract

37 Citations

33 Claims

Specification

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Use Cases

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