MXPA97009276A - Interface of a monitor communicating with personal computer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a monitor having a microcomputer for performing a consecutive peripheral interface (SPI) communication with a personal computer (PC) which can improve the communicability between the PC and the monitor. The monitor includes an interface using in common a type of communication that uses a clock and consecutive information through a printer port of the PC and the other type of communication using RS232C through a PC COM port and information it is stored or read from the microcomputer through the interface. The interface performs an input / output of the consecutive information using the port of the printer and the port c

Description

INTERFACE OF A MONITOR THAT COMMUNICATES WITH A PERSONAL COMPUTER. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention. The present invention relates to an interface of a monitor that communicates with a personal computer (PC), and more particularly to an interface of a monitor that can enter / extract consecutive information through the port of a printer and a COM port simultaneously to the provide an interface communication using the port of the PC printer that communicates with a microcomputer of the monitor, thereby improving the communicability between the PC and the monitor's microcomputer. 2. Description of the related art. As shown in Figure 1, the conventional interface of a monitor communicating with a PC comprises a microcomputer 1 of the monitor to process the information by consecutive peripheral interface communication (SPI), a printer port 3A, installed in the rear of PC 3 to enter / obtain information through it.

The section 2 of the interface comprises an inverter Gl, connected between the tip number 2 of the printer port 3A of the PC 3 and a consecutive clock line terminal (SCL) of the microcomputer 1, to transmit a control signal of line of clock, a G2 inverter connected between the SCL terminal of the microcomputer 1 and the tip number 15 of the port of the printer 3 A of the PC 3, to check the status of the clock signal transmitted from the Gl inverter to the microcomputer 1, a G3 inverter, connected between the tip number 3 of the printer port 3 A of the PC 3 and a consecutive information line terminal (SDL), to transmit an information line control signal and a G4 inverter, connected between the SDL terminal of the microcomputer 1 and the tip 10 of the port of the printer 3 A of the PC 3 to check the status of the information signal transmitted from the inverter G3 to the microcomputer 1.

The reference numbers Rl to R4 in Figure 1 denote rheostats to pull up.

The operation of the conventional interface of a monitor communicating to a PC will be explained.

First, in case PC 3 writes information inside the microcomputer 1 through the clock line and the information line, the tips number 2 and 3 of the printer port 3 A of PC 3 starts with signals high level. In the initial stage, as illustrated in Figure 2A, the initial condition of the transmission of information occurs at a point where the line of the clock and the line of information go from a "high" state to a "low" state. At this time, the microcomputer 1 recognizes that the PC 3 starts reading the information or writing operation upon detecting the initial condition through the clock line and the information line.

In the case of writing the information in the microcomputer, PC 3 sends information through inverter G3, synchronizing the information with the clock signal applied to the inverter Gl of section 2 of the interface. The microcomputer 1 of the monitor then receives and stores in an integrated memory the clock signal and the entered information of the inverters Gl and G3. Meanwhile, in the case of reading information from the microcomputer 1, the PC 3 reads necessary information through the inverters G2 and G4 from the microcomputer 1.

At this moment, PC 3 feeds the information and the signal that leaves the Gl and G3 inverters through inverters G2 and G4 of section 2 of the interface to check if the current line and the information line operate in a normal state. Also, the PC 3 recognizes the information read by recognizing the input clock output through the G3 inverter. Specifically, PC 3 transmits or reads the information bit by bit by recognizing the increase in the limit of the ninth clock of the clock signal. At this time, the microcomputer 1 of the monitor displays the input information output on the monitor screen so that the user can see the information.

If the termination condition is connected as shown in Figure 2A during the information input / output operation described above, PC 3 terminates the information input / output operation.

However, according to the conventional interface of a monitor that communicates with a PC, the PC can not communicate information with the microcomputer through the port of the printer if the printer cable is connected to the port of the printer of the PC. then the use of the system decreases. Furthermore, it is impossible to perform a consecutive communication or parallel communication compatible using ports of entry / exit of the PC, thus greatly deteriorating the operability of the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems involved in the prior art and provide an interface of a monitor that can communicate with a PC which can send / receive consecutive information simultaneously using a COM port in parallel with the port of the PC printer, improving in this way the communicability between the PC and the monitor's microcomputer.

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitor having a microcomputer for performing an SPI communication with a PC, the monitor comprising an interface using in common a type of communication using a serial clock and serial information through a PC leek printer and the other type of communication using RS232C through a COM port of the PC, where the information is stored or read from the microcomputer through the interface.

In another aspect of the present invention, an interface of a monitor communicating with a PC is provided, the monitor has a microcomputer for controlling the input and output of parallel and consecutive information through the microcomputer and a D-sub connector for connecting parallel and consecutive information and the PC has a COM port to enter / send the consecutive information by the RS232C and a printer port to enter / send print information, the interface comprises: a parallel communication section, connected between the port of the printer and the COM port of the PC and the D-sub connector of the monitor with parallel communication lines to enter / send information; a serial switch, connected between the COM port and the D-sub connector, to control the communication lines by means of the switch to carry out a consecutive communication; and a transistor, connected to one side of the D-sub connector to provide an interrupt signal to the microcomputer when consecutive communication is made.

In still another aspect of the present invention, a communication interface is provided in a display device having a processor for performing a consecutive interface communication with a computer, the communication interface comprising: a serial port connector attached to the processor and that connects to a serial port on the computer; a parallel port connector attached to the processor that connects to the parallel port of the computer; and a maneuverable switch to interrupt communication to the processor between the serial port when communication through the serial port and the parallel port is desired when communication through the parallel port is desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS The foregoing objective, other characteristics and advantages of the present invention, will be apparent when describing the preferred example thereof with reference to the accompanying illustrations, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram that illustrates the conventional interface of a monitor that communicates with a PC.

Figure 2A is a waveform diagram illustrating the clock signal and information generated through the clock line and the information line for SPI communication.

Figure 2B is a waveform diagram illustrating the generated waveform of the COM port for RS232C communication according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is a block diagram of an interface of a monitor communicating with a PC according to the present invention.

Figure 4A is a schematic circuit diagram of the construction for controlling the status of the screen under the control of a monitor microcomputer using a consecutive clock and consecutive information through a PC printer port.

Figure 4B is a schematic circuit diagram of the construction for controlling the status of the screen under the control of a microcomputer using a COM port of the PC according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREDILECT EXAMPLE Figures 3, 4 A and 4B show an interface of a monitor to perform communication with a PC.

Referring to Figure 3, the interface of the monitor for performing communication with a PC is connected between the monitor 30 having a D-sub connector (miniature sub-connector type D) 20 for connecting the parallel and consecutive input information to / output to a monitor microcomputer and PC 40 that has a COM port 40A to enter / send printer information. The interface includes a parallel communication section 50, connected between the port of the printer 40B which is on the back of the PC 40 and the COM port 40A for the RS232C communication and the connector D-sub 20 provided on the back of the monitor with parallel communication lines for input / sending information; a serial switch SW1 connected between the COM port 40A and the D-sub connector 20, for controlling the communication lines by means of the switch for consecutive communication; and a transistor Q 11, connected to a side of the D-sub connector 20, that is, the tip number 5 as shown in Figure 4B to provide an interruption signal to the microcomputer 10 when consecutive communication is made.

The parallel communication section 50 includes an inverter Gl connected between the tip number 2 of the printer port 40B of the PC 40 and the tip number 15, which is a consecutive clock line terminal of the D-sub 20 connector, for transmit a signal that controls the clock line; a G2 inverter to feedback the status of the clock signal transmitted from the Gl inverter to the microcomputer; a G3 inverter connected between the tip number 3 of the port of the printer 40B of the PC 40 and the tip number 12 which is a terminal of a consecutive information line (SDL) of the D-sub connector 20 to transmit the signal to the control information line; and a G4 inverter connected between the SDL terminal of the D-sub connector 20 and the tip number 10 of the printer port 40B of the PC 40 to feed back the information signal transmitted from the G3 inverter to the microcomputer to check the signal of the information.

The serial switch SW1 is connected between the tip number 3 of the COM port 40 A and the tip number 5 of the D-sub connector 20 to perform the interruption operation for consecutive communication. On the rear side of the PC 40 a PC 40C input port is connected to the tips of the respective terminal of the D-sub connector 20 to transmit an image signal and a synchronized signal of the PC 40. An SCL terminal and a SDA terminal of the microcomputer are connected between the tip number 15 and the tip number 12 as shown in Figure 4A. Also, the D-sub connector 20 is connected to the input port of the PC 40C to receive / send the image signal and the synchronized signal. A switch SW2 is provided between the tip number 9 of the D-sub connector 20 and the tip number 9 of the input port of the PC 40C for writing information on an information channel (DDC) screen.

The tip number 5 of the COM port 40A is connected to ground, the reference of the numbers Rl to R14 denote the rheostats.

The operation of the interface of a monitor communicating with a PC as constituted above according to the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 3, 4A and 4B.

Figure 3 shows a consecutive information to the microcomputer written by means of the parallel communication section 50. When a control signal of horizontal size with consecutive information is transmitted through the microcomputer of the monitor 30, the PC 40 determines the value of horizontal size that is entered by the user and converts the resulting horizontal control signal into a transmission format as illustrated in Figure 2A to transmit the signal to the monitor's microcomputer 30 through the Gl inverter and the G3 inverter of the parallel communication section 50. In other words, the PC 40 connects the clock signal to the inverter Gl connected to the tip number 2 of the port of the printer 40B, while the consecutive input information in response to the size control signal horizontal, which is synchronized with the clock applied to the inverter Gl through the inverter G3 connected to the tip number 3 Considering the above, the consecutive information sent to the inverter G3 of the parallel communication section 50, is sent to the terminal SDA of the microcomputer through the tip number 12 of the D-sub connector 20 of the monitor 30 as illustrated in FIG. Figure 4A. At the same time, the consecutive clock signal sent to the inverter Gl of the parallel communication section 50 is connected to the SCL terminal of the microcomputer of the monitor 30 through the tip number 15 of the D-sub connector 20 of the monitor 30 as shown in FIG. illustrated in Figure 4 A. The monitor's microcomputer 30 then encodes the consecutive information in response to the horizontal size control signal connected to the input of the horizontal size control signal to the horizontal size control circuit section ( not illustrated). The section of the horizontal size control circuit controls a pulse amplitude modulation (PWM) value in response to the horizontal size control signal of the microcomputer to adjust the horizontal size.

On the other hand, when the consecutive information of the microcomputer is read by means of the parallel communication section 50, the microcomputer transmits the serial clock and the information to the inverter G2 and the inverter G4 of the parallel communication section 50 through the line SDA and the line SCL of the D-sub connector 20, respectively, and the PC 40 reads the serial clock and the information of the inverter G2 and the inverter G4.

Meanwhile, the PC 40 feeds back the information and the clock signal that leaves the inverter Gl and the inverter G3 through the inverter G2 and the inverter G4 of the parallel communication section 50 to determine whether the present clock line and the line of operation operate in a normal state. If the PC 40 and the monitor 30 are determined to operate in normal state, an image signal and a synchronized signal are sent through the PC 40 input port.

Meanwhile, when consecutive communication is made through the COM port, the user must operate the SW1 serial switch and put a signal to control the horizontal size. Then, the PC 40 converts the consecutive information according to the horizontal size within the transmission format as illustrated in Figure 2B and the consecutive information is sent through the tip number 3 of the COM port 40A. The serial information sent from the tip number 3 of the COM port 40A is connected to the tip number 5 of the D-sub connector by means of the serial switch SW1.

The consecutive information is then connected to the base terminal of the transistor Ql l connected to the tip number 5 of the D-sub connector 20. The transistor Ql l is turned on subsequently and the consecutive RS232C information is connected to the switch terminal of the microcomputer.In this step, the microcomputer performs the start detection of the boundary point at which the initial interval of the consecutive connected information decreases from the "high" value to the "low" value as shown in Figure 2B. The microcomputer subsequently generates an interrupt according to the initial condition of the consecutive information and encodes the remaining consecutive information to connect the horizontal size control signal to the horizontal size control circuit section (not shown).

The section of the horizontal size control circuit controls the PWM value in response to the horizontal size control signal of the microcomputer to adjust the horizontal size (PWMO-PWMN).

In this way, according to the present invention, the consecutive information can be transmitted by means of the port of the printer 40B which performs the parallel communication. RS232C communication can also be done through the COM port 40A.

As described above, the present invention results in an effect of improving the communicability between a PC and a monitor by making an interface for communication using a COM port as well as a printer port to communicate with a monitor's microcomputer and consecutive information from send / receive through the printer port and the COM port simultaneously.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated herein with reference to the preferred exemplary thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail can be made thereto without departing from the essence and scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. CLAIMS: 1. A monitor that has a microcomputer to perform a peripheral interface (SPI) communication with a personal computer (PC), the monitor comprising an interface using a communication type in common using a serial clock and serial information. Through a PC printer leek and the other type of communication using RS232C through a COM port of the PC, where the information is stored or read from the microcomputer through the interface.
2. 2. The monitor as set forth in Claim 1, wherein the interface includes the selection of the mechanism to select one of the types of communication through a board provided on the PC.
3. 3. An interface of a monitor that communicates with a PC, the monitor has a microcomputer to control the input / output of parallel and consecutive information through the microcomputer and a D-sub connector to connect the parallel and consecutive information and the PC has a COM port to enter / send the consecutive information by the RS232C and a printer port to enter / send print information, the interface comprises: a parallel communication section, connected between the port of the printer and the COM port of the PC and the D-sub connector of the monitor with parallel communication lines to enter / send information; a serial switch, connected between the COM port and the D-sub connector, to control the communication lines by means of the switch to carry out a consecutive communication; and a transistor, connected to one side of the D-sub connector to provide an interrupt signal to the microcomputer when consecutive communication is made.
4. 4. A display device having a processor for consecutive interface communication with a computer, the communication interface comprises: a serial port connector attached to the processor and connected to a serial port of the computer; a parallel port connector attached to the processor that connects to the parallel port of the computer; and a maneuverable switch to interrupt communication to the processor between the serial port when communication through the serial port and the parallel port is desired when communication through the parallel port is desired.
5. 5. The communication interface according to Claim 4, further comprises a screen port which is connected to a computer screen port and which operates to receive information from the computer screen to display it on the screen, where the intemiptor is connected to the port of the communication interface screen. EXTRACT OF THE INVENTION. A monitor that has a microcomputer to perform a consecutive peripheral interface (SPI) communication with a personal computer (PC) which can improve the communicability between the PC and the monitor. The monitor includes an interface using in common a type of communication that uses a serial clock and consecutive information through a printer port of the PC and the other type of communication using RS232C through a COM port of the PC and the Information is stored or read from the microcomputer through the interface. The interface performs an input / output of the consecutive information using the printer port and the com port.