TWI397854B - Extension display system and method - Google Patents

Description

Extended display system and method

The present invention relates to an extended display system and method, and more particularly to a system and method for achieving a screen extension display via a tandem mobile communication device.

As computers become more powerful and existing operating systems are capable of multiple jobs, users typically execute multiple programs on the same computer. For example, a user may open a word processing program to write a written report, and also open a newsletter editing program to modify the slide for the report. If you need to compare the slides with the written report to modify the content, you need to switch the program screen, which is quite inconvenient and makes the execution of the work not smooth.

Alternatively, the user can display the two programs side by side on the screen, but it is limited by the size of a single screen. If more programs are enabled, the display area allocated by each program becomes smaller. Practical also costs a lot of money to buy large screens.

Therefore, a common solution is to use a display card with dual display output or multiple display output to output the picture to more than two displays to expand the total display area. However, this solution requires the purchase of a display card with multiple display outputs, and the need to purchase more displays, which is more expensive, and the space of the desk is limited, and an additional external screen also requires extra space.

In view of the increasing screen resolution of mobile phones, especially mobile phones such as PDA phones or smart phones, for example, the screen resolution of Apple's iPhone has 480x320pixels, while the screen resolution of HTC's model is Touch HD. Up to 480 x 800 pixels; therefore, if you can effectively use the screen of the increasingly high-resolution mobile communication device to achieve the extended display, it will solve the problem of the extra cost of purchasing the display in the past, without spending extra desktop use. space.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide an extended display method capable of extending a display of a program screen between a plurality of electronic devices synchronized with data. In order to achieve this category, the extended display method of the present invention comprises the following steps:

First, a mobile communication device is electrically connected to an electronic device, and data is synchronized between the two.

Then, the electronic device executes a program and determines whether the program can be extended or displayed according to a criterion.

Then, if the program is extendable, the electronic device transmits the display data corresponding to one of the programs to the mobile communication device.

Finally, the mobile communication device displays a screen corresponding to the program according to the display data.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an extended display system including a mobile communication device and an electronic device, and the mobile communication device is synchronized with the electronic device. In particular, the electronic device can transmit display data about a program to the mobile communication device, and the mobile communication device can display a picture about the program according to the display data.

According to a specific embodiment, the extended display system of the present invention includes a mobile communication device and an electronic device. The mobile communication device includes a first screen electrically connected to the mobile communication device and synchronized with the mobile communication device data.

The electronic device includes a processor and a second screen. The processor executes a program and determines whether the program is extendable according to a criterion. If the result of the judgment is that the program can be extended, the processor transmits the display data corresponding to one of the programs to the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device displays a screen corresponding to the program on the first screen according to the display data.

In addition, when the mobile communication device is external to the electronic device, if the mobile communication device has an external incoming call, the incoming call message can be transmitted to the electronic device, and the processor displays the message information corresponding to the incoming call message. On the second screen of the electronic device, the effect of the prompt is achieved.

In summary, the extended display method of the present invention integrates multiple devices having different screen sizes or different resolutions through data synchronization to extend the total display area. Furthermore, the present invention can display the display screens of different programs on the electronic device and the mobile communication device by extending the display rule, and can flexibly use the display area according to the user's needs. For example, on the second screen of the electronic device, a more conspicuous program screen (such as a word processing program) is displayed, and a less-sighted program screen (such as an image or video player) is displayed on the mobile communication device screen.

In addition, the extended display system of the present invention does not require additional purchase of display devices, and the existing mobile communication device can be utilized, so that the cost of extending the display purpose is much lower than that of the prior art, and when the usual mobile communication device is idle, The electronic device can be connected in series to not only extend the display but also charge the battery of the mobile communication device; if there is an incoming call during the extended display, the transfer of the incoming call message allows the user to know for the first time without causing the mobile communication device The screen is being displayed and the call is lost.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of the invention.

When executing multiple programs on a computer at the same time, such as a document program and a briefing program, the manuscripts required for editing a speech through a document program are also used to edit the presentations required for the presentation through the briefing program, usually by switching between programs. Two jobs. In this way, not only the steps are cumbersome, but also the contents of the document and the slide can not be viewed at the same time. Therefore, the present invention provides an extended display method in which a plurality of electronic devices (for example, the mobile communication device and the electronic device in the embodiment of the present invention) are serially connected by means of data synchronization, thereby using a plurality of external mobile communication devices. The screen is used to achieve the effect of extending the display area. In order to make the embodiment more clear and easy to understand, an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below using a mobile phone as an example of a mobile communication device and a notebook computer as an example of an electronic device.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an extended display system 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an extended display system 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the extended display system 3 of the present invention includes a notebook computer 30 and a mobile phone 32. The mobile phone 32 has a screen 320, a processor 322, and a transmission/reception unit 324, and the processor 322 is connected to the screen 320 and the transmission/reception unit 324, respectively. The notebook computer 30 has a screen 300, a processor 302, a transmission/reception unit 304, an input unit 306, and a storage unit 308, and the processor 322 is connected to the screen 300, the transmission/reception unit 304, the input unit 306, and the storage unit 308, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 3 together, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an extended display method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The following will describe how the present invention achieves an extended display through a plurality of electronic devices (e.g., handset 32 and notebook computer 30) with the aid of Figures 1 through 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the extended display method of the present invention may include the following steps:

First, step S50 is executed to electrically connect the mobile phone 32 to the notebook computer 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile phone 32 and the notebook computer 30 of the present embodiment are connected to the transmission/reception unit 324 of the mobile phone 32 and the transmission/reception unit 304 of the notebook computer 30 via the connection line 34 to establish a message communication pipeline. In practice, the connection line 34 may be a USB connection line, an IEEE 1394 connection line, or other suitable connection line. The transmission/reception unit 304, 324 may be a USB port, an IEEE 1394 port, or other suitable port. In practice, the mobile phone 32 and the notebook computer 30 can also establish a communication channel through wireless. In practice, the wireless method may be achieved by means of Bluetooth or infrared.

In addition, the mobile phone 32 and the notebook computer 30 are all equipped with synchronization software. When the mobile phone 32 and the notebook computer 30 establish a communication channel, the data can be synchronized through the synchronization software. For example, the synchronization software monitors the receipt and transmission of e-mail. If the mobile phone receives a new e-mail, the synchronization software of the mobile phone and the notebook will work together to synchronously update (transfer) the incoming e-mail received by the mobile phone to In the notebook.

When the mobile phone 32 is synchronized with the notebook computer 30, the user may not need the extended display function of the present invention. In another embodiment, in order to allow the user to decide whether to let the notebook computer and the mobile phone enter the extended display mode, after the step S50 and before the step S52, the extended display method of the present invention further comprises the following steps: the screen of the mobile phone 32 320 or the screen 30 of the notebook computer 30 displays a dialog box of "whether or not to execute the extended display mode", and waits to receive a "confirmation" command or a "cancel" command; then, if the mobile phone 32 or the notebook computer 30 receives the "confirmation" The instruction proceeds to the subsequent step S52.

Next, in step S52, the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 executes a program and determines whether the program can be extended or displayed according to a criterion. If the result of the determination is yes (the program can be extended), then the step S54 is executed, and the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 transmits the display data corresponding to the program to the mobile phone 32 through the transmission/reception unit 304. The display data is transmitted one by one in the form of pictures, or can be converted into a video stream composed of a plurality of pictures to transmit.

Next, in step S56, the transmission/reception unit 324 of the mobile phone 32 receives the display data, and transmits the display data to the processor 322. The processor 322 controls the screen 320 to display a screen corresponding to the program according to the display data.

In addition, if the result of the determination in step S52 is NO (the program is not extendable), then step S58 is executed, and the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 controls the screen 300 to display a screen corresponding to the program.

Therefore, by the foregoing method, the user, the manufacturer or the designer of the notebook computer 30 can control the display of the specific program on the screen 300 of the notebook computer 30 or the screen 320 of the mobile phone 32 through the revision of the criteria, so that the screen 300 is displayed. The use of 320 is more flexible and more in line with the needs of users.

In the present invention, the criteria can be adjusted to suit the needs of the user. Examples of criteria and their application will be detailed below in a number of specific embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, a first example diagram corresponding to step S52 to step S56 in FIG. 3 is illustrated; FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B illustrate steps S52 to S56 in FIG. FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are schematic diagrams showing a third example corresponding to step S52 to step S56 in FIG. In order to clearly show the focus of the description, FIG. 4A to FIG. 6B only show the screen 300 of the aforementioned notebook computer 30 and the screen 320 of the mobile phone 32.

In the first example, the notebook computer 30 pre-stores the program, assuming that the program contains three programs: (1) a briefing editor, (2) a document reading program, and (3) a video player. When the user wants to control the notebook computer 30 to execute a certain program, the user can control the notebook computer 30 to display the program menu 3000 on the screen 300. As shown in FIG. 4A, the program menu 3000 includes three programs in the aforementioned program set and other applications installed in the notebook computer 30, such as a document editing program, a browser program, an instant messaging program, and the like.

Please note that in practice, the program can be set by the user; preset by the manufacturer or designer of the notebook computer 30; or automatically set by the notebook computer 30 according to parameters such as user habits and program properties.

Further, when the user controls the cursor to select the "newsletter editing program" tab (as shown in FIG. 4B), the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 executes the briefing editing program. At the same time, the processor 302 compares the executed program with the aforementioned program, and determines that the briefing editor is one of the programs. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the notebook computer 30 transmits the display material (for example, the program screen or the slide screen) corresponding to the newsletter editing program to the mobile phone 32, and displays the screen of the newsletter editing program on the screen 320. In summary, in this example, if the user wants to display a specific program screen through the mobile phone 32, the executor name of the specific program needs to be in the assembly.

In a second example, the screen 300 of the notebook computer has a display boundary 3002. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the user controls the photo browsing program in the notebook computer 30 to open the photo numbered 1, the photo browsing program screen 3004 is displayed on the screen 300 of the notebook computer 30, and the screen 3004 includes the number 1. Photo.

As shown in FIG. 5B, when the user selects the photo browsing program screen 3004 through the cursor and drags to the edge of the screen 300, causing the photo browsing program screen 3004 to exceed the display boundary 3002 of the screen 300, the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30. Determine that the photo viewer is an extendable display. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the notebook computer 30 transmits the display data (eg, the program screen and the web page screen) corresponding to the photo browsing program to the mobile phone 32, and displays it on the mobile phone screen 320. In practice, when the mobile phone screen 320 displays the photo browsing program screen 3004, the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 controls the screen 300 to stop displaying the photo browsing program screen 3004, so that the user can open other applications to process other transactions. In summary, in this example, if the user wants to display a specific program screen through the mobile phone 32, the program screen displayed on the screen 300 of the notebook computer 30 needs to be moved, and the program screen is beyond the display boundary 3002 of the screen 300. .

In the third example, the judgment criterion of the processor is: when the user operates the notebook computer 30 to input an extended display instruction, it is determined that the program can be extended and displayed. As shown in FIG. 6A, in this example, the user controls the notebook computer 30 to simultaneously execute the photo browsing program to open the photo of number 1, and the document processing program opens the file of number 1, so that the screen 30 of the notebook computer 30 is simultaneously The photo viewer screen 3004 and the word processing program screen 3006 are displayed. In particular, the extended view tabs 3005a and 3005b are included in both the photo viewer program screen 3004 and the document processing program screen 3006.

If the user wants to view the photo through the mobile phone screen 320 and edit the file content through the notebook screen 300, the cursor can click the extended display tab 3005a on the photo browsing program screen 3004 to generate an extended display command. At this time, the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 can determine that the photo browsing program is an extendable display according to the extended display instruction, and the word processing program is not extendable display (please note that in practice, the extended display label 3005a and the extended display are clicked. The extended display instructions generated by the tag 3005b are different to facilitate the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 to determine which program is extendable.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the notebook computer 30 transmits the display data (eg, the program screen and the web page screen) corresponding to the photo browsing program to the mobile phone 32, and displays it on the mobile phone screen 320. In addition, the notebook screen 300 displays the word processing program screen 3006 alone, and the screen 3006 can be automatically enlarged. In summary, in this example, if the user wants to display a screen of a specific program through the mobile phone, an extended display instruction needs to be executed on the specific program.

In practice, the criteria for the present invention may include at least one of the foregoing criteria, or include other suitable criteria, and are not limited to the foregoing examples.

For example, the criterion of the present invention may include the criteria of the foregoing example one and the second example. Therefore, when the notebook computer 30 executes the newsletter editing program (example one) and the display screen of the newsletter editing program also exceeds the display boundary of the screen 300 of the notebook computer 30 (example 2), the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 is The briefing editor is judged to be an extendable display.

In addition, it should be added that since the resolution of the screen 300 of the notebook computer 30 is higher than the resolution of the screen 320 of the mobile phone 32, the program screen of the general program can be normally displayed on the notebook computer 30, but will exceed the mobile phone 32. There are many pictures that cannot be better displayed on the mobile phone 32. Therefore, before the notebook computer 30 transmits the display material corresponding to the program, the display data (the resolution of the program screen) can be appropriately adjusted according to the screen resolution of the mobile phone 32, so that the mobile phone 32 can normally display the program screen. The adjustment method is easily achieved by those skilled in the art, and will not be described here.

The above description uses the notebook computer 30 to execute the program, and the program screen is displayed on the mobile phone 32 as an example. In fact, the mobile phone 32 can also execute a program and display a program screen on the notebook computer 30.

For example, the mobile phone 32 can execute a message receiving program to receive an incoming call message and display the message content of the incoming call message. Moreover, the processor 322 of the handset 32 can determine whether the message receiving program can be extended (eg, using the aforementioned criteria for determination). When the processor 322 of the mobile phone 32 determines that the message receiving program is an extendable display, it can transmit the display material (for example, the message content) of the corresponding message receiving program to the notebook computer 30. The screen 300 of the notebook computer 30 can display the message content of the incoming call message received by the mobile phone 32. Another embodiment is that when the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 determines that the mobile phone 32 is in the extended display state, the incoming call message and the contact information of the mobile phone 32 are obtained through the transmission/reception unit 304; therefore, the user does not need to watch the mobile phone 32. The incoming call message of the mobile phone 32 can be instantly viewed through the notebook computer 30, so that the user can input the reply message corresponding to the incoming call message through the notebook computer 30 and transmit it through the mobile phone 32.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 simultaneously, and refer to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an extended display method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the extended display method of the present invention may further comprise the following steps:

First, step S70 is executed to electrically connect the mobile phone 32 to the notebook computer 30 and perform data synchronization. The detailed implementation of this step is the same as the foregoing step S50, and details are not described herein again.

Next, in step S72, the processor 322 of the handset 32 determines whether the incoming call message is extendable (eg, via the aforementioned criteria, or by other suitable criteria). When the processor 322 determines that the incoming call message is extendable, the process proceeds to step S74, and the processor 322 of the mobile phone 32 synchronously transmits the incoming call message and the contact information about the incoming call message through the transmission/reception unit 324 (for example, but not limited to, The caller number, caller name, caller ID, etc. are transmitted to the notebook computer 30. The processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 receives the incoming call message and the contact information through the transmission/reception unit 304, and controls the screen 300 to simultaneously display the incoming call message and the contact information. On the other hand, when the processor 322 of the mobile phone 32 determines that the incoming call message is not extendable, the processor 322 controls the screen 320 to simultaneously display the incoming call message and the contact information.

Then, in step S76, the user edits the reply message corresponding to the incoming call message by the input unit 306 of the notebook computer 30. Next, in step S78, the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 receives the reply message and stores the reply message in the storage unit 308.

Finally, in step S80, after the processor 302 of the notebook computer 30 receives the transmission command input by the user through the input unit 308, the processor 302 transmits the reply message to the mobile phone 32 through the transmission/reception unit 304.

Please note that in practical applications, the electronic device of the present invention may be a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant or other suitable data processing device, and is not limited to the notebook computer exemplified above. In addition, in practical applications, the mobile communication device of the present invention may be a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant with communication function, a navigation device with communication function, or other suitable mobile communication device, and is not limited to the mobile phone exemplified above.

Compared with the prior art, the extended display method of the present invention integrates different electronic devices having different screen sizes through data synchronization to extend the total display area. Furthermore, the present invention can display the display screens of different programs to different electronic devices by extending the display rules, and can flexibly use the display area according to user requirements. The electronic device screen displays a more conspicuous program screen (such as a word processing program), allowing the mobile communication device to display a less expensive program image (such as an image or video player).

In addition, the extended display system of the present invention can only utilize the existing mobile communication device. Since the mobile communication device is small in size, it can be used for extended display without costing more desktop area, and the cost is much lower than that of the prior art; And through the call message transfer, the caller information of the mobile communication device will not be missed.

The features and spirit of the present invention will be more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover various modifications and equivalents within the scope of the invention as claimed. Therefore, the scope of the patented scope of the invention should be construed as broadly construed in the

3. . . Extended display system

30. . . Notebook computer

300, 320. . . Screen

3000. . . Program menu

3002. . . Display boundary

3004. . . Photo viewer screen

3005a, 3005b. . . Extended display label

3006. . . Document processing screen

302, 322. . . processor

304, 324. . . Transmission/reception unit

306. . . Input unit

308. . . Storage unit

32. . . Mobile phone

34. . . Cable

S50~S58, S70~S80. . . Process step

1 is a functional block diagram of an extended display system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a schematic diagram of an extended display system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an extended display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are schematic diagrams showing a first example corresponding to step S52 to step S56 in FIG.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are schematic diagrams showing a second example corresponding to step S52 to step S56 in FIG.

FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are schematic diagrams showing a third example corresponding to step S52 to step S56 in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an extended display method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

S50~S58. . . Process step

Claims (20)

An extended display method includes the steps of: electrically connecting a mobile communication device to an electronic device, and performing data synchronization; the electronic device displays a screen and executes a program, and determines whether the program is extendable according to a criterion; When the program is extendable, the electronic device transmits the display data corresponding to one of the programs to the mobile communication device; and the mobile communication device displays an extension screen corresponding to the program according to the display data. The extended display method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device prestores a program, and the criterion comprises: when the electronic device determines that the program includes the program, determining that the program can be extended. The extended display method of claim 1, wherein the screen of the electronic device has a display boundary, and the electronic device displays the extended screen corresponding to the program on the screen while executing the program, and the criterion The method includes: when a user operates the electronic device to move the extended screen on the screen beyond the display boundary, determining that the program can be extended. The extended display method of claim 1, wherein the criterion comprises: when a user operates the electronic device to input an extended display instruction, determining that the program is extendable. An extended display method as described in claim 1, wherein the process When the display is not extendable, the electronic device does not transmit the display data to the mobile communication device, and the electronic device displays the extended screen corresponding to the program. The extended display method of claim 1, wherein when the mobile communication device receives an incoming call message, the mobile communication device determines whether the incoming call message is extendable, and when the incoming call message is extendable, the action The communication device synchronously transmits the incoming call message to the electronic device, and the electronic device displays the incoming call message. The extended display method of claim 6, wherein when the incoming call message is extendably displayed, the mobile communication device synchronously transmits contact information about the incoming call message and the incoming call message to the electronic device, and The electronic device simultaneously displays the incoming call message and the contact information. The extended display method of claim 7, wherein the contact information is any combination of a group consisting of a caller number, a caller name, and an incoming call icon. The extended display method of claim 6, wherein the electronic device transmits a reply message to the mobile communication device after receiving a reply message from a user to respond to the incoming call message, and the mobile communication device The device sends it out. The extended display method of claim 9, wherein the electronic device stores the reply message in a storage unit before the step of transmitting the reply message to the mobile communication device, and when the electronic device is connected After receiving the input command, the user transmits the reply message to the mobile communication device. An extended display system includes: a mobile communication device including a first screen; and an electronic device electrically connected to the mobile communication device and synchronized with the mobile communication device, the electronic device comprising: a second screen And a processor for executing a program, and determining whether the program is extendable according to a criterion, and when the judgment result is that the program can be extended, the data transmission is displayed corresponding to one of the programs. The mobile communication device is configured to enable the mobile communication device to display a screen corresponding to one of the programs on the first screen according to the display data. The extended display system of claim 11, wherein the electronic device prestores a program, and the criterion comprises: when the electronic device determines that the program includes the program, determining that the program can be extended. The extended display system of claim 11, wherein the second screen has a display boundary, and the electronic device displays the extended screen corresponding to the program on the screen while executing the program, and the criterion comprises: When a user operates the electronic device to move the extended screen on the second screen beyond the display boundary, it is determined that the program can be extended. The extended display system of claim 11, wherein the electronic device further comprises: an input unit coupled to the processor; The criterion includes: when a user inputs an extended display instruction through the input unit, the processor determines, according to the extended display instruction, that the program is extendable. The extended display system of claim 11, wherein when the processor determines that the program is non-extensible, the electronic device does not transmit the display data to the mobile communication device, and the electronic device is in the second The screen displays the extension of the program. The extended display system of claim 11, wherein when the mobile communication device receives an incoming call message, the mobile communication device determines whether the incoming call message is extendable, and when the incoming call message is extendable, the action The communication device synchronously transmits the incoming call message to the processor, and the processor controls the second screen to display the incoming call message. The extended display system of claim 16, wherein the mobile communication device synchronously transmits contact information about the incoming call message and the incoming call message to the processor, and the processor controls the second screen simultaneously The call message and the contact information are displayed. The extended display system of claim 17, wherein the contact information is any combination of a group consisting of a caller number, a caller name, and an incoming call icon. The extended display system of claim 16, wherein the electronic device further comprises: an input unit coupled to the processor; wherein when a user edits a reply message corresponding to the incoming call message by the input unit Transmitting the reply message to the processor through a transmitting/receiving unit The mobile communication device is then transmitted by the mobile communication device. The extended display system of claim 19, wherein the electronic device further comprises: a storage unit coupled to the processor; wherein when the processor receives the reply message, the processor stores the reply message In the storage unit, and after the processor receives the user sending an instruction through the input of the input unit, the processor transmits the reply message to the mobile communication device through the transmission/reception unit.