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EP-4738094-A1 - SYSTEM FOR INTERFACING MULTIPLE DISPLAYS TO A DISPLAY DRIVING APPARATUS

EP4738094A1EP 4738094 A1EP4738094 A1EP 4738094A1EP-4738094-A1

Abstract

A display forms part of a set of at least two displays. The displays of the set are for connection to a common image supplying apparatus. The display comprises a rewritable memory storing position data indicating a position of the display relative to the other displays of the set and orientation data indicating an orientation of the display. In this way, information stored at the display can be used to configure an image supplying apparatus to supply image data which is appropriate for the positions and orientations of the multiple displays.

Inventors

  • VAN ACHT, VICTOR MARTINUS GERARDUS
  • SPRINGER, Rink Peter Wycher

Assignees

  • Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241104

Claims (17)

  1. A display (20) which forms part of a set (10) of at least two displays (20, 30) positioned in a geometrical configuration in a viewing location, wherein the displays of the set are for connection to a common image supplying apparatus (40), the display comprising: a rewritable memory (26) storing position data indicating a position of the display relative to the other displays of the set and orientation data indicating an orientation of the display.
  2. The display of claim 1, wherein the memory (26) further stores identification data which identifies the displays of the set.
  3. The display of claim 2, wherein the memory (26) stores: position data indicating a position of each display of the set relative to all other displays of the set; and orientation data indicating an orientation of each display of the set.
  4. The display of any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a detection system (29) for automatic detection of the display orientation.
  5. An image supplying apparatus (40) for supplying images to a set of displays, comprising: a receiver (44) for receiving, from at least one display, position data indicating relative positions of the displays of the set and orientation data indicating orientations of the displays of the set; and a transmitter (46) for transmitting image data to the displays with a configuration applied that depends on the relative positions and the orientations.
  6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the receiver is further for receiving identification data which identifies the displays of the set.
  7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the transmitter is configured to apply the configuration only when all displays of the set have been connected to the apparatus.
  8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is configured to apply the configuration only when all displays of the set of displays have non-contradictory position data and orientation data.
  9. The apparatus of any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the receiver comprises an HDMI interface.
  10. The apparatus of any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit to the display position data that indicates a position of each display relative to the other displays of the set and orientation data that indicates orientations of the displays of the set.
  11. A method of configuring a set of displays, wherein the displays of the set are for connection to a common image supplying apparatus, the method comprising: in at least one display, storing position data indicating a position of the display relative to the other displays of the set and orientation data indicating an orientation of the display.
  12. The method of claim 11, comprising, in at least one display, storing: position data indicating a position of each display of the set relative to all other displays of the set; identification data which identifies each display of the set; and orientation data indicating an orientation of each display of the set.
  13. The method of claim 11 or 12 implemented by the image supplying apparatus.
  14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving information from a display of the set indicating a change in the position of the displays relative to each other and/or a change in orientation of at least one display.
  15. A computer program comprising computer program code which is adapted, when said program is run on a computer, to implement the method of any one of claims 11 to 14.
  16. A method of driving a set of displays, comprising: receiving, from at least one display, position data indicating relative positions of the displays of the set and orientation data indicating an orientation of the displays of the set; and transmitting image data to the displays with a configuration applied that depends on the relative positions and the orientations.
  17. A computer program comprising computer program code which is adapted, when said program is run on a computer, to implement the method of claim 16.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the driving of multiple displays from a common image supplying apparatus. For example, it relates to a conference room type setup, with multiple displays controlled by a single image supplying apparatus such as a laptop. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Displays are typically connected to an image supplying apparatus using the HDMI interface. The HDMI standard also provides a back-channel through which the image supplying apparatus, e.g., laptop, is able to obtain information about the display. For example, the HDMI standard supports the Display Data Channel (DDC), which in its later versions supports DisplayID. Via DisplayID, a laptop can obtain all kinds of information about the display, for example the resolution, the aspect ratio, the maximum refresh rate, etc. Modern laptops support multiple displays connected concurrently, where the screen of each display is able to display different image content. For example, in the Windows operating system, the feature can be used by enabling the feature "Extend desktop to this display". The Windows operating system also provides an intuitive user interface to configure the relative position and orientation (landscape/portrait) of the screens that are connected to the laptop. The way screens are placed relatively to each other (left / right) and how the screens are oriented (landscape / portrait left/ portrait right/ up side down/ mirrored/ ....) may be considered to be a property of the room in which the displays are located. It is not a property of the laptop, because a laptop can easily be carried to another room where the available displays have a different setup and orientation. It is also not a property of the display output port number of the laptop, because HDMI cables can be connected to any output ports. When using a laptop in a meeting room that has multiple displays, a first task is to configure the image supplying apparatus, for example via the Windows operating system, for the correct display positions and orientations. If some screens are in portrait orientation, the configuration becomes more complicated, because moving the mouse up and down (in a landscape configuration) results in moving the mouse pointer on the screen left and right. This makes maneuvering the mouse pointer to the correct buttons on the Windows desktop complicated. This configuration task needs to be performed each time the meeting room is used. There is therefore a need for an improved way to configure an imaging suppling apparatus to interface with multiple displays. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is defined by the claims. According to examples in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a display which forms part of a set of at least two displays positioned in a geometrical configuration in a viewing location, wherein the displays of the set are for connection to a common image supplying apparatus, the display comprising: a rewritable memory storing position data indicating a position of the display relative to the other displays of the set and orientation data indicating an orientation of the display. This display has a rewritable memory for storing the relative position of the display within a set of displays. For example, there may be a set of two or three displays arranged side by side in a meeting room. In order to enable an image supplying apparatus to drive all the displays taking into account their relative positions and orientations, the memory is arranged to be read to obtain the position and orientation data. This data is then used by the image supplying apparatus when supplying the at least two displays with images. This enables the image supplying apparatus to interface most effectively, for example ensuring that a mouse pointer moves between screens of the displays in a desired manner and the displayed data matches the orientation (portrait or landscape) of the displays. Configuring the displays in this way, only needs to be done only once (for example by the person who installs the displays in the room) and not again and again by each separate user of the displays in the room. The displays may be side by side, or one above the other, or a combination of positions. It is noted that the orientation of a display relates in particular to the orientation of the screen area, such as portrait or landscape. The position data and orientation data may be considered to comprise room configuration data, in that it relates to the way the display fits into the layout of multiple displays in a room. The position data for example indicates a layout of all displays of the set and indicates the location, within the layout, of the particular display. In another example, the position data may indicate a grid position (such as row 1 column 2) but without indicating how many rows and columns there are in total. The relative position information and orientation information is stored in the display (i.e., in any c