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WO-2026093431-A1 - SYSTEM FOR INTERFACING MULTIPLE DISPLAYS TO A DISPLAY DRIVING APPARATUS

WO2026093431A1WO 2026093431 A1WO2026093431 A1WO 2026093431A1WO-2026093431-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
20260507
Application Date
20251030
Priority Date
20241104

Claims (17)

  1. 1. A display (20) which is arranged to be used in 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; a processor (27) for writing the position data and the orientation data to the rewritable memory (26) and for reading the position data and the orientation data from the rewritable memory; and a user interface (28) configured to receive the position data and the orientation data as part of an installation procedure of the set of displays from a configuration device external to the set of displays.
  2. 2. The display of claim 1, wherein the memory (26) further stores identification data which identifies the displays of the set.
  3. 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. 4. The display of any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a detection system (29) for automatic detection of the display orientation.
  5. 5. An image supplying apparatus (40) for supplying images to a set of displays, comprising: a receiver (44) for receiving, from a display as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, 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. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the receiver is further for receiving identification data which identifies the displays of the set.
  7. 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. 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. 9. The apparatus of any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the receiver comprises an HDMI interface.
  10. 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. 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: as part of an installation procedure of the set of displays: providing, to at least one display, position data indicating a position of the at least one display relative to the other displays of the set and orientation data indicating an orientation of the at least one display, from a configuration device external to the set of displays; and storing the position data and the orientation data in a memory of the at least one display.
  12. 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. 13. The method of claim 11 or 12 implemented by the image supplying apparatus.
  14. 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. 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. 15
  16. 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, wherein the position data and the orientation data are written as part of an installation procedure of the set of displays using a configuration device external to the set of displays; and transmitting image data to the displays with a configuration applied that depends on the relative positions and the orientations.
  17. 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

SYSTEM FOR INTERFACING MULTIPLE DISPLAYS TO A DISPLAY DRIVING APPARATUS 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 Display ID. Via Display ID, a laptop can obtain all kinds of information about the display, for example the resolution, the aspect ratio, the maximum refresh rate, etc. Modem 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. GB 2580903 discloses a modular display comprising display tiles. Each display tile detects and stores the identity of adjacent display tiles in the modular display. This identity information is obtained using communications modules located at the edges of the display tile, for detecting and identifying adjacent display tiles that also have communications modules. By polling the display tiles, a model can be built of the arrangement of display tiles and this model may be stored within each display tile. Each display tile can then convert an input signal into the required visual output for the particular display tile. This approach requires a complex smart display tile, that can communicate with neighboring display tiles. There remains a need to simplify the driving of an arrangement of multiple display panels, that does not require significant additional complexity of the individual display panels. 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 is arranged to be used in 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; a processor for writing the position data and the orientation data to the rewritable memory and for reading the position data and the orientation data from the rewritable memory; and a user interface configured to receive the position data and the orientation data as part of an installation procedure of the set of displays from a configuration device external to the set of displays. 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