Abstract:
An electronic device comprising an electronic paper display that displays a first set of data, and a second display that displays a portion of the first set of data displayed on the electronic paper display. Preferably, the second display is a Liquid Crystal Display and displays the portion of the first set of data in color, whereas the portion is displayed on the electronic paper display in monochrome.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/252,817, filed Oct. 19, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/253,447, filed Oct. 20, 2009, which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present patent document relates to graphical display processing and in particular, to graphical display processing for disparate graphical display technologies. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The electronics we use today, in particular the mobile gadgets we carry with us, are expanding to include more and more functionality. In particular, specialized technologies are being developed to solve specific problems associated with certain electronic components. 
         [0004]    One example is the development of new screen types. Numerous new display technologies offer advantages that cannot be duplicated by other display technologies. 
         [0005]    One such example is the recent improvements in displays based on reflective technologies such as electronic paper displays (EPDs). Displays based on reflective technologies offer advantages that cannot be duplicated by displays that are backlit such as liquid crystal displays (LCD). For example, EPDs may be easily viewed in the presence of large amounts of ambient light such as sunlight and EPDs are less tiring on the eyes after extensive viewing. 
         [0006]    However presently, EPDs are monochrome, slow to update, and have optical qualities that are adversely affected by applying a touch-sensitive layer on top of them. Because interactive layers such as touch screens do not work with EPDs, it is not possible to access control elements from an external input. For example it is difficult to implement control elements such as Graphical User Interface (GUI) buttons, in an electronic paper display to select a command to invoke an action, such as click a hyperlink or play a movie. Electronic paper displays may be adequate for static, passive reading activities, but are not designed well for interactive use. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In view of the foregoing, an object according to one aspect of the present patent document is to provide an improved apparatus and process for using different graphical display technologies to enable user interactivity. Preferably the apparatus and processes address, or at least ameliorate one or more of the problems described above. To this end, an electronic device is provided; the electronic device comprises: an electronic paper display coupled to the device; and a second display coupled to the device, wherein the second display is configured to display a portion of the electronic paper display. 
         [0008]    In certain embodiments, the second display is a liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display may further be a touch screen display. The liquid crystal display may also be a color display. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, the second display is configured to allow the electronic paper display to be panned via input on the second display. 
         [0010]    In yet another embodiment, the electronic device is a portable handheld device although in other embodiments the device is not required to be portable or handheld. 
         [0011]    In other embodiments of the electronic device, the second display is used to show an enlarged view of the electronic paper display. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, a user interface may be further overlaid on the second display. The user interface may be used to allow user input to the electronic device. 
         [0013]    In other embodiments, the electronic paper display and the second display are connected, coupled, attached, or configured on the electronic display in any number of ways. For example, the electronic device may further comprise a frame and the electronic paper display and the second display are encased by the frame. 
         [0014]    In another embodiment, a process for incorporating different graphic display technologies on an electronic device is provided, the process comprises the steps of: manufacturing an electronic device with an electronic paper display and a second display based on a different graphical technology from the electronic paper display, and configuring the device to display a portion of the electronic paper display within the second display. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment, the process includes further configuring the device to include a graphical user interface overlaid on the second display. In another embodiment of the process provided, the second display is a liquid crystal display. In further embodiments, the liquid crystal display may be a touch screen display or a color display. The process may occur in the manufacture of a handheld portable device or other devices. 
         [0016]    In yet another embodiment, the device is further configured to allow the electronic paper display to be panned via input on the second display. 
         [0017]    In another embodiment, the device is further configured to display the portion of the electronic paper display in an enlarged view on the second display. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the device is further configured to use a single buffer that spans the electronic paper display and the second display. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a top view of a dual-display electronic device  100  with a frame buffer that spans the display area of both displays. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2   a  shows a conceptual top view of a dual-display electronic device  200  where the content of graphical data in a frame buffer is displayed in a primary graphical display. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2   b  shows a conceptual top view of a dual-display electronic device  200  where the content of graphical data in a frame buffer is displayed in a primary graphical display and a portion of graphical data is displayed in the secondary graphical display of the device. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2   c  shows a conceptual top view of a dual-display electronic device  200  where the content of graphical data in the secondary graphical display is different from  FIG. 2   b  because a different content portion of the data is scrolled into view in the secondary graphical display of the device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    One embodiment of this invention provides an electronic display device with dual graphical displays based on disparate graphical display technologies, where the technology of one graphical display enables a richer interaction with the digital content delivered from a display buffer to both graphical displays. Another embodiment of this invention provides an electronic display device with a separate, secondary window which a user may employ to interact with data in the primary display. Selecting a portion of data displayed in a secondary window through a touch or drag interface allows a user to interact with data in the primary display. 
         [0024]    Allowing a user to interact with data in the primary display via the secondary display is especially important when the primary display is of a type that is not well suited to accept user interaction. For example, a display buffer containing information for a primary electronic paper display might contain information, such as color data or rapidly changing data, which cannot be output directly to the primary display. Consequently, some conversion exists that modifies or reduces that information (e.g., color to monochrome conversion) before the information is passed to the primary display. Unlike the primary display which may have limited display or interactive capabilities a secondary color LCD display can display the source data in its entirety. 
         [0025]    In various embodiments, the primary display may include different limitations that require data conversion from the display buffer and make a secondary display advantageous. For example, the data in the display buffer may need to be reduced in resolution to properly display on the primary display. As another example the primary display may not have a sufficiently high refresh rate and the data in the buffer may need a reduction in the rate at which it is displayed. For example, an electronic paper display may not be able to display full motion video. In such an embodiment, a secondary LCD display may be included which can display full motion video at full rate. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows a top view of a dual-display electronic device  100  comprised of two separate physical displays based on different technologies. The two separate physical displays are primary display  101  and secondary display  102 . Frame buffer  103  is a single frame buffer that spans the combined display areas of primary display  101  and secondary display  102 . Primary display  101  displays graphical data  103   a,  which consists of data rendered in frame buffer  103  but modified, filtered, or transformed to meet the underlying display technology of primary display  101 . When modified, filtered or transformed, the quality and capabilities of the rendered data are reduced in graphical data  103   a.  For example, frame buffer  103  may include color attributes for graphical data, but color attributes are filtered out in graphical data  103   a  in order to be displayed in a monochrome primary display  101 . In other embodiments, other display properties may be modified such as resolution or refresh rate to name a few. 
         [0027]    Secondary display  102  has underlying display technology that is different from primary display  101 . Secondary display  102  shows graphical data  103   b,  which consists of data rendered in frame buffer  103 . The quality and capabilities of data rendered in frame buffer  103  is not reduced in graphical data  103   b.  Graphical data  103   b  is richer than graphical data  103   a.  Graphical data  103   b  may or may not be additionally processed to meet the display requirements of the underlying display technology of secondary display  102 . That is, the format of graphical data  103   b  may be the same format as data rendered in frame buffer  103 . For example, primary display  101  could be a monochrome Electronic Paper Display (EPD) and secondary display  102  could be a color Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). The format of data rendered into frame buffer  103  could be the same format used by the LCD. In this example, if frame buffer  103  has color data, graphical data  103   a  displayed in primary display  101  has color attributes filtered out on the monochrome EPD. Graphical data  103   b  displayed in secondary display  102 , however, retains the color attributes and is displayed in color on the color LCD. 
         [0028]    The underlying display technology of secondary display  102  provides a means to deliver coordinate information to its physical display. One embodiment of delivering coordinate information to secondary display  102  could be touch-sensitive input from a user, such as drag or gesture. A second embodiment of delivering coordinate information to secondary display  102  could be touch-sensitive navigation input from a separate control input mechanism, such as a stylus. 
         [0029]    A preferred embodiment of the invention is that secondary display  102  is touch sensitive, and through touch-sensitive input, allows graphical data  103   b  to be scrolled up, down, left, and right. A user can interact with secondary display  102  to scroll or pan around graphical data  103   b.  By using secondary display  102  to scroll or pan in this manner, a user has greater capabilities in  102  to interact with the same content that is available in physical display  101 . 
         [0030]    Embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to scrolling and panning. In other embodiments, manipulations such as zoom in and zoom out to facilitate changing font size or resolution are included. In addition, although secondary display  102  can be referred to as “zoom display”, secondary display  102  is not required to zoom. In addition, other important manipulations may be present in other embodiments such as interaction with user interface elements. User interface elements may consist of graphical buttons, lists, or other graphic interface controls. 
         [0031]    In operation of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , if a user desires to interact with a user interface control that is located on the primary display  101 , the user may pan and/or zoom the field of view of secondary display  102  so that the interactive element is within the field of view of the secondary display  102 . The user may then interact with the control element by manipulating it in secondary display  102 . For example, touching it in embodiments that include a touch sensitive secondary display  102 . This process may be repeated for the next interactive element. 
         [0032]    A preferred embodiment of the invention is that frame buffer  103  is of the same graphical format as secondary display  102 . This graphical format can be post-processed into the format of primary display  101 . When frame buffer  103  is of the same graphical format as secondary display  102 , display  102  can be panned instantly merely by changing the pointer location of the secondary display  102  source. 
         [0033]    A preferred embodiment of the invention is that the underlying display technology of secondary display  102  allows for color. This allows any underlying color data filtered out from graphical data  103   a  targeted to primary display  101  to be revealed in color when graphical data  103   b  is viewed in secondary display  102 . Color capability for secondary display  102  is especially preferred to improve usability where primary display  101  is monochrome, such as in EPDs. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2   a  shows exemplary graphical data rendered in frame buffer  103  spanning the combined areas of primary display  101  and secondary display  102 . Graphical data  103   a  has the same content as frame buffer  103 , but graphical data  103   a  is filtered to meet the underlying display technology of primary display  101 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 2   b  also shows exemplary graphical data rendered in frame buffer  103 , where a subset of the same content of  103  is displayed as graphical data  103   b  in secondary display  102 . 
         [0036]    In one embodiment, secondary display  102  is further configured to allow user interaction with the graphical data through the secondary display  102 . The preferred embodiment of secondary display  102  is a touch screen. A user may engage with the touch screen of secondary display  102  to interact with graphical data  103   b.  Because graphical data  103   b  is a subset of graphical data  103 , the secondary display  102  allows a user to effectively interact with the graphical data displayed on the primary display  101  via the secondary display  102 . 
         [0037]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2   c , when a user drags or scrolls the touch screen of secondary display  102 , a portion of graphical data correspondingly moves along the surface area of secondary display  102  to the coordinates of the desired location. By zooming or panning within the secondary display  102 , the user changes the field of view of the secondary display  102  to a different portion of the primary display  101 . As such, secondary display  102  serves as a window into all the content rendered in frame buffer  103  and displayed as filtered graphical data  103   a  in primary display  101 . Because all the content is essentially the same in frame buffer  103 , primary display  101 , and secondary display  102 , a user can use the technological capabilities of secondary display  102  to access and interact with the content displayed as graphical data  103   a  in primary display  101 . Because graphical data  103   b  in secondary display  102  is not filtered like graphical data  103   a,  a user may have greater technological capabilities for interacting with content via secondary display  102 . 
         [0038]    For example, in the case where primary display  101  includes a GUI element linked to an underlying control, e.g., a GUI button, a user can access and interact with the control by engaging with secondary display  102 . 
         [0039]    Although the data illustrated as residing in frame buffer  103  has been illustrated in  FIGS. 2   a - 2   c  as being sequential and related, this is not a requirement of the present invention. For example, the data for display in primary display  101  could be text data for an eBook, while unrelated graphical data from an Internet browser or an email application could be displayed on secondary display  102 . 
         [0040]    Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.