System and method for express execution of playing computer multimedia data

A method and system for express execution of multimedia playing is provided. A computer system is installed with a first operating system and a second operating system in a data storage therein. The method includes the following steps: the computer system finishing basic booting process; the computer system loading and executing a driver to activate a touch-control display device; the touch-control display device displaying icons representing detected audiovisual players; detecting the icon selection by the user; based on the selection, loading and executing the corresponding operating system; and executing the application program corresponding to the selected audiovisual player.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for playing computer multimedia and, more particularly, to a method for express execution of playing computer multimedia with a touch-control interface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The multimedia playing system made with the integration of a computer system and an audiovisual player is gaining popularity and is widely used on many occasions, including offices and households, because the rapid development of computer technology.

The design of the conventional multimedia playing systems is basically interfacing a computer system with an audiovisual player. With this type of design, the user usually needs to boot the computer system up in order to activate and operate the audiovisual player. In other words, the user must wait until the computer system completes the BIOS program initialization, POST program, peripheral detection and driving, OS activation, system state setting, and so on, before the user can execute the audiovisual program to play the audiovisual data. It is inconvenient for the user as there is no shortcut to bypass the tedious booting process of the computer system.

To overcome the aforementioned drawback, the current technology utilizes different designs to implement express execution of multimedia playing. These designs configure a different region in the hard-disk and install a first operating system, such as Linux-based OS, and a second operation system, such as a Windows OS, in different hard-disk regions. These designs require modification to the computer BIOS. The user can select the execution of PC mode or the AV mode. When the user selects the AV mode, the computer system does not execute the usual booting process when the computer is turned on. Instead, the computer system loads and executes a first operating system in the first hard-disk region, and drives the audiovisual player. That is, the user does not enter the Windows OS; therefore, the time waiting for the system to finish the initialization of the hardware is saved.

However, the current implementations still requires the user to memorize the operation instruction and follow strictly in order to select between the PC mode and the AV mode. This lack of ease of use is still in convenient for the user.

Although some designs display operation instructions on the monitor to guide the user, this display of instruction usually takes place after the computer systems enters the operating system mode; therefore, it does not meet the demands of express execution of playing multimedia data.

Furthermore, as most designs require the user to enter their selections through keyboard or mouse, which are only activated after the computer system enters the operating system mode, it is still inconvenient for the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is provided to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the conventional methods of express execution of multimedia. The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a method for multimedia playing with a touch-control input mode. After the computer finishes the basic booting process, the computer loads and executes a driver to activate a touch-control display device. The touch-control display device displays icons of the detected audiovisual players. The user is only required to select the icon of the corresponding audiovisual player to execute the multimedia playing.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for multimedia playing with a highly user-friendly interface. The touch-control display device used in the present invention provides the icon for the selection as well as displays operation instruction or related information to the user.

Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for express execution of multimedia playing. Without activating the regular operating system, the present invention allows the user to select and activate the multimedia playing. The user is saved from the waiting of the operating system to initialize all the hardware before executing the multimedia playing.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for express execution of multimedia playing with ease of use. The computer, after completing BIOS initialization and POST program, activates a touch-control display device to display the selection icon for the user to determine whether a regular computer operating environment or a multimedia player is needed. The computer, based on the selection, determines which operation system will be executed.

To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides a method comprising the following steps: the computer system finishing basic booting process; the computer system loading and executing a driver to activate a touch-control display device; the touch-control display device displaying icons representing detected audiovisual players; detecting the icon selection by the user; based on the selection, loading and executing the corresponding operating system; and executing the application program corresponding to the selected audiovisual player.

In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a data storage is used to store a first operating system and a second operating system. The data storage also stores a driver for a touch-control display device, drivers for audiovisual players, and playing application programs for driving the audiovisual players. The touch-control display device displays, after the computer finishes basic booting process and BIOS, the icons representing the audiovisual players connected to the computer system as well as options for activating the second operation system.

In comparison with the conventional methods, the present invention allows the user to select the icon to execute the corresponding playing application program of the audiovisual player without memorizing the complicated operation instructions or use keyboard or mouse for the input. Therefore, the present invention provides a user-friendly interface for convenient use of the multimedia computer system. In addition, the computer system of the present invention activates touch-control display device after the BIOS and POST process, and waits for the user to enter their selection. Therefore, the user can directly execute the multimedia playing program without waiting for entering the regular operating system environment of a computer system.

These and other objective, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from a reading of the following brief description of the drawings, the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, and the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the drawings and in particular toFIG. 1, which shows a functional block diagram of the present invention, a computer100comprises a central processing unit11, a first bus bridge12, and a second bus bridge13. The central processing unit11is connected to the first bus bridge12through a system bus. The first bus bridge12is connected to a system memory14.

The second bus bridge13is connected to a BIOS memory15. The BIOS memory15stores an BIOS program151and a power-on-self-test (POST) program152, required by the computer100during the booting.

The second bus bridge13is connected to a hard-disk interface160through a bus. The hard-disk interface160is connected to a hard-disk16. The hard-disk16served as a data storage is for storing data in the present invention. The hard-disk16is configured to comprise a first partition161and a second partition162. The first partition161is installed with a first operating system161a, such as Linux-based operating system, Tiny Windows-based operating system, or embedded operating system. The first partition161also stores various audiovisual player application programs161band other application programs working under the first operating system environment. The second partition162is installed with a second operating system162a, such as Windows-operating system and other application programs working under the second operating system environment.

The second bus bridge13is connected to a plurality of audiovisual players17a,17b,17c,17dthrough audiovisual interfaces170a,170b,170c,170d. The audiovisual interfaces170a,170b,170c,170dcan adopt conventional standard interface to connect the audiovisual players17a,17b,17c,17dto the second bus bridge13so that the computer100can control the playing function of the audiovisual players17a,17b,17c,17d. The audiovisual players17a,17b,17c,17dcan be a DVD, MP3, CD, or TV.

The present invention also comprises a touch-control display device2, connected to the computer100through a touch-control interface3. The hard-disk16of the computer100stores a touch-control display driver163for driving the touch-control display device2. The touch-control display driver163can also be built-in inside the BIOS memory15. The touch-control display device2can receives instructions input from control-touch panel, and displays information of the computer system.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the touch-control interface3is a high speed display bus interface, such as known AGP display bus interface, connected to the first bus bridge12or a PCI bus interface connected to the second bus bridge13.

The touch-control display device2comprises a touch-control signal receiver21and a display panel22, connected to the first bus bridge12of the computer100through a touch-control signal input interface31and a display interface32, respectively. When the touch-control signal receiver21is touched, a signal s1is sent to the computer100. Similarly, a visual signal s2generated by the computer100can be displayed on the display panel22of the touch-control display device2.

FIG. 2andFIG. 3show the flowchart of the present invention. The following description refers toFIGS. 1,2, and3.

In step101, the computer100is turned on. In step102, the computer100executes basic booting process. That is, the computer100loads and executes the BIOS program151and the POST program152from the BIOS memory15. Step103is for the BIOS program161to detect the touch-control display device2and the audiovisual players17a,17b,17c,17dconnected to the computer100. The audiovisual players17a,17b,17c,17dcan be DVD player, MP3 player, CD player, TV, and so on.

Step104is to configure a random access memory region141in the system memory14of the computer100for the space required for executing the operating system, the touch-control display driver, the audiovisual player driver, and the audiovisual player application program. Step105is for the BIOS program151to load and execute the touch-control display driver163from the hard-disk16so that the touch-control display device2can start to operate.

Step106is for the touch-control display device2to display a plurality of icons representing the detected audiovisual players connected to the computer100. Step107is for detecting whether any icon on the touch-control display device2is selected, i.e., touched. When a selection is detected, the present invention determines which icon is selected.

FIG. 4shows various icons are shown on the touch-control display device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The touch-control display device2displays DVD player icon2a, MP3 player icon2b, CD player icon2c, and TV icon2d. When the user touches DVD player icon2a, MP3 player icon2b, CD player icon2c, or TV icon2d, the corresponding step will be executed to play the application program, such as step108ato play DVD, step108bto play MP3, step108cto play CD, or step108dto play TV, as shown inFIG. 3.

When the selection is detected and determined, the computer100loads the first operating system161ain the first partition161of the hard-disk16, as in step109. The first operating system161ais a simplified operating system, which only provides basic operating environment and activates audiovisual player application programs.

Step110is to load and execute the audiovisual player application program162bcorresponding to the selected icon on the touch-control display device2from the hard-disk16. To this point, the method of the present invention allows the user to quickly activate the audiovisual player application programs without waiting for the tedious booting process of a regular operating system.

The touch-control display device2can also display an icon2efor the option of a complete computer system booting process, as shown inFIG. 4. When this icon is selected, the present invention enters the complete booting process, as in step108e. Step111is to load and execute a second operating system162afrom the second partition162of the hard-disk16of the computer100.

The aforementioned embodiment shows that the present invention provides a method for express execution of multimedia playing with a user-friendly interface which is easy to operate. The present invention also shortens the waiting period of a regular booting process in conventional multimedia computer system.