CONTROL METHOD FOR DISPLAYED PICTURE AND DISPLAY SYSTEM THEREOF

A control method of displayed picture for a display includes: displaying a displayed picture, wherein the displayed picture includes a first picture area and a second picture area, the first picture area displays an image signal provided by a first host, the second picture area displays an image signal provided by a second host; moving a cursor in the displayed picture to a first boundary of the second picture area where the cursor has first positioning coordinates; dragging the first boundary by the cursor towards the first picture area, such that the cursor is moved to second positioning coordinates; and updating an appearance of the second picture area according to the second positioning coordinates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a control method for a displayed picture and a display system thereof, and more particularly, to a control method for a displayed picture and a display system thereof capable of effectively adjusting a layout of the displayed picture when the display system is operated in a picture-in-picture (PIP) or a picture-by-picture (PBP) function.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Conventional display systems may support display of two pictures in one display apparatus at the same time, e.g. picture-in-picture (PIP) function or picture-by-picture (PBP) function. The PIP may process more than two image signals, such that a major picture is displayed on a major picture area of the display apparatus and a secondary picture area is displayed with a size equal to 1/n of the major picture area on the display apparatus. Alternatively, the PBP may process more than two image signals, such that more than two pictures are simultaneously displayed on the display apparatus based on an arrangement rule, e.g. parallel arrangement or other arrangement methods.

When the conventional display apparatus uses the PIP function or the PBP function, an on-screen display (OSD) function may be utilized for adjusting a layout of the display apparatus. In order for a user to select a display arrangement (e.g. two pictures are displayed horizontally, vertically or with unequal sizes on the display apparatus) the menu of the OSD function must be turned on. The user is restricted to the display arrangements provided by the OSD function of the display apparatus, and cannot further adjust the appearance of the display to make it more suitable for browsing or other operations. Therefore, improvements to the prior art are necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a control method for a displayed picture and a display system thereof, which effectively adjusts a layout of the displayed picture when the display system is operated in a picture-in-picture (PIP) or a picture-by-picture (PBP) function to improve upon the prior art.

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a control method of a displayed picture for a display, comprising: displaying a displayed picture, wherein the displayed picture includes a first picture area and a second picture area, the first picture area displays an image signal provided by a first host, and the second picture area displays an image signal provided by a second host; moving a cursor in the displayed picture to a first boundary of the second picture area where the cursor has a first positioning coordinate; using the cursor to drag the first boundary towards the first picture area, such that the cursor is moved to a second positioning coordinate; and updating an appearance of the second picture area according to the second positioning coordinate.

Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a display system, comprising: a first host, configured to provide a first image signal; a second host, configured to provide a second image signal; a display, comprising a screen, configured to display a displayed picture, the displayed picture including a first picture area and a second picture area; and a controller, configured to control the first image signal displayed in the first picture area and the second image signal displayed in the second picture area; and a mouse, configured to move a cursor in the displayed picture to a first boundary of the second picture area, and to drag the cursor to the first boundary towards the first picture area when the mouse is pressed, such that the cursor is moved to a second positioning coordinate, and the controller is configured to update the appearance of the second picture area according to the second positioning coordinate when the mouse is released.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Refer toFIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a display system10according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display system10includes a first host H1, a second host H2, a display102and a mouse104. The first host H1is configured to provide a first image signal and the second host H2is configured to provide a second image signal. The display102includes a screen106and a controller (not depicted in the figures), wherein the screen106is configured to display a displayed picture DP having a first picture area PA_1and a second picture area PA_2. The controller is configured to control the first image signal and the second image signal to be displayed on the first picture area PA_1or the second picture area PA_2. For example, the first host H1and the second host H2are respectively connected to two input ports of the display102to respectively provide the first image signal and the second image signal. The displayed picture DP displayed by the display102, the first host H1and the second host H2are operated in an environment of a Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM) switching program. Thus, when the display system10is operated according to a picture-in-picture (PIP) function or a picture-by-picture (PBP) function, the controller of the display102may control the displayed picture DP of the screen106to present the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2side-by-side, wherein the first picture area PA_1displays the first image signal from the first host H1and the second picture area PA_2displays the second image signal from the second host H2. In another embodiment, when the first host and the second host are identical, a graphics card of the host may provide two image signals to the two inputs of the display102and simultaneously transmit the first image signal and the second image signal to the display102.

A conventional display may only be adjusted by an on-screen display (OSD) function of the display when operated according to the PIP function or the PBP function, i.e. a user may only select a layout from a menu provided by the OSD function and cannot adjust the layout according to individual requirements. Therefore, the display system10according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a control method for the displayed picture, which effectively adjusts the layout of the displayed picture by the mouse104to adjust the displayed picture DP of the display102. In addition, the mouse104according to an embodiment of the present invention may connect to the display system10, the first host H1or the second host H2, such that the cursor108in the displayed picture DP may be controlled by signals transmitted by the connections. Moreover, the cursor108may be controlled by a control unit of the display102, the first host H1or the second host H2.

Refer toFIG. 2andFIG. 3for a description of an operation method of the control method according to an embodiment of the displayed picture of the display system10.FIG. 2andFIG. 3are schematic diagrams of the displayed picture DP of the display system10using the PBP function according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first picture area PA_1of the displayed picture DP is utilized for displaying the first image signal provided by the first host H1and the second picture area PA_2is utilized for displaying the second image signal provided by the second host H2. When the user is going to adjust an appearance or a layout (e.g. size or location) of the first picture area PA_1or the second picture area PA_2of the displayed picture DP, a cursor108in the displayed picture DP may be moved by the mouse104to adjust the layout of the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2in the displayed picture DP. For example, as shown inFIG. 2, when the cursor108is moved to a first boundary B_1between the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2, the cursor108has first positioning coordinates (X1, Y1). Then, as shown inFIG. 3, the user presses the mouse104to use the cursor108to drag the first boundary B_1towards the first picture area PA_1, such that the cursor108is moved to second positioning coordinates (X2, Y2). After the mouse104is released, the controller of the display102may update the appearance or layout of the second picture area PA_2; for example, the controller of the display102may take X=X2 of the second positioning coordinates (X2, Y2) as a baseline to adjust the boundary of the second picture area PA_2in the displayed picture DP, such that the appearance of the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2of the displayed picture DP is as shown inFIG. 3.

In detail, before the first boundary B_1is dragged via the cursor108towards the first picture area PA_1, the display102may provide a first location information of the second picture area PA_2to the first host H1, wherein the first location information may include coordinates of the boundary of the second picture area PA_2. Therefore, an operation system (e.g. Windows operating system) of the first host H1may determine the first boundary B_1of the second picture area PA_2according to the first location information of the second picture area PA_2. When the user presses the mouse104to select the first boundary B_1with the cursor108, and drags the cursor108towards the first picture area PA_1, the first host H1may determine a second location information according to the second positioning coordinates (X2, Y2), and then transmits the second location information to the display102. As such, the display102may vary the displayed appearance of the second picture area PA_2in the displayed picture DP according to the second location information. Another embodiment of the present invention is that a location of the cursor108is transmitted to the controller of the display102, such that when the cursor108selects the first boundary B_1and drags the first boundary B_1to the second positioning coordinates (X2, Y2), which is towards the first picture area PA_1, the controller of the display102may vary the appearance of the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2according to the second positioning coordinates (X2, Y2) and transmit the information to corresponding host. Notably, the above appearance may be variations of size or displacement of the displayed picture.

Refer toFIG. 4andFIG. 5, which are schematic diagrams of the displayed picture DP of the display system10using the picture-by-picture function according to another embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 2andFIG. 3, the mouse104, which is pressed by the user, selects the first boundary B_1via the cursor108and the cursor108is dragged from the second picture area PA_2towards the first picture area PA_1. InFIG. 4andFIG. 5, the mouse104, which is pressed by the user, selects the first boundary B_1via the cursor108and the cursor108is dragged from the first picture area PA_1towards the second picture area PA_2to adjust the layout of the displayed picture DP. In detail, as shown inFIG. 4, when the cursor108is moved to a second boundary B_2between the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2, the cursor108has third positioning coordinates (X3, Y3). Then, as shown inFIG. 5, the mouse104is pressed by the user to use the cursor108to drag the second boundary B_2towards the second picture area PA_2, such that the cursor108is moved to a location with fourth positioning coordinates (X4, Y4) and the mouse104is released. The controller of the display102may update the appearance of the second picture area PA_2according to the fourth positioning coordinates (X4, Y4), e.g. the controller may adjust the boundary of the displayed picture DP based on X=X4 of the fourth positioning coordinates (X4, Y4), such that the appearance of the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2may be as shown inFIG. 5.

In detail, before the second boundary B_1is dragged towards the second picture area PA_2via the cursor108, the display102provides a third location information of the second picture area PA_2to the second host H2, such that the second host H2may determine the second boundary B_2of the second picture area PA_2according to the third location information of the second picture area PA_2. When the mouse104, which is pressed by the user, selects the second boundary B_2via the cursor108and the cursor108is dragged towards the second picture area PA_2, the second host H2may determine a fourth location information based on the fourth positioning coordinates (X4, Y4) and then transmit the fourth location information to the display102. In this way, the display102may vary the appearance or layout of the second picture area PA_2on the displayed picture DP based on the fourth location information.

In addition, in another embodiment, when the cursor108is located in the first picture area PA_1, a first hot key is activated (e.g. F5 on a keyboard connected to the display system10) to inform the controller of the display102, and when the cursor108is moved to the second picture area PA_2, a second hot key is activated (e.g. F7 on the keyboard) to inform the controller to exchange picture contents of the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2.

Notably, exchanging the first picture area PA land the second picture area PA_2of the displayed picture DP are not limited to two picture areas; when the displayed picture DP has more than two picture areas, i.e. when the displayed picture DP is divided into three parts or multiple parts, the appearance of the displayed picture DP may be adjusted to exchange the contents of any two of the picture areas. Such implementation is not limited to the above embodiments. Any system which uses the above method to switch at least two picture areas also belongs to the scope of the present invention.

Refer toFIG. 6, which is a schematic diagram of the displayed picture DP of the display system10using the picture-by-picture function according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 6, when the displayed picture DP includes the first picture area PA_1, the second picture area PA_2, a third picture area PA_3, a fourth picture area PA_4and a fifth picture area PA_5, the mouse104may be pressed or the hot key on the keyboard may be activated by the user to select the first picture area PA_1, and then the cursor108is moved to another picture area (e.g. the fourth picture area PA_4) to exchange the displayed picture of the first picture area PA_1and the fourth picture area PA_4.

The display system10according to the embodiments of the present invention may be operated using the PIP function and the displayed picture DP may be displayed according to a window arrangement environment. Since the window arrangement environment may be dictated by software of the Windows operating system (OS) for controlling the appearance or the layout of the displayed picture DP on the display102, a program or setting menu may be activated to arrange the window layout based on an arrangement rule of the Windows OS. For example, the arrangement rule may be to equally divide the displayed picture DP into three parts, four parts or multiple parts. Since the arrangement rule of the Windows OS is determined by manufacturers, the user is not able to change or adjust this arrangement rule. Therefore, no matter whether the display system10is operated according to the PIP function or according to the window arrangement function, the present invention provides a method which can effectively adjust the layout of the displayed picture.

Refer toFIG. 7, which is a schematic diagram of the displayed picture DP of the display system10using the PIP function according to an embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 7, the displayed picture DP of the display system10includes the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2. UnlikeFIGS. 2-6, in this example, the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2are PIP, and the second picture area PA_2is inside the first picture area PA_1. The first picture area PA_1is utilized for displaying the image signal from the first host H1and the second picture area PA_2is utilized for displaying the image signal provided by the second host H2inside the first picture area PA_1.

Since the first host H1may display the appearance of the second picture area PA_2in the displayed picture DP based on the second location information, when the first host H1is operated using a particular OS such as Microsoft Windows or MacOS and the displayed picture is in the first picture area PA_1, a window W may be selected by the cursor108and moved to a window location, and the first host H1is configured to determine whether the window location overlaps the second location information. If the window location overlaps the second location information, the first host H1may determine to transmit the third location information to the display102, such that the controller of the display102may vary the appearance of the second picture area PA_2based on the third location information. Notably, the above varied appearances may be variations in size of the picture area, turning off the picture area or moving the picture area. In an embodiment, when the window W in the first picture area PA_1is moved, and the window location overlaps a part of the second picture area PA_2(i.e. the window location overlaps the second location information), the first host H1turns off the second picture area PA_2and displays the second picture area PA_2at the third location information, which is different from the second location information, and the third location information does not overlap with the window W.

Refer toFIG. 8, which is schematic diagram of the displayed picture DP of the display system10using the PIP function according to another embodiment of the present invention. When the displayed picture DP includes the first picture area PA_1, the second picture area PA_2and the third picture area PA_3, the third picture area PA_3is operated according to the PIP function. The user may press the mouse104or activate a hotkey on the keyboard to select the third picture area PA_3with location A, and then move the cursor108to location Bin the second picture area PA_2, such that the third picture area PA_3is moved to location B of the second picture area PA_2. Notably, when the third picture area PA_3is moved from the first picture area PA_1to the second picture area PA_2, the first host H1corresponding to the first picture area PA_1turns off the third picture area PA_3at location A and then the second host H2turns on the third picture area PA_3at location B.

An operation method of the above embodiments may be represented by control processes90,1000. The control process90is an embodiment of dragging the first boundary B_1from the second picture area PA_2towards the first picture area PA_1. As shown inFIG. 9, the control process90includes the following steps:

Step904: Display the displayed picture DP including the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2, wherein the first picture area PA_1is the image signal provided by the first host H1and the second picture area PA_2is the image signal provided by the second host H2.

Step906: When the cursor108in the displayed picture DP is moved to the first boundary B_1of the second picture area PA_2, the cursor108has first positioning coordinates (X1, Y1).

Step908: Drag the first boundary B_1via the cursor108towards the first picture area PA_1, such that the cursor108is moved to second positioning coordinates (X2, Y2).

Step910: Update the appearance of the second picture area PA_2based on the second positioning coordinates (X2, Y2).

The control process1000is an embodiment of dragging the first boundary B_1from the first picture area PA_1towards the second picture area PA_2. As shown inFIG. 10, the control process1000includes the following steps:

Step1004: Display the displayed picture DP including the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2, wherein the first picture area PA_1is the image signal provided by the first host H1and the second picture area PA_2is the image signal provided by the second host H2.

Step1006: When the cursor108in the displayed picture DP is moved to the first boundary B_1of the second picture area PA_2, the cursor108has third positioning coordinates (X3, Y3).

Step1008: Drag the second boundary B_2via the cursor108towards the second picture area PA_2, such that the cursor108is moved to fourth positioning coordinates (X4, Y4).

Step1010: Update the appearance of the second picture area PA_2based on the fourth positioning coordinates (X4, Y4).

The operation processes of the control processes90,1000have been described with respect to the embodiments shown inFIGS. 2-5, and will not be narrated herein for brevity.

FIG. 11illustrates a control process1100detailing an operation method of the displayed picture DP of the display system10operated according to the PIP function, wherein the first picture area PA_1and the second picture area PA_2are PIP, and the second picture area PA_2is inside the first picture area PA_1. As shown inFIG. 11, the control process1100includes the following steps:

Step1104: Move the window W inside the first picture area PA_1to the window location.

Step1106: Determine whether the window location overlaps the second location information associated with the second picture area PA_2.

Step1108: Determine the third location information by the first host H1, and transmit the third location information to the display102by the first host H1.

Step1110: Vary the appearance of the second picture area PA_2by the controller based on the third location information.

Details of the operation process of the control process1100have been described with respect to the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, and will not be narrated herein for brevity.

The above embodiments illustrate the control method for a displayed picture of a display system, which can effectively adjust the layout of the displayed picture when the display system is operated in specific environments. Notably, the control method for the displayed picture of the display system of the present invention may be implemented in the conventional KVM switching program, or the control method of the present invention may be programmed as an application program and installed on a computer system to execute a corresponding control method for the displayed picture. In addition, a number of picture areas in the displayed picture according to the above embodiments is not limited to two, and the layout is not limited to a side-by-side vertical arrangement. Other numbers of the picture area or different layout arrangements also belong to the scope of the present invention, and are not limited thereto.

In summary, the embodiments of the present invention provide a control method for a displayed picture and a display system thereof, which effectively adjusts the layout of the displayed picture when the display system is operated according to the PIP function or the PBP function to provide greater convenience and ease of use for a user.