Abstract:
This present invention discloses a multi-display operating system and method thereof, which are applied to operate a plurality of screens respectively displayed on a plurality of display apparatuses, and these screens respectively display the interface image of at least one application program. The invention is characterized in that a focused screen is decided from these screens based on the location of a cursor on these screens or a focus switching signal, and then the operating signal inputted from the user will be only transmitted to the application program which is displayed on the focused screen, and only audio signal generated by the application program displayed on the focused screen will be outputted. Besides, the user also can choose two screens to swap. Therefore, the multi-display operating system and its method in accordance with the present invention allow users to operate the application programs displayed on the multiple screens more efficiently.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a multi-display operating system and method thereof, in particular, the present invention relates to a multi-display operating system capable of generating focused screens and method thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Refer to  FIG. 1 , wherein an architectural diagram for the generation of extended screens in a prior art display system is shown. In the Figure, the display system includes an image processing unit  11 , a display memory  12 , a display drive unit  13  and a display output unit  14 . The illustrated display system is capable of showing a main screen and an extended screen, so the display memory  12  accordingly allocates a first area  121  and a second area  122 . If the display system intends to show more screens, then the display memory  12  can allocate the number of areas corresponding to the number of screens therefore. The image processing unit  11  generates first image data  111  and second image data  112 , which are respectively stored in the first area  121  and the second area  122 . The display drive unit  13  and the display output unit  14  both continuously read data images from the first area  121  and the second area  122  at a preset frequency (e.g. 30 Hz). If such a display system is used in a notebook computer, then the display drive unit  13  drives a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) to show the read first image data  111 . The display output unit  14  transfers the read second image data  121  to an external display apparatus for rendering. 
         [0005]    Refer to  FIG. 2 , wherein a diagram for a prior art multi-display operating system is shown. In the Figure, a user generates a main screen  211  as well as three extended screens  212 ,  213  and  214  respectively displayed on the screen  221  of a notebook computer and three external displays  222 ,  223  and  224 . Logically, the main screen and these three extended screens can be considered as four portions of a grand screen, and the interface images of the application programs executed by the user are shown in such a grand screen. The user may arbitrarily move interface images of these application programs to different screens, e.g. the window images  231 ˜ 239  respectively shown by the screen  221  and external displays  222 ,  223  and  224 . Besides, not only within one single screen, the mouse cursor  28  is also allowed to move among these screens. Hence, so long as the image process ability in the notebook computer of the user is sufficiently powerful, enabling acceptable rendering for four screens in real-time, then the user can benefit from such a multi-display feature. For example, the screen  221  displays a word processing program, the external display  222  shows an audio/video player program, the external display  223  presents a network browser and the external display  224  renders a messaging communication program, thus allowing to prevent the drawback of undesirable overlapping of multiple program interface images when running multiple programs on one single screen, thereby improving the efficiency for information browsing. 
         [0006]    While using such a multi-display operating system, users typically execute several programs for exploiting the advantage of multi-display function. However, in a prior art multi-display operating system, as the user executes more programs, program switching tends to become gradually complicated and troublesome. In the program switching diagram  29  shown in  FIG. 2 , which illustrates a program switching diagram  29  occurred upon pressing down Alt-Tab buttons by a user under the Windows operating system, all currently running programs  231 ˜ 239  are listed to allow the user to switch among them. As more programs being executed, the icons shown in the program switching diagram  29  may become excessive, resulting in possible erroneous switching actions performed by the user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-display operating system and method thereof so as to improve the efficiency of multi-display operations by the user. 
         [0008]    According to the objective of the present invention, a multi-display operating system for operating the screens shown on a plurality of display apparatuses is provided. The multi-display operating system comprises a processing module, a display module, an input module and an operation focus control module. The processing module executes a plurality of application programs. The display module generates a plurality of screens which are respectively shown on each of the display apparatuses. The interface images of these running application programs are respectively shown on each of the screens. The input module receives an operating signal, and the operation focus control module selects one focused screen among these screens and then transfers the operating signal to the application program displayed on the focused screen. 
         [0009]    Additionally, the multi-display operating system further comprises an audio processing module, in which the operation focus control module controls the audio processing module to output the audio signals only generated by the application program shown on the focused screen. 
         [0010]    Besides, the multi-display operating system further comprises a cursor operation module used for manipulating the cursor shown on these screens, and the operation focus control module determines the focused screen based on the location of the cursor. 
         [0011]    Herein the input module receives a focus switching signal, and the operation focus control module determines the focused screen based on the focus switching signal. 
         [0012]    Besides, the multi-display operating system further comprises a screen swap module, in which the user may choose two of these screens by means of the input module, and the screen swap module can be used to swap the application programs shown on these two selected screens. 
         [0013]    Moreover, the screen swap module may further swap the displays of the two selected screens among these display apparatuses. 
         [0014]    Furthermore, the present invention further provides a multi-display operating method for manipulating the screens shown on a plurality of display apparatuses. The multi-display operating method comprises the following steps: initially, generating a plurality of screens, and displaying respectively these screens on such display apparatuses; showing respectively the interface images of different application programs on these screens; then selecting a focused screen among these screens, and upon reception of an operating signal, transferring the operating signal to the application program displayed on the focused screen. 
         [0015]    Herein the multi-display operating method further comprises a step of outputting the audio signals only generated by the application program shown on the focused screen. 
         [0016]    Herein the multi-display operating method further comprises a step of determining the focused screen based on the location of the cursor on these screens. 
         [0017]    Herein the multi-display operating method further comprises a step of receiving a focus switching signal, and determining the focus screen based on the received focus switching signal. 
         [0018]    Herein the multi-display operating method further comprises a step of selecting two of these screens and swapping the application programs shown on the selected two screens. 
         [0019]    Herein the multi-display operating method further comprises a step of swapping the displays of the two selected screens between these display apparatuses. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  depicts an architectural diagram for the generation of extended screens in a prior art display system; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  depicts a diagram of a prior art multi-display operating system; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  depicts a block diagram for an embodiment of the multi-display operating system according to the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  depicts a block diagram for another embodiment of the multi-display operating system according to the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  depicts a stepwise flowchart for an embodiment of the multi-display operating method according to the present invention; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  depicts a stepwise flowchart for an embodiment of executing a screen swap in the multi-display operating method according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]    Refer to  FIG. 3 , wherein a block diagram for an embodiment of the multi-display operating system according to the present invention is shown. As depicted, the multi-display operating system comprises a processing module  31 , a display module  32 , an input module, an operation focus control module  34 , an audio processing module  38  and a storage module  39 . The storage module  39  is used to store a plurality of application programs  391 ˜ 395 , and the processing module  31  reads the plurality of application programs  391 ˜ 395  from the storage module  39  and executes them. The display module  32  comprises at least an image processing unit, a display memory, a display drive unit and a display output unit. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the display module  32  generates a plurality of screens  361 ˜ 363  which are respectively shown on a plurality of display apparatuses  371 ˜ 373 , and the interface images  351 ˜ 355  of the application programs  391 ˜ 395  are respectively shown on these screens  361 ˜ 363 . 
         [0027]    The input module comprises an infrared (IR) signal receiver  331 , a keyboard  332  and a cursor operation module  333 . The IR signal receiver  331  is used to receive an IR signal emitted from a remote controller, analyze the operation command from the received IR signal, and transfer the operation command to the processing module  31 . The keyboard  332  allows the user to enter texts and commands. The cursor operation module  333  allows the user to input location data and a press-down signal, in which the location data is transferred to the processing module  31 , and the processing module  31  changes the display location of the cursor on the screen based on the received location data and then determines whether to activate the application program according to the press-down signal and the location of the cursor. Thereby, the user is capable of manipulating the cursor displayed on the screens  361 ˜ 363  by means of the cursor operation module  333  and operating the application program. The cursor operation module  333  can be a mouse or a touch panel. 
         [0028]    The operation focus control module  34  chooses the focused screen among the screens  361 ˜ 363  in accordance with the following approaches: 
         [0029]    (1) the operation focus control module  34  may decide the focused screen based on the location of the cursor. Logically, the screens  361 ˜ 363  can be deemed as three portions of a grand screen, so the operation focus control module  34  can determine the screen on which the cursor is currently hovering by means of the location of the cursor. Since the user commonly operates the application program by controlling the cursor, the screen on which the cursor is located can be thus considered as the screen the user is now concerning or executing, so the operation focus control module  34  can decide the focused screen based on the location of the cursor; 
         [0030]    (2) when the IR signal receiver  331  or the keyboard  332  receives a focus switching signal, it indicates that the user is operating the remote controller or pressing down a specific button on the keyboard, and then the operation focus control module  34  may decide the focused screen in accordance with such a focus switching signal; for example, it is possible to switch the focused screen in a sequence of screen  361 →screen  362 →screen  363 . When the current focused screen is the screen  361 , then upon reception of the focus switching signal, the operation focus control module  34  will switch to the screen  362  as the focused screen. 
         [0031]    The operation focus control module  34  can use the above-illustrated two approaches individually for focused screen selection, or both. 
         [0032]    After determination of the focused screen, when the keyboard  332  or the IR signal receiver  331  receives the operation command, the received command will be transferred to the application program only displayed on the focused screen. Furthermore, the operation focus control module  34  also controls the audio processing module  38  to output the audio signals only generated by the application program shown on the focused screen. For example, the application program  394  is a TV playback program, and the application programs  391 ˜ 393  are text processing programs. When the screen  361  is the focused screen, the audio processing module  38  outputs only the audio signals from the text processing program, rather than the sound from the TV playback program. However, as the screen  362  becomes the focused screen, the audio processing module  38  doesn&#39;t outputs the audio signals from the text processing program at this moment, but only the sound from the TV playback program. In this way, the user is easy to appreciate which screen is the current focused screen, and it can prevent the drawback found in the prior art that audio outputs from all application programs are mixed together, which may confuse the user thus causing incorrect distinction. 
         [0033]    In addition, the aforementioned multi-display operating system may further comprise a screen swap module according to the needs, and the user selects two screens among these screens  361 ˜ 363  by means of the input module, and then the screen swap module is used to swap the application programs shown on the two selected screens or to swap displays of the selected two screen among such display apparatuses. For example, if the user chooses the screens  361  and  362  as screens to be swapped, then upon triggering the screen swap module by the user, two possible modes may occur: 
         [0034]    (a) first mode: a swap of application programs displayed on two screens; i.e., the interface images  351 ˜ 353  of the application programs  391 ˜ 393  are alternatively shown on the screen  362 , while the interface images  354  of the application programs  394  are shown on the screen  361 , but the screen  361  and the screen  362  are nonetheless displayed respectively on the original display apparatuses  371  and  372 . In practice, this can be accomplished by modifying the window location data within the property description data of the application programs  391 ˜ 393 . Before swapping, the screen swap module may optionally record the locations for such application programs, i.e. the location of the application program in its original screen, and when the user performs once again the swap, the application program can be restored to the original screen and the original location; 
         [0035]    (2) second mode: a swap for displays of the two selected screens among such display apparatuses, that is, the screen  361  is alternatively shown on the display apparatus  372 , the screen  362  is shown on the display apparatus  371 , and then the application programs shown on the two screens are accordingly interchanged. Before swapping, the screen swap module may optionally record the display settings of these screens, such as screen resolution and color quality etc., as well as the locations of these application programs; so when the user performs once again the swap, the screen can be restored to its original settings. 
         [0036]    Herein, in case the two screens chosen by the user are both the extended screens, it is preferable that the screen swap module performs the first mode. Whereas if the two screens selected by the user are the main screen and one extended screen, then it is preferable that the screen swap module performs the second mode. 
         [0037]    It is also preferable that the aforementioned operation focus control module and the screen swap module are implemented through the execution of relevant program software by a processor. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, three screens and five application programs are illustrated as examples. However, the present invention is by no means limited thereto, and all multi-display operating system capable of generating a plurality of screens and at least one application program are within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0038]    Refer to  FIG. 4 , wherein a diagram for another embodiment of the multi-display operating system according to the present invention is shown. The difference between the present embodiment and the aforementioned one lies in that the operation focus control module and the screen swap module are implemented as software. The storage module  39  further stores an operation focus control program  44  and a screen swap programs  45 . The processing module  31  reads the operation focus control program  44  from the storage module  39  and executes it so as to identify the application program rendered on each screen, and chooses a focused screen and then stores the data indicating the focused screen as well as the representative data of the application program shown on each screen as the screen parameter  441 . Logically, the main screen and the extended screens can be considered as portions of a grand screen, and the interface image of the application program executed by the user is displayed on the grand screen, so it is possible to determine on which screen the application program is currently shown according to the location of the interface image of the application program and then have them recorded in the screen parameter  441 . Herein the screen parameter  441  is allowed to be utilized by other application programs; e.g. the application program in the program switching diagram appearing upon pressing down the Alt+Tab keys on the keyboard by the user can read the screen parameter  441 , thereby it is possible to show only the icon representing the application program on the focused screen, eliminating thus the drawback of presenting excessive icons in the prior art which may cause unwanted trouble during switching operation. Besides, each application program can also record the displayed screen parameter thereof. 
         [0039]    The processing module  31  reads the screen swap program  45  from the storage module  39  to swap the application programs shown on two selected screens, or to swap displays of these two selected screens among such display apparatuses. Before swapping, the screen swap program  45  records the location of the application program or the settings of the screen in the swap parameter  451 . The swap parameter  451  can be also used by other application programs. 
         [0040]    Refer to  FIG. 5 , wherein a stepwise flowchart for an embodiment of the multi-display operating method according to the present invention is shown. In the Figure, the multi-display operating method is used to operate the screens rendered on a plurality of display apparatuses. The method comprises the following steps: initially, in step S 51 , generating a plurality of screens, and individually showing these screens on such display apparatuses, herein these screens comprise a main screen and at least one extended screen; next, in step S 52 , individually showing the interface images of different application programs on these screens, and determining the screen representing the interface image thereof based on the location of the application program, recording them in the property description data of the application program, in which even if the user moves the interface image of the application program, it is still possible to determine and update the property description data in accordance with the location thereof; in step  53 , selecting one focused screen from these screens. For example, it may decide the focused screen based on the location of the cursor hovering over these screens; or alternatively, by receiving a focus switching signal and determining the focused screen based on the focus switching signal. 
         [0041]    Subsequently, in step  54 , upon reception of an operating signal, such as the character entered from a keyboard operation by the user, transferring the operating signal to the application program shown on the focused screen, thereby the user may intuitively operate the application program displayed on the focus screen without worrying about whether the inputted operating signal erroneously operates on other irrelevant programs; next, in step S 55 , outputting only the audio signals generated by the application program shown on the focused screen. In practice, it is possible to set the application program shown on the focused screen as mute, e.g. passing the component code indicating the application program intended to be muted to the operating system, and configuring the application program corresponding to the component code to be mute via the operating system; or alternatively, it is possible to control the audio processing module of the system carrying out the present method to filter out the audio signals outputted from the application programs shown on non-focused screens. 
         [0042]    Refer next to  FIG. 6 , wherein a stepwise flowchart for an embodiment of executing a screen swap in the multi-display operating method according to the present invention is shown. The present embodiment illustrates the screens showing operations on a plurality of display apparatuses. In step  6   1 , the user chooses two screens to be swapped. In step  62 , it calculates the location of each application program and has it stored. In step  63 , it records setting data for each screen, e.g. screen resolution and color quality etc. In step  64 , it determines whether the main screen is chosen among the two selected screens; in case no main screen is selected, and then it swaps the application programs shown on the two selected screen in step  65 , which can be accomplished, for example, through modifying the window location data in the property description data of the application program. 
         [0043]    However, suppose one of the two selected screens is the main screen, in step  66  it first swaps displays of the two selected screens among such display apparatuses, and subsequently swaps the application programs shown on these two selected screens, as illustrated in step  65 . 
         [0044]    In case the user executes once again screen swapping, then the method can perform step  65  or step  66  in accordance with previously stored window location data or screen setting data. The present embodiment may further comprise provision of a register for storing the data indicating the current screen has been previously swapped. Suppose the user re-selects these two screens, then the settings thereof will be reset. 
         [0045]    The aforementioned descriptions are simply exemplary, rather than being restrictive. All effectively equivalent modifications or changes made on the illustrated embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention are deemed to be encompassed by the following claims.