Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses a video display having different formats of EDID data stored in memory corresponding to different EDID standards. A user may select using the video display a preferred EDID standard for display of video from a video source using the video display, whereby the corresponding EDID data is retrieved from the memory and transmitted to the video source. Patent publication <CIT> describes display equipment and control method and control device thereof.

There are currently several Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) standards being used in the display industry, e.g., Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) E-EDID, VESA Display-ID, and Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). Each EDID standard has its advantages. However, it is not currently possible to support all of these EDID standards for each video input at the same time in a single display. This forces display manufacturers to select which EDID standard they believe will work best for their customers. As a result, some features of the display may not be available for customer use.

Accordingly, disclosed herein is a display device including an on-screen display (OSD) control to enable a user to select an EDID standard from a list of EDID standards for the display to use. Accordingly, the user can select the EDID standard that will work best for their use of the display. The OSD control may also enable the user to change the preferred mode (e.g., resolution and/or refresh rate) of the display and/or select the preset modes (e.g., lower resolutions) the user wants supported by the EDID.

As used herein, the term "EDID standard" includes any predefined specification setting forth the content and the format of EDID data stored in a display device to be transmitted to a video source in response to the display device being connected to the video source. An "EDID standard" may be specified by a standard setting body, such as VESA or CEA, or may be specified by a manufacturer or other party in the case of a custom or proprietary EDID specification.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating one example of a display device <NUM> enabling the selection of an EDID standard. Display device <NUM> includes a processor <NUM>, a machine-readable storage medium <NUM>, and a display screen <NUM>. Processor <NUM> is communicatively coupled to machine-readable storage medium <NUM> through a communication path <NUM>. Although the following description refers to a single processor and a single machine-readable storage medium, the description may also apply to a system with multiple processors and multiple machine-readable storage mediums. In such examples, the instructions may be distributed (e.g., stored) across multiple machine-readable storage mediums and the instructions may be distributed (e.g., executed by) across multiple processors.

Processor <NUM> includes one or more central processing units (CPUs), microprocessors, and/or other suitable hardware devices for retrieval and modification of data stored in machine-readable storage medium <NUM> and for retrieval and execution of instructions stored in machine-readable storage medium <NUM>. Machine-readable storage medium <NUM> may store data <NUM> including EDID data. The EDID data defines the characteristics, features, and video timing modes for display device <NUM>. When display device <NUM> is connected to a video source, the EDID data is transmitted to the video source.

Processor <NUM> may fetch, decode, and execute instructions <NUM>-<NUM> to select an EDID standard for display device <NUM>. Processor <NUM> may fetch, decode, and execute instructions <NUM> to provide an on-screen display control to enable a user to select one of a plurality of EDID standards. The on-screen display control is displayed on display screen <NUM>. In one example, the on-screen display control enables the user to select one of a plurality of versions of the selected EDID standard. In another example, the on-screen display control enables the user to select a refresh rate to support in the EDID.

Processor <NUM> fetches, decodes, and executes instructions <NUM> to format the EDID data based on the selected EDID standard. The formatted EDID data may be stored in machine-readable storage medium <NUM> as EDID data <NUM>. In one example, the plurality of EDID standards includes at least one of a VESA EDID standard. In another example, the plurality of EDID standards includes VESA E-EDID, VESA Display-ID, and CEA <NUM>.

The VESA E-EDID standard defines a remotely readable (read by a source) data file stored in an electronic display. The data in the file identifies the characteristics, features, and video timing modes supported by the display product. The purpose of the standard is to describe the BASE (block <NUM>) <NUM>-byte data structure as well as the overall layout of the extended data blocks that make up complete EDID. The E-EDID standard specifies the elements, data structures, and file formats used to organize and store the EDID data. The contents of the data file are used by a video source to configure its graphics processing unit to generate correctly formatted video for the display and to provide additional information for certain application programs.

The VESA Display-ID standard defines flexible data formats that organize interface and display configuration information in a file stored in a display product. A video source has access to the file over the video interface connection. The video source uses this data to automatically setup and optimize the video interface and image signals facilitating plug and play operation with minimal or no user intervention.

The CEA <NUM> standard establishes protocols, requirements, and recommendations for the utilization of uncompressed digital interfaces by consumer electronics devices such as Digital Televisions (DTVs), digital cable, satellite or terrestrial set-top boxes (STBs), and related peripheral devices including, but not limited to DVD players/recorders, and other related Sources or Sinks. CEA <NUM> is applicable to a variety of standard DTV-related high-speed digital physical interfaces - such as Digital Visual Interface (DVI) <NUM>, Open LVDS Display Interface (LDI), and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specifications. Protocols, requirements, and recommendations that are defined include Video Formats and waveforms; colorimetry and quantization; transport of compressed and uncompressed, as well as Linear Pulse Code Modulation (L-PCM), audio; carriage of auxiliary data; and implementations of the VESA E-EDID, which is used by Sinks to declare display capabilities and characteristics.

Accordingly, display device <NUM> allows the user to select the EDID standard (e.g., VESA E-EDID, VESA Display-ID, CEA) that will work best for their use of the display device. For example, if the user has a high resolution display, they may select the Display-ID standard that supports resolutions <NUM> and higher. For a more widely supported EDID, the user may select the E-EDID standard.

Processor <NUM> executes further instructions to add a new standard to the plurality of EDID standards in response to an update request. In one example, a new EDID standard may be installed in display device <NUM> using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) thumb drive. In another example, a new EDID standard may be installed in display device <NUM> by running an application on a video source (e.g., computer, set-top box) coupled to display device <NUM> that writes the new EDID standard to machine-readable storage medium <NUM> over Display Data Channel (DDC), USB, Ethernet, or DisplayPort Aux Channel. In yet another example, a new EDID standard could be created through options in the on-screen display control of display device <NUM>.

A custom EDID standard may also be installed in display device <NUM> that describes unique features of the display device. For example, a custom EDID standard may describe color calibration functionality that is not possible to describe with current EDID standards. A new EDID standard may also include sensitive information that is encrypted. In this case, only authorized applications would be able to decrypt the EDID data.

As an alternative or in addition to retrieving and executing instructions, processor <NUM> may include electronic circuits comprising a number of electronic components for performing the functionality of the instructions in machine-readable storage medium <NUM>. With respect to the executable instruction representations (e.g., boxes) described and illustrated herein, it should be understood that part or all of the executable instructions and/or electronic circuits included within one box may, in alternate examples, be included in a different box illustrated in the figures or in a different box not shown.

Machine-readable storage medium <NUM> is a non-transitory storage medium and may be any suitable electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that stores executable instructions. Thus, machine-readable storage medium <NUM> may be, for example, random access memory (RAM), an electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a storage drive, an optical disc, and the like. Machine-readable storage medium <NUM> may be disposed within display device <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. In this case, the executable instructions may be installed on display device <NUM>. Alternatively, machine-readable storage medium <NUM> may be a portable, external, or remote storage medium that allows display device <NUM> to download the instructions from the portable/external/remote storage medium. In this case, the executable instructions may be part of an installation package.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating another example of a display device <NUM> enabling the selection of an EDID standard. Display device <NUM> includes a display screen <NUM>, a scaler <NUM>, and an EDID memory <NUM>. Display screen <NUM> is electrically coupled to scaler <NUM> through a communication path <NUM>. Scaler <NUM> includes a processor <NUM>, which is electrically coupled to EDID memory <NUM> through a communication path <NUM>.

Scaler <NUM> converts received video signals of one display resolution to another display resolution for display on display screen <NUM>. Scaler <NUM> may convert a signal from a lower resolution, such as 480p standard definition, to a higher resolution, such as 1080i high definition, which is known as upconversion or upscaling. Scaler <NUM> may also convert a signal from a higher resolution, such as <NUM> ultra high definition, to a lower resolution, such as 1080p high definition, which is known as downconversion or downscaling.

EDID memory <NUM> stores EDID data for display device <NUM>. The EDID data defines the characteristics, features, and video timing modes for display device <NUM>. Processor <NUM> generates an on-screen display control <NUM> on display screen <NUM> listing a plurality of EDID standards <NUM> to N for selection by a user, where "N" is any suitable number of EDID standards. In one example, on-screen display control <NUM> also enables the user to select a resolution or a refresh rate to support in the EDID. Processor <NUM> reformats the EDID data stored in EDID memory <NUM> based on the selected EDID standard.

In one example, the plurality of EDID standards includes at least one of a VESA EDID standard. In another example, the plurality of EDID standards includes VESA E-EDID, VESA Display-ID, or CEA <NUM> as previously described with reference to <FIG>. Processor <NUM> may also add an EDID standard to the plurality of EDID standards in response to an update request as previously described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a flow diagram illustrating one example of a method <NUM> for configuring a display device by selecting an EDID standard. At <NUM>, method <NUM> includes displaying an on-screen display control listing a plurality of EDID standards. In one example, the plurality of EDID standards includes at least one of a VESA EDID standard. At <NUM>, method <NUM> includes selecting an EDID standard from the list. At <NUM>, method <NUM> includes formatting EDID data based on the selected EDID standard. At <NUM>, method <NUM> includes transmitting the formatted EDID data to a video source in response to connecting the display device to the video source.

Claim 1:
A device (<NUM>) comprising:
a display screen (<NUM>);
a machine readable storage medium (<NUM>) storing instructions (<NUM>-<NUM>) and Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) data (<NUM>); and
a processor (<NUM>) to execute the instructions to:
provide an on-screen display control to enable a user to select one of a plurality of EDID standards stored in the machine-readable storage medium;
format the EDID data (<NUM>) based on the selected EDID standard; and
add a new standard to the plurality of EDID standards stored in the machine-readable storage medium in response to an update request, wherein the on-screen display control enables the user to select one of a plurality of versions of the selected EDID standard,
wherein the plurality of EDID standards includes Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) E-EDID, VESA Display-ID, and Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) <NUM>, and
wherein the processor executes the instructions to add the new standard to the machine-readable storage medium over a Display Data Channel (DDC), a Universal Serial Bus (USB), an Ethernet, or a DisplayPort Aux Channel.