Patent ID: 6930655

Claim:
A display monitor having: at least a stand-alone operational mode enabling user interaction with functionality in the monitor through a first peripheral device to the monitor, the user interaction being determined by a functionality specific to the first peripheral device; a further operational mode as a further peripheral to a data processing system that is separate from the first peripheral device, the monitor comprising: an input for connecting to the first peripheral device; circuitry for enabling data communication with the first peripheral device for user control of a functionality of the display monitor in the stand-alone mode, and for data communication between the first peripheral and the data processing system via the monitor when the monitor is in the further operational mode and connected to the system and the first peripheral, wherein the monitor includes mode a switching circuitry for detecting the monitor's connection state with the data processing system and determines whether the monitor should be in the stand-alone mode or the further operational mode, depending on the connection state; and comprising further circuitry for setting the monitor into the stand-alone operational mode or into the further operational mode depending on the voltage at a connection between the monitor and a data processing system.