Television – Combined with diverse art device
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-12
2001-08-14
Kostak, Victor R. (Department: 2611)
Television
Combined with diverse art device
C348S446000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275266
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the use of television monitors with personal computers, more specifically to the use of a television as an output device for a personal computer.
BACKGROUND ART
The current state of using a television set as a display for personal computers generally involves the use of a digital encoder card in combination with a computer VGA adapter card. The digital encoder card is used to convert the red, green and blue (RGB) signals from a computer VGA adapter card into a composite video signal having either a PAL or NTSC format for driving a television set. Such arrangements may require some manual configuration between the computer VGA adapter card and the digital encoder card to provide a composite video signal having acceptable display qualities relative to the hardware requirements and specifications of the television set.
Although the computer VGA adapter card may have an associated device driver for controlling hardware-related operations within the VGA display adapter, there is no software control of the digital encoder card that supplies the PAL or NTSC format composite video signals to the television set. Hence, the personal computer is unaware of the presence of the television set, let alone any performance or technical specifications of the television. Hence, all hardware functions associated with the television need to be performed manually by a user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need for an arrangement that enables a computer system to control operations of the television set, including controlling the digital encoder that supplies video signals to the television set.
There is also a need for an arrangement in a computer system that enables a computer system routine to detect a connection status of a television set.
There is also a need for an arrangement in a computer system for dynamically configuring the television set using hardware-specific routines that interface between a computer system routine and the hardware operations of the television set.
These and other needs are attained by the present invention, where a software architecture for a personal computer includes a library storing executable routines that can be called by a computer system routine across a application programming interface, and a hardware extraction layer having hardware-specific routines for selectively controlling the television set in response to a call by one of the executed library routines.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for establishing a television set as a graphic output object for a computer system includes calling a selected executable routine from a linked library across an application programming interface by a computer system routine, where the linked library has a plurality of executable routines for controlling the television set, and at least one of the executable routines is configured for detecting a presence of a television set. The method also includes executing a hardware-specific routine associated with hardware operation of the television set in response to execution of the selected executable routine, and returning a hardware-specific result to the called selected executable routine. The method also includes sending an execution result by the called selected executable routine to the computer system routine across the application programming interface based on the hardware-specific result. Use of an application programming interface by the computer system routine enables the computer system routine to be programmed generically to cause execution of high level operations related to television display functions, where hardware-specific operations necessary for the high level operations are performed by the hardware-specific routine. Hence, calling a selected executable routine across the application programming interface enables the computer system to use generic commands for television display operations, where a linked library and the hardware-specific routine perform specific operations necessary for a given television set.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer system for outputting graphics to a television set, comprising a computer system routine executing within an operating system of the computer system, a linked library storing a plurality of library routines each executable in response to a first call by the computer routine across a application programming interface, and a hardware abstraction layer including hardware-specific routines for detecting a presence of the television set and for selectively controlling the television set in response to a second call by one of the library routines selected by the computer system routine. Use of the hardware abstraction layer having hardware-specific routines enables the computer system routine to be programmed generically to output to any type of television set, where a library routine executes television hardware-related operations and returns results based on the generic calls from the computer system routine and selected hardware-specific routines called by the executed library routine. In addition, the library routines may be dynamically-linked routines that may be added or periodically updated separately from the computer operating system, enabling performance upgrades in the computer system in an efficient manner.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention maybe realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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Lydon Gregory T.
Morris Charles F.
Reha Mark Keith
Kostak Victor R.
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
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