Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Intrasystem connection – Bus access regulation
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-26
2001-06-05
Dharia, Rupal D. (Department: 2181)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Intrasystem connection
Bus access regulation
C710S100000, C710S104000, C710S105000, C710S120000, C710S120000, C710S120000, C710S071000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243780
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interface of a monitor communicating with a personal computer (PC), and more particularly to an interface of a monitor which can input/output serial data through a printer port and a COM port simultaneously by providing a communication interface utilizing the printer port of the PC communicating with a microcomputer of the monitor, thereby improving communicability between the PC and the microcomputer of the monitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the conventional interface of a monitor communicating with a PC comprises a microcomputer
1
of the monitor for processing data by serial peripheral interface (SPI) communication, a printer port
3
A, installed on the rear part of the PC
3
, for inputting/outputting print data signals, and an interface section
2
, connected between the printer port
3
A and the microcomputer
1
, for inputting/outputting data therethrough.
The interface section
2
comprises an inverter G
1
, connected between pin No.
2
of the printer port
3
A of the PC
3
and a serial clock line (SCL) terminal of the microcomputer
1
, for transmitting a clock line control signal, an inverter G
2
, connected between the SCL terminal of the microcomputer
1
and pin No.
15
of the printer port
3
A of the PC
3
, for checking the status of a clock signal transmitted from the inverter G
1
to the microcomputer
1
, an inverter G
3
, connected between pin No.
3
of the printer port
3
A of the PC
3
and a serial data line (SDL) terminal, for transmitting a data line control signal, and a inverter G
4
, connected between the SDL terminal of the microcomputer
1
and pin No.
10
of the printer port
3
A of the PC
3
, for checking the status of data signal transmitted from the inverter G
3
to the microcomputer
1
.
The reference numberals R
1
to R
4
in
FIG. 1
denote pull-up resistors.
The operation of the conventional interface of a monitor communicating with a PC will be explained.
First, in case that the PC
3
writes data into the microcomputer
1
through the clock line and the data line, the pin Nos.
2
and
3
of the printer port
3
A of the PC
3
are initialized with ‘high’ level signals. At an initial stage, as illustrated in
FIG. 2A
, the starting condition of the data transmission is given at the point where the clock line and the data line go from a ‘high’ state to a ‘low’ state. At this time, the microcomputer
1
acknowledges that the PC
3
starts data reading on writing operation by detecting the starting condition through the clock line and data line.
In case of writing the data in the microcomputer, the PC
3
outputs data through the inverter G
3
, synchronizing the data with the clock signal applied to the inverter G
1
of the interface section
2
. The microcomputer
1
of the monitor then receives and stores in a built-in memory the clock signal and the data inputted from the inverters G
1
, G
3
. Meanwhile, in case of reading the data from the microcomputer
1
, the PC
3
reads necessary data through the inverters G
2
, G
4
form the microcomputer
1
.
At this time, the PC
3
feeds back the data and the clock signal outputted from the inverters G
1
, G
3
through the inverters G
2
, G
4
of the interface section
2
to check whether or not the current clock line and the data line operate in a normal state. Also, the PC
3
acknowledges the read data by recognizing the clock inputted/outputted through the inverter G
3
. Specifically, the PC
3
transmits or reads the data byte by byte by acknowledging the rising edge of the ninth clock of the clock signal. At this time, the microcomputer
1
of the monitor displays the inputted/outputted data on the monitor screen so that the user can see the data.
If the stop condition is inputted as shown in
FIG. 2A
during the above-described data input/output operation, the PC
3
terminates the data input/output operation.
However, according to the conventional interface of a monitor communicating with a PC, the PC cannot perform a data communication with the microcomputer through the printer port if the printer cable is connected to the printer port of the PC, thereby decreasing the usability of the system. Also, it is impossible to compatibly perform a serial communication or parallel communication using the input/output ports of the PC, thereby greatly deteriorating the operability of the system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the problems involved in the prior art, and to provide an interface of a monitor communicable with a PC which can input/output serial data simultaneously utilizing a COM port in parallel with the printer port of the PC, thereby improving the communicability between the PC and the microcomputer of the monitor.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitor having a microcomputer for performing a SPI communication with a PC, the monitor comprising an interface using in common one communication type utilizing a serial clock and a serial data through a printer port of the PC and the other communication type utilizing RS
232
C through a COM port of the PC, wherein data is stored in or read out from the microcomputer through the interface.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an interface of a monitor communicating with a PC, the monitor having a microcomputer for controlling input/output of parallel and serial data through the microcomputer and a D-sub connector for connecting the parallel and serial data, and the PC having a COM port for inputting/outputting the serial data by the RS
232
C and a printer port for inputting/outputting print data, the interface comprising:
a parallel communication section, connected between the printer port and the COM port of the PC and the D-sub connector of the monitor with parallel communication lines, for inputting/outputting data;
a serial switch, connected between the COM port and the D-sub connector, for switch-controlling the communication lines to effect a serial communication; and
a transistor, connected to one side of the D-sub connector, for providing an interrupt switching signal to the microcomputer when the serial communication is effected.
In still anther aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication interface in a display device having a processor for performing a serial interface communication with a computer, the communication interface comprising:
a serial port connector coupled to the processor and connectable to a serial port of the computer;
a parallel port connector coupled to the processor and connectable to a parallel port of the computer; and
a switch operable to switch communication to the processor between the serial port when communication through the serial port is desired and the parallel port when communication through the parallel port is desired.
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patent: 5812879 (1998-08-01), Moro
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patent: 2 314 493 (1997-12-01), None
patent: WO 93/06587 (1993-04-01), None
patent: WO 95/19620 (1995-07-01), None
Microsof Press Computer Dictionary, Second Edition, pp. 49, 81, 334, 1994.
Dharia Rupal D.
LG Electronics Inc.
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
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