Abstract: A method and apparatus for combining a control signal and a video signal on a standard video cable is disclosed. The video cable is connected to a display monitor in order to provide access and control functions to the monitor. In a particular implementation, a USB signal is transmitted with a digital video signal across a standard digital video connector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that extends the video graphics bus from the computer unit to a monitor is used within a computer system that includes a computer unit and a monitor. The computer unit includes a central processing unit, system memory, an accelerated graphics port chip set, and a first AGP coupling converter. The first AGP coupling converter is operably coupled to the AGP chip set and receives video graphics data (e.g., vertex data for triangles corresponding to three-dimensional graphics) and converts the transport formatting of the video graphics. Such transport formatting conversion may include changing from a parallel transport to a serial transport or from a parallel transport to a reduced parallel transport. The monitor includes a second AGP coupling converter, a video graphics controller, and a display device. The second AGP coupling converter is operably coupled, via a cable, to the first AGP coupling converter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for restricting privileged access to distributed content information, (e.g., audio data stored on a compact disk, audiocassette, etc., and video and/or audio data stored on a DVD disk, video cassette, etc.) begins by extracting a privileged indicator from the distributed content information to produce an extractive privilege indicator. The privileged indicator indicates whether the content data of the distributed content information can be displayed, displayed without copying, displayed with a single copy, displayed with multi-copies, copied once, or copied multiple times. The extracted privilege indicator is transmitted to a distributed content device (e.g., a monitor, a projector, a high definition television, a DVD recorder, a server, and/or a personal computer) via a control channel. Upon receiving the extracted privilege indicator, the distributed content device interprets it to determine the privileged access restrictions.