METHOD FOR PERFORMING SPLIT SCREEN DISPLAY
An apparatus for performing split display is disclosed. The apparatus includes various interfaces through which a group of information processing devices can be connected to the apparatus, a user interface (UI) module that accepts a user operation, and a screen split module that splits a display area of a display into a set of display areas. The screen split module also allocates the display areas to the group of information processing devices accordingly, and displays pieces of display information that are input from the group of information processing devices via the interfaces in the respective display areas. The screen split module may set a display attribute of each of the display areas in response to the user operation that has been accepted via the UI module.
The present application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §§120, 365 to the previously filed Japanese Patent Application No. JP2016-121936 with a priority date of Jun. 20, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to screen display in general, and in particular to a method for performing split screen display on a display.
BACKGROUNDDisplays are used in various devices such as computer systems, television sets, etc. Displays can come in different forms (such as a liquid crystal device, an organic EL device, a plasma device, a cathode ray tube, etc.), different sizes, (such as a large size, a medium size and a small size) and different installation types (such as a wall type, a horizontal installation type and a portable type).
There is also available a display for TV set of the type that one screen can be split into two screens in order to display programs of television broadcasts of two channels on the two screens respectively. However, with the current displays, the number of screen to be split, the size of the screen to be split, and the position of the screen to be split are all fixed, and it is not possible for a user to freely set the number, size, and position of the split screen.
SUMMARYIn accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for performing split screen display is provided. The apparatus includes various interfaces through which a group of information processing devices can be connected to the apparatus, a user interface (UI) module that accepts a user operation, and a screen split module that splits a display area of a display into a set of display areas. The screen split module also allocates the display areas to the group of information processing devices accordingly, and displays pieces of display information that are input from the group of information processing devices via the interfaces in the respective display areas. The screen split module may set a display attribute of each of the display areas in response to the user operation that has been accepted via the UI module, and the display attribute may include a display position and a display size for each display area.
All features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed written description.
The invention itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
It is possible to configure the display 200 by, for example, a liquid crystal device, a plasma device, a projector device, a cathode ray tube, etc. It is possible to configure the display 200 as displays of various types such as a deck type, a wall type, a table type, etc., ranging from small screens to large screens that are oriented to high vision, full high vision, 4K, 8K and 16K systems. The display 200 may be configured by a touch-operable touch display by loading a touch sensor on a substrate for display. In addition, the display 200 may be also configured by a gesture-operable non-contact-operable display by loading a sensor such as a camera that is adapted to detect the gesture. It is possible to connect the display 200 with the screen split device 300 in order to allow wired or wireless data communication with the screen split device 300.
It is possible to connect various information processing devices 400 with the screen split device 300 in order to allow wired or wireless data communication with the screen split device 300. The information processing devices 400 outputs pieces of display information to be displayed on the display 200 to the screen split device 300. One of the information processing devices 400 is, for example, a smartphone, a cell phone handset, a tablet, a laptop PC, a desktop PC, a DVD player, a Blu-ray player, a tuner for television sets (for example, television sets for terrestrial digital broadcasting, communication satellite broadcasting, broadcasting satellite broadcasting, Internet connection, etc.), a gaming machine, a digital camera, wearable devices such as a smartwatch, a fitness band, an optical head mounted display, etc.
The screen split device 300 is configured to be connected with the various information processing devices 400 and the display 200 so as to allow wired or wireless data communication with the various information processing devices 400 and the display 200. The screen split device 300 is allowed to perform split screen display, for example, on the display 200. The screen split device 300 splits a display screen 201 of the display 200 into multiple display areas, allocates the split display areas respectively to the information processing devices 400 to be connected with the screen split device 300 and displays pieces of the display information that are input from the various information processing devise 400 respectively in the allocated display areas. It is possible for the screen split device 300 to set a display attribute of each display area in response to a user operation. The display attribute may include a display position and a display size of the display area. The display attribute may also include a display direction, a display shape, presence/absence of mirroring and of each piece of the display information. The multiple display areas may be displayed in an overlapping state.
The screen split device 300 may accept the user operation by receiving a command signal that is transmitted from, for example, the remote control device 500 adapted to operate the screen split device 300. In addition, an operation button that is used for operating the screen split device 300 may be disposed on the chassis of the screen split device 300 and the screen split device 300 may accept the user operation according to the operation button concerned. In addition, the screen split device 300 may accept the user operation performed on a touch sensor (a touch panel) that has been disposed on the display screen of the display 200. In addition, the screen split device 300 may accept the user operation performed on a touch sensor (a touch panel) that has been disposed on the display screen of the display 200. In addition, the screen split device 300 may accept the gesture of the user that is detected by a sensor that has been disposed on the display 200 as the user operation. In addition, the screen split device 300 may accept the user operation performed on an application program that has been installed in the various information processing devices 400 and is used to operate the screen split device 300.
It is possible to configure the remote control device 500 so as to, for example, send a command signal according to a user's operation instruction to the screen split device 300. The screen split device 300 may execute various processes in accordance with the command signal from the remote control device 500.
In the present embodiment, although split of the screen includes both of a mode that respective boundaries among the multiple display areas that have been disposed in the screen do not necessarily overlap mutually and a mode that the screen is split along horizontal-direction and vertical-direction split lines so as to mutually overlap the boundaries among the respective display areas. In the following, a case where the boundaries among the respective display areas do not mutually overlap will be described.
As illustrated in
The interface 303 is adapted to connect the screen split device 300 with the display 200 and thereby to transmit and receive data to and from the display 200. The so group of interfaces 304 is adapted to connect the screen split device 300 with the various information processing devices 400 and thereby to transmit and receive data to and from the various information processing devices 400. The group of interfaces 304 is configured, for example, by N interfaces and is referred to as a port 1 to a port N. It is possible to connect the screen split device 300 with the information processing devices 400 by the number of the group of interfaces 304 (by the number of ports).
It is possible to use, for example, a video graphics array (VGA), a digital video interface (DVI), a high resolution multimedia interface (HDMI), a component video interface, a composite video interface, a coaxial video interface, a display port, an S video interface, a SCART, a D terminal interface and so forth as each of the interface 303 and the set of interfaces 304. In addition, it is also possible to use interfaces for serial port connection, Universal Serial Bus (USB), IEEE 1394 (FireWire), Ethernet, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, etc. as the interface 303 and the group of interfaces 304. The screen split device 300 may function as a single output device for the display 200 by pretending as a single (logic) display to each of the various information processing devices 400 and by combining the information processing devices 400 together, in addition to control of splitting of the screen of the display 200.
The UI module 301 may include one or more sensor(s) and/or one or more antennae (an infrared sensor is included) configured so as to detect the command signal transmitted from the remote control device 500. It is possible to configure the UI module 301 so as to make the screen split module 302 generate screen information such as menu screen (a UI screen) information, split screen information, etc. to be presented to the display 200. The menu screen may be organized by a layered menu structure that includes a main menu screen and one or more sub menu screens. In addition, the menu screen may include a popup screen, a graphical user interface (GUI), etc. In addition, it is also possible to configure the menu screen so as to include a set of options and sub options thereof and the options and the sub options may be highlighted by a movable cursor.
The remote control device 500 includes buttons, switches, touch pads, etc. that a user uses in order to perform operator guidance (selection, determination, cursor movement and so forth are included) and it is possible to configure the remote control device 500 so as to transmit the command signals according to these operations (selection, determination, cursor movement, etc.) to the UI module 301 of the screen split device 300, for example, with infrared rays or high-frequency waves.
The remote control device 500 sends the command signals used to instruct display of the menu screen and to perform the operations (selection, determination, cursor movement, etc. are included) to be performed in the menu screen to the UI module 301 of the screen split device 300. It is possible for the user to perform a desired operation in the menu screen by operating the remote control device 500.
The screen split module 302 generates screen information (menu screen information, split screen information, etc. are included) to be displayed on the display 200 in accordance with the instruction from the UI module 301, outputs the screen information so generated to the display 200 and makes the screen information display on the display 200.
The screen split module 302 splits the display area of the display screen on the display 200 into multiple display areas in accordance with the number of the various information processing devices 400 to be connected with the group of interfaces 304. The screen split module 302 allocates the display areas so split respectively to the various information processing devices 300, generates split screen information used to display pieces of the display information that are input from the various information processing devices 400 via the interfaces 304 and outputs the split screen information so generated to the display 200.
Further, the screen split module 302 sets the display attribute of each display area in response to the user operation that has been accepted from the remote control device 500 via the UI module 301. The display attribute includes, for example, the display position and the display size of each display area. That is, it is possible for the user of the information processing device 400 to freely set the display size and the display position of each display area so split on the display 200 by operating the remote control device 500. As such, user usability is improved.
For example, when “ONE SCREEN DISPLAY” is selected it is possible for the screen split device 300 to display the sub menu screen of “ONE SCREEN DISPLAY.” It is possible to display information used to select a port for performing one screen display on the sub menu screen of “ONE SCREEN DISPLAY.” In addition, when “SPLIT SCREEN DISPLAY” is selected, for example, the screen split device 300 may display a sub menu screen of “SPLIT SCREEN DISPLAY” (see
When the UI module 301 accepts selection of “SPLIT SCREEN DISPLAY” on the main menu screen in accordance with the user operation performed by the remote control device 500 (S102), the screen split module 302 displays the sub menu screen of “SPLIT SCREEN DISPLAY” (S103).
The screen split module 302 splits the display screen 201 of the display 200 into the group of display areas and allocates the various information processing devices 400 that are connected to the interfaces 304 to the display areas so split respectively (S104).
The screen split module 302 sets the display attribute (for example, the display position and the display size) of each display area in accordance with the user operation that the UI module 301 has accepted and the user has performed by the remote control device 500 on the sub menu screen of “SPLIT SCREEN DISPLAY” (S105).
The screen split device 302 displays pieces of the display information that are input from the information processing devices 400 in the respective display areas that the display attributes have been set respectively (S106).
In addition, a preview screen 250 that has reflected the setting details of the setting item concerned is displayed in the sub menu screen 220. Areas 251, 252 and 253 that correspond to the display areas that the display attributes of port 2 to port 3 (for the information processing devises 400A, 400B and 400C) have been set are displayed in the preview screen 250. It is possible for the user to easily perform setting by setting the display attribute while confirming the preview screen 250. Incidentally, the areas 251, 252 and 253 may be edited (scaling-up, scaling-down, movement, rotation angle setting, ON/OFF setting of mirroring and so forth) in the preview screen 250 so as to make it possible to set the display attribute of each display area. Thereby, it becomes possible for the user to graphically set the display attribute of each display area.
In addition, when the group of display areas has been mutually superimposed, the display areas may be displayed in the overlapping state (displayed in a layered state).
As the display attribute of each display area, for example, a display shape may be configured to be settable to a rectangular shape □, a circular shape ◯, a triangular shape Δ, a rhomboid shape ⋄, etc., in response to the user operation. For example, the display shape may be configured to be settable on the sub menu screen 220 of “SPLIT SCREEN DISPLAY” illustrated in
As has been described, the present invention provides a method for performing split screen display.
A program product can be provided for performing split screen display. The program product may include a computer readable storage medium that stores a processor executable code, in which the executable code may include a code used for execution of accepting a user operation, splitting a display area on a display screen of a display into a group of display areas, and allocating the group of display areas so split to various information processing devices that are connected via interfaces respectively, setting a display attribute of each display area so allocated to each information processing device in response to the user operation, the display attribute including a display position and a display size of each display area, and displaying display information that is input from each of the various information processing devices in each display area for which the display attribute has been set.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus for performing split screen display, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of interfaces through which a plurality of information processing devices are connected to said apparatus;
- a user interface (UI) module for receiving a user operation; and
- a screen split module for splitting a display screen into a plurality of display areas, for allocating said display areas to said plurality of information processing devices accordingly, and for displaying various display information from said plurality of information processing devices via said interfaces on said display areas accordingly, wherein said screen split module also sets a display attribute of each of said display areas in response to said user operation that has been accepted by said UI module.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display attribute includes a display position and a display size of each of said display areas.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display attribute includes a display direction of said display information.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display attribute includes a display shape.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display attribute includes mirroring of said display information to be displayed on one of said display areas.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein two of said display areas are displayed in an overlapping state.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said UI module accepts said user operation via a remote control device, an operation button disposed on a chassis of the device, a touch sensor disposed in said display screen of said display, a sensor adapted to detect a gesture of a user.
8. A method comprising:
- receiving a user operation via an receiver;
- splitting a display screen into a plurality of display areas;
- allocating said plurality of display areas to a plurality of information processing devices that are connected to said receiver accordingly;
- setting a display attribute of each of said allocated display areas to each of said information processing device in response to a user operation; and
- displaying various display information coming from each of said plurality of information processing devices in each of said allocated display areas for which said display attribute has been set accordingly.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said display attribute includes a display position and a display size of each of said allocated display areas.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein said display attribute includes a display direction of said display information.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein said display attribute includes a display shape.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein said display attribute includes mirroring of said display information to be displayed on one of said display areas.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein two of said display areas are displayed in an overlapping state.
14. A computer readable storage medium having a program product for performing split screen display, said computer readable storage medium comprising:
- computer code for receiving a user operation via an receiver;
- computer code for splitting a display screen into a plurality of display areas;
- computer code for allocating said plurality of display areas to a plurality of information processing devices that are connected to said receiver accordingly;
- computer code for setting a display attribute of each of said allocated display areas to each of said information processing device in response to a user operation, wherein said display attribute includes a display position and a display size of each of said allocated display areas; and
- computer code for displaying various display information coming from each of said plurality of information processing devices in each of said allocated display areas for which said display attribute has been set accordingly.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 24, 2016
Publication Date: Dec 21, 2017
Inventor: ATSUSHI KUMAKI (KANAGAWA-KEN)
Application Number: 15/332,125