Information processing apparatus

A display controller comprising:

• a main body including a CPU;
• and
• a display device including a panel type display having display control means for processing data in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display and having an interface to said main body on a system bus to be used by said CPU so as to enable panel type displays with different characteristics to be connected with said main body, said display control means including a display ROM for storing therein attribute information of said panel type display connected to said system bus through a panel connector which is mutually detachable connectable with a main body connector of said main body;
• wherein said main body is not provided with display control means for processing data in accordance with characteristics of said panel type so that any said display device of a plurality of display devices having different panel type displays is operably connectable with said main body.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a power supply unit, a CPU, and a main body connector connected to a read/write bus which is readable/writable directly by said CPU and said power supply unit;
• and
• a display device including a panel connector connected to said main body connector, a panel type display, a display memory for storing display data received from said CPU through said read/write bus, said main body connector and said panel connector, display control means for generating panel display data for said panel type display in accordance with the display data stored in said display memory, said display control means storing attribute information of said panel type display which is readable/writable by said CPU through said read/write bus, and drive means connected to said panel type display and said panel connector for driving said panel type display in accordance with said panel display data generated by said display control means and a power supply received from said power supply unit of said main body through said main body connector and said panel connector, said panel connector being mutually detachably connectable with said main body connector;
• wherein said CPU enables direct reading of said attribute information from said display device through said read/write bus and enables direct writing of said display data to said display memory of said display device in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display through said read/write bus, said display control means reading said display data stored in said display memory and generating said panel display data in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display.

A display device comprising:

• a panel connector to be connected to a main body including a CPU, a read/write bus which is readable/writable directly by said CPU and a main body connector connected to said read/write bus, through said main body connector;
• a panel type display;
• and
• display control means disposed exteriorly of said main body connected to said panel type display for controlling the display of said panel type display in accordance with display data received from said CPU disposed exteriorly of said display device through said read/write bus, said main body connector and said panel connector, said display control means processing said display data in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display stored in said display control means as attribute information, said display control means including said read/write bus as an interface;
• wherein said CPU enables direct reading of said attribute information from said display device through said read/write bus, and enables direct writing of said display data to said display control means in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display through said read/write bus, said display control means processing said display data in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display.

A method for configuring an information processing apparatus by connecting one of a plurality of different types of display devices each including a panel type display to a main body including a CPU and a read/write bus which can be directly readable/writable by said CPU, comprising the steps of:

• providing each of said display device with all circuits which depend on the types of said display devices for enabling display, each display device including a panel connector mutually detachably connectable with a main body connector of said main body, and a display control means storing attribute information of said panel type display which is readable/writable by said CPU through said read/write bus;
• and
• establishing interface of said display device and said main body on said read/write bus and controlling by said display control means display of said panel type display on the basis of display data received from said CPU through said panel connector, said main body connector and said read/write bus;
• wherein said CPU enables direct reading of said attribute information from said display device through said read/write bus, and enables direct writing of said display data to said display device in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display through said read/write bus, said display control means processing said display data in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a main body including a CPU, a system bus having address, data and control signals inputted/outputted to/from said CPU and a main body connector connected to said system bus;
• and
• a display device including a panel connector connected to said main body connector, a panel type display, a display control means including a display ROM for storing therein attribute information of said panel type display connected to said system bus through said panel connector, and said display control means controlling display of said panel type display on the basis of data received from the CPU through said panel connector, said main body connector and said system bus,
• wherein said main body connector is mutually detachably connected to said panel connector, and wherein said main body is not provided with display control means for processing data in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display so that any said display device of a plurality of display devices having different panel type displays is operably connectable operably connectable with said main body.

A display device comprising:

• a panel connector to be connected to a main body including a CPU, a read/write bus which is readable/writable directly by said CPU and a main body connector connected to said read/write bus, through said main body connector;
• a panel type display;
• a display memory for storing display data received from said CPU through said read/write bus, said main body connector and said panel connector;
• and
• display control means for generating panel display data for said panel type display in accordance with display data stored in said display memory, said display control means storing attribute information of said panel type display which is readable/writable by said CPU through said read/write bus, and drive means connected to said panel type display and said panel connector for driving said panel type display in accordance with said panel display data generated by said display control means and a power supply received from a power supply unit of said main body through said main body connector and said panel connector, said panel connector being mutually detachably connectable with said main body connector;
• wherein said CPU enables direct reading of said attribute information from said display device through said read/write bus, and enables direct writing of said display data to said display memory of said display device in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display through said read/write bus, said display control means reading said display data stored in said display memory and generating said panel display data in accordance with characteristics of said panel type display.