Display signal interface system between display controller and display apparatus

A display signal interface system comprising:

• a display apparatus;
• a display controller for driving the display apparatus, the display controller having a parallel-serial conversion circuit for converting parallel display color signals and a control signal which have a first potential to a serial signal which has a second potential lower than the first potential, and converting a first clock signal of the first potential to a second clock signal of the second potential;
• and
• a serial-parallel conversion circuit, for converting the serial signal output from the parallel-serial conversion circuit to the parallel display color signals and the control signal, and converting the second clock signal output from the parallel-serial conversion circuit to the first clock signal.

A computer comprising:

• a computer main body;
• a display unit having a flat panel;
• a display controller, included in the computer main body, for producing parallel display color signals, each having a first potential and n-bits (n=a positive inter of 2 or more) per pixel, a control signal having the first potential, and a first clock signal having the first potential;
• a parallel-serial conversion circuit, included in the computer main body, for converting the parallel display color signals and the control signal output from the display controller to a serial signal of a second potential lower than the first potential, and converting the first clock signal output from the display controller to a second clock signal of the second potential;
• a cable for electrically connecting said computer main body and said display unit and serially transferring the serial signal and the second clock signal output from the parallel-serial conversion circuit;
• and
• a serial-parallel conversion circuit, included in the display unit, for converting the serial signal transferred via said cable to the parallel display color signals and the control signal, and for converting said second clock signal transferred via the cable to the first clock signal, the parallel display color signals, the control signal, and the first clock signal being supplied to said flat panel.

A computer comprising:

• a computer main body;
• a display unit having a flat panel;
• a display controller, included in the computer main body, for producing parallel display color signals, each having a first potential and n-bits (n=a positive integer of 2 or more) per pixel, a control signal having the first potential, and a first clock signal having the first potential, said display controller including a parallel-serial conversion circuit for converting the display color signals and the control signal to a serial signal of a second potential lower than the first potential, and converting the first clock signal to a second clock signal of the second potential;
• a cable for electrically connecting said computer main body and said display unit and serially transferring the serial signal and the second clock signal output from said parallel-serial conversion circuit;
• and
• a serial-parallel conversion circuit, included in the display unit, for converting the serial signal transferred via said cable to the parallel display color signals, and for converting said second clock signal transferred via the cable to the first clock signal, the parallel display color signals, the control signal, and the first clock signal being supplied to said flat panel.

A method in a computer system having a main computer body, a display unit having a first panel, a display controller, included in the computer main body, for producing parallel display color signals, each having a first potential and n-bits (n=a positive integer of 2 or more) per pixel, a control signal having the first potential, and a first clock signal having the first potential, the method comprising the steps of:

• converting the parallel display color signals and the control signal output from the display controller to a serial signal of a second potential lower than the first potential, and converting the first clock signal output from the display controller to a second clock signal of the second potential using a parallel-serial conversion circuit, included in the computer main body;
• serially transferring the serial signal and the second clock signal output from the parallel-serial conversion circuit using a cable for electrically connecting said computer main body and said display unit;
• and
• converting the serial signal transferred via said cable to the parallel display color signals and the control signal, and for converting said second clock signal transferred via the cable to the first clock signal, the parallel display color signals, the control signal, and the first clock signal being supplied to said first panel using a serial-parallel conversion circuit, included in the computer main body.

A method in a computer system having a main computer body, a display unit having a first panel, a display controller, included in the computer main body, for producing parallel display color signals, each having a first potential and n-bits (n=a positive integer of 2 or more) per pixel, a control signal having the first potential, and a first clock signal having the first potential, said display controller including a parallel-serial conversion circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

• converting the parallel display color signals and the control signal output from the display controller to a serial signal of a second potential lower than the first potential, and converting the first clock signal output from the display controller to a second clock signal of the second potential using the parallel-serial conversion circuit;
• serially transferring the serial signal and the second clock signal output from the parallel-serial conversion circuit using a cable for electrically connecting said computer main body and said display unit;
• and
• converting the serial signal transferred via said cable to the parallel display color signals and the control signal, and for converting said second clock signal transferred via the cable to the first clock signal, the parallel display color signals, the control signal, and the first clock signal being supplied to said first panel using a serial-parallel conversion circuit, included in the display unit.

A method in a display signal interface system in a computer comprising a main body, a display unit with a flat panel, and a cable for electrically connecting the main body and the display unit, the method comprising the steps of:

• producing parallel display color signals, each having a first potential and n-bits (n=an integer of 2 or more) per pixel, a control signal having the first potential, and a first clock signal of the first potential;
• converting said parallel display color signals and the control signal to a serial signal of a second potential lower than the first potential;
• converting said first clock signal to a second clock signal of the second potential;
• outputting the serial signal and the second clock signal to the cable;
• converting the serial signal supplied from the cable to parallel display color signals on the display unit side;
• and
• converting the second clock to the first clock signal, thereby driving the flat panel.

A method in an interface system for interfacing a display apparatus and a display controller for driving the display apparatus, said interface system having a display device including a parallel-serial conversion circuit, a gate array for driving the display apparatus, said gate array including a serial-parallel conversion circuit, included in the display apparatus side, the method comprising the steps of:

• converting parallel display color signals of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue) which are plural-bit parallel signals each having a first potential to serial signals each having a second potential lower than the first potential using the parallel-serial conversion circuit;
• converting a control signal representing the beginning of effective display data, a field pulse corresponding to one screen cycle, and a latch pulse corresponding to one line cycle which have the first potential to the serial signals, and converting a first clock signal of the first potential to a second clock signal of the second potential;
• and
• converting the serial signals of the display color signals output from the parallel-serial conversion circuit to the parallel display color signals, converting the serial signals output from the parallel-serial conversion circuit to the control signal, the field pulse, and the latch pulse, and converting the second clock signal output from the parallel-serial conversion circuit to the clock signal using the serial-parallel conversion circuit.