Method and apparatus for controlling multiple displays from a drawing surface

A method for controlling multiple displays from a drawing surface, the method comprises the steps of:

• a) obtaining a drawing surface setting that includes at least one of:
• refresh rate, resolution, and pixel depth;
• b) executing a loop function to determine whether each of the multiple displays includes a display mode that substantially matches the drawing surface setting or a loop generated drawing surface setting to produce a matched drawing surface setting;
• and
• c) when each of the multiple displays includes a display mode that substantially matches the drawing surface setting or the loop generated drawing surface setting, providing images of the drawing surface to the multiple displays based on the matched drawing surface setting.

A video graphics processor comprises:

• processing module operable to produce video graphics data, wherein the video graphics data is stored in a drawing surface of a frame buffer memory;
• and
• memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that cause the processing module to (a) obtain a drawing surface setting that include at least one of:
• refresh rate, resolution, and pixel depth;
• (b) determine whether each of a plurality of displays includes a display mode that substantially matches the drawing surface setting;
• (c) generate an alternate drawing surface setting by modifying at least one of:
• the refresh rate, the resolution, and the pixel depth of the drawing surface setting when at least one of the plurality of displays does not include a display mode that substantially matches the drawing surface setting;
• (d) determine whether each of the plurality of displays includes a display mode that substantially matches the alternate drawing surface setting;
• and (e) provide images stored in the drawing surface to the plurality of displays based on the alternate drawing surface setting when each of the plurality of displays includes a display mode that substantially matches the alternate drawing surface setting.

A video graphics processor comprises:

• processing module operable to produce video graphics data, wherein the video graphics data is stored in a drawing surface of a frame buffer memory;
• and
• memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that cause the processing module to (a) obtain a drawing surface setting that includes at least one of:
• refresh rate, resolution, and pixel depth;
• (b) execute a loop function to determine whether each of a plurality of displays includes a display mode that substantially matches the drawing surface setting or a loop generated drawing surface setting to produce a matched drawing surface setting;
• and (c) provide images of the drawing surface to the plurality of displays based on the matched drawing surface setting when each of the plurality of displays includes a display mode that substantially matches the drawing surface setting or the loop generated drawing surface setting.