# US 8,788,718 B2 · Multiple display network supporting HDMI-CEC > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,718 B2 - Document ID: US8788718B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/193,018 - Filed: 2008-08-17 - Published: 2009-12-03 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2008-05-27 - Assignees: Valens Semiconductor Ltd. - Applicants: Eyran Lida; Nadav Banet - Inventors: Eyran Lida; Nadav Banet - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788718B2 ## CPC - G09G 5/006: {Details of the interface to the display terminal (specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04)} - G06F 3/1454: {involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay} - G09G 2370/06: Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa - G09G 2370/12: Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline - G09G 2370/22: Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Methods and devices for manipulating HDMI-CEC messages transmitted over a network including at least two HDMI-CEC display devices with their associated at least two HDMI-CEC cluster trees that at least partially overlap, and enabling each of the HDMI-CEC display devices to communicate using HDMI-CEC with its associated HDMI-CEC cluster tree according to its current HDMI-CEC network view. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A network comprising: High Definition Multimedia Interface—Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) source devices, at least two HDMI-CEC display devices, and a manipulating switch; wherein the manipulating switch is configured to enable each of the display devices to communicate with available HDMI-CEC source devices using HDMI-CEC; and the at least two HDMI-CEC display devices can control the HDMI-CEC source devices as long as none of the HDMI-CEC source devices transmits a Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) communication; and when one of the HDMI-CEC display devices receives a TMDS communication from one of the HDMI-CEC source devices utilizing HDMI-CEC, the remaining HDMI-CEC display devices can still communicate with the other HDMI-CEC source devices utilizing HDMI-CEC. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The network of claim 1, wherein the manipulating switch dynamically manipulates the HDMI-CEC network views of the HDMI-CEC devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The network of claim 2, wherein the manipulating switch is located within one of the HDMI-CEC display devices. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The network of claim 2, wherein the manipulating switch is located within one of the HDMI-CEC source devices. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The network of claim 2, wherein the HDMI-CEC display device operates the required HDMI-CEC source device using an HDMI-CEC set-stream-path message. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The network of claim 2, wherein a user operates the network utilizing the HDMI-CEC one touch play feature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The network of claim 6, wherein the manipulating switch comprises logic for selecting which of the available HDMI-CEC display devices to connect with which of the HDMI-CEC source devices. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The network of claim 6, wherein the HDMI-CEC source device is connected to the HDMI-CEC display device that is already active. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The network of claim 8, wherein the HDMI-CEC source device is connected to the already active HDMI-CEC display device instead of a previously connected HDMI-CEC source device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The network of claim 6, wherein the manipulating switch connects each of the HDMI-CEC source devices to the HDMI-CEC display device to which it was last connected. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The network of claim 6, wherein the manipulating switch displays a menu to enable the user to select the desired HDMI-CEC display device to be connected to the HDMI-CEC source device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The network of claim 6, wherein operation by the HDMI-CEC source device causes operation by the manipulating switch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The network of claim 2, further comprising means for eliminating one or more hierarchic levels from one or more of the HDMI-CEC network views. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The network of claim 2, wherein the manipulating switch is further configured to disconnect a device from one or more of the HDMI-CEC network views. ### Claim 15 A manipulating switch coupled to a network comprising at least two High Definition Multimedia Interface—Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) source devices and at least two HDMI-CEC display devices; the manipulating switch is configured to control the HDMI-CEC network views of at least a subset of the HDMI-CEC devices in the network so as to enable the HDMI-CEC devices to communicate using HDMI-CEC with other HDMI-CEC devices in their own HDMI-CEC network view; and the at least two HDMI-CEC display devices can control the at least two HDMI-CEC source devices as long as none of the HDMI-CEC source devices transmits a Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) communication; and when one of the HDMI-CEC display devices receives a TMDS communication from one of the HDMI-CEC source devices utilizing HDMI-CEC, the other HDMI-CEC display devices can still communicate with the other HDMI-CEC source devices utilizing HDMI-CEC. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The manipulating switch of claim 15, wherein the network further comprises at least one HDMI-CEC switch. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The manipulating switch of claim 16, wherein the manipulating switch dynamically manipulates the HDMI-CEC network views of the HDMI-CEC devices. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The manipulating switch of claim 17, wherein the manipulating switch is located within one of the HDMI-CEC display devices. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The manipulating switch of claim 17, wherein the manipulating switch is located within one of the HDMI-CEC source devices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The manipulating switch of claim 15, wherein the HDMI-CEC display device operates the required HDMI-CEC source device using HDMI-CEC set-stream-path message. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The manipulating switch of claim 15, wherein a user operates the network utilizing the HDMI-CEC one touch play feature. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The manipulating switch of claim 21, wherein the manipulating switch comprises logic for selecting which of the available HDMI-CEC display devices to connect with which of the HDMI-CEC source devices. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The manipulating switch of claim 21, wherein the HDMI-CEC source device is connected to the HDMI-CEC display device that is already active. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The manipulating switch of claim 23, wherein the HDMI-CEC source device is connected to the already active HDMI-CEC display device instead of a previously connected HDMI-CEC source device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The manipulating switch of claim 21, wherein the manipulating switch connects each of the HDMI-CEC source devices to the HDMI-CEC display device to which it was last connected. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The manipulating switch of claim 21, wherein the manipulating switch displays a menu to enable the user to select the desired HDMI-CEC display device to be connected to the HDMI-CEC source device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The manipulating switch of claim 21, wherein operation by one of the HDMI-CEC source devices causes operation by the manipulating switch. ### Claim 28 (depends on 15) The manipulating switch of claim 15, further comprising means for eliminating one or more hierarchic levels from one or more of the HDMI-CEC network views. ### Claim 29 (depends on 15) The manipulating switch of claim 15, wherein the manipulating switch is further configured to disconnect a device from one or more of the HDMI-CEC network views. ### Claim 30 A method comprising: manipulating High Definition Multimedia Interface—Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) messages transmitted over a network comprising at least two HDMI-CEC display devices with their associated at least two HDMI-CEC cluster trees that at least partially overlap; wherein the at least two HDMI-CEC cluster trees comprise HDMI-CEC source devices; enabling each of the HDMI-CEC display devices to communicate using HDMI-CEC with its associated HDMI-CEC cluster tree according to its current HDMI-CEC network view; and the at least two HDMI-CEC display devices can control the HDMI-CEC source devices belonging to their respective HDMI-CEC cluster trees as long as none of the HDMI-CEC source devices transmits a Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) communication; and when one of the HDMI-CEC display devices belonging to one of the HDMI-CEC cluster trees receives a TMDS communication from its respective HDMI-CEC source devices utilizing HDMI-CEC, the remaining HDMI-CEC display devices belonging to the other HDMI-CEC cluster trees can still communicate with the other HDMI-CEC source devices belonging to the other HDMI-CEC cluster trees utilizing HDMI-CEC. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein each of the HDMI-CEC cluster trees comprises at least two HDMI-CEC source devices. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of dynamically manipulating the HDMI-CEC network views of the HDMI-CEC display devices according to the current state of the HDMI-CEC cluster trees and the operating states of the devices in the HDMI-CEC cluster trees. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the HDMI-CEC network views comprise all the available source devices as long as none of the HDMI-CEC source devices transmits a stream; and substantially when one of the HDMI-CEC source devices starts transmitting a stream to one of the HDMI-CEC display devices, further comprising the step of manipulating the HDMI-CEC network views of the other HDMI-CEC display devices to reflect the available HDMI-CEC source devices. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of eliminating one or more hierarchic levels from the HDMI-CEC network view. ### Claim 35 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of disconnecting an HDMI-CEC device from the HDMI-CEC network view. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The method of claim 35, wherein the step of disconnecting the HDMI-CEC device comprises spoofing the CEC physical addresses of the upstream and downstream HDMI-CEC devices. ### Claim 37 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of operating the network utilizing the HDMI-CEC one touch play feature. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, further comprising displaying a menu to enable a user to select the desired HDMI-CEC display device to be connected to an HDMI-CEC source device. ### Claim 39 A network supporting High Definition Multimedia Interface—Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) comprising: means for manipulating HDMI-CEC messages transmitted over a network comprising at least two HDMI-CEC display devices with their associated at least two HDMI-CEC cluster trees that at least partially overlap; wherein each HDMI-CEC cluster tree comprises at least one HDMI-CEC source device, and the at least two HDMI-CEC display devices are able to communicate using HDMI-CEC with their associated HDMI-CEC cluster trees according to their current HDMI-CEC network views; and the at least two HDMI-CEC display devices can control the HDMI-CEC source devices belonging to their respective HDMI-CEC cluster trees as long as none of the HDMI-CEC source devices transmits a Transition-Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) communication; and when one of the HDMI-CEC display devices belonging to one of the HDMI-CEC cluster trees receives a TMDS communication from its respective HDMI-CEC source devices utilizing HDMI-CEC, the remaining HDMI-CEC display devices belonging to the other HDMI-CEC cluster trees can still communicate with the other HDMI-CEC source devices belonging to the other HDMI-CEC cluster trees utilizing HDMI-CEC. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The network of claim 39, further comprising means for dynamically manipulating the HDMI-CEC network views of the HDMI-CEC display devices according to the current state of the HDMI-CEC cluster trees and the operating states of the devices in the HDMI-CEC cluster trees. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The network of claim 40, further comprising means for eliminating one or more hierarchic levels from the HDMI-CEC network view. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The network of claim 40, wherein the network is further configured to disconnect an HDMI-CEC device from the HDMI-CEC network view. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The network of claim 42, wherein the step of disconnecting the HDMI-CEC device comprises spoofing the CEC physical addresses of the upstream and downstream HDMI-CEC devices. ### Claim 44 (depends on 39) The network of claim 39, wherein a user operates the network utilizing the HDMI-CEC one touch play feature. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The network of claim 44, further comprising logic for selecting which of the available HDMI-CEC display devices to connect with the HDMI-CEC source device. ### Claim 46 (depends on 44) The network of claim 44, wherein the HDMI-CEC source device is connected to the HDMI-CEC display device that is already active. ### Claim 47 (depends on 44) The network of claim 44, wherein the HDMI-CEC source device is connected to the HDMI-CEC display device to which it was last connected. ### Claim 48 (depends on 44) The network of claim 44, wherein the user selects the desired HDMI-CEC display device to be connected to the HDMI-CEC source device using a menu.