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US RE40,574 E1Granted
Device and method for repeatedly updated the function of a LCD monitors
AssigneeNovatek Microelectronics Corp.
InventorTe-Hsiu Tsai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monitor control system capable of reprogramming the function of a LCD monitor. The monitor control system utilizes VGA signal lines for video signal transmission during normal mode of operation and the same VGA signal lines for transmitting erase/record commands and data when the erasable programmable ROM inside the monitor demands reprogramming. Using an isolator circuit in the monitor control system for isolating an erase/record pathway of an erasable programmable ROM from a normal video pathway, data within the erasable programmable ROM can be modified without opening up the monitor casing. Hence, the modification of monitor function is much more convenient.
Claims64
A device for reprogramming the function of a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, comprising:
- a set of video graphic adapter (VGA) signal lines for transmitting a plurality of erase/record commands and a plurality of erase/record data;
- a signal detector coupled to the VGA signal lines for detecting and re-transmitting the erase/record commands and data;
- an activation device coupled to the signal detector, wherein the activation device is normally connected to a video pathway, but as soon as erase/record commands are detected, the activation device is switched to an erase/record pathway so that erase/record commands and data can be re-directed;
- a read-only-memory (ROM) erase/record command decoder connected to the activation device via the erase/record pathway, wherein the decoder translates the erase/record commands into a plurality of control signals and translates the erase/record data into a plurality of address signals and a plurality of data signals;
- a plurality of signal lines for transferring the control signals, the address signals, and the data signals to an external ROM unit, wherein a content of the ROM unit can be modified according to the control signals, the address signals, and the data signals;
- and
- a mode return device coupled to the ROM erase/record command decoder and the activation device, wherein the reprogramming status of the ROM unit can be determined from the address, data and read/write signals so that the activation device can be triggered to switch over connection from the erase/record pathway to the video pathway as soon as reprogramming is finished.
4 more elements
A system for reprogramming the function of a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, comprising:
- an erase/record device for holding and transmitting a plurality of erase/record commands and a plurality of erase/record data;
- a set of video graphic adapter (VGA) signal lines coupled to the VGA device for transmitting the erase/record commands and data;
- and
- a LCD monitor controller with a monitor-in-system programming function, wherein the LCD monitor controller is coupled to the VGA signal lines so that the erase/record commands of the erase/record device and data are received from the erase/record device via the VGA signal lines, and then a plurality of address signals, a plurality of data signals, and a plurality of control signals are exported for reprogramming a ROM unit, wherein
- the ROM unit coupled to the LCD monitor controller via signal lines for transferring the address signals, the data signals and the control signals, so that data stored in the ROM unit can be modified according to the address signals and the control signals, and the data signals coming from the LCD monitor controller.
2 more elements
A method for reprogramming the function of a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor system, comprising the steps of:
- tapping a plurality of signals from a set of video graphic adapter (VGA) signal lines to perform a plurality of consecutive address sequence comparisons with a pre-set address sequence;
- triggering a programming mode inside the LCD monitor system when one of the tapped consecutive address sequences matches that of the pre-set address sequence;
- reading an erase/record command and deciding what actions to take as soon as the programming mode is activated;
- reading in erase/record data and writing the erase/record data into a memory unit when the erase/record command is for a write operation, and then returning to the previous step;
- and
- returning to the very first step when the erase/record command demands a return to a non-programming mode.
3 more elements
A device for reprogramming the function of a display, comprising:
- a set of video signal lines for transmitting a plurality of erase/record commands and a plurality of erase/record data;
- a signal detector coupled to the video signal lines for detecting and re-transmitting the erase/record commands and data;
- an activation device coupled to the signal detector, wherein the activation device is normally connected to a video pathway, but after the erase/record commands are detected, the activation device is switched to an erase/record pathway so that erase/record commands and data can be redirected;
- a command decoder connected to the activation device via the erase/record pathway, wherein the decoder translates the erase/record commands into a plurality of control signals and translates the erase/record data into a plurality of data signals;
- a plurality of signal lines for transferring the control signals and the data signals to an external ROM unit, wherein a content of the ROM unit can be modified according to the control signals and the data signals;
- and a mode return device coupled to the command decoder and the activation device, wherein the reprogramming status of the ROM unit can be determined from the data signals and control signals so that the activation device can be triggered to switch over connection from the erase/record pathway to the video pathway after reprogramming is finished.
3 more elements
A system for reprogramming the function of a display, comprising:
- an erase/record device for holding and transmitting a plurality of erase/record commands and a plurality of erase/record data;
- a set of video signal lines coupled to the erase/record device for transmitting the erase/record commands and data;
- and a display controller with a monitor-in-system programming function, wherein the display controller is coupled to the video signal lines so that the erase/record commands of the erase/record device and data are received from the erase/record device via the video signal lines, and then a plurality of data signals and a plurality of control signals are exported for reprogramming a ROM unit, wherein the ROM unit coupled to the display controller via signal lines for transferring the data signals and the control signals, so that data stored in the ROM unit can be modified according to the control signals and the data signals coming from the display controller.
A method for reprogramming the function of a display system, comprising the steps of:
- tapping a plurality of signals from a set of video signal lines to perform an address comparison with a pre-set address;
- triggering a programming mode inside the display system when one of the tapped address matches that of the pre-set address;
- reading an erase/record command and deciding what actions to take after the programming mode is activated;
- reading in erase/record data and writing the erase/record data into a memory unit when the erase/record command is for a write operation, and then returning to the previous step;
- and returning to the first step when the erase/record command demands a return to a non-programming mode.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.