JPH11143446A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control the power supply of a communication part according to the condition in order to realize the stable plug-and-play function. SOLUTION: An effective power supply is selected among an up-port power supply and a self-power supply of an equipment having a hub by a hub control part, and the power is supplied to a peripheral equipment to be connected to a down port. When a display control part 13 reports the power management information to a hub control part 14, the hub control part 14 regulates the power consumption of the down ports 6, 7, 8, 9 so as to be adaptable to a power-saving mechanism.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a device having a power supply or power control means, and more particularly to a display device such as a computer terminal and the like, and a computer (hereinafter abbreviated as PC) such as a personal computer or a workstation. And a display device having a communication function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, PCs have rapidly become widespread with the progress of graphical user interfaces of operating system software, and the connection of various types of peripheral devices to PCs has been increasing.

On the other hand, connection terminals of peripheral devices have different shapes or require initial settings such as installation of driver software, but a plug-and-play function has appeared in order to solve the problem. Recently, in order to realize a plug-and-play function, communication is performed between the peripheral device and a PC, and automation of initial setting work is considered. Furthermore, in order to improve the convenience of the user of the PC, a connector having a uniform shape and a hub function as a connection medium between the PC and peripheral devices are required. In the above communication, power is also supplied in order to operate devices that do not have a power supply, such as a mouse and a keyboard. PCs and hubs are responsible for power supply,
In the case of a hub, it is desired that the hub be provided in a display device or the like that originally has its own power supply. A specific example of the above contents is described in the July 15, 1996 issue of "Nikkei Personal Computer" (pages 214 to 219).

Further, as a concept of plug and play, P
In terms of providing convenience to the user of C, the current display system does not have a function of overlooking the connection information of the peripheral devices in a list, so that the connection status of the peripheral devices and the operation status of the connected devices are on the user side. It was difficult to obtain such information.

[0005]

The following problems occur in the power supply by the above-mentioned method.

In a display device having a communication function and a hub function, when a power saving function which is conventionally supported by the display device is activated, power is supplied from a PC via a communication line to the hub function. Even if the power supply is performed, the power consumption value of the peripheral device connected to the hub may be larger than the supplied power value. In this case, an unstable power supply causes a problem that affects the entire communication system including the PC and peripheral devices.

An object of the present invention is to supply power to peripheral devices connected to a display device in accordance with its own power supply and communication means, etc., in order to realize a stable plug and play function. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device which can be operated from power supply.

[0008] In general equipment as well as display devices, power supply to peripheral equipment connected to the general equipment is performed by using a power supply means of the general equipment and other equipment (for example, communication equipment) that communicates with the general equipment. Another object of the present invention is to provide a general device having a power supply control means capable of performing power supply from a personal computer (PC).

As a further object of the present invention, there is provided a display device capable of providing information by displaying information of a device connected to a communication line in order to improve convenience for a user of a PC. Is to do.

A further problem is that a peripheral device having no power supply such as a mouse or a keyboard is connected to a display device and a general device having a built-in hub function, and when the power is supplied, a capacity component of the peripheral device is charged. However, an inrush current is instantaneously generated, but the inrush current causes a power supply voltage drop, so that the power supply to the hub control unit becomes unstable, and a stable communication state may not be maintained.

According to the present invention, the control signal of the power switch circuit is controlled so that the switch is turned on relatively slowly, and when the switch is turned off, the switch is operated quickly, thereby suppressing the power supply voltage drop of the display device and the general equipment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device and a general device capable of maintaining stable communication and enabling stable communication.

[0012]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a display device having a hub is provided with a hub control unit, and power supplied to the hub is made effective from an upport power supply of the hub and a display self-power supply. And a means for individually controlling power supply to peripheral devices connected to the down port of the hub.

On the other hand, in a general device having a hub,
Means for effectively controlling the power supply by the power supply of the device and the power supply from an external device connected to the device, and individually controlling the power supply to peripheral devices connected to the down port of the hub. It is characterized in that it has means capable of performing such operations.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides means for providing peripheral device information connected to a hub of a display device to a user by using an on-screen display function, It has means for displaying it as a hierarchical structure such as a tree structure and providing it to the user.

Further, according to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the power supply switch of the hub function of the display device is slowly turned on, and the power supplied to the display device and the hub control unit is kept constant. It has.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system block diagram showing an embodiment according to the present invention, and 1 is a display device which is an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a display device of the present invention, 2 is a computer, 3 is R,
G and B video signal input terminals, 4 an input terminal for a vertical synchronizing signal and a horizontal synchronizing signal, 5 an upport terminal for connecting the hub control unit to the computer, and 6 to 9 connecting the hub control unit and peripheral devices. Down port terminal, 10 is a video circuit that performs video signal processing, 11 is a drive circuit, 12 is a display unit, 13 is a display control unit that controls the entire display, and 14 is communication control of a hub having an up port and a down port. And a hub control unit 15 and 16 for controlling the power supply to the down port, and a mouse and a keyboard as examples of peripheral devices.

In the system block shown in FIG. 1, the computer 2 is not limited to a personal computer or a workstation, but refers to any device having an arithmetic processing function and having video output means. A video signal input terminal 3 of the display device 1 for receiving a signal from the computer 2 and an input terminal 4 of a vertical synchronization signal and a horizontal synchronization signal
Need not be separate terminals, and may be included in one terminal. The computer 2 uses a conventional video signal, horizontal and vertical synchronization signals (hereinafter, Hs, respectively).
abbreviated as “sync” or “Vsync”. In addition to the image display signal output terminal 201 which is the output terminal of (2), a communication terminal 202 for providing a plug-and-play function with a peripheral device is provided. A communication line from the communication terminal 202 is provided in the present embodiment. It is connected to the up port 5 of the display device 1. Power is supplied from the computer 2 via the communication line and supplied to the hub control unit 14.

In this embodiment, a description will be given assuming that a mouse 15 and a keyboard 16 are connected to the down port terminal of the display device 1. Further, in the present embodiment, the number of downports is four because the number of connectable peripheral devices is up to four, but it is needless to say that more or less may be used.

The video circuit 10 performs signal processing such as amplification and amplitude adjustment on the R, G, and B video signals input from the computer 2, and sends signals to the display unit 12. The display control unit 13 receives Hsy input from the computer 2.
The input video signal specification is determined from the nc signal and the Vsync signal, and the video circuit 10 and the drive circuit 11 are controlled. The drive circuit 11 controls the Hsync signal input from the computer 2,
The display unit 12 is driven according to the sync signal.

In this embodiment, the power supply to the peripheral devices connected to the hub is covered by the power supply from the up port 5 and the display device 1, and the hub control unit 14 controls the power supply to each peripheral device. Is provided on the display device 1. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to appropriately perform communication via the hub of the computer 2 connected to the up port 5 and the peripheral device connected to the down port. Also, by appropriately responding to the power save mode of the display device 1, communication can be performed without any trouble. Next, an embodiment of the hub control unit 14 will be described in detail below.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 17 denotes a hub controller which is a microcomputer for controlling the hub control unit 14, 18, 19, 20, 2;
1 is a down port power control block. These down port control blocks are provided with a power control unit.
Although FIG. 2 shows that only the down port control block 18 is provided with the power supply control unit 22, the other down port control blocks 19, 20, and 21 have the same configuration. Downport control block 18, 1
Upport 5 from computer 2 to 9, 20, 21
And a display main power supply + Vd supplied from a power supply circuit (not shown) inside the display device. Here, the power supply of the up port power supply + Vu and the display main body power supply + Vd can be supplied to the hub via the power distribution means.
The hub controller 17 has the down ports 6, 7, 8, 9
Either of the above-mentioned power supplies is selected as a power supply source to the power supply, or both power supplies are used together. Although not shown, a case where both power supplies are used together can be realized by changing the switch portion in the down port control block to a circuit that is always connected to both.

Here, a case in which the above two power supplies are selected will be considered. Although various situations can be considered as a criterion for this selection, in the present embodiment, the display device 1
Is switched from the normal mode to the power save mode, the power supply between the display body power supply + Vd and the upport power supply + Vu is switched. In this case, the display body power supply + Vd is normally supplied to the down port, but the display body power supply + Vd may stop when the display device 1 is switched to the power save mode by the power saving function. When the supply of the main body power supply + Vd is stopped, the hub controller 17 performs control to switch the power supply to the down port to the power supply from the up port power supply + Vu.

The switching of the power supply by the hub controller 17 is controlled by the hub controller 17 transmitting a control signal to each power supply control unit in the down port control blocks 18, 19, 20, 21 so that each down port 6, 7,
It is possible to control power supply to 8 and 9 individually. The individual control of the power supply to each down port can be performed whether the power supply to the hub is performed by the display body power supply + Vd or the up port power supply + Vu. The hub controller 17 can communicate with the up port 5 and the down ports 6, 7, 8, and 9 via bidirectional signal lines, and has a function of acquiring peripheral device information through the communication and reporting the information to the display control unit 13. Have. With this communication function, down port 6, 7,
The hub controller 17 can obtain information such as whether or not the peripheral devices connected to 8 and 9 have their own power supply.

The hub controller 17 receives power management information from the display control unit 13 and
By transmitting a control signal to the power control unit in the down port control blocks 18, 19, 20, and 21, each down port 6,
The power supply to 7, 8, and 9 can be individually controlled. The hub controller 17 itself operates when at least one of the up port power supply + Vu and the display main body power supply + Vd is supplied.

Next, the details of the operation of each unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to the operation flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when a communication line from the computer 2 is connected to the up port terminal 5 connected to the hub control unit 14 (step 300), the hub controller receives a power supply from the up port terminal 5 or the main body of the display 1. 17 is supplied with power and becomes operable (30
1). Next, the hub controller 17 checks whether or not the display main body power supply + Vd is supplied (302). When the display main power + Vd is supplied, the hub controller 17 instructs each power control unit to turn down the power switch of the down port power control blocks 18, 19, 20, 21 toward the display main body (303). Since the power supply of the main body of the display device 1 + Vd is supplied to each power supply control unit, the supply current to each of the down ports 6, 7, 8, and 9 is determined according to the instruction of the hub controller 17 (304).

Thereafter, the down port power supply control block 1
8, 19, 20, and 21, each down port 6, 7,
8 and 9 are monitored (305), and when an overcurrent exceeding a predetermined current flows, the corresponding down port among the down ports 6, 7, 8 and 9 is shut down by the instruction of the hub controller 17 and the power supply is turned off. Supply can be stopped. By stopping the power supply to the peripheral device connected to the corresponding down port in this way, communication between the other peripheral devices connected to the hub and the computer 2 via the hub is normally maintained, and the computer 2 is stabilized. Communication can be performed. When the power supply to the corresponding down port is stopped, the hub controller 17 can transmit the stop information to the computer 2 via the up port 5 and the display is controlled by the computer 2 having received the information. It is possible to cause the device 1 to display power supply stop information. With this function, the user can know which peripheral device is in a stopped state.

Here, the hub controller 17 is connected to a peripheral device whose power supply is secured by itself or a power supply supplied from a communication line connected to the up port 5 such as a mouse or a keyboard. Whether or not the peripheral device needs to be secured from the display device 1 is determined by communication with each of the down ports 6, 7, 8, and 9. If the peripheral device connected to the down port has a means for securing power by itself, the hub controller 17 connects a control signal for controlling the peripheral device not to receive power supply from the hub. To the power control unit of the down port.

As an example of this control, there is a control in which switch connection is not performed on either side. Also, by switching the power switch of the down port control block to the power supply stopped between the up port power supply and the display body power supply, control is realized so that power supply via the hub is not received. can do.

On the other hand, when the peripheral device connected to the hub does not have its own power supply, the hub controller 17 controls the down port power supply control block for controlling the power supply of the peripheral device, and the hub controller 17 operates in a normal state other than the power save mode. Is controlled to select the power supply + Vd on the power supply side of the display main body.

Next, in order to cope with the power saving function of the display device 1, the display control unit 13 monitors the power management information (306). The Hsync signal and the Vsync signal output from the computer 2 are input to the display control unit 13 from the input terminal 4 in FIG. The display control unit 13 can recognize the power management information based on the presence / absence of the Hsync signal or the Vsync signal. Upon receiving the power save information of the power management information, the display control unit 13 reduces the power consumption of the display. 1
3 performs control.

In this embodiment, the display control unit 13
By transmitting the detected power management information to the hub controller 17, the power supply of the peripheral device connected to the hub is controlled. That is, the hub controller 17
When the power management information is received from the display control unit 13 (306), the power switch of the down-port power control blocks 18, 19, 20, and 21 is turned to the up-port power side (307), and each power is controlled by the switching control. It becomes possible to supply the upport power supply + Vu to the control unit.

In the case of transition from the normal power supply state where power is supplied from the display device 1 to the hub to the power save mode, as described above, the up-port power supply +
The switching to Vu is performed, but is not limited to this case. For example, even when the power supply to the display main body is suddenly cut off, the down port power supply control blocks 18, 19, 20, and 21 are controlled by the hub controller 17. The power switch is turned to the up port power supply side (307), and communication between the computer 2 and the display device 1 and communication between the computer 2 and peripheral devices such as a mouse and a keyboard are performed by the up port power supply + Vu supplied via a communication line. Communication can be provided.

Here, assuming that the current capacity that can be supplied from the communication line from the computer 2 is specified, simply switching the power supply + Vd from the display device 1 to the up-port power supply + Vu connects to the hub. In some cases, the power consumption of the peripheral device exceeds the specified power supply value, and in such a case, the operation of the peripheral device connected to the hub may become unstable. To solve this, if the upper limit of the current capacity of the up-port power supply + Vu is smaller than the display body power supply + Vd,
A setting is made so as to limit the total amount of current supplied to the peripheral device to be smaller than when the display main power supply + Vd is used (309), and control is performed to stop the power supply to the peripheral device exceeding a specified value (309). 310). For example, there is no problem as long as all peripheral devices connected to the down ports 6, 7, 8, and 9 operate on their own power supply. However, communication operation is performed using the up port power supply of the display such as a mouse or a keyboard. In the case of a peripheral device that performs the above, the rated current value that can be supplied by the up port power supply + Vu may be exceeded, some peripheral devices may not be able to operate, and the operation to other peripheral devices may be affected. There is. In this case, the power supply control to the peripheral devices can be individually performed by the hub controller 17, and a standard for determining how to determine the supply current amount (309) allocated to the peripheral devices connected to the hub, or There are several criteria for which peripheral device to stop supplying power (310).
The following four can be exemplified as criteria for how to determine the supply current amount (309) allocated to the peripheral device.

(1) The specified current amount is equally divided by the number of down ports of the hub, and the current amount is allocated to each peripheral device.

(2) A current amount obtained by equally dividing the prescribed current amount by the number of peripheral devices connected to the hub is assigned to each peripheral device. By communication between the hub controller 17 and each down port, the hub controller 17 can recognize whether or not a peripheral device is connected to the down port, and the peripheral device is connected by control based on the information. It is possible to supply a current amount equally divided by the number of down ports.

(3) A current amount is dynamically assigned to a number assigned in advance to a down port or a number assigned by a manual operation as a priority of current supply to the down port. With dynamic allocation,
Even when the power consumption of the peripheral device of higher priority increases, the peripheral device of higher priority can receive power supply with priority over the peripheral device of lower priority, and the peripheral device responds to the change in the power consumption of the peripheral device. Current supply becomes possible.

(4) Statically allocate the current supply to the down port. The static allocation is an allocation method in which the amount of current is not simply supplied to each peripheral device, but the amount of current to each down port is appropriately set in advance. By this allocation method, peripheral devices with high power consumption are connected to downports with a large amount of allocated current, and peripheral devices with low power consumption are connected to downports with a small allocated current amount. Stable supply of current to peripheral devices.

In accordance with the above four criteria, which peripheral device is to stop power supply (310) is defined as:
It looks like this:

(1) When the current consumption of a peripheral device exceeds the allocated amount of current equally divided by the number of down ports, power supply to the peripheral device is stopped.

(2) When the current consumption of a peripheral device exceeds the allocated amount of current allocated and divided equally by the number of peripheral devices connected to the hub, power supply to the peripheral device is performed. Stop.

(3) When the amount of current consumed by the peripheral devices connected to the hub exceeds the specified value, the power supply from peripheral devices with lower priorities is stopped.

(4) When the power consumption of the peripheral device connected to the down port exceeds the allocated current amount with respect to the current amount statically allocated to each down port, the peripheral device is connected to the peripheral device. Stop supplying current.

Here, four reference forms are shown.
In the present invention, the criterion for allocating the specified current amount of the up-port power supply + Vu to the peripheral device and stopping the power supply is the above 4
It is not limited to one.

According to the criterion (1), the hub controller 17
Of communication with a downport having a large current consumption exceeding the supply current divided equally by the instruction of the above, or power control of the corresponding downport power control block among the downport power control blocks 18, 19, 20, 21 The unit is instructed to stop supplying power to the down port (310). Thereafter, as in the case of using the display body power supply, the current consumption of each of the down ports 6, 7, 8, and 9 is monitored (311). When the power saving mode of the display device 1 is completed, the power supply of the display main body is turned on (302), and the power supply to the peripheral device connected to the hub can be switched to the supply from the power supply of the display device 1. It is possible.

Further, in the present embodiment, the mode of power control of each peripheral device when the up-port power supply supplied via the communication line is used has been described. Is running,
Similarly, the hub controller 17 can control the power of individual peripheral devices.

As described above, the down ports 6, 7,
The power supplied to the power supplies 8 and 9 is switched between the up-port power supply and the display main body power supply by the hub controller 17, and when the power supply is switched to the up-port power supply, the power supply to the peripheral devices exceeding the specified current value is stopped. Accordingly, the hub function of the display device 1 can always be provided to the computer 2 and the peripheral device system. In other words, even when the power consumption of the peripheral device exceeds the up port power supply + Vu, by stopping the power supply to the corresponding peripheral device, the communication between the other peripheral device connected to the hub and the computer is properly performed. As a result, the stability of the entire system is guaranteed.

Although the above embodiment is directed to a display device, the present invention is applicable not only to a display device having a hub but also to other similar devices. FIG. 4 shows a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 40 denotes a peripheral device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Examples of the peripheral device having a hub include a digital signal processing device such as a printer and a digital video reproducing device. Although these peripheral devices generally have a self-powering means for receiving power from the outside of the peripheral device, the present invention is also applied to a keyboard or the like, which is a peripheral device generally having no self-power supply. Is applicable. In the case of a peripheral device that does not have its own power supply, the power supply is supplied by the power distribution means via the communication line from the computer 2, so there is no switching operation with the own power supply, and only the up-port power supply is controlled.

Here, the peripheral device 40 shown in FIG. 4 has two means, a means for distributing electric power as a self-power supply means to the hub, and a means for distributing electric power from an external device connected by communication or the like to the hub. An embodiment will be described below as a peripheral device having the means.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 41 denotes a peripheral device control unit;
Reference numeral 2 denotes a peripheral device function, which is a central part of the function of the peripheral device 40. For example, if the peripheral device 40 is a printer, the peripheral device function 42 has a memory function for storing data to be printed out and an output function for printing out the data. In FIG. 4, the same components as those in FIG. 1 perform the same operations as those in FIG. In FIG. 4, the hub control unit 14 is central to the configuration of the present invention.

The hub control unit 14 has the same function as the hub control unit 14 in the embodiment shown in FIG. Also in the present embodiment, the up port power supply + V which is a power supply via the communication line from the computer 2 connected to the up port 5
u, and the hub controller 14 controls the switching of the peripheral device main power supply + Vp, which is the self-power supply (not shown) of the peripheral device 40, and further supplies the selected power supply to the peripheral device connected to the down port of the hub. It is assumed that the data is supplied under the control of the hub control unit 14. Also in the present embodiment, the power supply to the peripheral devices connected to the down ports 6, 7, 8, and 9 is provided by the peripheral device main power supply + Vp which is a self-power supply from the peripheral device 40 in a normal state. The switching control from the peripheral device main power supply + Vp to the up-port power supply + Vu is performed when the peripheral device 40 shifts from the normal use state to the power save mode.

The details of the hub control unit 14 shown in FIG. 4 are the same as those of the hub control unit 14 shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the display main power supply + Vd in FIG. 2 is replaced with the peripheral device main power + Vp. The only difference is that the display control unit 13 is replaced with a peripheral device control unit 41.

In this embodiment, when the hub controller 17 receives the power save information of the power management information from the peripheral device control section 41 in the normal use state of the peripheral device 40, the down port control blocks 18 to 2
It is possible to control the respective power supply control units included in 1 and switch the power supply to the peripheral device having no self-power supply means connected to the down port to the power supply of the up port power supply + Vu. Further, even when the main body power of the peripheral device 40 is turned off, the hub controller 17 controls the peripheral device 40 to supply power to the peripheral device connected to the down port by using the up port power supply + Vu, thereby connecting the computer 2 and the down port. It is possible to communicate with peripheral devices connected to the device.

The power control operation of the hub control unit 14 in the present embodiment is the same as the flow chart shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, (30) in FIG.
By replacing the “display main body” in 1), (302), (303), and (304) with the “peripheral device main body”, the description can be made in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIG.

As described above, even in the case where the device having the hub is a general peripheral device, similarly to the embodiment in the case where the display device has the hub (FIGS. 1 to 3), the device is connected to the communication line. A power source can be selected between the power source and the main body power source, and individual control of peripheral devices connected to the hub can be performed. By these controls, the peripheral device 4
Even when shifting to the power save mode of 0 or when the self power is turned off, the power supply to the hub is normally performed, and the control of each peripheral device connected to the hub can be performed properly. .

In the above embodiment, the power supply to the peripheral device connected to the down port of the hub is performed by the peripheral device main body power supply + Vp which is a self-power supply means of the peripheral device 40,
Although the system uses the power supply from either one by switching between the up-port power supply + Vu, in the present invention, the power supply control is also realized by a power supply system other than the above-described system. FIG. 5 shows a configuration diagram as a further embodiment of the present invention using the other power supply system.

In FIG. 5, the components different from those of the above-described embodiment are an external manual switch 50 for manually selecting the supply method of the up-port power supply + Vu and the peripheral device main body power + Vp, and a power supply according to the external manual switch 50. A power supply selection circuit 51 for controlling selection and power supply control units 52, 53, 54 and 55. In the above embodiment, the down-port power control blocks 18 to 21 having the power control unit and the power switching unit are provided, but in the present embodiment, the external manual switch 50 is provided.
And a power supply control unit 52 to 55 that controls the supply of the power supply selected by the power supply selection circuit 51 to the down port in accordance with the control signal of the hub controller 17. Here, the power control units 52 to 55 operate in the same manner as the power control unit 22 in FIG. 2, measure the amount of current supplied to the down port, and transmit the information to the hub controller 17.
In accordance with a control signal from the hub controller 17 to appropriately control power supply to peripheral devices connected to the down port. However,
In the present embodiment, since the switch operation is performed by a manual operation, the power supply control units 52 to 55 do not control the switch switching in the embodiment in FIG.

Since the selection and use of the up port power supply + Vu and the peripheral device main body power supply + Vp can be adjusted by this manual method, the supplied power can be controlled by manual operation regardless of the power saving function of the peripheral device 40. is there. FIG.
FIG. 6 shows a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the external manual switch 50 and the power supply selection circuit 51 of FIG. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the operation plate of the external manual switch 50 according to the present invention.

The power supply selection circuit 51 shown in FIG. 6 has a configuration capable of inputting the up-port power supply + Vu and the peripheral device main body power supply + Vp, and by manually selecting the power supply means by the external manual switch 50. Power is supplied to the hub controller 1 according to the selected power supply method.
7 and each down port power supply control unit.

In FIG. 6, as options of the external manual switch 50, depending on the power supply method, (1) Up port power supply + Vu and peripheral device power supply + V
An option that enables automatic selection of p or power supply from both (hereinafter, referred to as AUTO).

(2) An option of selecting power supply from the peripheral device main power supply + Vp (hereinafter referred to as SELF).

(3) Option to select power supply from up port power supply + Vu (hereinafter referred to as UP).

(4) Option not to supply power from either side (hereinafter, referred to as OFF).

The following four are exemplified.

When the option AUTO is selected, by setting the external manual switch shown in FIG. 6 to the leftmost portion (as shown), the up-port power supply + V
Power can be supplied from both u and the peripheral device power supply + Vp. This makes it possible to increase the total amount of electric power supplied to the hub, and expand the range of use of peripheral devices connected to the down port of the hub.

When the option SELF or the option UP is selected, even if, for example, the peripheral device 40 does not have a power saving function, it is possible to suppress power supply to a smaller amount than when AUTO is selected. That is, the power saving operation on the hub can be performed by the manual operation in the present embodiment. Also, when not using the peripheral device connected to the hub, turn off the options manually.
, Thereby stopping the power supply to the hub,
The power saving effect can be improved.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the external manual switch 50 as a switch operation plate.
Is a knob switch. By manually moving the knob switch 70, the above options can be selected. In the present embodiment, the manual operation means using the switch operation plate as shown in FIG. 7 has been shown. However, other than this, an operation means having individual switch buttons, an operation means using a rotary knob switch, and a liquid crystal panel may be used. Operation means by displaying such as may be used.

Next, a further embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a system block diagram showing one embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a hub control unit 1 shown in FIG.
4 is a system block diagram showing the details of FIG. 4, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of the display device 1 in the present embodiment. 8 and 9, FIG.
Components corresponding to those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 8, reference numeral 80 denotes an on-screen display circuit, and reference numeral 23 denotes a peripheral device information display request button. In FIG. 10, 24 is an on-screen
It is a display display window. On-screen display function of the display device (hereinafter referred to as
Abbreviated as OSD function. ) Is means for creating information about the display device such as display position adjustment of the display device and the frequency of the input video signal in the display device, adding the information to the input video signal, and outputting the video. In the present embodiment, the type of peripheral device connected to the hub control unit 14 of the display device 1, the manufacturer of the peripheral device, the model number and product number of the peripheral device, and the like are displayed on the screen using the OSD function. is there. Hereinafter, a description will be given using the system block diagrams of FIGS. 8 and 9.

In FIG. 8, the overall operation of the display device 1 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment of the power supply control.
The functions of the circuit 80 and the peripheral device information display request button 23 will be described in detail below. In FIG. 9, the OS
In order to support the D function, the display control unit 13 receiving the OSD information has a memory 90 for storing the OSD information.
And a memory update control unit 91 that controls to update the OSD information stored in the memory 91 with new information. These functions are also described below.

First, the hub control unit 14 controls the down port 6,
The information of the peripheral device is obtained from the communication lines with 7, 8, and 9,
The acquired information is transferred to the display control unit 13 as OSD information. The memory 90 of the display control unit 13 holds the OSD information, and upon receiving new OSD information from the hub control unit 14, the OSD information held by the memory 90 is updated by a new OSD under the control of the memory update control unit.
Update to D information. Here, the peripheral device information display button 2
When 3 is pressed, the display controller 13 issues an instruction to the OSD circuit 80 to display the stored OSD information, generates an OSD signal, and transmits it to the video circuit 10. The video circuit 10 adds the video signal and the OSD signal and transmits data to the display unit 12. In the present embodiment, the memory 90 and the memory update control unit 91 have been described as being included in the display control unit 13, but may be provided outside the display control unit 13.

FIG. 10 is a display example of peripheral device information on the display screen using the OSD function. By visually displaying the peripheral device information connected to each down port, the user of the display device or the PC can use the information. Peripheral device information can be easily provided. In FIG. 10, reference numeral 24 denotes an OSD display window, which shows an example of display of information on peripheral devices connected to the hub. In the OSD display window 24, it is shown that nothing is connected to PORT1, or that it is in an unusable state even if connected, and PORT2
Indicates that a mouse is connected, PORT3 indicates that a keyboard is connected, and PORT4
Indicates that another device is connected. FIG.
In the case of 0, the peripheral device information is provided by characters as shown in the OSD display window 24, but the information can be provided visually by displaying icons and the like.

Here, when there is a change in the state of the peripheral device connected to the down port, or when the hub controller 14
When communication or connection between the device and the peripheral device is interrupted, the hub controller 17 transmits information such as a change in the peripheral device to the display control unit 13 as OSD information, and stores the OSD information held by the display control unit 13. Is a new OS
D information is updated. Here, for example, when new OSD information is transmitted to the display control unit 13, if setting is made so that the peripheral device information is automatically displayed on the display screen without pressing the peripheral device display request button 23, the PC It is possible to immediately report the state change to the user of the display device or the display device, and the effect of use for the user is enhanced.

In this embodiment using the OSD function, the PC
Since operations and processing are performed only on the display device without going through the main unit, without adding application software, etc.
The user of the display device can easily obtain information on peripheral devices connected to the hub. As described above, the connection information of the peripheral device is acquired by the hub control unit and displayed by using the OSD function of the display device, so that the information of the state of the hub control unit and the connected peripheral device can be provided to the user. , Can be easily provided.

In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the peripheral device display request button 23 of the display device 1 is pressed to request display of information on peripheral devices connected to the hub. Not limited to this case, it is also possible to make a display request using a remote controller or the like that can control the display device 1. Further, the display position of the peripheral device information is not limited to the normal display screen of the display device 1 but may be displayed on another display screen for displaying information.

A further embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a display screen or a window screen of a display according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11, 25 is a display screen using the application software of the present embodiment, 26 is a computer symbol indicating a computer, 27 is a display symbol indicating a display device of the present invention, and 28 is connected to the down port side of the display device of the present invention. Peripheral device symbol indicating the peripheral device, a column 29 for displaying the product name or model number, a column 30 for displaying the power supply destination of the peripheral device, 3
Reference numeral 1 denotes a column for displaying the operation state of the peripheral device. The connection state of the peripheral devices below the computer is indicated by a tree structure by software control of the computer.

In FIG. 11, reference numeral 32 denotes a radio button for displaying the number of down ports not connected to the system, reference numeral 33 denotes a browser radio button for displaying only information on a peripheral device selected by the cursor in detail, and reference numeral 34 denotes a function which can be controlled from a computer. An option radio button that can be listed, a password radio button for setting a password when using a peripheral device, and restricting the use of a user who does not know the password; a setting valid button for validating the settings in the display screen; Reference numeral 37 denotes a cancel button for invalidating settings in the display screen 25. The control performed by selecting these buttons is realized by software control of a computer. Also, 26 to 2 in FIG.
The display symbols up to 8 and the buttons 32 to 37 can be selected by operating means such as a mouse.

The above-described embodiment using the OSD function is an embodiment in which information of a peripheral device connected to the down port side of the hub control unit of the display device is provided. Is to display information on all peripheral devices connected to the PC body using a graphical user interface, and to provide a user with a connection structure of peripheral devices below the PC in a tree structure.

Further, in this embodiment, by using the application software in the computer, not only the provision of the peripheral device information but also the control of the peripheral devices can be performed. For example, as an additional function of the display of the present invention, when an item for setting a time required for shifting to the power saving function is added,
Move the cursor to the display symbol 27, activate the option radio button 34, and display the setting window including the required time setting item and other auxiliary functions.
It is possible to set the time required for shifting to the power saving function. The computer symbol 26, the display symbol 27, and the peripheral device symbol 28 may be displayed by icons or the like that simply and visually represent the appearance.

In the above embodiment, hardware information is provided using the OSD function, and the amount of information that can be displayed is limited. However, in this embodiment, the PC is controlled by software using a PC. Since the following system as a whole can be grasped, detailed peripheral device information can be provided by a graphical user interface. For example, type of peripheral device, manufacturer of peripheral device, model number and product serial number of peripheral device, operating status of peripheral device, appearance of peripheral device, number of unused ports that can be connected to the entire system, password for using peripheral device Settings. It is also possible to calculate the power consumption of the entire system, receive the report of the hub controller and the display controller from the hub controller and the display control unit, propose to the user by software control, and set it automatically. is there. As described above, by adding the application software to the PC main body, detailed peripheral device information of the entire system is provided to the user of the system, and the peripheral device can be easily controlled.

FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12, reference numeral 14 denotes a hub control unit which controls communication control of a hub having an up port and a down port, and performs power control to a down port, 17 denotes a hub controller in the hub control unit, and 18 denotes a down port power control block. , 203 are down-port power switches (specifically, for example, MOSFETs), 204 is a resistor, 205 is a diode, 206 is a capacitor, 6 is a down-port terminal connecting the hub control unit and peripheral devices, and 15 is an example of peripheral devices. Mouse.

In the present embodiment, a description will be given assuming that the hub function of the display device is connected to a PC in a state where peripheral devices such as a mouse are already connected to the down port of the display device. Here, a case where the power supply of the display main body power supply + Vd is supplied to the hub controller 17 will be described.

When the communication with the PC has been successfully initialized,
The hub controller 17 starts power supply to the down port, and further starts initialization of peripheral devices connected to the down port. In this case, immediately after the start of the supply, the power is not yet supplied to the down port, so that the capacitance component including the smoothing capacitor of the peripheral device connected to the down port is not charged. When communication with the PC is completed, the hub controller 17 normally outputs the switch control output signal S
The down port power switch 203 is turned on by w.

In this embodiment, the time control of the down-port power switch 203 is performed in the above case. The time until the down-port power switch 203 is completely turned on is delayed, and the capacity of the peripheral device is reduced. The time for gradually charging the components is secured, and power supply to peripheral devices can be started without generating an overcurrent.

The detailed operation is as follows.

First, when the switch control signal SW output from the hub controller 17 starts to fall from the power supply voltage level to the ground level, the down port power switch 203 starts to turn on. FIG. 13 shows the switch control output signal Sw of the hub controller 17, the display body power supply + Vd, the downport power supply voltage Vdp, and the downport power supply when there is no means for temporally controlling the downport power switch 203 described above. Supply current Id
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a graph of a time relationship of p. In this case, since the switch control output signal Sw is directly input to the down port power switch 203, a sudden voltage drop of the display main power + Vd occurs due to an instantaneous inrush current to the down port (see the graph of Vd in FIG. 13). However, the operations of the hub control unit 14 and the hub controller 17 may become unstable.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the resistance 204
By providing the capacitor 206, the fall time of the switch control output signal Sw of the hub controller 17 can be delayed, and a power supply voltage drop due to an inrush current can be suppressed. FIG. 14 is a graph showing the time relationship among the switch control output signal Sw of the hub controller 17, the down port power switch input signal Vg, the display body power supply + Vd, the down port power supply voltage Vdp, and the down port supply current Idp.

The switch control output signal Sw is adjusted by the control of the resistor 204 and the capacitor 206 included in the down port power supply control block 18, outputs the down port power switch input signal Vg, and is supplied to the down port power switch 203. That is, by inputting the switch control output signal Sw to the down port power switch 203 as the down port power switch input signal Vg, the down port power switch 203 is smoothly shifted to the ON state (see the graph Vg in FIG. 14). The switching operation can greatly reduce the voltage drop of the display main power supply + Vd.

The fall time of the down port power switch input signal Vg is determined by the resistance of the resistor 204 and the capacitor 2
06, and may be determined in consideration of the allowable range of the time required for the rise of the input voltage (the down-port power supply voltage Vdp in this case) specified on the peripheral device side. By the adjustment, it is possible to stably supply the down port power supply voltage Vdp and the down port supply current Idp to the peripheral device connected to the down port 6, and as a result, the hub control unit 14 of the display body power supply + Vd Stable supply to the plant.

When an abnormality occurs in the peripheral device connected to the down port 6, particularly when an overcurrent occurs, the down port power switch 203 is used to protect the power of the display device as well as the hub controller 14. Need to be rapidly disconnected, but in this embodiment, the resistor 20
By inserting the diode 205 in parallel with the switch 4, the cutoff time can be reduced as compared with the switch open time. The operation of the diode 205 causes the hub control unit 1 to operate.
4 and the stable operation of the display device.

In this embodiment, one down port power switch is provided with one down port. However, a plurality of down ports may be connected by sharing the down port power switch. A plurality of combinations of the down port power switch and the down port may be configured in the hub control unit. As the peripheral device, in addition to the mouse 15 shown in FIG. 12, a keyboard, a microphone, a speaker, a camera, a joystick, a game pad, and the like that do not have power supply capability by themselves can be cited.

[0093]

As described above, according to the present invention, the down port power supply source of the hub is automatically selected according to the state of the up port power supply and the power supply of the display main body, so that plug-and-play can be performed. Can be provided, and the power saving effect can be improved. Also, by displaying the information of the peripheral device on the display device, the peripheral device information can be easily provided.

Further, by controlling the down-port power switch over time, a power supply voltage drop is suppressed, and stable power supply to peripheral devices and initial setting of communication become possible. In addition, it is possible to improve the stability of the communication state with the PC by taking measures to be taken when an overcurrent occurs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a power supply control unit for a hub of the display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of controlling power to a peripheral device connected to a hub of the display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a peripheral device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a power supply control unit for a hub of a peripheral device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment relating to switch control of power supply control means for a hub of a peripheral device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an external appearance of a switch portion of a power supply control unit for a hub of a peripheral device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a display device according to the present invention for providing information on peripheral devices connected to a hub using an OSD function.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a control unit of the hub of the display device according to the present invention, which provides peripheral device information connected to the hub using the OSD function.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of a screen display of peripheral device information using an OSD function.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing an embodiment of a screen display of peripheral device information provided by software control.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a down port power switch control unit of the hub included in the display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram temporally showing down port power switch control of the hub.

FIG. 14 is a diagram temporally showing control of a down port power switch of a hub.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Display apparatus, 2 ... Computer, 3 ... Video signal input terminal, 4 ... Vertical synchronizing signal and horizontal synchronizing signal input terminal, 5 ... Hub up port terminal, 6, 7, 8, 9 ... Hub down port terminal, 10 ... Video circuit, 11 drive circuit, 12 display unit, 13 display control unit,
14: hub control unit, 15: mouse, 16: keyboard,
17 hub controller, 18, 19, 20, 21 down port power control block, 22 power control unit, 23
... peripheral device information display request button 24 ... OSD display window, 25 ... application software display screen, 26 ...
Computer symbol, 27 ... Display symbol,
28: Peripheral device symbol, 29: Product name display column, 30:
Power supply source display column, 31 ... Peripheral device status display column, 32 ...
Surplus port display radio button, 33 ... browser button,
34: option radio button, 35 password radio button, 36: setting valid button, 37: setting cancel button, 40: peripheral device, 41: peripheral device control unit, 42
... peripheral device functions, 50 ... external manual switches, 51 ... power supply selection circuits, 52, 53, 54, 55 ...
Power control unit, 70: knob switch, 90: memory, 9
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Memory update control part, 201 ... Image display signal output terminal, 202 ... Communication terminal, 203 ... Down port power switch, 204 ... Resistance, 205 ... Diode, 206 ... Capacitor.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H02J 9/06 502 G06F 1/00 332Z (72) Inventor Ko Nobuaki 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Yokohama, Hitachi, Ltd. Inside the Multimedia System Development Headquarters (72) Inventor Kozo Masuda 292 Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Hitachi Multimedia System Development Headquarters (72) Inventor Kazufumi Kikuchi Yoshida-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa No. 292 Co., Ltd. Visual Information Media Division, Hitachi, Ltd.

Claims (17)

[Claims] A display device having a communication function with a computer and having a power supply circuit, a hub to which one or more peripheral devices can be connected, and a first power supply capable of supplying power from the power supply circuit to the hub. Means for supplying power to the hub from the computer via a terminal connectable to the computer.
A display device comprising: a power distribution unit; and a power supply switching unit capable of controlling switching between the two power distribution units or controlling the combined use of the two power distribution units. 2. A display device having a communication function with a computer and having a power supply circuit, comprising: a hub to which one or more peripheral devices can be connected; and a first power supply capable of supplying power from the power supply circuit to the hub. Means for supplying power to the hub from the computer via a terminal connectable to the computer.
Power supply means, switching control of the two power distribution means, or power supply switching means capable of controlling the combined use of the two power distribution means and the power supply selected by the power supply switching means, to the peripheral device to each other A display device comprising: a power supply control unit capable of controlling supply independently of peripheral devices. 3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the hub has a controller for individually controlling power supply to the peripheral device, and power is supplied to the peripheral device under the control of the controller. A display device that stops supplying power to the peripheral device when the power supply setting value exceeds the power supply setting value. 4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the hub has a controller for individually controlling power supply to the peripheral device, and the power supply to the peripheral device has a power supply set value. A display device, characterized in that, when the power is exceeded, the power supply to the corresponding peripheral device is stopped based on a certain standard for power supply under the control of the controller. 5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein power supply control by said power supply switching means can be performed by manual operation. 6. A signal processing device having a communication function with a computer and having a power supply circuit, wherein: a hub to which one or more peripheral devices can be connected; and a first power supply circuit capable of supplying power from the power supply circuit to the hub. A power distribution unit, and a second power supply unit that can supply power to the hub from the computer via a terminal connectable to the computer.
A signal processing device comprising: a power distribution unit; and a power supply switching unit capable of controlling switching of the two power distribution units or controlling the combined use of the two power distribution units. 7. A signal processing device having a communication function with a computer and having a power supply circuit, comprising: a hub capable of connecting one or more peripheral devices; and a first power supply capable of supplying power from the power supply circuit to the hub. A power distribution unit, and a second power supply unit that can supply power to the hub from the computer via a terminal connectable to the computer.
And a power supply switching means for enabling switching control of the two power distribution means or control of the combined use of the two power distribution means, and a power supply selected by the power supply switching means for the peripheral device. And a power supply control unit capable of controlling supply independently of the peripheral device. 8. The signal processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein power supply control by said power supply switching means can be performed by manual operation. 9. A signal processing device operable also by receiving power supply from an external device, comprising: a hub to which one or more peripheral devices can be connected; and the external device via a terminal connectable to the external device. Power supply means for distributing electric power supplied from a device to the peripheral device and enabling independent control of supplying electric power to each peripheral device. Processing equipment. 10. The signal processing device according to claim 6, 7 or 9, wherein the hub has a controller for individually controlling power supply to the peripheral device, and the power supply to the peripheral device is a power supply setting. The signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the power supply value exceeds the power supply setting value, the power supply to the peripheral device exceeding the power supply setting value can be stopped. 11. The signal processing device according to claim 6, 7 or 9, wherein the hub has a controller for individually controlling power supply to the peripheral device, and the power supply to the peripheral device is a power supply setting. The signal processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the value exceeds the value, the power supply to the corresponding peripheral device is stopped based on a fixed reference for power supply under the control of the controller. 12. An OS capable of displaying a video signal generated internally in addition to displaying a video signal received from a computer.
A display device having a D function, comprising: a hub to which one or more peripheral devices can be connected; at least information on a connection status of the peripheral device at a connection port of the hub; and a peripheral connected to the connection port. A display device, wherein individual information of a device can be displayed by the OSD function. 13. The display device according to claim 12, further comprising display request input means, wherein a display request is made by said display request input means, whereby connection status of said peripheral device and individual information of said peripheral device are provided. A display device capable of displaying a message. 14. The display device according to claim 12, wherein a video signal created by the OSD function is received from the computer based on information on a connection status of the peripheral device and individual information on the peripheral device. A display device, wherein the display device can be displayed by being synthesized with a video signal generated by the OSD function, or can be displayed alone by the video signal created by the OSD function. 15. A display device having communication means with a computer, wherein individual information of a peripheral device connected to the computer and a peripheral device connected to the display device can be displayed in a tree structure format. Display device. 16. A display system including a computer and a display device having communication means with the computer, wherein control of the computer enables individual information of peripheral devices interposed in the system to be displayed on the display device, A display system, characterized in that a graphical user interface function enables an information display operation of individual information of peripheral devices interposed in the system. 17. A display device having a communication function with a computer and having a power supply circuit, a hub to which one or more peripheral devices can be connected, and a first power supply capable of supplying power to the hub from the power supply circuit. Means, a second power distribution unit capable of supplying power to the peripheral device via a terminal connectable to the peripheral device, and at least one of the first power distribution unit and the second power distribution unit A display device, comprising: at least one distribution time control unit that controls a distribution time of power supplied to the hub.