IP Library Granted Patent US 8,072,543
Granted Patent B2
US 8,072,543 · App. 12/970,752 · Granted Dec 6, 2011

Electronic apparatus and display control method

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,072,543
App. No.
12/970,752
Granted
Dec 6, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a communication module which conducts communications with a plurality of external apparatuses, a storage module which stores an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the external apparatuses, a determination module which transmits a power-on signal to the external apparatus and thereafter determines a power state of the external apparatus, and an acquisition module which performs switching of input by the communication module after the determination module determines that the external apparatus has been powered on, and acquires apparatus information including the physical address of the external apparatus.

Claims (17)

1. An electronic apparatus including a plurality of terminals for communicating with a plurality of external devices, comprising:

a storage module configured to store an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the plurality of external devices;

a transmission module configured to simultaneously transmit a power-on signal to the plurality of external devices connected to the terminals, upon turn on of the electronic apparatus; and

a processor configured to (i) transmit power state acquisition commands to the plurality of external devices after the transmission module transmits the power-on signal, to (ii) determine power states of the plurality of external devices one by one, based on responses from the plurality of external devices, the power states of the plurality of external devices including turned on and turned off,

to (iii) switch video input among the terminals connected to first external devices of the plurality of external devices, the first external devices being determined to be turned on by the determination module, to (iv) acquire device information including the physical address from the first external devices determined to be turned on, and to (v) update the address list based on the acquired device information.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of external devices and terminal numbers of the terminals connected to the plurality of external devices are displayed in association with each other, based on the device information acquired by the acquisition module.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to retransmit the power state acquisition to a second external device of the plurality of external devices, the second external device being determined to be not turned on.

4. A display control method for use in an electronic apparatus, the apparatus including a plurality of terminals for communicating with a plurality of external devices, and a storage module which stores an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the plurality of external devices, the method comprising:

simultaneously transmitting a power-on signal to the plurality of external devices connected to the terminals, upon turn on of the electronic apparatus;

transmitting power state acquisition commands to the plurality of external devices after transmitting the power-on signal, and determining power states of the plurality of external devices one by one, based on responses from the plurality of external devices, the power states of the plurality of external devices including turned on and turned off;

switching video input among the terminals connected to first external devices of the plurality of external devices, the first external devices being determined to be turned on by the determination module;

acquiring device information including the physical address from the first external devices determined to be turned on, and updating the address list based on the acquired device information; and

retransmitting the power state acquisition command to a second external device of the plurality of external devices, the second external device being determined to be not turned on.

5. An electronic apparatus including a plurality of terminals adapted for communications with a plurality of external devices, the electronic apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store an address list correlating a logical address and a physical address of each of the plurality of external devices; and

a processor configured to (i) simultaneously transmit a power-on signal to the plurality of external devices connected to the terminals, upon turn on of the electronic apparatus, (ii) transmit a power state acquisition command via a at least two terminals of the plurality of terminals and targeted for external devices of the plurality of external devices connected to the at least two terminals, (iii) determine power states of the external devices based on responses to the power state acquisition commands, (iv) switch data input among the at least two terminals connected to the external devices of the plurality of external devices that are determined to be turned on, (v) acquire device information including a physical address from one of the external devices determined to be turned on, (vi) update the address list based on the acquired device information, and (vii) retransmit the power state acquisition command to a second external device of the plurality of external devices, the second external device being determined to be not turned on.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine power states of the plurality of external devices serially.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2020
From: TOSHIBA VISUAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
To: HISENSE VISUAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 051493/0333 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2018
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA VISUAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046881/0120 →
ASSIGNMENT OF PARTIAL RIGHTS Recorded Oct 21, 2016
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS & SERVICES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040458/0840 →
CORPORATE SPLIT Recorded Oct 21, 2016
From: TOSHIBA LIFESTYLE PRODUCTS & SERVICES CORPORATION
To: TOSHIBA VISUAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040458/0859 →