Information processing apparatus and audio output control method of an information processing apparatus

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display;

a speaker;

a connector to output a video signal and an audio signal;

a multi-display controller to control video signal output to display a part of an image at the display and another part of the image at an external apparatus connected to the connector;

a sound driver to control audio signal output at the speaker and the connector; and

an audio-output controller to control the sound driver to switch an output destination of the audio signal from the speaker to the connector when a first window moves from the display to the external apparatus while the information processing apparatus is performing a multi-display,

wherein the audio-output controller controls the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the first window is displayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus and a larger part of the first window is displayed at the display, and to control the sound driver to output the audio signal to the connector when the first window is displayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus and the larger part of the first window is displayed at the external apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the audio-output controller comprises a priority controller to set priorities to application programs; and

the first window is a window displayed by an application program to which the highest priority has been set among application programs displaying windows.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a determination controller to determine whether the external apparatus is capable of outputting audio data,

wherein the audio-output controller is controls the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the external apparatus is not capable of outputting audio data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector detachably connects a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first window is a window displayed by a first application program; and

the audio-output controller controls the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the display displays the first window, and controls the sound driver to output the audio signal to the connector when the external apparatus displays the first window.

6. A method of controlling audio output on an information processing apparatus comprising a display, a speaker, a connector to output a video signal and an audio signal, a multi-display controller to control video signal output to display a part of an image at the display and another part of the image at an external apparatus connected to the connector, and a sound driver to control audio signal output at the speaker and the connector, the method comprising:

controlling the sound driver to switch an output destination of the audio signal from the speaker to the connector when a first window moves from the display to the external apparatus while the information processing apparatus is performing a multi-display,

wherein the controlling the sound driver comprises controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the first window is displayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus and a larger part of the first window is displayed at the display, and controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the connector when the first window is displayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus and the larger part of the first window is displayed at the external apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the controlling the sound driver comprises setting priorities to application programs; and

the first window is a window displayed by an application program to which the highest priority has been set among application programs displaying windows.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining whether the external apparatus is capable of outputting audio data,

wherein the controlling the sound driver further comprises controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the external apparatus is not capable of outputting audio data.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the connector detachably connects a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the first window is a window displayed by a first application program; and

the controlling the sound driver further comprises controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the display displays the first window, and controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the connector when the external apparatus displays the first window.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program which is executable by a computer comprising a display, a speaker, a connector to output a video signal and an audio signal, a multi-display controller to control video signal output to display a part of an image at the display and another part of the image at an external apparatus connected to the connector, and a sound driver to control audio signal output at the speaker and the connector, the computer program comprising instructions capable of causing the computer to execute functions of:

controlling the sound driver to switch an output destination of the audio signal from the speaker to the connector when a first window moves from the display to the external apparatus while the computer is performing a multi-display,

wherein the computer program further comprises instructions capable of causing the computer to execute functions of:

controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the first window is displayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus and a larger part of the first window is displayed at the display; and

controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the connector when the first window is displayed partly at the display and partly at the external apparatus and the larger part of the first window is displayed at the external apparatus.

12. The medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the computer program further comprises instructions capable of causing the computer to execute functions of setting priorities to application programs, and

the first window is a window displayed by an application program to which the highest priority has been set among application programs displaying windows.

13. The medium of claim 11 , wherein the computer program further comprises instructions capable of causing the computer to execute functions of:

determining whether the external apparatus is capable of outputting audio data; and

controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the external apparatus is not capable of outputting audio data.

14. The medium of claim 11 , wherein the connector detachably connects a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable.

15. The medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the first window is a window displayed by a first application program, and

the computer program further comprises instructions capable of causing the computer to execute functions of:

controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the speaker when the display displays the first window; and

controlling the sound driver to output the audio signal to the connector when the external apparatus displays the first window.