Display device and method of networking thereof

Abstract

A display device and a networking method thereof. The display device comprises a hub, a universal serial bus (USB) connection port, a switching circuit, a network interface controller (NIC) and a display control device; the USB connection port, the switching circuit and the display control device are coupled to the hub; the switching circuit is controlled by a control signal; the NIC is coupled to the switching circuit; in response to the control signal being in a first state, the USB connection port connects to a network through the hub, the switching circuit and the NIC; in response to the control signal being in a second state, the display control device connects to the network through the switching circuit and the NIC. The display device of the present application can enable an electronic device to connect to the network in a wired network mode through the USB connection port and the NIC with USB signal transmission function, and does not need to perform networking through a microprocessor in the display control device, so that the hardware construction cost of the display device can be saved in the case that the microprocessor in the display device does not need to have a networking function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a corresponding technology for a display device, and more particularly to a display device and a networking method. Background Technology

[0002] With technological advancements, an increasing number of monitors on the market are equipped with Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C interfaces and Ethernet network ports (such as RJ45 network ports) as signal input and network connection interfaces. Electronic devices (such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones) can be connected to the monitor via the USB Type-C interface to serve as the monitor's signal source. Furthermore, monitors can also connect to a local area network (such as a wireless router) via the RJ45 network port or a related wireless module to enjoy multimedia network streaming services.

[0003] As displays increasingly incorporate Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) technology, their functions are becoming more diverse. However, this is also leading to a gradual increase in the hardware costs of displays.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to provide a display device and a networking method thereof to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a display device and its networking method, wherein the circuit structure used in the display device can save hardware construction costs.

[0006] A display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hub, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection port, a switching circuit, a Network Interface Controller (NIC), and a display control device. The USB connection port is coupled to the hub. The switching circuit is coupled to the hub. The switching circuit is controlled by a control signal. The NIC is coupled to the switching circuit. The display control device is coupled to the hub. In response to a first state of the control signal, the USB connection port connects to a network via the hub, the switching circuit, and the NIC. In response to a second state of the control signal, the display control device connects to the network via the switching circuit and the NIC.

[0007] A networking method for a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a hub, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection port, a switching circuit, a network interface controller, and a display control device. The networking method includes: in response to a control signal being in a first state, connecting the USB connection port to a network via the hub, the switching circuit, and the network interface controller; and in response to a control signal being in a second state, connecting the display control device to the network via the switching circuit and the network interface controller.

[0008] Based on the above, the display device of this embodiment enables electronic devices to access the internet via a wired network through a USB connection port and a NIC with USB signal transmission capability, without requiring a microprocessor in the display control device for network connection. Therefore, since the microprocessor in the display device does not need to have network connectivity, the hardware implementation cost of the display device can be saved. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the display device in the case where the control signal is in the first state.

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the display device in the case where the control signal is in the second state.

[0012] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu in a display device.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a networking method for a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 6 This is another block diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the scaler, microprocessor, and related program code of a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0017] 100 display devices

[0018] 105 Electronic devices

[0019] 107 Network

[0020] 110 Hub

[0021] 112 Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection port

[0022] 120 switching circuit

[0023] SW1 First Switch

[0024] SW2 Second Switch

[0025] 130 Network Interface Controller

[0026] 132 Ethernet ports

[0027] 140 Display control device

[0028] 141 microprocessor

[0029] 142 Scaler

[0030] SW3 Third Switch

[0031] 400 On-Screen Display (OSD) Menu

[0032] 410 Network Connection Setting Mode

[0033] 420 Automatic Mode

[0034] 430 Manual Mode

[0035] S502~S509 Steps

[0036] 610 External Cache

[0037] 620 server

[0038] 630 component set

[0039] 710 Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter Protocol (UART)

[0040] 720 Common Module for Industrial Intelligent Infrastructure Services (CMISIS)

[0041] 730 User Application

[0042] 740 Message Queuing Telemetry Transport Protocol (MQTT)

[0043] UART Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter Protocol

[0044] U2D USB3 version of the transmission protocol

[0045] U3D USB3 version of the transmission protocol

[0046] The first connection terminals of switches P11, P21, and P31

[0047] The second connection terminals of switches P12, P22, and P32

[0048] Transmission ends of TP1, TP2, and TP3 switches

[0049] The first end of the P1 hub

[0050] The second end of the P2 hub

[0051] The third terminal of the P3 hub

[0052] P4 Hub Transmission End

[0053] CS1 and CS2 control signals

[0054] Arrows A210~A230

[0055] Arrows A310~A330 Detailed Implementation

[0056] The display devices of the various embodiments of the present invention can connect to cloud networks or Ethernet networks without the need for other electronic devices (such as personal computers or laptops). Furthermore, the display devices can autonomously implement related applications via the cloud network, such as firmware updates, self-functionality assessment and diagnostics, remote debugging, artificial intelligence (AI) related functions, energy-saving adjustments, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) related power consumption feedback, etc.

[0057] Furthermore, if the display device can connect to a network via an Ethernet port, embodiments of the present invention can also enable electronic devices to connect to the aforementioned network via a USB Type-C interface on the display device. In other words, the display device enables electronic devices to access the internet via a wired network through a USB Type-C interface and a Network Interface Controller (NIC) with USB signal transmission capabilities. The control module or microprocessor in the display device does not need to have networking capabilities (also known as Media Access Control (MAC) functionality) to enable the electronic device to access the internet, thereby saving hardware development costs when the display device has networking capabilities. The following presents embodiments conforming to the present invention.

[0058] Figure 1This is a block diagram of a display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device 100 may be a screen display, a liquid crystal panel, or a smart TV. The display device 100 may display multimedia data such as images, videos, and audio from a signal source. The aforementioned signal source may be an electronic device connected to a USB connection port (e.g., a smartphone, a laptop computer, a multimedia streaming service on a network, and its corresponding server).

[0059] The display device 100 mainly includes a hub 110, a USB connection port 112, a switching circuit 120, a network interface controller (NIC) 130, and a display control device 140. The display device 100 may also include an Ethernet port 132 (e.g., an RJ45 port) and a display screen (not shown).

[0060] Hub 110 includes a first terminal P1, a second terminal P2, a third terminal P3, and a transmission terminal P4. USB connection port 112 is coupled to the transmission terminal P4 of hub 110. In this embodiment, USB connection port 112 can also be referred to as USB uplink port.

[0061] Switching circuit 120 is coupled or electrically connected to hub 110. Switching circuit 120 is controlled by control signal CS1. In one embodiment, Figure 1 The switching circuit 120 may include a first switch SW1 and a second switch SW2. The first connection terminal P11 of the first switch SW1 is coupled to the first terminal P1 of the hub 110, and the control terminal of the first switch SW1 receives a control signal CS1. The first connection terminal P21 of the second switch SW2 is coupled to the second terminal P2 of the hub 110, and the control terminal of the second switch SW2 receives the control signal CS1. The communication terminal of the NIC 130 is coupled to the Ethernet port 132 to connect to the network 107. The first transmission terminal of the NIC 130 is coupled to the transmission terminal TP1 of the first switch SW1. The second transmission terminal of the NIC 130 is coupled to the transmission terminal TP2 of the second switch SW2. In one embodiment, the first switch SW1 conforms to USB3 version of the USB protocol and uses USB3 version to transmit data, while the second switch SW2 conforms to USB2 version of the USB protocol and uses USB2 version to transmit data.

[0062] NIC 130 is coupled to Ethernet port 132 to connect to network 107 via a wired network cable. NIC 130 is coupled to switching circuitry 120. In one embodiment, NIC 130 utilizes both USB3 and USB2 versions of the USB protocol to transmit data.

[0063] When the control signal CS1 is in a first state (e.g., an enabled state), the electronic device 105 connected to the USB port 112 is connected to the network 107 via the hub 110, the switching circuit 120, and the NIC 130. The electronic device 105 may be, for example, a smartphone, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, etc. In other words, the electronic device 105 in this embodiment can be connected to the network 107 via the display device 100.

[0064] On the other hand, when the control signal CS1 is in the second state (e.g., disabled state), the display control device 140 connects to the network 107 via the switching circuit 120 and the network interface controller 130. For example, the microprocessor 141 in the display control device 140 can upload data from the display device 100 to the server on the network 107 for self-functional assessment and diagnosis, remote debugging, artificial intelligence (AI) related functions, energy-saving adjustments, ESG-related power consumption reports, etc. The microprocessor 141 in the display control device 140 can obtain firmware update data from the server on the network 107 and determine whether to perform a firmware update on the display device 100 based on this firmware update data.

[0065] In one embodiment, the display control device 140 includes a microprocessor (MCU) 141, a scaler 142, and a third switcher SW3. The microprocessor 141 is coupled to the second connection terminal P22 of the second switcher SW2 in the switching circuit 120. The scaler 142 is coupled to the microprocessor 141. In one embodiment, the scaler 142 communicates with the microprocessor 141 via a Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter Protocol (UART). The first connection terminal P31 of the third switcher SW3 is coupled to the third terminal P3 of the hub 110, the second connection terminal P32 of the third switcher SW3 is coupled to the scaler 142, and the transmission terminal TP3 of the third switcher SW3 is coupled to the second connection terminal P22 of the second switcher SW2.

[0066] Figure 2 yes Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the display device 100 in the case of the control signal CS1 being in the first state. When the control signal CS1 is in the first state (e.g., enabled state), the transmission terminal TP1 of the first switch SW1 is coupled to its first connection terminal P11 (as shown by arrow A210), and the transmission terminal TP2 of the second switch SW2 is coupled to its first connection terminal P21 (as shown by arrow A220). The electronic device 102 can be coupled to the hub 110 via the USB connection port 112, as shown by arrow A230. Therefore, by adjusting the firmware and functions of the NIC 130, the electronic device 102 can connect to the network 107 via the hub 110, the first switch SW1, the second switch SW2, and the NIC 130. In one embodiment, data is transmitted between the hub 110 and the first switch SW1 based on the USB 3 version of the transmission protocol U3D. In another embodiment, data is transmitted between the hub 110 and the second switch SW2 based on the USB 2 version of the transmission protocol U2D.

[0067] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the display device 100 in the case of the control signal CS1 being in the second state. When the control signal CS1 is in the second state (e.g., disabled state), the transmission terminal TP1 of the first switch SW1 is coupled to its second connection terminal P12 (as shown by arrow A310), while the second connection terminal P12 is not coupled to any other components. On the other hand, the transmission terminal TP2 of the second switch SW2 is coupled to its second connection terminal P22 (as shown by arrow A320). The microprocessor 141 in the display control device 140 is connected to the network 107 via the second switch SW2 and the NIC 130. In one embodiment, the microprocessor 141 can process data in the USB2 version of the USB protocol; therefore, data is transmitted between the microprocessor 141 and the second switch SW2 based on the USB2 version transmission protocol U2D, as shown by arrow A330.

[0068] Therefore, in this embodiment, a component without networking capabilities can be selected to implement the microprocessor 141, and a costly local area network (LAN) switch is not required to implement the switching circuit 120. When the microprocessor in the display control device 140 requires networking, it can connect to the network 107 via the NIC 130. In this way, the hardware implementation cost of the microprocessor 141 is saved while still meeting the networking requirements of the display device 100.

[0069] In other embodiments consistent with the present invention, the microprocessor 141 may also be selected to handle data of the USB3 version of the USB protocol, and the switching circuit 120 may be implemented using a switch that can handle data of the USB3 version of the USB protocol. That is, the transmission terminal TP1 of the first switch SW1 can be coupled to the microprocessor 141 through its second connection terminal P12.

[0070] The third switcher SW3 conforms to USB 2.0 for data transmission. The third switcher SW3 is controlled by a switching signal CS2. When electronic device 105 is used as a signal source, the control signal CS2 is enabled, and the first connection terminal P31 of the third switcher SW3 is coupled to its transmission terminal TP3. In this way, electronic device 105 can transmit data to scaler 142 to present corresponding multimedia data. On the other hand, when scaler 142 needs to receive data from network 107, the control signal CS2 is disabled, and the second connection terminal P32 of the third switcher SW3 is coupled to its transmission terminal TP3. In this way, scaler 142 can transmit data via the third switcher SW3 and the second switcher SW2, based on the USB 2.0 transmission protocol U2D.

[0071] Both the first switcher SW1 and the second switcher SW2 are controlled by the control signal CS1. In this embodiment, the control signal CS1 can be controlled by either the microprocessor 141 or the scaler 142, or a combination thereof, depending on how the control of the control signal CS1 is implemented. In other words, there are multiple ways to implement the switching mechanism of the control signal CS1. For example, the control signal CS1 can be adjusted via the microprocessor 141 through an application program (APP) connected to the display device 100; the control signal CS1 can be adjusted via the scaler 142 through corresponding control technologies of the High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) (such as Video Data Rendering (VDM), High Definition Digital Content Protection (HDCP), etc.); the control signal CS1 can be adjusted via the scaler 142 or the microprocessor 141 through the function options and time settings of the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu; and so on. Here, adjusting the control signal through the function options of the OSD menu is used as an example for explanation. Figure 4 and Figure 5 .

[0072] Figure 4 yes Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu 400 in the display device 100. The user can select "Network Setting Mode 410" in the OSD menu 400 and adjust it to automatic mode 420 or manual mode 430 according to the user's needs. Furthermore, manual mode 430 can be set to on or off. The network connection method of the display device described in this embodiment (e.g., "Network Setting Mode 410") can be adjusted according to the aforementioned method to selectively adjust the judgment behavior mode of the control signal SC1.

[0073] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a networking method for a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please also refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 5 In step S502, the display device (e.g., Figure 1 The display device 100 is operating normally. In step S505, it is determined which network mode to enter, for example, automatic or manual network mode. The network mode can be set by the aforementioned... Figure 4 Adjustments can be made using corresponding embodiments.

[0074] When entering the automatic network connection mode, the process proceeds from step S505 to step S510 to determine whether to adjust the control signal to the first or second state based on corresponding judgment conditions. For example, the scaler 142 in the display device 100 may receive a switching command through corresponding control technologies of the High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) (such as Video Data Rendering (VDM), High Definition Digital Content Protection (HDCP), etc.); or, the connection pin of the USB connection port 112 may be used to determine whether the USB connection port 112 is disconnected from the electronic device 105; or, the user may set one or more time periods in the display device 100, and the display device 100 may determine whether the current time has reached the aforementioned time period. Users of this embodiment can adjust the judgment conditions in step S510 according to their needs, and these judgment conditions can be implemented one by one or combined with each other using logical operations.

[0075] If one of the aforementioned steps S510 is true, then proceed to step S520, setting the control signal to the second state. Then, in step S530, the display control device 140 connects to the network 107 via the second switch SW2 in the switching circuit 120 and the network interface controller 130. After connecting to the network 107, the display control device 140 can upload data from the display device 100 to the server on the network 107 via the microprocessor 141 in the display control device 140, and can perform corresponding operations.

[0076] In step S540, similar to the various judgment conditions in step S510, such as the zoomer 142 in the display control device 140 receiving a switching command again, the USB connection port 112 being disconnected from the electronic device 105, or the current time exceeding the set time period, etc., if the judgment condition in step S540 is true, then the process proceeds to step S550, setting the control signal CS1 to the first state to connect the electronic device 105 to the network 107.

[0077] When entering the manual network connection mode, the system proceeds from step S505 to step S511 to determine whether the manual mode is "on" or "off". If it is "off" (step S511 is "no"), it indicates that the user does not use the network connection method of this embodiment, and the system returns to step S502 from step S511. If it is "on" (step S511 is "yes"), the system proceeds to step S521 to set the control signal to the second state. Then, in steps S560 to S590, the display control device 140 connects to the network 107 through the second switch SW2 in the switching circuit 120 and the network interface controller 130, and can perform operations such as firmware updates for the display device.

[0078] For example, in step S560, it is determined whether the scaler 142 has received control-related instructions from the network 107 or the corresponding application, or whether it has received remote debugging instructions. If no such instructions are received, the process proceeds from step S560 to step S570, where, according to preset settings, the scaler 142 uploads data from the display device 100 to the server on the network 107 via the microprocessor 141. Furthermore, the scaler 142 can obtain firmware update data from the server on the network via the microprocessor 141 and decide whether to perform a firmware update.

[0079] On the other hand, if a corresponding instruction is received, the process proceeds from step S560 to step S580. The scaler 142 executes the operation according to the received instruction and sends back relevant station data or debugging information to the server on the network for remote control or debugging. After steps S570 and S580 are completed, the process proceeds to step S590 to end this networking method.

[0080] Figure 6 This is another block diagram of a display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6In addition to the microprocessor 141, scaler 142, network interface controller 130, and hub 110, the display device 100 also includes an external cache 610. When the microprocessor 141 successfully connects to the server 620 on the network 107, the microprocessor 141 receives the latest firmware update data pushed by the server 620. The microprocessor 141 or each chip or component within the display device 100 (e.g., component set 630) compares its own firmware version with the version in the aforementioned firmware update data. If one of these components finds its firmware version to be older, it can perform a firmware update through the microprocessor 141. In this embodiment, the firmware update can be implemented in the background process of the display device 100, thus not affecting the normal operation of the display device 100.

[0081] In one embodiment, the microprocessor may be a GD32E50X chip. This chip does not have networking capabilities, but it has a USB2 version data transfer interface and supports the USB OTG (On-The-Go) standard. The network interface controller 130 may be an RTL8156 chip.

[0082] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the scaler 142, microprocessor 141, and related program code of a display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the scaler 142 and the microprocessor 141 communicate with each other via a Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter Protocol (UART) 710. In one embodiment, the microprocessor 141 does not have an operating system, but instead uses low-level instructions from network technology and USB technology to operate.

[0083] For example, in one embodiment, the microprocessor 141 runs a Common Module for Industrial Smart Infrastructure Services (CMISIS) 720, a user application 730, and a Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) 740. The user application 730 communicates with the scaler 142 via CMISIS 720 and UART 710 to perform corresponding functions. On the other hand, the user application 730 is connected to the network 107 via MQTT 740.

[0084] The program code in the user application 730 may include multiple programs, such as the main program main.c, the first program usbh_usr.c, the second program gd32e51x_it.c, the third program gd32e51x_usb_hw.c, and the fourth program netconf.c. The main program main.c serves as the program's entry point, containing the main function, which is the program's starting point.

[0085] The first program, usbh_usr.c, primarily defines processing functions for Change Data Capture (CDC), such as device connection, descriptor processing, speed detection, data transmission and reception, and a series of other data transmission and processing functions. Through these functions, users can achieve communication operations with electronic devices (such as devices or hosts with USB interfaces).

[0086] The second program, gd32e51x_it.c, primarily defines the functions related to the interrupt service routine, enabling it to handle various interrupt events. The third program, d32e51x_usb_hw.c, mainly defines the hardware-related initialization and configuration code for USB. The fourth program, netconf.c, primarily defines the code related to network configuration, such as functions for controlling the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), network interface initialization, network function updates, and the management and control of the DHCP state machine. Through the code in netconf.c, it is possible to dynamically obtain IP addresses, initialize the network interface, and handle various network communication tasks.

[0087] In one embodiment, the first program usbh_usr.c is mainly used to connect the microprocessor 141 and the network interface controller 130 to connect to the network, and to process the various parameters required for connecting through the CDC type processing function, thereby realizing the transmission and reception of data.

[0088] In summary, the display devices of the various embodiments of the present invention enable electronic devices to access the Internet via a wired network through a USB Type-C interface and a Network Interface Controller (NIC) with USB signal transmission capabilities. The control module or microprocessor in the display device does not need to have networking capabilities (also known as Media Access Control (MAC) functionality) to enable the electronic device to access the Internet, thereby saving hardware development costs for the display device even when it has networking capabilities.

[0089] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art should be able to make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display device, the display device comprising: Hub; USB connection port, the USB connection port being coupled to the hub; A switching circuit coupled to the hub, wherein the switching circuit is controlled by a control signal; A network interface controller, the network interface controller being coupled to the switching circuit; as well as A display control device, coupled to the hub, is provided. In response to the control signal being in a first state, the USB connection port is connected to the network via the hub, the switching circuit, and the network interface controller. In response to the control signal being in the second state, the display control device connects to the network through the switching circuit and the network interface controller.

2. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching circuit comprises: A first switcher is coupled to the hub and is controlled by the control signal. as well as A second switch, coupled to the hub, and controlled by the control signal. In response to the control signal being in a first state, the USB connection port is connected to the network via one of the hub, the first switch, and the second switch, and the network interface controller. In response to the control signal being in the second state, the display control device connects to the network via the second switch and the network interface controller.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the network interface controller uses USB3 and USB2 versions of the USB protocol to transmit data. The first switch conforms to the USB3 version, and the second switch conforms to the USB2 version.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the electronic device connected to the USB port communicates with the network interface controller based on either the USB3 version or the USB2 version.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display control device comprises: A microprocessor, which is coupled to the switching circuit; A scaler, the scaler being coupled to the microprocessor; as well as A third switch, which is coupled to the switching circuit and the hub. In response to the control signal, the microprocessor is in a second state, and the microprocessor is connected to the network through the switching circuit and the network interface controller.

6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the third switch conforms to USB2 version of the USB protocol.

7. The display device of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor does not have networking capabilities.

8. The display device of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor uploads data of the display device to a server on the network.

9. The display device of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor obtains firmware update data from the server and determines whether to perform a firmware update on the display device based on the firmware update data.

10. The display device of claim 5, wherein the control signal is controlled by one or a combination of the microprocessor and the scaler.

11. The display device of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor obtains firmware update data from a server on the network and determines whether to perform a firmware update on the display device based on the firmware update data.

12. A networking method for a display device, wherein the display device includes a hub, a USB connection port, a switching circuit, a network interface controller, and a display control device, the networking method comprising: In response to the control signal being in the first state, the USB connection port is connected to the network through the hub, the switching circuit, and the network interface controller; as well as In response to the control signal being in the second state, the display control device connects to the network through the switching circuit and the network interface controller.

13. The networking method as described in claim 12, further comprising: Determine whether the network connection mode is manual or automatic; as well as The control signal is adjusted to either the first state or the second state based on the manual mode or the automatic mode.

14. The networking method of claim 13, wherein the step of adjusting the control signal to the first state or the second state according to the manual mode or the automatic mode includes: In the automatic mode, it is determined whether the scaler in the display control device has received a switching command, whether the USB connection port has been disconnected from the electronic device, or whether it is already in the set time period; When the scaler in the display control device receives a switching command, the USB connection port is disconnected from the electronic device, or it is in the set time period, the control signal is set to the second state so that the display control device can connect to the network; as well as If the scaler in the display control device does not receive a switching command, the USB connection port is not disconnected from the electronic device, or it is not within the set time period, the control signal is set to the first state to enable the electronic device to connect to the network.

15. The networking method of claim 12, wherein the step of connecting the display control device to the network includes: The microprocessor in the display control device uploads the data of the display device to the server on the network.

16. The networking method of claim 12, wherein the step of connecting the display control device to the network includes: Obtain firmware update data from servers on the network; as well as Based on the firmware update data, determine whether to perform a firmware update on the display device.

17. The networking method of claim 12, wherein the switching circuit comprises: A first switcher, the first switcher being controlled by the control signal; as well as A second switch, which is controlled by the control signal. In response to the control signal being in a first state, the USB connection port is connected to the network via one of the hub, the first switch, and the second switch, and the network interface controller. In response to the control signal being in the second state, the display control device connects to the network via the second switch and the network interface controller.

18. The networking method of claim 17, wherein the network interface controller uses USB3 and USB2 versions of the USB protocol to transmit data. The first switch conforms to the USB 3 version, and the second switch conforms to the USB 2 version. The electronic device connected to the USB port communicates with the network interface controller based on either USB version 3 or USB version 2.

19. The networking method of claim 12, wherein the display control device comprises: A microprocessor, which is coupled to the switching circuit; A scaler, the scaler being coupled to the microprocessor; as well as A third switch, which is coupled to the switching circuit and the hub. In response to the control signal, the microprocessor is in a second state, and it connects to the network via the switching circuit and the network interface controller. The third switch described herein conforms to USB2 version of the USB protocol.

20. The networking method of claim 19, wherein the microprocessor does not have networking capabilities.

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