Display Settings Synchronization via USB PD Messaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

In environments with multiple display devices communicatively coupled to an information handling system, traditional methods require manual adjustment of display settings on each device to maintain consistency, which is inefficient and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a communications interface and controller in both display devices and the information handling system to monitor user-initiated changes and automatically synchronize display settings across devices via vendor-defined messaging over USB PD interfaces, ensuring consistent settings without manual intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual adjustment of display settings on each device is used to maintain consistency, then display settings can be maintained separately on each device, but user effort and time consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay settings adjustmentVSAvoidtime to maintain consistent settings

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic self-synchronization of display settings across multiple devices. When a user adjusts settings on one display device, the controller automatically detects the change and transmits the updated settings to other connected display devices through the information handling system, eliminating the need for manual adjustment on each device and achieving self-service operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The controller monitors display setting changes in real-time and provides feedback by automatically transmitting setting updates to other display devices. This feedback mechanism ensures that all devices maintain consistent settings without user intervention, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If manual adjustment of display settings on each device is used, then each device maintains independent settings, but errors and inconsistencies increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesettings consistencyVSAvoidmanual adjustment process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The automatic synchronization system performs self-service by detecting setting changes on one device and autonomously propagating these changes to all other connected display devices through the information handling system. This eliminates manual intervention entirely, preventing human errors and ensuring reliable consistency across all devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The information handling system acts as an intermediary that receives setting changes from one display device and automatically distributes them to other display devices. This mediator approach ensures accurate and consistent settings propagation without requiring direct manual intervention on each device, thereby improving reliability while simplifying operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If automated synchronization is implemented, then user effort is reduced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesettings synchronization efficiencyVSAvoidcommunication interface and controller

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller and communication interface are designed with multi-functionality, serving both traditional display control functions and the additional function of automatic settings synchronization. By making these components universal, the patent achieves automated synchronization (improving productivity) without requiring entirely separate dedicated hardware, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11340854B2Systems and methods to synchronize display settings among multiple display devices

Publication Date: 2022.05.24 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

A display device may include a communications interface and a controller configured to monitor for user-initiated changes to display settings associated with the display device and communicate a message via the communications interface to an information handling system in order to cause the information handling system to communicate a second message to a second display device to change display settings of the second display device responsive to the user-initiated changes to the display settings associated with the display device. The controller may also be configured to monitor for an indication from the information handling system via the communications interface indicative of user-initiated changes to display settings associated with the second display device and responsive to receipt of the indication from the information handling system indicative of user-initiated changes to display settings associated with the second display device, cause a change to display settings associated with the display device.