Multi-Display Terminal Control for Application Resource Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Information processing terminals with multiple displays face resource management challenges, such as increased resource consumption leading to reduced operation speed, application crashes, and shutdowns, due to existing methods' inability to effectively determine the optimal display for activating new applications while considering multiple conditions and load on the terminal.

Innovation Solution

The terminal employs a control mechanism to determine the display for activating a new application based on conditions that depend on the requested display characteristics and resource usage, including ending competing applications to ensure resource availability and prioritize displays that meet the new application's requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple applications are executed simultaneously on multiple displays, then application functionality and user convenience are improved, but resource consumption increases leading to reduced operation speed and system stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication functionalityVSAvoidsystem stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts application execution states based on real-time resource conditions. When a new application is launched, the control unit evaluates current resource usage and automatically transitions existing applications between active and inactive states, allowing the system to adapt resource allocation dynamically while maintaining stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of applications by switching them between active and inactive states. This parameter change allows the same application to consume different amounts of resources depending on whether it needs to be displayed, enabling flexible resource management while supporting multiple applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Speed

If applications are kept in active state to maintain responsiveness, then operation speed is improved, but resource consumption increases causing application crashes and shutdowns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperation speedVSAvoidresource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically transitions applications between active and inactive states based on resource availability. When resources are sufficient, applications remain active for fast response. When resources are constrained, the system automatically inactivates applications, reducing resource consumption while maintaining the capability to restore them when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If resource usage is monitored individually per display, then display-specific optimization is improved, but the ability to determine optimal display for new applications considering multiple conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay-specific optimizationVSAvoidresource allocation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit merges the resource monitoring functions across multiple displays into a unified resource pool. Instead of managing resources separately for each display, the system aggregates CPU, memory, and other shared resources into a single view, enabling holistic evaluation when determining which display should host a new application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit serves multiple functions: it monitors resource usage, evaluates new application requirements, determines optimal display assignment, and manages application state transitions. This multi-functional approach simplifies the overall system by using a single control mechanism to handle what would otherwise require multiple separate management systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Productivity

If applications are allocated to displays based on current resource usage only, then immediate resource availability is improved, but the ability to consider display characteristics and application requirements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource availabilityVSAvoiddisplay-characteristic matching
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of display characteristics and application requirements before allocating resources. When a new application is launched, the control unit first checks display capabilities and application needs, then determines the optimal match before activating the application, ensuring both resource availability and characteristic compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2557489B1Information processing terminal and control method therefor
Publication Date: 2024.05.01 NEC CORP
  • EP2557489B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2557489B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2557489B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

An information processing terminal has a plurality of displays, each displaying an application screen, and control means which determines a display on which a new application is to be activated from the plurality of displays. If an application being executed competes with a first non-dependent condition that does not depend on a display requested by a new application, the control means ends the application being executed and determines a display on which the new application is to be activated by using a first dependent condition that depends on the display requested by the new application or a second non-dependent condition that does not depend on the display requested by the new application.