Display controller and method for switching display between two GPU driven data paths depending on external display capability

摘要

A display controller which may include a first display control section, a second display control section, a signal line, an output selection section, and a mode selection control section. The first display control section includes a first image generation portion adapted to decode content and first image output portion adapted to output the decoded content. The second display control section includes a second image generation portion and second image output portion. The signal line conveys the decoded content to the second image output portion. The output selection section selects one of the outputs of the first and second image output portions. The mode selection control section selects one of first and second display modes, based on functional information about the first and second display control sections.

主权项

1. A display controller comprising:
a first display control section including a first image generation portion adapted to decode content and first image output portion adapted to output the decoded content; a second display control section including a second image generation portion adapted to decode content and second image output portion adapted to output the decoded content; a signal line adapted to convey the content decoded by the second image generation portion to the first image output portion; an output selection section adapted to select one of the outputs of the first and second image output portions; a mode selection control section incorporating the first display control section and adapted to select one of two modes, first and second display modes, based on functional information about the first and second display control sections, the first display mode being designed to output the content supplied to the second display control section via the second image generation portion and second image output portion, the second display mode being designed to output the content supplied to the second display control section via the second image generation portion, signal line and first image output portion; and a connection section adapted to connect an external display device, in which the first display control section is an integrated graphics processing unit (GPU) and the second display control section is a discrete graphics processing unit (GPU), and in which the mode selection control section acquires functional information about the external display device connected to the connection section, compares the functional information about the external display against functional information about the integrated GPU and the discrete GPU, and when a comparison result therefrom indicates that the functional information about the external display is closer to that of the integrated GPU as compared to the discrete GPU selects the second display mode such that the content is output from the integrated GPU and when the comparison result indicates that the functional information about the external display is closer to that of the discrete GPU as compared to the integrated GPU selects the first display mode such that the content is output from the discrete GPU, in which the functional information about the external display device includes audio format information regarding each audio format which is supportable on the external display device, such that the mode selection control section compares the integrated GPU and the discrete GPU with regard to the audio format information to determine which of the integrated GPU and the discrete GPU is selected.