Display system and method

Abstract

A display system and method are disclosed. One embodiment of a display system comprises a position arm coupled to a first monitor and a second monitor that are each communicatively coupled to a computer. The system also comprises a position sensor operatively associated with the position arm and the sensor can generate relative position data of the first monitor after a user positions the first monitor adjacent to the second monitor. The system also comprises display logic communicatively coupled to the position sensor and operatively associative with the operating system of the computer, and the display logic can automatically cause display configuration features of the computer to be changed in response to receiving the relative position data.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A display method, comprising: 
 positioning a first monitor adjacent to a second monitor by a user, the first and second monitors communicatively coupled to a computer;    generating relative position data at a position sensor in response to the positioning;    receiving the relative position data by display logic; and    automatically causing display configuration features of the computer to be changed by the display logic in response to the relative position data.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising pivotably coupling the position sensor to a position arm coupled to each of the monitors.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising locating the position sensor on one of the computer or a switch platform separate from the computer or either of the monitors.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 positioning the first monitor in a selected orientation by the user;    receiving orientation data at a second position sensor in response to the positioning;    receiving the orientation data by the display logic; and    automatically causing display configuration features of the computer to be changed by the display logic in response to the orientation data.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising pivotably coupling the second position sensor to a position arm coupled to each of the monitors.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising positioning the first monitor in a selected orientation by positioning the first monitor in a landscape or portrait configuration.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relative position data comprises one of the group consisting of top, bottom, left and right relative to the second monitor.  
     
     
         8 . A display system, comprising: 
 a position sensor operable to generate relative position data of a first monitor after the first monitor is positioned adjacent to a second monitor, the first monitor and the second monitor each communicatively coupled to a computer;    a position arm operatively associated with the position sensor; and    display logic communicatively coupled to the position sensor and operatively associated with the operating system of the computer, the display logic operable to automatically cause display configuration features of the computer to be changed in response to receiving the relative position data.    
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the display logic is operatively associated with the operating system licensed under the name WINDOWS.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the position sensor is located on one of the computer or a switch platform separate from the computer or either of the monitors.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the display logic comprises logic to receive the relative position data and calculate a current position comprising one of the group consisting of top, bottom, left and right relative to the second monitor  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a second position sensor operatively associated with the position arm and operable to generate orientation data of the first monitor after the first monitor is positioned in a selected orientation; and    the display logic further operable to automatically cause display configuration features of the computer to be changed in response to the orientation data.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the logic comprises software code operatively associated with the computer.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the position sensor comprises a four-position switch.  
     
     
         15 . Display software, comprising: 
 a computer-readable storage medium operatively associated with a computer; and    a display application operatively associated with the computer-readable storage medium and operable to cause display configuration features of a computer to be changed in response to relative position data received from a position sensor that is operatively associated with a position arm, the position arm coupled to a first monitor and a second monitor, which are each coupled to the computer.    
     
     
         16 . The application of  claim 15 , wherein the display application is operatively associated with the operating system licensed under the name WINDOWS.  
     
     
         17 . The application of  claim 15 , wherein the position sensor is pivotably coupled to the position arm at the second monitor.  
     
     
         18 . The application of  claim 15 , wherein the position sensor is located on one of the computer or a switch platform separate from the computer or either of the monitors.  
     
     
         19 . The application of  claim 15 , wherein the display application is further operable to automatically cause display configuration features of the computer to be changed in response to orientation data of the first monitor generated by a second position sensor operatively associated with the position arm after the first monitor is positioned in a selected orientation.  
     
     
         20 . A display method, comprising: 
 displaying data on a display screen of a monitor;    communicatively coupling at a remote distance the monitor with a device having a device display screen;    directly copying pixels from a selected area of the displayed data in response to a command from the device and a dimension of a display screen of the device; and    displaying on the display screen of the device the pixels.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the device is a personal digital assistant.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising communicatively coupling the monitor with the device using wireless technology.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising repositioning the selected area using the device.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein repositioning the selected area further comprises: 
 receiving by device driver logic communicatively coupled to the monitor at least one positioning command from the device in response to manipulation of a device control; and    repositioning on the display screen of the monitor the selected area in response to the at least one positioning command.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising communicatively coupling the monitor with the device using device driver software code operatively associated with a computer communicatively coupled to the monitor.  
     
     
         26 . A display system, comprising: 
 a device display screen operable to display pixels copied from a selected area displayed in a display screen of a monitor that is communicatively coupled to a computer;    a device control operatively coupled to the device display screen and operable to receive at least one command from a user that causes the pixels to be displayed on the device display screen in response to the at least one command; and    device driver logic operatively coupled with the computer and communicatively coupled to the device control at a remote distance, the device driver logic operable to transmit the pixels to the device in response to at least one of the group consisting of the at least one command and a dimension of the device display screen.    
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the device driver logic is further operable to receive at least one positioning command from the device control, and cause repositioning on the display screen of the monitor the selected area in response to the at least one positioning command.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the device driver logic is operable to receive the at least one command and the dimension using wireless technology.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the device control comprises a plurality of input devices each operable to receive the at least one command.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the device driver logic is further operable to transmit coordinates of the device display screen to the display screen of the monitor in response to at least one of the group consisting of the at least one command and the dimension of the device display screen.  
     
     
         31 . Device driver logic, comprising: 
 a computer-readable storage medium operatively associated with a computer; and    application software resident on the storage medium and operable to 
 receive at least one of the group consisting of at least one command and a dimension of a device display screen from a device communicatively coupled at a remote distance to the computer; and  
 cause pixels from a selected area displayed on a monitor communicatively coupled to the computer to be copied to the device for display on a device display screen in response to at least one of the group consisting of the at least one command and the dimension of the device display screen.  
   
     
     
         32 . The logic of  claim 31 , wherein the software is operable to wirelessly receive the at least one command and the dimension using wireless technology.  
     
     
         33 . The logic of  claim 31 , wherein the software is further operable to cause repositioning on the display screen of the monitor the selected area in response to at least one positioning command received from the device.  
     
     
         34 . The logic of  claim 31 , wherein the software is further operable to condition the at least one command before causing pixels from a selected area displayed on a monitor communicatively coupled to the computer to be copied to the device.  
     
     
         35 . The logic of  claim 31 , wherein the software is further operable to transmit coordinates of the device display screen to the display screen of the monitor in response to at least one of the group consisting of the at least one command and the dimension of the device display screen.