Portable device for providing dual display and method thereof

Abstract

A portable device is provided. The portable device includes a first graphics controller to generate a first rendered graphics data to be displayed on an integrated display, the first graphics controller including a first output coupled to the integrated display. The portable device further includes a second graphics controller to generate a second rendered graphics data and a display interface to format the second rendered graphics data for output to a first remote display, where the display interface includes a first input coupled to an output of the second graphics controller.

1 . A portable device comprising: 
 a first graphics controller to generate a first rendered graphics data to be displayed on an integrated display, the first graphics controller comprising a first output coupled to the integrated display;    a second graphics controller to generate a second rendered graphics data; and    a display interface to format the second rendered graphics data for output to a first remote display, the display interface comprising a first input coupled to an output of the second graphics controller.    
   
   
       2 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the first rendered graphics data and the second rendered graphics data represent the same graphics content.  
   
   
       3 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the first rendered graphics data and the second rendered graphics data represent different graphics contents.  
   
   
       4 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the display interface is capable of being disabled to conserve power.  
   
   
       5 . The portable device of  claim 1 , wherein the display interface is further to format the first rendered graphics data for output to the first remote display, wherein the display interface comprises a second input coupled to an output of the first graphics controller.  
   
   
       6 . The portable device of  claim 5 , wherein the display interface is further to format at least one of the first rendered graphics data or the second rendered graphics data for output to a second remote display.  
   
   
       7 . A method comprising: 
 processing, at a first graphics controller of a portable device, a first set of graphics data to generate a first set of rendered graphics data; and    processing, at a second graphics controller of the portable device, a second set of graphics data to generate a second set of rendered graphics data;    providing the first set of rendered graphics data for display by an integrated display of the portable device; and    providing the second set of rendered graphics data to a first display interface coupleable to a first display external to the portable device.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first graphics data and the second graphics data represent a same graphics content.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first graphics data and the second graphics data represent different graphics contents.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein providing the first set of rendered graphics data for display by the integrated display comprises providing the first set of rendered graphics data to a second display interface to format the first set of rendered graphics data.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 providing the first set of rendered graphics data to the first display interface.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 providing the first set of rendered graphics data to a second display interface coupleable to a second display external to the portable device.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first display interface and the second display interface comprise the same display interface.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 providing at least one of the first set of rendered graphics data or the second set of rendered graphics data to a second display interface coupleable to a second display external to the portable device.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 disabling the first display interface subsequent to providing the second set of rendered graphics data.    
   
   
       16 . A method comprising: 
 in a first mode of operation: 
 rendering a first set of graphics data at a first graphics controller of a portable device; and  
 providing the rendered first set of graphics data to a display integrated with the portable device; and  
   in a second mode of operation: 
 rendering a second set of graphics data at the first graphics controller;  
 providing the rendered second set of graphics data to the display integrated with the portable device; and  
 providing a third set of graphics data to a graphics controller external to the portable device for rendering and display at a first display external to the portable device.  
   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second set of graphics data and the third set of graphics data represent the same graphics content.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second set of graphics data and the third set of graphics data represent different graphics contents.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 in the second mode of operation: 
 providing the second set of graphics data to a graphics controller external to the portable device for rendering and display at a second display external to the portable device.  
   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 in the first mode of operation: 
 disabling a display interface coupling the portable device to the graphics controller.