Disc playback system and display unit

• US 20020095531A1
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Katta, Noboru, Yamamoto, Akihiro, Hamasaki, Hiroshi, Mori, Toshiaki, Ibaraki, Susumu, Kurosaki, Toshihiko
• Application Number:
  US10/044,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095531A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and transmitting the coded signal through a synchronous channel of a digital bus, and plural display units each receiving the coded signal from the digital bus, and decoding and displaying the coded signal, wherein each of the plural display units outputs disc control information including a read command for controlling the disc drive so as to read the coded signal from the disc type recording medium, and one of the plural display units receives the disc control information from the other display units, and the display unit receives, at least as for the read command, the read commands from all of the other display units which are operating and, thereafter, outputs one read command to the disc drive. Therefore, all of the display units performing display operations can display the same picture at the same time.

Claims

1. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and transmitting the coded signal through a synchronous channel of a digital bus, and plural display units each receiving the coded signal from the digital bus, and decoding and displaying the coded signal, wherein:

each of the plural display units outputs disc control information including a read command for controlling the disc drive so as to read the coded signal from the disc type recording medium; and

one of the plural display units receives the disc control information from the other display units, and the display unit receives, at least as for the read command, the read commands from all of the other display units which are operating and, thereafter, outputs one read command to the disc drive.

2. The disc playback system of claim 1, wherein the disc type recording medium is a DVD.

3. The disc playback system of claim 1, wherein the digital bus is a vehicle-mounted digital bus to be mounted on motor vehicles.

4. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and transmitting the coded signal through a synchronous channel of a digital bus, and plural display units each receiving the coded signal from the digital bus, and decoding and displaying the coded signal, wherein:

each of the plural display units performs operation on the basis of a periodic signal whose temporal relationship with data on the synchronous channel is constant;

one of the plural display units generates decoder control information including at least a playback command, outputs the decoder control information to the other display units, and executes decoder control at a timing when a predetermined time t (t;

positive real number) has passed from the n-th periodic signal (n;

natural number) after the display unit outputted the decoder control information; and

each of the other display units receives the decoder control information, and executes decoder control at a timing when the predetermined time t has passed from the n-th periodic signal after the display unit received the decoder control information.

5. The disc playback system of claim 4, wherein the decoder control information includes a pause command.

6. The disc playback system of claim 4, wherein a signal indicating a frame period of the digital bus is used as the periodic signal.

7. The disc playback system of claim 4, wherein the disc type recording medium is a DVD.

8. The disc playback system of claim 4, wherein the digital bus is a vehicle-mounted digital bus to be mounted on motor vehicles.

9. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading a coded signal recorded on a DVD, and transmitting the coded signal through a synchronous channel of a digital bus, and plural display units for receiving the coded signal from the digital bus, and decoding and displaying the coded signal, wherein:

each of the plural display units generates an operation clock of 27 MHz from a transmission path clock of the digital bus, and performs decoding operation on the basis of the operation clock.

10. The disc playback system of claim 9, wherein the digital bus is a vehicle-mounted digital bus to be mounted on motor vehicles.

11. A display unit for receiving a coded signal which is read from a disc type recording medium by a disc drive, and decoding and displaying the coded signal, including:

a disc control information output means for outputting disc control information including a read command for controlling the disc drive so as to read the coded signal from, the disc type recording medium;

wherein the disc control information output means receives disc control information including the read command from other display units connected to the digital bus, and it receives, at least as for the read command, the read commands from all of the other display units connected to the digital bus and, thereafter, outputs one read command to the disc drive.

12. A display unit for receiving a coded signal which is read from a disc type recording medium by a disc drive and transmitted through a synchronous channel of a digital bus, and decoding and displaying the coded signal,

the display unit performing operation on the basis of a periodic signal whose temporal relationship with data on the synchronous channel is constant;

and

the display unit comprising;

a decoder control information generation means for generating decoder control information including at least a playback command;

a decoder control information output means for outputting the decoder control information generated by the decoder control information generating means to another display unit connected to the digital bus; and

a decoder control means for executing decoder control, employing the decoder control information generated by the decoder control generation means, at a timing when a predetermined time t (t;

positive real number) has passed from the n-th periodic signal (n;

natural number) after the decoder control information output means outputted the decoder control information to the other display unit.

13. A display unit for receiving a coded signal which is read from a disc type recording medium by a disc drive and transmitted through a synchronous channel of a digital bus, and decoding and displaying the coded signal,

the display unit performing operation on the basis of a periodic signal whose temporal relationship with data on the synchronous channel is constant, and

the display unit comprising:

a decoder control information reception means for receiving decoder control information including at least a playback command, from another display unit connected to the digital bus; and

decoder control means for executing decoder control, employing the decoder control information received by the decoder control reception means, at a timing when a predetermined time t (t;

positive real number) has passed from the n-th periodic signal (n;

natural number) after the decoder control information reception means received the decoder control information from the other display unit.

14. A display unit for receiving a coded signal from a digital bus, and decoding and displaying the coded signal, including:

a decoding clock generation means for generating a decoding clock of 27 MHz for performing decoding operation, from a transmission path clock of the digital bus.

15. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading and outputting a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and plural display units for decoding and displaying the coded signal outputted from the disc drive, including:

a parameter control means performing a control such that a display unit which is performing display operation holds parameters used for the display operation and, when another display unit has started up, the display unit performing display operation transmits the parameters to the other display unit which has started up.

20. The disc playback system according to any of claims 15 to 19, wherein the parameters are data for resumption.

21. The disc playback system according to any of claims 15 to 19, wherein the disc drive and the plural display units are connected with each other through a vehicle-mounted digital bus which is to be mounted on motor vehicles.

16. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading and outputting a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and plural display units for decoding and displaying the coded signal outputted from the disc drive, wherein:

one of the display units performing display operations transmits parameters which are stored in the self unit and used for the display operation, to another display unit which has started up.

17. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading and outputting a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and plural display units for decoding and displaying the coded signal outputted from the disc drive, wherein:

the disc drive is provided with a parameter storage means for holding parameters which are used for display operation of a display unit and, when another display unit has started up, the disc drive transmits the parameters which are used by the display unit performing the display operation, to the other display unit which has started up.

18. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading and outputting a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and plural display units for decoding and displaying the coded signal outputted from the disc drive, wherein:

when at least one of the plural display units receives an operation input from a user to the self unit and parameters which are stored in the self unit and used for display operation are altered, the display unit transmits the altered parameters to all of the other display units performing display operations.

19. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading and outputting a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and plural display units for decoding and displaying the coded signal outputted from the disc drive, wherein:

one of the plural display units controls the disc drive;

when a display unit other than the display unit controlling the disc drive receives a user'"'"'s operation input for controlling the disc drive, the display unit transmits a control command for controlling the disc drive to the display unit controlling the disc drive; and

when the display unit controlling the disc drive receives the control command for controlling the disc drive from the display unit other than the self unit, it controls the disc drive on the basis of the control command, and transmits altered parameters to all of the other display units performing display operations.

22. A disc playback system comprising a disc drive for reading and outputting a coded signal recorded on a disc type recording medium, and plural display units for decoding and displaying the coded signal outputted from the disc drive, wherein:

the display units include decoding means for decoding the coded signal; and

one of the display units transmits a control signal to the decoding means of the other display units.

23. The disc playback system of claim 22, wherein the disc drive and the plural display units are connected with each other through a vehicle-mounted digital bus to be mounted on motor vehicles.