Signal transmitter and signal receiver

• US 20030112828A1
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishio, Toshiro, Suzuki, Hidekazu, Nio, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,339,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/521
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1688 the demands of the users being taken into account after redundancy removal, e.g. by predictive coding, by variable sampling reducing bandwidth of signals in general H04B1/66; in PCM-systems H04B14/046; removal of redundancy in telegraph communication H03M7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8458 involving uncompressed content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/083 with signal insertion during the vertical and the horizontal blanking interval , e.g. MAC data signals

Abstract

In a signal transmission apparatus and a signal reception apparatus according to the present invention, the signal transmission apparatus side comprises a time-base compression unit (101) for compressing an audio signal on the time axis to output a time-base-compressed audio signal, and a multiplexing unit (102) for multiplexing a video signal, a control signal, and the time-base-compressed audio signal to output a multiplexed video-audio-control signal to the outside.

According to the signal transmission apparatus and the signal reception apparatus so constructed, a multiplexed video-audio-control signal can be transmitted. Therefore, it is possible to realize a signal transmission system which can transmit a large variety of high-quality digital audio signals without converting them into analog signals, and perform high-speed transmission with fewer errors.

Claims

1. A signal transmission apparatus comprising:

a time-base compression unit for compressing an audio signal on the time axis to output a time-base-compressed audio signal; and

a multiplexing unit for multiplexing a video signal, a control signal, and the time-base-compressed audio signal to output a multiplexed video-audio-control signal to the outside.

2. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the multiplexing unit comprises:

a first horizontal line counter for counting the number of horizontal lines on a screen;

a first selector for selecting either the control signal or the time-base-compressed audio signal to output;

a first multiplexing controller for controlling the first selector;

a second selector for selecting either the output signal from the first selector or the video signal to output; and

a second multiplexing controller for controlling the second selector.

5. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control signal is constituted by a section in which the contents of the control signal are prescribed by whole makers, and a section of a maker-original control signal.

6. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control signal is constituted by a section in which the contents of the control signal are prescribed by whole makers, an apparatus discrimination control section for discriminating an apparatus, and a section of a maker-original control signal.

7. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control signal includes information for discriminating a sequence of cinema.

8. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control signal includes information indicating compressibility of video.

9. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control signal includes frame information of video.

10. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control signal includes information for discriminating whether video is on a data broadcasting screen or on a usual motion picture screen.

11. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control signal includes information indicating the position of block noise of video.

3. A signal transmission apparatus for transmitting RGB video signals as serial data, wherein a control signal for controlling a monitor or the like which is to be connected is multiplexed into a blanking section of a video signal in either one or all of the signal lines RED, GREEN, and BLUE, and the multiplexed signal is transmitted.

4. The signal transmission apparatus as defined in claim 3 comprising:

a time-base compression unit for compressing an audio signal on the time axis to output a time-base-compressed audio signal;

a decomposition unit for decomposing the time-base-compressed audio signal to superimpose on a first control signal, a second control signal, and a third control signal; and

a control signal superimposing means for superimposing the control signal on the first control signal.

12. A signal reception apparatus for receiving a video-audio-control signal in which a video signal, a time-base-compressed audio signal, and a control signal are multiplexed, comprising:

a demultiplexing unit for demultiplexing the video-audio-control signal into the video signal, the time-base-compressed audio signal, and the control signal;

a time-base decompression unit for performing time-base decompression on the time-base-compressed audio signal to reconstruct an original audio signal; and

an audio clock reproduction unit for receiving a video clock from the signal apparatus, and reproducing an audio clock on the basis of the video clock to output to the time-base decompression unit.

13. The signal reception apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the demultiplexing unit comprises:

a second horizontal line counter for counting the number of horizontal lines on a screen;

a third selector for demultiplexing the multiplexed video-audio-control signal into the video signal and the multiplexed audio-control signal;

a first demultiplexing controller for controlling the third selector;

a fourth selector for demultiplexing the multiplexed audio-control signal into the control signal and the time-base-compressed audio signal; and

a second demultiplexing controller for controlling the fourth selector.

16. The signal reception apparatus as defined in any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control signal is constituted by a section in which the contents of the control signal are prescribed by whole makers, and a section of a maker-original control signal.

17. The signal reception apparatus as defined in any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control signal is constituted by a section in which the contents of the control signal are prescribed by whole makers, an apparatus discrimination control section for discriminating an apparatus, and a section of a maker-original control signal.

18. The signal reception apparatus as defined in any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control signal includes information for discriminating a sequence of cinema.

19. The signal reception apparatus as defined in any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control signal includes information indicating compressibility of video.

20. The signal reception apparatus as defined in any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control signal includes frame information of video.

21. The signal reception apparatus as defined in any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control signal includes information for discriminating whether video is on a data broadcasting screen or on a usual motion picture screen.

22. The signal reception apparatus as defined in any of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control signal includes information indicating the position of block noise of video.

14. A signal reception apparatus for receiving RGB video signals as serial data, wherein a control signal for controlling a monitor or the like which is to be connected, that is multiplexed into a blanking section of a video signal in either one or all of the signal lines RED, GREEN, and BLUE, is extracted.

15. The signal reception apparatus as defined in claim 14 comprising:

a control signal demultiplexing means for extracting a multiplexed audio-control signal from a first control signal, and demultiplexing the multiplexed audio-control signal into a time-base-compressed audio signal and a control signal;

a composition unit for composing time-base-compressed audio signals extracted from a second and third control signals, and the time-base-compressed audio signal demultiplexed by the control signal demultiplexing means; and

a time-base decompression unit for performing time-base decompression on the composite time-base-compressed audio signal to reconstruct an original audio signal.