A/V system and method supporting a pull data flow scheme

• US 20040075767A1
• Filed: 11/20/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Neuman, Darren, Schoner, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/506
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for supporting a pull data flow scheme in an A/V decoder. One method relates to processing data using an A/V decoder comprising receiving the data from a data stream and recovering a system time reference from the received data. The received data is processed using a clock asynchronous to the system time reference and pulled into an output device using a system adapted to support a pull data flow. The processed data is output using a time reference locked to the system time reference.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a data stream in an A/V decoder having at least one module comprising:

receiving the data date having predefined timing information;

requesting the data stream from a module in the A/V decoder; and

controlling a data rate of receipt of said data stream independently of the predefined timing information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said data rate is controlled using an output of the A/V decoder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one module in the decoder requests data from a previous module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said data is video data transferred using a video bus protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying the data at the rate the data is requested.

6. A method of processing data in an A/V decoder comprising:

recovering timing information from an input stream containing the data;

requesting the data from a module in the A/V decoder;

controlling a data rate of said data request using an output stream of the A/V decoder; and

controlling a rate of said output stream using said recovered timing information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said timing information is recovered using a clock asynchronous thereto.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one module in the A/V decoder requests data from a previous module.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said module uses a clock that is asynchronous to said system timing information.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising processing the data in said module.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said module processes the data using a clock asynchronous to said system timing information.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the data is video data transferred using a video bus protocol.

13. A method of processing data using an A/V decoder comprising:

receiving the data from a data stream;

recovering a system time reference from said received data,

processing said received data using a clock asynchronous to said system time reference;

pulling said processed data into an output device; and

outputting said processed data using a time reference locked to said system time reference.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising supplying the data as requested.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein processing the data comprises at least decoding the data.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said system time reference is recovered using a system time reference recovery device.

17. An A/V decoder adapted to process data comprising:

a recovery module adapted to recover a time reference using a clock asynchronous to said time reference;

a conversion module adapted to convert the data from a push format to a pull format using said time reference.

18. The decoder of claim 17, wherein said conversion device is clocked by said asynchronous clock.

19. The decoder of claim 17, further comprising a process module adapted to process the data.

20. The decoder of claim 19, where said process module is further adapted to process the data using a clock asynchronous to said time reference.

21. The decoder of claim 19, where said process module is adapted to at least decode the data.

22. A decoder adapted to process data in a data stream, comprising:

a recovery device adapted to recover one of a clock or clock reference from a the data using a clock asynchronous to said clock or clock reference;

a transfer system adapted to support a pulled data flow scheme; and

an output device adapted to pull said processed data and output it at a data rate that is locked to said recovered clock or clock reference.