Method and apparatus for transmitting digital video signals in a digital visual interface format over an RF cable

• US 20040181806A1
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Focus Enhancements Incorporated (VITEC Multimedia SA)
• Original Assignee: Visual Circuits Corp. (VITEC Multimedia SA)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Daniel E.
• Application Number:
  US10/386,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181806A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/73
• 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: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/40 Modulation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/70 Circuit details for electroluminescent devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is a system for transmitting and receiving video signals in a digital visual interface (DVI) format over and an RF cable. The transmission and reception includes optionally scaling the video signals to plasma native resolution. Also, the transmission of the signals may be performed by varying rates of lossless or visually lossless compression and digitally modulated the signal to be transmitted over an RF cable.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting digital video signals in a digital visual interface format, comprising:

processing at least one digital video signal in a digital visual interface standard interface to generate at least one video signal in a digital visual interface format; and

digitally modulating the at least one video signal in the digital visual interface format for transmission over an RF cable.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising scaling the at least one video signal in the digital visual interface format to plasma native resolution prior to digitally modulating the at least one digital video signal.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising combining a signal with the scaled video signal in the digital visual interface format prior to being digitally modulated.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the combining the signal with the scaled video signal further comprises combining a control signal with the scaled video signal in the digital visual interface format prior to being digitally modulated.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising compressing the scaled video signal in the digital visual interface format prior to being digitally modulated.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the compressing comprises using visually lossless compression.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing further comprises performing a digital visual interface serial-to-parallel conversion.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting multiple digitally modulated signal in the digital visual interface format via the RF cable.

9. A method of transmitting digital video signals over long distances using an RF cable, comprising:

digitally processing at least one video signal to generate at least one digital video signal at a plasma screen native resolution; and

digitally modulating the at least one digital video signal at the plasma screen native resolution for transmission over an RF cable.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the processing the at least one video signal further comprises converting the at least one video signal to a parallel format.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the processing the at least one video signal further comprises processing digitized analog video signals.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the processing the at least one video signal further comprises processing digital component video signals.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the processing the at least one video signal further comprises processing digital visual interface (DVI) signals.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising compressing the at least one digital video signal at the plasma screen native resolution prior to being digitally modulated.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the compressing comprises using visually lossless compression.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising combining a signal with the at least one digital video signal at the plasma screen native resolution prior to being digitally modulated.

17. The method of claim 9 further comprising combining a control signal with the at least one digital video signal at the plasma screen native resolution prior to being digitally modulated.

18. The method of claim 9 further comprising transmitting multiple digitally modulated signal in the digital visual interface format on an RF cable.

19. A method of displaying digital video signals, comprising:

receiving, at a receiving device, at least one digitally modulated video signal in a digital visual interface format transmitted over the RF cable;

processing the at least one digitally modulated video signal to generate at least one video signal; and

displaying the at least one video signal on a display.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the processing the at least one digitally modulated video signal further comprises generating at least one video signal in a parallel format.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the processing the at least one digitally modulated video signal further comprises generating at least one digitized analog video signal.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the processing the at least one digital modulated video signal comprises generating at least one digital component video signal.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprising decompressing the at least one digital modulated video signal.

24. A method of processing digital video signals, comprising:

processing, at a transmitting device, at least one digital video signal in a DVI standard interface to generate at least one video signal in the DVI standard format;

digitally modulating, at the transmitting device, the at least one video signal in the DVI standard format for transmission over an RF cable; and

receiving, at a receiving device, the at least one digitally modulated video signal in the DVI standard format transmitted over the RF cable.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the processing the at least one digital video signal further comprises converting the at least one digital video signal to a parallel format.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the processing further comprises processing digitized analog video signals.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the processing further comprises processing digital component video signals.

28. The method of claim 24 further comprising compressing the at least one digital signal at a plasma screen native resolution prior to being digitally modulated.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the compressing comprising using visually lossless compression.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising combining a signal with the at least one digital video signal at the plasma screen native resolution prior to being digitally modulated.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein combining the signal further comprises combining a control signal with the at least one digital video signal at the plasma screen native resolution prior to being digitally modulated.

32. The method of claim 24 wherein the receiving the at least one digitally modulated video signal further comprises generating at least one digitized analog video signal.

33. The method of claim 24 wherein the receiving the at least one digital modulated video signal comprises generating at least one digital component video signal.

34. A system for transmitting digital video signals in a digital visual interface format, comprising:

a processor for processing at least one digital video signal in a DVI standard interface to generate at least one video signal in the DVI standard format; and

a modulator for digitally modulating the at least one video signal in the DVI standard format for transmission over an RF cable.

35. The system of claim 34 further comprising a compression device for scaling the at least one video signal in the DVI standard format prior to being digitally modulated.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the compression device comprises a visually lossless compression device.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein the processor further comprises a converter for performing digital visual interface serial-to-parallel conversion.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the modulator combines control signals with the at least one digitally modulated video signal.

39. A system for transmitting digital video signals in a digital visual interface format, comprising:

a memory for storing at least one video signal; and

a digital signal processor for processing the at least one video signal to generate at least one digital modulated video signal in the DVI standard format for transmission over an RF cable.

40. The system of claim 39 further comprising a compression device for scaling the at least one video signal in the DVI standard format prior to being digitally modulated.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the compression device comprises a visually lossless compression device.

42. The system of claim 39 wherein the digital signal processor further comprises a converter for performing digital visual interface serial-to-parallel conversion.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the digital signal processor combines control signals with the at least one digitally modulated video signal.

44. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for transmitting digital video signals in a digital visual interface format, comprising:

processing at least one digital video signal in a DVI standard interface to generate at least one video signal in a DVI standard format; and

digitally modulating the at least one video signal in the DVI standard format for transmission over an RF cable.