Multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system

• US 20040187157A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventec Multimedia & Telecom Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inventec Multimedia & Telecom Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Inventors: Weng, Shih-Hsiung, Chong, Yen-Hwong
• Application Number:
  US10/391,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20040187157A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00175 from a still image storage medium H04N1/00172, H04N1/0018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00286 with studio circuitry, devices or equipment, e.g. television cameras television studio circuitry, devices or equipment per se H04N5/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00297 with a television signal recorder, e.g. for recording facsimile images on a VCR motion video recording combined with still video recording in a still video camera H04N1/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0044 Connecting to a plurality of different apparatus; Using a plurality of different connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 : By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0051 : Card-type connector, e.g. PCMCIA card interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 : By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 : Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

A multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system is proposed, which is characterized by the integration of an assortment of media processing functions, including a digital photo browsing function, an audio playback function, a video playback function, a video/audio recording function, an earth location identifying function, and a TV display function, all in one single device unit, so that the user can enjoy these media processing functions all from one single device unit without having to purchase a number of devices. Moreover, the proposed multimedia viewer system also provides an assortment of interfaces, including a wireless interface, an AV I/O interface, a USB interface, and an external storage interface, which allow the user to further expand the media processing functionality.

Claims

1. A multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system, which comprises:

a digital photo browsing module, which is capable of providing a digital photo browsing function;

a video playback module, which is capable of providing a video playback function;

an audio playback module, which is capable of providing an audio playback function;

a video/audio recording module, which is capable of providing a video/audio recording function;

a navigation module, which is capable of providing a navigation function;

a TV reception module, which is capable of providing a TV reproduction function;

a main control unit, which is used to control the operations of the digital photo browsing module, the video playback module, the audio playback module, the video/audio recording module, the navigation module, and the TV reception module in response to user-input commands;

an internal storage module, which is used to store digital photos, video files, and audio files for processing by the digital photo browsing module, the video playback module, the audio playback module, and store video/audio streams recorded by the video/audio recording module;

a display module, which is capable of displaying digital photos, video, images, and graphics from the digital photo browsing module, the video playback module, the navigation module, or the TV reception module;

an audio output module, which is capable of reproducing the digital audio data from the video playback module, the audio playback module, or the TV reception module into natural sound;

a wireless interface, which is internally coupled to the navigation module and the TV reception module, for establishing a wireless link between the navigation module and a global positioning system or establishing a wireless link between the TV reception module and a TV broadcast station;

an AV I/O interface, which is capable of being externally coupled to an external video/audio producing unit or an external display unit, to allow video/audio data transfer between the externally connected unit and the video/audio recording module or the video playback module;

a data interface, which is under control by the main control unit for external connection to one or more external media processing units to expand the media processing functionality of the multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system; and

a data conversion module which is internally coupled to the data interface module to convert the data to a telecommunication compliance format before sending, the data to an external telecommunication device via the data interface module, and de-convert the received data which is received via data interface module from an external telecommunication device to a source format.

2. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, further comprising:

an external storage interface, which is under control by the main control unit, for connection to an external storage device.

3. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote control interface, which is internally coupled to the main control unit and externally linkable to a remote control unit, for remotely controlling the operations of the multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system.

4. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, wherein the video playback module is MPEG-compliant video playback module.

5. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, wherein the audio playback module is an MP3-compliant audio playback module.

6. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, wherein the display module is a color TFT LCD module.

7. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, wherein the AV input/output interface is PAL/NTSC compliant.

8. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, wherein the data interface is a USB-compliant data interface.

9. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, wherein the external storage interface includes a 4-in-1 flash memory adapter.

10. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, wherein the remote control interface is an JR-based remote control interface.

11. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 1, wherein the telecommunication compliance format is XML format for WAP mobile phone.

12. A multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system, which comprises:

a digital photo browsing module, which is capable of providing a digital photo browsing function;

an MPEG video playback module, which is capable of providing a video playback function;

an MP3 audio playback module, which is capable of providing an audio playback function;

a video/audio recording module, which is capable of providing a video/audio recording function;

a navigation module, which is capable of providing a navigation function;

a TV reception module, which is capable of providing a TV reproduction function;

a data conversion module, which is internally coupled to the data interface module to convert the data to a telecommunication compliance format before sending the data to an external telecommunication device via the data interface module, and de-convert the received data which is received via data interface module from an external telecommunication device to a source format;

a main control unit, which is used to control the operations of the digital photo browsing module, the video playback module, the audio playback module, the video/audio recording module, the navigation module, and the TV reception module in response to user-input commands;

an internal storage module, which is used to store digital photos, video files, and audio files for processing by the digital photo browsing module, the video playback mod-module, the audio playback module, and store video/audio streams recorded by the video/audio recording module;

a display module, which is capable of displaying digital photos, video, images, and graphics from the digital photo browsing module, the video playback module, the navigation module, or the TV reception module;

an audio output module, which is capable of reproducing the digital audio data from the video playback module, the audio playback module, or the TV reception module into natural sound;

a wireless interface, which is internally coupled to the navigation module and the TV reception module, for establishing a wireless link between the navigation module and a global positioning system or establishing a wireless link between the TV reception module and a TV broadcast station;

an AV I/O interface, which is capable of being externally coupled to an external video/audio producing unit or an external display unit, to allow video/audio data transfer between the externally connected unit and the video/audio recording module or the video playback module;

a USB-based data interface, which is under control by the main control unit for external connection to one or more external media processing units to expand the media processing functionality of the multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system;

an external storage interface, which is under control by the main control unit, for connection to an external storage device; and

a remote control interface, which is internally coupled to the main control unit and externally linkable to a remote control unit, for remotely controlling the operations of the multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system.

13. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 12, wherein the display module is a color TFT LCD module.

14. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 12, wherein the AV input/output interface is PAL/NTSC compliant.

15. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 12, wherein the external storage interface includes a 4-in-1 flash memory adapter.

16. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 12, wherein the remote control interface is an IR-based remote control interface.

17. The multifunctional integrated multimedia viewer system of claim 12, wherein the telecommunication compliance format is XML format for WAP mobile phone.