Multimedia service system for portable devices using hardware transcoder

• US 20050265395A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Original Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Kim, Jae Ho, Won, Kwang-Ho, Lee, Sang Shin, Hwang, Tae-Ho
• Application Number:
  US10/976,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20050265395A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/485
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for providing a multimedia service to a portable device. The multimedia service system of the present invention includes a multimedia source, a hardware transcoder, an interface unit, a storage unit and a portable device. The multimedia source provides multimedia contents including video and/or audio data. The hardware transcoder converts the multimedia contents into contents having a format suitable for a display device of the portable device. The interface unit transmits the contents converted by the transcoder. The storage unit stores therein the contents received through the interface unit. The portable device receives the contents from the storage unit and displays the contents. The transcoder changes at least one of video and/or audio formats, a bandwidth (data rate), a frame rate and a resolution of the contents provided from the multimedia source. Accordingly, the present invention can provide multimedia contents most suitable for a portable device having a relatively low display capability.

Claims

1. A multimedia service system for providing a multimedia service to at least one portable device, comprising:

a multimedia source providing multimedia contents including video and/or audio data;

a hardware transcoder converting the multimedia contents into contents having a format suitable for a display device of the portable device;

an interface unit transmitting the contents converted by the transcoder;

a storage unit storing therein the contents received through the interface unit; and

the portable device receiving the contents from the storage unit and displaying the contents.

3. The multimedia service system according to claim 1, wherein the portable terminal is a portable multimedia moving image display terminal for portable/vehicle use, including a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a notepad and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

4. The multimedia service system according to claim 1, further comprising a multimedia preprocessor executing predetermined preprocessing for the contents provided from the multimedia source before the transcoder converts the contents.

2. The multimedia service system according to claim 2, wherein the transcoder changes at least one of video and/or audio formats, a bandwidth (data rate), a frame rate and a resolution of the contents provided from the multimedia source.

5. A multimedia service system for providing a multimedia service to a portable device using a hardware transcoder interworking with a computer, comprising:

a multimedia source providing multimedia contents including video and/or audio data;

the hardware transcoder for the computer converting the multimedia contents into contents having a format suitable for a display device of the portable device;

an interface unit transmitting the contents converted by the transcoder; and

the portable device receiving the contents from the interface unit and displaying the contents.

6. A computer-readable recording medium for storing a control program to provide a multimedia service to a portable device using a hardware transcoder interworking with a computer, wherein:

the control program comprises;

a multimedia source selection code adapted to select a multimedia source,

a multimedia content selection code adapted to select at least one of a plurality of contents provided from the multimedia source,

a conversion code adapted to convert the contents, and

a display code adapted to display the contents converted by the conversion code.

7. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the conversion code changes at least one of video and/or audio formats, a bandwidth (data rate), a frame rate and a resolution of the contents provided from the multimedia source.

8. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 6, wherein the control program further comprises a code to perform a multimedia edit function and a portable device management function.

9. A multimedia service system for providing a multimedia service to a portable device using a hardware transcoder interworking with a set-top box, comprising:

a multimedia source providing multimedia contents including video and/or audio data;

the hardware transcoder for the set-top box converting the multimedia contents into contents having a format suitable for a display device of the portable device;

an interface unit transmitting the contents converted by the transcoder; and

the portable device receiving the contents from the interface unit and displaying the contents.

10. The multimedia service system according to claim 9, wherein the interface unit includes an Ethernet or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) card and other similar communication devices.

11. The multimedia service system according to claim 9, wherein the set-top box and the transcoder are connected to each other in a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) manner or other similar connection manners.

12. A multimedia service system for providing a device-optimized multimedia service using a hardware transcoder, comprising:

a multimedia source providing multimedia contents including video and/or audio data;

a hardware transcoder converting the contents into contents having formats suitable for display capabilities of portable and fixed devices in real time; and

an interface unit transmitting the contents converted by the transcoder so as to be suitable for the portable device in real time.

13. The multimedia service system according to claim 12, further comprising a multimedia service server transmitting the contents converted by the transcoder so as to be suitable for the fixed device.

14. The multimedia service system according to claim 12, wherein the interface unit includes an IEEE 802.xx and other mobile communication networks.

15. The multimedia service system according to claim 13, wherein the multimedia service server provides the converted multimedia contents to a multimedia service provider (MSP) through the Internet.