Video processing system with simultaneous multiple outputs each with unique formats

• US 20060031889A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Application Number:
  US11/247,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031889A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/12 Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• 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 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/43615 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 : by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 : by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• 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 21/44231 : Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 : involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 : Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A video processing system receives a plurality of video inputs and specifically tailors them to meet the audio/video format requirements of a plurality of recipient video devices. The video processing system may be incorporated into a set top box, personal video recorder, video player, television, or video equipment. The video processing system in the set top box allows multiple users to receive video programs or television broadcasts meeting the audio/video format requirements of the recipient devices of the users. The video processing system allows user to define the audio/video formats of the recipient devices. Alternatively, the video processing system queries the recipient devices and obtains the audio/video format requirements of the video devices. The video processing system delivers multiple audio/video outputs, reformatted from a plurality of audio/video sources on the basis of user input, wirelessly in the operational region or by a wired means to a number of video devices. The processing itself involves transcoding the analog or digital input signals to produce analog and digital output video formats as needed.

Claims

1. A video processing system operable to receive an input video signal having input video characteristics and to produce a plurality of output video signals, the video processing system comprising:

video input circuitry operable to receive the input video signal;

interface control circuitry operable to receive video format information regarding a plurality of video devices that communicatively couple to the video processing system;

video transcoder circuitry operable to transcode the input video signal based upon the video format information to produce the plurality of output video signals, each output video signal having a respective video format and corresponding to at least one respective video device of the plurality of video devices; and

video output circuitry operable to communicatively output the plurality of output video signals to the plurality of video devices.

2. The video processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

audio input circuitry operable to receive an input audio signal corresponding to the input video signal;

audio transcoder circuitry operable to transcode the input audio signal based upon audio format information regarding the plurality of video devices to produce a plurality of output audio signals, each output audio signal having a respective audio format and corresponding to at least one respective video device of the plurality of video devices; and

audio output circuitry operable to communicatively output the plurality of output audio signals to the plurality of video devices.

3. The video processing system of claim 1, wherein the video output circuitry comprises at least one of a digital wired interface, an analog wired interface, a digital wireless interface, and an analog wireless interface.

4. The video processing system of claim 1, the video output circuitry further operable to deliver the input video signal having the input video characteristics to an additional video device.

5. The video processing system of claim 4, wherein the additional video device is a video storage device.

6. The video processing system of claim 1, the video format information including screen resolution information and screen refresh rate information.

7. The video processing system of claim 1, the interface control circuitry further operable to query all video devices within an operational range to elicit the video format information regarding the video devices.

8. The video processing system of claim 1, the video transcoder circuitry operable to decimate the input video signal to produce one of the output video signals, the output video signal having lesser resolution than the input video signal.

9. The video processing system of claim 1, the video transcoder circuitry operable to interpolate the input video signal to produce one of the output video signals, the output video signal having greater resolution than the input video signal.

10. The video processing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the output video signals complies with the QVGA (Quadrature Video Graphics Array) operating standard.

11. The video processing system of claim 1, wherein the input video characteristics comply with a three dimensional television standard.

12. The video processing system of claim 1, wherein the input video characteristics comply with at least one version of the High Definition TeleVision operating standards.

13. The video processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the input video signal comprises a digital video signal; and

at least one of the output video signals comprises a digital video signal.

14. The video processing system of claim 1, wherein:

the input video signal comprises a digital video signal; and

at least one of the output video signals comprises an analog video signal.

15. The video processing system of claim 1, wherein the video transcoder circuitry is contained within at least two distinct video devices, including at least a video source device, and a video processing device.

16. The video processing system of claim 1, wherein the output video signal includes a plurality of channels of programming.

20. The set top box of claim 15, further comprising a storage interface operable to cause storage of the input video signal.

21. The set top box of claim 15, the video format information including screen resolution information and screen refresh rate information.

17. A set top box that is operable to transcode video signals to produce a plurality of output video signals based upon an input video signal, the set top box comprising:

video input circuitry operable to receive a source signal;

a video tuner operable to process the source signal to produce an input video signal having an input video format;

interface control circuitry operable to receive video format information regarding a plurality of video devices that communicatively couple to the video processing system;

video transcoder circuitry operable to transcode the input video signal based upon the video format information to produce the plurality of output video signals, each output video signal having a respective video format and corresponding to at least one respective video device of the plurality of video devices; and

video output circuitry operable to communicatively output the plurality of output video signals to the plurality of video devices.

18. The set top box of claim 17, further comprising:

an audio tuner operable to receive an input audio signal corresponding to the input video signal;

audio transcoder circuitry operable to transcode the input audio signal based upon audio format information regarding the plurality of video devices to produce a plurality of output audio signals, each output audio signal having a respective audio format and corresponding to at least one respective video device of the plurality of video devices; and

audio output circuitry operable to communicatively output the plurality of output audio signals to the plurality of video devices.

19. The set top box of claim 17, wherein the video output circuitry comprises at least one of a digital wired interface, an analog wired interface, a digital wireless interface, and an analog wireless interface.

22. The set top box of claim 17, wherein:

the input video signal comprises a digital video signal; and

at least one of the output video signals comprises a digital video signal.

23. The set top box of claim 17, wherein:

the input video signal comprises a digital video signal; and

at least one of the output video signals comprises an analog video signal.

24. A method for processing audio/video information comprising:

receiving an audio/video signal;

segregating the audio/video signal into a audio signal and a video signal;

transcoding the video signal to produce a transcoded video signal output;

transcoding the audio signal to produce a transcoded audio signal; and

communicating the transcoded audio/video signals to a recipient display system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

transcoding the video signal to produce a transcoded video signal includes translating the video signal to a user defined screen resolution, user defined refresh and frame rate; and

transcoding the audio signal to produce a transcoded audio signal output includes translating the audio signal to one of user defined mono, stereo or surround sound signals.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein communicating of the transcoded audio/video signals to a recipient display system comprises transmitting the transcoded audio/video signals to a receiving system wirelessly.