Digital cable TV receiver, diagnosis method for the same, and data structure of HDMI status report

• US 20060031895A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwon, Kwang Hun, Cha, Sang Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• 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: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• 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 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• 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

Abstract

A digital cable TV receiver includes a POD module and a host device. The host device includes a controller and a HDMI port linked to a first peripheral device. When the controller receives a diagnostic request for HDMI status from the POD module, it generates a HDMI status report and transmits the DVI status report to the POD module. The HDMI status report includes HDMI status information associated with the first peripheral device. If the host device further includes a DVI port linked to a second peripheral device and receives a diagnostic request for HDMI/DVI status from the PDO module, it generates a HDMI/DVI status report and transmits the HDMI/DVI status report to the POD module. The HDMI/DVI status report includes HDMI status information associated with the first peripheral device and DVI status information associated with the second peripheral device.

Claims

1. A digital cable TV receiver, comprising:

a POD module; and

a host device comprising a controller and a HDMI port linked to a peripheral device, wherein the controller generates a HDMI status report and transmits the HDMI status report to the POD module when a diagnostic request for HDMI status is received from the POD module, the HDMI status report comprising HDMI status information associated with the peripheral device.

2. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 1, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a connection type field identifying the HDMI port as any one of an input port, an output port, and an input/output port.

3. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 1, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a host HDCP status field indicating whether HDCP is enabled on the HDMI port and a device HDCP status field indicating a HDCP status of the peripheral device connected to the HDMI port.

4. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 1, wherein the HDMI status information comprises video format information indicating a current video format utilized on the HDMI port.

5. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 4, wherein the video format information comprises at least one of a number of horizontal lines, a number of vertical lines, a scan rate, an aspect ratio, and a scanning type associated with the current video format.

6. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 1, wherein the HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port.

7. A digital cable TV receiver, comprising:

a POD module; and

a host device comprising a controller and a plurality of HDMI ports linked to a plurality of peripheral devices, respectively, wherein the controller generates a HDMI status report and transmits the HDMI status report to the POD module when a diagnostic for HDMI status is received from the POD module, the HDMI status report comprising a plurality of HDMI status information associated with the plurality of peripheral devices, respectively.

8. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 7, wherein the HDMI status report further comprises a connection count field indicating a total number of the plurality of HDMI ports linked to the plurality of peripheral devices.

9. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 7, wherein each HDMI status information comprises a connection number field indicating an index number of a HDMI port linked to a peripheral device.

10. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 7, wherein each HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on a corresponding HDMI port.

11. A diagnostic method for a digital cable TV receiver, the method comprising:

receiving a diagnostic request for HDMI status from a POD module; and

performing a diagnostic function in response to the diagnostic request by generating a HDMI status report and transmitting the HDMI status report to the POD module, the HDMI status report comprising HDMI status information associated with a peripheral device which is linked to a HDMI port.

12. The diagnostic method of claim 11, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a connection type field identifying the HDMI port as any one of an input port, an output port, and an input/output port.

13. The diagnostic method of claim 11, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a host HDCP status field indicating whether HDCP is enabled on the HDMI port and a device HDCP status field indicating a HDCP status of the peripheral device connected to the HDMI port.

14. The diagnostic method of claim 11, wherein the HDMI status information comprises video format information indicating a current video format utilized on the HDMI port.

15. The diagnostic method of claim 14, wherein the video format information comprises at least one of a number of horizontal lines, a number of vertical lines, a scan rate, an aspect ratio, and a scanning type associated with the current video format.

16. The diagnostic method of claim 11, wherein the HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port.

17. A diagnostic method for a digital cable TV receiver, the method comprising:

receiving a diagnostic request for HDMI status from a POD module; and

performing a diagnostic function in response to the diagnostic request by generating a HDMI status report and transmitting the HDMI status report to the POD module, the HDMI status report comprising a plurality of HDMI status information associated with a plurality of peripheral devices which are linked to a plurality of HDMI ports, respectively.

18. The diagnostic method of claim 17, wherein the HDMI status report further comprises a connection count field indicating a total number of the plurality of HDMI ports linked to the plurality of peripheral devices.

19. The diagnostic method of claim 17, wherein each HDMI status information comprises a connection number field indicating an index number of a HDMI port linked to a peripheral device.

20. The diagnostic method of claim 17, wherein each HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on a corresponding HDMI port.

21. A data structure of a HDMI status report for use in a digital cable TV receiver, the data structure comprising:

a connection status field indicating whether a connection exists on a HDMI port; and

HDMI status information associated with a peripheral device linked to the HDMI port.

22. The data structure of claim 21, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a connection type field identifying the HDMI port as any one of an input port, an output port, and an input/output port.

23. The data structure of claim 21, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a host HDCP status field indicating whether HDCP is enabled on the HDMI port and a device HDCP status field indicating a HDCP status of the peripheral device connected to the HDMI port.

24. The data structure of claim 21, wherein the HDMI status information comprises video format information indicating a current video format utilized on the HDMI port.

25. The data structure of claim 24, wherein the video format information comprises at least one of a number of horizontal lines, a number of vertical lines, a scan rate, an aspect ratio, and a scanning type associated with the current video format.

26. The data structure of claim 21, wherein the HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port.

27. A data structure of a HDMI status report for use in a digital cable TV receiver, the data structure comprising:

a connection count field indicating a total number of a plurality of HDMI ports linked to a plurality of peripheral devices, respectively; and

a plurality of HDMI status information associated with the plurality of peripheral devices, respectively.

28. The data structure of claim 27, further comprising a connection status field indicating whether a connection exists on any one of the plurality of HDMI ports.

29. The data structure of claim 27, wherein each HDMI status information comprises a connection number field indicating an index number of a HDMI port linked to a peripheral device.

30. The data structure of claim 27, wherein each HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on a corresponding HDMI port.

31. A digital cable TV receiver, comprising:

a POD module; and

a host device comprising a controller, a HDMI port linked to a first peripheral device, and a DVI port linked to a second peripheral device, the controller generating a HDMI/DVI status report and transmits the HDMI/DVI status report to the POD module when a diagnostic request for HDMI/DVI status is received from the POD module, the HDMI/DVI status report comprising HDMI status information associated with the first peripheral device and DVI status information associated with the second peripheral device.

32. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 31, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a connection mode field indicating that a HDMI connection exists on the HDMI port.

33. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 31, wherein the DVI status information comprises a connection mode field indicating that a DVI connection exists on the DVI port.

34. The digital cable TV receiver of claim 31, wherein the HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port.

35. A diagnostic method for a digital cable TV receiver, the method comprising:

receiving a diagnostic request for HDMI/DVI status from a POD module; and

performing a diagnostic function in response to the diagnostic request by generating a HDMI/DVI status report and transmitting the HDMI/DVI status report to the POD module, the HDMI/DVI status report comprising HDMI status information associated with a first peripheral device which is linked to a HDMI port and DVI status information associated with a second peripheral device which is linked to a DVI port.

36. The diagnostic method of claim 35, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a connection mode field indicating that a HDMI connection exists on the HDMI port.

37. The diagnostic method of claim 35, wherein the DVI status information comprises a connection mode field indicating that a DVI connection exists on the DVI port.

38. The diagnostic method of claim 35, wherein the HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port.

39. A data structure of a HDMI/DVI status report for use in a digital cable TV receiver, the data structure comprising:

a connection status field indicating whether a connection exists on any one of a HDMI port and a DVI port;

HDMI status information associated with a first peripheral device linked to the HDMI port; and

DVI status information associated with a second peripheral device linked to the DVI port.

40. The data structure of claim 39, wherein the HDMI status information comprises a connection mode field indicating that a HDMI connection exits on the HDMI port.

41. The data structure of claim 39, wherein the DVI status information comprises a connection mode field indicating that a DVI connection exists on the DVI port.

42. The data structure of claim 39, wherein the HDMI status information comprises at least one of AVI information indicating a current Auxiliary Video Information InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, audio information indicating a current Audio InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, SPD information indicating a current Source Product Description InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port, and MPEG information indicating a current MPEG source InfoFrame utilized on the HDMI port.