System, method and apparatus for wireless delivery of analog media from a media source to a media sink

• US 20060212911A1
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Radiospire Networks
• Original Assignee: Radiospire Networks
• Inventors: Fastert, Steven S., Rao, Tandhoni S., MacMullan, Samuel J.
• Application Number:
  US11/119,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0054 Maximum-likelihood or sequential decoding, e.g. Viterbi, Fano, ZJ algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for the wireless delivery of analog media from a media sink to a media source. The system, method and apparatus receives analog video and/or analog audio from the media source in respective native formats. The system, method and apparatus converts the received analog video and/or analog audio from respective native formats to a transmission format. The received analog video and/or analog audio is further processed for transmission over a wireless channel. The system, method and apparatus receives and processes the transmitted signal to produce recovered analog video and/or analog audio information. The recovered analog video and/or analog audio information is converted from the transmission format back to the respective native formats for delivery to the media sink. The system, method and apparatus provides a high data rate, low power wireless signal to the media sink at a low bit error rate.

Claims

1. A system for wireless delivery of analog media, comprising:

a wireless transmitter media adapter to receive analog media in a native format from a media source, wherein the wireless transmitter media adapter converts the analog media from the native format to a transmission format for transmission over a wideband wireless channel; and

a wireless receiver media adapter to receive transmitted analog media, wherein the wireless receiver media adapter converts the transmitted analog media from the transmission format to the native format for delivery to a media sink.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless transmitter media adapter comprises a transmitter media adapter interface, wherein the transmitter media adapter interface receives the analog media in the native format from the media source over a first wired link and converts the analog media from the native format to the transmission format; and

the wireless receiver media adapter comprises a receiver media adapter interface, wherein the receiver media adapter interface converts the transmitted analog media from the transmission format to the native format for delivery to the media sink over a second wired link.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the wireless transmitter media adapter further comprises a wireless transmitter to transmit the analog media in the transmission format over the wideband wireless channel; and

the wireless receiver media adapter further comprises a wireless receiver to receive the transmitted analog media in the transmission format.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the wireless transmitter further comprises an encoder, wherein the encoder encodes the analog media in the transmission format according to a Forward Error Correction (FEC) code prior to transmission; and

the wireless receiver further comprises a decoder, wherein the decoder decodes the transmitted analog media according to the FEC code.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the FEC code is a Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the wireless transmitter media adapter further comprises a first transceiver; and

the wireless receiver media adapter further comprises a second transceiver;

wherein the first and second transceivers exchange Media Access Control (MAC) information over a narrowband wireless channel.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the narrowband wireless channel occupies a first frequency bandwidth different from a second frequency bandwidth occupied by the wideband wireless channel.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the analog media comprises an analog video signal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a native format of the analog video signal is one of:

(a) a Super-Video (S-Video) format;

(b) a Color, Video, Blanking and Sync (Composite Video-CVBS) format;

(c) a YUV format;

or (d) a Red-Green-Blue (RGB) format.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the analog media comprises an analog audio signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a native format of the analog audio signal is one of:

(a) an RCA line-level format;

or

(b) an XLR line-level format.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission format is a High Definition Media Interface (HDMI) format.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a media adapter interface to receive analog media in a native format from a media source and convert the analog media from the native format to a transmission format; and

a wireless transmitter to encode the analog media in the transmission format according to an FEC code for transmission over a wireless channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the media adapter interface comprises:

a video analog-to-digital converter and formatter (ADCF) to sample an analog video signal from the media source to produce a digitized analog video signal;

an audio ADCF to sample an analog audio signal from the media source to produce a digitized analog audio signal;

a multiplexer to receive the digitized analog video signal and the digitized analog audio signal to produce a composite signal; and

a period generator to format the composite signal according to the transmission format.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a native format of the analog video signal is one of:

(a) an S-Video format;

(b) a CVBS format;

(c) a YUV format;

or

(d) an RGB format.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the video ADCF comprises:

a converter to convert the analog video signal of the S-Video format to a first digital video signal of an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 656 format; and

a demultiplexer to demultiplex the first digital signal to produce the digitized analog video signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a native format of the analog audio signal is one of:

(a) an RCA line-level format;

or

(b) an XLR line-level format.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the audio ADCF comprises a converter that decodes the analog audio signal from the RCA line-level format and outputs the digitized analog audio signal over an Inter-Integrated Circuit Sound (I2S) interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the wireless transmitter comprises:

a period processor to place training data into the composite signal formatted according to the transmission format to generate a processed composite signal;

an encoder to encode the processed composite signal according to the FEC code to generate an encoded composite signal;

an OFDM modulator to modulate the encoded composite signal to generate an output signal having an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature-phase (Q) component; and

an I/Q modulator to up-convert the I and Q components to the wireless channel.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the FEC code is an LDPC code.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the LDPC code has a code rate (R) of 0.8 and a length (K) of 4096.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the period processor places the training data into blanking intervals of the composite signal formatted according to the transmission format.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wireless channel is a 0.3 GHz wide wireless channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the 0.3 GHz wide wireless channel occupies a range of frequencies selected from the set of frequencies reserved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) operation.

25. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transmission format is an HDMI format.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless receiver to receive a radio-frequency (RF) input signal formatted according to a transmission format, wherein the wireless receiver demodulates and decodes the RF input signal to produce a composite signal formatted according to the transmission format; and

a media adapter interface to convert the composite signal from the transmission format to a native format for delivery to a media sink.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the wireless receiver comprises:

an I/Q demodulator to down-convert the RF input signal to produce a baseband signal;

an OFDM demodulator to demodulate the baseband signal to produce a demodulated baseband signal;

a decoder to decode the demodulated baseband signal according to an FEC code to produce a decoded composite signal;

a period processor to remove training data within the decoded composite signal to produce the composite signal formatted according to the transmission format.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the FEC code is an LDPC code.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the media adapter interface comprises:

a period generator to convert the composite signal from the transmission format to a multiplexed composite signal;

a demultiplexer to demultiplex the multiplexed composite signal into a digitized analog audio signal and a digitized analog video signal;

a video digital-to-analog converter and formatter (DACF) to provide an analog video signal formatted according to a native video format to the media sink; and

an audio DACF to provide an analog audio signal formatted according to a native audio format to the media sink.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the native video format of the analog video signal is one of:

(a) an S-Video format;

(b) a CVBS format;

(c) a YUV format;

or

(d) an RGB format.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the video DACF comprises:

a multiplexer to multiplex the digitized analog video signal to produce a first digital video signal of an ITU-656 format; and

a converter to convert the first digital video signal to the analog video signal formatted according to the S-Video format.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the native audio format of the analog audio signal is one of:

(a) an RCA line-level format;

or

(b) an XLR line-level format.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the audio DACF comprises an audio encoder and an I2S interface to convert the digitized analog audio signal to the analog audio signal formatted according to the RCA line-level format.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the transmission format is an HDMI format.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

a base unit configured to use a wireless link;

an analog audio cable, a first end of the analog audio cable having a plurality of audio connectors and a second end of the analog audio cable coupled to a composite cable interface;

an analog video cable, a first end of the analog video cable having a plurality of video connectors and a second end of the analog video cable coupled to the composite cable interface;

a composite cable connected between the composite cable interface and the base unit, wherein the composite cable is structured to accommodate the analog video cable and the analog audio cable; and

a power cable connected to the base unit.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein:

the analog video cable and the plurality of video connectors are structured according to an analog video format; and

the analog audio cable and the plurality of audio connectors are structured according to an analog audio format.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the base unit includes a transmitter configured to transmit over the wireless link a wireless composite signal having an audio component received from the analog audio cable and a video component received from the analog video cable.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the base unit includes a receiver configured to receive a wireless composite signal having an audio component for transmission by the analog audio cable and a video component for transmission by the analog video cable.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the analog video format is one of:

(a) an S-Video format;

(b) a CVBS format;

(c) a YUV format;

or

(d) an RGB format.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the plurality of analog video connectors comprise a single S-Video connector.

41. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the analog audio format is one of:

(a) an RCA line-level format;

or

(b) an XLR line-level format.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the plurality of audio connectors comprise two RCA connectors.

43. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the base unit further comprises a Light Emitting Diode (LED) to indicate the status of a wireless link between the base unit and a remote base unit.

44. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the power cable is connected to a first side of the base unit that is opposite a second side of the base unit connected to the composite cable.

45. A method for transferring an analog media signal from a media source to a media sink, comprising:

(a) receiving an analog media signal in a native format from a media source;

(b) converting the analog media signal from the native format to a transmission format;

(c) transmitting the analog media signal in the transmission format over a wireless channel;

(d) receiving the transmitted analog media signal in the transmission format;

(e) converting the transmitted media signal from the transmission format to the native format to produce a recovered analog media signal; and

(f) providing the recovered analog media signal to a media sink.