Capture node for use in an audiovisual signal routing and distribution system

• US 20060239294A1
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jupiter Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Jupiter Systems LLC
• Inventors: Wogsberg, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,547,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/44227 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 21/4621 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 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level

Abstract

An audiovisual signal is converted from a native format to a digital, packetized interchange format and transported between a capture node and a display node through a switch. The display node converts the audiovisual signal from the interchange format to a displayable format and causes display of the audiovisual signal. The use of a switch for video routing and distribution allows one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many distribution. The use of a device-independent interchange format allows concurrent distribution of multiple heterogeneous audiovisual signals.

Claims

1. A video capture node for use in a video signal distribution system, the node comprising:

capture logic for receiving a video signal in a native format;

signal format conversion logic, which is operatively coupled to the capture logic, for converting the video signal from the native format to an interchange format; and

signal transmission logic, which is operatively coupled to the signal format conversion logic, for sending the video signal in the interchange format to a remotely located display node such that the display node converts the video signal from the interchange format to a displayable format and displays the video signal.

2. The video capture node of claim 1 further comprising:

negotiation logic, which operatively coupled to the signal format conversion logic, for selecting the interchange format according to video processing capabilities of the display node.

3. The video capture node of claim 1 further comprising:

negotiation logic, which operatively coupled to the signal format conversion logic, for selecting the interchange format according to video processing capabilities of the display device.

4. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein receiving comprises:

receiving the video signal from an external video source.

5. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein the interchange format is a digital representation of the native format.

6. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein the interchange format includes digital packets capable of transport through a packet switch.

7. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein sending comprises sending the video signal in the interchange format through a packet switch.

8. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein sending comprises sending the video signal in the interchange format through two or more packet switches.

9. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein the native format is different from the displayable format.

10. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein converting comprises:

dropping one or more frames of the video signal so as to result in a frame rate of the video signal in the interchange format that is less than a frame rate of the video signal in the native format.

11. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein converting comprises:

downscaling frames of the video signal so as to result in a frame size of the video signal in the interchange format that is less than a frame size of the video signal in the native format.

12. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein converting comprises:

changing color space representation of pixels of the video signal.

13. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein converting comprises:

interlacing frames of the video signal.

14. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein converting comprises:

de-interlacing frames of the video signal.

15. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein the receiving by the capture logic, the converting by the signal conversion logic, and the sending by the signal transmission logic are performed concurrently with one another.

16. The video capture node of claim 15 wherein sending comprises sending the video signal in the interchange format to the display node such that the display node converts the video signal from the interchange format to a displayable format and displays the video signal in real time.

17. The video capture node of claim 1 further comprising:

negotiation logic, which operatively coupled to the signal format conversion logic, that (i) receives data describing one or more predetermined interchange formats implemented by the display node;

(ii) determines that one or more supported ones of the predetermined interchange formats are implemented locally; and

(iii) selects one of the supported predetermined interchange formats as the interchange format.

18. The video capture node of claim 17 wherein the supported predetermined interchange formats collectively represent a range of supported values of a characteristic of the video signal.

19. The video capture node of claim 17 wherein the negotiation logic selects one of the supported predetermined interchange formats as the interchange format by:

considering an amount of loss of fidelity of at least one of the predetermined supported interchange formats relative to the native format;

considering an amount of excess signal of at least one of the predetermined supported interchange formats relative to the displayable format; and

considering an amount of signal bandwidth to the remotely located display node.

20. The video capture node of claim 1 further comprising:

negotiation logic, which operatively coupled to the signal format conversion logic, for selecting the interchange format according to an amount of available bandwidth to the display node.

21. The video capture node of claim 20 wherein selecting comprises:

determining a requisite bandwidth for the video signal in the interchange format; and

comparing the requisite bandwidth to the amount of available bandwidth.

22. The video capture node of claim 21 wherein the negotiation logic also determines that the requisite bandwidth exceeds the amount of available bandwidth.

23. The video capture node of claim 22 wherein the negotiation logic also adapts the interchange format to reduce bandwidth required by the signal in the interchange format.

24. The video capture node of claim 23 wherein the negotiation logic adapts the interchange format by:

configuring the interchange format to include a frame rate that is less than a frame rate of the native format such that converting comprises dropping one or more frames of the video signal.

25. The video capture node of claim 23 wherein the negotiation logic adapts the interchange format by:

configuring the interchange format to include a color depth that is less than a color depth of the native format such that converting comprises reducing a color depth of the video signal.

26. The video capture node of claim 23 wherein the negotiation logic adapts the interchange format by:

configuring the interchange format to include a color space that is different from a color space of the native format.

27. The video capture node of claim 23 wherein the negotiation logic adapts the interchange format by:

configuring the interchange format to include a frame size that is less than a frame size of the native format such that converting comprises downscaling frames of the video signal.

28. The video capture node of claim 23 wherein the signal format conversion logic applies lossless compression techniques to the video signal.

29. The video capture node of claim 23 wherein the signal format conversion logic applies lossy compression techniques to the video signal.

30. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein sending comprises:

determining a maximum data quantity;

determining a minimum time interval; and

sending no more than the maximum data quantity of the video signal during a time interval which is no shorter than the minimum time interval.

31. The video capture node of claim 30 wherein the maximum data quantity is determined according to a minimum-sized buffer through which the video signal travels to the display node.

32. The video capture node of claim 30 wherein the maximum data quantity is determined according to other traffic traveling through at least one buffer through which the video signal travels to the display node.

33. The video capture node of claim 30 wherein the maximum data quantity and the minimum time interval are determined according to an amount of available bandwidth to the display node.

34. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein the signal transmission logic sends the video signal in the interchange format to a second remotely located display node such that the second display node converts the video signal from the interchange format to a second displayable format and displays the video signal.

35. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein the signal format conversion logic converts the video signal from the native format to a second interchange format;

and

further wherein the signal transmission logic sends the video signal in the second interchange format to a second remotely located display node such that the second display node converts the video signal from the second interchange format to a second displayable format and displays the video signal.

36. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein converting comprises converting the video signal from the native format to two or more interchange formats;

and

further wherein sending comprises, for each of the two or more interchange formats, sending the video signal in the interchange format to one or more display nodes such that each of the one or more display nodes converts the video signal from the interchange format to a respective displayable format and displays the video signal.

37. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein the interchange format includes timestamps.

38. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein the interchange format includes timestamps associated with the video signal.

39. The video capture node of claim 38 wherein the signal transmission logic inserts timestamps in an audio signal associated with the video signal wherein the timestamps in the audio signal are related to the timestamps of the video signal.

40. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein sending comprises:

sending the video signal in the interchange format to an intermediate signal processing node such that the intermediate signal processing node;

converts the video signal from the interchange format to a second interchange format; and

sends the video signal in the second interchange format to the remotely located display node such that the display node converts the video signal from the second interchange format to the displayable format and causes display of the video signal.

41. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein sending comprises:

sending the video signal in the interchange format to an intermediate signal processing node such that the intermediate signal processing node;

processes the video signal to form a modified video signal; and

sends the modified video signal in the interchange format to the remotely located display node such that the display node converts the modified video signal from the interchange format to the displayable format and causes display of the modified video signal.

42. The video capture node of claim 1 wherein sending comprises:

sending the video signal in the interchange format through at least two separate communications channels to the display node.

43. A method for displaying a video signal, the method comprising:

receiving a video signal in a native format;

converting the video signal from the native format to an interchange format; and

sending the video signal in the interchange format to a remotely located display node such that the display node converts the video signal from the interchange format to a displayable format and causes display of the video signal.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

selecting the interchange format according to video processing capabilities of the display node.

45. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

selecting the interchange format according to video processing capabilities of the display device.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein receiving comprises:

receiving the video signal from an external video source.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein the interchange format is a digital representation of the native format.

48. The method of claim 43 wherein the interchange format includes digital packets capable of transport through a packet switch.

49. The method of claim 43 wherein sending comprises sending the video signal in the interchange format through a packet switch.

50. The method of claim 43 wherein sending comprises sending the video signal in the interchange format through two or more packet switches.

51. The method of claim 43 wherein the native format is different from the displayable format.

52. The method of claim 43 wherein converting comprises:

dropping one or more frames of the video signal so as to result in a frame rate of the video signal in the interchange format that is less than a frame rate of the video signal in the native format.

53. The method of claim 43 wherein converting comprises:

downscaling frames of the video signal so as to result in a frame size of the video signal in the interchange format that is less than a frame size of the video signal in the native format.

54. The method of claim 43 wherein converting comprises:

changing color space representation of pixels of the video signal.

55. The method of claim 43 wherein converting comprises:

interlacing frames of the video signal.

56. The method of claim 43 wherein converting comprises:

de-interlacing frames of the video signal.

57. The method of claim 43 wherein the receiving, the converting, and the sending are performed concurrently with one another.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein sending comprises sending the video signal in the interchange format to the display node such that the display node converts the video signal from the interchange format to a displayable format and displays the video signal in real time.

59. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

receiving data describing one or more predetermined interchange formats implemented by the display node;

determining that one or more supported ones of the predetermined interchange formats are implemented locally; and

selecting one of the supported predetermined interchange formats as the interchange format.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein the supported predetermined interchange formats collectively represent a range of supported values of a characteristic of the video signal.

61. The method of claim 59 wherein selecting comprises:

considering an amount of loss of fidelity of at least one of the predetermined supported interchange formats relative to the native format;

considering an amount of excess signal of at least one of the predetermined supported interchange formats relative to the displayable format; and

considering an amount of signal bandwidth to the remotely located display node.

62. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

selecting the interchange format according to an amount of available bandwidth to the display node.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein selecting comprises:

determining a requisite bandwidth for the video signal in the interchange format; and

comparing the requisite bandwidth to the amount of available bandwidth.

64. The method of claim 63 further comprising:

determining that the requisite bandwidth exceeds the amount of available bandwidth.

65. The method of claim 64 further comprising:

adapting the interchange format to reduce bandwidth required by the signal in the interchange format.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein adapting comprises:

configuring the interchange format to include a frame rate that is less than a frame rate of the native format such that converting comprises dropping one or more frames of the video signal.

67. The method of claim 65 wherein adapting comprises:

configuring the interchange format to include a color depth that is less than a color depth of the native format such that converting comprises reducing a color depth of the video signal.

68. The method of claim 65 wherein adapting comprises:

configuring the interchange format to include a color space that is different from a color space of the native format.

69. The method of claim 65 wherein adapting comprises:

configuring the interchange format to include a frame size that is less than a frame size of the native format such that converting comprises downscaling frames of the video signal.

70. The method of claim 65 wherein converting comprises:

applying lossless compression techniques to the video signal.

71. The method of claim 65 wherein converting comprises:

applying lossy compression techniques to the video signal.

72. The method of claim 43 wherein sending comprises:

determining a maximum data quantity;

determining a minimum time interval; and

sending no more than the maximum data quantity of the video signal during a time interval which is no shorter than the minimum time interval.

73. The method of claim 72 wherein the maximum data quantity is determined according to a minimum-sized buffer through which the video signal travels to the display node.

74. The method of claim 72 wherein the maximum data quantity is determined according to other traffic traveling through at least one buffer through which the video signal travels to the display node.

75. The method of claim 72 wherein the maximum data quantity and the minimum time interval are determined according to an amount of available bandwidth to the display node.

76. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

sending the video signal in the interchange format to a second remotely located display node such that the second display node converts the video signal from the interchange format to a second displayable format and displays the video signal.

77. The method of claim 43 further comprising:

converting the video signal from the native format to a second interchange format; and

sending the video signal in the second interchange format to a second remotely located display node such that the second display node converts the video signal from the second interchange format to a second displayable format and displays the video signal.

78. The method of claim 43 wherein converting comprises converting the video signal from the native format to two or more interchange formats;

and

further wherein sending comprises, for each of the two or more interchange formats, sending the video signal in the interchange format to one or more display nodes such that each of the one or more display nodes converts the video signal from the interchange format to a respective displayable format and displays the video signal.

79. The method of claim 43 wherein the interchange format includes timestamps.

80. The method of claim 43 wherein the interchange format includes timestamps associated with the video signal.

81. The method of claim 80 further comprising inserting timestamps in an audio signal associated with the video signal wherein the timestamps in the audio signal are related to the timestamps of the video signal.

82. The method of claim 43 wherein sending comprises:

sending the video signal in the interchange format to an intermediate signal processing node such that the intermediate signal processing node;

converts the video signal from the interchange format to a second interchange format; and

sends the video signal in the second interchange format to the remotely located display node such that the display node converts the video signal from the second interchange format to the displayable format and causes display of the video signal.

83. The method of claim 43 wherein sending comprises:

sending the video signal in the interchange format to an intermediate signal processing node such that the intermediate signal processing node;

processes the video signal to form a modified video signal; and

sends the modified video signal in the interchange format to the remotely located display node such that the display node converts the modified video signal from the interchange format to the displayable format and causes display of the modified video signal.

84. The method of claim 43 wherein sending comprises:

sending the video signal in the interchange format through at least two separate communications channels to the display node.