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

• US 20070056011A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Cha, Sang, Kwon, Kwang
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/133
• 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 host includes a controller configured to collect High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) status information associated with at least one HDMI port in response to an externally generated request. The controller is further configures to forward the collected HDMI status information to a communication card and to cause the HDMI status information to be displayed.

Claims

1. A host comprising:

a controller configured to collect High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) status information associated with at least one HDMI port in response to an externally generated request; and

the controller further configured to forward the collected HDMI status information to a communication card and to cause the HDMI status information to be displayed.

2. The host of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to forward the HDMI status information of more than one HDMI port in response to a single request.

3. The host of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to forward the HDMI status information of more than one HDMI port through at least one status report.

4. The host of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to include a first field in the at least one status report that indicates the number of HDMI ports for which the HDMI status information is forwarded.

5. The host of claim 1, wherein the HDMI status information includes at least one of connect status information indicating whether a connection exists on the HDMI port, host HDCP status information indicating whether a HDCP is enabled on the HDMI link, device HDCP status information indicating a HDCP status of the peripheral device connected to the host, video format information indicating a current video format used on the HDMI port, audio information.

6. The host of claim 5, wherein the video format information includes at least one of horizontal_lines information, vertical_lines information, aspect_ratio information, prog_inter_type information.

7. The host of claim 1, wherein the displayed HDMI status information identifies whether an HDMI port associated with the HDMI status information is one of an HDMI input port, an HDMI output port, and an HDMI input/output port.

8. The host of claim 1, wherein the displayed HDMI status information indicates whether high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) is enabled at a corresponding HDMI port.

9. The host of claim 1, wherein the displayed HDMI status information includes video format information of a device connected to a corresponding HDMI port.

10. The host of claim 2, wherein the displayed HDMI status information includes audio format information of a device connected to a corresponding HDMI port.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

receiving an external request for High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) status information;

collecting the HDMI diagnostic information in accordance with the request;

forwarding the collected HDMI status information to a communication card; and

displaying the collected HDMI status information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising forwarding the HDMI status information of more than one HDMI port in response to a single request.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forwarding the HDMI status information of more than one HDMI port through at least one status report.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising creating a first field in the at least one status report that indicates a number of HDMI ports for which the HDMI status information is forwarded.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the HDMI status information includes at least one of connect status information indicating whether a connection exists on the HDMI port, host HDCP status information indicating whether a HDCP is enabled on the HDMI link, device HDCP status information indicating a HDCP status of the peripheral device connected to the host, video format information indicating a current video format used on the HDMI port, audio information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the video format information includes at least one of horizontal_lines information, vertical_lines information, aspect_ratio information, prog_inter_type information.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the HDMI status information includes displaying whether an HDMI port associated with the HDMI status information is one of an HDMI input port, an HDMI output port, and an HDMI input/output port.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the HDMI status information includes displaying whether high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) is enabled at a corresponding HDMI port.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the HDMI status information includes displaying video format information of a device onnected to a corresponding HDMI port.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the HDMI status information includes displaying audio format information of a device connected to a corresponding HDMI port.