Audio/video processing main unit and control method thereof, audio processing terminal device and control method thereof, audio processing main unit, audio/video processing system, audio/video processing main unit control program, audio processing terminal device control program, and storage medium in which the program is stored

• US 20070110110A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ohtani, Yoshihiro, Miki, Hirosuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,746,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/535
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams

Abstract

A home theater includes a main unit section and at least one speaker section. The main unit section includes a communication section which receives an AV stream from an AV stream transmission device and via a communication network, a demux section which separates the AV stream into a video stream and an audio stream, a video processing means which processes the video stream so as to generate a video signal, an audio processing section which processes the audio stream so as to generate an audio signal, and an audio acquisition section which acquires an audio stream which includes at least a part of the audio of the AV stream. The communication section transmits the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition section to the speaker section, via the communication network.

Claims

1. An audio/video processing main unit which conducts audio processing and video processing,

the audio/video processing main unit comprising:

receiving means for receiving an AV stream including video and audio, from an external device via a communication network;

demux means for separating the AV stream into a video stream including the video and an audio stream including the audio;

video processing means for processing the video stream so as to generate a video signal;

audio acquisition means for acquiring an audio stream including at least a part of the audio, from the AV stream supplied to the receiving means; and

transmitting means for transmitting the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means, to at least one external device via the communication network.

2. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

audio clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output the audio; and

adjusting means for adjusting the audio clock means in such a manner as to cause the audio clock means to be in synchronization with the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means.

3. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 2, further comprising sampling means for sampling the time indicated by the audio clock means,

the transmitting means for transmitting the time sampled by the sampling means, to said at least one external device via the communication network.

4. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a stream buffer which temporarily stores the AV stream supplied to the receiving means;

AV clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output the AV stream;

adjusting means for adjusting the AV clock means in such a manner as to cause the AV clock means to be in synchronization with the AV stream; and

comparing means for supplying at least a part of the AV stream to the demux means, in case where the AV stream output time of the AV stream is equal to or later than the time indicated by the AV clock means,

the AV stream including information of a stream output time.

5. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 4,

wherein, the receiving means also receives information of a clock adjusting time which is in synchronization with the supplied AV stream, and

the adjusting means adjusts the AV clock means in reference to the clock adjusting time.

6. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 4,

wherein, the audio acquisition means acquires the audio stream including at least a part of the audio from the AV stream, after the receiving means transmits the AV stream and before the stream buffer receives the AV stream.

7. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 6,

wherein, the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means includes the information of the AV stream output time.

8. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 6, further comprising sampling means for sampling the time indicated by the AV clock means,

the transmitting means for transmitting information of the time sampled by the sampling means, to said at least one external device via the communication network.

9. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 1, further comprising audio processing means for processing the audio stream so as to generate an audio signal.

10. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 9,

wherein, the audio acquisition means acquires, from the audio processing means, an audio stream including at least a part of the audio.

11. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 10, further comprising audio delay means for delaying the audio signal supplied from the audio processing means.

12. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 10, further comprising video delay means for delaying the video signal supplied from the video processing means.

13. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 10, further comprising time adjusting means for adjusting at least one of a video processing start time, a video display time, an audio processing start time, and an audio output time, at least one of which is included in the AV stream.

14. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

audio clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output the audio; and

adjusting means for adjusting the clock means in such a manner as to cause the clock means to be in synchronization with the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means.

15. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 14, further comprising acquisition sampling means for sampling the time indicated by the audio clock means, when the audio acquisition means acquires the audio stream,

the acquisition sampling means adding a maximum audio transmission time to the sampled time so as to generate a stream output time, and

the transmitting means for transmitting the audio stream including information of the stream output time, to said at least one external device via the communication network.

16. The audio/video processing main unit as defined in claim 14,

wherein, the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means is a continuous bit stream with a fixed bit rate, the audio stream including a synchronization header used for achieving synchronization, and

the adjusting means adjusts the audio clock means, in reference to the synchronization header.

17. An audio processing main unit which conducts audio processing and transmits an audio stream, comprising:

obtaining means for acquiring an audio stream including at least audio;

audio processing means for subjecting the acquired audio stream to the audio processing, so as to output an audio signal;

audio acquisition means for acquiring, from the acquired audio stream, an audio stream including at least a part of the audio;

audio clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output the audio;

adjusting means for adjusting the audio clock means in such a manner as to cause the audio clock means to be in synchronization with the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means;

sampling means for sampling the time indicated by the audio clock means; and

transmitting means for transmitting the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means and information of the time sampled by the sampling means, to at least one external device via a communication network.

18. An audio processing terminal device, comprising:

receiving means for receiving an audio stream including audio, from an external device via a communication network;

audio processing means for processing the audio stream so as to generate an audio signal;

audio clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output the audio; and

adjusting means for adjusting the audio clock means in such a manner as to cause the audio clock means to be in synchronization with the audio stream.

19. The audio processing terminal device as defined in claim 18,

wherein, the receiving means receives information of a timing at which the external device outputs audio corresponding to the supplied audio stream, and

the adjusting means adjusts the audio clock means, in reference to the information of the timing.

20. The audio processing terminal device as defined in claim 18,

wherein, the receiving means receives information of a clock adjusting time synchronized with the supplied audio stream, and

the adjusting means adjusts the audio clock means in reference to the clock adjusting time.

21. The audio processing terminal device as defined in claim 18, further comprising:

a stream buffer which temporarily stores the audio stream supplied to the receiving means; and

comparing means for transmitting at least a part of the audio stream to the audio processing means, when the stream output time of the audio stream is equal to or later than the time indicated by the audio clock means,

the audio stream including information of a stream output time.

22. An audio/video processing system in which an audio/video processing main unit conducting video processing and audio processing is connected, by a communication network, to at least one audio processing terminal device conducting audio processing,

the audio/video processing main unit including:

receiving means for receiving an AV stream including video and audio from an external device via a communication network;

demux means for separating the AV stream into a video stream including the video and an audio stream including the audio;

video processing means for processing the video stream so as to generate a video signal;

audio acquisition means for acquiring an audio stream including at least a part of the audio, from the AV stream supplied to the receiving means; and

transmitting means for transmitting the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means, to said at least one audio processing terminal device via the communication network, and

said at least one audio processing terminal device including;

receiving means for receiving the audio stream from the audio/video processing main unit via the communication network;

audio processing means for processing the audio stream so as to generate an audio signal;

audio clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output the audio; and

adjusting means for adjusting the audio clock means in such a manner as to cause the audio clock means to be in synchronization with the audio stream.

23. A control method of an audio/video processing main unit which conducts video processing and audio processing, comprising the steps of:

receiving an AV stream including video and audio, from an external device via a communication network;

acquiring, from the supplied AV stream, an audio stream including at least a part of the audio; and

transmitting the acquired audio stream to at least one external device, via the communication network.

24. A control method of an audio processing terminal device which conducts audio processing and includes audio clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output audio,

the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an audio stream including the audio, from an external device via a communication network;

adjusting the audio clock means in such a manner as to cause the audio clock means to be in synchronization with the audio stream; and

processing the audio stream in reference to the time indicated by the adjusted audio clock means, so as to generate an audio signal.

25. An audio/video processing main unit control program for operating an audio/video processing main unit which conducts video processing and audio processing,

the audio processing main unit including:

receiving means for receiving an AV stream including video and audio from an external device via a communication network;

demux means for separating the AV stream into a video stream including the video and an audio stream including the audio;

video processing means for processing the video stream so as to generate a video signal;

audio acquisition means for acquiring an audio stream including at least a part of the audio, from the AV stream supplied to the receiving means; and

transmitting means for transmitting the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means, to at least one external device via the communication network,

the program causing a computer to function as the means of the audio/video processing main unit.

26. An audio processing terminal device control program for operating an audio processing terminal device which conducts audio processing,

the audio processing terminal device including:

receiving means for receiving an audio stream including audio, from an external device via a communication network;

audio processing means for processing the audio stream so as to generate an audio signal;

audio clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output the audio; and

adjusting means for adjusting the audio clock means in such a manner as to cause the audio clock means to be in synchronization with the audio stream,

the program causing a computer to function as the means of the audio processing terminal device.

27. A computer-readable storage medium storing an audio/video processing main unit control program for operating an audio/video processing main unit which conducts video processing and audio processing,

the audio processing main unit including:

receiving means for receiving an AV stream including video and audio from an external device via a communication network;

demux means for separating the AV stream into a video stream including the video and an audio stream including the audio;

video processing means for processing the video stream so as to generate a video signal;

audio acquisition means for acquiring an audio stream including at least a part of the audio, from the AV stream supplied to the receiving means; and

transmitting means for transmitting the audio stream acquired by the audio acquisition means, to at least one external device via the communication network,

the program causing a computer to function as the means of the audio/video processing main unit.

28. A computer-readable storage medium which stores an audio processing terminal device control program for operating an audio processing terminal device which conducts audio processing,

the audio processing terminal device including:

receiving means for receiving an audio stream including audio, from an external device via a communication network;

audio processing means for processing the audio stream so as to generate an audio signal;

audio clock means for indicating a time for determining a timing to output the audio; and

adjusting means for adjusting the audio clock means in such a manner as to cause the audio clock means to be in synchronization with the audio stream,

the program causing a computer to function as the means of the audio processing terminal device.