COMPACT PACKET BASED MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE

• US 20070201492A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesis Microchip Inc. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: Genesis Microchip Inc. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets 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

Abstract

A packet based display interface arranged to couple a multimedia source device to a multimedia sink device is disclosed that includes a transmitter unit coupled to the source device arranged to receive a source packet data stream in accordance with a native stream rate, a receiver unit coupled to the sink device, and a linking unit coupling the transmitter unit and the receiver unit arranged to transfer a multimedia data packet stream formed of a number of multimedia data packets based upon the source packet data stream in accordance with a link rate between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit.

Claims

1. A compact packet based multimedia interface arranged to couple a portable multimedia source arranged to provide a reduced set of multimedia formats each at a native multimedia clock rate and a multimedia display;

comprising;

a uni-directional main link having no more than a single lane coupling the multimedia source to the multimedia sink arranged to carry a packetized multimedia data stream from the multimedia source to the multimedia display at a link rate that is independent of the native multimedia clock rate;

a half duplex, bi-directional auxiliary channel connecting the multimedia source and the display that provides in concert with the uni-directional main link, a secondary communication link between the multimedia source and the display for transferring information between the multimedia source and the display; and

a connector arrangement arranged to electrically connect the uni-directional main link and the half duplex, bi-directional auxiliary channel to the multimedia source and the display.

2. A packet based display interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia data stream has an associated adjustable data stream link rate that is independent of the native stream rate.

3. An interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia data stream is an isochronous and wherein the information transfer is asynchronous.

4. A display interface as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a hot plug event detector unit arranged to automatically determine when an active sink device is connected to the linking unit.

5. A display interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the information carried by the auxiliary channel includes sync loss information, dropped packets information and the results of training session information.

6. A display interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the link rate is adjustable up to about 2.7 Gbps and an associated bandwidth of 270 Mbytes/sec.

8. A display interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary channel supports data transmission rates up to at least 480 Mbs using a self-clocked data signal.

9. A display interface as recited in claim 8, wherein when the interface is placed in a multi-master mode, either the multimedia source or the display can be a master device, and wherein serial data in response is passed from a responding slave device to a requesting master device over the auxiliary channel.

10. A display interface as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

an arbitration unit arranged to monitor auxiliary channel requests and provide for a priority of any conflicting requests.

11. A system, comprising:

a portable multimedia source arranged to provide a reduced set of multimedia formats each at a native multimedia clock rate;

a multimedia display; and

a compact packet based multimedia interface arranged to couple the portable multimedia source and the display, comprising;

a uni-directional main link having a single lane coupling the multimedia source to the multimedia sink arranged to carry a packetized multimedia data stream from the multimedia source to the multimedia display at a link rate that is independent of the native multimedia clock rate, a

a half duplex, bi-directional auxiliary channel connecting the multimedia source and the display that provides in concert with the uni-directional main link, a secondary communication link between the multimedia source and the display for transferring information between the multimedia source and the display, and

a connector arrangement arranged to electrically connect the uni-directional main link and the half duplex, bi-directional auxiliary channel to the multimedia source and the display.

7. A display interface as recited in claim 15, wherein the source device informs the display device by way of the auxiliary channel of an audio sample rate and a number of bits per sample corresponding to the audio stream.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the multimedia data stream has an associated adjustable data stream link rate that is independent of the native stream rate.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the multimedia data stream is an isochronous and wherein the information transfer is an asynchronous.

14. A display interface as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

a hot plug event detector unit arranged to automatically determine when an active sink device is connected to the linking unit.

15. A display interface as recited in claim 11, wherein the information carried by the auxiliary channel includes sync loss information, dropped packets information and the results of training session information.

16. A display interface as recited in claim 11, wherein the link rate is adjustable up to about 2.7 Gbps and an associated bandwidth of 270 Mbytes/sec.

17. A display interface as recited in claim 15, wherein the source device informs the display device by way of the auxiliary channel of an audio sample rate and a number of bits per sample corresponding to the audio stream.

18. A display interface as recited in claim 11, wherein the auxiliary channel supports data transmission rates up to at least 480 Mbs using a self-clocked data signal.

19. A display interface as recited in claim 18, wherein when the interface is placed in a multi-master mode, either the multimedia source or the display can be a master device, and wherein serial data in response is passed from a responding slave device to a requesting master device over the auxiliary channel.

20. A display interface as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

an arbitration unit arranged to monitor auxiliary channel requests and provide for a priority of any conflicting requests.

21. A method, comprising:

coupling a portable multimedia source arranged to provide a reduced set of multimedia formats each at a native multimedia clock rate and a multimedia display using a compact packet based multimedia interface, wherein the compact packet based multimedia interface includes a uni-directional main link having no more than a single lane arranged to carry a packetized multimedia data stream from the multimedia source to the multimedia display at a link rate that is independent of the native multimedia clock rate, a half duplex, bi-directional auxiliary channel that provides in concert with the uni-directional main link, a secondary communication link between the multimedia source and the display for transferring information between the multimedia source and the display, and a connector arrangement arranged to electrically connect the uni-directional main link and the half duplex, bi-directional auxiliary channel to the multimedia source and the display;

passing the packetized multimedia data stream from the multi-media source to the multi-media display at the link rate.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the multi-media source device is a portable multi-media player.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the multimedia data stream is an isochronous and wherein the information transfer over the auxiliary channel is asynchronous.