VIDEO/AUDIO TRANSMITTER, VIDEO/AUDIO TRANSMISSION METHOD AND RECORDING MEDIUM IN WHICH PROGRAM FOR EXECUTING THE METHOD IS RECORDED

• US 20080172711A1
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Access Technica Limited
• Original Assignee: NEC Access Technica Limited
• Inventors: ISHINO, MASAHIDE, Nakaya, Kimihiko
• Application Number:
  US11/860,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20080172711A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T

Abstract

Disclosed is a video/audio transmitter which frequency-converts a video input signal and an audio input signal into a signal on one channel in a frequency band for a television broadcast and transmits the frequency-converted video input signal and the frequency-converted audio input signal. The video/audio transmitter includes an antenna, an FM reception circuit, a frequency synthesizer, an FM reception circuit, a video transmission circuit, and an operation mode designation circuit. An unused channel among broadcast channels in other frequency bands is searched for using the FM reception circuit. Next, a video input signal and an audio input signal are frequency-converted into a signal in a searched unused channel.

Claims

1. A video/audio transmitter which frequency-converts a video input signal and an audio input signal into a signal on one channel in a frequency band for a television broadcast and transmits the frequency-converted video input signal and the frequency-converted audio input signal, comprising:

an antenna which transmits said frequency-converted video input signal and said frequency-converted audio input signal and receives a frequency modulated signal (FM signal);

a frequency synthesizer which changes output frequency thereof based on a control signal from a control circuit;

an FM reception circuit which outputs an electric field strength of a received FM signal that is received by said antenna using said frequency synthesizer output;

a video transmission circuit which performs a frequency conversion of said video input signal and said audio input signal using said frequency synthesizer output, and outputs said frequency-converted video input signal and said frequency-converted audio input signal;

an operation mode designation circuit which designates an execution of a transmission mode, wherein when said transmission mode is designated, said control circuit connects said antenna with said FM reception circuit, changes an oscillation frequency of said frequency synthesizer over a plurality of channels in said frequency band for said television broadcast, finds the lowest value among electric field strength values outputted from said FM reception circuit, sets an oscillation frequency of said frequency synthesizer to a channel frequency corresponding to the lowest value, and connects said video transmission circuit with said antenna.

2. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 1, wherein

said operation mode designation circuit can set an FM reception mode;

and

when said FM reception mode is designated, said control circuit connects said antenna with said FM reception circuit.

3. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 2, further comprising:

an FM transmission circuit which frequency-converts said audio input signal using said frequency synthesizer output and outputs the frequency converted audio input signal, wherein

said operation mode designation circuit can designate an FM transmission mode; and

when said FM transmission mode is designated, said control circuit connects said FM transmission circuit with said antenna.

4. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said operation mode designation circuit includes a switch.

5. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 3, further comprising:

a video signal detection circuit which detects whether said video input signal exists or not, wherein

when said operation mode designation circuit designates said transmission mode and said video signal detection circuit judges that no video input signal exists, said control circuit connects said FM transmission circuit with said antenna.

6. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 5, wherein

said video signal detection circuit includes a mechanical switch that can detect a connection state of a connector for video inputting.

7. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 5, wherein

said video signal detection circuit includes a circuit which detects whether a video input signal exists or not by judging a level of the video input signal.

8. A video/audio transmitter which frequency-converts a video input signal and an audio input signal into a signal on one channel in a frequency band for a television broadcast and transmits the frequency-converted video input signal and the frequency-converted audio input signal, comprising:

an antenna which transmits said frequency-converted video input signal and the frequency-converted audio input signal and receives a frequency modulated signal (FM signal);

a frequency synthesizer which changes output frequency thereof based on a control signal from a control circuit;

an FM reception circuit which outputs an electric field strength of a received FM signal that is received by said antenna using said frequency synthesizer output;

a video transmission circuit which frequency-converts said video input signal and said audio input signal using said frequency synthesizer output, and outputs said frequency-converted video input signal and said frequency-converted audio input signal;

an FM transmission circuit which frequency-converts said audio input signal using said frequency synthesizer output and outputs said frequency converted audio input signal;

a video/audio signal detection circuit which detects whether said video input signal and said audio input signal exist or not, wherein

said control circuit sets an FM reception mode when an output of said video/audio signal detection circuit indicates that both said video input signal and said audio input signal do not exist, and wherein

said control circuit sets an FM transmission mode when an output of said video/audio signal detection circuit indicates that only said audio input signal exists, and wherein

said control circuit sets a transmission mode when an output of said video/audio signal detection circuit indicates that only said audio input signal exists, and wherein

said control circuit connects said antenna with said FM reception circuit during an FM reception mode, and wherein said control circuit which connects said antenna with said FM reception circuit during a transmission mode, changes an oscillation frequency of said frequency synthesizer over a plurality of channels in said frequency band for a television broadcast, finds the lowest value among electric field strength values outputted from said FM reception circuit, sets an oscillation frequency of said frequency synthesizer to a channel frequency corresponding to the lowest value and connects said video transmission circuit with said antenna, and wherein

said control circuit connects said antenna with said FM reception circuit during an FM reception mode, and wherein said control circuit connects said FM transmission circuit with said antenna during an FM transmission mode.

9. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 8, wherein

said control circuit turns off said video transmission circuit and said FM reception circuit during said FM transmission mode, and said control circuits turns off said video transmission circuit and said FM transmission circuit during said FM reception mode.

10. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 8 wherein

said video/audio input detection circuit includes a mechanical switch that can detect a connection state of a connector for inputting.

11. The video/audio transmitter according to claim 8, wherein

said video/audio input detection circuit includes a level detection circuit which detects an electric level of an inputted signal.

12. A video/audio transmitter which frequency-converts a video input signal and an audio input signal supplied from an external device into a signal on a channel for a television broadcast in another frequency band, comprising:

an unused channel search unit which searches for an unused channel in said another frequency band using an FM reception circuit;

a conversion unit which frequency-converts said video input signal and said audio input signal into a signal on a searched unused channel; and

a transmission unit which transmits the frequency-converted video signal and the frequency-converted audio signal.

13. A video/audio transmission method of frequency-converting a video input signal and an audio input signal into a signal on a channel for a television broadcast in another frequency band, comprising:

(A) searching for an unused channel in said another frequency band using an FM reception circuit;

(B) frequency-converting said video input signal and said audio input signal into a signal on a searched unused channel; and

(C) transmitting the frequency-converted video signal and the frequency-converted audio signal.

14. A recording medium which stores a program executed by a computer for frequency-converting a video input signal and an audio input signal into a signal on a channel for a television broadcast in another frequency band, said program comprising the steps of:

(A) searching for an unused channel in said another frequency band using an FM reception circuit;

(B) frequency-converting said video input signal and said audio input signal into a signal on a searched unused channel; and

(C) transmitting the frequency-converted video signal and the frequency-converted audio signal.