System and Method of Distributing Audio and Video Signals

• US 20080229378A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nexus Technologies Pty Ltd. (Snap One Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Leaf Audio Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Scherek, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/718,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229378A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A system (200) for distributing audio and video signals including a source location (202) having one or more devices (204, 206, 208, 210) producing an audio signal and an analogue video signal is provided. At least one display and audio receiver (222) at a remote location (220) is also provided and a single cable (100) including at least three unshielded twisted pairs (102, 104, 106) is operably connected between the source location (200) and the at least one remote display and audio receiver (222) with the cable (100) transmitting the source signals to the display and audio receiver (222) at the remote location (202). The analogue video signal is converted to a balanced signal before transmission from the source (202) to the remote location (220) over a first twisted pair (102) and reconverted to an unbalanced signal at the remote location (220). The audio signal is transmitted over a second twisted pair (104) to the remote location (220) and a control signal for controlling the source signals from the remote location (220) is transmitted on a third twisted pair (106) to the source location (202).

Claims

1. A system for distributing audio and video signals including:

a source location having one or more devices producing;

an audio signal, and

an analogue video signal;

at least one display and audio receiver at a remote location wherein a single cable including at least three unshielded twisted pairs is operably connected between the source location and the at least one remote display and audio receiver, said cable transmitting the source signals to the display and audio receiver at the remote location,

wherein the analogue video signal is converted to a balanced signal before transmission from the source to the remote location over a first twisted pair and reconverted to an unbalanced signal at the remote location,

the audio signal is transmitted over a second twisted pair to the remote location and

a control signal for controlling the source signals from the remote location to the source location is transmitted on a third twisted pair.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the video signal is balanced by a first transconductance amplifier which converts the unbalanced video signal to a balanced signal.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including an analogue to digital converter.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including a power supply.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the power supply is transmitted on a fourth twisted pair from the source location to the remote location to provide a source of direct current to a control device in the remote location.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including a control device for controlling the devices at the source location from the remote location.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the control device is a keypad.

8. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the control device is a remote control.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device at the source location includes one or more of a television, video player, digital versatile disc (DVD) player.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the audio signal is a multi-channel audio supply.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the audio and video signals are provided by a single device located at the source location.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the audio and video signals are provided by different devices located at the source location.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1 further including a level trimming system for controlling the audio level from multiple devices.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the level trimming system includes an adjustment factor for each device which is stored in a non-volatile memory.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the cable is a category 5 cable.

16. A method of distributing audio and analogue video signals from a source location to at least one remote location, the remote location including a display and audio receiver connected by a single cable including at least three unshielded twisted pairs, the method including the steps of:

concerting the analogue video signal to a balanced video signal;

transmitting the audio signal from the source location to the remote location over a first twisted pair;

transmitting the balanced video signal from the source location to the remote location over the second twisted pair;

transmitting the control signal from the remote location to the source location over the third twisted pair to enable control of the audio and video source from the remote location; and

reconverting the balanced video signal to its original form at the remote location.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 further including the step of:

connecting a power supply to a fourth twisted pair to provide a power supply to a control device at the remote location.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16 further including the step of:

digitising an analogue audio signal for transmission over the first twisted pair.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 further including the step of:

reconverting the digitised audio signal for an analogue signal at the remote location.