SIGNAL CONVERSION APPARATUSES AND DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20100091180A1
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Himax Media Solutions, Inc. (Himax Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Himax Technologies Ltd. (Himax Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: LIU, Shu-Ming, Bu, Lin-Kai
• Application Number:
  US12/249,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20100091180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/441
• 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 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• 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 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: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4398 involving reformatting operations of audio signals details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

A signal conversion apparatus is provided. A video input interface receives a video signal encoded in a first format from a host device. An audio input interface receives an audio signal encoded in a second format from the host device. A conversion unit is coupled to the video input interface and the audio input interface, receives the video signal and the audio signal therefrom, and converts the video signal and the audio signal into an output signal encoded in a predetermined format. An output interface receives the output signal and transmits the output signal to the display device.

Claims

1. A signal conversion apparatus, comprising:

a video input interface receiving a video signal from a host device, wherein the video signal is encoded in a first format;

an audio input interface receiving an audio signals from the host device, wherein the audio signal is encoded in a second format;

a conversion unit coupled to the video input interface and the audio input interface, receiving the video signal and the audio signal therefrom, and converting the video signal and the audio signal into an output signal encoded in a predetermined format; and

a DisplayPort interface receiving the output signal and transmitting the output signal to the display device.

2. The signal conversion apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the video input interface is selected from the group consisting of a VGA (Video Graphics Array) interface, a DVI (Digital Video Interface), a Dsub (Dsubminiature) interface, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, and an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).

3. The signal conversion apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio input interface is selected from the group consisting of a USB audio interface, an S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format) interface, a stereo interface, and an Integrated Interchip Sound (I²S) interface.

4. The signal conversion apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is a flat panel display device.

5. The signal conversion apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the host device is selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a VCD/DVD player, a digital camera, and a digital video recorder.

6. A signal conversion apparatus, comprising:

a video input interface receiving a video signal from a host device, wherein the video signal is encoded in a first format;

an audio input interface receiving an audio signal from the host device, wherein the audio signal is encoded in a second format;

a conversion unit coupled to the video input interface and the audio input interface, receiving the video signal and the audio signal therefrom, converting the video signal and the audio signal into a converted signal encoded in a predetermined format, and processing and splitting the converted signal into a plurality of output signals each corresponding to one of display devices; and

a plurality of DisplayPort interfaces each corresponding to one of the display devices, receiving the corresponding output signals and transmitting the corresponding output signals to the corresponding display devices.

7. The signal conversion apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the video input interface is selected from the group consisting of a VGA (Video Graphics Array) interface, a DVI (Digital Video Interface), a Dsub (Dsubminiature) interface, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, and an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).

8. The signal conversion apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the audio input interface is selected from the group consisting of a USB audio interface, an S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format) interface, a stereo interface, and an Integrated Interchip Sound (I²S) interface.

9. The signal conversion apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the conversion unit further comprises a signal processing unit processing and splitting the converted signal into the output signals each corresponding to one of the display devices.

10. A display system, comprising:

a host device providing a video signal encoded in a first format and an audio signal encoded in a second format;

a signal conversion apparatus receiving the video signal and the audio signal from the host device, and converting the video signal and the audio signal into an output signal encode in a predetermined format for transmission through a DisplayPort interface; and

a display device receiving and displaying the output signal.

11. The display system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signal conversion apparatus further comprises:

a video input interface receiving the video signal from the host device;

an audio input interface receiving the audio signal from the host device;

a conversion unit coupled to the video input interface and the audio input interface, receiving the video signal and the audio signal therefrom, and converting the video signals and the audio signals into the output signal; and

a DisplayPort interface receiving the output signal and transmitting the output signal to the display device.

12. The display system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signal conversion apparatus further connects the display device via a DisplayPort cable.

13. The display system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signal conversion apparatus is disposed externally to the host device and adapted to detachably connect to the host device.

14. The display system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the video input interface comprises a video input socket for connecting a video output port of the host device and is selected from the group consisting of a VGA (Video Graphics Array) interface, a DVI (Digital Video Interface), a Dsub (Dsubminiature) interface, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, an IEEE 1394 interface, and an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).

15. The display system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the audio input interface comprises an audio input socket for connecting an audio output port of the host device and is selected from the group consisting of a USB audio interface, an S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format) interface, a stereo interface, and an Integrated Interchip Sound (I²S) interface.