System and Method for Transferring Non-Compliant Packetized and Streaming Data Into and From a Multimedia Device Coupled to a Network Across Which Compliant Data is Sent

• US 20100135309A1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hetzel, Herbert, Knapp, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/43 with synchronous transmission, e.g. time division multiplex [TDM], slotted rings

Abstract

A communication system, network, interface, and port architecture are provided for transporting different types of data across a network. The network can be arranged by connecting the ports in a daisy chain fashion to achieve a ring architecture or topology. The network forwards data according to a specific network protocol, and any incoming data that follows that protocol will be sent onto the network. If the incoming data protocol does not match the network protocol, then the incoming data is not sent immediately to the network, but instead is sent to an input pin of a device upon the network specifically designed to receive that incoming data. The network, therefore, has ports that support both compliant and non-compliant incoming data, and the devices that produce such data. Examples of non-compliant data include any data which does not time-division multiplex different asynchronous, isochronous, and synchronous data in dedicated channels within each frame, and which have a preamble, coding, frequency, or overall protocol different from that which is established for network transfer.

Claims

1. A multimedia device, comprising:

a series of ports, wherein each port of the series of ports includes a bypass output connected to a bypass input of the next port within the series, and wherein the last port in the series includes a bypass output connected to a bypass input of the first port within the series to form a ring network for communicating between the series of ports; and

at least one pin of the multimedia device across which data is transferred between the multimedia device and the ring network.

2. The multimedia device as recited in claim 1, wherein the data is compliant with or compatible with a format that is similar to a protocol by which network data is transferred across the ring network.

3. The multimedia device as recited in claim 1, wherein the series of ports comprise:

a first port coupled to transfer the data at a first rate from the bypass output pin to the bypass input pin as locked isochronous data;

a second port having a phase-locked loop coupled to receive the data and convert the data from the first rate to a second rate slaved to the first rate

4. The multimedia device as recited in claim 1, wherein the series of ports comprise:

a first port coupled to transfer the data at a first rate from the bypass output to the bypass input as unlocked isochronous data, wherein the first port is also coupled to transfer a phase difference between the first rate and a rate in which information is sent from the bypass output to the bypass input; and

a second port having an adder coupled to modify the frequency of data is sent from the bypass output to the bypass input depending on a magnitude of the phase difference.

5. The multimedia device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an interface having a controller arranged between the pin and the bypass output for converting the data from non-compliant data to compliant data before transferring the data from the multimedia device onto the ring network.

6. The multimedia device as recited in claim 5, wherein the non-compliant data is in a format that is dissimilar to a protocol by which network data is transferred across the ring network.

7. A communication system, comprising:

a first multimedia device having a first port that includes a first port receive input and a first port transmit output;

a second multimedia device having a second port that includes a second port receive input and a second port transmit output;

wherein the first port receive input and second port transmit output are coupled to transfer digital data and right analog audio data; and

wherein the second port receive input and first port transmit output are coupled to transfer digital data and left analog audio data.

8. The communication system as recited in claim 7, wherein the right analog audio data and left analog audio data are transferred concurrently.

9. The communication system as recited in claim 7, wherein the first multimedia device includes at least one pin (i) into which right analog audio data and digital data are received, (ii) from which right analog audio data and digital data are transmitted, (iii) into which left analog audio data is received and from which digital data is transmitted, or (iv) from which left analog audio data is transmitted and into which digital data is received.

10. The communication system as recited in claim 7, wherein the first multimedia device includes at least one pin (i) into which left analog audio data and digital data are received, (ii) from which left analog audio data and digital data are transmitted, (iii) into which right analog audio data is received and from which digital data is transmitted, or (iv) from which right analog audio data is transmitted and into which digital data is received.

11. The communication system as recited in claim 7, wherein the first multimedia device comprises an analog-to-digital converter, and wherein the second multimedia device comprises a digital-to-analog converter, or vice versa.

12. The communication system as recited in claim 7, wherein the first multimedia device includes a third port, and wherein the first port further includes a first port input and a first port output, and wherein the third port includes a third port input and a third port output.

13. The communication system as recited in claim 12, wherein the first port further includes:

a comparator that compares a frequency of the digital data with a frequency of the right analog audio data; and

a multiplexer coupled to the comparator for transferring the digital data to the first port bypass output if the comparison result indicates a DC bias associated with the digital data and the digital data is in a format similar to a protocol by which data is sent from the first port bypass output to the third port bypass input, otherwise a connection is made between the first port bypass input and the first port bypass output.

14. The communication system as recited in claim 12, wherein the first port output is coupled to the third port input.

15. The communication system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first port further includes:

a comparator that compares a DC bias upon the digital data with a DC bias upon the left or right analog audio data; and

a multiplexer coupled to the comparator for transferring the digital data to the first port output if the comparison result indicates a DC bias associated with the digital data and/or the digital data is in a format similar to a protocol by which data is sent from the first port output to the third port bypass input, otherwise a connection is made between the first port bypass input and the first port output.

16. The communication system as recited in claim 14, wherein the first port further comprises:

an input of a pair of analog-to-digital converters coupled to receive the left and right analog audio data; and

a processor coupled to an output of each of the pair of analog-to-digital converters.

17. The communication system as recited in claim 16, wherein the third port further comprises:

another processor for receiving digitally converted said pair of left and right analog audio data; and

a pair of digital-to-analog converters coupled to convert the digitally converted said pair of left and right analog audio data.

18. The communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein the first port further comprises:

an interface circuit coupled between the pair of analog-to-digital converters and the first port output for converting the digitally converted said right and left analog audio data to compliant data and forwarding the compliant data to the third port input as synchronous or isochronous data.

19. The communication system as recited in claim 17, wherein the first port further comprises:

a serial input of a processor; and

a multiplexer coupled to receive the digital data and to transfer the digital data to the first port bypass output if the digital data is in a format similar to a protocol by which data is transferred between the first port bypass output and the third port bypass input, otherwise the data is sent to the serial input for processing by the processor.

20. The communication system as recited in claim 19, wherein the protocol comprises synchronous data, packetized data, isochronous data and control data sent in time-division multiplexed time slots within each frame of data sent at the same transfer rate across the network.

21. The communication system as recited in claim 19, wherein the protocol comprises DC-free encoded data.

22. The communication system as recited in claim 19, wherein the protocol comprises frames of data transferred at either 48 kHz or 44.1 kHz.

23. The communication system as recited in claim 19, wherein the serial receive pin is adapted to accommodate Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format (SPDIF) data.

24. The communication system as recited in claim 19, wherein the serial receive pin is adapted to accommodate a serial bitstream of TCP/IP data.