IDENTIFICATION AND HANDLING OF DATA STREAMS USING CODED PREAMBLES

• US 20130089202A1
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Image, Inc. (Lattice Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Altmann, William Conrad
• Granted Patent: US 8,964,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/211
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/178 Metadata, e.g. disparity information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to identification and handling of data streams using coded preambles. An embodiment of an apparatus includes an interface with a communication channel, transmitter coupled with the interface to transmit one or more data streams via the interface, and a processing element, the processing element to receive one or more data streams for transmission. Upon receiving multiple data streams for transmission of a first type of data, including a first data stream and a second data stream for transmission of the first type of data, the processing element is to select a first preamble for the first data stream and a second preamble for the second data stream, where the first preamble is distinguishable from the second preamble.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising;

an interface with a communication channel;

a transmitter coupled with the interface to transmit one or more data streams via the interface;

a processing element, the processing element to receive one or more data streams for transmission;

wherein, upon receiving a plurality of data streams for transmission of a first type of data including a first data stream and a second data stream for transmission of the first type of data, the processing element is to select a first preamble for the first data stream and a second preamble for the second data stream, wherein the first preamble is distinguishable from the second preamble.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein selecting the first preamble and the second preamble includes selecting a preamble for each data stream that identifies data being carried by the first data stream and the second data stream.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus utilizes the first preamble in a transmission of a single data stream of the first type.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an encryption module, wherein the encryption module is to encrypt the first data stream and not to encrypt the second data stream, wherein the encryption module does not encrypt the first preamble for the first data stream or the second preamble for the second data stream.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the encryption module is an HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) compatible element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a preamble selection element to receive a selection signal to select a preamble for each data stream of the plurality of data streams of the first type.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the preamble selection element is one of a multiplexer to choose one or a plurality of inputs or a lookup table, wherein the lookup table includes the plurality of preambles.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication channel is compatible with HDMI™

(High Definition Multimedia Interface) or MHL™

(Mobile High-definition Link).

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first type of data is one of video content data and audio content data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, where the first type of data is video data, the first data stream being left channel 3D (three-dimensional) content data and the second data stream being right channel 3D content data.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first type of data is video data, the first data stream being a first primary data stream and the second channel being a second secondary data stream.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device.

13. An apparatus comprising;

an interface with a communication channel; and

a receiver coupled with the interface to receive a plurality of data streams of a first type via the interface, each of the plurality of data streams of the first type having a different preamble, the plurality of data streams including a first data stream having a first preamble and a second data stream having a second preamble, the first and second data streams carrying a first type of data;

wherein the receiver is to;

determine the existence of the plurality of data streams of the first type based on detection of the first preamble and second preamble, and

handle each of the plurality of data streams according to the preamble for each data stream, the first data stream being handled in a first manner based on the first preamble and the second data stream being handled in a second manner based on the second preamble.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein one or more of the plurality of data streams of the first type are encrypted and the preambles of the one or more of the plurality of data streams being encrypted.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a decryption module for the decryption of the one or more encrypted data streams.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the decryption module is an HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) compatible element.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication channel is compatible with HDMI™

(High Definition Multimedia Interface) or MHL™

(Mobile High-definition Link).

18. A system comprising:

an interface with a communication channel; and

a receiver coupled with the interface to receive a plurality of data streams of a first type via the interface, each of the plurality of data streams having a separate preamble, the plurality of data streams including a first data stream having a first preamble and a second data stream having a second preamble, the first and second data streams carrying a first type of data;

wherein the receiver is to;

determine the existence of the plurality of streams of the first type based on detection of the first and second preamble, and

handle each of the plurality of data streams according to the preamble for each data stream, the first data stream being directed to a first element based on the first preamble and the second data stream being directed to a second element based on the second preamble.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the receiver is a part of a port processor to receive data via one or more ports, the one or more ports including a first port for the interface.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first element is a television display to display the first data stream.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the first element is a part of the system and the second element is external to the system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the second element is a second system including a second receiver.

23. A method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of data streams to be transmitted via a single interconnect, the plurality of data streams including a first data stream and a second data stream, the first data stream and the second date stream each containing a first type of data;

choosing a first preamble to identify the first data stream and a second preamble to identify the second data stream, the first preamble and the second preamble each having a predetermined number of clock periods, the first and second preambles uniquely identifying the first data stream and the second data stream among data streams of the first type for transmission; and

transmitting via the single interconnect;

an element to identify the first type of data,

the first data stream, wherein the first data stream is preceded by the first preamble, and

the second data stream, wherein the first data stream is preceded by the second preamble.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first preamble and the second preamble each include one or more symbols for an error correction mechanism.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first data stream is encrypted for transmission, and wherein the first preamble is unencrypted.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of data streams includes three-dimensional (3D) data, the first data stream representing a first channel of the 3D data and the second data stream representing a second channel of the 3D data.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein transmitting the first data stream and the second data stream includes merging the first data stream and the second data stream together.

28. A method comprising:

receiving plurality of data streams via a single interconnect at a receiver, the plurality of data streams including a designation to identify a first type of data, each of the plurality of data streams of the first type including a preamble having a predetermined number of clock periods to identify each of the different data streams of the first type, the preamble for each of the data streams of the first type being unique among the plurality of data streams of the first type;

determining the existence of a plurality of data streams of the first type by detecting the receipt of a plurality of preambles for the data streams of the first type; and

handling each of the data streams of the first type according to the preamble for the data stream.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising separating the data streams of the first type prior to handling each of the data streams of the first type according to the preamble for the data stream.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein handling each of the data streams of the first type includes decrypting a first data stream of the first type and not decrypting a second data stream of the first type.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein handling each of the data streams of the first type includes directing a first data stream to a first element and directing a second data stream to a second element.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first element is a part of a first apparatus or system including the receiver, and the second element is external to the first apparatus or system.

33. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a plurality of data streams to be transmitted via a single interconnect, the plurality of data streams including a first data stream and a second data stream, the first data stream and the second date stream each containing a first type of data;

choosing a first preamble to identify the first data stream and a second preamble to identify the second data stream, the first preamble and the second preamble each having a predetermined number of clock periods, the first and second preambles uniquely identifying the first data stream and the second data stream among data streams of the first type for transmission; and

transmitting via the single interconnect;

an element to identify the first type of data,

the first data stream, wherein the first data stream is preceded by the first preamble, and

the second data stream, wherein the first data stream is preceded by the second preamble.

34. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving plurality of data streams via a single interconnect at a receiver, the plurality of data streams including a designation to identify a first type of data, each of the plurality of data streams of the first type including a preamble having a predetermined number of clock periods to identify each of the different data streams of the first type, the preamble for each of the data streams of the first type being unique among the plurality of data streams of the first type;

determining the existence of a plurality of data streams of the first type by detecting the receipt of a plurality of preambles for the data streams of the first type; and

handling each of the data streams of the first type according to the preamble for the data stream.