METHOD FOR VIDEO SYNCHRONIZATION IN VIDEO DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

• US 20160066000A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clearone Incorporated
• Inventors: Cunningham, John P., Zimmerman, Donald Shelly
• Granted Patent: US 9,973,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer

Abstract

This disclosure describes a method for video synchronization in video distribution systems that includes a system that re-synchronizes the video playback of a video synchronization device with that of a host device after any change by the host, interruption within the host, or interruption of data flow between a video source device and a video display device.

Claims

1. A method for video synchronization in video distribution systems with a system that re-synchronizes the video playback of a video synchronization device with that of a host device after any change by the host, interruption within the host, or interruption of data flow between a video source device and a video display device, comprising:

providing a host device, with a host processor and a host memory that generates a plurality of video data signals comprising video subframes at a first frame rate, wherein the host device stores the generated plurality of video data signals and a plurality of parameters comprising a predefined frame size in said host memory based on an extended display identification data received from the display;

providing a video synchronization device, with a video synchronization device processor and a video synchronization device memory that is in communication with said host memory, being initialized with the plurality of parameters, wherein said video synchronization device is configured to execute the following steps;

receive at least one fragment or slice of a video frame among the generated plurality of video data signals from said host device;

wherein the at least one video subframe has a predefined relationship to said predefined frame size;

transmit the video data to the video display device;

request said host device for a next video subframe having said predefined frame size;

set a condition flag in said video synchronization device memory that can be read by said host if the next video subframe is not available at the required time to be transmitted to the video display device in order to notify said host that an underrun has occurred,

reset the video playback pointer of said video synchronization device to row one, column one of a new frame; and

continuously send the previously received video data to the video display device using a “

frame repeat”

function and wait indefinitely for said host to provide new data representing the pixel at the first row and first column of a new video frame once the flow of video data into said host has resumed.

2. The claim of claim 1 further comprising said video synchronization device flushing the existing data in said video synchronization device memory, resets its video playback pointer to row one column one of a new frame, and notifies said host that it is ready to begin video playback if it is notified by said host that the frame rate of incoming video must change.

3. A method to manufacture a system for video synchronization in video distribution systems that re-synchronizes the video playback of a video synchronization device with that of a host device after any change by the host, interruption within the host, or interruption of data flow between a video source device and a video display device, comprising:

providing a host device, with a host processor and a host memory that generates a plurality of video data signals comprising video subframes at a first frame rate, wherein the host device stores the generated plurality of video data signals and a plurality of parameters comprising a predefined frame size in said host memory based on an extended display identification data received from the display;

providing a video synchronization device, with a video synchronization device processor and a video synchronization device memory that is in communication with said host memory, being initialized with the plurality of parameters, wherein said video synchronization device is configured to execute the following steps;

receive at least one fragment or slice of a video frame among the generated plurality of video data signals from said host device;

wherein the at least one video subframe has a predefined relationship to said predefined frame size;

transmit the video data to the video display device;

request said host device for a next video subframe having said predefined frame size;

set a condition flag in said video synchronization device memory that can be read by said host if the next video subframe is not available at the required time to be transmitted to the video display device in order to notify said host that an underrun has occurred,

reset the video playback pointer of said video synchronization device to row one, column one of a new frame; and

continuously send the previously received video data to the video display device using a “

frame repeat”

function and wait indefinitely for said host to provide new data representing the pixel at the first row and first column of a new video frame once the flow of video data into said host has resumed.

4. The claim of claim 3 further comprising said video synchronization device flushing the existing data in said video synchronization device memory, resets its video playback pointer to row one column one of a new frame, and notifies said host that it is ready to begin video playback if it is notified by said host that the frame rate of incoming video must change.

5. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a computing device that tangibly embodies a program of instructions executable by said computing device to perform a method for video synchronization in video distribution systems with a system that re-synchronizes the video playback of a video synchronization device with that of a host device after any change by the host, interruption within the host, or interruption of data flow between a video source device and a video display device, comprising:

providing a host device, with a host processor and a host memory that generates a plurality of video data signals comprising video subframes at a first frame rate, wherein the host device stores the generated plurality of video data signals and a plurality of parameters comprising a predefined frame size in said host memory based on an extended display identification data received from the display;

providing a video synchronization device, with a video synchronization device processor and a video synchronization device memory that is in communication with said host memory, being initialized with the plurality of parameters, wherein said video synchronization device is configured to execute the following steps;

receive at least one fragment or slice of a video frame among the generated plurality of video data signals from said host device;

wherein the at least one video subframe has a predefined relationship to said predefined frame size;

transmit the video data to the video display device;

request said host device for a next video subframe having said predefined frame size;

set a condition flag in said video synchronization device memory that can be read by said host if the next video subframe is not available at the required time to be transmitted to the video display device in order to notify said host that an underrun has occurred,

reset the video playback pointer of said video synchronization device to row one, column one of a new frame; and

continuously send the previously received video data to the video display device using a “

frame repeat”

function and wait indefinitely for said host to provide new data representing the pixel at the first row and first column of a new video frame once the flow of video data into said host has resumed.

6. The claim of claim 5 further comprising said video synchronization device flushing the existing data in said video synchronization device memory, resets its video playback pointer to row one column one of a new frame, and notifies said host that it is ready to begin video playback if it is notified by said host that the frame rate of incoming video must change.

7. A system for video synchronization in video distribution systems that re-synchronizes the video playback of a video synchronization device with that of a host device after any change by the host, interruption within the host, or interruption of data flow between a video source device and a video display device, comprising:

a host device, with a host processor and a host memory that generates a plurality of video data signals comprising video subframes at a first frame rate, wherein the host device stores the generated plurality of video data signals and a plurality of parameters comprising a predefined frame size in said host memory based on an extended display identification data received from the display;

a video synchronization device, with a video synchronization device processor and a video synchronization device memory that is in communication with said host memory, being initialized with the plurality of parameters, wherein said video synchronization device is configured to execute the following steps;

receive at least one fragment or slice of a video frame among the generated plurality of video data signals from said host device;

wherein the at least one video subframe has a predefined relationship to said predefined frame size;

transmit the video data to the video display device;

request said host device for a next video subframe having said predefined frame size;

set a condition flag in said video synchronization device memory that can be read by said host if the next video subframe is not available at the required time to be transmitted to the video display device in order to notify said host that an underrun has occurred,

reset the video playback pointer of said video synchronization device to row one, column one of a new frame; and

continuously send the previously received video data to the video display device using a “

frame repeat”

function and wait indefinitely for said host to provide new data representing the pixel at the first row and first column of a new video frame once the flow of video data into said host has resumed.

8. The claim of claim 7 further comprising said video synchronization device flushing the existing data in said video synchronization device memory, resets its video playback pointer to row one column one of a new frame, and notifies said host that it is ready to begin video playback if it is notified by said host that the frame rate of incoming video must change.