Signal transmission system

• US 5,193,208 A
• Filed: 04/26/1991
• Issued: 03/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Machinguchi, Yoshihiro, Yamada, Yuji, Yokota, Teppei, Morioka, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEOUGH, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US07/691,986
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3, 455/4, 455/5, 455/6, 358/86, 381/81, 370/71, 370/73, 370/76, 370/124, 340/825.24, 340/825.25
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2843 Mains power line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A signal transmission system in which a variery of electronic apparatus which can transmit audio and/or video informations (AV informations) or the like are concentratedly installed is comprised of main control means for controlling a variety of electronic apparatus and sub-control means installed via cables within a plurality of sub-rooms so that the AV informations can be listened to and viewed through the main control means. In order to transmit much more informations within the narrow frequency band, the AV informations are allocated to predetermined channels and channel content information indicating the AV informations allocated to the respective channels and an owner information indicative of the sub-room of the owner who exclusively uses the electronic apparatus are frequency-multiplexed with the AV informations and transmitted. Therefore, data of a variety of sources can be transmitted within the narrow frequency band and a plurality of users can generally understand the present status of the limited sources and select informations, thus avoiding the system from being disturbed.

Claims

1. A signal transmission system in which a plurality of electronic apparatus for respectively transmitting audio and/or video information are concentratedly installed in a single room, and said audio and/or video information from said plurality of said electronic apparatus are modulated by respective carrier frequencies in a frequency-multiplexed fashion and transmitted to a plurality of rooms via a single cable, comprising:

main control means, including means connected to said plurality of electronic apparatus and transmitting remote control signals to control said plurality of electronic apparatus, and means for modulating said audio and/or video information and said remote control signals in a frequency-multiplexed fashion and for allocating said audio and/or video information and said remote control information on respective channels, each having said carrier frequencies;

a plurality of receiving means, including means for selectively receiving one of said audio and/or video information from said electronic apparatus through said main control means, and input means for inputting a command to request to transmit said audio and/or video information from said electronic apparatus, and means for transmitting said remote control signals modulated by a predetermined carrier frequency to said main control means;

a cable means for transmitting said frequency-multiplexed, modulated audio and/or video signals and remote control signals between said main control means and said plurality of receiving means; and

means for giving priority to at least one of said plurality of receiving means which first transmitted a remote control signal to said main control means at the first time to operate one of said electronic apparatuses, and counting means for counting which is started under a condition when another of said receiving means has stopped said operation, and erasing means for erasing said priority after said counting means counts a predetermined number of times.

2. A signal transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said main control means includes means for transmitting operation state information indicating operation conditions of each of said electronic apparatuses and priority information indicating said receiving means is given said priority to said receiving means, said receiving means being coupled to display means which display said operation state information and said priority information.

3. A signal transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said main control means includes means for generating a reference clock and for mixing said reference clock with said remote control signals and audio and/or video information to be synchronized with each of said receiving means.

4. A signal transmission system according to claim 3, wherein said main control means further includes a time/calendar generating circuit for generating time information and calendar information in accordance with said reference clock which is transmitted to said receiving means together with said audio and/or video information, and said receiving means is controlled on the basis of said time information and calendar information.