Picture image distributing apparatus provided within passenger moving vehicle

• US 5,539,657 A
• Filed: 04/30/1993
• Issued: 07/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Utsumi, Kuniaki, Morikura, Susumu, Maeda, Kazuki, Fuse, Masaru, Yamamoto, Hiroaki, Nakata, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Kamini S.
• Application Number:
  US08/054,195
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 359/125, 359/133, 359/144, 359/145, 359/146, 348/7, 348/8, 455/6.2, 364/514
• US Class Current: 725/75
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/22 Adaptations for optical transmission

Abstract

A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle, consists of: a head end portion for multichannel FDM picture image signals; an electrical optical for converting the FDM picture image signals into optical signals; an optical amplifier for optically amplifying the optical outputs; one optical fiber transmission path connected to optical taps of unequal distribution for branching halfway on one portion of the optical power except for the branching at a final point, an optical/electrical converter for receiving optical signals branched at the final point or halfway so as to convert them into electrical signals; and a passenger seat picture image receiving terminal connected to the optical/electrical converter so as to receive the electrical signals.

Claims

1. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle comprising:

a head end portion, related to picture image signals, and outputting electrical signals multiplexed in frequency;

an electrical/optical converter for converting electrical signals from said head end portion into optical signals;

an optical amplifier for optically amplifying the optical signals from said electrical/optical converters;

one optical fiber transmission path for transmitting optical signals output from said optical amplifier, said one optical fiber transmission path being connected to a plurality of optical branching units of non-equal distribution for halfway branching one portion of the optical power of the optical signals, and also being connected to optical branching units of equal or unequal distribution for branching the optical power at a final point;

a plurality of optical/electrical converters for receiving optical signals branched at the final point or halfway on said optical fiber transmission path; and

at least one passenger seat picture image receiving terminal connected electrically to respective optical/electrical converters for receiving electric signals from said optical/electrical converters.

2. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 1, where the head end portion is adapted to output one FM - FDM signal multiplexed in frequency in a multichannel FM picture image signal.

3. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 1, where the head end portion is adapted to output one QAM - FDM signal multiplexed in frequency having multichannel signals multiplexed in frequency with respective digital picture image signals being modulated by a QAM system.

14. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 1, 4, 7, 10 and 11, wherein the passenger seat picture image receiving terminal comprises:

a channel selector for a passenger to be adapted as a man-machine interface;

a tuner for selectively tuning to a desired channel by the channel selector from the output electrical signal of the optical/electrical converter;

a demodulator for demodulating the tuning selected channel signal, and a picture image display for displaying the demodulated picture image signal.

15. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 2, 5, and 8, wherein the passenger seat picture image receiving terminal comprises:

a channel selector for a passenger to be adapted as a man-machine interface, and a picture image displaying portion for displaying demodulated base-band picture image signals, the optical/electrical converters being adapted to tune and demodulate the desired channel by controlling from the channel selector, and the desired signal being transmitted as a formal of a base-band picture image signal from the optical/electrical converter onto the picture image display for the respective passenger seat picture image receiving terminal.

16. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 3, 6, and 9, wherein the passenger seat picture image receiving terminal comprises:

a channel selector for a passenger to be adapted as a man-machine interface;

a decoder for decoding the digital picture image signals which have been QAM demodulated, and a picture display for displaying the decoded picture image signal, the optical/electrical converter being adapted to tune the desired channel and QAM demodulate by control from the channel selector, and the desired picture image signal being transmitted in a form of digital picture image signals from the optical/electrical converter to the decoding portions of the respective passenger seat picture image receiving terminals.

17. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 3, 6, and 9, wherein the passenger seat picture image receiving terminal comprises:

a channel selector to be adapted as a man-machine interface, and a picture image display for displaying a baseband picture image signal, the optical/electrical converter being adapted to tune of the desired channel, QAM demodulate, and decode the digital picture image signal by control of the channel selector, and the desired signal being transmitted in a formal of a base-band picture image signal from the optical/electrical converter to the picture image display of the respective passenger seat picture image receiving terminals.

22. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 1 through 11, where the number of kinds of optical branching units are less than the number of branches.

23. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 1, 4, 7, 10 and 11, wherein at least the transmission paths and optical branching units are located at the wall plane or below the floor of the passenger moving vehicle, and the parts provided after the output point of the optical branching units are located within customer'"'"'s cabins of the passenger moving vehicle.

24. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 1, 4, 7, 10 and 11, wherein at least the transmission paths, optical branching units and optical/electric converters are located at the wall plane or below the floor of the passenger moving vehicle, and the parts provided after the output point of the optical branching units are located within customer'"'"'s cabins of the passenger moving vehicle.

4. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle comprising:

a head end portion, related to the picture image signals, and outputting electrical signals multiplexed in frequency;

an electrical/optical converter for converting electrical signals from said head end portion into optical signals;

one optical fiber transmission path for transmitting optical signals from said electrical/optical converter, said one optical fiber transmission path being connected to a plurality of optical branching units of non-equal distribution for halfway branching one portion of the optical power of the optical signals, and also being connected to optical branching units of equal or unequal distribution for branching the optical power at a final point;

an optical amplifier for optically amplifying optical signals which have been damped during their transmission, said amplifier being interposed halfway of the optical fiber transmission path;

a plurality of optical/electrical converters for receiving the optical signals branched at the final point or halfway on the optical fiber transmission path; and

a plurality of passenger picture image receiving terminals respectively connected electrically to the plurality of optical/electrical converters, said terminals receiving the electrical signals from the optical/electrical converters.

5. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 4, where the head end portion is adapted to output one FM - FDM signal multiplexed in frequency in a multichannel FM picture image signal.

6. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 4, where the head end portion is adapted to output one QAM-FDM signal multiplexed in frequency having multichannel signals multiplexed in frequency with respective digital picture image signals being modulated by a QAM system.

18. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 4, 5, 6, where the optical amplifier is composed of an optical fiber amplifier, and the light for excitation is transmitted through an optical fiber transmission path from the head end side to excite the optical amplifier.

21. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 18, where an optical branching unit is adapted to have a wavelength dependency where the light for excitation is not branched.

7. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle comprising:

a head end portion, related to the picture image signals, and outputting electrical signals multiplexed in frequency;

an electrical/optical converter for converting electrical signals from the head end portion into optical signals;

a first optical amplifier for optically amplifying the optical signals from the electrical/optical converter;

one optical fiber transmission path for transmitting optical signals output from said first optical amplifier, said one optical fiber transmission path being connected to a plurality of optical branching units of non-equal distribution for halfway branching one portion of the optical power of the optical signals, and also being connected to optical branching units of equal or unequal distribution for branching the optical power at a final point;

a second optical amplifier for optically amplifying optical signal which have been damped during the transmission path;

a plurality of optical/electrical converters for receiving optical signals branched at the final point or halfway of the optical fiber transmission path and for converting them into electrical signals; and

a plurality of passenger seat picture image receiving terminals respectively connected electrically respective optical/electrical converters so as to receive the electric signals from the optical/electrical converters.

8. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 7, where the head end portion is adapted to output one FM - FDM signal multiplexed in frequency in a multichannel FM picture image signal.

9. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 7, where the head end portion is adapted to output one QAM-FDM signal multiplexed in frequency having multichannel signals multiplexed in frequency with respective digital picture image signals being modulated by a QAM system.

10. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle comprising:

a head end portion, related to picture image signals, and outputting electrical signals multiplexed in frequency;

an electrical/optical converter for converting the electrical signals from the head end portion into optical signals;

a first optical amplifier for optically amplifying the optical signals output from the electrical/optical converter, said first optical amplifier including a branching portion for dividing in two an optical output from said first optical amplifier;

two optical fiber transmission paths, a first transmission path and a second transmission path, connected to respective branching portions for transmitting optical signals from two outputs of the branching portions, said transmission paths being connected to a plurality of optical branching units of a fusion type having two inputs and two outputs of unequal distribution for halfway branching one portion of the optical power of optical signals;

a second optical amplifier for optically amplifying an optical output from a final point of the first transmission path and for inputting the amplified output to a final point of the second transmission path;

a third optical amplifier for optically amplifying an output from the final point of the second transmission path and for inputting the amplified outputs to the final point of the first transmission path;

a plurality of optical/electrical converters for receiving two optical signals outputted from two outputs of the optical branching units and for converting them into electrical signals so as to receive them in diversity; and

at least one passenger seat picture image receiving terminal electrically connected to a respective optical/electrical converter for receiving the electrical signals from the optical/electrical converter.

12. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in either one of claims 10 and 11, wherein the head end portion is designed to output one FM - FDM signal multiplexed in frequency with respect to a multichannel FM picture image signal.

13. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in either one of claims 10 and 11, wherein the head end portion is designed to output one QAM -FDM signal multiplexed in frequency with respect to a multichannel signal being modulated by the respective digital picture image signal in a QAM system.

19. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in any one of claims 7,8, 9, 10, where a second optical amplifier is composed of an optical fiber amplifier, and the light for excitation is transmitted through an optical fiber transmission path from the head end side to excite the second optical amplifier.

25. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 12, wherein the passenger seat picture image receiving terminal comprises:

a channel selector for a passenger to be adapted as a man-machine interface, and a picture image display for displaying demodulated base-band picture image signals, the optical/electrical converters being adapted to tune and demodulate the desired channel by control from the channel selector, and the desired signal being transmitted as a format of a base-band picture image signal from the optical/electrical converter onto the picture image display for the respective passenger seat picture image receiving terminal.

26. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 13, wherein the passenger seat picture image receiving terminal comprises:

a channel selector for a passenger to be adapted as a man-machine interface;

a decoder for decoding the digital picture image signals which have been QAM demodulated, and a picture image display for displaying the decoded picture image signal, the optical/electrical converter being adapted to tune the desired channel and QAM demodulate by control from the channel selector, and the desired picture image signal being transmitted in a form of digital picture image signals from the optical/electrical converter to the decoder of the respective passenger seat picture image receiving terminals.

27. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 13, wherein the passenger seat picture image receiving terminal comprises;

a channel selector to be adapted as a man-machine interface, and a picture image display for displaying a base-band picture image signal, the optical/electrical converter being adapted to tune the desired channel, QAM demodulate, and decode the digital picture image signal by control of the channel selector, and the desired signal being transmitted in a format of a base-band picture image signal from the optical/electrical converter to the picture image display of the respective passenger seat picture image receiving terminals.

28. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 19, where an optical branching unit is adapted to have a wavelength dependency where the light for excitation is not branched.

30. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 28, where the number of kinds of optical branching units are less than the number of branches.

11. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle comprising:

a head end portion, related to picture image signals, and outputting electrical signals multiplexed in frequency;

an electrical/optical converter for converting the electrical signals from the head end portion into optical signals;

a branching portion for branching in two optical outputs from the first optical amplifier;

two optical fiber transmission paths, a first transmission path and a second transmission path, connected to respective branching portions for transmitting the optical signals from branching portions, and connected in to a plurality of optical branching units of a fusion type having two inputs and two outputs of unequal distribution for halfway branching one portion of the optical power of the optical signals;

a second optical amplifier for optically amplifying the output from a final point of the first transmission path or second transmission path;

an optical switching portion for switching from one condition of inputting the output from the second optical amplifier to the second transmission path upon inputting the output from the final point of the first transmission path to the second optical amplifier to another condition of inputting the output from the second optical amplifier to the first transmission path upon inputting the output from the final point of the second transmission path to the second optical amplifier, and vice-versa;

a plurality of optical/electrical converters for receiving two optical signals from two outputs of the optical branching units and for converting them into electrical signals so as to receive them in diversity; and

a plurality of passenger seat picture image receiving terminals respectively connected electrically to respective optical/electrical converters for receiving the electrical signals from the optical/electrical converters.

20. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 11, wherein the second optical amplifier and third optical amplifier respectively comprise optical fiber amplifiers, and the light source for optical excitation is transmitted through the first transmission path and second transmission path from the head end side to excite the second optical amplifier and third optical amplifier.

29. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 20, where an optical branching unit is adapted to have a wavelength dependency where the light for excitation is not branched.

31. A picture image distributing apparatus provided within a passenger moving vehicle as defined in claim 29, where the number of kinds of optical branching units are less than the number of branches.