Multiple audio and video signal providing apparatus

• US 5,666,151 A
• Filed: 09/09/1996
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Yoshiyuki, Tagawa, Koichi, Shigetomi, Tetsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/709,881
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 348/8, 348/10, 348/385, 348/387, 348/388, 348/469, 370/50
• US Class Current: 725/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 for digital sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/12 Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal H04N7/24 takes precedence

Abstract

A video signal provider multiplexes digital video signals for four channels and provides a signal the bandwidth of which is limited to 6 MHz by RF-modulation. An analog video signal provider provides another signal the bandwidth of which is limited to 6 MHz by RF-modulation. A digital audio signal provider multiplexes digital audio signals for 32 channels and provides another signal the bandwidth of which is limited to 6 MHz by RF-modulation. Such signals are combined and transmitted through a coaxial cable 14 to a controller. In this example, such signal providing apparatus can provide a maximum of 84 channels (=126 MHz (the bandwidth for video signal of the coaxial cable)/6 MHz×4 ch), which number is significantly larger than the 20 channels provided in the prior art.

Claims

1. A signal providing apparatus comprising:

analog video signal providing means for providing an RF-modulated analog video signal having a bandwidth;

at least one digital video signal providing means providing an RF-modulated digital video signal having a bandwidth comprising;

time-division multiplexing means for multiplexing a plurality of compressed digital video signals by time division, and

RF-modulating means for modulating a carrier signal with an output signal from the time-division multiplexing means, wherein a bandwidth of the carrier signal used by said RF-modulating means is equal to the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog video signal; and

frequency-division multiplexing means for multiplexing by frequency-division the RF-modulated analog video signal from the analog video signal providing means and the RF-modulated digital video signal or signals from the at least one digital video signal providing means.

2. A signal providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals is equal to a bandwidth of one-channel-television-signals.

3. A signal providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals is 6 MHz.

4. A signal providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising audio signal providing means.

5. A signal providing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said audio signal providing means comprise:

audio signal time-division multiplexing means for multiplexing a plurality of audio signals by time-division; and

audio signal modulating means for RF-modulating a carrier signal with the multiplexed audio signals, wherein a bandwidth of said carrier signal is equal to the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog video signal;

wherein the frequency-division multiplexing means multiplex the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals and the RF-modulated audio signals.

6. A method for providing signals comprising the steps of:

providing an RF-modulated analog video signal having a bandwidth;

providing at least one RF-modulated digital video signal having a bandwidth comprising the steps of;

time-division multiplexing a plurality of compressed digital video signals by time division, and

RF-modulating a carrier signal with an output signal from the time-division multiplexing step, wherein a bandwidth of the carrier signal used in said RF-modulation is equal to the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog video signal; and

frequency-division multiplexing by frequency-division the RF-modulated analog video signal and the RF-modulated digital video signal or signals.

7. A signal providing method according to claim 6, wherein the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals is equal to a bandwidth of one-channel-television-signals.

8. A signal providing method according to claim 6, the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals is 6 MHz.

9. A signal providing method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of providing at least one audio signal.

10. A signal providing method according to claim 9 wherein said step of providing at least one audio signal further comprises:

time-division multiplexing a plurality of audio signals by time-division; and

RF-modulating a carrier signal with the multiplexed audio signals, wherein a bandwidth of said carrier signal is equal to the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog video signal;

wherein said step of frequency-division multiplexing includes multiplexing the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals and the RF-modulated audio signals.

11. A signal providing system comprising:

analog video signal providing means for providing an RF-modulated analog video signal having a bandwidth;

at least one digital video signal providing means for providing an RF-modulated digital video signal having a bandwidth comprising;

video time-division multiplexing means for multiplexing a plurality of compressed digital video signals by time division, and

RF-modulating means for modulating a carrier signal with an output signal from the time-division multiplexing means, wherein a bandwidth of the carrier signal used by said RF-modulating means is equal to the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog video signal;

frequency-division multiplexing means for multiplexing by frequency-division the RF-modulated analog video signal from the analog video signal providing means and the RF-modulated digital video signal or signals from the at least one digital video signal providing means;

video tuner means for receiving and demodulating a signal output by said frequency-division multiplexing means and for selecting a signal having a specific frequency;

video selecting means for selecting from a signal output by said video tuner means one of said compressed digital video signals multiplexed by said video time-division multiplexing means or said analog video signal;

video expanding means for expanding said signal selected by said video selecting means; and

display means for receiving and displaying a signal expanded by said video expanding means.

12. A signal providing system according to claim 11, wherein the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals is equal to a bandwidth of one-channel-television-signals.

13. A signal providing system according to claim 11, the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals is 6 MHz.

14. A signal providing system according to claim 11, further comprising audio signal providing means.

15. A signal providing system according to claim 14 wherein said audio signal providing means comprise:

audio signal time-division multiplexing means for multiplexing a plurality of audio signals by time-division; and

audio signal modulating means for RF-modulating a carrier signal with the multiplexed audio signals, wherein a bandwidth of said carrier signal is equal to the bandwidth of the RF-modulated analog video signal;

wherein the frequency-division multiplexing means multiplex the RF-modulated analog and digital video signals and the RF-modulated audio signals.

16. A signal providing system according to claim 15, further comprising:

audio tuner means for receiving and demodulating an audio signal output by said frequency-division multiplexing means and for selecting a signal having a specific frequency

audio selecting means for selecting from a signal output by said audio tuner means one of said compressed audio signals multiplexed by said audio signal time-division multiplexing means;

audio expanding means for expanding said signal selected by said audio selecting means; and

means for receiving a signal expanded by said audio expanding means and producing sound therefrom.