Communications system

• US 6,278,691 B1
• Filed: 02/17/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Morioka, Yoshihiro, Higashida, Masaaki, Ohyama, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/024,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 348/16, 348/17, 348/14.01, 370/259, 370/260, 370/263, 370/264, 370/265, 370/270, 370/230, 370/231, 370/232, 370/395, 370/465, 370/235, 370/412, 370/428, 370/429, 370/498, 368/14.11
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5616 Terminal equipment, e.g. codecs, synch.
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5649 Cell delay or jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5681 Buffer or queue management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A communications system has a real time signal generating part for generating the real time signal of data rate R with one frame as one unit; a transmission part, having a transmission rate C (C>R), over which the real time signal is transmitted; and a real time signal outputting part for outputting the real time signal stored in a real time signal receive buffer part, wherein after storing the real time signal for a prescribed number, N, of frames in the real time signal receive buffer part, the real time signal outputting part is activated, thereby performing control so that all generated portions of the real time signal can be output at the receiving end without interruption.

Claims

1. A communications system for communication of a real time signal having a real time requirement, comprising:

real time signal generating means for generating said real time signal of data rate R with one frame as one unit;

real time signal transmit buffer means for temporarily storing said real time signal;

real time signal transmitting means for transmitting said real time signal;

transmission means, having a transmission rate C (C>

R), over which said real time signal is transmitted;

real time signal receiving means for receiving said real time signal transmitted from said real time signal transmitting means over said transmission means;

real time signal receive buffer means for temporarily storing said real time signal received by said real time signal receiving means; and

real time signal outputting means for outputting said real time signal stored in said real time signal receive buffer means, wherein

after sorting said real time signal for a prescribed number, N, of frames in said real time signal receive buffer means, said real time signal outputting means is activated, thereby performing control so that all generated portions of said real time signal can be output at the receiving without interruption,

and said real time signal has both image and voice signals which are transmitted simultaneously.

2. A communications system according to claim 1, further comprising real time signal recording means for recording said real time on a recording medium, wherein said real time signal stored in said receive buffer means is recorded on said recording medium as said real time signal is output by said real time signal outputting means.

3. A communications system for communication of a real time signal having a real time requirement, comprising:

real time signal reproducing means for reproducing a real time signal of data rate R in real time with one frame as one unit by playing back a first information recording medium on which said real time signal is prerecorded;

real time signal transmit buffer means for temporarily storing said real time signal;

real time signal transmitting means for transmitting said real time signal;

transmission means, having a transmission rate C (C>

R), over which said real time signal is transmitted;

real time signal receiving means for receiving said real time signal transmitted from said real time signal transmitting means over said transmission means;

real time signal receive buffer means for temporarily storing said real time signal received by said real time signal receiving means; and

real time signal recording means for recording in real time said real time signal stored in said real time signal receive buffer means onto a second information recording medium, wherein

after storing said real time signal for a prescribed number, N, of frames in said real time signal receive buffer means, said real time signal recording means is activated, thereby performing control so that all reproduced portions of said real time signal can be recorded on said second information recording medium without interruption,

and said real time signal has both image and voice signals which are transmitted simultaneously.

4. A communications system according to claim 3, further comprising:

real time signal reproduction control means for externally controlling reproduction start timing of said real time signal reproducing means; and

real time signal recording control means for controlling recording start timing of said real time signal recording means, wherein control is performed so that all or part of said real time signal prerecorded on said first information recording medium can be recorded on said second information recording means.

5. A communications system comprising:

a real time signal recording medium on which real time signal data having a real time requirement is prerecorded on a frame by frame basis;

real time signal reproducing means capable of reading said real time signal prerecorded on said real time signal recording medium faster than real time, and capable of randomly accessing said real time signal;

real time signal transmit buffer means for temporarily storing said real time signal;

real time signal transmitting means for transmitting said real time signal;

transmission means over which said real time signal is transmitted;

real time signal receiving means for receiving said real time signal transmitted from said real time signal transmitting means over said transmission means;

real time signal receive buffer means for temporarily storing said real time signal received by said real time signal receiving means; and

real time signal outputting means for outputting said real time signal stored in said real time signal receive buffer means, wherein

after storing said real time signal for a prescribed number, N, of frames in said real time signal receive buffer means, said real time signal outputting means is activated, and

each time said real time signal outputting means outputs said real time signal of a prescribed unit, a receive notification is sent to said real time signal transmitting means, and if said receive notification does not reach said real time signal transmitting means within a predetermined time, said real time signal read by said real time signal reproducing means is added to said real time signal transmit buffer means, thereby performing control so that all portions of said real time signal generated from said real time signal transmitting means can be output at the receiving side without interruption,

and said real time signal has both image and voice signals which are transmitted simultaneously.

6. A communications system for communication of a real time signal having a real time requirement, comprising:

a plurality of real time signal generating means, each for generating said real time signal of data rate R with one frame as one unit;

a plurality of real time signal transmitting means respectively connected to said plurality of real time signal generating means;

a plurality of real time signal transmit buffer means for temporarily storing said real time signals respectively generated by said plurality of real time signal generating means;

a plurality of real time signal transmitting means respectively connected to said plurality of real time signal transmit buffer means, for transmitting said real time signals;

transmission means, having a transmission rate C (C>

R), over which said real time signals are transmitted;

selecting means for selecting one of said plurality of real time signal transmitting means;

real time signal receiving means for receiving said real time signal transmitted from said real time signal transmitting means selected by said selecting means;

real time signal receive buffer means for temporarily storing said real time signal received by said real time signal receiving means; and

real time signal outputting means for outputting said real time signal stored in said real time signal receive buffer means, wherein

when selecting said real time signal to be received by said real time signal receiving means, the real time signal to be received is output sequentially from said real time signal transmitting means, and once the selection is determined, after storing said real time signal for a prescribed number, N, of frames in said real time signal receive buffer means said real time signal outputting means is activated, thereby performing control so that, after the selection is determined, all generated portions of said real time signal can be output at the receiving end without interruption,

and said real time signal has both image and voice signals which are transmitted simultaneously.