Method and apparatus for communicating state information using vertical blanking interval

• US 6,879,347 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spotware Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: French, Kelly S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Trang U
• Application Number:
  US09/475,220
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 348/473, 348/474, 348/476, 348/477, 348/478, 348/479, 348/460, 348/461, 348/465, 348/734, 348/552, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 725/80
• US Class Current: 348/473
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9305 involving the mixing of the reproduced video signal with a non-recorded signal, e.g. a text signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

An information handling system controls a signal processing device by providing a control signal to the signal processing device. The control signal may be transmitted to the signal processing device as an infrared or R/F signal that is received and decoded by the signal processing device. The signal processing device is capable of receiving and processing an input signal, and is further capable of providing an output signal to the information handling system. In response to the control signal, the signal processing device encodes data onto the output signal provided to the information handling system, and the information handling system is capable of decoding the data from the output signal. The data encoded onto the output signal may include status information from the signal processing device, including the status of execution of the control signal. In one embodiment, the output signal is a video signal, such as the case where the signal processor is a VCR or the like, and the data is encoded onto a vertical blanking interval of the video signal such that state information is communicated from the signal processor to the information handling system via the vertical blanking interval.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a signal processor for receiving a signal to be processed, the signal processor comprising an information storage media player; and

an information handling system for receiving an output signal provided by said signal processor the information storage media player, the output signal being a video signal that is representative of at least a portion of the input signal,

wherein said information handling system provides a control signal to said signal processor and said signal processor encodes data onto the output signal in response to the control signal such that the encoded data is decodable by said information handling system; and

wherein the information storage media player receives and decodes the control signal from the information handling system, and, in response thereto, encodes status data within a vertical blanking interval of the output signal, the encoded status data being decodable by the information handling system for acquiring the status of the information storage media player.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, said signal processor including a data encoder for encoding the data onto the output signal, and said information handling system having a data decoder for decoding the data from the output signal received from said signal processor.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, said information handling system having a transmitter for transmitting the control signal to said signal processor, and said signal processor having a receiver and decoder for receiving and decoding the control signal received from said information handling system.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, said information handling system being capable of reproducing the output signal received from said signal processor.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, the signal to be processed and the output signal provided by said signal processor being video signals.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, the output signal provided by said signal processor being an NTSC compliant video signal.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, the output signal provided by said signal processor being an NTSC compliant video signal, the data being encoded onto the vertical blanking interval of the NTSC compliant video signal in compliance with an Electronic Industry Association standard.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, the control signal being a wireless signal.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information storage media player is a VCR player.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said information storage media player is a DVD player.

11. A method, comprising:

transmitting a control signal to a signal processor from an information handling system that controls the signal processor, the signal processor comprising an information storage media player;

receiving and decoding the control signal;

providing a video signal from the signal processor to the information handling system; and

encoding data onto the provided output signal in response to the control signal;

wherein the information storage media player receives and decodes the control signal from the information handling system, and, in response thereto, encodes status data within a vertical blanking interval of the output signal, the encoded status data being decodable by the information handling system for acquiring the status of the information storage media player.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the step of decoding the data from the provided output signal.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, the data being indicative of a status of the signal processor.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the available vertical blanking interval is not available during a predetermined time after decoding the control signal; and

interleaving the data in a previously existing data packet.

15. A program of instructions storable on a computer readable medium for causing an information handling system to execute a series of steps, the steps comprising:

transmitting a control signal from an information handling system to a signal processor that the information handling system controls;

receiving and decoding the control signal;

providing an output signal from the signal processor to the information handling system; and

encoding data onto the output signal in response to the control signal;

wherein the output signal provided by said signal processor is a video signal and the signal processor comprises an information storage media player capable of encoding the data onto an available vertical blanking interval of the output signal, the information storage media player for receiving and decoding the control signal from the information handling system, and, in response thereto, encoding status data within a vertical blanking interval of the output signal, the encoded status data being decodable by the information handling system for acquiring the status of the information storage media player.

16. A program of instructions as claimed in claim 15, the steps further including the step of decoding the data from the output signal.

17. A program of instructions as claimed in claim 15, the data being indicative of a state of the signal processor.

18. A program of instructions as claimed in claim 15, the steps further comprising the steps of:

determining that the available vertical blanking interval is not available during a predetermined time after decoding the control signal; and

interleaving the data in a previously existing data packet.

19. A convergence system capable of communicating state information using a vertical blanking interval of a video signal, comprising:

a computer system for controlling the convergence system;

a television monitor coupled to the computer system for displaying video images;

an information storage media player coupled to at least one of the computer system and the television monitor for receiving a storage medium containing video information stored thereon and providing an output video signal having a vertical blanking interval to at least one of the computer system and the television monitor; and

wherein the information storage media player receives and decodes a control signal from the computer system and, in response thereto, encodes status data within the vertical blanking interval of the output video signal, the encoded status data being decodable by the computer system for acquiring the status of the information storage media player.

20. The convergence system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the information storage media player is capable of determining that an available vertical blanking interval is not available during a predetermined time after decoding the control signal and interleaving the data in a previously existing data packet.

21. The convergence system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the status data includes recording, paused, playing back, and channel information.

22. The convergence system as claimed in claim 19, wherein information storage media player comprises at least one of a video cassette recorder (VCR), a DVD player, a DVD player and recorder and a video laser disc player.