Multimedia terminal equipment and digital processing method

• US 6,985,189 B1
• Filed: 03/26/1999
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Hajime, Takada, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M.
• Application Number:
  US09/277,646
• Time in Patent Office: 2,482 Days
• Field of Search: 348/558, 348/725, 348/726, 348/553, 348/555, 348/564, 348/465, 348/468, 348/556, 348/407.1, 348/390.1, 348/384.1, 348/388.01, 348/389.01, 725/139, 725/141, 725/151, 725/153, 375/316, 375/240.16
• US Class Current: 348/558
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27

Abstract

The invention provides a multimedia terminal equipment which can reproduce and output an object broadcasting program irrespective of a providing medium and so forth of the program. The multimedia terminal equipment includes a digital signal processing circuit in the form of a digital signal processor which is programmable to process various kinds of digital broadcasting signals of different formats. A program to be used for processing of an object digital signal is read out from a ROM by a host CPU in response to a selection input from a user and supplied to the digital signal processing circuit. In accordance with the program, the digital signal processing circuit processes a digital signal outputted from a traffic controller in response to the selection input of the user.

Claims

1. A multimedia terminal comprising:

a plurality of interfaces, each of said interfaces being adapted to receive one of a plurality of differently compressed digital video signals transmitted from one of a plurality of different transmission systems and to transmit said one compressed digital video signal, each of said digital video signals being compressed in a different format and decompressible using one of a plurality of different decompression programs;

a controller adapted to receive said compressed digital video signals from said interfaces and to transmit a selected one of said compressed digital video signals;

a memory for storing said plurality of decompression programs;

a first processor adapted to receive said selected compressed digital video signal from said controller, receive a selected one of said decompression programs from said memory in response to the selection of said selected compressed digital video signal, said selected decompression program being adapted to decompress digital video signals in the compression format of said selected compressed digital video signal, and to run said selected decompression program to decompress said selected compressed digital video signal for display on a display apparatus; and

a second processor adapted to identify the compression format of said selected compressed digital video signal, cause said controller to transmit said selected one of said compressed digital video signals and cause said selected one of said decompression programs to be transmitted from said memory to said first processor.

2. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, further comprising a user interface adapted to receive a signal from a user for choosing said selected compressed digital video signal for display on said display apparatus.

3. A multimedia terminal as in claim 2, wherein said signal from said user is transmitted from a remote control device.

4. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, further comprising a third processor adapted to receive an output signal from said first processor and convert said output signal to an analog video output signal for display on said display apparatus.

5. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of different transmission systems comprises a satellite television broadcasting system and a cable television broadcasting system.

6. A multimedia terminal as in claim 5, wherein said plurality of different transmission systems further comprises a terrestrial television broadcasting system.

7. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of different transmission systems comprises a digital video playback system associated with said multimedia terminal.

8. A multimedia terminal as in claim 7, wherein at least one of said interfaces is adapted to receive digital video signals formatted in accordance with the IEEE 1394 standard and said digital video playback system communicates with said multimedia terminal through said one interface.

9. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of different transmission systems comprises a digital video playback system associated with said multimedia terminal, said playback system being of a particular type, and said second processor is further adapted to identify said particular type and to cause said selected one of said decompression programs to be transmitted from said memory to said first processor on the basis of said type.

10. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, wherein said differently compressed digital video signals include a digital video signal compressed in accordance with the MPEG standard.

11. A multimedia terminal as in claim 10, wherein said differently compressed digital video signals include HTML data.

12. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, wherein each of said differently compressed digital video signals is modulated on one of a plurality of different carriers and said interfaces demodulate said digital video signals from said carriers.

13. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, wherein said differently compressed digital video signals are formatted in different image resolutions.

14. A multimedia terminal as in claim 1, wherein said memory is removably mounted on said multimedia terminal.

15. A method of processing digital video signals on a multimedia terminal comprising:

receiving at each of a plurality of interfaces of said multimedia terminal one of a plurality of differently compressed digital video signals transmitted from one of a plurality of different transmission systems, each of said digital video signals being compressed in a different format and decompressible using one of a plurality of different decompression programs;

receiving at a controller said compressed digital video signals transmitted from said interfaces;

transmitting from said controller a selected one of said compressed digital video signals;

storing in a memory a plurality of decompression programs;

receiving at a first processor said selected compressed digital video signal from said controller and a selected one of said decompression programs from said memory in response to the selection of said selected compressed digital video signal, said selected decompression program being adapted to decompress digital video signals in the compression format of said selected compressed digital video signal;

running said selected decompression program on said first processor to decompress said selected compressed digital video signal for display on a display apparatus;

identifying with a second processor the compression format of said selected compressed digital video signal;

causing with said second processor said controller to transmit said selected one of said compressed digital video signals; and

causing with said second processor said selected one of said decompression programs to be transmitted from said memory to said first processor.

16. A method as in claim 15, further comprising receiving at a user interface a signal from a user for choosing said selected compressed digital video signal for display on said display apparatus.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising transmitting said signal from said user from a remote control device.

18. A method as in claim 15, further comprising receiving an output signal from said first processor at a third processor and converting with said third processor said output signal to an analog video output signal for display on said display apparatus.

19. A method as in claim 15, wherein said plurality of different transmission systems comprises a satellite television broadcasting system and a cable television broadcasting system.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein said plurality of different transmission systems further comprises a terrestrial television broadcasting system.

21. A method as in claim 15, wherein said plurality of different transmission systems comprises a digital video playback system associated with said multimedia terminal.

22. A method as in claim 21, wherein at least one of said interfaces is adapted to receive digital video signals formatted in accordance with the IEEE 1394 standard and further comprising communicating with said digital video playback system through said one interface.

23. A method as in claim 15, wherein said plurality of different transmission systems comprises a digital video playback system associated with said multimedia terminal, said playback system being of a particular type, and further comprising identifying with said second processor said particular type and causing with said second processor said selected one of said decompression programs to be transmitted from said memory to said first processor on the basis of said type.

24. A method as in claim 15, wherein said differently compressed digital video signals include digital video signals compressed in accordance with the MPEG standard.

25. A method as in claim 24, wherein said differently compressed digital video signals include HTML data.

26. A method as in claim 15, wherein each of said differently compressed digital video signals is modulated on one of a plurality of different carriers and further comprising using said interfaces to demodulate said digital video signals from said carriers.

27. A method as in claim 15, wherein said differently compressed digital video signals are formatted in different image resolutions.

28. A method as in claim 15, wherein said memory is removably mounted on said multimedia terminal.