Apparatus controller, device and method for controlling data transmission of digital apparatus, and data transmission control system

• US 7,136,106 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Security Video Camera Systems Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wakamori, Masahiro, Shinohara, Toshiaki, Tsuzuki, Kengo
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US09/762,387
• Time in Patent Office: 2,657 Days
• Field of Search: 348/512, 348/500, 348/515, 348/537, 348/510, 348/518, 348/552, 348/423.1, 348/425.4, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 348/14.13, 348/153, 348/159, 348/64, 348/14.01, 370/278, 370/282, 386/109, 386/111, 386/117, 386/98, 375/240.26, 375/240.28, 375/240.25, 725/90, 725/93, 725/98, 709/229, 709/400
• US Class Current: 348/423.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass networks security protocols H04L9/40; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip

Abstract

According to the present invention, when an image data currently being received is switched over to the data from another image information device, the best picture quality is provided without stopping the image up to the next I frame even when the switching request is given at the middle of I frame. The apparatus of the invention comprises a clock processing unit 103 for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller 107 via a network 101, a transmitting/receiving processing unit 102 for transmitting and receiving data and control signal to and from the network, a time designation processing unit 104 for setting the designation time received from the system controller via the network, and a designation time detection processing unit 105 for comparing the preset designation time with the current time, and when the designation time agrees with the current time, the received data is switched over, and the switching is synchronized with the next I frame.

Claims

1. A data transmission control apparatus, comprising a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, compression to send out I frames is performed and compressed image data of I frame is sent out.

2. The data transmission control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an information of the designation time is maintained inside in advance.

3. A data transmission control apparatus, comprising a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, the received data is switched over.

4. The data transmission control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an information of the designation time is maintained inside in advance.

5. A data transmission control system, comprising

an arbitrary number of data transmission control apparatuses each having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation

time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, compressed image data of I frame is sent out;

and

an arbitrary number of data transmission control apparatuses each having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, the received data is switched over;

said data transmission control apparatus being connected with each other over a network, whereby compressed image data received is switched over at a timing of transmission of an image data of I frame, which constitutes compressed image on the receiving side.

6. A data transmission control system, comprising a plurality of transmitting devices for transmitting compressed image data and a plurality of receiving devices for receiving compressed image data, all of said transmitting and receiving devices being connected with each other over a network, said system being arranged such that each of said receiving devices can be switched so as to receive compressed image data from a desired one of said transmitting devices, each of said receiving devices comprising means for sending, through said network, an I frame sending request to one of said transmitting devices, which one is the transmitting device from which compressed image data is to be received after switching, each of said transmitting devices comprising compressing means for generating said compressed image data, said compressing means being responsive to said I frame sending request to compress said image data of I frame thereby sending out compressed image data of I frame to said network, whereby when switching from one of said transmitting devices to another is performed with respect to one of said receiving devices, said transmitting device which is to transmit compressed image data after switching is able to send said compressed image data of I frame in response to said I frame sending request to said receiving device, which sent said I frame sending request, within a shortest time.

7. A data transmission control system as claimed in claim 6, comprising means for setting a data amount of image data including I frame constituting the compressed image to a value lower than a transmissible data amount, and means for providing free time up to arrival of the next data group.

8. A data transmission control system, comprising:

a plurality of photographing means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control signal to and from said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, as a result of said comparison, the sending of transmission data from external device is stopped by said transmitting/receiving processing unit when the present designation time is detected;

a plurality of monitoring means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, the received data is switched over; and

a manager connected to a network, to which said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means are connected, said manager performing scheduling of data transmission between said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means.

9. The data transmission control system according to claim 8, wherein, in the scheduling by said manager, the sending of I frame of compressed image data is thinned out.

10. A data transmission control system, comprising:

a plurality of photographing means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, sending out of compressed image data of I frame is terminated;

a plurality of monitoring means each utilizing a data transmission control system having an arbitrary number of data transmission control apparatuses each having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, compressed image data of I frame is snet out; and

an arbitrary number of data transmission control apparatuses each having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, the received data is switched over;

said data transmission control apparatuses being connected with each other over a network, whereby compressed image data received is switched over a timing of transmission of an image data of I frame, which constitutes compressed image on the receiving side; and

a manager connected to a network, to which said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means are connected, said manager performing scheduling of data transmission between said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means.

11. The data transmission control system according to claim 10, wherein, in the scheduling by said manager, the sending of I frame of compressed image data is thinned out.

12. A data transmission control system, comprising:

a plurality of photographing means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, compressed image data of I frame is sent out;

a plurality of monitoring means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, the received data is switched over; and

a manager connected to a network, to which said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means are connected, said manager performing scheduling of data transmission between said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means.

13. The data transmission control system according to claim 12, wherein, in the scheduling by said manager, the sending of I frame of compressed image data is thinned out.

14. A data transmission control system, comprising:

a plurality of photographing means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, compressed image data of I frame is sent out;

a plurality of monitoring means each utilizing a data transmission control system

having an arbitrary number of data transmission control apparatuses each having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, compressed image data of I frame is sent out; and

an arbitrary number of data transmission control apparatuses each having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, the received data is switched over;

said data transmission control apparatuses being connected with each other over a network, whereby compressed image data received is switched over at a timing of transmission of an image data of I frame, which constitutes compressed image on the receiving side; and

a manager connected to a network, to which said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means are connected, said manager performing scheduling of data transmission between said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means.

15. The data transmission control system according to claim 14, wherein, in the scheduling by said manager, the sending of I frame of compressed image data is thinned out.

16. A data transmission control system, comprising:

a plurality of photographing means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, for use in a case wherein a plurality of devices for transmitting and a plurality of devices for receiving compressed image data are connected with each other over a network, said system being arranged such that when the compressed image data received on the receiving device is switched over, it is requested to send out I frame of compressed image data constituting the compressed image to the device for sending the compressed image data to be received newly, and compressed image data of frame is transmitted within the shortest time to the receiving device;

a plurality of monitoring means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected

according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control

signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, the received data is switched over; and

a manager connected to a network, to which said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means are connected, said manager performing scheduling of data transmission between said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means.

17. The data transmission control system according to claim 16, wherein, in the scheduling by said manager, the sending of I frame of compressed image data is thinned out.

18. A data transmission control system, comprising:

a plurality of photographing means each utilizing a data transmission control apparatus, for use in a case wherein a plurality of devices for transmitting and a plurality of devices for receiving compressed image data are connected with each other

over a network, said system being arranged such that when the compressed image data received on the receiving device is switched over, it is requested to send out I frame of compressed image data constituting the compressed image to the device for sending the compressed image data to be received newly, and compressed image data of I frame is transmitted within the shortest time to the receiving device;

a plurality of monitoring means each utilizing a data transmission control system having an arbitrary number of data transmission control apparatuses each having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data including compressed image data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, compressed image data of I frame is sent out; and

an arbitrary number of data transmission control apparatuses each having a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network, a transmitting/receiving processing unit for transmitting and receiving data and control signal with respect to said network, a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network, and a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time, whereby, when said designation time is compared with said current time and these agree with each other, the received data is switched over;

said data transmission control apparatuses connected with each other over a network, whereby compressed image data received is switched over at a timing of transmission of an image data of I frame, which constitutes compressed image on the receiving side; and

a manager connected to a network, to which said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means are connected, said manager performing scheduling of data transmission between said plurality of photographing/transmitting means and said plurality of monitoring means.

19. The data transmission control system 25 according to claim 18, wherein, in the scheduling by said manager, the sending of I frame of compressed image data is thinned out.

20. A data transmission control apparatus to be connected between a network and a device which receives data from said network, said data transmission control apparatus comprising

a device control apparatus, comprising:

a clock processing unit for generating a current time corrected according to an information of a time received from a system controller via a network;

a time designation processing unit for setting a designation time received from said system controller via said network; and

a designation time detection processing unit for comparing said preset designation time with said current time,

whereby, as a result of said comparison, operation of said device is controlled when the preset designation time is reached so that data to be relayed to said device is switched over when the preset designation time is detected.