Video selection display unit for multiple devices

• US 8,300,153 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Testing Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Testing Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Engel, Richard, Spinner, Robert, Leippe, William Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US12/043,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 348/725, 324/74, 330/2, 714/100
• US Class Current: 348/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home

Abstract

Video selection display unit that is capable of routing real-time output signals having a video component from different video signal sources, e.g., different instruments or home entertainment devices, to a single output for display on a monitor or other type of video display. The video selection display unit may be part of an automatic test system or home entertainment system. Control of the video selection display unit can be effected locally via a user interface, such as one or more pushbuttons, and/or remotely over a network which may be the same network used for communication with the instruments or devices or using an infrared remote control unit.

Claims

1. An automatic test system for testing a unit under test, comprising:

a plurality of measurement devices, each of said devices providing an output signal representing a measurement by the device when conducting a test of the unit under test and the output signal including a video component, each of said devices lacking an associated display on which the video component of the output signal from said device can be displayed, each of said devices comprising a test instrument that generates the output signal including the video component, said test instruments being different from one another such that different measurements from tests conducted by said devices on the same unit under test are represented by the output signals from said devices, and

an arrangement for enabling selective and real-time display of the video component of the output signals from said devices on a single display, said arrangement comprising;

a switching component having a plurality of inputs, each of said inputs receiving the output signal from a respective one of said devices, and a single output to the display; and

a controller for controlling said switching component to selectively connect only one of said inputs to said single output to enable conveyance of the output signal from said device providing the output signal to said selected input through said switching component to said output of said switching component and then to the display,

said switching component and said controller being housed in a separate housing from the plurality of devices and from the display.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising command means arranged in connection with said housing for providing commands to said controller to effect control over said switching component.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said command means comprise at least one pushbutton arranged in connection with said controller, said at least one pushbutton being exposed on a face of said housing.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller receives software commands from a remote location over a control bus, said devices also being controlled via the same control bus.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising local command means for providing commands to said controller to effect control over said switching component, said local command means being arranged in connection with said controller.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said controller is arranged to receive a command from a remote location to prevent implementation of commands provided by said local command means.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is arranged to receive a command to select one of said inputs to connect to said output and connect the selected input and said output.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is arranged to receive a command to disconnect all of said inputs from said output and disconnect all of said inputs from said output such that no output is provided by said switching component.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is arranged to receive a command to query a selected one of said inputs, query the selected input and provide a response to the query.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is arranged to receive a command to detect whether an output signal is being received at each of said inputs, detect which of said inputs are receiving output signals from devices and convey information about which inputs are receiving output signals.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network, the devices and said controller being connected to said network, said controller being arranged to receive commands over said network, said network being used for communications with the devices.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said switching component includes relays and/or CMOS analog switches.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the video component of the output signals provided by the devices include sync data, the display being arranged to synchronize refresh rates such that said switching component does not alter the video component of the output signals being passed from the devices to the display therethrough.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is a video selection display unit having a housing, further comprising at least one indicator arranged on said housing to indicate at least one which of said inputs is currently providing output signals to the display or information about operational status of said system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said devices are test instruments that generate the output signals including the video component and an audio component.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said devices are test instruments that generate the output signals having only the video component.

17. An automatic test system for testing a unit under test, comprising:

a plurality of measurement devices, each of said devices providing output signals representing a measurement by the device when conducting a test of the unit under test and the output signal including a video component, each of said devices lacking an associated display on which the video component of the output signal from said device can be displayed, each of said devices comprising a test instrument that generates the output signal including the video component, said test instruments being different from one another such that different measurements from tests conducted by said devices on the same unit under test are represented by the output signals from said devices;

a single video display for displaying the video component of the output signals from said devices in real-time; and

a video selection display unit for enabling selective display of the video component of the output signals from said devices on said display, said video selection display unit comprising;

a switching component having a plurality of inputs, each input receiving the output signals from a respective one of said devices, and a single output to said display; and

a controller for controlling said switching component to selectively connect only one of said inputs to said single output to enable conveyance of the output signals from said one of said devices providing the output signals to the selected input through said switching component to said single output of said switching component and then to said display,

said switching component and said controller being housed in a separate housing from the plurality of devices and from the display.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a network, said devices and said controller being connected to said network, said controller being arranged to receive commands over said network from a remote location, said network being used for communications with said devices.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising local command means for providing commands to said controller to effect control over said switching component, said local command means being arranged in connection with said controller.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said controller is arranged to receive a command from the remote location to prevent implementation of commands provided by said local command means.

21. A method for managing video output in real-time from a plurality of measurement devices of an automatic test system for testing a unit under test that lack displays but provide output signals representing a measurement by the device when conducting a test of the unit under test and the output signals having a video component, each of the devices comprising a test instrument that generates the output signal including the video component, the test instruments being different from one another such that different measurements from tests conducted by the devices on the same unit under test are represented by the output signals from the devices;

the method comprising;

connecting the output from each of the devices to a respective input of a switching component;

connecting a single output of the switching component to a single video display; and

controlling the switching component via a controller to selectively connect only one of the inputs to the single output to enable conveyance of the output from one of the devices connected to the selected input through the switching component to the single output of the switching component and then to the display such that the video component of the output signals from the devices that represent different measurements by the devices derived from tests conducted by the devices on the same unit under test are selectively displayed on the display,

the switching component and the controller being housed in a separate housing from the plurality of devices and from the display.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

connecting the devices and controller to a network;

providing commands to the controller from a remote location over the network; and

communicating with the devices over the same network.