Communication system, video signal transmission method, transmitter, transmitting method, receiver, and receiving method

• US 8,856,840 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US12/150,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,352 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40052 High-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus bus transfer protocol on a daisy chain bus using an embedded synchronisation G06F13/426
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/14 Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/002 Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A communication system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes a video signal outputting unit for outputting an uncompressed video signal of a predetermined content, an identification information generating unit for generating identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content, and a transmitting unit for transmitting wirelessly the video signal outputted from the video signal outputting unit and the identification information generated in the identification information generating unit to the receiver. The receiver includes a receiving unit for receiving the video signal and the identification information transmitted wirelessly from the transmitter, a video signal processor for processing the video signal received in the receiving unit, and a controller for controlling an operation of the video signal processor based on the identification information received in the receiving unit.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a transmitter including;

a video signal outputting unit outputs a video signal of a predetermined content,

an identification information generating unit generates identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content, and

a transmitting unit transmits wirelessly the video signal outputted from the video signal outputting unit and the identification information generated in the identification information generating unit to the receiver; and

a receiver including;

a receiving unit receives the video signal and the identification information transmitted wirelessly from the transmitter,

a video signal processor processes the video signal received in the receiving unit, and

a controller controls an operation of the video signal processor based on the identification information received in the receiving unit,

wherein the identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content is included as a binary flag that is transmitted for each frame of the video signal as part of auxiliary video information for the frame, and

wherein when the identification information for a frame of the video signal indicates that the predetermined content is a still picture content, the receiver of the video signal stops refreshing display of the predetermined content for frames subsequent to the frame corresponding to the still picture content indication.

2. A method for transmitting video signal, the method

comprising the steps of:

transmitting wirelessly a video signal of a predetermined content from a transmitter to a receiver; and

transmitting identification information from the transmitter to the receiver synchronously with the video signal or asynchronously with the video signal, the identification information being for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content,

wherein the identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content is included as a binary flag that is transmitted for each frame of the video signal as part of auxiliary video information for the frame, and

wherein when the identification information for a frame of the video signal indicates that the predetermined content is a still picture content, the receiver of the video signal stops refreshing display of the predetermined content for frames subsequent to the frame corresponding to the still picture content indication.

3. A transmitter comprising:

a video signal outputting unit outputs a video signal of a predetermined content;

an identification information generating unit generates identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content; and

a transmitting unit transmits the video signal outputted from the video signal outputting unit and the identification information generated in the identification information generating unit to a wireless transmission path,

wherein the identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content is included as a binary flag that is transmitted for each frame of the video signal as part of auxiliary video information for the frame, and

wherein when the identification information for a frame of the video signal indicates that the predetermined content is a still picture content, a receiver of the video signal stops refreshing display of the predetermined content for frames subsequent to the frame corresponding to the still picture content indication.

4. The transmitter according to claim 3, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the identification information to the wireless transmission path synchronously with the video signal.

5. The transmitter according to claim 4, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the identification information, in a state of being inserted in a blanking period of the video signal, to the wireless transmission path.

6. The transmitter according to claim 3, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the identification information to the wireless transmission path asynchronously with the video signal.

7. The transmitter according to claim 3, wherein:

a source device and a wireless transmitter are provided, the source device including the video signal outputting unit and the identification information generating unit, and the wireless transmitter including the transmitting unit, and

the source device and the wireless transmitter are connected by wire.

8. The transmitter according to claim 7, wherein the source device transmits the video signal in which the identification information is inserted in a blanking period to the wireless transmitter by a differential signal through a plurality of channels.

9. The transmitter according to claim 3, wherein:

when the video signal outputted from the video signal outputting unit is a video signal related to still picture content,

the transmitting unit transmits the video signal and the identification information to the wireless transmission path only for a predetermined time period.

10. The transmitter according to claim 3, wherein:

when the video signal outputted from the video signal outputting unit is a video signal related to a still picture content,

the transmitting unit stops the transmission of the video signal and the identification information to the wireless transmission path in response to a confirmation response of the identification information from a receiving side.

11. The transmitter according to claim 3, wherein:

when the video signal outputted from the video signal outputting unit is changed from a video signal related to one still picture content to a video signal related to another still picture content,

the identification information generating unit sets the generated identification information to a first state indicative of not a still picture content, and after a predetermined time period, changes to the first state to a second state indicative of a still picture content.

12. A transmitting method comprising:

outputting a video signal of a predetermined content;

generating identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content; and

transmitting the video signal outputted at the video signal outputting step and the identification information generated at the identification information generating step to a wireless transmission path,

wherein the identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content is included as a binary flag that is transmitted for each frame of the video signal as part of auxiliary video information for the frame, and

wherein when the identification information for a frame of the video signal indicates that the predetermined content is a still picture content, a receiver of the video signal stops refreshing display of the predetermined content for frames subsequent to the frame corresponding to the still picture content indication.

13. A receiver comprising:

a receiving unit receives a video signal and identification information which are transmitted by a wireless transmission path, the video signal being a video signal of a predetermined content and the identification information identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content, transmitted by a wireless transmission path;

a video signal processor processes the video signal received in the receiving unit; and

a controller controls an operation of the video signal processor based on the identification information received in the receiving unit,

wherein the identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content is included as a binary flag that is transmitted for each frame of the video signal as part of auxiliary video information for the frame, and

wherein when the identification information for a frame of the video signal indicates that the predetermined content is a still picture content, the receiver of the video signal stops refreshing display of the predetermined content for frames subsequent to the frame corresponding to the still picture content indication.

14. The receiver according to claim 13, wherein:

a wireless receiver and a sink device are provided, the wireless received including the receiving unit and the sink device including the video signal processor, and

the wireless receiver and the sink device are connected by wire.

15. The receiver according to claim 14, wherein the wireless receiver transmits the video signal in which the identification information is inserted in a blanking period to the sink device by a differential signal through a plurality of channels.

16. The receiver according to claim 13, wherein:

when the identification information received in the receiving unit is in a state indicative of not a still picture content, the controller controls the video signal processor to receive the video signal received in the receiving unit; and

when the identification information received in the receiving unit is in a state indicative of a still picture content, the controller controls the video signal processor to stop receiving the video signal received in the receiving unit.

17. A receiving method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a video signal and identification information transmitted by a wireless transmission path, the video signal being a compressed video signal of a predetermined content, and the identification information identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content;

processing the video signal received at the receiving step; and

controlling an operation of the video signal processing step based on the identification information received at the receiving step,

wherein the identification information for identifying whether the predetermined content is a still picture content is included as a binary flag that is transmitted for each frame of the video signal as part of auxiliary video information for the frame, and

wherein when the identification information for a frame of the video signal indicates that the predetermined content is a still picture content, a receiver of the video signal stops refreshing display of the predetermined content for frames subsequent to the frame corresponding to the still picture content indication.