Methods and apparatus for an embedded appliance

• US 9,003,061 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Echo360, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Echo360, Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, John J., Titus, Stephen R., Rogers, Douglas E., Boyle, David Henry, Johnson, Keira Kaitlyn, Bell, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US13/538,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20130169863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/06 Colour space transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/042 for monitor identification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/22 Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/008 Clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• 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 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/06 Generation of synchronising signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0127 : by changing the field or frame frequency of the incoming video signal, e.g. frame rate converter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises a media module and a modification module included in an embedded appliance. The media module is configured to receive a first media signal associated with a first input port of the embedded appliance and a second media signal associated with a second input port of the embedded appliance. The media module is configured to identify a first set of media signal parameters based on the first media signal. The modification module is configured to receive a modification instruction associated with a session format having a second set of media signal parameters different from the first set of media signal parameters. The modification module is configured to modify the first media signal based on the first set of media signal parameters and the modification instruction to produce a first modified media signal in the session format and having the second set of media signal parameters.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an embedded appliance including a processor and a memory, the embedded appliance configured to execute a media module and a modification module;

the media module included in the embedded appliance and configured to receive a first media signal and a second media signal, the first media signal being associated with a first input port of the embedded appliance, the second media signal being associated with a second input port of the embedded appliance, the media module configured to identify, at a first time, a first plurality of media signal parameters based on the first media signal; and

the modification module included in the embedded appliance and configured to receive a first modification instruction associated with a session format having a second plurality of media signal parameters different from the first plurality of media signal parameters, the modification module configured to modify the first media signal based on the first plurality of media signal parameters and the first modification instruction to produce a first modified media signal in the session format and having the second plurality of media signal parameters,

the media module configured to identify, at a second time after the first time, a third plurality of media signal parameters different from the first plurality of media signal parameters and based on the first media signal,

the modification module configured to receive a second modification instruction associated with the session format, the modification module configured to modify the first media signal based on the third plurality of media signal parameters and the second modification instruction to produce a second modified media signal in the session format and having the second plurality of media signal parameters.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first modification instruction is independent of a format of the first media signal and a format of the second media signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of media signal parameters include at least two of a resolution of the first media signal, a frame rate of the first media signal, a bit rate of the first media signal, or a clock rate of the first media signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the session format is a first predefined session format from a plurality of predefined session formats,

the media module is configured to identify the first plurality of media signal parameters from a plurality of predefined sets of media signal parameters, each predefined set of media signal parameters being associated with a predefined session format from the plurality of predefined session formats.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modification module is configured to modify the first media signal by performing on the first media signal at least one of deinterleaving, decimating, resizing, color space converting, modifying gain, adjusting audio level, or audio multiplexing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the session format is one from a plurality of predefined session formats.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the session format is selected from a plurality of predefined session formats based on at least one of the first plurality of media signal parameters, a user-selected output parameter, or a capability of the embedded appliance.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first media signal is an audio signal received at an audio input port of the embedded appliance,

the second media signal is at least one of (1) a visual-capture media signal received at a visual-capture input port of the embedded appliance, (2) a video media signal received at a video input port of the embedded appliance, or (3) a digital-image media signal received at a digital-image input port of the embedded appliance.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first time and the second time are within a continuous capture time window.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

an embedded appliance including a processor and a memory, the embedded appliance configured to execute a media module; and

the media module included in the embedded appliance and configured to receive a media signal associated with a plurality of media parameters,

the media module configured to identify a first format of the media signal when the plurality of media parameters match a predefined set of media parameters from a plurality of predefined sets of media parameters, the predefined set of media parameters including a first number of media parameters and being associated with the first format,

the media module configured to identify a second format of the media signal when the first format is not identified and when the plurality of media parameters match a subset of media parameters of the predefined set of media parameters, the subset of media parameters including a second number of media parameters less than the first number of media parameters and being associated with the second format,

the media module configured to send a signal indicative of a selection of the first format when the first format is identified, the media module configured to send a signal indicative of a selection of the second format when the second format is identified.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the subset of media parameters is a first subset of media parameters,

the media module is configured to identify a third format of the media signal when the first format is not identified and when the second format is not identified, the media module is configured to identify the third format by iteratively defining a second subset of media parameters of the predefined set of media parameters until that second subset of the plurality of media parameters matches the predefined set of media parameters from the plurality of predefined sets of media parameters or an estimated set of media parameters from a plurality of estimated sets of media parameters,

the media module configured to send a signal indicating an identification of the third format when the third format is identified.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of media parameters include a vertical sync pulse width, a horizontal sync pulse width and a clock line number.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of media parameters include a vertical sync pulse width, a horizontal sync pulse width and a clock line number,

the media module configured to calculate the vertical sync pulse width based on a vertical sync signal associated with the media signal,

the media module configured to calculate the horizontal sync pulse width based on a horizontal sync signal associated with the media signal,

the media module configured to calculate the clock line number based on a clock signal associated with the media signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the media signal is a first media signal,

the media module is configured to receive the first media signal and a second media signal, the media module configured to identify a plurality of media signal parameters associated with the first media signal and the second media signal,

the media module configured to send a signal representing the plurality of media signal parameters such that the first media signal and the second media signal are modified based on the plurality of media signal parameters and a modification instruction associated with a session format.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the first format is identified from one of a Discrete Monitor Timing (DMT) standard or a High Definition Television (HDTV) standard, and

the second format is identified from one of a Coordinated Video Timing (CVT) standard, a Coordinated Video Timing with Reduced Blanking (CVT-RB) standard or a Generalized Timing Formula (GTF) standard.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

an embedded appliance including a processor and a memory, the embedded appliance configured to execute a synchronization module; and

the synchronization module included in the embedded appliance and configured to receive a first media signal (1) having a format, (2) having a first time base during a first time window, (3) having a second time base during a second time window after the first time window, and (4) being associated with a first input port of an embedded appliance,

the synchronization module configured to receive a second media signal (1) having a third time base during the first time window, the third time base different from the first time base, (2) having a fourth time base during the second time window, the fourth time base different from the second time base, and (3) being associated with a second input port of the embedded appliance,

the synchronization module configured to modify, at a time during the first time window, at least one of the first media signal or the second media signal based on a common time base and a first modification instruction such that the first media signal and the second media signal are synchronized to the common time base to produce at least a first modified first media signal or a first modified second media signal,

the synchronization module configured to modify, at a time during the second time window, at least one of the first media signal or the second media signal based on the common time base and a second modification instruction such that the first media signal and the second media signal are synchronized to the common time base to produce at least a second modified first media signal or a second modified second media signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the synchronization module is configured to modify by sample deletion, sample insertion or blending, at least one of the first media signal or the second media signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the synchronization module is configured to define the common time base based on at least one of the first time base or the second time base.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the synchronization module is configured to define the common time base based on a reference time base different from the first time base and the second time base.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the first media signal and the second media signal each is a unique one of an audio signal, a visual-capture media signal, a video media signal or a digital-image media signal,

the synchronization module configured to receive a third media signal having a format and a time base and being associated with a third input port of the embedded appliance,

the synchronization module configured to receive a fourth media signal having a time base different from the time base of the third media signal and being associated with a fourth input port of the embedded appliance,

the synchronization module configured to modify at least one of the third media signal or the fourth media signal based on the common time base and a third modification instruction such that the third media signal and the fourth media signal are synchronized to the common time base to produce at least one of a modified third media signal or a modified fourth media signal, the modified third media signal having a format different from the format of the third media signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a modification module included in the embedded device and that is configured to send the first modification instruction and the second modification instructions.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first time window and the second time window are within a continuous capture session.