Video processing circuit and related method for merging video output streams with graphical stream for transmission

• US 9,137,458 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Shih, Yang-Hung, Po, Tang-Hung, Lin, Hung-Der, Chiu, Sau-Kwo
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/907,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 375/240.26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0806 the signals being two or more video signals H04N7/0803, H04N7/081 take precedence

Abstract

A video processing circuit includes a video generating unit for generating a video output stream, a graphic generating unit for providing a graphical stream, and a communication interface circuit. The communication interface circuit has a first mode provided for mixing the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a mixed video output stream through a channel and a second mode provided for merging the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a first merged signal through the channel. In the second mode, the communication interface circuit merges the video output stream and the graphical stream by increasing a working frequency of the communication interface circuit to increase bandwidths of the channel, using positions for transmitting a portion of video control signals in the video output stream to transmit the graphical stream, and compressing the video output stream.

Claims

1. A video processing circuit, comprising:

a video generating unit for generating a video output stream according to a video input stream;

a graphic generating unit for providing a graphical stream; and

a communication interface circuit, coupled to the video generating unit and the graphic generating unit, the communication interface circuit having a first mode provided for mixing the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a mixed video output stream through a channel, and a second mode provided for merging the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a first merged signal through the channel, wherein in the first mode, bandwidth of the channel is used for transmitting the mixed video output stream, and in the second mode, a first part of bandwidth of the channel is utilized for transmitting the video output stream and a second part of bandwidth of the channel is utilized for transmitting the graphical stream;

wherein in the second mode, the communication interface circuit merges the video output stream and the graphical stream by compressing the video output stream.

2. The video processing circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a video output device, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the mixed video output stream through the channel in the first mode;

or

a post-processing device, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the first merged signal through the channel in the second mode.

3. The video processing circuit of claim 1, wherein the communication interface circuit compresses the video output stream by:

transferring the video output stream from a first color depth format to a second color depth format;

replacing actual color values of the video output stream with color indexes of the video output stream;

or

transferring the video output stream into a packet format.

4. The video processing circuit of claim 1, wherein the communication interface circuit is a low voltage differential signal (LVDS) interface circuit.

5. The video processing circuit of claim 1, wherein graphical stream comprises an on-screen display (OSD) data and the graphic generating unit is an on-screen display (OSD) encoder.

6. The video processing circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a first signal receiver, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the first merged signal and extracting the video output stream and the graphical stream from the first merged signal;

a video post-processing unit, coupled to the first signal receiver, for receiving and post-processing the video output stream extracted from the first merged signal to generate a processed video output stream;

a decoding unit, coupled to the first signal receiver, for decoding the graphical stream to generate a decoded graphical stream;

a mixer, coupled to the video post-processing unit and the decoding unit, for mixing the processed video output stream with the decoded graphical stream to generate a second merged signal; and

a second signal transmitter, coupled to the mixer, for outputting the second merged signal.

7. A video processing circuit, comprising:

a video generating unit for generating a video output stream according to a video input stream;

a graphic generating unit for providing a graphical stream; and

a communication interface circuit, coupled to the video generating unit and the graphic generating unit, the communication interface circuit having a first mode provided for mixing the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a mixed video output stream through a channel, and a second mode provided for merging the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a first merged signal through the channel, wherein in the first mode, bandwidth of the channel is used for transmitting the mixed video output stream, and in the second mode, a first part of bandwidth of the channel is utilized for transmitting the video output stream and a second part of bandwidth of the channel is utilized for transmitting the graphical stream;

wherein in the second mode, the communication interface circuit merges the video output stream and the graphical stream by increasing a working frequency of the communication interface circuit to increase a bandwidth of the channel.

8. The video processing circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

a video output device, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the mixed video output stream through the channel in the first mode;

or

a post-processing device, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the first merged signal through the channel in the second mode.

9. The video processing circuit of claim 7, wherein the communication interface circuit is a low voltage differential signal (LVDS) interface circuit.

10. The video processing circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

a first signal receiver, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the first merged signal and extracting the video output stream and the graphical stream from the first merged signal;

a video post-processing unit, coupled to the first signal receiver, for receiving and post-processing the video output stream extracted from the first merged signal to generate a processed video output stream;

a decoding unit, coupled to the first signal receiver, for decoding the graphical stream to generate a decoded graphical stream;

a mixer, coupled to the video post-processing unit and the decoding unit, for mixing the processed video output stream with the decoded graphical stream to generate a second merged signal; and

a second signal transmitter, coupled to the mixer, for outputting the second merged signal.

11. A video processing circuit, comprising:

a video generating unit for generating a video output stream according to a video input stream;

a graphic generating unit for providing a graphical stream; and

a communication interface circuit, coupled to the video generating unit and the graphic generating unit, the communication interface circuit having a first mode provided for mixing the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a mixed video output stream through a channel, and a second mode provided for merging the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a first merged signal through the channel, wherein in the first mode, bandwidth of the channel is used for transmitting the mixed video output stream, and in the second mode, a first part of bandwidth of the channel is utilized for transmitting the video output stream and a second part of bandwidth of the channel is utilized for transmitting the graphical stream;

wherein in the second mode, the communication interface circuit merges the video output stream and the graphical stream by using positions for transmitting a portion of video control signals in the video output stream to transmit the graphical stream.

12. The video processing circuit of claim 11, further comprising:

a video output device, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the mixed video output stream through the channel in the first mode;

or

a post-processing device, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the first merged signal through the channel in the second mode.

13. The video processing circuit of claim 11, wherein the communication interface circuit is a low voltage differential signal (LVDS) interface circuit.

14. The video processing circuit of claim 11, wherein graphical stream comprises an on-screen display (OSD) data and the graphic generating unit is an on-screen display (OSD) encoder.

15. The video processing circuit of claim 11, further comprising:

a first signal receiver, coupled to the communication interface circuit, for receiving the first merged signal and extracting the video output stream and the graphical stream from the first merged signal;

a video post-processing unit, coupled to the first signal receiver, for receiving and post-processing the video output stream extracted from the first merged signal to generate a processed video output stream;

a decoding unit, coupled to the first signal receiver, for decoding the graphical stream to generate a decoded graphical stream;

a mixer, coupled to the video post-processing unit and the decoding unit, for mixing the processed video output stream with the decoded graphical stream to generate a second merged signal; and

a second signal transmitter, coupled to the mixer, for outputting the second merged signal.

16. The video processing circuit of claim 15, further comprising:

a video output device, coupled to the second signal transmitter, for receiving the second merged signal and displaying video images according to the second merged signal.

17. A method for merging video output streams with a graphical stream for transmission, the method comprising:

generating a video output stream according to a video input stream;

providing a graphical stream; and

providing a first mode for mixing the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a mixed video output stream through a channel and providing a second mode for merging the video output stream and the graphical stream to transmit a first merged signal to a post-processing chip through the channel, wherein in the first mode, bandwidth of the channel is used for transmitting the mixed video output stream, and in the second mode, a first part of bandwidth of the channel is utilized for transmitting the video output stream and a second part of bandwidth of the channel is utilized for transmitting the graphical stream;

wherein in the second mode, the step of merging the video output stream and the graphical stream comprises using positions for transmitting a portion of video control signals in the video output stream to transmit the graphical stream.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein in the second mode, the step of merging the video output stream and the graphical stream comprises:

using positions for transmitting a portion of video control signals in the video output stream to transmit the graphical stream.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving the first merged signal and extracting the video output stream and the graphical stream from the first merged signal;

receiving and post-processing the video output stream extracted from the first merged signal to generate a processed video output stream;

decoding the graphical stream to generate a decoded graphical stream;

mixing the processed video output stream with the decoded graphical stream to generate a second merged signal; and

outputting the second merged signal.