Method and apparatus for using digital televisions as remote personal computer displays

• US 6,037,981 A
• Filed: 09/02/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Hannah, Eric C., Wilson, Andrew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Anand S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): An, Shawn S.
• Application Number:
  US09/146,082
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 348/384, 348/390, 348/586, 348/552, 348/441, 348/731
• US Class Current: 375/240.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/285 Interfacing with colour displays, e.g. TV receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 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

Abstract

Use of a digital television as a remote display for a computer system is accomplished by capturing video data signals, compressing the captured video data signals, capturing audio output data signals, converting the captured audio output data signals and captured video data signals into broadcast digital television data packets, and transmitting the television data packets as television signals to the digital television.

Claims

1. A method of using a digital television as a remote display for a computer system comprising:

capturing digital video data signals generated by the computer system while the digital video data signals are being stored in a video display memory and prior to motion estimation processing in the computer system;

compressing the captured digital video data signals;

capturing digital audio output data signals generated by the computer system;

converting the captured digital audio output data signals and the captured digital video data signals into broadcast digital television data packets; and

transmitting the broadcast digital television data packets as television signals from the computer system to the digital television.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing digital video data signals comprises capturing digital video data signals from a video display memory of the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the captured digital audio output data signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the television data packets comprises broadcasting the digital television data packets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein compressing the captured digital video data signals comprises representing the captured digital video data signals according to MPEG-2 format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the digital audio output data signals comprises representing the captured digital audio output data signals according to AC-3 format.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the captured audio output and digital video data signals.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast television data packets conform to the advanced television systems committee (ATSC) digital television standard (DTS).

28. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing digital video data signals comprises capturing updates to a video display memory of the computer system.

8. In a computer system, an apparatus for generating television signals for display on a remote digital television as display output for the computer system comprising:

video capture and compression logic to capture digital video data signals and compress the captured digital video data signals, wherein the digital video data signals comprise updates to a video display and the video capture and compression logic captures the digital video data signals prior to motion estimation processing of the digital video data signals;

audio capture logic to capture digital audio output data signals; and

audio and video data converter logic to convert the captured digital audio output data signals and captured digital video data signals into broadcast digital television data packets.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a transmitter to transmit the broadcast digital television data packets as television signals to the digital television.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the transmitter comprises a broadcaster to broadcast the digital television signals over a television channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a video display memory to provide the digital video data signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising audio compression logic to compress the captured digital audio output data signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the compressed digital video data signals are represented according to MPEG-2 format.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the digital audio output data signals are represented according to AC-3 format.

29. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the broadcast television data packets conform to the advanced television systems committee (ATSC) digital television standard (DTS).

15. In a computer system, a system to generate television signals for display on a remote digital television as display output for the computer system comprising:

means for capturing digital video data signals, wherein the digital video data signals comprise updates to a video display and the video capture means captures the digital video data signals prior to motion estimation processing of the digital video data signals;

means for compressing the captured digital video data signals;

means for capturing digital audio output data signals; and

means for converting the captured digital audio output data signals and captured video data signals into broadcast digital television data packets.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for transmitting the broadcast digital television data packets as television signals to the digital television.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for compressing the captured digital audio output data signals.

18. An article comprising:

a machine readable medium having a plurality of machine readable instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor the instructions cause a system to capture digital video data signals from a component of a computer system, wherein the digital video data signals comprise updates to a video display and the instructions cause the capture of the digital video data signals prior to motion estimation processing of the digital video data signals, to compress the captured digital video data signals, to capture digital audio output data signals, and to convert the captured digital audio output data signals and captured digital video data signals into broadcast digital television data packets.

19. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions to cause the system to transmit the broadcast digital television data packets as television signals to a digital television.

20. The article of claim 18, further comprising instructions to compress the captured digital audio output data signals.

21. A system comprising:

a digital television;

a computer system, the computer system comprising

video capture and compression logic to capture digital video data signals from a component of the computer system and compress the captured digital video data signals, wherein the digital video data signals comprise updates to a video display and the video capture and compression logic captures the digital video data signals prior to motion estimation processing of the digital video data signals;

audio capture logic to capture digital audio output data signals generated by the computer system; and

audio and video data converter logic to convert the captured digital audio output data signals and captured digital video data signals into broadcast digital television data packets; and

a transmitter to transmit the broadcast digital television data packets as television signals to the digital television.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the transmitter broadcasts the digital television data packets as television signals to the digital television over an over-the-air television channel.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the component is a video display memory.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the component is a digital versatile disk (DVD) device.

25. A display device controller within a computer system for generating television signals for display on a remote digital television as display output for the computer system comprising:

video capture and compression logic to capture digital video data signals and compress the captured digital video data signals, wherein the digital video data signals comprise updates to a video display and the video capture and compression logic captures the digital video data signals prior to motion estimation processing of the digital video data signals;

audio capture logic to capture digital audio output data signals; and

audio and video data converter logic to convert the captured digital audio output data signals and captured digital video data signals into broadcast digital television data packets.

26. The display device controller of claim 25, further comprising a transmitter to transmit the broadcast digital television data packets to the digital television.