Auxiliary data transmitted within a display's serialized data stream

• US 7,143,328 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2001
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nexus Display Technologies LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Image, Inc. (Lattice Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Altmann, William C
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamarre, Guy J.
• Application Number:
  US09/942,885
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 714/746, 714/751, 714/753, 348473-485
• US Class Current: 714/746
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes

Abstract

Techniques to transmit auxiliary data are disclosed. One technique includes generating a control signal from a video data enable signal and an auxiliary data enable signal, and combining an auxiliary data signal and a video data signal into a composite data signal using the control signal. Techniques to receive the auxiliary data are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a control signal from a composite data enable signal; and

separating a composite data signal into a video data signal and an auxiliary data signal based on a duration of the control signal wherein the auxiliary data signal is one of appended at an end of the video data signal and pre-pended to a beginning of the video data signal to form the composite data enable signal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

indicating a device to process the composite data signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an encoded data signal; and

decoding the encoded data signal into the composite data enable signal and the composite data signal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the auxiliary data signal contains an error.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the auxiliary data signal contains an error, further comprising:

correcting the error in the auxiliary data signal.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a control device to generate a control signal from a composite data enable signal; and

a demultiplexor to separate a composite data signal into a video data signal and an auxiliary data signal based on a duration of the control signal wherein the auxiliary data signal is one of appended at an end of the video data signal and pre-pended to a beginning of the video data signal to form the composite data enable signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

an indicator to indicate a capability to process the composite data signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a decoder to receive an encoded data signal, and to decode the received data signal into the composite data enable signal and the composite data signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

an error detector to determine whether the auxiliary data signal contains an error.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an error corrector to correct an error in the auxiliary data signal.

11. A method comprising:

generating a control signal from a video data enable signal and an auxiliary data enable signal; and

combining an auxiliary data signal and a video data signal into a composite data signal based on a duration of the control signal wherein the auxiliary data signal is one of appended at an end of the video data signal and pre-pended to a beginning of the video data signal to form the composite data enable signal.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving an indication signal to indicate a capability to process the auxiliary data signal; and

generating an auxiliary data permitted signal to permit the auxiliary data signal to be combined with the video data signal in response to the indication signal.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating a composite data enable signal from the video data enable signal and the auxiliary data enable signal;

encoding the composite data signal and the composite data enable signal into an encoded data signal; and

transmitting the encoded data signal.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

adding error detection data to the auxiliary data signal.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

adding error correction data to the auxiliary data signal.

16. A transmitter for transmitting video data and auxiliary data comprising:

a transmitter control logic device having an input to receive an auxiliary data enable signal and an input to receive a video data enable signal, the transmitter control logic device to generate a control signal using the auxiliary data enable signal and the video data enable signal, and to combine the auxiliary data enable signal and the video data enable signal into a composite data enable signal wherein the composite data enable signal is formed such that the auxiliary data enable signal is one of appended to an end of the video data enable signal and pre-pended to a beginning of the video data enable signal;

a multiplexer having an input to receive an auxiliary data signal, an input to receive a video data signal, and an input to receive the control signal from the transmitter control logic device, the multiplexer to combine the auxiliary data signal and the video data signal into a composite data signal in response to the control signal wherein the composite data signal is formed such that the auxiliary data signal is one of appended to an end of the video data signal and pre-pended to a beginning of the video data signal; and

a packet formatting logic device having an input to receive the auxiliary data signal, the packet formatting logic device to format the auxiliary data signal to include error detection and correction and to output the auxiliary data signal including the error detection and correction data to the multiplexer.

17. The transmitter of claim 16 further comprising:

an encoder having an input to receive the composite data enable signal and an input to receive the composite data signal, the encoder to encode the composite data enable signal and the composite data signal into an encoded data signal and to transmit the encoded data signal.

18. The transmitter of claim 16 further comprising:

an auxiliary data control logic device having an input to receive a display property signal indicating that auxiliary data can be processed, the auxiliary data control logic device to generate an auxiliary control signal in response to the display property signal, the auxiliary control signal to control the reception of the auxiliary data enable signal by the transmitter control logic device or to control the reception of the auxiliary data signal by the multiplexer.

19. A receiver for receiving video data and auxiliary data comprising:

a receiver control logic device having an input to receive a composite data enable signal, the receiver control logic device to separate the composite data enable signal into an auxiliary data enable signal and a video data enable signal, and to generate a control signal using the composite data enable signal wherein the composite data enable signal is formed such that the auxiliary data enable signal is one of appended to an end of the video data enable signal and pre-pended to a beginning of the video data enable signal; and

a demultiplexer having an input to receive a composite data signal and an input to receive the control signal from the receiver control logic device, the demultiplexer to separate the composite data signal into an auxiliary data signal and a video data signal based on the control signal duration wherein the composite data signal is formed such that the auxiliary data signal is one of appended to an end of the video data signal or pre-pended to a beginning of the video data signal.

20. The receiver of claim 19 further comprising:

a decoder having an input to receive an encoded data signal, the decoder to decode the encoded data signal into a composite data signal and a composite data enable signal.

21. The receiver of claim 19 further comprising:

a display property device to output a display property signal to indicate that the receiver can process auxiliary data.

22. The receiver of claim 19 further comprising:

an error detection and correction logic device having an input to receive the auxiliary data signal from the demultiplexer, to determine whether the auxiliary data signal contains an error, and if the auxiliary data signal contains an error, to correct the error.