Transmitter device, bridge device, and receiver device, and network system including the devices

• US 7,567,546 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kushiki, Yusuke, Higashida, Masaaki, Taniguchi, Kenshi
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/577,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20080253348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 370/345, 370/401, 370/519, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/3.01
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43078 for seamlessly watching content streams when changing device, e.g. when watching the same program sequentially on a TV and then on a tablet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• 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
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A network system includes a transmitting apparatus; a transmission path; a relaying apparatus that receives real time information transmitted through the transmission path; a wireless network; and a receiving apparatus that receives data transmitted through the wireless network. The relaying apparatus has a reference time generating part that generates a reference time independently of the transmitting apparatus; and a network transmitting part that transmits both the real time information received from the transmitting apparatus and the reference time via the wireless network. The receiving apparatus has a network receiving part that receives the real time information and reference time transmitted through the wireless network; an internal time management part that generates an internal time from the reference time received by the wireless network receiving part; and a real time information processing part that decodes the real time information received by the wireless network receiving part to reproduce the content data and that then outputs the content data, based on the internal time generated by the internal time management part. This network system allows the receiving apparatus to synchronize and output video and audio, regardless of singularity or plurality of the receiving apparatus.

Claims

1. A network system comprising:

a transmitter device for transmitting real-time data containing contents data;

a transmission line for transmitting the real-time data transmitted from the transmitter device;

a bridge device for receiving the real-time data transmitted via the transmission line;

a wireless network for transmitting the data transmitted from the bridge device; and

a receiver device for receiving the data transmitted via the wireless network from the transmitter device,

wherein the bridge device includes

a transmission-line receiving unit for receiving the real-time data transmitted via the transmission line,

a reference time generator for generating a reference time independently from the transmitter device, and

a network transmitting unit for transmitting, via the wireless network, the reference time and the real-time data received by the transmission-line receiving unit, and

wherein the receiver device includes

a first network receiving unit for receiving the real-time data and the reference time transmitted via the wireless network from the bridge device,

a first internal time controller for generating an internal time based on the reference time received by the first network receiving unit, and

a real-time data processor for decoding the real-time data received by the first network receiving unit as to reproduce the contents data, and outputting the reproduced contents data based on the internal time generated by the internal time controller.

2. The network system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter device includes

a second network receiving unit for receiving the reference time transmitted via the wireless network from the bridge device,

a second internal time controller for generating an internal time based on the reference time received by the second network receiving unit,

a transmission-line transmitting unit for transmitting the real-time data via the transmission line, and

a controller for generating the real-time data from original real-time data and the internal time generated by the second internal time controller, the original real-time data containing the contents data.

3. A bridge device adapted to be used in a network system, the network system including

a transmitter device for transmitting real-time data containing contents data,

a transmission line for transmitting the real-time data transmitted from the transmitter device,

a wireless network, and

a receiver device for receiving data transmitted via the wireless network,

said bridge device comprising:

a transmission-line receiving unit for receiving the real-time data transmitted via the transmission line;

a reference time generator for generating a reference time independently from the transmitter device; and

a network transmitting unit for transmitting the reference time and the real-time data received by the transmission-line receiving unit via the wireless network.

4. A receiver device adapted to be used in a network system, the network system including

a device for transmitting real-time data containing contents data and reference time, and

a wireless network for transmitting data transmitted from the device,

said receiver device comprising:

a network receiving unit for receiving the real-time data and the reference time transmitted via the wireless network from the device;

an internal time controller for generating an internal time based on the reference time received by the network receiving unit; and

a real-time data processor for decoding the real-rime data received by the network receiving unit as to reproduce the contents data, and for outputting the reproduced contents data based on the internal time generated by the internal time controller.

5. A transmitter device adapted to be used in a network system, the network system including

a transmission line,

a device connected to the transmission line, the device generating a reference time, and

a wireless network for transmitting data transmitted from the device,

said transmitter device comprising:

a network receiving unit for receiving the reference time transmitted via the wireless network from the device;

an internal time controller for generating an internal time based on the reference time received by the network receiving unit;

a transmission-line transmitting unit for transmitting real-time data via the transmission line; and

a controller for generating the real-time data from original real-time data and the internal time generated by the internal time controller.

6. A network system comprising:

a transmitter device for transmitting real-time data, the real-time data containing contents data and a first reference time;

a transmission line for transmitting the real-time data transmitted from the transmitter device;

a bridge device for receiving the real-time data transmitted via the transmission line;

a wireless network for transmitting data transmitted from the bridge device; and

a receiver device for receiving data transmitted via the wireless network,

wherein, the bridge device includes

a transmission-line receiving unit for receiving the real-time data transmitted via the transmission line,

a reference time generator for extracting the first reference time from the real-time data received by the transmission-line receiving unit, and for generating a second reference time from the first reference time, and

a network transmitting unit for transmitting, via the wireless network, the second reference time and the real-time data received by the transmission-line receiving unit, and

wherein, the receiver device includes

a network receiving unit for receiving the real-time data and the second reference time transmitted via the wireless network from the bridge device,

a first internal time controller for generating an internal time from the received second reference time, and

a real-time data processor for decoding the real-time data received by the network receiving unit as to reproduce the contents data, and outputting the reproduced contents data based on the internal time generated by the internal time controller.

7. A bridge device adapted to be used in a network system which includes

a transmitter device for transmitting real-time data including contents data and a first reference time,

a transmission line for transmitting the real-time data transmitted from the transmitter device,

a wireless network, and

a receiver device for receiving data transmitted via the wireless network,

said bridge device comprising:

a transmission-line receiving unit for receiving the real-time data transmitted via the transmission line;

a reference time generator for extracting the first reference time from the real-time data received by the transmission-line receiving unit, and generating a second reference time from the first reference time; and

a network transmitting unit for transmitting, via the wireless network, the real-time data received by the transmission-line receiving unit and the second reference time.