GB2381685A - Gateway device for converting digital signals to analogue signals - Google Patents
Gateway device for converting digital signals to analogue signals Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2381685A GB2381685A GB0126043A GB0126043A GB2381685A GB 2381685 A GB2381685 A GB 2381685A GB 0126043 A GB0126043 A GB 0126043A GB 0126043 A GB0126043 A GB 0126043A GB 2381685 A GB2381685 A GB 2381685A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- analogue
- video signal
- gateway device
- digital
- gateway
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
- H04N21/436—Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
- H04N21/43615—Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N7/00—Television systems
- H04N7/10—Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable
- H04N7/106—Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable for domestic distribution
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Multimedia (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
A gateway device comprising receiving means for receiving a digital video signal, conversion means for converting the digital video signal into a corresponding analogue video signal and transmitting means for sending the analogue video signal to a display device. Preferably, the gateway device further comprises a command receiving means able to receive commands from a user and a command responding means able to alter the analogue video signal sent to a display device in response to commands. The invention also provides a video image display system comprising a gateway device together with at least one display device able to display an image derived from the analogue video signal and a control device arranged to send commands to the command receiving means.
Description
<Desc/Clms Page number 1>
Gateway Device This invention relates to a gateway device and particularly to a gateway device allowing digital television content to be displayed on analogue televisions.
The advantages of digital television over analogue television of allowing higher quality images to be displayed, requiring less bandwidth for transmission and allowing various interactive features are well understood and it is expected that as a result digital television will replace analogue television. Further, it is expected that as the ownership of digital television receivers becomes more common the transmission of broadcast television signals in analogue form will cease so that only digital television signals will be broadcast.
The process of the replacement of analogue television with digital television and the expectation that analogue television broadcasts will cease is a problem for consumers who wish to be able to view digital television signals, and to continue to view broadcast television signals, but do not wish to buy a digital television or a set top box allowing digital television signals to be viewed on an associated analogue television.
The unwillingness of some consumers to replace existing analogue televisions with digital televisions is based not only on an unwillingness to replace still functioning analogue televisions but also a concern that currently available digital televisions may themselves be left behind
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by changing technology or standards so that these digital televisions will need to be replaced relatively quickly in order to allow full use of available television services in the future.
The use of a set top boxes (STB) allows a digital television signal received by the set top box to be converted into an analogue TV signal and displayed on the associated analogue television receiver. However, the expense of the set top box itself is still a problem, particularly for a user having multiple televisions where a corresponding number of set top boxes are required.
This invention is intended to solve this problem, at least in part.
There is an emerging trend towards households having residential gateways (RG). Gateways are devices used to terminate wide area networks (WAN) at particular premises and to convert their signals to appropriate formats for further routing through local area networks (LAN), and vice-versa.
Residential gateways are gateways configured for optimum use in residential or domestic premises, typically a single household. Such premises typically have different requirements to commercial users. Residential, and other, gateways are bidirectional, carrying data in both directions between any WAN/LAN to any other WAN/LAN. Residential gateways are complex devices which usually have considerable data processing capability. Strictly speaking it is not essential for a residential gateway to have a significant data processing capability but the provision of such data
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processing capability is often convenient and useful so it is normal for residential gateways to have such digital processing capability.
In a first aspect, this invention provides a gateway device comprising receiving means for receiving a digital video signal, conversion means for converting the digital video signal into a corresponding analogue video signal, and transmitting means for sending the analogue video signal to a display device.
In a second aspect, this invention provides a video image display system comprising a gateway device according to the nfirst aspect of the invention, a display device able to display an image derived from the analogue video signal and a control device able to send commands to the command receiving means.
In the present invention the residential gateway is provided with the necessary electronics to allow the residential gateway to decode digital TV signals and convert them into an analogue signal for display on analogue televisions. The analogue television signal for display can then be carried to an analogue television or multiple analogue televisions by conventional RF domestic coaxial cables.
Although as noted above a residential gateway as a whole is complex the additional cost to add the capability to decode digital television signals and send them for display as analogue signals along a conventional domestic coaxial cable is relatively small.
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Accordingly, users who already have or intend to obtain a residential gateway can add the capability to the gateway to decode digital television signals for display on an analogue television at a much lower cost than purchase of a digital television or a conventional set top box to be combined with an existing analogue television receiver. This cost reduction is even more pronounced where a single user has multiple analogue televisions, because the additional cost of the necessary electronics required by the residential gateway is essentially independent of the number of analogue television receivers to which the analogue television signal is supplied for display.
The image displayed by the analogue television or televisions provided with an analogue television signal along a standard domestic coaxial cable from a residential gateway will be as good as the signal quality provided by VHS video. Although this is a lower image quality than could be provided by a digital television displaying directly received digital signals this will still be an acceptable level of image quality for many consumers, particularly because this will usually be a better image quality than was previously provided by the analogue television receiver displaying analogue broadcast television signals.
A further advantage of the use of a residential gateway to decode digital TV signals and send corresponding analogue TV signals for display on analogue televisions according to the invention is that the residential gateway can decode digital television signals from any desired number of digital
<Desc/Clms Page number 5>
television content providers, in contrast to a se top box which is dedicated to decoding digital television signals from a single digital TV content provider. (Usually this digital TV provider also supplies the set top box itself.) Thus, this invention allows digital television signals received from multiple providers and across multiple delivery media to be displayed as images on one or more analogue televisions.
The residential gateway may require additional electronic components in order to allow decoding of digital TV signals from different providers and to allow digital TV signals received through different media to be decoded and displayed in analogue form. However, the cost of adding the necessary parts to the residential gateway to allow decoding of digital television signals from additional providers will be much less than the cost of providing a corresponding number of additional set top boxes.
It should be understood that although the description set out above refers to digital television signals and providers a residential gateway according to the invention can be enabled to decode or convert into an analogue signal any digital video signal, even those received through media which would not normally be regarded as carrying television signals.
A prefered embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figure 1.
<Desc/Clms Page number 6>
Figure 1 shows a diagramatic view of a specific implementation of the invention using IntAct technology.
IntAct is a trademark of Amino Communications Limited.
The residential gateway 1 includes a number of receiver modules 2 to 4, each able to receive a digital television or digital video signal through a different media. In the illustrated example of Figure 1 the residential gateway 1 has a satellite receiver module 2, a cable modem module 3 and an ADSL modem module 4 able to receive digital signals from a satellite, through a fibre optic cable and by an ADSL connection respectively.
Usually, the residential gateway cable modem module 3 and ADSL modem module 4 will be able to send digital data by cable and ADSL respectively in addition to receiving digital data, as part of the conventional functions of the residential gateway 1. However, this ability to send digital data in addition to receiving it is not an essential part of the present invention.
The residential gateway 1 further comprises a conditional access and security module 5 controlling the transfer of data to and from the receiver modules 2 to 4. The conditional access and security module 5 will include the necessary decrypting and/or decoding hardware and/or software to allow digital video signals protected by encryption or encoding to be properly decrypted or decoded to provide viewable digital signals. Examples of such signals would include subscription television channels or pay per view programming. In order to carry out this decryption/decoding, the conditional access
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and security module 5 may be connected to decryption or decoding peripheral devices. For example, the conditional access and security module 5 may be connected to a smart card reader so that decryption keys required to view a subscription only service can be provided as required from a smartcard. However, such security peripherals are not shown in figure 1 for simplicity. The conditional access and security module 5 may also provide protection against "hacking" type attacks on the residential gateway 1 itself or through the residential gateway 1 directed at devices connected to the residential gateway 1. Protection against such attacks is a usual function of residential gateway.
Finally, the residential gateway 1 has at least one video module 6 which receives a digital television signal from the conditional access and security module 5 and decodes this and converts it into an analogue television signal output as an RF signal along conventional domestic coaxial cable.
In a preferred arrangement, each video module 6 outputs a single analogue television signal. An additional video module 6 must be added to the residential gateway 1 if the user wishes to be able to view different digital television signals on two different analogue televisions connected to the residential gateway 1 simultaneously. The number of video modules 6 can be increased to provide any desired number of different analogue television signals simultaneously.
Alternatively, the or each video module 6 could be constructed to output any desired plural number of analogue TV signals.
<Desc/Clms Page number 8>
The use of a basic video module 6 generating only a single analogue television signal is preferred because keeping the video module 6 simple will minimise cost.
In addition to the ability to provide analogue television signals corresponding to digital television signals received through various media the residential gateway may also be able to receive digital video data from household digital devices and convert these digital video signals into analogue television signals for display on analogue televisions.
As explained above, one of the advantages of digital television is the capability to provide interactive television services.
In order to allow the interactive features of digital television to be provided in the present invention a data or command feedback path can be provided between the user and the residential gateway.
A preferred method of providing a feedback path from the user to the residential gateway is for the user to have a remote control provided with a wireless link connecting directly to the residential gateway. Such a wireless link could for example be provided by using Bluetooth technology. This wireless link could be integrated into a conventional television control or remote control device so the remote control is able to interact with both the analogue television itself and the gateway. The remote control could interact with the televison to carry out commanded functions such as the volume to be changed or muted, picture display values to
<Desc/Clms Page number 9>
be altered or the television to be switched on or off.
Further, the remote control could communicate directly with the residential gateway so that the necessary commands to activate and operate interactive digital television features can be sent to the residential gateway.
The use of a direct wireless link from the user remote control device to the residential gateway is preferred.
However, other types of link are possible. For example, a wired link, infra-red data link or power line modulation through existing power lines. Alternatively a combined system could be used in which the user control sends commands by infra-red data link to a local infra-red receiver unit located in the vicinity of the television. The local receiver unit then sends on the commands as an RF signal modulation on the mains power lines to the residential gateway.
Such an infra-red and power line mudulation combined system may be cheaper and simpler to implement than a purely wireless approach.
The provision of a command data channel from the user to the residential gateway allows all of the interactive features of digital television to be provided even when the television signal is displayed by an analogue television having no intrinsic interactive capability.
When the user wishes to change channels and view a different television signal this will require a command to be sent to the residential gateway along the command data channel if the residential gateway is able to transmit only a single RF
<Desc/Clms Page number 10>
analogue television signal at a time. This command will instruct the residential gateway to change the digital television signal being decoded and resent in analogue form.
If the residential gateway is able to transmit multiple analogue television signals the user will be able to select between the currently available analogue television signals at the or each television without communicating with the gateway. However, in order to change the digital television signals being retransmitted as currently available analogue television signals, for example when there are more digital television signals available than can be simultaneously retransmitted by the gateway, it will still be necessary to send a command to the gateway to change the digital television signals being decoded and retransmitted and so allow the desired digital television signal to be viewed.
The description above refers to the invention being employed in residential gateways. This is expected to be the most usefull application of the invention, but the invention is applicable to any type of gateway.
The description refers to the analogue television signal being carried by coaxial cables. This is preferred, and is the most likely pre-existing signal carrying infrastructure to be encountered. However, the invention can be used with any signal carrying system.
The gateway may produce an analogue video signal suitable for display on any desired analogue display device. The invention is not limited to use with analogue televisions.
Claims (11)
- Claims 1. A gateway device comprising receiving means for receiving a digital video signal, conversion means for converting the digital video signal into a corresponding analogue video signal, and transmitting means for sending the analogue video signal to a display device.
- 2. A gateway device according to claim 1, in which the transmitting means is arranged to send the analogue video signal as an RF signal.
- 3. A gateway device according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the gateway device is a residential gateway.
- 4. A gateway device according to any preceding claim, in which the gateway device comprises a plurality of receiving devices, each for receiving a digital video signal through a different media.
- 5. A gateway device according to any preceding claim, in which the conversion means and transmitting means are able to convert a single digital video signal into a single analogue video signal and send it to a display device.
- 6. A gateway device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the conversion means and transmitting means are able to convert a plurality of digital video signals into a equal number of analogue video signals and send them to a display device.<Desc/Clms Page number 12>
- 7. A gateway device according to any preceding claim, and further comprising a command receiving means able to receive commands from a user and a command responding means able to alter an analogue video signal sent to a display device in response to commands received by the command receiving means.
- 8. A gateway device according to claim 7, in which the command responding means is able to alter the analogue video signal by changing which digital video signal is converted into the analogue video signal by the conversion means.
- 9. A video image display system comprising a gateway device according to claim 7 or claim 8, a display device able to display an image derived from the analogue video signal and a control device able to send commands to the command receiving means.
- 10. A video image display system according to claim 9, in which the gateway device is arranged to be able to respond to commands from the control device by altering the analogue video signal so that the image displayed by the display device mimics the responses of an interactive digital video image to the commands.
- 11. A system according to claim 9 or claim 10, in which the display device is an analogue television.
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0126043A GB2381685A (en) | 2001-10-30 | 2001-10-30 | Gateway device for converting digital signals to analogue signals |
| PCT/GB2002/004891 WO2003039149A1 (en) | 2001-10-30 | 2002-10-30 | Gateway device |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0126043A GB2381685A (en) | 2001-10-30 | 2001-10-30 | Gateway device for converting digital signals to analogue signals |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0126043D0 GB0126043D0 (en) | 2001-12-19 |
| GB2381685A true GB2381685A (en) | 2003-05-07 |
Family
ID=9924802
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0126043A Withdrawn GB2381685A (en) | 2001-10-30 | 2001-10-30 | Gateway device for converting digital signals to analogue signals |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2381685A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2003039149A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES2422879T3 (en) | 2001-07-23 | 2013-09-16 | Immunex Corporation | Modified human thymic stromal lymphopoietin |
| WO2007143219A2 (en) * | 2006-06-09 | 2007-12-13 | The Directv Group, Inc. | Video and data home networking architectures |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5521631A (en) * | 1994-05-25 | 1996-05-28 | Spectravision, Inc. | Interactive digital video services system with store and forward capabilities |
| WO1998037648A1 (en) * | 1997-02-19 | 1998-08-27 | Next Level Communications | Video, data and telephony gateway |
| WO2000056057A2 (en) * | 1999-03-18 | 2000-09-21 | Next Level Communications | Method and apparatus for cross-connection of video signals |
-
2001
- 2001-10-30 GB GB0126043A patent/GB2381685A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2002
- 2002-10-30 WO PCT/GB2002/004891 patent/WO2003039149A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5521631A (en) * | 1994-05-25 | 1996-05-28 | Spectravision, Inc. | Interactive digital video services system with store and forward capabilities |
| WO1998037648A1 (en) * | 1997-02-19 | 1998-08-27 | Next Level Communications | Video, data and telephony gateway |
| WO2000056057A2 (en) * | 1999-03-18 | 2000-09-21 | Next Level Communications | Method and apparatus for cross-connection of video signals |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2003039149A1 (en) | 2003-05-08 |
| GB0126043D0 (en) | 2001-12-19 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |