HK1119333A - Method and system for integrated cable modem and dvb-h receiver and/or transmitter - Google Patents

Description

Method and system for processing multimedia data

Technical Field

The present invention relates to signal processing in a multimedia communication system, and more particularly, to a method and system for processing multimedia data.

Background

The development of wireless technology is improving broadcasting to make it more suitable for mobile services. One limitation is that broadcasts typically require data transmission at high bit rates that are outside the range of rates that can be supported by existing mobile communication networks. However, with the advent of high-speed wireless communication technology, this hurdle has been overcome. Terrestrial television and radio broadcast networks use high power transmitters to cover a wider service area, which enables unidirectional distribution of content such as television and radio broadcasts to user equipment. In contrast, wireless telecommunications networks use low power transmitters which cover a relatively small area, referred to as a "cell". Unlike broadcast networks, wireless networks may provide two-way interactive services between users using user equipment (e.g., telephones and computer devices).

The Digital Television Terrestrial Broadcasting (DTTB) standard has been developed worldwide, and systems adopted vary with regions. The three most prominent DTTB systems are the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) system, the digital video broadcasting-terrestrial (DVB-T) system, and the integrated services digital broadcasting-terrestrial transmission (ISDB-T) system. The ATSC system is mainly applied to north america, south america, taiwan, and korea. The system uses trellis coding and 8-level vestigial sideband (8-VSB) modulation. DVB-T systems are used primarily in europe, the middle east, australia and parts of africa and asia. DVB-T systems use Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (COFDM). The ISDB-T system is applied in japan, using band-segmented transmission orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (BST-OFDM). The various DTTB systems differ in several respects: some systems use 6MHz channel separation, others use 7MHz or 8MHz channel separation.

While evolving, 3G systems may provide integrated voice, multimedia and data services to mobile user equipment, it may still be necessary to adapt the DTTB system to implement these functions. One important reason for this is that DTTB systems can support very high data rates. For example, in a wide area SFN (single frequency network), DVB-T may support a 15Mbits/s data rate in an 8MHz channel. Significant challenges also arise in delivering broadcast services to mobile user equipment. Many hand-held portable devices may require that the amount of power consumed be minimized in order to extend the life of the battery to a level that is acceptable to the user. Another problem to be considered is the doppler effect in the mobile user equipment, which causes intersymbol interference in the received signal. In the three main DTTB systems, ISDB-T was originally designed to support the provision of broadcast services to mobile user equipment. Since DVB-T was not designed to support mobile broadcast services, many modifications have been made to enable it to provide mobile broadcast functionality. A modified version of DVB-T support for mobile broadcasting is commonly referred to as DVB handheld (DVB-H).

To meet the requirements of mobile broadcast, the DVB-H specification may support time slicing to reduce the power consumption of the user equipment, the new 4K mode allows the network administrator to trade off the respective advantages of the 2K mode and the 8K mode, and the new level of forward error correction for multiprotocol encapsulation data forward error correction (MPE-FEC) makes DVB-H transmission more robust in the face of the challenges presented by mobile reception of signals and the potential limitations of handheld user equipment antenna design (robust). DVB-H also uses DVB-T modulation methods such as QPSK and 16-bit quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM), which have a strong recovery capability in the face of transmission errors. MPEG audio and video services are more resilient in the face of bit errors than data, and therefore do not require additional forward error correction to meet DTTB service objectives.

MPE-FEC includes IP data packets that use Reed-Solomon encoding, or packets that use other data protocols. The 4K mode in DVB-H uses 3409 carriers, each with a useful interval of 448 microseconds for an 8MHz channel. The 4K mode enables the network administrator greater flexibility in network design at minimal additional cost. More importantly, DVB-T and DVB-H may coexist in the same geographical area. In addition to indicating whether SVB-H specific operational functions, such as time slicing or MPE-FEC, are to be performed at the receiver, the Transmission Parameter Signaling (TPS) bits carried in the header of the transmitted message can also indicate whether the designated DVB transmission is DVB-T or DVB-H. Since time slicing is a necessary function of DVB-H, the time slicing indication in TPS can indicate that the received information is from DVB-H services.

Time-slicing as used by DVB-H reduces power consumption at the user equipment by increasing burstiness in the data transmission process. Instead of transmitting data at the same rate as the received rate, in time slicing techniques the transmitter may suspend transmitting data to the user equipment and then transmit data at a higher bit rate. This approach, which can be used to temporarily shut down the receiver at the user equipment, can reduce the total transmission time of the data over the air. Time-slicing also facilitates service handoffs during the movement of user equipment from one cell to another, since the delay imposed by time-slicing can be used to monitor transmitters in adjacent cells. Once the handheld device receives the DVB-H signal, the user can only use the handheld device to display the received DVB-H video signal and listen to the corresponding DVB-H audio signal.

Other limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches to this and others will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through reading of the remainder of the specification, and by referring to the drawings.

Disclosure of Invention

A system and/or method for integrating a cable modem and a DVB-H receiver and/or transmitter, substantially as shown in at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing multimedia data, including:

receiving a DVB-H signal through a DVB-H receiver integrated in a cable modem including a wireless interface or a cable interface;

forwarding the received DVB-H signals from within the cable modem to at least one multimedia device communicatively connected to the cable modem over the wireless or the wired interface.

In the method of the present invention, further comprising generating an audio signal and/or a video signal based on the received DVB-H signal.

In the method of the present invention, the method further comprises sending the audio signal and/or the video signal to at least one multimedia device communicatively connected to the cable modem: .

In the method of the present invention, the wired interface includes at least one of the following interfaces: an ethernet interface and a serial interface.

In the method of the present invention, the wireless interface includes a WLAN interface.

In the method of the present invention, further comprising converting the received DVB-H signal into at least one converted multimedia signal before forwarding the received DVB-H signal to the at least one multimedia device.

In the method of the present invention, the at least one converted multimedia signal comprises the same multimedia standard as the at least one multimedia device.

In the method of the present invention, further comprising storing the received DVB-H signal in a memory integrated in the cable modem.

In the method of the present invention, further comprising storing at least one of the following signals in a storage device connected to the cable modem: an audio signal and a video signal based on the received DVB-H signal.

In the method of the present invention, the storage device includes a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) communicatively connected to the cable modem.

In the method of the present invention, switching between receiving a cable signal through the cable modem and receiving the DVB-H signal through the DVB-H receiver is further included.

In the method of the present invention, the method further comprises simultaneously receiving a cable signal through the cable modem and receiving the DVB-H signal through the DVB-H receiver.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for processing multimedia data, comprising:

a DVB-H receiver circuit integrated in a cable modem circuit comprising a wireless interface or a cable interface for receiving DVB-H signals;

the cable modem circuitry forwards the received DVB-H signals from within the cable modem circuitry to at least one multimedia device communicatively coupled to the cable modem circuitry via the wireless or wired interface.

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuit is configured to generate an audio signal and/or a video signal based on the received DVB-H signal.

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuit is configured to transmit the audio signal and/or the video signal to at least one multimedia device communicatively coupled to the cable modem circuit.

In the system of the present invention, the wired interface includes at least one of the following interfaces: an ethernet interface and a serial interface.

In the system of the present invention, the wireless interface includes a WLAN interface.

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuitry is configured to convert the received DVB-H signal into at least one converted multimedia signal prior to forwarding the received DVB-H signal to the at least one multimedia device.

In the system of the present invention, the at least one converted multimedia signal comprises the same multimedia standard as the at least one multimedia device.

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuitry is configured to store the received DVB-H signals in a memory integrated in the cable modem circuitry.

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuit is configured to store at least one of the following signals in a storage device connected to the cable modem circuit: an audio signal and a video signal based on the received DVB-H signal.

In the system of the present invention, the storage device includes a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) communicatively connected to the cable modem.

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuit is configured to switch between receiving a cable signal via the cable modem circuit and receiving the DVB-H signal via the DVB-H receiver circuit.

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuit is configured to simultaneously receive a cable signal via the cable modem circuit and the DVB-H signal via the DVB-H receiver circuit.

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuitry is integrated into a Set Top Box (STB).

In the system of the present invention, the cable modem circuit is a single chip.

Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the architecture and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples, in which:

FIG. 1A is a diagram of an exemplary system for providing integrated services between a cellular network, a digital video broadcast network, and a cable modem in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 1B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary DVB-H receiver circuit in a cable modem in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary cable modem with an integrated DVB-H receiver and/or transmitter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary Radio Frequency (RF) receiver (Rx)/transmitter (Tx) circuit with auto-calibration functionality in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary Multimedia Signal Processor (MSP) according to one embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary Set Top Box (STB) with an integrated DVB-H receiver and/or transmitter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 5 is a flow chart of exemplary steps for processing multimedia data according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Some aspects of the methods and systems applied to an integrated cable modem and DVB-H receiver and/or transmitter may include receiving DVB-H signals through a DVB-H receiver integrated in the cable modem. The wired cable modem may include a wireless interface and/or a wired interface. The received DVB-H signals may be forwarded to a multimedia device communicatively connected to a cable modem over a wired or wireless interface. An audio signal and/or a video signal may be generated based on the received DVB-H signal and then sent to a multimedia device communicatively coupled to the cable modem. The wired interface may include an ethernet interface or a serial port. The wireless interface may comprise a WLAN interface. The received DVB-H signal may be stored in a memory integrated in the cable modem. The audio and/or video signals based on the received DVB-H signal may be stored in a storage device connected to the cable modem. The storage device may include a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or any other type of storage medium communicatively connected to a cable modem. The cable modem can switch between receiving cable signals and receiving DVB-H signals through the DVB-H receiver. The cable modem may also receive the DVB-H signal through the DVB-H receiver at the same time as the cable signal.

Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system for providing integrated services between a cellular network, a digital video broadcast network, and a cable modem in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1A, a terrestrial broadcast network 102, a service provider 106, a portal 108, a set-top box (STB)124a and Mobile Terminals (MT)116a and 116b within a residence 126a are illustrated. Terrestrial broadcast network 102 may include a transmitter (Tx)102a, a multiplexer (Mux)102b, and an information content source 114. The information content source 114 may also be referred to as a digital carousel, which includes audio, data, and video content. The terrestrial broadcast network 102 may also include DVB-H broadcast antennas 112a and 112 b. MTs 116a and 116b may also be used to communicate in a cellular network through antenna 112c using one or more of the following communication standards, including: GSM, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA2000, WCDMA, HSDPA and B-UMTS. STB 124a may include a cable modem 122a, and cable modem 122a may include a DVB-H receiver (Rx) and/or transmitter (Rx)120 a.

The terrestrial broadcast network 102 may include appropriate equipment for encoding and/or encrypting data for transmission by the transmitter 102 a. The transmitter 102a in the terrestrial broadcast network 102 may use the DVB-H broadcast channel to transmit information to the mobile terminals 116a, 116b and the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a in the home 126 a. A multiplexer 102b of the terrestrial broadcast network 102 may be used to multiplex data from multiple sources. For example, multiplexer 102b may be used to multiplex multiple types of information, such as audio, video, and/or data, into a single channel, which is then transmitted by transmitter 102 a. Content media from portal 108 that may be processed by service provider 106 may also be multiplexed by multiplexer 102 b. Portal 1008 may be an ISP service provider.

In one aspect of the invention, the terrestrial broadcast network 102 may be used to provide one or more Digital Television (DTV) channels to the service provider 106. In this regard, the terrestrial broadcast network 102 may include a suitable high speed or broadband interface for expediting the transmission of the DTV channels from the terrestrial broadcast network 102 to the service provider. Service provider 106 may also use at least a portion of the DTV channel to provide Television (TV) on-demand services or other similar services to, for example, a wireless service provider network. Thus, the service provider 106 may also include a suitable high speed or broadband interface for expediting the transfer of the relevant TV on demand information to the wireless service provider network.

Although the communication link between the terrestrial broadcast network 102 and the service provider 106 is a wired communication link, the invention is not so limited. Thus, at least one of these communication links may be a wireless communication link. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, at least one of these communication links may be an 802.x based communication link, such as an 802.16 or WiMax broadband access communication link. In another embodiment of the invention, at least one of these connections may be a line of sight (LOS) connection.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, if the Mobile Terminal (MT)116a is within the operating range of the DVB-H broadcast antenna 112a and then moves out of the operating range of the antenna 112a and into the operating range of the DVB broadcast antenna 112b, the DVB-H broadcast antenna 112b will provide DVB-H broadcast services to the mobile terminal 116 a. If the mobile terminal 116a subsequently comes back into the operating range of the DVB-H broadcast antenna 112a, the DVB-H broadcast service will be provided to the mobile terminal 116a by the broadcast antenna 112 a. Similarly, if Mobile Terminal (MT)116b is in the operating range of DVB-H broadcast antenna 112b, and then moves out of the operating range of antenna 112b and into the operating range of broadcast antenna 112a, then DVB-H broadcast services are provided to mobile terminal 116b by DVB-H broadcast antenna 112 a. If the mobile terminal 116b subsequently comes back into the operating range of the broadcast antenna 112b, the DVB-H broadcast service is provided to the mobile terminal 116b by the DVB-H broadcast antenna 112 b.

The service provider 106 may comprise suitable interfaces, circuitry, logic and/or code that may enable communication between the terrestrial broadcast network 102 and the portal 108. In one embodiment of the invention, the service provider 106 may use its interface to exchange control information with the terrestrial broadcast network 102 and to exchange control information with the portal 108. Control information exchanged between the service provider 106 and the terrestrial broadcast network 102 and the portal 108 may be used to control certain operations of the mobile terminal, the terrestrial broadcast network 102 and the portal 108. The service provider 106 may also be used to process certain types of service requests initiated by the mobile terminal. For example, the mobile terminal 116a may request that information be transmitted thereto over a downstream DVB-H broadcast channel. Accordingly, the service provider 106 may forward the requested information from the portal 108 or content service 114 to the mobile terminal 116 b. The service provider 106 may also transmit at least a portion of the information intended for the mobile terminal 116a over a DVB-H broadcast channel and the remainder over a cellular broadcast channel.

The portal 108 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable provision of content media to the service provider 106 via one or more communication links. Although not shown, these communication links may include wired and/or wireless communication links. The content media provided by portal 108 may include audio, data, video, or a combination of such content. In this regard, portal 108 may provide one or more specialized information services to service provider 106.

The information content source 114 may comprise a data carousel. In this regard, the information content source 114 may provide a variety of information services including online data including audio, video, and data content. The information content source 114 may also provide file download, software download services. When the mobile terminal is unable to acquire the requested resources from the information content source 114 or the requested information is not available, the mobile terminal may request the information from the portal 108 via, for example, B-UMTS. The request may be initiated over an uplink cellular communication path.

The Mobile Terminals (MT)116a and 116b may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable processing of uplink and downlink cellular channels using a variety of access technologies and/or broadcast DVB-H technologies. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the mobile terminals 116a and 116B may use one or more cellular access technologies such as GSM, GPRS, EDGE, CDMA, WCDMA, CDMA2000, HSDPA and MBMS (B-UMTS). The mobile terminals 116a and 116b may also receive and process DVB-H broadcast signals within the DVB-H frequency band. For example, a mobile terminal may receive and process DVB-H signals. The mobile terminal may also request information through the first cellular service and then receive corresponding information through the DVB-H broadcast service. The mobile terminal may also request information from a service provider through a cellular service and then receive corresponding information (provided by the cellular service) through a data service. The mobile terminal may also receive DVB-H broadcast information from DVB-H broadcast antennas 112a and 112 b.

In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the mobile terminal may use multiple broadcast integrated circuits to receive and process DVB-H channels and multiple cellular integrated circuits to receive and process cellular or PCS channels. For a broadcast channel, each broadcast integrated circuit may be configured to process at least one DVB-H channel.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal may receive and process the DVB-H channel using a single broadcast integrated circuit and receive and process the cellular or PCS channel using a single cellular integrated circuit. For a broadcast channel, a single broadcast integrated circuit may be used to process at least one DVB-H channel. Each mobile terminal may include a single memory interface for processing broadcast communication information and cellular communication information.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to receive or transmit DVB-H signals. For example, DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may receive DVB-H signals from antenna 112a or 112b over a DVB-H broadcast downlink. Further, the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may be located in a cable modem 122 a. The cable modem 122a may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to receive and process multimedia signals received from, for example, a cable network, a satellite network, and/or a terrestrial network. In this regard, the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a in the cable modem 122a may receive and process DVB-H signals. The processed DVB-H signals will be directed to one or more devices communicatively connected to the cable modem 122 a. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a and the cable modem 122a may be implemented on the same chip. The cable modem 122a and integrated DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may be provided in a Set Top Box (STB)124a for processing cable, satellite, and/or terrestrial signals.

Fig. 1B is a block diagram of an exemplary DVB-H receiver circuit in a cable modem in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1B, the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a of FIG. 1A is shown. The DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may include a DVB-H demodulator 132, a processing circuit module 142, and an antenna 150. The DVB-H demodulator module 132 may include a DVB-T demodulator 134, a time slicing module 138, and a multiprotocol encapsulation data-forward error correction (MPE-FEC) module 140.

The DVB-T demodulator 134 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to demodulate terrestrial DVB signals. In this regard, the DVB-T demodulator 134 may be used to down-convert a received DVB-T signal to an appropriate bit rate that the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a can handle. The DVB-T demodulator may be used to process, for example, 2k, 4k and/or 8k modes 136.

The time-slicing module 138 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to minimize power consumption of the DVB-HRx/Tx 120a, and in particular the DVB-T demodulator 134. Generally, time-slicing reduces the average power consumption of a mobile terminal by transmitting data at a higher instantaneous bit rate in a burst (burst) manner. In order to be able to inform the DVB-T demodulator 134 when the next burst (burst) is sent, an indication delta indicating when the next burst starts will be sent in the current burst. During transmission, no data will be sent for Elementary Streams (ESs), so that other elementary streams can better share the bandwidth. Since the DVB-T demodulator 134 knows when the next burst will be received, the DVB-T demodulator 134 may enter a power saving mode at intervals of bursts in order to consume less power. The reference 144 provides a control method for controlling the power to the DVB-T demodulator 134 through the time slicing module 138. The DVB-T demodulator 134 may also be used to monitor different transport streams in different channels using time slicing. For example, the DVB-T demodulator 134 may use time slicing to monitor adjacent channels at burst intervals for better handover.

The MPE-FEC module 140 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code that may enable error correction during decoding. On the encoding side, MPE-FEC encoding can provide improved carrier-to-noise ratio (C/N), improved doppler performance and improved tolerance to interference caused by impulse noise. During decoding, the MPE-FEC module 140 may be used to determine parity information from a previous MPE-FEC encoded datagram. In this way, the MPE-FEC module 140 can generate error-free datagrams during decoding even if the conditions of the receiving channel are very poor. The processing circuitry module 142 may comprise suitable processor, circuitry, logic and/or code and may be adapted to process IP datagrams generated by the MPE-FEC module 140 for output. The processing circuit module 142 may also be used to process Transport Stream (TS) packets from the DVB-T demodulator 134.

In operation, DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may receive wireless signals, such as DVB-H signals, Bluetooth signals, FM signals, and/or WLAN signals. The received signal is sent to the DVB-T demodulator 134 for processing. The DVB-T demodulator 134 is operative to receive an incoming DVB-T RF signal and demodulate it to generate data having a very low bit rate. In this regard, the DVB-T demodulator 134 recovers the MPEG-2 Transport Stream (TS) from the input DVB-T RF signal. The MPE-FEC module 140 will then correct all errors that may be present in the data and the resulting IP datagrams will be sent to the processing circuitry module 142 for processing. Transport stream packets from the DVB-T demodulator 134 will also be sent to the processing circuitry block 142 for processing. The processed DVB-H signal 152 will be sent out for further processing. For example, a video signal generated from a received DVB-H signal will be sent to a TV or monitor for display.

Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary cable modem with an integrated DVB-H receiver and/or transmitter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 2A, the cable modem 122A of fig. 1A is shown. The cable modem 122a may include a DVB-H Rx/Tx120a, a Multimedia Signal Processor (MSP)202, an extreme direct memory access (UDMA) electronic Integrated Drive (IDE) Interface (IF)212, an ethernet IF 204, and a VoIP module 206. The cable modem 122a may also include a home phone line network connection (HPNA1/2) interface 208, an arbiter/memory control IF 210, a WLAN/802.x module 214, a LAN IF 218, a peripheral IF 220, a router IF 222, and a telephone IF 224. The DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may be connected to the antenna 242 and the WLAN/802.x module 214 may be connected to the antenna 216. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cable modem 122a may be implemented as a single chip.

One or more of the wired cable modem 122a interfaces may be connected to a home network 226, which may be wired and/or wireless. The home network 226 may connect one or more of the cable modem 122a interfaces to a plurality of peripheral devices. Exemplary peripheral devices connected to the cable modem 122a may include a display 228, a TV 230, a PC 232, an ethernet phone 234, a smart phone such as a PDA 236, a router 229, and a multimedia storage server 238. The multimedia storage server 238 may include one or more Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) for performing, for example, Personal Video Recording (PVR) functions. Each of the display 228, TV 230, PC 232, ethernet phone 234, and smart phone 236 may receive audio and/or video signals for further processing and/or display through one or more interfaces in the cable modem 122 a.

The DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to receive DVB-H signals via antenna 242 and generate one or more audio and/or video signals based on the received DVB-H signals. DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may then send the generated audio and/or video signals to MSP202 for further processing via bus 240. For example, MSP202 can convert generated audio and/or video signals to one or more multimedia signals. The multimedia signal has the same format as the signal format of one or more devices connected to the cable modem 122a, such as one or more devices connected to the home network 226. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may transmit the generated audio and/or video signals directly to one or more devices connected to the cable modem 122a without additional processing by the MSP 202.

The Multimedia Signal Processor (MSP)202 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic and/or code and may be adapted to process multimedia signals from a cable network 244, a satellite network 246 and/or a terrestrial network 248. In addition, MSP202 may also process audio and/or video signals generated by DVB-H Rx/Tx120a based on one or more DVB-H signals received via antenna 242. MSP202 may perform, for example, front-end processing, such as down-conversion and signal decoding. MSP202 may also perform higher level video processing such as video format conversion, digital/analog audio processing, HD, and/or digital video processing. In one embodiment of the invention, DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may be installed in MSP202, implemented using a single chip.

The UDMA IDE interface 212 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code that may be operable to connect one or more Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) to the cable modem 122 a. In this regard, the cable modem 122a may perform Personal Video Recording (PVR) functions using a HDD connected through the UDMA IDE interface 212.

Ethernet IF 204 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to couple cable modem 122a to an ethernet network. In one embodiment of the present invention, Ethernet IF 204 may include a V.90 soft modem interface that may be used to connect cable modem 122a to the Internet. VoIP module 206 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be coupled to ethernet IF 204. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the VoIP module 206 may be connected to a VoIP enabled phone, such as the ethernet phone 234, through the home network 226.

The home phone line network connection (HPNA1/2) IF 208 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to enable home phone line network connection functionality. The HPNA IF 208 may be coupled to one or more HPNA enabled devices via the home network 226. The arbiter/memory control IF 210 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code to provide a connection to, for example, external memory such as flash, ROM, and/or DDR SDRAM.

The WLAN/802.x module 214 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may enable wireless connectivity between the cable modem 122a and one or more supported WLAN devices via the antenna 216. For example, the WLAN/802.x module 214 may connect the cable modem 122a to one or more WLAN-enabled devices, such as the smartphone 236, via the home network 226. The LANIF 218 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code that may be adapted to provide a wired LAN connection to the home network 226.

Peripheral IF 220 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may connect cable modem 122a to one or more of the following exemplary peripherals: infrared (IR) Tx/Rx, infrared data standards association (IRDA) enabled peripherals, universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter (UART), general purpose input/output (GPIO), Universal Serial Bus (USB), smart cards, LEDs, and/or keyboards.

The router IF 222 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may couple the cable modem 122a to a router. For example, the router IF 222 may connect the cable modem 122a to the router 229 through the home network 226. The telephone IF 224 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may couple the cable modem 122a to wired and/or wireless telephones. For example, telephone IF 224 may connect cable modem 122a to smart phone 236.

In operation, MSP202 can receive one or more multimedia signals from cable network 244, satellite network 246, and/or terrestrial network 248. MSP202 may process received multimedia signals, generate and output audio and/or video signals. The generated audio and/or video signals will be sent over bus 240 to one or more peripheral devices in cable modem 122 a. The audio and/or video signals may then be transmitted through the peripheral device to one or more multimedia devices connected to the cable modem 122 a. In one embodiment of the present invention, the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may receive DVB-H signals via antenna 242 and generate audio and/or video signals based on the received DVB-H signals. The DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may then send audio and/or video signals based on the received DVB-H signals to the MSP202 for further processing and/or to one or more multimedia devices connected to the cable modem 122a via the bus 240 and an interface in the cable modem 122 a.

Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram of an exemplary Radio Frequency (RF) receiver (Rx)/transmitter (Tx) circuit with auto-calibration functionality in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2B, there is shown RF Rx/Tx circuitry 260, which includes an auto-calibration module 262, a Control and Data Interface (CDI) module 264, and an Rx input processing module 266. RF Rx/Tx circuitry 260 may also include Tx output processing module 272, Local Oscillation Generator (LOG)268, signal generator 283, and phase-locked-loop fractional-N synthesizer (PLLFN) 270.

The Rx input processing module 266 may include band pass filters 272, 278, and 279, LNAs 273, 276, and 277, and multipliers 274 and 275. The Rx input processing module 266 may function as a front-end processing module for converting the RF input signal 280 into an I/Q output signal 281. Tx output processing block 272 may include bandpass filters 286, 289, and 291, a variable LNA 287, and multipliers 288 and 290. Tx output processing block 272 may be used to convert I/Q input signal 285 to RF output 284. In addition, the Rx input processing module 266 and the Tx output processing module 272 may use the LOG 268, the signal generator 283, and the PLLFN 270, respectively, in processing the RF input signal 280 and the I/Q input signal 285. PLLFN 270 and LOG 280 may be programmed to cover cellular and ISM bands (0.8GHz-6GHz), for example, at a resolution (resolution) of 1Hz or less than 1 Hz.

The control and data interface 264 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to modify one or more settings of the auto-calibration module 262 or the PLLFN module 270 using the control signals 282.

The auto-calibration module 262 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to calibrate the Rx input processing module 266 to enable processing of input signals in multiple frequency bands. The auto-calibration module 262 can support multiple signal standards simultaneously and can auto-calibrate to optimal performance. For example, when an RF Rx/Tx260 device moves from one coverage area to another or switches between receiving signals of different standards, the auto-calibration module 262 may quickly configure and calibrate the Rx input processing module 266 to maintain call and data integrity. In this regard, the auto-calibration module 262 may calibrate the Rx input processing module 266 to process wireless signals, such as WLAN, cellular, bluetooth, and/or UWB.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the center frequency, bandwidth, gain, and/or rejection (rejection) of the RF Rx/Tx circuit 260 are programmable. In this regard, macro or common programmability may be achieved by programming each block in the RF Rx/Tx circuitry 260 using different wireless systems and standards. A greater range of adjustments may also be performed by the auto-calibration module 262 and/or the control and data interface 264, or by receiving feedback information from the micro-calibrator to ensure optimization of the system as a whole.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the RF Rx/Tx circuit 260 may use micro-programmability or local programmability, which is achieved by using a low resolution (resolution) microcontroller in one or more modules in the RF Rx/Tx circuit 260 that are used to monitor performance and perform real-time adjustments. Feedback from the microcontroller will be provided to a macro-calibrator, such as auto-calibration block 262.

In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, DVB-H Rx/Tx120a and MSP202 may share the same RF Rx/Tx circuitry 260. In this regard, the RF Rx/Tx circuit 260 may be used as a DVB-H tuner, in which case the settings are calibrated using the DVB-H signal from the auto-calibration module 262. Similarly, the rf rx/Tx circuit 260 may also function as a cable tuner, using the cable signal calibration settings of the auto-calibration module 262.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary Multimedia Signal Processor (MSP) according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 3, MSP202 may include a plurality of Network Interface Modules (NIMs), such as terrestrial NIMs 308, satellite NIMs 310, and cable NIMs 312. MSP202 may also include an Advanced Graphics Processor (AGP)322 and an audio processor 324.

The NIMs 308, 310, 312 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code that may be operable to receive multimedia signals from the terrestrial network 302, the satellite network 304, and/or the cable network 306, respectively. In this regard, the NIMs 308, 310, 312 may include tuners 314, 316, 318, respectively, that may perform front-end signal processing such as demodulation and decoding. The front-end processed signals may be sent to AGP 322 and/or audio processor 324 for further processing.

The AGP 322 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code that may enable advanced video signal processing, such as format conversion. In addition, AGP 322 also receives audio and/or video signals 328 from DVB-H Rx/Tx such as DVB-H Rx/Tx120a in FIG. 2A. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, MSP202 can include a DVB-H processor 320. The DVB-H processor 320 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to receive the DVB-H signal 326 directly from a DVB-H wireless antenna coupled to the MSP202 and/or a DVB-H receiver coupled to the MSP 202. In this regard, processing of the DVB-H signal may be performed in MSP 202. Audio and/or video signals generated by DVB-H processor 320 from received DVB-H signals 326 are also sent to AGP 322 for processing. The AGP 322 may generate a video output signal 330. The video output signal 330 may include a composite signal, an S-video signal, and/or an RGB signal.

The audio processor 324 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to process multimedia signals received from the NIMs 308, 310, 312 and/or the AGP 322 to generate an audio output signal 332. The audio output signal 322 may include digital and/or analog audio signals.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary Set Top Box (STB) with an integrated DVB-H receiver and/or transmitter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 4, a Set Top Box (STB)400 may include a cable modem 401, an extreme direct memory access (UDMA) electronic Integrated Drive (IDE) Interface (IF)412, an ethernet IF 404, and a VoIP module 406. The STB400 may also include a home telephone line network connection (HPNA1/2) interface 408, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)450, an arbiter/memory control IF 410, a WLAN/802.x module 414, a LAN IF 418, a peripheral IF 420, a router IF 422, and a telephone IF 424. The WLAN/802.x module 414 may be connected to an antenna 416.

The cable modem 401 may include a DVB-H Rx/Tx 403 and a Multimedia Signal Processor (MSP) 402. DVB-H Rx/Tx 403 may be connected to antenna 422 and perform the same functions as DVB-H Rx/Tx120a in FIG. 2A. Similarly, MSP 402 can perform the same functions as MSP202 of fig. 2 and 3. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cable modem 401 may be implemented using a single chip.

One or more interfaces in the STB400 may be connected to a home network 426, which may be wired and/or wireless. The home network 426 may connect one or more of the STB400 interfaces to a plurality of peripheral devices. Peripheral devices connected to the STB400 may include a display 428, a TV 430, a PC 432, an ethernet phone 434, a smart phone such as a PDA 436, a router 429 and a multimedia storage server 438. The multimedia storage server 438 may include one or more Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) for performing, for example, Personal Video Recording (PVR) functions. Each of display 428, TV 430, PC 432, ethernet phone 434, and smartphone 436 may receive audio and/or video signals for further processing and/or display through one or more of the STB400 interfaces.

The DVB-H Rx/Tx 403 in the cable modem 401 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic, and/or code and may be adapted to receive DVB-H signals via the antenna 442 and generate one or more audio and/or video signals based on the received DVB-H signals. DVB-H Rx/Tx 403 may then send the generated audio and/or video signals to MSP 402 for further processing. For example, MSP 402 can convert the generated audio and/or video signals to one or more multimedia signals. The format of the multimedia signal is the same as the format of the signal of one or more devices connected to the STB400, such as one or more devices connected to the home network 426. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the DVB-H Rx/Tx 403 may transmit the generated audio and/or video signals directly to one or more devices connected to the STB400 without additional processing by the MSP 402.

The Multimedia Signal Processor (MSP)402 in the cable modem 401 may comprise suitable circuitry, logic and/or code and may be adapted to process multimedia signals from the cable network 444, the satellite network 446 and/or the terrestrial network 448. In addition, MSP 402 can also process audio and/or video signals generated by DVB-H Rx/Tx 403 based on one or more DVB-H signals received through antenna 442. The MSP 402 may perform, for example, front-end processing, such as down-conversion and signal decoding. MSP 402 can also perform higher-level video processing, such as video format conversion, digital/analog audio processing, HD, and/or other digital video processing. In one embodiment of the invention, DVB-H Rx/Tx 403 may be installed in MSP 402, implemented using a single chip.

The UDMA IDE interface 412, ethernet IF 404, VoIP module 406, home phone line network connection (HPNA1/2) interface 408, arbiter/memory control IF 410, WLAN/802.x module 414, LAN IF 418, peripheral IF 420, router IF 422, and phone IF 424 may be installed in the STB400 and perform similar functions to the corresponding interfaces described above in fig. 2A. The HDD 450 in the STB400 may be used to perform PVR functions.

In operation, MSP 402 can receive one or more multimedia signals from cable network 444, satellite network 446, and/or terrestrial network 448. MSP 402 can process received multimedia signals, generate and output audio and/or video signals. The generated audio and/or video signals may be sent to one or more peripheral devices in the STB400 via the bus 440. The audio and/or video signals may then be transmitted through the peripheral devices to one or more multimedia devices connected to the STB 400. In one embodiment of the present invention, DVB-HRx/Tx 403 may receive a DVB-H signal via antenna 442 and generate audio and/or video signals based on the received DVB-H signal. The DVB-H Rx/Tx 403 may then send audio and/or video signals based on the received DVB-H signals to the MSP 402 for further processing and/or to one or more multimedia devices connected to the STB400 via the bus 440 and an interface in the STB 400.

Fig. 5 is a flow chart of exemplary steps for processing multimedia data according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2A and 5, DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may receive DVB-H signals through antenna 242 at step 502. The DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may be integrated in a cable modem 122a, the cable modem 122a including WLAN 214 and/or LAN 218 interfaces. At step 504, the DVB-H Rx/Tx120a may generate an audio signal and/or a video signal based on the received DVB-H signal. At step 506, the generated audio signal and/or video signal may be stored in a storage device connected to the cable modem. The storage device may include, for example, a multimedia storage server 238 and/or a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) communicatively connected to the cable modem 122a for performing PVR functions. At step 508, the stored audio and/or video signals (based on the received DVB-H signal) will be converted by the MSP202 into at least one multimedia signal. The multimedia standard of the at least one multimedia signal is the same as the multimedia standard of the at least one multimedia device connected to the cable modem 122 a. At step 510, the multimedia signal will be forwarded to the multimedia device connected to the cable modem 122 a. For example, the multimedia signal will be forwarded to the TV 230 via the home network 226.

The present invention may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. The present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention can also be implemented by a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods of the invention and which, when loaded in a computer system, is able to carry out these methods. The computer program in the present document refers to: any expression, in any programming language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduced in different formats to implement specific functions.

While the invention has been described with reference to several embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A method for processing multimedia data, comprising:

receiving a DVB-H signal through a DVB-H receiver integrated in a cable modem including a wireless interface or a cable interface;

forwarding the received DVB-H signals from within the cable modem to at least one multimedia device communicatively connected to the cable modem via the wireless or wired interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an audio signal and/or a video signal based on the received DVB-H signal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending the audio signal and/or the video signal to at least one multimedia device communicatively coupled to the cable modem.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wired interface comprises at least one of: an ethernet interface and a serial interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface comprises a WLAN interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the received DVB-H signal into at least one converted multimedia signal prior to forwarding the received DVB-H signal to the at least one multimedia device.

7. A system for processing multimedia data, comprising:

a DVB-H receiver circuit integrated in a cable modem circuit comprising a wireless interface or a cable interface for receiving DVB-H signals;

the cable modem circuitry forwards the received DVB-H signals from within the cable modem circuitry to at least one multimedia device communicatively coupled to the cable modem circuitry via the wireless or wired interface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the cable modem circuitry is configured to generate an audio signal and/or a video signal based on the received DVB-H signal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cable modem circuitry is configured to transmit the audio signals and/or the video signals to at least one multimedia device communicatively coupled to the cable modem circuitry.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the wired interface comprises at least one of: an ethernet interface and a serial interface.