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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. An entertainment system, comprising:
a personal computer having a bus;
a receiver coupled to the bus for receiving a compressed digital video
signal from a source external to the system;
a tuner coupled to the bus for separating out discrete channels of video
signal;
a decompressor coupled to the bus for receiving at least one channel of the
compressed digital video signal from the tuner and decompressing the
signal into a decompressed digital video signal; and
a video driver coupled to the bus for receiving the decompressed digital
video signal and converting the decompressed video signal into VGA analog
signals; and
a large screen data quality monitor for receiving the VGA analog signals
and displaying the video images therein on a screen capable of a
resolution of at least 640 by 480 pixels, wherein at no time are such
video images displayed on the monitor converted to NTSC which would result
in loss of video image quality.
2. An entertainment system, comprising:
a personal computer having a processor, a main memory, a secondary storage
device, and a bus for connecting the processor, the main memory and the
secondary storage device and for receiving signals from multiple circuits;
a tuner for receiving a compressed digital video broadcast signal and
tuning the signal into discrete channels of digital video;
a decompressor coupled to the tuner and to the bus for receiving at least
one channel of compressed digital video signal and decompressing the
signal into a decompressed digital video signal;
a monitor driver coupled to the bus for receiving the decompressed digital
video signal and converting the decompressed video signal into standard
VGA analog signals; and
a large screen data quality monitor for receiving the VGA analog signals
and displaying the video images therein on a screen capable of a
resolution of at least 640 by 480 pixels, wherein at no time are such
video images displayed on the monitor converted to NTSC which would result
in loss of video image quality.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the bus is a personal computer standard
PCI bus, allowing video data to be processed by all the devices attached
to the PCI bus.
4. The system of claim 3 wherein the main memory is coupled to the bus, and
provides memory storage for:
a fifo memory buffer of fixed size, and
a buffer controller for controlling the buffer to store compressed digital
video signals, and to provide the buffered compressed digital video
signals to a decompressor in response to the system controller.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein the compressed digital video broadcast
signal is compressed in accordance with MPEG standards, and the
decompressor comprises an MPEG decompression circuit.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein the MPEG compression is MPEG-1 compliant.
7. The system of claim 5 wherein the MPEG compression is MPEG-2 compliant.
8. The system of claim 2 wherein the monitor has a diagonal viewing size of
at least 27 inches.
9. The system of claim 2 wherein the monitor has a diagonal viewing size of
at least 31 inches.
10. The system of claim 2 wherein the monitor is non-interlaced, providing
a stable image of text characters.
11. The system of claim 2 and further comprising a audio processing card
coupled to the bus for receiving audio data encoded in the digital video
signal and providing an output suitable for driving speakers.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the audio processing card further
comprises an input for accepting signals from a microphone.
13. The system of claim 11 wherein the audio processing card further
comprises an input for accepting signals from audio CD players.
14. The system of claim 11 wherein the audio processing card further
comprises an FM synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound.
15. The system of claim 11 wherein the audio processing card farther
comprises a wavetable synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound.
16. The system of claim 11 wherein the audio processing card farther
comprises:
an FM synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound
a wavetable synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound; and
a mixer, coupled to the FM synthesis circuit and to the wavetable synthesis
circuit for mixing the sounds created by both and providing them to at
least one of a line out or the bus.
17. The system of claim 2, and further comprising:
an NTSC tuner for timing regular commercial broadcast television signals to
provide a second video feed to the monitor driver.
18. The system of claim 2, wherein all the elements therein except the
monitor are contained within a personal computer chassis, and the monitor
does not contain a tuner.
19. The system of claim 2, wherein all the elements therein are contained
in a monitor chassis.
20. The system of claim 2, wherein the digital video signal is displayed on
the monitor without cropping.
21. The system of claim 2, wherein the digital video broadcast signal is
broadcast by satellite and received by an antenna coupled to the tuner.
22. The system of claim 2, wherein the digital video broadcast signal is
transmitted by digital cable coupled directly to the tuner.
23. The system of claim 2, wherein the digital video broadcast signal is
transmitted by terrestrial antennas and received by an antenna coupled to
the tuner.
24. An entertainment system, comprising:
a system controller for receiving user input to control selected portions
of the entertainment system;
a receiver, including an antenna, for receiving a compressed digital video
signal broadcast from a satellite;
a tuner, coupled to the receiver and the controller for selecting at least
one channel of said compressed digital video signal in response to the
controller;
a decompressor, coupled to the tuner for receiving a channel of the
compressed digital video signal and decompressing the compressed digital
video signal into a decompressed digital video signal;
a converter, coupled to the decompressor for receiving the decompressed
digital video signal and converting the decompressed video signal into
standard VGA analog signals;
a large screen data quality monitor coupled to the converter receives the
VGA analog signals and displays the video images therein on a screen
capable of a resolution of at least 640 by 480 pixels wherein at no time
are the video images displayed on the monitor converted to NTSC.
25. The entertainment system of claim 24 and further comprising:
a fifo memory buffer of fixed size, coupled to the tuner and decompressor,
and
a buffer controller for storing compressed digital video signals in said
buffer, wherein said buffer controller causes the buffer to provide the
buffered compressed digital video signals to the decompressor in response
to the system controller.
26. The system of claim 24 wherein the compressed digital video broadcast
signal is compressed in accordance with MPEG standards, and the
decompressor comprises an MPEG decompression circuit.
27. The system of claim 25 wherein the MPEG compression is MPEG-1
compliant.
28. The system of claim 25 wherein the MPEG compression is MPEG-2
compliant.
29. The system of claim 24 wherein the monitor has a diagonal viewing size
of at least 27 inches.
30. The system of claim 24 wherein the monitor has a diagonal viewing size
of at least 31 inches.
31. The system of claim 24 wherein the monitor is non-interlaced, providing
a stable image of text characters.
32. The system of claim 24 and further comprising an audio processing
circuit coupled to the converter for receiving decompressed audio data
encoded in the digital video signal and providing an output suitable for
driving speakers.
33. The system of claim 32 wherein the audio processing circuit further
comprises an input for accepting signals from a microphone.
34. The system of claim 32 wherein the audio processing circuit further
comprises an input for accepting signals from audio CD players.
35. The system of claim 32 wherein the audio processing circuit further
comprises an FM synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound.
36. The system of claim 32 wherein the audio processing circuit further
comprises a wavetable synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound.
37. The system of claim 32 wherein the audio processing circuit further
comprises:
an FM synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound
a wavetable synthesis circuit for synthesizing sound; and
a mixer, coupled to the FM synthesis circuit and to the wavetable synthesis
circuit for mixing the sounds created by both and providing them to a line
out.
38. The system of claim 24, and further comprising:
an NTSC tuner for tuning regular commercial broadcast television signals to
provide a second video feed to the monitor driver.
39. The system of claim 24, wherein all the elements therein except the
monitor are contained within a personal computer chassis, and the monitor
does not contain a tuner.
40. The system of claim 24, wherein all the elements therein are contained
in a monitor chassis.
41. The system of claim 24, wherein the digital video signal is displayed
on the monitor without cropping.
42. An entertainment system, comprising:
an antenna for receiving compressed digital video signals broadcast from
one or more satellites orbiting the earth in geosynchronous orbit;
a personal computer having
a first circuit for receiving a compressed digital video signal broadcast
from at least one satellite;
a second circuit for decompressing the compressed digital video signal into
a decompressed digital video signal; and
a third circuit for converting the decompressed video signal into standard
VGA analog signals; and
a large screen data quality television for receiving the VGA analog signals
and displaying the video images therein on a screen capable of a
resolution of at least 640 by 480 pixels, wherein at no time are the video
images displayed on the television converted to NTSC which would result in
loss of video image quality. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a home entertainment system, and in
particular to a system having a high quality monitor to display digitally
received broadband video without loss of signal quality.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The consumer electronics industry has created many stand alone products for
specific functions, such as television viewing, video recording and
playback, broadband video receivers, playing recorded music and broadcast
music. Some devices combine functions, such as the combination TV/VCR, and
the audio cassette/AM/FM receiver to name a couple. One direction that
consumers are moving is toward larger televisions located within a family
room or living room with accompanying high quality stereo. Multiple
components are required, each providing separate functions. A large screen
television based on a 19 inch to 40 inch picture tube, or 46 inch to 60
inch projection system is used and viewed from a distance of two to five
meters. The television includes a tuner for receiving and decoding
National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) signals, infrared receiver
circuitry for a remote control, and in many cases stereo and surround
sound integrated into it, making it a very expensive device. Further, the
consumer likely has a video recorder/player, and perhaps a cable box/set
top box to receive cable or satellite transmission which may also include
a video tuner and other electronics to handle modulated, compressed and
encrypted video signals. In addition, a consumer is also likely to have a
separate stereo system complete with CD player, tuner and other audio
attachments, such as speakers. This duplicates much of the functionality
of the television system and adds to the cost of a home entertainment
center.
Most consumer electronic devices come with remote control devices, which as
in the case of the television above, require sensing circuitry to receive
and process the signals from the remotes. Such controls are typically
based on IR signals which can be interrupted by someone walking in front
of it, and are not able to be used in a different room from the receiver.
While a few have on-screen programming functions, and there are special
remote control devices which can be programmed to control multiple
consumer electronic devices found in a home entertainment center, there is
little consistency between such controls. In addition, there is no good
way to use different remote control its to control different programs
generating the information displayed in various windows on the screen.
This leads to confusion of the consumer, and the classic case of the
blinking "12:00" as consumers become frustrated trying to master all the
protocols required to appropriately control their electronic devices.
Trying to program a VCR to record a program in the future can also be
quite difficult. The expense of the additional circuitry in all the
devices to accomplish these functions is borne by the consumer.
Multimedia based personal computers today are configured with CD Rom
drives, and speakers as well as graphics drivers for displaying graphics
on a monitor attached to the computer. CD Rom drives are capable of both
reading data, such as computer programs, and reading audio information
such as music which is output from the attached speakers. Multimedia
titles for running on a PC usually are distributed on CD Rom, and involve
such things as animated encyclopedias and other books, as well as games
that may incorporate video clips which can be shown on a PC display. More
and more of the video information on such CDs is compressed in accordance
with Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standards and requires
commercially available software or circuitry to decompress it and process
it for display. The display signal is typically of VGA quality. Some add
on products for PCs even provide a connection to video feeds from multiple
sources for playing in a window on the monitor screen. Typically, the
computer has a video graphics adapter (VGA or SVGA) card which processes
all the information to be displayed on a monitor and the monitor itself is
basically a picture tube that shows only what it is sent with very little
processing. However, most PC displays are small, and not suitable for
viewing by multiple people at the same time. It often happens that when a
family gets a new program such as a game, animated book or educational
game, everyone wants to see it being used for the first time, and they
huddle around a small display and vie for positions. In addition, there is
no good way for multiple users to interact on a single computer. For
viewing video feeds from cable or satellite, large screen consumer
television sets are most commonly used in the home entertainment center.
As can be seen, there is great duplication of function between the consumer
electronics and personal computers, both of which are more and more likely
to be found in a family room or great room of a home. This duplication of
function leads to much more money being spent to fully outfit the home
entertainment center and provide additional functions. When one component
fails, since it has duplicate function, it is expensive to replace. One
system that tried to solve some of the above problems is shown in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,192,999 to Graczyk et at. That system has a television circuit
and an audio circuit within a personal computer, both of which are
controlled by a remote control device. The television circuit is used to
receive common cable or broadcast video signals in NTSC format, which
inherently have a lower quality than video signals currently broadcast by
digital broadcasting satellite. NTSC format signals are interlaced, which
means that every other line is refreshed during each scan of the picture
tube. For example, odd lines would be refreshed during a first scan, and
even lines during a second scan. Since there are 60 scans per second, odd
lines are refreshed 30 times per second, and even lines are refreshed 30
times per second. VGA monitors refresh at least 60 times per second,
providing a more coherent spatial and temporal image. The NTSC signal is a
lower bandwidth signal than digital MPEG, which has a much higher
bandwidth and allows productive use of even higher resolution monitors.
While Graczyk et al. does convert the NTSC signals to VGA format for
display by a data quality analog monitor, the signal quality is limited
because of the lower bandwidth transmission. NTSC signals have a great
effect on the type of text that can be displayed. With an interlaced
display, the text displayed in normal fonts appears to jump as alternate
lines are refreshed. There have been several attempts to design fonts that
minimize this jump effect, but none have worked well. A VGA display,
refreshing each line with every scan of the tube, does not have this
problem, and provides a much sharper and readable image for text.
The monitor described by Graczyk is shown as a standard PC analog VGA
monitor, and reference is commonly made to a single user. Such monitors
are fairly small, having a maximum viewing area of 17.5 inches (44.5 cm)
at the high end of the PC market. They are not nearly suitable for viewing
in a home entertainment environment. They are designed for close viewing,
having pixels very close together. Current home entertainment systems are
much larger and expensive due to all the other circuitry they have as
described above.
One satellite broadcast system is that provided by DirecTV, a unit of GM
Hughes Electronics. Direct Broadcast Satellites, "DBS" provide more than
150 channels of high-quality MPEG based video, sound and data to 18 inch
(45.7 cm) receiving antennas. Rights to make subscriber terminals are
licensed by DirectTV, and several other companies contributing technology.
News Datacom Corporation provides encryption and security for the DBS
system, providing decryption keys, software and an access card for each
subscriber terminal. Thomson Consumer Electronics provides consumer
subscriber terminals in the form of set top boxes called integrated
receiver/decoders "IRDs" which convert the high-quality television signals
into NTSC for showing on a standard television. Each IRD demodulates,
decodes, decrypts and outputs video and data, which is displayed on a
subscriber television. Error correction, decompression and demultiplexing
to separate out video data from other data is also provided in the IRD.
While S Video output is provided, there is no provision for monitor/VGA
quality output capability. Other sources of MPEG based video include
optical fiber based cable systems, compact disk, video clips available on
the Internet network, both old and proposed HDCD (high-definition compact
disk) formats, and other existing and proposed satellite, digital cable,
and asynchronous-transfer mode ("ATM")-based systems as well as wireless
digital broadcasts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A multipurpose computer system is provided with circuitry to control
consumer electronics, such as a large monitor or television for group
interaction and of text, graphics and video in a home entertainment
environment. The circuitry provides audio and video tuning capability for
display of received high quality video signals on the monitor without an
intermediate conversion to a lower quality NTSC format. The circuitry
decodes the received video signals and converts them to VGA format which
provides images of higher quality than NTSC. The monitor is capable of
directly displaying VGA signals, and is not required to have a television
tuner circuit, remote control, or audio circuitry. This significantly
reduces the cost of the monitor and improves the quality of display as
opposed to typical large screen televisions which contain complex tuning
circuitry.
In one embodiment, the high quality video signals are received from
satellites broadcasting digital video signals, digital cable signals and
other wireless digital broadcasts. One example is direct broadcasting
satellite "DBS" signals having a quality of video signal higher than that
provided by NTSC broadcasts. The DBS signals are MPEG-compressed video,
audio and data. The DBS signals are received by a video receiver circuit
board which is compatible with a standard personal computer peripheral
component interconnect (PCI) bus and fits within the chassis of a personal
computer. The video receiver cards have panel connectors for receiving
coax cable from an antenna which directly receives the DBS signals. The
card has functional blocks comprising a satellite tuner, digital
demodulator, forward error correction, conditional access and
decryption/demultiplexing. The demultiplexor provides the capability of
receiving data packets which range from information on television programs
being broadcast, to computer programs for downloading into computer
memory.
The video receiver card outputs digital video, audio and data streams onto
the peripheral component interconnect "PCI" bus where it can be accessed
by the computer main processor for manipulation and storage. When stored
in a personal computer memory, the program information may be organized in
a commercially available database format. This permits the use of database
functions to be applied to the data. Rather than being stuck viewing the
program information as provided by the broadcaster, the data immediately
becomes manipulable by database commands, allowing queries of program
information. Searches are used to show programs having certain actors or
subject matter, and even have programs meeting the query automatically
recorded. One use entails a user designating a series to be recorded, and
the database keeps track of what has been recorded or already viewed,
avoiding duplicate recording, as well as providing easy access to the
recorded programs. In general, by capturing data along with video and
audio in a form which a personal computer can process, the possibilities
for computer applications are endless. Interaction with movies,
classrooms, other players of games such as golf and a host of other
possibilities becomes clear.
Further embodiments of the system include a settop box version, where all
the circuitry is integrated into one or two cards in a box designed to sit
on top of a television set having VGA input. In another version, all the
circuitry is included inside of the television chassis.
In one embodiment of the invention, closed caption information provided in
video signals is captured, and stored in the database for searching. This
provides the ability to instantly find current programming discussing
events that a user is interested in. In a further embodiment, speech
recognition circuitry is used to convert speech to text or commands for
similar searching capability. Given current speech recognition
capabilities, not all words may be recognized. Only those that are
recognized are stored in the database or used as a command. Much of the
information so captured is not relevant in a certain amount of time, so a
data retention mechanism is used to identify old data and delete it from
the database once the database has exceeded its allocated resource level.
A standard FIFO algorithm based on the time expired since the programs
described have been shown is employed. Further algorithms are user
selectable to relevancy rank data in accordance with user preference.
A video graphics adapter (VGA) card also coupled to the PCI bus converts
the digital data stream into VGA and video signals for display on the
monitor. In addition to being a home entertainment system, a fully
functional computer system forms the heart of the entertainment system.
Instead of buying all the individual consumer electronics parts, such as a
large screen television, settop box for receiving broadband video, audio
amplifier/receiver, CD player, universal remote control, video game
machine, answering machine and fax, and a personal computer as some
consumers do today, they need only buy the home entertainment system of
the present invention. The cost is about the same as that for the
individual traditional consumer electronics parts, making the personal
computer essentially free.
Support for remote control of both the personal computer and the monitor
functions is also provided in the personal computer as well as standard PC
VGA graphic display functions normally associated with personal computers.
Additional functions also become available based on the integration of
devices and digitized data, video and audio. In this manner, no audio,
remote control or channel tuning electronics is required in the display,
which results in a much lower price for a large monitor suitable for home
entertainment. Both a handheld remote control having standard television
and in one embodiment, video cassette recorder controls, and a full
function remote keyboard having similar standard television and video
cassette recorder controls are provided. Both transmit key signals
identifying the key pressed, as well as a signal identifying the source of
the key signal. The key signals are preferably RF signals typically in the
megahertz range, but can also be IR or other suitable form of radiation.
RF signals have the advantage over infrared "IR" signals in that they are
not interrupted by someone walking between the remote and the receiver.
Light source interference and jamming of other IR receivers is minimized
by using RF signals. It may also be used in a different room from the
receiver.
The personal computer contains suitable receiving circuitry, which provides
indications of the keys being pressed, with the identity of the remote
control device sending the signal. In one embodiment, an industry standard
architecture (ISA) board or module is plugged into both the keyboard and
mouse ports. Another bus, such as a serial, RS232 or microchannel bus may
also be used. The board contains RF receiver circuitry which receives the
RF signals, decodes them and routes them to the appropriate port for
processing. A receiving module is programmed to distinguish between the
sources of the remote control transmitted signals, and directs keystrokes
to the keyboard port, and mouse movements to the mouse port. The signals
at the two ports then control which program the remote key signals affect.
If the handheld remote is activated, the key signals usually would control
what channel is being displayed, or cause a recorded program to fast
forward, play or reverse. It could however be selected to move to the next
image or otherwise control a program designed to display pictures taken on
a digital camera. Keyboard keys are more likely to control a computer
program application such as a word processor, spread sheet or electronic
mail program. In one embodiment, the television like controls are used to
override the remote hand held television controls in channel selection.
Just as easily, the hand held remote controls paging through electronic
mail. Additionally, the hand held remote has a pointing device, such as a
trackball, or miniature joystick with normally associated keys for
selecting functions identified by the cursor on the display being moved by
the pointing device. The keyboard contains an integrated touchpad for
performing similar function, and additionally for transmitting signatures,
providing the ability to ensure that an authorized user is requesting a
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