Patent Application
20150055015
This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No. 102130290, filed Aug. 23, 2013, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a video/audio data processing method and an associated module, and more particularly, to a video/audio data processing method for enabling a digital TV to simultaneously provide a plurality of mobile devices with different audios of different channels for playback, and a module applying the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A picture-in-picture (PIP) digital TV available on the market, by way of dividing an image on a single screen, supports a function of simultaneously playing images of programs broadcasted by two or more channels. As being capable of playing images of programs broadcasted by different channels, a PIP digital TV, e.g., an outdoor TV wall, usually has a screen that is larger than a household TV.
However, although a common PIP digital TV is capable of simultaneously playing images of multiple programs, audios of these programs cannot be played simultaneously as well. In other words, in a common PIP digital TV, an audio stream of one of the programs is monophonically played. Thus, when multiple users are viewing images of different programs played on a same PIP TV, only the user viewing the main picture is allowed to listen the audio of the program corresponding to the main picture, while the users of the remaining sub pictures can only view the images of the programs without the corresponding audios.
The invention is directed to a video/audio data processing method and an associated module for overcoming an issue of the prior art, in which a PIP digital TV is capable of playing only an audio of one single channel instead of simultaneously playing audios of other channels.
A video/audio data processing method applied to a digital TV is disclosed by the present invention. The digital TV is configured to simultaneously play a plurality of videos on a screen. The method includes: receiving a plurality of selection instructions, each of the selection instructions being sent out by a device and for selecting one of a plurality of channels; decoding source data to obtain video data and audio data corresponding to the selected channels respectively; playing the video data corresponding to the selected channels on the screen simultaneously; and transmitting the audio data corresponding to the selected channels to the devices respectively.
A video/audio data processing module applied to a digital TV is disclosed by the present invention. The digital TV is configured to simultaneously play a plurality of videos on a screen. The module includes a control module, a decoder and a data transmission module. The control module generates a first control signal and a second control signal according to a plurality of selection instructions. Each of the selection instructions is sent out by a device, and is for selecting one of a plurality of channels. The decoder decodes source data to obtain video data and audio data corresponding to the selected channels respectively, and outputs the video data corresponding to the selected channels for playback on the screen simultaneously. The data transmission module transmits the audio data corresponding to the selected channels to the devices respectively.
The above and other aspects of the invention will become better understood with regard to the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The module 100 includes a decoder 110, a display device, 120, a data transmission module 130, a control module 140, and a detection module 180.
The detection module 180 assists the module 100 to detect mobile devices within a detection range of the digital TV. In this example, the mobile devices 150A, 150B and 150C are detected. The detection module 180 further establishes network connections between the control module 140 and the mobile devices 150A, 150B and 150C, and network connections between the data transmission module 130 and the mobile devices 150A, 150B and 150C. For example, the network connections may be established through wired or wireless means.
The control module 140 receives selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3 from the mobile devices 150A, 150B and 150C through wired or wireless means, respectively, and generates a first control signal and a second control signal for each of the selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3. The first control signal is transmitted by the control module 140 to the decoder 110 to instruct the decoder 110 on a decoding method to be performed. The second instruction signal is transmitted by the control module 140 to the data transmission module 130 to instruct the data transmission module 130 on data transmission method to be performed. Each of the selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3 is for selecting one of a plurality of channels. Taking
According to a channel instructed by the first control signal, the decoder 110 decodes a multimedia data stream MS that the module 100 receives from an external multimedia stream source to obtain a corresponding video stream and audio stream. Taking
The display device 120 plays program images of channels respectively corresponding to the video streams VS1, VS2 and VS3 in sub pictures according to a PIP configuration setting. The PIP configuration setting may be designated by the selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3.
The data transmission module 130 transmits the audio streams AS1, AS2 and AS3 to the mobile devices 150A, 150B and 150C by wired or wireless means, respectively, so that the users of the mobile devices 150A, 150B and 150C are enabled to select the sub audio streams of the channels as desired.
In step 202, a multimedia data stream MS is received. The multimedia data stream MS includes encoded video streams and audio streams of a plurality channels.
In step 204, a plurality of selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3 are received. Each of the selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3 is sent out by a mobile device and is for selecting one of the channels.
In step 206, the multimedia data stream MS is decoded to obtain the video streams and the audio streams corresponding to the channels selected by the respective selection instructions.
In step 208, the video streams of the channels selected by the respective selection instructions are played in a plurality of sub pictures.
In step 210, the audio streams AS1, AS2 and AS3 corresponding to the channels selected by the respectively signals SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3 are transmitted to the respective mobile devices 150A, 150B and 150C that sent out the selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3.
In step 202, the decoder 110 receives the multimedia data stream MS from an external multimedia stream source.
In step 204, the control module 140 selects one of the channels according to the selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3 of the respective mobile devices 150A, 1508 and 150C.
In step 206, the decoder 110 decodes the multimedia data stream MS to obtain the video streams VS1, VS2 and VS3 and the audio streams AS1, AS2 and AS3 corresponding to the channels designated by the respective selection instructions SEL1 SEL2 and SEL3.
In step 208, the display device 120 generates a plurality of sub pictures according to a PIP configuration setting designated by the selection instruction SEL1, SEL2 or SEL3, and plays contents of the video streams VS1, VS2 and VS3 in the respective sub pictures. In one embodiment, the PIP configuration setting that the selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3 respectively utilize to designate sub pictures of the display device 120 includes a size ratio, relative positions, an arrangement combination and shapes of the sub pictures.
In step 210, the data transmission module 130 transmits the audio streams AS1, AS2 and AS3 to the mobile devices 150A, 150B and 150C according to the respective selection instructions SEL1, SEL2 and SEL3. Accordingly, the mobile device 150A may play the received audio stream AS1, the mobile device 150B may play the received audio stream AS2, and the mobile device 150C may play the received audio stream AS3.
With the method in
As such, the method in
It should be noted that, reasonable arrangements and combinations, and/or variations to details of the embodiments of the applications made by one skilled person in the art are to be included within the scope of the present invention.
In the video/audio data processing method and the module applying the method, by directly transmitting audio streams of different channels designated by multiple users to mobile devices respectively held by the users, instead of being restricted to a limitation that a digital TV being capable of playing a monophonic audio, the users are enabled to listen to audios of respective desired programs.
While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102130290 | Aug 2013 | TW | national |
