JP3008545B2 - AV equipment optical space connection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interconnection apparatus for transmitting audio signals, video signals and control signals between a plurality of AV devices, such as a TV receiver and an audio device, installed in a home or an office by optical space transmission. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a plurality of AV devices in a room are connected by a metallic cable, and various controls such as channel selection, volume adjustment, operation of a VTR and the like are performed by a user using a remote control using an LED as a light source. I have. Recently, a method of transmitting an audio signal by radio waves or optical space transmission has been used.

[0003]

However, with the above-mentioned system, the complexity of cable connection between devices when installing these devices is unavoidable with the recent increase and spread of types of AV devices. In addition, routing a large number of cables impairs aesthetics in an ordinary household and limits the installation location of AV equipment. In addition, when installing these devices for business use, full-scale cable laying work may be required, which incurs costs. In addition, there was a problem in increasing the number of devices and changing the installation location.

[0004] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connection device capable of flexibly coping with the addition and movement of AV equipment.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

(First Means) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an optical transceiver for transmitting and receiving an input / output signal of each AV device in an optical space.
A first control console for relaying the output optical signal from the optical transceiver and sending it to another AV device and controlling the AV device is used. (Second Means) The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems.
A first control console provided with means for selecting a TV signal is used. (Third Means) The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems.
A second control console for remotely operating the first control console is used.

[0006]

According to the above means, the input / output signals between the AV devices can be transmitted in the optical space without using a metallic cable, so that the expansion, movement and arrangement of the AV devices can be flexibly dealt with.

[0007]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 and 12 are first optical transmission units (Tx),
13 is a second optical transmission unit (Tx), 2 and 22 are first optical reception units (Rx), 23 is a second optical reception unit (Rx), and 4 is a control switch.

In this embodiment, a description will be given of a connection device when three AV devices are installed. VTR, Chu
The TV receiver with a nut is connected to an antenna provided outdoors or the like. The video / audio signal output terminal of each AV device is connected to the optical transmitters 1 and 12, and the optical receivers 2 and 22 are connected to the video / audio signal input terminals. The video / audio signal input terminal of the control switch 4 is connected to the optical receiver 2.
3 is connected, and an optical transmission unit 13 is connected to a video / audio / control signal output terminal.

The optical transmitters 1 and 12 respectively modulate and frequency multiplex the video and audio output signals of the respective AV devices, convert them to optical signals of wavelength λ1, and send them out. The optical transmission unit 13 modulates and frequency-multiplexes the video, audio and control signals output from the control switch 4 to convert them into an optical signal having a wavelength of λ2 and sends it out. The optical receivers 2 and 22 receive the optical signal of the wavelength λ2 transmitted from the optical transmitter 13, convert the optical signal into an electric signal, and then perform frequency division multiplexing / demodulation to convert only the video and audio signals into the existing signals of each AV device. Output to terminal. The optical receiver 23 receives the optical signal of the wavelength λ1 transmitted from the optical transmitters 1 and 12, converts the optical signal into an electric signal, and inputs the electric signal to the optical transmitter 13 via the control switch 4.

Optical filters are provided on the light receiving surfaces of the light receiving sections 2, 22, and 23, respectively, so that only specific wavelengths are passed.

The control switch 4 of the control console is provided with various control switches for selecting an AV device to be operated, selecting a channel, adjusting volume, and the like.

In the following, the operation of such a configuration in which the user activates the VTR and watches the content on the TV receiver will be described.

The user operates the control switch 4 of the control console to
Select TR. At this time, a control signal is output from the control switch 4 to the optical transmission unit 13, converted into an optical signal, and transmitted. The control signal is received by a light receiving section of an existing remote controller provided as standard equipment on the front of the main body of the VTR, and the power is turned on to operate. If a different signal format (code) is assigned to each AV device for the control signal at this time, no malfunction will occur even if received by another AV device. Next, when the TV receiver is selected by the control switch 4, the power
It becomes N.

The video signal reproduced by the VTR is transmitted from the optical transmitter 1 as an optical signal, received by the optical receiver 23 of the control console, converted into an electric signal, and transmitted to the optical transmitter 13. The optical transmitter 13 converts the optical signal again into an optical signal and transmits the optical signal. This signal is received and demodulated by the optical receiver 22,
It can be viewed by being input to the video and audio input terminals of the receiver.

[0015] The normal broadcast wave is watched by the control switch 4.
Is used to select a TV receiver, and channel selection can be performed by controlling the tuner of the TV receiver with a control signal from the control switch 4.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the wiring between devices can be reduced without any modification to the existing AV devices themselves. In addition, if an inexpensive LED is used as the light source of the light transmission unit and the emission angle of the optical signal is widened, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the equipment is increased and a plurality of equipments can receive the same signal. It is also possible to project.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. Components having the same functions and functions as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 5 denotes a tuner to which a broadcast wave from an antenna is input. The channel is selected by the control switch 4, the video signal and the audio signal are modulated and frequency-multiplexed by the optical transmission unit 13, then converted into an optical signal and transmitted. This signal is received and demodulated by the optical receiver 22, and is displayed on a TV receiver.

In this embodiment, since the antenna is connected to the control console, no wiring is required between the devices.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a third embodiment of the present invention. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 and 2, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

In FIG. 3, a second control console for remotely controlling the control console includes an optical transmission unit 14 and a second control switch 4.
Consists of one. The second control console sends a control signal of the AV device to the control console as an optical signal having a wavelength λ1. The control console receives this signal at the optical receiver 23, converts the signal into an electric signal, and inputs the electrical signal to the optical transmitter 13. The optical transmission unit 13 converts the control signal into an optical signal having a wavelength λ2 and sends it to the remote control light receiving unit of the AV device. Thus, the AV device is controlled from the second control console. The video signal and the audio signal are relayed by the optical receiver 23 and the optical transmitter 13 of the control console as described above.

As described above, since the second control console transmits only the control signal and consumes low power, it can be driven by a battery and can be carried. Since the control console relays video signals and the like, it will be used for a long time, so an AC power source is required.
However, since the remote control can be remotely performed using the portable second control console as in the present embodiment, the control console is installed at a high place such as a ceiling and the AC console is installed.
Power can be supplied, and space can be saved without deteriorating the appearance.

The connection between AV devices in the home has mainly been described above. However, the same effects and effects as those of the present embodiment can be obtained for the connection between OA devices such as personal computers and printers that input and output low-speed data. Can be

[0024]

According to the present invention, complicated wiring between devices can be eliminated without modifying existing AV devices.
The equipment can be arranged freely, and it can be flexibly used for expansion. In addition, the same video and audio can be simultaneously supplied to a plurality of devices without paying attention to the wiring.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the first means of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment in the second means of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of the third means of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 12, 13, 14 Optical transmitting unit 2, 22, 23 Optical receiving unit 4, 41 Control switch 5 Tuner

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-235447 (JP, A) JP-A-2-131698 (JP, A) JP-A-63-159970 (JP, U) (58) Survey Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04B 10/00 H04Q 9/00 301

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first optical transmitting unit and a first optical receiving unit for transmitting an input / output signal of each audio / video device in an optical space.
A first control comprising: an optical transmitter / receiver, a second optical receiver for receiving an output optical signal from the optical transceiver, and a second optical transmitter for transmitting a control signal for each of the audiovisual devices. The first control console optically transmits a control signal among the input / output signals of the audiovisual equipment, and relays an audio signal and a video signal among the input / output signals of the audiovisual equipment to transmit each audio signal. A characterized by connecting video equipment
V equipment optical space connection device. 2. A light source having a wavelength of λ1 is used as a first optical transmitter, a light source having a wavelength of λ2 (≠ λ1) is used as a second optical transmitter, and an optical signal having a wavelength of λ2 is used as a first optical receiver. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second optical receiver has a wavelength selectivity for receiving only the optical signal of wavelength .lambda.1. 3. The wavelength λ2 transmitted from the second optical transmitter.
3. The control signal is received by an existing remote control light receiving unit built in each audiovisual device.
2. The optical device optical space connection device according to item 1. 4. The AV system according to claim 1, wherein the first control console is provided with means for selecting a channel from multi-channel TV signals, and the selected TV signal is transmitted in an optical space to an audio-visual device. Equipment Optical space connection device. 5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a second control console, wherein the first control console is remotely operated by optical space transmission.
2. The optical device optical space connection device according to item 1.