KR101405348B1 - SIGNAL CONVERTING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IP-to-ASI - Google Patents

Abstract

A signal converting device according to the present invention is a signal converting device which converts a TS signal transmitted with an internet protocol (IP) into an asynchronous serial interface (ASI) signal, including an IP module, a hardware chip performing networking according to the IP, to decapsulate an IP stream introduced from the Internet to output a TS signal; a signal processor to code the decapsulated TS based on an ASI standard and output the signal based on ASI standard; an equalizer to equalize the ASI signal; an input/output device to receive a signal according to an operation of a user or display an operation or an output signal of the signal processor; and a device controller to control the input/output device in connection with the signal processor via serial peripheral interface (SPI) communications. The signal converting device according to the present invention transmits and modulates a decapsulated TS of an IP stream to signal based on an ASI standard. Since the signal converting device does not perform decoding and encoding procedures, image and sound qualities are not degraded. As compared with the related art, space utilization is improved and failure and power consumption are reduced. Further, since only a sub-material such as a coaxial cable for ASI transmission is required, smart arrangement is possible.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to an IP-to-ASI signal conversion apparatus and method,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an IPTV signal conversion apparatus, and more particularly, to an IP-to-ASI signal conversion apparatus and method.

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is a service that provides real-time broadcasting, data, video, voice, and electronic commerce using a two-way internet protocol (IP) method using a broadband information communication network.

The service provider provides the bidirectional service to the customer through IP-STB (Set Top Box), and the customer can receive additional information related to the existing broadcasting and various additional services other than broadcasting.

As a two-way system, IP-STB (Set Top Box) is a device for networking with TV. Internet-connected IP-STB connected to Internet-connected computer and monitor as if networking is connected to TV-Braun tube to network with TV through TV. When TV networking through IP-STB is enabled, it means that it is possible to implement bi-directional broadcasting by networking instead of conventional manual broadcasting as well as simple web surfing, and it is possible to provide various additional services besides broadcasting.

1 is a block diagram of a signal conversion apparatus including a conventional IP-STB.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional signal conversion apparatus 100 includes a set top box 120, which is a kind of decoder, and an encoder 130.

A TS (Transport Stream) signal that has passed through the encoder 130 is modulated (for example, 8-vsb modulation) through the modulator 140. In this case, 8-VSB modulation means 8-level vestigial sideband, which means modulation according to the digital high definition (HD) broadcast transmission method currently allowed only in the terrestrial wave.

The digital terrestrial television standard transmission method defined by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), which establishes broadcasting standards in the United States, is based on the European and Japanese Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CDFDM) and the US 8-level residual sideband (8-VSB) . Korea's terrestrial digital TV broadcasting system follows the 8-VSB modulation method of ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee).

The conventional signal conversion apparatus 100 including the IP-STB 120 and the encoder 130 has a problem of deterioration in image quality in the process of decoding and encoding.

Conventional signal conversion apparatuses including an IP set top box (IP STB) and an encoder have caused deterioration in image quality in the course of performing decoding and encoding. In addition, the use of multiple devices (eg, IP set-top boxes, encoders, modulators, etc.) has resulted in high power consumption, low spatial utilization, and frequent failures.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a signal conversion apparatus that decapsulates an IP stream flowing from an Internet network and converts the signal into an ASI standard signal.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the present invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the claims, as well as the following description and the annexed drawings.

The signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention is a device for transmitting and modulating a TS in which an IP stream is decapsulated according to the ASI standard.

The signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention does not suffer from deterioration of picture quality and sound quality due to no decoding and encoding process, and is characterized by high space utilization, low failure and low power consumption compared to the prior art, It has the merit of being able to cleanly arrange because it requires only the auxiliary material of cable degree.

1 is a block diagram of a signal conversion apparatus including a conventional IP-STB.
2 is a block diagram of a signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention;
3 is a detailed block diagram of a signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention;
4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a configuration of a signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention.
5 is a flowchart of a signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention;

In order to achieve the above object, a signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention is a signal conversion apparatus for converting a TS (TSoIP, TS over IP) signal transmitted through IP into an ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface) signal,

A hardware chip for performing networking according to an Internet protocol, comprising: an IP module that decapsulates an IP stream input from an Internet network and outputs a TS; a signal processor that encodes the decapsulated TS into an ASI standard and outputs the encoded TS; An input / output unit for inputting a signal according to a user's operation or displaying an operation or an output signal of the signal processing processor; an interface unit for interfacing with the signal processing processor through SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) And a device control unit for controlling the input / output device unit.

According to an aspect of the present invention,

A signal conversion apparatus for converting a TS (TSoIP, TS over IP) signal transmitted by an IP into an ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface) signal, comprising: an IP module for performing networking according to an Internet protocol; Encapsulating an incoming IF stream; inputting the decapsulated TS into a signal processor to perform signal conversion of an ASI standard; modifying the converted ASI signal to digitally modulate the signal; Controlling the input / output unit in cooperation with the signal processing processor through communication, and input / output unit receiving a signal from a user or displaying an operation or an output signal of the signal processor.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

2 is a block diagram of a signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention.

2, the signal conversion apparatus 200 according to the present invention includes a signal conversion converter 200 for converting a TS (TSoIP, TS over IP) signal transmitted through IP into an ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface) signal, (Eg IP to ASI Convertor).

The signal conversion apparatus 200 according to the present invention converts a TS decapsulated in an IP stream into an ASI standard and transmits the converted TS.

3 is a detailed block diagram of the signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention.

3, the signal conversion apparatus 200 according to the present invention includes an IP module 210, a memory 220, a signal processor 230, a device controller 240, an equalizer 250, (260), and a modulator (270).

The IP module 210 is a hardware chip that optimizes the networking performance according to the Internet protocol so as to receive a movie or the like in real time through IPTV (Internet Protocol Television). The IP module 210 is a hardware chip in which an IP stream, Encapsulates it, and outputs a transport stream (TS). The IP stream is generally transmitted according to the UDP / RTP protocol, and a stream request is made in a unicast or multicast manner.

The IP module 210 decapsulates the IP stream and outputs the completed transport stream TS by combining the payload parts except for the IP header.

The present invention is applicable to the IP module 210. The IP module 210 is an Ethernet module in which a TCP / IP, which is an Internet protocol, is implemented in hardware and a device such as an Ethernet MAC chip, a PHY chip, Ethernet Module) chipset (eg Wiznet W5100 series) can be adopted.

The IP module 210 supports a networking speed of at least 50 Mbps or more and eight or more channels so that subscribers can watch movies close to real time and can provide services such as broadband Internet, desirable.

The signal processor 230 encodes the decapsulated TS into an ASI standard (hereinafter, referred to as a '1 output'), converts the decapsulated TS into a general serial TS format, , &Quot; 2 output "). The signal processing processor 230 is implemented as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and it is preferable to employ the FPGA EP3C25F256 as shown in FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a configuration of a signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention.

A field programmable gate array (FPGA) is an intermediate-stage integrated circuit (IC) that is designed to verify the operation and performance of a hardware device before it is manufactured into a semiconductor device. Which is a kind of on-demand semiconductor (ASIC).

The Asynchronous serial interface (ASI) is an asynchronous serial interface, and is a standard for transmitting TS. The ASI is a data stream type signal, which usually carries an MPEG transport stream (MPEG-TS). That is, unlike uncompressed SD-SDI (270 Mbs) or HD-SDI (1.45 Gbs), ASI signals carry one or multiple already compressed SD, HD or audio programs and compressed video of MPEG2 or MPEG4 can do.

The memory 220 can be configured as a DRAM and provides a temporary storage space on the signal processor 230 side.

The equalizer 250 corrects the output ASI signal.

Through the above-described calibration process, the equalizer 250 removes the noise of the ASI signal, compensates for an insufficient level, and corrects the signal to be received at a longer distance. The equalizer 250 recovers a distorted or distorted signal (e.g., '0' or '1') so that it can receive the signal at a greater distance.

The modulator 270 modulates (e.g., 8-vsb modulates) the calibrated ASI signal through the equalizer 250. (For example, 8-vsb modulation) the output signal of the signal processing processor 230 converted into the serial TS format. Thereafter, the modulated signals in the modulator 270 are transmitted to a subscriber terminal through a combiner (not shown) or a splitter (not shown).

The device control unit 240 controls the input / output device unit 260 in conjunction with the signal processing processor 120 through SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) communication.

The device controller 240 is an 8-bit microcomputer for implementing an overall system control and a user interface. As shown in FIG. 4, the ATMEGA 8Bit Proc may be employed. Also, it is possible to control a display or an input button (e.g., a button key, etc.) of the input / output unit 260 through an input / output port (I / O port) The signal processing processor 120 may be controlled by the SPI communication. The device control unit 240 may selectively control the first output and the second output of the signal processing processor 120 according to a user's input.

The input / output device unit 260 is a front panel including a display unit (e.g., an LCD, an LED, and the like) or an input button (e.g., a button key) (e.g., a button key), or displays an operation or an output signal of the signal processing processor 230 through a display unit.

5 is a flowchart of a signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention.

The operation of the signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

The signal conversion apparatus 200 according to the present invention first performs a decapsulation on an IP stream of an Internet network that is introduced into the IP module 210. [ (S10) The IP module 210 removes a header (e.g., an IP header) of an IP stream coming from the Internet network and generates and outputs a transport stream TS combining the remaining payload parts.

The transport stream TS is transferred to the signal processing processor 230 and converted into an ASI standard signal. (S20) The signal processing processor 230 encodes the transport stream TS output from the IP module 210 into the ASI standard, and converts the transport stream TS into a general serial TS format.

3, the converted signal (for example, a serial TS signal) or the encoded signal (for example, an ASI signal) passing through the signal processing processor 230 are subjected to predetermined digital modulation processes such as 8-vsb Modulated), and then transmitted to the subscriber side through the coaxial cable. (S30) The signal that has undergone the digital modulation process (e.g., 8-vsb modulation) is transmitted to the subscriber terminal through a combiner (not shown) or a splitter (not shown).

The device control unit 240 may selectively control the first output and the second output of the signal processing processor 230 according to a user's operation input through the input / output unit 260.

In addition, the device control unit 240 can control the input / output device unit 260 in conjunction with the signal processing processor 230. That is, the operation or output signal of the signal processing processor 230 can be displayed through the input / output unit 260.

As described above, the device control unit 240 according to the present invention can be implemented as a computer-readable code on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer-readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored.

Examples of the computer-readable medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage, etc., and the computer may include a device control unit 240.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. May be constructed by selectively or in combination. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

As described above, the signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention is a device for transmitting and modulating a TS in which an IP stream is decapsulated according to the ASI standard.

The signal conversion apparatus according to the present invention does not suffer from deterioration of picture quality and sound quality due to no decoding and encoding process, and is characterized by high space utilization, low failure and low power consumption compared to the prior art, It has the merit of being able to cleanly arrange because it requires only the auxiliary material of cable degree.

100, 200: signal conversion device 120: IP-STB
130: Encoder 140, 270: Modulator
210: IP module 220: memory
230: signal processing processor 240:
250: Equalizer 260: Input / output unit

Claims (7)

1. A signal conversion apparatus for converting a TS signal transmitted through an IP (Internet Protocol) into an ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface) signal,
A hardware chip for performing networking according to an Internet protocol, comprising: an IP module (210) for decapsulating an IP stream coming from the Internet network and outputting a TS;
A signal processor 230 for encoding the decapsulated TS into an ASI standard and outputting the encoded TS,
An equalizer 250 for correcting the output ASI signal,
An input / output unit 260 for receiving a signal according to an operation of a user or displaying an operation or an output signal of the signal processing processor,
And a device control unit (240) for controlling the input / output unit in cooperation with the signal processing processor through SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) communication.
The method of claim 1, wherein the IP module (210)
Encapsulates an IP (Internet Protocol) stream and outputs the completed transport stream (TS) by combining the payload parts other than the IP header.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the signal processor (230)
Converts the decapsulated TS into a general serial TS format and outputs the converted signal.
The method according to claim 1,
Characterized in that the IP module (210) employs the Wiznet W5100 series, the signal processor (230) employs the FPGA EP3C25F256 and the device controller (240) employs ATMEGA 8Bit Proc. .
1. A signal conversion apparatus for converting a TS signal transmitted through an IP (Internet Protocol) into an ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface) signal,
Encapsulating an IP stream coming from the Internet through an IP module chip 210 performing networking according to an Internet protocol;
Inputting the decapsulated TS into the signal processor 230 and performing signal conversion of the ASI standard;
Modulating the converted ASI signal to digitally modulate the converted ASI signal,
A process in which the device control unit 240 controls the input / output device unit 260 in cooperation with the signal processing processor 230 through SPI communication,
Wherein the input / output unit (260) receives a signal from a user or displays an operation or an output signal of the signal processing processor (230).
6. The method of claim 5,
And generating a transport stream (TS) combining the payload parts excluding the IP header.
6. The method of claim 5,
Characterized in that the IP module (210) employs Wiznet W5100 series, the signal processor (230) employs FPGA EP3C25F256, and the device controller (240) employs ATMEGA 8Bit Proc .

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