System and method of IP (Internet Protocol) video switching station without limitation on number of video signals

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method of an IP (Internet Protocol) video switching platform without limiting the number of video signals, and relates to the technical field of broadcast and video production, a switching control panel is used for responding to switching operation of a user and sending a generated switching instruction to a switching platform control module; the switching table control module is used for analyzing the switching instruction and sending the analyzed instruction to the switching table video input module so as to notify the switching table video input module to carry out input signal configuration change; the switching platform video input module is used for subscribing to a new video source from a preset network switch, and notifying the switching platform video switching module to perform video switching after receiving a new complete frame of video signal; and the switching platform video switching module is used for outputting a video signal to the network switch through the switching platform video output module after completing video switching. According to the invention, an IP video switching function which is not limited by the number of input video signals can be realized, so that the application requirement of switching more video signal sources is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of broadcasting and video production, and in particular to a system and method for an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals. Background Art

[0002] Traditional broadcast and media production environments often rely on dedicated SDI (Serial Digital Interface) infrastructure, which performs well in terms of reliability and signal quality, but has limitations in flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. With the increase in video resolution (such as 4K and 8K) and the maturity of IP (Internet Protocol) technology, the media industry has begun to seek a more flexible, cost-effective solution that can leverage existing IT infrastructure. The SMPTE ST 2110 standard suite is a set of standards developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) to define a new IP-based real-time media transmission framework for the professional broadcast and media industry. The development of this set of standards began in 2016, with the main goal of addressing the limitations of traditional SDI-based video and audio signal transmission systems. The introduction of the SMPTE ST 2110 standard marks a major shift in the broadcast and television industry from traditional SDI infrastructure to IP-based media transmission. This shift not only improves the efficiency and flexibility of media production, but also reduces operating costs and promotes the digital transformation of the media industry.

[0003] Traditional SDI-based video switchers are a core device in the field of professional broadcasting and video production, used for real-time switching and mixing between multiple video sources to create complex video programs or live broadcasts. SDI-based video switchers have the following defects: (1) The number of video signal inputs is limited. The number of physical interfaces for video signal inputs is fixed. One physical interface corresponds to one video signal, which cannot meet the application scenarios with more video signal sources; (2) Limited scalability. SDI systems usually rely on physical connections, which means that increasing input or output capacity requires more SDI cables and equipment, which will increase wiring complexity and cost; (3) Low flexibility. The transmission distance of SDI signals is limited, generally not exceeding 100 meters, which limits the flexibility of equipment layout and cannot meet the use in large venues or long-distance transmission scenarios. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a system and method for an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals, so as to realize an IP video switching function that is not limited by the number of video signal inputs, so as to meet the application requirements of switching more video signal sources.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0006] A system of an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals, comprising: a switch control panel, a switcher control module, a switcher video input module, a switcher video switching module and a switcher video output module;

[0007] The switching control panel is used to respond to the user's switching operation of a video signal and send the generated switching instruction to the switcher control module; the switcher control module is used to parse the switching instruction and send the parsed instruction to the switcher video input module to notify the switcher video input module to change the input signal configuration; the switcher video input module is used to subscribe to a new video source from a preset network switch and notify the switcher video switching module to perform video switching after receiving a new complete frame of video signal; the switcher video switching module is used to output the video signal to the network switch through the switcher video output module after completing the video switching.

[0008] A method for an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals, applied to the above-mentioned system of an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals, the method comprising:

[0009] Select one video signal on the switch control panel for switching, and use the switch control panel to send the UDP multicast address and port number of the video signal to the switch control module through the network TCP protocol;

[0010] After the switch control module receives the UDP multicast address and port number, it determines whether the video signal of one channel is on channel A. If so, it modifies the configuration of channel B to the received UDP multicast address and port number, and notifies the switch video input module to change the configuration of channel B. Otherwise, it modifies the configuration of channel A and notifies the switch video input module to change the configuration of channel A.

[0011] When the switcher video input module receives the command of A-channel configuration change or B-channel configuration change, it subscribes to the video signal of the corresponding UDP multicast address and port number from the network switch;

[0012] When the network switch receives the subscription information, it forwards the video data packet with the corresponding UDP multicast address and port number to the switcher video input module;

[0013] Determine whether the switcher video input module has received a complete frame of video data, if so, notify the switcher video switching module to switch the video signal, otherwise, continue to receive video data packets until a complete frame of video data is received;

[0014] The video signal is switched by using the video switching module of the switcher. If the video output of the current video output module of the switcher is configured on channel A, the video output of the video output module of the switcher is switched to channel B; otherwise, the video output is switched to channel A.

[0015] The video data of the switcher video output module is sent to the network switch via UDP multicast.

[0016] Preferably, the step of determining whether the switcher video input module has received a complete frame of video data comprises:

[0017] Read the video frame timestamp from each RTP packet of the video signal of one channel, and read the video format and resolution from the SDP configuration;

[0018] When the Timestamp is different from the Timestamp of the previous RTP data packet, it indicates a new frame of video, and FrameLength is set to 0; FrameLength is the total number of bytes of the received frame of video data;

[0019] Continue to receive RTP data packets, and add up the length of the video data carried in each RTP data packet, that is, FrameLength = FrameLength + DataLength; DataLength is the number of bytes of video data carried in the currently received RTP data packet.

[0020] When the Timestamp of a new RTP data packet is different from the previous one, indicating another new frame of video, it starts to determine whether the received video data is complete.

[0021] Preferably, determining whether the received video data is complete includes:

[0022] Calculate whether the received frame of video is complete, that is, whether FrameLength is equal to Width*Height*PixelLength. If so, it means that a complete frame of data is received, and notify the video switching module to switch. Otherwise, return to the step "read the video frame timestamp Timestamp from each RTP data packet of the video signal of one channel, and read the video format and resolution from the SDP configuration"; where Width and Height represent the width and height of a frame of video respectively; PixelLength represents the number of bytes of a pixel.

[0023] Preferably, the value of Width is 3940, and the value of Height is 2180.

[0024] According to the specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0025] The present invention provides a system and method for an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals. The system includes: a switching control panel, a switcher control module, a switcher video input module, a switcher video switching module and a switcher video output module; the switching control panel is used to respond to the user's switching operation of one video signal and send the generated switching instruction to the switcher control module; the switcher control module is used to parse the switching instruction and send the parsed instruction to the switcher video input module to notify the switcher video input module to change the input signal configuration; the switcher video input module is used to subscribe to a new video source from a preset network switch and notify the switcher video switching module to perform video switching after receiving a new complete frame of video signal; the switcher video switching module is used to output the video signal to the network switch through the switcher video output module after completing the video switching. In the present invention, the IP-based video switcher can receive and process any video stream from the network, and there is no limit on the number of signals in theory. This allows the system to be easily expanded to accommodate more video sources, unlike the SDI-based system that is limited by the number of physical interfaces. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of system modules provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of system information transmission provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 A flow chart of a method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a step flow chart provided for an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Description of reference numerals:

[0032] 1. Switching control panel; 2. Switching station control module; 3. Switching station video input module; 4. Switching station video switching module; 5. Switching station video output module; 6. Network switch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a system module provided by an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a system of an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals, comprising: a switch control panel 1, a switcher control module 2, a switcher video input module 3, a switcher video switching module 4 and a switcher video output module 5;

[0036] The switching control panel 1 is used to respond to the user's switching operation of a video signal and send the generated switching instruction to the switcher control module 2; the switcher control module 2 is used to parse the switching instruction and send the parsed instruction to the switcher video input module 3 to notify the switcher video input module 3 to change the input signal configuration; the switcher video input module 3 is used to subscribe to a new video source from a preset network switch 6, and notify the switcher video switching module 4 to perform video switching after receiving a new complete frame of video signal; the switcher video switching module 4 is used to output the video signal to the network switch 6 through the switcher video output module 5 after completing the video switching.

[0037] Specifically, Figure 2As shown, the switching control panel 1 of this embodiment responds to the user's switching operation and sends the switching instruction (control instruction) to the switcher control module 2. The switcher control module 2 parses the switching instruction and then uses the control instruction to notify the switcher video input module 3 of the input source configuration change. After the switcher video input module 3 completes the configuration, it uses the video switching instruction to notify the switcher video switching module 4 to perform video switching. After the switcher video switching module 4 completes the video switching, it outputs the video signal (video stream) through the switcher video output module 5.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown, a method of an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals in this embodiment is applied to the above-mentioned system of an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals, and the method includes:

[0039] Step 100: Select one video signal on the switch control panel for switching, and use the switch control panel to send the UDP multicast address and port number of the video signal to the switch control module through the network TCP protocol;

[0040] Step 200: After the switch control module receives the UDP multicast address and port number, it determines whether the video signal of one channel is on channel A. If so, the configuration of channel B is modified to the received UDP multicast address and port number, and the switch video input module is notified to change the configuration of channel B. Otherwise, the configuration of channel A is modified, and the switch video input module is notified to change the configuration of channel A.

[0041] Step 300: When the switcher video input module receives the instruction of changing the configuration of channel A or channel B, it subscribes to the video signal of the corresponding UDP multicast address and port number from the network switch;

[0042] Step 400: After receiving the subscription information, the network switch forwards the video data packet with the corresponding UDP multicast address and port number to the switcher video input module;

[0043] Step 500: Determine whether the switcher video input module has received a complete frame of video data. If a complete frame of video data is received, notify the switcher video switching module to switch the video signal. Otherwise, continue to receive video data packets until a complete frame of video data is received.

[0044] Step 600: Use the switcher video switching module to switch the video signal. If the video output of the current switcher video output module is configured on channel A, switch the video output of the switcher video output module to channel B; otherwise, switch the video output to channel A.

[0045] Step 700: Send the video data of the switcher video output module to the network switch via UDP multicast.

[0046] Specifically, Figure 4 As shown, the technical route process of this embodiment is as follows:

[0047] ① Select a video signal to switch on the switch control panel, and the switch control panel sends the UDP multicast address and port number of the video signal to the switch control module through the network TCP protocol;

[0048] ② After receiving the UDP multicast address and port number, the switch control module determines that if the current output signal of the switch is on channel A, it modifies the configuration of channel B to the received UDP multicast address and port number, and then notifies the video input module of the configuration change of channel B. Otherwise, it modifies the configuration of channel A and notifies the video input module of the configuration change of channel A.

[0049] ③ After receiving the configuration change of channel A or channel B, the video input module of the switch subscribes to the corresponding UDP multicast address and port number video signal from the switch. After receiving the subscription information, the switch starts to forward the video data packets of the corresponding UDP multicast address and port number to the video input module of the switch;

[0050] The video signal refers to a video stream transmitted in an IP network, and the video stream refers to a continuous sequence of video frames, which are usually encoded and packaged for transmission over the network. The video frame is one of the basic units that make up a video. In the field of video technology and multimedia, a video frame refers to a single still image in a video sequence. A video is composed of a series of continuous video frames, which are played quickly and continuously to form a dynamic visual effect.

[0051] The video data packet refers to a structured data unit for transmitting real-time media data on the network. Each video frame in the video stream will be packaged into thousands of RTP video data packets and then transmitted to the destination on the network.

[0052] Subscription information refers to information sent by a receiver (usually a host or device) to a switch in a network in order to receive data from a specific multicast group in network communications. Multicast subscription information enables receivers to declare their interest in a specific multicast group and enables network devices to forward multicast data based on these interests.

[0053] The video in the one-frame video refers to a single still image in a video sequence. A video is composed of a series of continuous video frames, which are played quickly and continuously to form a dynamic visual effect.

[0054] ④ The switcher video input module determines whether a complete frame of video has been received. If a complete frame of video data has been received, the switcher video switching module is notified to switch the video signal. Otherwise, the video data packet is continued to be received until a complete frame of video data is received.

[0055] ⑤ The video switching module of the switcher switches the video signal. If the current video output module is on channel A, the video output is switched to channel B, otherwise the video output is switched to channel A;

[0056] ⑥The switcher video output module sends the video data to the network via UDP multicast;

[0057] The algorithm of process ④ for determining whether a complete frame of video is received is specifically as follows:

[0058] I. Read the video frame timestamp from each RTP packet, and read the video format and resolution from the SDP configuration;

[0059] The RTP data packet refers to a network protocol data intended to transmit real-time multimedia data (such as audio and video). Each video frame will be packaged into thousands of RTP video data packets and then transmitted to the destination over the network.

[0060] II. When Timestamp is different from the Timestamp of the previous data packet, it indicates a new frame of video, and FrameLength is set to 0;

[0061] III. Continue to receive data packets and accumulate the length of the video data carried in each data packet, that is, FrameLength = FrameLength + DataLength;

[0062] IV. When the Timestamp of a new data packet is different from the previous one, it indicates another new frame of video. Then, we start to calculate whether the received video frame is complete, that is, whether FrameLength is equal to Width*Height*PixelLength.

[0063] V. If FrameLength is equal to Width*Height*PixelLength, it means a complete frame of data has been received, and the video switching module is notified to switch, otherwise it returns to process I;

[0064] In the process ①, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) multicast is a communication method that allows one or more senders (multicast sources) to send a single data packet to a group of receivers (multicast group) without establishing a separate connection between each receiver. The UDP multicast address is located in the special IPv4 address range, which is specifically used for multicast communication, ranging from 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255. The multicast port number is used to identify a specific application or service at the receiving end. In an IP video switcher system with an unlimited number of video signals, each video signal will be bound to a UDP multicast address and port number. The TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) protocol is a key protocol in the Internet Protocol Suite (commonly known as TCP / IP), which is mainly used to provide reliable, connection-oriented data transmission services in unreliable Internet networks. TCP is located in the transport layer of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, and works with IP (Internet Protocol) to form the basis of modern Internet data communication.

[0065] In the process ②, channel A and channel B are two preset video input signals in an IP video switch system with unlimited number of video signals. The sources of channel A and channel B video input signals can be changed dynamically, that is, by changing the UDP multicast address and port number of the source of channel A and channel B video input signals.

[0066] The RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) data packet in the process I is a network protocol data intended to transmit real-time multimedia data (such as audio and video). It provides a timestamp, a sequence number, and a synchronization source identifier for reassembling data packets and restoring media streams at the receiving end. The timestamp is carried in the header of the RTP data packet. The timestamp field is used to identify the sampling time of the first sample contained in the RTP data packet, which is very critical information for decoding and presenting media data. The SDP (Session Description Protocol) is a text format for describing multimedia sessions, mainly used to describe the properties of the media streams contained in the session, such as the format of audio and video, encoding type, transmission protocol, port information and other related session parameters.

[0067] In the process II, FrameLength is a system internal variable used to record the total number of bytes of a frame of video data received.

[0068] In the process III, DataLength is a system internal variable used to record the number of bytes of video data carried in the currently received RTP data packet. FrameLength=FrameLength+DataLength means that the number of bytes of video data carried in the currently received RTP data packet is added to the FrameLength variable.

[0069] In the process IV, Width and Height are parameters read from the SDP configuration, indicating the width and height of the video, with the default Width = 3940 and Height = 2180. PixelLength is a parameter read from the SDP configuration, indicating the number of bytes of a pixel, which is 2.5 bytes, i.e., 10 bits for each of the three colors Y, U, and V (1 byte = 8 bits), and two pixels share one U and V value. Width*Height*PixelLength means that the number of pixels contained in the video frame is calculated by multiplying the video frame width Width by the height Height, and then multiplying it by the number of bytes per pixel PixelLength to calculate the total number of bytes of a frame of video.

[0070] The present invention overcomes many limitations of traditional SDI-based video switchers and provides a series of significant advantages, especially in terms of the number of video signals, scalability and flexibility. The following are some of the main advantages of the present invention:

[0071] (1) Unlimited number of video signals: IP-based video switchers can receive and process any video stream from the network, with no theoretical limit on the number of signals. This allows the system to be easily expanded to accommodate more video sources, unlike SDI-based systems that are limited by the number of physical interfaces.

[0072] (2) High scalability: IP architecture allows new inputs or outputs to be easily added by simply adding the corresponding devices to the network without adding additional physical lines. This not only simplifies wiring but also reduces costs.

[0073] (3) Flexibility and remote access: IP video switchers are not restricted by physical location and can be accessed and controlled remotely, allowing the equipment to be deployed in different locations and centrally managed over the network. This is very beneficial for large venues or scenarios that require remote operation.

[0074] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0075] The principles and implementation methods of the present invention are described in this article using specific examples. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A system of an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals, characterized in that: include: Switching control panel, switcher control module, switcher video input module, switcher video switching module and switcher video output module; The switching control panel is used to respond to the user's switching operation of one channel of video signals and send the generated switching instruction to the switcher control module; The switch control module is used to parse the switching instruction and send the parsed instruction to the switch video input module to notify the switch video input module to change the input signal configuration; the switch video input module is used to subscribe to a new video source from a preset network switch and notify the switch video switching module to perform video switching after receiving a new complete frame of video signal; the switch video switching module is used to output the video signal to the network switch through the switch video output module after completing the video switching.

2. A method for an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals, characterized in that: A system for an IP video switcher with unlimited number of video signals as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises: Select one video signal on the switch control panel for switching, and use the switch control panel to send the UDP multicast address and port number of the video signal to the switch control module through the network TCP protocol; After the switch control module receives the UDP multicast address and port number, it determines whether the video signal of one channel is on channel A. If so, it modifies the configuration of channel B to the received UDP multicast address and port number, and notifies the switch video input module to change the configuration of channel B. Otherwise, it modifies the configuration of channel A and notifies the switch video input module to change the configuration of channel A. When the switcher video input module receives the command of A-channel configuration change or B-channel configuration change, it subscribes to the video signal of the corresponding UDP multicast address and port number from the network switch; When the network switch receives the subscription information, it forwards the video data packet with the corresponding UDP multicast address and port number to the switcher video input module; Determine whether the switcher video input module has received a complete frame of video data, if so, notify the switcher video switching module to switch the video signal, otherwise, continue to receive video data packets until a complete frame of video data is received; The video signal is switched by using the video switching module of the switcher. If the video output of the current video output module of the switcher is configured on channel A, the video output of the video output module of the switcher is switched to channel B; otherwise, the video output is switched to channel A. The video data of the switcher video output module is sent to the network switch via UDP multicast.

3. The method of IP video switching station with unlimited number of video signals according to claim 2, characterized in that: The step of determining whether the switcher video input module has received a complete frame of video data comprises: Read the video frame timestamp from each RTP packet of the video signal of one channel, and read the video format and resolution from the SDP configuration; When the Timestamp is different from the Timestamp of the previous RTP data packet, it indicates a new frame of video, and FrameLength is set to 0; FrameLength is the total number of bytes of the received frame of video data; Continue to receive RTP data packets, and add up the length of the video data carried in each RTP data packet, that is, FrameLength = FrameLength + DataLength; DataLength is the number of bytes of video data carried in the currently received RTP data packet. When the Timestamp of a new RTP data packet is different from the previous one, indicating another new frame of video, it starts to determine whether the received video data is complete.

4. The method of IP video switching station with unlimited number of video signals according to claim 3, characterized in that: Determine whether the received video data is complete, including: Calculate whether the received frame of video is complete, that is, whether FrameLength is equal to Width*Height*PixelLength. If so, it means that a complete frame of data is received, and the video switching module is notified to switch. Otherwise, return to step "read the video frame timestamp Timestamp from each RTP data packet of the video signal of one channel, and read the video format and resolution from the SDP configuration"; where Width and Height represent the width and height of a frame of video respectively; PixelLength represents the number of bytes of a pixel.

5. The method of IP video switching station with unlimited number of video signals according to claim 4, characterized in that: The value of Width is 3940 and the value of Height is 2180.

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