NDI codec

Abstract

A circuit board is connected with a display screen, a control key, an HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) input interface, an HDMI output interface, an SDI (Serial Digital Interface) input interface, an SDI output interface, a network interface, an earphone interface and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, the circuit board is provided with a coding and decoding processor integrated with a coding processor and a decoding processor, and the HDMI input interface and the SDI input interface are both connected with the coding and decoding processor. An external device sends a signal source signal to the coding and decoding processor through a line via the HDMI input interface and the SDI input interface, the coding and decoding processor is connected with the HDMI output interface and the SDI output interface, the coding and decoding processor sends a decoded signal to the external device through the line via the HDMI output interface and the SDI output interface, and the circuit board is provided with a wired network processor. The coding and decoding processor is connected with the wired network processor, and the network video source is connected with the wired network processor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of codec technology, and more specifically, to an NDI codec. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the live streaming self-media industry, some users have extremely high requirements for image resolution, needing to achieve ultra-high definition resolution, such as 4K (4096×2160). On the other hand, most self-media live streaming users use mobile phones, which typically only support wireless networks (Wi-Fi or mobile data), unable to meet the demands of such large data transmission volumes, nor can they simultaneously stream and decode. To meet this need, users usually use two devices: an encoding processor and a decoding processor. The encoding processor is used for encoding, and the decoding processor is used for decoding. However, using two devices has many drawbacks, such as a large number of devices, complex wiring, potential for chaos on-site, and the risk of incorrect connections or even equipment damage due to excessive wiring; the cost of purchasing two devices is also high. To address these practical drawbacks in self-media live streaming, there exists a codec that integrates the encoding and decoding processors into one unit, simplifying wiring connections, reducing equipment costs, and improving user convenience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an NDI codec with multiple universal interfaces, enabling the codec to seamlessly adapt to various devices and systems, reducing adaptation costs and improving market compatibility.

[0004] The technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0005] An NDI codec includes a housing and a circuit board built into the housing. The circuit board is connected to a display screen, control buttons, an HDMI input interface, an HDMI output interface, an SDI input interface, an SDI output interface, a network interface, a headphone jack, and a USB interface.

[0006] The circuit board is equipped with an integrated encoding and decoding processor.

[0007] Both the HDMI and SDI input interfaces are connected to the codec processor. External devices send signal sources to the codec processor via the HDMI and SDI input interfaces.

[0008] The codec processor connects to the HDMI output interface and the SDI output interface. The codec processor sends the decoded signal to the external device via the HDMI output interface and the SDI output interface through the lines.

[0009] The circuit board is equipped with a wired network processor. The codec processor is connected to the wired network processor. The network video source sends the network video signal to the wired network processor via a network interface through a network cable. The wired network processor sends the network video signal to the codec processor. The codec processor sends the decoded signal to the wired network processor. The wired network processor sends the decoded signal to the network via a network interface through a network cable.

[0010] The aforementioned NDI codec has a circuit board connected to a power button and a DC power interface.

[0011] Furthermore, the DC power interface connects to a 12V DC power supply.

[0012] The aforementioned NDI codec has control keys including an OK key, an up arrow key, and a down arrow key.

[0013] The aforementioned NDI codec has a USB interface including both a USB Type-C interface and a USB Type-A interface.

[0014] The aforementioned NDI codec has multiple elongated oval heat dissipation holes on both sides of the housing, arranged in a side-by-side array.

[0015] Furthermore, a cooling fan is installed inside the casing. The air inlet of the cooling fan is close to the encoding processor and the decoding processor, and the air outlet of the cooling fan faces and is close to the heat dissipation holes.

[0016] Furthermore, the housing includes a bottom shell and a top cover. The bottom shell is a hexahedral structure with an open top surface. The center of both sides of the bottom shell is hollowed out. Multiple heat dissipation holes are provided on both sides of the top cover, and the heat dissipation holes are aligned with the hollowed-out center of both sides of the bottom shell.

[0017] The aforementioned NDI codec has a network interface including a PoE LAN network interface and a LAN network interface.

[0018] The aforementioned NDI codec has anti-slip blocks installed at the four corners of the bottom surface of the housing.

[0019] According to the above-described solution, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0020] 1. The integrated encoding and decoding processor reduces the number of devices and wiring connections, greatly simplifying the complexity of devices and wiring, avoiding confusion and the risk of incorrect insertion caused by too many cables, thereby improving the reliability of the equipment and the convenience of field use.

[0021] 2. Reduced equipment costs, as users no longer need to purchase two separate devices, thus saving expenses.

[0022] 3. The inclusion of HDMI and SDI interfaces allows the codec processor to be compatible with both consumer and professional video equipment, covering a wide range of market applications and reducing adaptation costs caused by interface incompatibility. Simultaneously, the network interface enables easy access to different network environments, achieving plug-and-play functionality in both small studios and large enterprise networks, improving the device's versatility and compatibility. Furthermore, this invention also includes two USB interfaces, enabling data retrieval from various storage devices and more efficient devices such as smartphones, further enhancing the codec processor's versatility and future compatibility. This compatible interface configuration allows the integrated codec processor to be fully utilized. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 1 .

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the working components and process of this utility model.

[0027] The following are the labeling elements in the figure:

[0028] 1. Housing; 2. Headphone jack; 3. USB Type A port; 4. USB Type C port; 5. Display; 6. Up arrow key; 7. OK button; 8. Down arrow key; 9. Power button; 10. DC power port; 11. HDMI output port; 12. HDMI input port; 13. PoE LAN network port; 14. LAN network port; 15. SDI input port; 16. SDI output port; 17. Ventilation holes; 18. Anti-slip plate. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the technical problem to be solved, the technical solution, and the beneficial effects of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this utility model and are not intended to limit this utility model.

[0030] An NDI codec includes a housing 1 and a circuit board built into the housing. The circuit board is connected to a power button, a display screen, control keys, a DC power interface, an HDMI input interface, an HDMI output interface, an SDI input interface, an SDI output interface, a network interface, a headphone jack, and a USB interface. The circuit board is equipped with a codec processor that integrates an encoding processor and a decoding processor. The HDMI input interface and the SDI input interface are both connected to the codec processor. External devices send signal sources to the codec processor via the HDMI input interface and the SDI input interface. The codec processor is connected to the HDMI output interface and the SDI output interface. The codec processor sends decoded signals to external devices via the HDMI output interface and the SDI output interface. The circuit board is also equipped with a wired network processor. The codec processor is connected to the wired network processor. A network video source sends network video signals to the wired network processor via a network cable through the network interface. The wired network processor sends the network video signals to the codec processor. The codec processor sends decoded signals to the wired network processor. The wired network processor sends decoded signals to the network via the network cable through the network interface.

[0031] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the NDI codec includes a power button 9, a display screen 5, control buttons, a DC power interface 10, an HDMI input interface 12, an HDMI output interface 11, an SDI input interface 15, an SDI output interface 16, a network interface, a headphone jack 2, and a USB interface. The power button, display screen, control buttons, DC power interface, HDMI input interface, HDMI output interface, SDI input interface, SDI output interface, network interface, headphone jack, and USB interface are all exposed on the surface of the housing. The display screen, control buttons, USB interface, and headphone jack are located on the front of the housing, while the power button, DC power interface, HDMI input interface, HDMI output interface, SDI input interface, SDI output interface, and network interface are located on the back of the housing.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the front of the codec's casing, from left to right, features a headphone jack, a USB port (USB Type A port 3 on the left, USB Type C port 4 on the right), a display screen, and control buttons (up arrow button 6, confirmation button 7, and down arrow button 8 from top to bottom). Figure 2 As shown, on the back of the codec's housing, from left to right, are the power button, DC power interface, HDMI output interface, HDMI input interface, network interface (PoE LAN network interface 13 on the left and LAN network interface 14 on the right), SDI input interface, and SDI output interface.

[0033] The encoding and decoding processors are integrated on the same circuit board to form an encoding / decoding processor, achieving hardware acceleration for encoding / decoding with a processing latency of less than 0.5 frames. Furthermore, the PCB utilizes System-in-Package (SiP) technology, reducing the PCB area by 30%, resulting in a smaller and more convenient overall codec.

[0034] The control keys include an OK key, an up arrow key, and a down arrow key. Users control the cursor on the display screen using these keys to perform various operations. The display screen provides a visual interface for operation, showing the codec's running status and configuration, offering a real-time system diagnostic interface, supporting dynamic parameter adjustment, and lowering the barrier to entry for professional maintenance.

[0035] In one embodiment, during video encoding, the display screen previews the video content of the input signal in real time to ensure that the acquired video content meets expectations. After video decoding, the display screen displays the decoded video content to verify the decoding effect and quality.

[0036] In one embodiment, the display screen shows the operating status, log information, and performance metrics of the encoding or decoding processor to help developers debug and optimize the code.

[0037] In one embodiment, the display screen shows a codec configuration interface, allowing users to set parameters and display the codec's working status in real time, such as encoding progress, transmission status, and error messages.

[0038] The USB interface includes both USB Type-C and USB Type-A interfaces. As a common data and power transmission interface, the USB interface in this invention features both USB Type-C and USB Type-A interfaces, ensuring compatibility with both new and old devices and supporting simultaneous connection to control terminals and storage devices.

[0039] The circuit board is connected to the power button and a DC power interface. The DC power interface connects to a 12V DC power supply. The 12V DC power interface is compatible with industry standard power supply systems. Furthermore, the codec of this invention uses DC power as its primary energy source, simplifying the power filter circuit design and improving energy efficiency.

[0040] Multiple elongated oval-shaped heat dissipation holes 17 are arranged side-by-side in an array on both sides of the housing. A cooling fan is installed inside the housing, with its air inlet close to the encoder and decoder processors, and its air outlet facing and close to the heat dissipation holes. The housing includes a bottom shell and a top cover. The bottom shell is a hexahedral structure with an open top surface, and its two sides are hollowed out in the center. Multiple heat dissipation holes are arranged on both sides of the top cover, aligning with the hollowed-out areas on the bottom shell's sides.

[0041] The cooling fan is fixed inside the housing and forms a directional airflow channel with the ventilation holes, achieving precise heat dissipation for the codec processor on the circuit board and ensuring the stability of 4K encoding and decoding over long periods. The coordinated design of the cooling fan, ventilation holes, and codec processor reduces the continuous operating temperature by 15°C, extending the lifespan of electronic components.

[0042] Network interfaces include PoE LAN interfaces and LAN interfaces. PoE LAN interfaces transmit power and data simultaneously via twisted-pair cables, making them particularly suitable for scenarios requiring simplified cabling, such as networking codecs in mobile OB vans. PoE power supply avoids the space occupied by multiple device power adapters, meeting rapid deployment needs. Standard LAN interfaces, on the other hand, focus on pure data transmission performance and are suitable for high-density video streaming in fixed spaces such as control rooms.

[0043] Anti-slip blocks 18 are installed at the four corners of the bottom surface of the housing. The silicone pads at the four corners of the bottom of the housing provide equipment-level shock resistance, making it suitable for vibration environments such as mobile broadcasting vehicles.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, this utility model designs an integrated interface solution for a high-definition NDI FULL codec, enabling the codec to receive signal sources from external cameras (supporting HDMI and SDI interfaces). The integrated codec processor performs data sampling, quantization, and encoding processing, converting the video signal into a specific format suitable for network transmission. The encoded signal is transmitted via a LAN network interface connected to an RJ45 wired network and pushed to various live streaming platforms according to real-time network information transmission protocols (such as NDI, SRT, RTMP, RTSP, HLS, TS-UDP, etc.). Simultaneously, the integrated codec processor receives video source signals from the network and, through data sampling, quantization, and decoding processing, restores them to the original ultra-high-definition digital signal (HDMI, SDI), which is then ultimately displayed on the display device via the HDMI and SDI output interfaces. This integrated design not only simplifies the device structure and cable connections but also reduces user costs and improves the device's practicality and ease of use.

[0045] The encoding processor's workflow includes sampling the input signal, converting the continuous signal into a discrete digital signal, performing quantization to further discretize the signal, and finally encoding to remove redundant information, compress the data, and convert the signal into a format suitable for network transmission. The encoded signal is transmitted to the live streaming platform via an RJ45 wired network interface. The decoding processor receives the encoded signal from the network, decodes it to restore the original signal, and converts it to mainstream ultra-high-definition digital signal interfaces (such as HDMI and SDI) to present high-quality images on display devices. The entire encoding and decoding process is based on efficient algorithms and network transmission protocols, ensuring signal integrity and transmission efficiency.

[0046] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An NDI codec, characterized in that, This includes the housing and the circuit board built into the housing. The circuit board connects to the display screen, control buttons, HDMI input interface, HDMI output interface, SDI input interface, SDI output interface, network interface, headphone jack, and USB interface. The circuit board is equipped with an integrated encoding and decoding processor. Both the HDMI and SDI input interfaces are connected to the codec processor. External devices send signal sources to the codec processor via the HDMI and SDI input interfaces. The codec processor connects to the HDMI output interface and the SDI output interface. The codec processor sends the decoded signal to the external device via the HDMI output interface and the SDI output interface through the lines. The circuit board is equipped with a wired network processor. The codec processor is connected to the wired network processor. The network video source sends the network video signal to the wired network processor via a network interface through a network cable. The wired network processor sends the network video signal to the codec processor. The codec processor sends the decoded signal to the wired network processor. The wired network processor sends the decoded signal to the network via a network interface through a network cable. The housing has multiple elongated oval heat dissipation holes on both sides, arranged in a side-by-side array. A cooling fan is installed inside the housing, with its air inlet close to the encoder and decoder processors and its air outlet facing and close to the heat dissipation holes. The housing includes a bottom shell and a top cover. The bottom shell is a hexahedral structure with an open top surface. The center of both sides of the bottom shell is hollowed out. The top cover has multiple heat dissipation holes on both sides, aligned with the hollowed-out areas in the center of the bottom shell. The display screen is used to preview the video content of the input signal in real time during video encoding, and to display the decoded video content after video decoding.

2. The NDI codec according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circuit board is connected to the power button and DC power interface.

3. An NDI codec according to claim 2, characterized in that, The DC power interface connects to a 12V DC power supply.

4. An NDI codec according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control keys include the OK key, the up arrow key, and the down arrow key.

5. An NDI codec according to claim 1, characterized in that, USB interfaces include USB Type-C and USB Type-A interfaces.

6. An NDI codec according to claim 1, characterized in that, Network interfaces include PoE LAN network interfaces and LAN network interfaces.

7. An NDI codec according to claim 1, characterized in that, Anti-slip blocks are installed at the four corners of the bottom surface of the casing.

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