Information transmission method and information transmission system

Abstract

An information transmission and reception method is used in an information transmission and reception system having a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device includes first and second transmitting input interfaces respectively conforming to first and second transmission and reception specifications. The receiving device includes a first receiving output interface conforming to a third transmission and reception specification. The information transmission and reception method includes: (a) receiving first and second information through the first and second transmitting input interfaces respectively; (b) classifying the first and second information according to information characteristics of the first and second information by the transmitting device to obtain first and second classification results of the first and second information respectively; and (c) transmitting the first and second information to the first receiving output interface correspondingly according to the first and second classification results via a physical transmission line by the transmitting device.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information transmission and reception method and an information transmission and reception system, and particularly to an information transmission and reception method in which the transmitting end can have a variety of different interfaces. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Modern electronic devices use various transmission standards to transmit information, such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), USB-C (USB Type C), and PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express). Users typically need corresponding cables and electronic devices with the same interface. For example, if a user wants to connect a DVD player to a TV's HDMI interface, the DVD player must have an HDMI interface and the user must have a corresponding HDMI cable. Similarly, if a user wants to connect a hard drive to a computer's USB-C interface, the hard drive must have a USB-C interface and the user must have a corresponding USB-C cable. Alternatively, users can use adapters (such as adapter cables or connectors) to allow information transmission between interfaces using different transmission standards. However, traditional adapters typically only perform one-to-one conversion, that is, converting information corresponding to one transmission standard into information corresponding to another transmission standard. These restrictions make it quite inconvenient for users when using a variety of electronic devices.

[0003] Furthermore, in conventional long-distance image data transmission technologies, optical fibers are often used to maintain stable data transmission. However, in this case, it is necessary to connect the transmission and reception interfaces using different transmission and reception specifications to the optical fibers separately, which further increases the complexity of the production and design of such devices or systems, and also increases their cost. Moreover, because such devices or systems use different transmission and reception specifications, they are also prone to synchronization problems when transmitting data. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] One objective of this invention is to provide an information transmission and reception method that, when using a physical transmission line, allows the transmitting end to include multiple different interfaces and ensures stable transmission and reception of image data.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide an information transmission and reception method that can save the number of fiber optic converters.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide an information transmission and reception system that, when using a physical transmission line, can include multiple different interfaces at the transmitting end and provides stable transmission and reception of image data.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide an information transmission and reception system that can save the number of fiber optic converters.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention provides an information transmission and reception method used in an information transmission and reception system having a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device includes a first transmitting end input interface conforming to a first transmission and reception specification and a second transmitting end input interface conforming to a second transmission and reception specification. The receiving device includes a first receiving end output interface conforming to a third transmission and reception specification. The information transmission and reception method includes: (a) receiving first information through the first transmitting end input interface and receiving second information through the second transmitting end input interface; (b) classifying the first information and the second information according to information characteristics of the first information and the second information by the transmitting device to obtain a first classification result of the first information and a second classification result of the second information; and (c) transmitting the first information or the second information to the first receiving end output interface according to the first classification result and the second classification result by the transmitting device.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention provides an information transmission and reception system, which includes a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device includes: a first processor; a first transmitting input interface following a first transmission and reception specification; and a second transmitting input interface following a second transmission and reception specification. The receiving device includes: a first receiving output interface following a third transmission and reception specification. The first processor and the second processor are configured to perform an information transmission and reception method, the information transmission and reception method including: (a) receiving first information through the first transmitting input interface and receiving second information through the second transmitting input interface; (b) classifying the first information and the second information according to the information characteristics of the first information and the second information by the transmitting device to obtain a first classification result of the first information and a second classification result of the second information; and (c) transmitting the first information or the second information to the first receiving output interface through at least one physical transmission line according to the first classification result and the second classification result by the transmitting device.

[0010] According to the foregoing embodiments, the present invention provides an information transmission and reception system and method that can include multiple different interfaces at the transmitting end. This information transmission and reception system can select an appropriate transmission method according to the information type, improving the convenience and stability of transmitting and receiving data via physical transmission lines. Furthermore, according to the foregoing embodiments, the information transmission and reception system provided by the present invention has a smaller number of fiber optic converters when using optical fibers, thus reducing manufacturing costs.

Implementation Method

[0012] The present invention will now be described with reference to several embodiments. It should be noted that the elements in each embodiment may be implemented using hardware (e.g., a device or circuit) or firmware (e.g., at least one program written in a microprocessor). Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and similar descriptions in the following description are used only to define different elements, parameters, data, signals, or steps, and are not intended to limit their order. For example, the first device and the second device may be devices with the same structure but different from each other.

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an information transmission and reception system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the information transmission and reception system 100 includes a transmitting device 101 and a receiving device 103. In one embodiment, the functions of the transmitting device 101 and the receiving device 103 are interchangeable, that is, the transmitting device 101 is used as a receiving device and the receiving device 103 is used as a transmitting device. The transmitting device 101 includes a first transmitting input interface TI_1 conforming to a first transmission standard and a second transmitting input interface TI_2 conforming to a second transmission standard. The receiving device 103 includes a first receiving output interface RO_1 conforming to a third transmission standard. The first transmission standard and the second transmission standard are different. In one embodiment, the third transmission standard is different from both the first and second transmission standards. For example, the first transmission standard is HDMI, the second transmission standard is PCI-e, and the third transmission standard is USB-C. In another embodiment, the third transmission standard is the same as one of the first and second transmission standards. For example, the first transmission standard is USB-C, the second transmission standard is PCI-e, and the third transmission standard is USB-C.

[0014] If the transmission and reception specifications originally followed by the output information transmitted by the transmitting device 101 are the same as those used by the first receiving end output interface RO_1, then the first receiving end output interface RO_1 can directly receive the output information and transmit the received output information to the electronic device connected to (wired or wirelessly) the first receiving end output interface RO_1. Conversely, if the transmission and reception specifications followed by the output information OI transmitted by the transmitting device 101 are different from those used by the first receiving end output interface RO_1, then the receiving device 103 must convert the output information into a format that the first receiving end output interface RO_1 can receive before it is received by the first receiving end output interface RO_1 and then transmitted to the electronic device connected to the first receiving end output interface RO_1. It should also be noted that the information referred to in this invention refers to all signals transmitted by the transmitting device 101, which may include information used to indicate or specify access addresses, such as headers or data. The information may also represent a checksum, such as a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) code. In the embodiments below, the information is transmitted in packet format, so the transmission device 101 classifies each packet.

[0015] In the embodiment of Figure 1, the transmitting device 101 includes a first processor P_1, which can be used to control the operation of the transmitting device 101. The receiving device 103 includes a second processor P_2, which can be used to control the operation of the receiving device 103. Note that in the embodiment of Figure 1, information transmission and reception between the transmitting device 101 and the receiving device 103 is performed through a physical transmission line 105. The physical transmission line is an optical fiber in the following embodiments, but it can also be other physical transmission lines. The first transmitting input interface TI_1 receives first information D_I1 and the second transmitting input interface TI_2 receives second information D_I2. The transmitting device 101 classifies the information characteristics of the first information D_I1 and the second information D_I2 to obtain a first classification result for the first information D_I1 and a second classification result for the second information D_I2. The transmitting device 101 transmits the first information D_I1 or the second information D_I2 to the first receiving output interface RO_1 according to the first classification result and the second classification result.

[0016] In one embodiment, the classification result includes at least one of the following parameters: information synchronization type, required immediacy, and required integrity. For example, the classification result includes information synchronization type and required immediacy, or required immediacy and required integrity. Information synchronization type refers to the synchronization method used by the information. For example, if the information is audio-visual information conforming to HDMI or USB specifications, it is synchronized according to the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync. As another example, if the information conforms to the General Control Packet of HDMI specifications or the HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) specification, it is synchronized according to the vertical synchronization signal Vsync. After classifying the information according to the information synchronization type, the transmitting device 101 can quickly determine how to synchronize the information when transmitting or the receiving device 103 receives information, thereby increasing the accuracy of information transmission.

[0017] The required timeliness refers to the tolerable level of delay in information. For example, if information from a user input interface (such as a keyboard or mouse) is delayed, the user will experience a noticeable delay. Or, if control commands from a remote control that comply with IrDA (Infrared Data Association) are delayed, the user will experience considerable inconvenience. Therefore, this type of information has a high required timeliness.

[0018] The required integrity refers to the tolerable amount of information loss, such as the tolerable amount of packet loss. For example, if the information is audio or video information conforming to HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB, too much information loss will affect the integrity of the image or sound. Therefore, this type of information has a higher required integrity. Conversely, if the information comes from a mouse, the mouse trajectory is usually composed of continuous motion. Therefore, even if some of the motion output by the mouse is lost, the trajectory can still maintain most of its integrity. Thus, this type of information has a lower required integrity.

[0019] Figure 1 illustrates a many-to-one information transmission and reception system 100; however, the information transmission and reception system provided by the present invention can also be many-to-many. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an information transmission and reception system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the information transmission and reception system 200 includes a transmitting device 101 and a receiving device 103_1. In addition to a first receiving end output interface RO_1, the receiving device 103_1 further includes a second receiving end output interface RO_2 following a fourth transmission and reception specification. The transmitting device 101 transmits first information D_I1 and the second information D_I2 to the first receiving end output interface RO_1 or the second receiving end output interface RO_2 according to a first classification result and a second classification result. In one embodiment, the third and fourth transmission and reception specifications are different transmission and reception specifications, and the first, second, third, and fourth transmission and reception specifications are all different. Other detailed characteristics of the second receiver output interface RO_2 have been described in the relevant description in Figure 1, so they will not be repeated here.

[0020] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of how information from different transmission input interfaces is classified according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the example of Figure 3, four types are used for illustration. Type 1 information is classified according to the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, requiring high integrity and high immediacy, such as audio / video information conforming to HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB specifications. Type 2 information is classified according to the vertical synchronization signal Hsync, requiring high integrity and low immediacy, such as audio / video information conforming to Dolby Vision specifications, sensor signals conforming to USB specifications, or InfoFrames in the HDMI specification.

[0021] Type 3 information does not require synchronization; it requires low integrity but high immediacy. Examples include input interface information conforming to the USB specification (e.g., information provided by a keyboard or mouse) or InfoFrames in the HDMI specification, or information conforming to the IrDA specification. Type 4 information is synchronized based on periodic events, such as a signal of a specific format generated every 100ms. Type 4 information requires high integrity but low immediacy, such as the reference clock signal used by the transmitting device 101 or the receiving device 103. However, please note that Figure 3 is only used to illustrate how information can be classified and is not intended to limit the invention. For example, information can be divided into more or fewer types, not limited to four types. Furthermore, the required integrity and immediacy can be divided into more levels, not just high and low. And corresponding to different devices or transmission / reception requirements, the same information can be set to have different required integrity or immediacy in different devices. The concept of this invention can also be applied to other types of information, such as audio from a microphone, information conforming to HDCP specifications, audio from an AUX input cable, or CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) instructions. Furthermore, according to the example in Figure 3, even information conforming to the same specification may be classified into different types due to differences in their information characteristics. For example, information conforming to HDMI specifications may be classified into different types because they are functionally different.

[0022] As previously described, the information transmitted by the transmitting device 101 can be transmitted in packet format. Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a packet 400 used by the transmitting device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the packet 400 includes a classification result, a Client ID, a Source ID, data, and a checksum. The classification result is the result obtained after classifying the information in the aforementioned embodiments. The Client ID represents the receiving end output interface to which the information is to be sent, while the Source ID represents the transmitting end input interface from which the information originates. The data is the data that the transmitting device 101 wants to transmit to the receiving device 103, such as image data or voice data. The checksum is used by the receiving device 103 to confirm whether the data it receives is correct; for example, it can be the aforementioned CRC.

[0023] In one embodiment, the transmission device 101 includes a plurality of first first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffers. In this case, the transmission device 101 temporarily stores portions of the first information D_I1 and the second information D_I2 that have the same classification result into the same first FIFO buffer before transmitting them to one of the receiving end output interfaces. Figure 5 illustrates a block diagram of the first FIFO buffers used by the transmission device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, the transmission device 101 includes a plurality of first FIFO buffers BF_11, BF_12, BF_13, and BF_14. After receiving information DI_a, DI_b, DI_c... from a transmission end input interface following different transmission and reception specifications, the transmission device 101 classifies the information DI_a, DI_b, and DI_c, and then temporarily stores information with the same classification result into the same first FIFO buffer. For example, information of type 1 will be temporarily stored in the first first-in-first-out buffer BF_11, while information of type 2 will be temporarily stored in the first first-in-first-out buffer BF_12.

[0024] In one embodiment, the transmitting device 101 reads information from the first first-in-first-out buffers BF_11, BF_12, BF_13, or BF_14 and transmits it in packet format via the physical transmission line 105. The transmitting device 101 transmits information in different ways according to different classification results. For example, the synchronization method for information of type 1 in Figure 3 is based on the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync. Therefore, the transmitting device 101 synchronizes according to the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync during transmission, or the receiving device 103 synchronizes according to the horizontal synchronization signal Hsync during reception. As another example, the information of type 1 in Figure 3 has high integrity requirements. Therefore, when transmitting information of type 1, the transmitting device 101 will transmit the longer type 1 information first and then transmit other types of information to ensure its integrity, or provide a stronger checksum during transmission, or transmit the same type 1 information several times to ensure its integrity. For example, the information of type 1 in Figure 3 has a high requirement for immediacy, so the transmission device 101 will prioritize transmitting the information temporarily stored in the first first-in-first-out buffer BF_11.

[0025] In another embodiment, the receiving device 103 includes a plurality of second first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffers. In this case, when the receiving device 103 receives output information from the transmitting device 101, it temporarily stores the output information into the corresponding second FIFO buffer according to the output interface of the receiving end to which it is to be transmitted, and then transmits it to the output interface of the receiving end to which it is to be transmitted. The output information here is the information that the transmitting device 101 first classifies before transmitting through the physical transmission line 105 in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0026] Figure 6 illustrates a block diagram of a second first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer used by a receiving device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the receiving device 103 includes a plurality of second FIFO buffers BF_21, BF_22, BF_23, and BF_24, which correspond to the receiving end output interfaces RO_a, RO_b, RO_c, and RO_d, respectively. When the receiving device 103 receives output information OI from the transmitting device 101, it temporarily stores the output information into the corresponding second FIFO buffer according to the receiving end output interface to which it is to be transmitted, and then transmits it to the receiving end output interface to which it is to be transmitted. For example, the output information OI to be transmitted to the receiving end output interface RO_a is temporarily stored in the corresponding second FIFO buffer BF_21, and the output information OI to be transmitted to the receiving end output interface RO_b is temporarily stored in the corresponding second FIFO buffer BF_22. Then, the information in the second FIFO buffer BF_21 is transmitted to the receiver output interface RO_a according to the transmission and reception specifications followed by the receiver output interface RO_a. Similarly, the information in the second FIFO buffer BF_22 is transmitted to the receiver output interface RO_b according to the transmission and reception specifications followed by the receiver output interface RO_b.

[0027] In addition to the transmission and reception methods described in Figures 5 and 6, conventional transmission or reception methods can also be used in this invention. For example, the arbitrator in a conventional data transmission and reception method can be used to determine which should be transmitted or received first based on the immediacy of the information. Alternatively, in one embodiment, transmission can begin only after the amount of information in the first first-in-first-out buffer has accumulated to a predetermined amount.

[0028] The following will use Figures 7 and 8 to illustrate the operation of the aforementioned information transmission and reception system transmitting image data via optical fiber. Please note that although the following embodiments use image data as an example, they can also be applied to the transmission of other data, such as audio and video data. Figure 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of the information transmission and reception system used in unidirectional image transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Examples 1, 2, and 3, the information transmission and reception system includes a first receiving device TR_1 and a second receiving device TR_2, which can be used solely as a transmitting device or solely as a receiving device. For example, the first receiving device TR_1 can be used as the transmitting device 101 in Figures 1 and 2, while the second receiving device TR_2 can be used as the receiving device 103. However, the first receiving device TR_1 or the second receiving device TR_2 can also have both transmitting and receiving functions. Both the first receiving device TR_1 and the second receiving device TR_2 can use the structure, transmission mechanism, and receiving mechanism described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0029] In Example 1 of Figure 7, the information received by the information transmission system includes image data and a control signal controlling the operation of an electronic device. The information transmission system transmits the image data and the control signal through the same first physical transmission line PL_1. For example, the first receiving device TR_1 can transmit first image data conforming to the HDMI or DisplayPort standard to the second receiving device TR_2 through the first physical transmission line PL_1. The first image data can also conform to other standards. However, because the information transmission system in Figure 7 is a one-way image data transmission system, the second receiving device TR_2 cannot transmit any image data to the first receiving device TR_1.

[0030] Furthermore, the first receiving device TR_1 can transmit control signals to the second receiving device TR_2 via the first physical transmission line PL_1 to control an electronic device connected to the second receiving device TR_2. For example, the first receiving device TR_1 can transmit an infrared control signal IR to the second receiving device TR_2 via the first physical transmission line PL_1 to control a television connected to the second receiving device TR_2. Alternatively, the first receiving device TR_1 can transmit a control signal Etn conforming to the Ethernet standard or a control signal U conforming to the USB standard to the second receiving device TR_2 via the first physical transmission line PL_1 to control a computer connected to the second receiving device TR_2. The second receiving device TR_2 can also send the aforementioned control signals to the first receiving device TR_1 to control an electronic device connected to the first receiving device TR_1.

[0031] In Examples 2 and 3 of Figure 7, the direction and type of information transmission can be the same as in Example 1, so for the sake of simplicity, they will not be shown and described again here. In Examples 2 and 3 of Figure 7, different physical transmission lines are used to transmit the image data and control signals in Example 1. Specifically, in Examples 2 and 3, the first receiving device TR_1 still transmits control signals to the second receiving device TR_2 through the first physical transmission line PL_1, and the second receiving device TR_2 can also transmit control signals to the first receiving device TR_1 through the first physical transmission line PL_1. However, in Examples 2 and 3, the first receiving device TR_1 transmits the first image data to the second receiving device TR_2 through the second physical transmission line PL_2, instead of through the first physical transmission line PL_1 as in Example 1. Furthermore, because the information transmission and reception system in Figure 7 is a one-way image data transmission, the second receiving device TR_2 cannot transmit any image data to the first receiving device TR_1.

[0032] Optical fibers transmit information using the reflection of light. Typically, only one type of light is used, meaning the light used to transmit information has only one wavelength, as shown in Example 2 with the second physical transmission line PL_2. However, if high-frequency information transmission is required, using only one type of light may not meet the required transmission speed. Therefore, in one embodiment, information is transmitted using multiple types of light with different wavelengths, meaning the light used to transmit information has multiple wavelengths, as shown in Example 3 with the second physical transmission line PL_2.

[0033] In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, the first receiving device TR_1 and the second receiving device TR_2 respectively include fiber converters OC_1 and OC_2, which are used to convert electrical signals into optical signals or vice versa. Both the first receiving device TR_1 and the second receiving device TR_2 contain only one fiber converter. That is, both the first receiving device TR_1 and the second receiving device TR_2 use a single optoelectronic converter to convert information or information into multiple optical signals that can be transmitted over a physical transmission line.

[0034] In the prior art, if optical fiber is to be used to transmit information, a separate optical fiber converter is required for each transmission and reception interface (i.e., different types of transmission and reception interfaces) that conforms to different specifications. For example, interfaces conforming to the HDMI specification, interfaces conforming to the DisplayPort specification, and interfaces conforming to the USB specification each require a separate optical fiber converter. Therefore, systems with different types of transmission and reception interfaces require a large number of optical fiber converters. In contrast, the embodiment of Figure 7 of this invention only requires one optical fiber converter to be used in systems containing different types of transmission and reception interfaces, which can significantly reduce production costs and design complexity.

[0035] In the embodiment of Figure 8, the information transmission and reception system is a bidirectional image transmission system. The hardware structure and the type of information transmitted in Example 4 of Figure 8 are the same as those in Example 1 of Figure 7. The difference between Example 4 of Figure 8 and Example 1 of Figure 7 is that the information transmission and reception system is a bidirectional image transmission system. Therefore, in Example 4 of Figure 8, the first receiving device TR_1 can transmit first image data conforming to the HDMI specification or DisplayPort specification to the second receiving device TR_2 through the first physical transmission line PL_1, and the second receiving device TR_2 can also transmit image data conforming to the HDMI specification or DisplayPort specification to the first receiving device TR_1 through the first physical transmission line PL_1.

[0036] The first receiving device TR_1 can transmit control signals to the second receiving device TR_2 via the first physical transmission line PL_1 to control an electronic device connected to the second receiving device TR_2. For example, the first receiving device TR_1 can transmit an infrared control signal IR to the second receiving device TR_2 via the first physical transmission line PL_1 to control a television connected to the second receiving device TR_2. Alternatively, the first receiving device TR_1 can transmit a control signal Etn conforming to the Ethernet standard or a control signal U conforming to the USB standard to the second receiving device TR_2 via the first physical transmission line PL_1 to control a computer connected to the second receiving device TR_2. The second receiving device TR_2 can also transmit the aforementioned control signals to the first receiving device TR_1 via the first physical transmission line PL_1 to control an electronic device connected to the first receiving device TR_1.

[0037] In Example 5 of Figure 8, the direction and type of information transmission are the same as in Example 4. For the sake of simplicity, they will not be shown and described again here. In Example 5 of Figure 8, the image data and control signals in Example 4 are transmitted using different physical transmission lines. Specifically, in Example 5, the first receiving device TR_1 still transmits control signals to the second receiving device TR_2 through the first physical transmission line PL_1, and the second receiving device TR_2 can also transmit control signals to the first receiving device TR_1 in the same way. However, in Example 5, the first receiving device TR_1 transmits the first image data to the second receiving device TR_2 through the second physical transmission line PL_2, instead of through the first physical transmission line PL_1 as in Example 4. Furthermore, in Example 5, the second receiving device TR_2 transmits the second image data to the first receiving device TR_1 through the third physical transmission line PL_3, instead of through the first physical transmission line PL_1 as in Example 4.

[0038] The first receiving device TR_1 and the second receiving device TR_2 can also use the same physical transmission line to transmit image signals to each other, as in Example 2. In the case of higher frequency transmission, different physical transmission lines can be used to allow the receiving devices to transmit image signals to each other to ensure the integrity of the image data. In the case of lower frequency transmission, the same physical transmission line can be used to allow the receiving devices to transmit image signals to each other to save costs or power consumption.

[0039] According to the foregoing embodiments, an information transmission and reception method can be obtained and used in an information transmission and reception system (e.g., information transmission and reception system 100) having a transmitting device and a receiving device. The transmitting device may be a first transmitting and receiving device TR_1 as shown in Figures 7 and 8, and the receiving device may be a second transmitting and receiving device TR_2 as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The transmitting device includes a first transmitting end input interface conforming to a first transmission and reception specification and a second transmitting end input interface conforming to a second transmission and reception specification, while the receiving device includes a first receiving end output interface conforming to a third transmission and reception specification.

[0040] The information transmission and reception method includes the steps shown in Figure 9:

[0041] Step 901

[0042] Receive first information through a first transmission input interface (e.g., TI_1) and receive second information (e.g., TI_2) through the second transmission input interface.

[0043] Step 903

[0044] The transmission device classifies the first information and the second information according to the information characteristics of the first information and the second information to obtain a first classification result of the first information and a second classification result of the second information.

[0045] Step 905

[0046] The transmitting device transmits the first information or the second information to the first receiving end output interface (e.g., RO_1) through at least one physical transmission line according to the first classification result and the second classification result.

[0047] The receiving device may include a plurality of receiving output interfaces, such as the embodiment shown in Figure 2. Other detailed steps have been described in the foregoing embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0048] The aforementioned information transmission and reception system and method can be used, but are not limited to, in situations where wireless communication is not possible due to distance or environment limitations, or where stable information transmission and reception are required and therefore physical transmission lines are used. For example, they can be used in factories, hospitals, or transportation vehicles.

[0049] According to the foregoing embodiments, the present invention provides an information transmission and reception system and method that can include multiple different interfaces at the transmitting end. This information transmission and reception system can select an appropriate transmission method according to the information type, improving the convenience and stability of data transmission and reception via physical transmission lines. Furthermore, according to the foregoing embodiments, the information transmission and reception system provided by the present invention has a smaller number of fiber optic converters when using optical fibers, thus reducing manufacturing costs. The above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalent variations and modifications made within the scope of the claims of this invention should be considered within the scope of this invention. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0011] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an information transmission and reception system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an information transmission and reception system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of how information from different transmission input interfaces is classified according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a packet used by a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 illustrates a block diagram of a first first-in-first-out buffer used by a transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 illustrates a block diagram of a second first-in-first-out buffer used by a receiving device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of an information transmission and reception system used in unidirectional image transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of an information transmission and reception system used in bidirectional image transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 illustrates a flowchart of an information transmission and reception method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An information transmission and reception method, used in an information transmission and reception system having a transmitting device and a receiving device, the transmitting device including a first transmitting input interface conforming to a first transmission and reception specification and a second transmitting input interface conforming to a second transmission and reception specification, the receiving device including a first receiving output interface conforming to a third transmission and reception specification, the information transmission and reception method comprising: (a) receiving first information through the first transmitting input interface and receiving second information through the second transmitting input interface; (b) classifying the first information and the second information according to information characteristics of the first information and the second information by the transmitting device to obtain a first classification result of the first information and a second classification result of the second information; and (c) transmitting the first information or the second information to the first receiving output interface by the transmitting device according to the first classification result and the second classification result via at least one physical transmission line; wherein step (b) is to classify the first information and the second information according to information synchronization type.

2. The information transmission and reception method as described in claim 1, wherein step (b) is also classified according to the required immediacy or required completeness of the first information and the second information.

3. The information transmission and reception method as described in claim 1, wherein the transmitting device includes a plurality of first first-in-first-out buffers, and step (c) further includes: temporarily storing portions of the first information and the second information having the same classification result into the same first first-in-first-out buffer, and then transmitting them to the first receiving end output interface.

4. The information transmission and reception method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving device further includes a second receiving end output interface conforming to a fourth transmission and reception specification, and step (c) further includes: transmitting the first information and the second information to the first receiving end output interface or the second receiving end output interface based on the first classification result and the second classification result.

5. The information transmission and reception method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information include image data and a control signal for controlling the operation of an electronic device, and the information transmission and reception method further includes: causing the transmitting device to transmit the image data and the control signal through a first physical transmission line.

6. The information transmission and reception method as described in claim 1, wherein the transmitting device and the receiving device are both transmitting and receiving devices, the first information and the second information are first image data, and the receiving device cannot transmit any image data to the transmitting device.

7. The information transmission and reception method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of physical transmission lines is greater than or equal to two, wherein both the transmitting device and the receiving device are transmission and reception devices, and the first information and the second information are first image data, the information transmission and reception method further comprising: causing the transmitting device to transmit the first image data to the receiving device through a second physical transmission line, and causing the receiving device to transmit the second image data to the transmitting device through a third physical transmission line.

8. The information transmission and reception method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physical transmission line is an optical fiber, and the information transmission and reception method further comprises: enabling the transmitting device to transmit the first information or the second information to the first receiving end output interface via the physical transmission line through a plurality of types of light with different wavelengths.

Images