GPI Command Interface for Cross-Protocol Live Broadcast Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing GPI signaling protocols face compatibility issues due to rapid technological advancements and diversification in hardware and software, rendering them unsuitable for controlling incompatible devices.
Innovation Solution
A GPI device that includes a communication port, processors, and memory to receive GPI signals, assign commands, and transmit them to non-compatible devices using smart routing to optimize latency and convert signals into compatible scripts like Python, enabling control of devices such as broadcast switchers and video servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional GPI signaling protocols are used to control devices, then device compatibility is maintained in historical systems, but compatibility with modern diverse hardware and software is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a GPI device as an intermediary component that receives traditional GPI signals and converts them into modern communication protocols (such as USB, Ethernet, or wireless protocols). This mediator bridges the gap between legacy GPI systems and contemporary devices, enabling compatibility without compromising the reliability of either system. The GPI device translates voltage-level GPI signals into digital packets that modern devices can process, thus resolving the contradiction between historical compatibility and modern suitability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter space of communication by transforming GPI signals from analog voltage levels (0V/5V for low/high states) into digital protocol parameters (data packets, protocol types, transmission modes). This parameter transformation allows the same control function to be achieved across diverse modern devices while maintaining compatibility with traditional GPI control logic, thereby improving adaptability without sacrificing reliability.
2Device complexity
If GPI signals are directly transmitted to modern devices, then signal transmission is simple, but command interpretation fails due to protocol incompatibility
Solution Approach 1:
The GPI device serves as a translation intermediary that maintains simple signal transmission from the GPI source while handling complex protocol conversion internally. The device receives simple voltage-level GPI signals and automatically performs the complex task of translating them into device-specific command protocols, thus keeping the transmission side simple while solving the interpretation problem on the receiving end.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multiple copies of the control functionality across different protocol implementations. The GPI device maintains a library of protocol translations, copying the essential control logic into various protocol formats (USB commands, TCP/IP packets, wireless protocols) so that the same GPI signal can control different modern devices without requiring complex interpretation logic at each device end.
3Adaptability or versatility
If protocol conversion is implemented for all device types, then compatibility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The GPI device is designed as a universal platform that handles multiple protocol conversions through a single integrated architecture. Rather than requiring separate conversion devices for each protocol type, the universal GPI device can translate to multiple modern protocols (USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) through a single unit, thereby improving compatibility without proportionally increasing system complexity. The device contains a library of protocol handlers that can be activated based on the target device type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a nested architecture where the GPI device contains embedded protocol translation layers within a unified control structure. Each protocol translation capability is nested within the main GPI reception logic, allowing the system to maintain a simple external interface while containing complex protocol handling internally. This nesting approach consolidates complexity within a single device rather than distributing it across multiple components.
Data Source
AI summary
A GPI device includes a communication port for receiving a GPI signal from a first device, one or more processors; and a memory comprising program instructions. The program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the GPI device to assign a command to the GPI signal when the GPI device receives the GPI signal from the first device and transmit the command to a second device. The transmission of the command may be triggered by the received GPI signal. The command may include a script, such as a python script. The command may also include triggering transmission of a live broadcast, switching between graphics during the live broadcast, or a combination thereof.