HOST-POD Interface Module for Digital TV Service Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Providers of new audio or video services face challenges in delivering content to digital televisions with existing cable inputs, as they may require uncompressed signals, which consume high bandwidth, or be technologically incompatible with the modulation and tuning schemes of traditional cable providers, and introducing a dedicated set-top box is costly and cluttered.
Innovation Solution
A module connected to the HOST-POD interface of digital televisions that receives audio or video content in a first compression format, converts it to a second format compatible with the television's back-end components, and transmits it over the HOST-POD interface, bypassing front-end components and allowing for efficient decompression and presentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If uncompressed signals are used to deliver new services to digital televisions, then compatibility with existing cable inputs is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compression parameter of the video signal from uncompressed to compressed format (MPEG-2 or H.264) to reduce bandwidth consumption while maintaining compatibility with digital television inputs through the HOST-POD interface
2Adaptability or versatility
If a dedicated set-top box is introduced to deliver new services, then service delivery capability is improved, but hardware complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the HOST-POD interface serve multiple functions: its original security/conditional access function and the new function of delivering video content for new services, eliminating the need for separate dedicated set-top box hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the new service delivery functionality with the existing HOST-POD interface and digital television back-end components, merging what would have been separate systems into a unified architecture
3Adaptability or versatility
If compression format conversion is implemented at the module, then compatibility with television back-end components is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a module as an intermediary device that performs format conversion between the received compression format and the television's back-end component format, simplifying the overall system by centralizing the conversion function in a dedicated component
Data Source
AI summary
To receive new services including audio or video content for presentation by a cable-compatible digital television or other digital audio/video receiver, a module may be connected to the HOST-POD interface of the digital television. The module has a receiver for receiving audio or video content in a first compression format, a transcoder for converting said audio or video content from the first compression format into a second, different compression format, and a controller for transmitting the audio or visual content in the second compression format to the digital television over a HOST-POD interface. By using such a module, front-end components of the digital television may be bypassed while back-end components may be utilized to decompress and present the content. The module may be a PC card or smart card for example.