USB Dongle Video Format Conversion via Intermediary Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional devices, such as digital video recorders and handheld multifunction devices, lack the ability to receive and play broadcast video signals in various formats, limiting user access to video content across different devices and formats.
Innovation Solution
A USB dongle device and video card system that encodes and decodes video signals using standards like H.264 and MPEG-4, allowing conversion between different formats, resolutions, and encryption methods, enabling seamless playback and storage across various host devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional devices (digital video recorders, handheld multifunction devices) are used, then device simplicity and ease of manufacture are maintained, but video format compatibility and versatility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a USB dongle device as an intermediary component that mediates between the video signal source and the host device. The dongle contains the video encoding/decoding functionality, allowing the host device to play various video formats without requiring complex built-in processing capabilities. This resolves the contradiction by externalizing the complexity to a simple, compatible interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The USB dongle device is designed with multi-functionality, supporting multiple video formats (H.264, MPEG-4, etc.), resolutions, and encryption methods through a single device. This universal design allows one dongle to work with various host devices and video sources, improving adaptability without requiring each device to be complex.
2Adaptability or versatility
If video encoding/decoding functionality is built into each device, then video format versatility is improved, but device cost and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of building video encoding/decoding capabilities into each host device, the patent uses a USB dongle as an intermediary that contains these functionalities. This allows manufacturers to produce simpler, cheaper host devices while the dongle handles the complex video processing, resolving the manufacturing complexity issue.
Solution Approach 2:
The video processing functionality is segmented from the host device and placed in a separate, dedicated USB dongle. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the host device remains simple and easy to manufacture, while the dongle contains the specialized video encoding/decoding hardware.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple video formats are supported natively, then video content accessibility is improved, but device power consumption and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The USB dongle acts as an intermediary that performs video format conversion externally, so the host device does not need to natively support multiple video formats. The dongle handles the processing load and power consumption for format conversion, while the host device simply plays the converted video stream.
Data Source
AI summary
A universal serial bus (USB) dongle device includes a USB interface for receiving a video signal in a first format and for sending a processed video signal in a second format wherein the first format differs from the second format. An encoding module generates the processed video signal based on the video signal. In a further embodiment, A video card includes a video receiver for receiving a video signal in a first format, based on a selection command. An encoding module generates a processed video signal in a second format based on the video signal, wherein the first format differs from the second format. A USB interface transfers the processed video signal to the host device, receives the selection command from the host device and receives a power signal from the host device to power the video receiver and the encoding module.