Local video and audio network with optical data line

US7451471B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Harald Schopp · Ettlingen, DE
• Erich Geiger · St. Georgen im Schwarzwald, DE
• Detlef Teichner · Villingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 15, 1999
• Grant date: Nov 11, 2008
• Expiry date: Dec 15, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04B1/205
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An optical ring network for use, for example, in a motor vehicle, includes an optical data line that defines a ring network, a playback transducer and at least one data source connected to the optical data line, where the data source provides compressed data onto the optical data line. The network also includes at least one data sink connected to the optical data line, which receives the compressed data from the optical data line. The data sink includes a bit stream decoder that decompresses the received compressed data and provides the decompressed data to the playback transducer. The local network transmits audio and video data in compressed form via the data line, and has a single bit stream decoder, centrally situated at the respective data sink, for decompressing the audio and/or video data. As a result, the individual data sources no longer need their own bit stream decoder for decompressing the data. By the assignment of such a bit stream decoder centrally to the relevant data sink, the components of the individual subscribers are distributed in a more efficient manner within the network, which better utilizes the available data transmission capacity of the network, due also…