System and method for providing single fiber 4K video

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10361806-B2
Application number	US-201816159006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2018
Priority date	Jun 6, 2017
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that encodes digital signals representing image data captured by a video camera and provided according to a 4K ultra-high definition (4K-UHD) standard. The digital signals are transmitted as serial digital interface (SDI) streams to a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) unit; the WDM unit performs electrical-to-optical conversion of the SDI streams and outputs a multiplexed signal to a single fiber-optic cable. The video camera, encoding unit, and WDM unit form a combined module within a housing; the device connects to a proximal end of a single fiber-optic cable, and a distal end of the single fiber-optic cable is configurable for connection to a demultiplexer of a 4K-UHD video presentation device. The multiplexed signal is transmitted on the single fiber-optic cable unidirectionally from the proximal end to the distal end. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
encoding a plurality of digital signals representing image data captured by a video camera, wherein the encoding is performed by an encoding unit coupled to the video camera; and
transmitting the digital signals as a set of four serial digital interface (SDI) streams to a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) unit coupled to the encoding unit, wherein the WDM unit performs electrical-to-optical conversion of the digital signals and outputs a multiplexed signal comprising a plurality of wavelengths to a cable connector,
wherein the cable connector is configured for connecting to a proximal end of a single fiber-optic cable, a distal end of the single fiber-optic cable being configurable for connection to a demultiplexer of a video presentation device,
wherein the multiplexed signal is transmitted on the single fiber-optic cable unidirectionally from the proximal end to the distal end,
wherein the video camera provides the image data in accordance with a 4K ultra-high definition (4K-UHD) standard.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the video camera, the encoding unit, and the WDM unit form a combined module within a housing.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the housing has a port formed therein.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the cable connector is configured for connecting to the proximal end of the single fiber-optic cable via the port.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the video camera comprises an image processing unit and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the image processing unit provides an analog video signal to the A/D converter, and wherein the A/D converter provides the plurality of digital signals to the encoding unit.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the A/D converter provides four digital signals in accordance with the SMPTE 424M standard.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the WDM unit includes four electrical-to-optical conversion devices, and wherein each of the electrical-to-optical conversion devices outputs a different wavelength.

9. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processing system including a processor, image data representing images captured by a video camera;
generating, by the processing system, a plurality of signals representing the image data;
performing, by the processing system, electrical-to-optical conversion of the plurality of signals to generate a plurality of optical signals at a plurality of different wavelengths, wherein the plurality of optical signals includes four optical signals at the plurality of different wavelengths;
multiplexing, by the processing system, the plurality of optical signals to generate a multiplexed signal comprising the plurality of wavelengths; and
transmitting, by the processing system, the multiplexed signal via a unidirectional single fiber optic cable,
wherein the image data is in accordance with a 4K ultra-high definition (4K-UHD) standard.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
converting, by the processing system, the plurality of signals to a plurality of digital streams,
wherein the performing comprises electrical-to-optical conversion of the digital streams to generate the plurality of optical signals.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of digital streams comprises four serial digital interface (SDI) streams.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the multiplexing comprises wavelength division multiplexing (WDM).

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the multiplexed signal to a video presentation device.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electrical-to-optical conversion and the multiplexing are performed at an integrated device, the integrated device and the video camera being internal to a housing with a port formed therein.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the integrated device is coupled to a cable connector configured to connect to a proximal end of the fiber optic cable via the port.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a distal end of the fiber optic cable is configured for connection to a demultiplexer of a video presentation device.

17. A system comprising:
a first device for capturing and sending image data;
a second device for receiving and presenting the image data; and
a single fiber-optic cable connecting the first device and the second device,
wherein the first device comprises a first processing system including a first processor and a first memory that stores first executable instructions that, when executed by the first processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
encoding a first plurality of digital signals representing the image data captured by a video camera, wherein the encoding is performed by an encoding unit coupled to the video camera, wherein the video camera provides the image data in accordance with a high resolution standard; and
transmitting the first plurality of digital signals to a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) unit coupled to the encoding unit, wherein the WDM unit outputs a multiplexed signal comprising a plurality of wavelengths to a first cable connector;

wherein the video camera, the encoding unit, and the WDM unit form a combined module within a housing of the first device, and wherein the first cable connector is configured for connecting to a proximal end of a single fiber-optic cable;
wherein a distal end of the single fiber-optic cable is configured for connection to a second cable connector of the second device, and the multiplexed signal is transmitted on the single fiber-optic cable unidirectionally from the proximal end to the distal end;
wherein the second device comprises a second processing system including a second processor and a second memory that stores second executable instructions that, when executed by the second processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
receiving the multiplexed signal at the second cable connector; and
transmitting the multiplexed signal to a wavelength-division demultiplexing unit coupled to the second cable connector, wherein the wavelength-division demultiplexing unit provides four optical signals and performs optical-to-electrical conversion of the optical signals to generate a second plurality of digital signals representing the image data for presentation at a display of the second device.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the transmitting of the first plurality of digital signals comprises transmitting the first plurality of digital signals as a plurality of serial digital interface (SDI) streams.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the WDM unit performs electrical-to-optical conversion of the plurality of SDI streams to output the multiplexed signal.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the housing has a port formed therein, and wherein the first cable connector is configured for connecting to the proximal end of the single fiber-optic cable via the port.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Nicas Nicholas
• Fryer Todd Andrew
• Irvin David

Classifications

• H04B10/516

  Details of coding or modulation · CPC title

• H04N13/239

  using two two-dimensional [2D] image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance (H04N13/243 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N13/25

  using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor · CPC title

• H03M1/007

  among different resolutions · CPC title

• H03M1/1205 Primary

  Multiplexed conversion systems · CPC title