Apple's patent for Video Client technology

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.ph..._video_client/



Will the smart guys please decipher?



Quote:

The present invention controls the transmission of data from a computer to a video client via an interface device that buffers the data frames sent and communicates to the computer and the video client using different protocols. In an embodiment of the present invention, a synthesized vertical blanking signal is derived by polling a vertical blanking register on the interface device. The vertical blanking signal invokes code to programs running on the computer. In an embodiment, timing information may also be provided to programs running on the computer, either in combination with the invoked code or instead of the invoked code. In an embodiment of the invention, the interface contains a register that holds a counter indicating current progress in the frame, from which the next vertical retrace can be extrapolated. The computer can then schedule an interrupt to send at this extrapolated time, thus sending out a frame.



Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murk

    http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.ph..._video_client/



    Will the smart guys please decipher?




    I'd guess that, with all of the emphasis on vertical blanking signals and the related timing, that the patent has something to do with making smooth, glitch-free transitions between multiple video sources, and perhaps with synching multiple sources together for PIP-like effects and/or text and graphics overlays.



    But who knows, I could be way off.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    tednditedndi Posts: 1,921member
    quote: "Or it could have something to do with the rumored iSight 2.

    Or it could be a kind of ?wireless FireWire.?

    Or it could be a really cool toaster oven for all we know.

    As always, time will tell."





    Oh god an Apple toaster oven with firewire and isight!!!"



  • Reply 3 of 4
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by TednDi

    Oh god an Apple toaster oven with firewire and isight!!!"







    Since it's meant to be a toaster, they can even put in a G5 and not have to worry about cooling problems.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    jasenj1jasenj1 Posts: 923member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murk

    http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.ph..._video_client/



    Will the smart guys please decipher?




    AirPort A/V? "Interface device" communicates with the computer and video client (TV) using different protocols - something like Apple Lossless between computer and AirPort A/V and HDTV, NTSC, or PAL to television set. (Think Apple Lossless from Mac to AirPort Express, SPDIF from AP Ex to home theater).



    The paragraph cited seems to cover sending a vertical blanking signal from the interface device to the computer for the purpose of invoking code and triggering the sending of the next frame to the interface device for display on the client. Perhaps this helps out with things like NTSC and PAL having different frame rates; the interface device can determine the frame rate and send signals back to the computer to keep the flow of frames at the right pace.



    But I could be wrong.



    - Jasen.



    P.S. The patent is from 2003. I don't know how long these things percolate before becoming real products. And there's no mention of wireless, so it may have been for some kind of wired Mac to TV interface that never got produced.
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