Method and circuit for data transmission

Abstract

The sampling rate of the optical and electrical signals provided by a DVD player according to standard IEC 61937 are converted in a first transcoder to the sampling rate of a multimedia network. The signals generated by the first transcoder with the sampling rate of the multimedia network are transmitted through a multimedia network line to a second transcoder, which based on the parameters contained in the signals received generates the signal originally generated by the DVD player and transmits it according to standard IEC 61937 to a DVD decoder. The technique is specifically suited for use in a motor vehicle and is distinguished by low technical complexity since without the transcoding by the two transcoders the encoded data stream at the output of the DVD player would have to be first decoded and then transmitted in multichannel mode as linear PCM data through a multimedia network line, for example, a MOST line. This approach, however, requires three to four times the bandwidth. In addition, the PCM data would have to be re-encoded for copyright reasons.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A signal transmission and decoding system, comprising: 
 a data source that transmits first encoded data over a first transmission medium;    a first transcoder that receives said first encoded data via said first transmission medium, and transcodes said first encoded data to provide transcoded encoded data that is transmitted over a second transmission medium;    a second transcoder that receives said transcoded encoded data via said second transmission medium, and transcodes said transcoded encoded data to provide second encoded data that is transmitted over a third transmission medium; and    a data sink that receives said second encoded data via said third transmission medium, and decodes said second encoded data to provide decoded data.    
     
     
         2 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 1 , wherein said data source comprises a DVD player.  
     
     
         3 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 2 , wherein said data sink comprises a DVD decoder.  
     
     
         4 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 1 , wherein said data source comprises means for providing said first encoded data as packetized data that is transmitted over said first transmission medium.  
     
     
         5 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 1 , wherein said packetized data comprises a header field and data field.  
     
     
         6 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 1 , wherein said first transcoder comprises a phase-locked loop that converts the frequency of said first encoded data configured as a biphase signal data, to the frequency of said second transmission medium.  
     
     
         7 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 6 , wherein said first transcoder comprises means for transcoding said first encoded signal that complies with standard IEC 61937, and transcoded encoded signal is configured and arranged to be transmitted over said second transmission medium that is configured as a MOST network.  
     
     
         8 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 6 , wherein unassigned bits according to standard IEC 61937 are configured to provide command control data.  
     
     
         9 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 8 , wherein the unassigned bits are indicative of how many zeroes must be added to or deleted from the pause packets of the data stream.  
     
     
         10 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 8 , wherein said data sink comprises a multichannel decoder.  
     
     
         11 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 8 , wherein said data sink comprises a dts decoder.  
     
     
         12 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 8 , wherein said data sink comprises an MPEG decoder.  
     
     
         13 . The signal transmission and decoding system of  claim 8 , wherein said data sink comprises an MLP decoder.  
     
     
         14 . A method of transmitting data from a DVD player to a DVD decoder, comprising: 
 transmitting encoded data from the DVD player over a first transmission medium;    receiving said encoded data and transcoding said received encoded data to provide transcoded encoded data;    transmitting said transcoded encoded data over a second transmission medium;    receiving said transcoding encoded data and transcoding said received transcoded encoded data to provide received encoded DVD data; and    transmitting said received encoded DVD data over a third transmission medium to the DVD decoder.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of transcoding said received encoded data comprises transcoding said received encoded data comprising sampled data having a sampled frequency f 1 , to provide said transcoded encoded data having a sampled frequency f 2 .  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of transcoding said received transcoded encoded data comprises transcoding said received transcoded data comprising data having a sampled frequency f 2  to provide said received encoded DVD data having a sampled frequency f 1    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said second transmission medium is configured and arranged as a MOST bus.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of transcoding said received encoded data comprises determining the sampling rate f 1 , of the data stream supplied by the DVD player and transcoding said received encoded data to provide said transcoded encoded data having a sampling rate f2 associated with the second transmission medium.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said step of transcoding said received encoded data comprises changing the number of bits within a pause data field of said received encoded data configured as packetized data.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said step of changing the number of bits comprises deleting a predetermined number of digital zeroes from the pause data field in order to convert the sampling rate.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said step of changing the number of bits comprises adding a predetermined number of digital zeroes to the pause data field in order to convert the sampling rate.  
     
     
         22 . A motor vehicle signal transmission and decoding system, comprising: 
 a DVD player that transmits first encoded data over a first transmission medium:    a first transcoder that receives said first encoded data via said first transmission medium, and transcodes said first encoded data to provide transcoded encoded data that is transmitted over a second transmission medium;    a second transcoder that receives said transcoded encoded data via said second transmission medium, and transcodes said transcoded encoded data to provide second encoded data that is transmitted over a third transmission medium; and    a DVD decoder that receives said second encoded data via said third transmission medium, and decodes said second encoded data to provide decoded data.