Patent ID: 6160544
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: H04H,H04N

Abstract:
A digital video distribution system for distributing analog video information of any one of a plurality of video sources to a plurality of video display units, comprising:a plurality of first terminals adapted to be respectively connected to the plurality of video sources, each of the plurality of first terminals comprising an encoder for converting the analog video information supplied from the respective one of the plurality of video sources to compressed digital video information and a first interface for outputting the digital video information in the form of multicast protocol-based packets;a local area network, connected to the plurality of first terminals, for receiving the digital video information from the plurality of first terminals; anda plurality of second terminals connected to the local area network and to the plurality of video display units, each of the second terminals comprising a second interface for receiving desired packets among the multicast protocol-based packets supplied from the local area network and a decoder for converting the desired packets received by the second interface to uncompressed analog video information, the resulting analog video information being displayed on the display units, the second interface comprising a hardware-implemented filter for selectively extracting desired packets in accordance with a multicast communications protocol, comprising a register into which a desired IP source address and a desired IP multicast address have been set by a CPU in the corresponding second terminal and a comparator for comparing an IP source address and an IP multicast address contained in a received packet with the desired IP source address and the desired IP multicast address set in the register.