Abstract:
A transmission method for a multimedia device having a capture function. The transmission method comprises outputting device information to an external device; receiving acknowledgement information; determining whether the external device supports a specific technology according to the acknowledgement information; detecting a plurality of functions of the external device when the external device supports the acknowledgement information; activating one of functions; and providing processing information to the external device for executing the activated function.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates to a transmission method, and more particularly to a transmission method for transmitting data between peripherals. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a control schematic diagram of a plurality of conventional peripherals. A computer  12  controls the peripherals. The structure of  FIG. 1  is a topology structure. Computer  12  is a main device and peripheral group  14  is a slave device. 
         [0005]    Peripheral group  14  comprises various peripherals, such as a Digital Still Camera (DSC)  141 , a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)  142 , a Digital Video (DV)  143 , a printer  144 , and a recorder  145 . Each peripheral within in peripheral group  14  utilizes computer  12  to communicate with other peripherals within in peripheral group  14 . 
         [0006]    For example, a user desires to take image data stored in DV  13  and record the image data on a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). First, computer  12  downloads the image data stored in DV  13 . Next, recorder  145  controlled by computer  12  takes and records the downloaded image data on the DVD. 
         [0007]    One peripheral transmits information to another peripheral through computer  12  such that the processing time is increased. With technology development, the performance of peripherals is increased. The peripheral comprises the On The Go (OTG) function such that the peripheral can serve not only a slave device, but also as a main device. 
         [0008]    The structure of the peripheral having the OTG function is similar to a Point To Point (PTP) IEEE 1394 structure.  FIGS. 2A˜2C  are schematic diagrams of peripherals having OTG functionality. 
         [0009]    As shown in  FIG. 2A , since DSC  141   OTG  and printer  144   OTG  have OTG functions, DSC  141   OTG  directly transmits a state image to printer  144   OTG  through a connection line  22  such that the state image is printed by printer  144   OTG . 
         [0010]    As shown in  FIG. 2B , since PDA  142   OTG  has OTG functionality, PDA  142   OTG  directly transmits image data to printer  144   OTG  through the connection line  22  such that the image data is printed by printer  144   OTG . 
         [0011]    As shown in  FIG. 2C , since DV  143   OTG  and recorder  145   OTG  have OTG functionality, DV  143   OTG  directly transmits image data to recorder  145   OTG  through the connection line  22  such that the image data is recorded by recorder  145   OTG . 
         [0012]    The peripheral having OTG function stores various driving processes for controlling various peripherals. For example, to receive image data output from DSC  141   OTG  and PDA  142   OTG , printer  144   OTG  is required to store diving processes, brands, types of DSC and PDA. Thus, the peripheral having OTG functionality requires memory high capacity such that cost and processing time are increased. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Transmission methods are provided. An exemplary embodiment of a transmission method for a multimedia device having a capture function comprises outputting device information to an external device; receiving acknowledgement information; determining whether the external device supports a specific technology according to the acknowledgement information; detecting a plurality of functions of the external device when the external device supports the acknowledgement information; activating one of the functions; and providing processing information to the external device for executing the activated function. 
         [0014]    A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a control schematic diagram of conventional peripherals; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 2A˜2C  are schematic diagrams of peripherals having OTG functionality; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a connection schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a DV and a recorder; and 
           [0019]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are flowcharts of an exemplary embodiment of the transmission method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. 
         [0021]    A transmission method of the invention is applied between two peripherals. One peripheral is a multimedia device having a capture function, such as DSC or DV. For clarity, a DV and a recorder are given as an example. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a connection schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a DV and a recorder. DV  32  is coupled to recorder  34  through a connection line  36 , such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB). Since DV  32  controls the operation of recorder  34 , DV  32  is a main device and recorder  34  is a slave device. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  are flowcharts of an exemplary embodiment of the transmission method. With reference to  FIG. 3 , assume that the connection line  36  is a USB line. When the USB line connects DV  32  and recorder  34 , DV  32  is set to USB mode, in step  410 . 
         [0024]    DV  32  detects USB mode in step  420 . When USB mode of DV  32  does not set to SIDC mode, DV  32  is set to USB mode in step  410 . When USB mode of DV  32  is set to SIDC mode, DV  32  outputs device information to recorder  34  in step  430 . The device information comprises a brand, a type or a parameter of recorder  34 . The parameter represents that recorder  34  supports a specific technology. 
         [0025]    When receiving the device information, recorder  34  outputs acknowledgement information to DV  32  in step  440 . DV  32  determines whether recorder  34  supports the specific technology according to a specific bit of the acknowledgement information in step  450 . 
         [0026]    In this embodiment, a recorder is given as an example and the transmission method is referred to as the Direct Recording Standard (DRS). To transmit information, DV  32  and recorder  34  must support DRS. 
         [0027]    If recorder  34  does not support the specific technology, DV  32  outputs an abnormal signal, in step  460  notify a user that the recording operation has not been executed. Additionally, if DV  32  does not receive the acknowledgement information, DV  32  also outputs the abnormal signal. 
         [0028]    When recorder  34  supports the specific technology, DV  32  starts to detect functions of recorder  34  in step  470 . In this step, the brand, the type, and functions of recorder  34  are detected by DV  32 . The detected functions of recorder  34  are displaying in a display panel of DV  32  in step  480 . A user selects one of the displayed functions in step  490 . In this embodiment, the displayed functions comprise a recording operation and an editing operation 
         [0029]    If the user selects the recording operation, DV  32  detects the previous state in step  500 . When recorder  34  executes the recording operation and the user interrupts the recording operation, DV  32  stores the interrupted recording operation. Thus, the display panel of DV  32  displays a continue item for continuing the unfinished recording operation when the user selects the recording operation again. 
         [0030]    When no unfinished recording operation is stared in DV  32 , the display panel of DV  32  displays a new item for executing a new recording operation. Additionally, the display panel displays a stop item for interrupting the recording operation. 
         [0031]    When the user selects the new item in step  511 , DV  32  provides processing information to recorder  34 . The processing information comprises image data and specification data. The specification data comprises size of the image data, an access path or quality. 
         [0032]    The display panel of DV  32  displays quality items in step  520  for selecting the quality of the recording function. The quality items comprise a High Quality (HQ), a Super High Quality (SHQ) and a Low Quality (LQ). 
         [0033]    DV  32  provides the processing information comprising the size of the image data, an access path, and other information to recorder  34  in step  530 . DV  32  outputs image data to recorder  34  in step  540 . When recorder  34  starts to record, DV  32  detects the recording operation in step  550 . 
         [0034]    When the recording operation is abnormal, such as when the USB line is not connected to DV  32  and recorder  34 , DV  32  interrupts the recording operation and outputs an abnormal signal to notify the user in step  460 . If the recording operation is normal, DV  32  detects whether to the recording operation finish in step  560 . 
         [0035]    When the recording operation is finished, the recoding operation is stopped in step  512 . If the recording operation is unfinished, DV  32  continuously outputs image data to recorder  34  in step  540 . 
         [0036]    Additionally, if the continue item is selected in step  512 , DV  32  starts to provide image data to recorder  34  in step  540  for continuing the recording operation. 
         [0037]    When the user does not desire to continuously execute the unfinished recording operation, the stop item is selected in step  513  for stopping the recoding operation in step  570 . 
         [0038]    As discussed above, the transmission method of the invention allows data to be transmitted between two peripherals. Thus, transmission time is reduced. Additionally, the peripheral utilizing the transmission method of the invention is not required to store addition driving processes of other peripherals, thus, cost is reduced. 
         [0039]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.