Abstract:
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system, and the method detects the number of connected terminals and the switcher output signal at a connected terminal to determine the correct configuration of signal used for the connected terminal, and the apparatus for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system comprises a switcher, a digital-to-analog converter and a control unit, wherein the switcher is used to receive a plurality of audio/video signal to switcher and output a plurality of output signals to a plurality of terminals of the control unit, and receive a data stream to produce the corresponding analog audio/video signal; the control unit is used to control the switcher and output of the switcher according to the connect signal as to provide the flexibility of connecting the audio/video equipments and save the system cost.

Description:
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a method for connecting audio/video system, and more particularly, to an I/O apparatus and method of an audio/video system capable of configuration detection and output switching.  
       2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     At present, the external interface of an audio/video equipment usually comprises a plurality of terminals for connecting with other A/V devices, such as composite video input (CVBS), S-Video (Y/C) output, and chroma signal (component, Y, P b , P r ) output, etc. Since there are various different kinds of terminals on the audio/video equipment, it is quite common for a user to mix up with the terminals and install the connectors to the wrong terminals while the user wants to install an external device to the A/V system despite that the shape of these terminals are not identical.  
         [0003]     Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which is an illustration showing an input/output rear panel of a conventional DVD player. The input/output rear panel  100  comprises a power terminal  110 , a display device adjusting terminal  111 , a video signal input terminal  113 , a S-video signal input terminal  114 , an audio signal input terminal  115 , a 5.1-channel audio signal output terminal  120 , a video signal output terminal  130 , a S-video signal output terminal  140 , a chroma video signal output terminal  150 , an optical fiber output terminal (audio)  160 , and a coaxial cable output terminal (video)  170 .  
         [0004]     Since the shapes of the video signal input terminal  113 , audio signal input terminal  115 , 5.1 channel audio signal output terminal  120 , video signal output terminal  130 , and chroma video signal output terminal  150  are identical or alike, it is quite easy for an user to install the connectors to the wrong terminals while the user wants to install an external device (not shown in the figure) to the A/V system.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The invention provides an apparatus for adjusting the input and output of an audio/video system including a switcher, a plurality of digital-to-analog converters and a control unit; wherein each digital-to-analog converter is used for converting a digital signal into an analog signal and detecting the connection status corresponding to a load thereof for generating a connect signal; the switcher is adapted for outputting the digital signal to a corresponding digital-to-analog converter; and the control unit controls the output of the switcher according to the connect signal.  
         [0006]     The invention further provides a method for adjusting the input and output of an audio/video system including the steps of: detecting the number of connected input and output terminals to produce a connect signal; comparing the connect signal with a configuration table including all possible configurations corresponding to the number of connected input and output terminals; and automatically scanning all possible configurations in sequence and then saving a correct configuration while the terminal is connected correctly.  
         [0007]     Moreover, the invention provides a digital media player including a control chip detecting the connection status of terminals arranged on an input/output rear panel of the digital media player to adjust the signal output path and output signals to the corresponding terminals on the input/output rear panel; a man-machine interface enabling users to manually set a correct configuration and send an interrupt signal to the control unit; and the input/output rear panel, having a plurality of terminals arranged thereon, connecting with display devices and input devices, and capable of receiving an output signal of the control chip.  
         [0008]     The method and apparatus of adjusting the input and output of an audio/video system according to the present invention allows users to connect an audio/video equipment without being troubled by the connection of the inputs to the corresponding output terminals, and also simplifies the connection between cables and the corresponding terminals while connecting an audio/video device to another audio/video device as to provide better flexibility and save system costs. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is an illustration showing an input/output rear panel of a conventional DVD player.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a circuitry of the apparatus for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIGS. 3A, 3B ,  3 C and  3 D are schematic illustrations showing the apparatus for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system according to different embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration showing the apparatus for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart of the method for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a schematic illustration showing a digital multimedia player according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]     For your esteemed members of reviewing committee to further understand and recognize the fulfilled functions and structural characteristics of the invention, several preferable embodiments cooperating with detailed description are presented as the follows.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a circuitry of the apparatus for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, where the audio/video system according to this embodiment is a DVD player. In  FIG. 2 , the apparatus  200  for adjusting the input and output of an audio/video system comprises a switcher  210 , a digital-to-analog converter  220  and a control unit  230 ; wherein the digital-to-analog converter  220  is capable of receiving a signal, such as a n-bit digital signal  241  outputted from a DVD player while playing an optical disk, and converting the n-bit digital signal into an analog signal  245 ; and the digital-to-analog converter  220  is capable of issuing a connect signal  247  to the control unit  230  for informing the control unit  230  about which terminal on the apparatus  220  is connected to a cable while the terminals of an input/output rear panel  250  of the audio/video system is connected to a load; and the control unit  230  is adapted for issuing a switch control signal  248  to the switcher  210 ; and the switcher  210  selects an appropriate signal and an appropriate output path from the n digital signals  241 . For example, if the number of connected terminals is 1, then such terminal is outputting a CVBS signal; if the number of connected terminals is 2, then such terminal is outputting a S-Video signal; if the number of connected terminals is 3, then such terminal may output R, G, and B signals or Y, C b  and C r  signals or Y, P b  and P r  signals, etc.  
         [0017]     Please refer to  FIGS. 3A, 3B , and  3 C, which are schematic illustrations showing the apparatus for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system according to different embodiments of the present invention. In  FIG. 3A , if a display device  310  uses a cable  315  of one connector to connect an apparatus  320  for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system, the I/O apparatus  320  will detect only one terminal  325  being connected to the cable  315  and determine that the signal corresponding to the terminal  325  is a CVBS signal. Therefore, the apparatus  320  for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system requires only one scan process to find out the signal corresponding to the condition that only the terminal  325  and the cable  315  are connected.  
         [0018]     In  FIG. 3B , if the display device  310  uses a cable  330  of two connectors to connect the apparatus  320  for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system, the I/O apparatus  320  will detect that there are two terminals  325  and  327  being connected to the cable  330  of two connectors, and determine that the corresponding signals received by the two terminals  325 ,  327  are S-Video signals (Y and C). However, the I/O apparatus  320  cannot determine whether or not the output signals of the terminals  325  and  327  correspond to the two connectors of the cables  330 . Therefore, all possible configurations of the terminals  325  and  327  corresponding to the S-video signal are scanned. That is, since the Y signal may correspond to the terminal  325  and C signal may correspond to the terminal  327 , or C signal may correspond to the terminal  325  and Y signal may correspond to the terminal  327 , after the I/O apparatus  320  had perform two scan processes for enabling the output of the Y signal and C signal to switch between the terminals  325  and  327  such that the correct setting of the terminals  325  and  327  can be determined while the display screen of the display device  310  is normal. For instance, it can be determined that the terminal is correctly connected while the color bar of the display device  310  is displayed normally.  
         [0019]     In  FIG. 3C , if the display device  310  uses a cable  350  of three connectors to connect the terminals  360 ,  370  and  380  of the apparatus  320  for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system and the I/O apparatus  320  only provides a chroma signal (Y, P b  and P r ) output, the signal used for the output of the connectors of the cable  350  corresponding to the terminals  360 ,  370 ,  380  could be any permutation of the signal Y, signal P b  and signal P r  as shown in the configuration table  390 . The I/O apparatus  320  switches the output signals of the terminals  360 ,  370  and  380  in sequence according to such permutation and determines the signal correctly used for the cable  350  corresponding to the terminals  360 ,  370  and  380  by the situation whether or not the output signals of the terminal  360 ,  370  and  380  are displayed normally on the screen of the display device  310  in order to establish a correct connection between the I/O apparatus  320  and the display device  310 .  
         [0020]     Please also refer to  FIG. 3D , which is a schematic representation depicting a scanning sequence of the apparatus for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As seen in  FIG. 3C , the configuration table  390  has six permutations and thus the control unit is set to follow a predetermined sequence to automatically scan through all possible configurations by a predetermined time interval t for switching the audio and video signal output. In addition, the scanning can be interrupted for saving a correct configuration while a user uses a man-machine interface (such as a remote controller or a press button on a panel, etc) to stop the scan.  
         [0021]     The I/O apparatus of the present invention not only can automatically switch the outputs of the terminals thereof for enabling the A/V system using the I/O apparatus of the invention to correctly connect with other A/V system, but also the I/O apparatus of the invention is capable of enabling users to set the output signals of the I/O apparatus. Please refer to  FIG. 4  for the apparatus for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. If the apparatus  400  for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system is connected to four display devices  410 ,  420 ,  430  and  440 , the outputs of the four terminals  450 ,  460 ,  470  and  480  of the I/O apparatus  400  can be set as CVBS signal outputs.  
         [0022]     Please refer to  FIG. 5 , which is a flow chart of the method for adjusting an input and output of an audio/video system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In step  510 , the apparatus for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system detects the number of connected terminals to obtain a detection result, wherein the number of connected terminals is at least one. In step  520 , the detection result is compared with a configuration table to provide all possible configurations of terminal connection of the detection result. In step  530 , all these possible configurations are scanned automatically in sequence and while each configuration is scanned. In step  540 , if the terminal is connected correctly, a man-machine interface is used to stop the scanning of configurations manually, and then the flow goes to step  550 ; otherwise, the flow resume the scanning of the next configuration. In step  550 , a correct configuration is saved. Users can use a built-in color bar of the display device to check whether or not the output signal of the connected terminal can enable the display device to display a screen normally; if so, users can manually press a button provided by a selection menu shown on the display device to confirm that the display is normal, and save the configuration (e.g. the configuration can be saved in an electronic form into an EEPROM), so that the connected terminal can use the signals with the correct configuration. In other words, the method and apparatus for adjusting the input and output of the audio/video system according to the present invention is divided into manual mode and automatic mode; wherein the manual mode provides users a way to perform the setup to each terminal individually while the automatic mode cannot satisfy the setup for a user&#39;s special configuration (as shown in this embodiment). Therefore, in the flow chart as shown in  FIG. 5 , if the manual mode is adopted, then Step  540  will be included.  
         [0023]     Please refer to  FIG. 6 , which is a schematic illustration showing a digital multimedia player according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The digital media player  600  includes a control chip  610  detecting the connection status of a terminal (terminal  621 ,  622  and  623  as adopted in this embodiment) on the input/output rear panel  620  to adjust the signal output path and output the output signal to the corresponding output terminal (such as terminal  621 ); a man-machine interface  630  providing users a manual mode to set up a correct configuration and transmit an interrupt signal to the control chip  610 ; and an input/output rear panel providing the terminal to connect a display device  640  and an input device  650 , and receiving an output signal of the control chip  610 .  
         [0024]     The control chip  610  further includes a digital-to-analog converter module  611 , each digital-to-analog converter detecting a connection status of a corresponding load and converting a digital signal into an analog signal and outputting the analog signal to a terminal of the input/output rear panel  620 ; a switcher  612  outputting the digital signal to one of the corresponding digital-to-analog converters; and a control unit  613  controlling an output path of the switcher  612  according to the connect signal. The control unit  613  further comprises a configuration table  614  including all configurations of the connect signal. For example, when there are three terminals are connected which represents there are six possible configurations, the control unit  613  then will scan each configuration within a predetermined time interval automatically to control the switcher  612  for switching the audio/video signal output.  
         [0025]     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.