Patent ID: 7616591

Claim:
An apparatus for generating a video output signal, comprising: a plurality of first circuits each configured to generate an input video signal having (i) a plurality of frames and (ii) one of a plurality of frame rates; and a control circuit configured to generate said video output signal comprising a plurality of frames, wherein (a) a first of said frames of said video output signal comprises (i) a coded portion representing one of said frames of a first of said plurality of input video signals and (ii) an uncoded portion for each of said plurality of input video signals other than said first of said plurality of input video signals and (b) a second of said frames of said video output signal comprises (i) a coded portion representing one of said frames of a second of said plurality of input video signals and (ii) an uncoded portion for each of said plurality of input video signals other than said second of said plurality of input video signals, wherein (i) each of said frames of said video output signal is generated as soon as a respective one of the frames of said plurality of input video signals is received, (ii) each of said frames of said video output signal comprises only one coded portion representing the respective one of the frames of said plurality of input video signals that is received, and (iii) all of the frames of said video output signal comprise only one coded portion per frame.