Auxiliary data transmitted within a display's serialized data stream

1. A method comprising:

generating a control signal from an auxiliary data enable signal and a video data enable signal; and

combining an auxiliary data signal and a video data signal into a composite data signal using the generated control signal;

the video data enable signal indicating a period of time during which the video data signal is being transmitted in the composite data signal, and the auxiliary data enable signal indicating a different period of time during which the auxiliary data signal is being transmitted in the composite data signal;

transmitting the composite data signal over a communications link; and

receiving and separating the received composite data signal into a separate received video data signal and a separate received auxiliary data signal using the control signal so that the auxiliary data signal may be communicated over a single communication link with the video data signal without affecting the video data signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary data signal is one of (i) appended at an end of the video data signal and (ii) pre-pended to a beginning of the video data signal to form the composite data enable signal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an encoded data signal; and

decoding the encoded data signal into the composite data enable signal and the composite data signal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising: determining whether the auxiliary data signal contains an error.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the auxiliary data signal contains an error, further comprising: correcting the error in the auxiliary data signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the composite data enable signal prior to generating the control signal, the received composite data enable signal having a first data enable pulse and a second data enable pulse;

determining a first duration corresponding to the first data enable pulse;

determining a second duration corresponding to the second data enable pulse; and

identifying a video data enable signal and an auxiliary data enable signal based on the first and second duration.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein identifying further comprises determining which duration is longer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the video data enable signal is identified by the longer duration.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a composite data signal; and

separating the composite data signal into a video data signal and an auxiliary data signal based on the video data enable signal and the auxiliary data enable signal.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the composite data enable signal prior to generating the control signal, the composite data enable signal having a pulse;

determining a duration of the pulse;

identifying a video data enable signal in the pulse based on the duration of the pulse; and

identifying an auxiliary data enable signal in the pulse based on the duration of the pulse.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving a composite data enable signal;

identifying a video data signal in the composite data signal using the video data enable signal; and

identifying an auxiliary data signal in the composite data signal using the auxiliary data enable signal.

12. The method in claim 10 , further comprising:

generating a control signal from the video data enable signal and the auxiliary data enable signal; and

combining the video data signal and the auxiliary data signal into a composite data signal using the generated control signal.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving an indication signal to indicate a capability to process the auxiliary data signal; and

generating an auxiliary data permitted signal to permit the auxiliary data signal to be combined with the video data signal in response to the indication signal.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

generating a composite data enable signal from the video data enable signal and the auxiliary data enable signal;

encoding the composite data signal and the composite data enable signal into an encoded data signal; and

transmitting the encoded data signal.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: adding error detection data to the auxiliary data signal.

16. A method of claim 15 , further comprising: adding error correction data to the auxiliary data signal.

17. The method in claim 1 , wherein the video data signal and the auxiliary data signal include an auxiliary data packet comprising a length data field and one or more data packets, wherein the length of the auxiliary data packet is entered into the length data field, and further wherein an auxiliary data source transmits the auxiliary data packet for multiplexing with the video data signal during periods when a video data enable signal is low.

18. The method in claim 17 , wherein the auxiliary data packet further comprising a checksum data field, wherein checksum data is entered into the checksum data field.

19. The method in claim 1 , wherein the video data signal and the auxiliary data signal include an auxiliary data packet comprising one or more data packets and an error correction data field, wherein extra bits are entered into the error correction data field, and further wherein an auxiliary data source transmits the auxiliary data packet for multiplexing with the video data signal during periods when a video data enable signal is low.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a control device to generate a control signal from an auxiliary data enable signal and a video data enable signal;

a multiplexer for combining an auxiliary data signal and a video data signal into a composite data signal using the generated control signal;

the video data enable signal indicating a period of time during which the video data signal is being transmitted in the composite data signal, and the auxiliary data enable signal indicating a different period of time during which the auxiliary data signal is being transmitted in the composite data signal;

a transmitter for transmitting the composite data signal over a communications link; and

a receiver for receiving the composite data signal from over the communications link;

the receiver including a demultiplexor to separate the composite data signal into a separate received video data signal and a separate received auxiliary data signal using the control signal so that the auxiliary data signal may be communicated over a single communication link with the video data signal without affecting the video data signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the auxiliary data signal is one of appended at an end of the video data signal and pre-pended to a beginning of the video data signal to form the composite data enable signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising: a decoder to receive an encoded data signal, and to decode the received data signal into the composite data enable signal and the composite data signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising: an error detector to determine whether the auxiliary data signal contains an error.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising: an error corrector to correct an error in the auxiliary data signal.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising:

means for receiving the composite data enable signal prior to the control device generating the control signal, the received composite data enable signal having a first data enable pulse and a second data enable pulse;

means determining a first duration corresponding to the first data enable pulse;

means determining a second duration corresponding to the second data enable pulse; and

identifying means for identifying a video data enable signal and an auxiliary data enable signal based on the first and second durations.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the identifying means further determines which duration is longer.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the video data enable signal is identified by the longer duration.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising:

means for receiving a composite data signal; and

means for separating the composite data signal into a video data signal and an auxiliary data signal based on the video data enable signal and the auxiliary data enable signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising:

means receiving the composite data enable signal prior to generating the control signal, the received composite data enable signal, the composite data enable signal having a pulse;

means for determining a duration of the pulse;

means for identifying a video data enable signal in the pulse based on the duration; and

means for identifying an auxiliary data enable signal in the pulse based on the duration.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 , further comprising:

means for receiving a composite data signal;

means identifying a video data signal in the composite data signal using the video data enable signal; and

means identifying an auxiliary data signal in the composite data signal using the auxiliary data enable signal.

31. The apparatus in claim 29 , further comprising:

means for generating a control signal from the video data enable signal and the auxiliary data enable signal; and

means for combining the video data signal and the auxiliary data signal into a composite data signal using the generated control signal.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 , further comprising:

means for receiving an indication signal to indicate a capability to process the auxiliary data signal; and

means for generating an auxiliary data permitted signal to permit the auxiliary data signal to be combined with the video data signal in response to the indication signal.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 , further comprising:

means for generating a composite data enable signal from the video data enable signal and the auxiliary data enable signal;

encoding the composite data signal and the composite data enable signal into an encoded data signal; and

transmitting the encoded data signal.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 , further comprising: means for adding error detection data to the auxiliary data signal.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 , further comprising: means for adding error correction data to the auxiliary data signal.

36. A receiver for receiving video data and auxiliary data comprising:

a receiver control logic device having an input to receive a composite data enable signal, the receiver control logic device to separate the composite data enable signal into an auxiliary data enable signal and a video data enable signal, and to generate a control signal using the composite data enable signal;

the video data enable signal indicating a period of time during which the video data signal is being transmitted in the composite data signal, and the auxiliary data enable signal indicating a different period of time during which the auxiliary data signal is being transmitted in the composite data signal; and

a demultiplexer having an input to receive a composite data signal and an input to receive the control signal from the receiver control logic device, the demultiplexer configured to separate the composite data signal into an auxiliary data signal and a video data signal based on the control signal, the composite data enable signal having a pulse with a pulse duration; and

means for identifying the video data enable signal in the pulse based on the duration of the pulse; and

means for identifying an auxiliary data enable signal in the pulse based on the duration of the pulse.

37. The receiver of claim 36 further comprising:

a decoder having an input to receive an encoded data signal, the decoder to decode the encoded data signal into a composite data signal and a composite data enable signal.

38. The receiver of claim 36 further comprising:

a display property device to output a display property signal to indicate that the receiver can process auxiliary data.

39. The receiver of claim 36 further comprising:

an error detection and correction logic device having an input to receive the auxiliary data signal from the demultiplexer, to determine whether the auxiliary data signal contains an error, and if the auxiliary data signal contains an error, to correct the error.