IP Library Granted Patent US 8,996,732
Granted Patent B2
US 8,996,732 · App. 12/193,024 · Granted Mar 31, 2015

Methods and devices for CEC block termination

Inventors: Eyran Lida (Kfar Ha-Oranim, IL); Nadav Banet (Kadima, IL)
Assignee: Valens Semiconductor Ltd.
G09G5/006G09G2370/22G09G2370/06G06F3/1454G09G2370/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,996,732
App. No.
12/193,024
Granted
Mar 31, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A CEC block termination function, operated by a manipulating switch including at least one HDMI-CEC input port and at least two HDMI-CEC output ports, enables the manipulating switch to receive a CEC block which was initiated by a device, optionally acknowledge (ACK) the block, modify the received block, and supply the modified block to one or more devices. Optionally, a section of the CEC block may be modified, the entire CEC block may be modified, or the CEC message may be partially or completely modified.

Claims (26)

1. A manipulating switch comprising: a first High-Definition Multimedia Interface-Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) port operative to receive a CEC block comprising source and destination CEC logical addresses according to the initiator's HDMI-CEC network view; a logic configured to acknowledge the CEC block, if it is not a broadcast block, and to modify the source and destination CEC logical addresses according to the follower's HDMI-CEC network view; and a second HDMI-CEC port operative to forward the modified CEC block to the follower.

2. The manipulating switch of claim 1 , wherein only the CEC header block is modified.

3. The manipulating switch of claim 1 , wherein also a CEC physical address is modified.

4. The manipulating switch of claim 1 , further comprising means for modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block.

5. A High-Definition Multimedia Interface-Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) device storing a first CEC logical address matching a first HDMI-CEC cluster tree of a first HDMI-CEC display device, whereby the HDMI-CEC device is also associated with a second HDMI-CEC cluster tree of a second HDMI-CEC display device through a manipulating switch; in the network view of the second HDMI-CEC display device, the manipulating switch is configured to assign to the HDMI-CEC device a second CEC logical address that is different from the first CEC logical address; wherein the manipulating switch is further configured to receive a CEC block, acknowledge the CEC block, modify the CEC block, and forward the modified CEC block to the HDMI-CEC device.

6. The HDMI-CEC device of claim 5 , wherein the manipulating switch is further configured to replace the CEC destination address with the first CEC logical address.

7. The HDMI-CEC device of claim 6 , wherein the manipulating switch is further configured to modify one or more bits in the received CEC block.

8. The HDMI-CEC device of claim 5 , wherein the manipulating switch is further configured to receive a CEC block which was initiated by the HDMI-CEC device, acknowledge the CEC block initiated by the HDMI-CEC device, modify the CEC block initiated by the HDMI-CEC device to match the network view of the second HDMI-CEC display device, and forward the modified CEC block to the second HDMI-CEC display device.

9. The HDMI-CEC device of claim 5 , wherein only the CEC header block is modified.

10. The HDMI-CEC device of claim 5 , wherein also a CEC physical address is modified.

11. A method comprising: receiving, by a manipulating switch, a CEC block through a first High-Definition Multimedia Interface-Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) port; acknowledging the reception of the CEC block by the manipulating switch; modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block; and sending the modified CEC block through at least a second HDMI-CEC port.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block comprises modifying the entire block.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block comprises discarding the entire block.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block comprises generating an additional block.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, if the follower does not acknowledge receiving the modified CEC block, dropping the CEC message utilizing a CEC <feature abort> message.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, if the follower does not acknowledge receiving the modified CEC block, generating CEC line error.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the CEC block further comprises a CEC source logical address, and the step of modifying one or more bits further comprises modifying the CEC source logical address in order to match the follower's HDMI-CEC network view.

18. A method comprising: receiving, by a manipulating switch, a CEC block comprising a destination logical address matching the initiator's High-Definition Multimedia Interface-Consumer Electronics Control (HDMI-CEC) network view; acknowledging the CEC block; and modifying, by the manipulating switch, the destination logical address to match the follower's HDMI-CEC network view.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the step of forwarding the modified block to the follower.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the CEC block further comprises a CEC source logical address, and further comprising the step of modifying the CEC source logical address in order to match the follower's HDMI-CEC network view.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising, if the follower does not acknowledge receiving the modified CEC block, dropping the CEC message utilizing a CEC <feature abort> message.

22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising, if the follower does not acknowledge receiving the modified CEC block, generating CEC line error.

23. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the step of modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the step of modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block comprises modifying the entire block.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the step of modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block comprises discarding the entire block.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the step of modifying one or more bits in the received CEC block comprises generating an additional block.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 1, 2011
From: KREOS CAPITAL II LIMITED
To: VALENS SEMICONDUCTOR LTD
Reel/Frame 027167/0521 →
U.S. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 23, 2008
From: VALENS SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
To: KREOS CAPITAL II LIMITED; BANK LEUMI LE-ISRAEL B.M.
Reel/Frame 022025/0344 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2008
From: LIDA, EYRAN; BANET, NADAV
To: VALENS SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.
Reel/Frame 021879/0455 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61056432 · May 27, 2008
Related Publication 20090296712A1 · Dec 3, 2009