Transmitting and receiving media packet streams
This invention concerns the transmitting and receiving of digital media packets, such as audio and video channels and lighting instructions. The network ( 104 ) is comprised of at least a transmitter device ( 110 ) and a receiving device ( 112 ). The controllers ( 122 ) and ( 126 ) of these devices handle the exchanging of configuration messages between the devices ( 110 ) and ( 112 ). Using the invention, the user is not required to manually configure the processor to receive media packet streams. Instead, a controller ( 126 ) of a receiving device ( 112 ) operates to receive information on a user selection of media channels and automatically configure the processor of the transmitter device. Further, the receiving device ( 112 ) is able to receive media channels using both unicast and multicast protocols. Media channels can be given textual labels which are unique on the unique ( 104 ) and easily identify to the user the actual source of the media channel. Media channels of different formats to be sent on the same net work simultaneous. Further, redundant media channels are easily accommodated.
1. A receiver device for receiving media packet streams from a data network, the receiver device comprising:
a data interface to receive media packet streams, the media packet streams containing one or more user selected media channels;
a processor to extract the user selected media channels from the received media packet streams; and
a controller configured to receive information on a user selection of media channels advertised on the data network, receive information on the transmission source of the user selected media channels to enable the controller to identify which user selected media channels are transmitted from the same transmission source as a group, and automatically provide instructions to the processor indicating that one or more media packet streams are to be received for a corresponding group and the number of user selected media channels in each media packet stream;
wherein the receiver is further configured to receive information on whether the user selected media channels can be received statically or dynamically, and if the media channels in said group can be received dynamically, the receiver being configured to transmit a request to the transmission source to create a media packet stream comprising only the media channels included in the group.
2. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the selected media channels each have a format and the controller further operates to receive information on the format of each of the selected media channels so as to group the selected media channels with reference to the format of the selected media channels.
3. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein one or more media packet streams of a group also contains media channels that are not the selected media channels of that group.
4. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is remote from the processor and/or the data interface.
5. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein information about the transmission source includes network parameters of the transmission source.
6. A receiver device according to claim 5 , wherein the network parameters include an IP address and configuration port identifier.
7. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission source is a transmitter device.
8. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein for each selected media channel the controller further receives information on the methods by which the selected media channel can be received.
9. A receiver device according to claim 8 , wherein the method by which the selected media channel can be received is within one or more pre-defined media packet streams using multicast protocol.
10. A receiver device according to claim 8 , wherein the method by which the selected media channel can be received is on request to the transmission source using unicast protocol.
11. A receiver device according to claim 10 , wherein the controller further operates to send a request to receive a media packet stream containing the one or more selected media channels of a group.
12. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further operates to determine the preferred method of receiving the selected media channel.
13. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller provides further instruction to the processor on which output channels the extracted selected media channels should be routed to.
14. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver device comprises two or more data interfaces, and the controller provides further instruction to the processor on which data interface each media packet stream will be received.
15. A receiver device according to claim 14 , wherein the controller further operates to send a request to receive a first media packet stream at a first data interface and a second media packet stream at the second data interface, wherein samples contained in the first and second media packet stream are the same.
16. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the information the controller receives on the user selection of media channels is indicative of a unique name of each user selected media channel that describes in words the source of the media channel.
17. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further operates to send an indication of the advertised name of the media channel as a look-up-key to a database connected to the data network and to receive the media channel format information for the media channel.
18. A receiver device according to claim 1 , wherein the media packet stream contains distinct or overlapping media channels having different bit depths, encodings and sample rates.