Peripheral bus video communication using internet protocol
Described are techniques for video bridging for conversion of IP network video streams to the USB Video Class (UVC). The conversion of IP video to UVC video can include the use of software-only conversions and hardware assisted conversions, and can be done within purpose-built “conversion” devices or as software only solutions operating within applications or drivers within the operating systems of the “end nodes”. The end-nodes simultaneously see and use multiple USB UVC video sources. The conversion process can also convert the USB UVC video control protocol to IP Video Stream control protocols.
1. A system, comprising:
first and second camera apparatuses coupled to an internet protocol (IP) network;
a bridging apparatus located remotely from the first and second camera apparatuses, the bridging apparatus having a first connection coupled to the IP network and a second connection with a peripheral bus, wherein the bridging apparatus transcodes multimedia data between the IP network and the peripheral bus, the bridging apparatus transmitting first control messages in a uniform, single control protocol to control the first and second camera apparatuses, the bridging apparatus outputting the multimedia data on the peripheral bus in one or more peripheral bus protocols, wherein the bridging apparatus is configured to receive second control messages from a user device in a peripheral bus protocol associated with the user device for controlling the first and second camera apparatuses, the user device located remote from the bridging apparatus; and
a switch located remotely from the first and second camera apparatuses and the bridging apparatus, the switch configured to convey the multimedia data and the control messages between the bridging apparatus and the first and second camera apparatuses.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bridging apparatus transcodes the second control messages into the uniform, single control protocol.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bridging apparatus transcodes the multimedia data into the peripheral bus protocol associated with the user device.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bridging apparatus is further configured to transcode the multimedia data into a second peripheral bus protocol associated with a second user device.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bridging apparatus receives the multimedia data from the first and second camera apparatuses in the uniform, single control protocol and outputs the multimedia data from the first and second camera apparatuses in the peripheral bus protocol associated with the user device.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the bridging apparatus outputs the multimedia data on the peripheral bus in a second peripheral bus protocol associated with a second user device.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bridging apparatus is configured to transcode the multimedia data that includes audio data and video data, and wherein the bridging apparatus includes a buffer for temporarily storing the audio data for alignment with the video data.
8. An apparatus for facilitating exchange of multimedia information between at least two camera devices and a user device, comprising:
an internet protocol (IP) interface communicatively coupling the apparatus to the at least two camera devices;
a peripheral bus interface communicatively coupling the apparatus to the user device;
a module that receives multimedia data via the IP interface in an internet video format and extracts digital compressed video;
a module that reformats the extracted digital compressed video into a peripheral bus format associated with the user device;
a module that outputs video in the peripheral bus format to the peripheral bus interface;
a module that, for a first command received at the peripheral bus interface from the user device in the peripheral bus format, transcodes the first command into an internet format; and for a second command received from the IP interface in the internet format, transcodes the second command into the peripheral bus format associated with the user device; and
a module that operates to provide connectivity between the user device and the at least two camera devices, wherein the IP interface outputs commands in the internet format that correspond to commands received from the user device in the peripheral bus format associated with the user device to control video streams received from the at least two camera devices on the IP interface.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the multimedia data is conveyed between the IP interface and the at least two camera devices through a switch.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first command comprises a device discovery message.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the multimedia data comprises compressed video and wherein the transcoding includes:
decompressing the compressed video to produce an uncompressed video; and
recompressing the uncompressed video in a format compatible with the peripheral bus format.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the format compatible with the peripheral bus format includes motion Joint Pictures Experts Group (MJPEG) format.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the multimedia data received at the IP interface includes video data received from the at least two camera devices and related audio data received from a microphone and wherein the reformatting includes buffering the audio data for achieving lip synchronization between the audio data and the video data.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the peripheral bus is a universal serial bus (USB) and wherein the peripheral bus format comprises USB video class (USB UVC) protocol.