Method and apparatus for synchronizing data in two processing units in a vehicle

1. A method for processing data in a vehicle,

receiving the data at a first processing unit and a second processing unit via a network communicatively coupling the first and second processing units to a data source,

decoding the received data via the first processing unit,

transmitting an output time from the first processing unit to the second processing unit;

decoding the received data via the second processing unit, wherein a portion of the decoded data, including audio or video information, is discarded,

outputting un-discarded decoded data according to the output time, wherein said outputting includes:

controlling an output of a video-decoding unit of the second processing unit according to the output time, and

controlling an output of a video-decoding unit of the first processing unit to be delayed in accordance with an audio-decoding unit of the first processing unit.

2. A method for processing source data in a vehicle having first and second processing units for respectively controlling first and second audio and/or visual output devices based on the source data, the method comprising:

receiving the source data by the first processing unit including audio and video decoding units, wherein the source data is transmitted from a data source to the first processing unit via a network communicatively coupling the data source to the first processing unit;

decoding the source data via the audio and video decoding units of the first processing unit;

transmitting reproduction information, including an output time data, of the source data to the second processing unit; and

operating the second output device in synchronization with the first output device based on the reproduction information,

wherein the second processing unit has an audio-decoding unit and a video-decoding unit, an output of the video-decoding unit being controlled by way of the output time data.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving the source data by the second processing unit, wherein the source data is transmitted from the data source to the second processing unit via the network communicatively coupling the data source to the second processing unit.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:

decoding the source data via the second processing unit,

discarding a portion of the data decoded by the second processing unit; and

operating the second output device based on the non-discarded portion of the decoded data and according to the output time data.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the output time data indicates a presentation time as of which the received data are anticipated to be decoded by the first processing unit and by the second processing unit.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the source data comprise data packets, at least one data packet containing a presentation time.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the second processing unit has an audio-decoding unit and a video-decoding unit, an output of the video-decoding unit being controlled by way of the output time data.

8. The method according to claim 7 ,

wherein an output of the video-decoding unit of the first processing unit is controlled in accordance with the audio-decoding unit of the first processing unit.

9. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first processing unit has an audio-decoding unit and a video-decoding unit, an output of the video-decoding unit being controlled by the audio-decoding unit of the first processing unit.

10. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first processing unit has an audio-decoding unit and a video-decoding unit, an output of the video-decoding unit being controlled the audio-decoding unit.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the video-decoding unit of the first processing unit is controlled by means of the output time data.

12. The method according to one of claim 2 , wherein the first output unit comprises at least one amplifier associated with at least one loudspeaker.

13. The method according to one of claim 12 , wherein the portion of the source data transmitted are transmitted to the first output unit with the output time data.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the portion of the source data transmitted are transmitted to the output unit by means of an AVB protocol, including at least one IEEE 1722 data packet.

15. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the network comprises a bus system.

16. A method for processing source data in a vehicle having first and second processing units for respectively controlling first and second audio and/or visual output units based on the source data, the method comprising:

receiving the source data by the first processing unit including audio and video decoding units, wherein the source data is transmitted from a data source to the first processing unit via a network communicatively coupling the data source to the first processing unit;

decoding the source data via the audio and video decoding units of the first processing unit;

transmitting reproduction information, including an output time data, of the source data to the second processing unit; and

operating the second output device in synchronization with the first output unit based on the reproduction information,

wherein a portion of the source data decoded by the first processing unit is transmitted to the first output unit via the network, and

wherein the portion of the data transmitted to the first output unit comprises audio data.