Transmitting device, transmitting method, receiving device, receiving method, transmitting/receiving system, and cable

摘要

To enable signal transmission at a high data rate while securing backward compatibility.;A source device 110 and a sink device 120 are connected by an HDMI cable 200. The source device 110 is compatible with both current HDMI and new HDMI. The number of differential signal channels for transmitting digital signals such as video data is three in the current HDMI, but is six in the new HDMI, for example. In a case where the cable 200 is compatible with the new HDMI, and the sink device 120 is compatible with the new HDMI, a control unit 113 of the source device 110 controls a data transmitting unit 112 to operate in a new HDMI operating mode. In a case where the control unit 113 determines that at least the sink device 120 is compatible only with the current HDMI, or at least the cable 200 is compatible with the current HDMI, the control unit 113 controls the data transmitting unit 112 to operate in a current HDMI operating mode.

主权项

1. A transmitting device comprising:
a digital signal transmitting unit configured to transmit a digital signal to an external device via a transmission path with a differential signal, and have a first operating mode involving a first number of channels for the differential signal and a second operating mode involving a second number of channels for the differential signal, the second number being larger than the first number; an operating mode determining unit configured to determine whether the external device and the transmission path are compatible with the second operating mode; and an operation control device to control the operation of the digital signal transmitting unit, based on the determination performed by the operating mode determining unit, wherein said digital signal transmitting unit transmits said digital signal by superimposing a carrier clock thereon.