Development of a household high-definition video transmission system based on ballpoint-pen technology

Abstract

and vertical directions (four times more pixels in total) compared to that of the HD format and an optional double frame rate for fast moving picture smoothness. The 4K format (3840 × 2160 pixels/60 fps/ progressive) requires eight times faster data communication than full high definition video format or over 10Gbps bandwidth. In addition to this, if stereo 3D viewing also becomes popular, the data size would have to be doubled in order to maintain the same image resolution for each viewing. existing Conventional silica multimode optical fibers (Silica MMFs) can be applied, which are widely used for professional data However, being fragile, they are not appropriate for consumer short-reach applications at home interconnect-Higher quality video formats beyond HDTV are being developed, but these formats require data communication rates greater than 10 Gbps, which are not easily adaptable to household applications. Moreover, household usage requires ease of handling, robustness against poor connectivity, and affordable cost. Conventional silica optical fibers are not suitable for applications that involve high-speed, short- range communication, because of their fragility, and difficulty in achieving precise connectivity with a low cost connecting method. We proposed a novel expanded-beam interconnect using a graded-index plastic optical fiber (GI POF) with a glass spherical collimator lens uniquely fabricated by low cost ballpoint-pen technologies at both ends. Our power budget evaluation verified its suitability for consumer applications. Successful validation was then conducted by transmitting 4K-3D uncompressed video content.