Multi-sourced video distribution hub

A video distribution hub, comprising:

• plural video outputs to communicate with plural video display devices;
• a video data bus for serially conveying video data units;
• a first video data source input interface for sourcing a first video data signal and for selectively providing at least a portion of said first data signal to said video data bus as one or more data units, said first data signal comprising more data than that which is displayable at one time by at least one of said video display devices;
• a second video data source input interface for receiving an external second data signal and for selectively providing at least a portion of said second data signal to said video data bus as one or more data units;
• and
• a controller in communication with said first and second video data circuits, said video data bus, and said plural video outputs to transfer said portions of first and second data signals from said video data bus to said plural video outputs such that data on each video output is displayable at one time by at least one of said video display devices.

A method of using a video distribution hub for overlaying a portion of a second data stream into a portion of a first data stream transmitted over a video data bus to generate a third composite data stream, comprising the steps of:

• receiving said first data stream as a sequence of data units, said data stream being more data than that which is displayable on a single video display device;
• converting said first data stream to a video data bus format;
• identifying said portion of said converted first data stream to be transmitted over said video data bus;
• transmitting said portion of said converted first data stream over said video data bus;
• receiving said second data stream as a sequence of data units;
• converting said second data stream to a video data bus format;
• identifying said portion of said converted second data stream to be overlaid into said portion of said converted first data stream;
• interrupting said transmission of said portion of said converted first data stream over said video data bus;
• and
• transmitting said portion of said converted second data stream over said video data bus to generate said third data stream on said video data bus, wherein said third data stream comprises data which is displayable at one time by one video display device.

A video distribution hub, comprising:

• a front end for receiving a video signal and an overlay signal;
• plural output ports;
• and
• plural frame buffer elements in communication with said front end and said output ports, each frame buffer element for selectively capturing at least a portion of said received video signal and for providing a signal representative of the respective captured portion and at least a portion of the overlay signal to a corresponding one of said plural output ports, wherein
• said video signal comprises more data than that which is displayable at one time by at least one video display device attachable to a corresponding one of said plural output ports.

A method of distributing a portion of a video input signal with an overlay signal to one of plural video display devices using a video distribution hub, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving said video input signal and the overlay signal at a front end of said hub from external sources, said video input signal comprising more data than is displayable on at least one of said plural video display devices at one time;
• forwarding said video input signal and overlay signal as digital signals from said front end to plural frame buffers of said hub;
• capturing a portion of said video input digital signal with one of said frame buffers;
• reformatting said video input digital signal portion with said frame buffer;
• and
• providing said reformatted video input digital signal portion merged with said overlay signal from said frame buffer to a respective one of said plural video display devices.