Data gathering/data processing device for video/audio signals

A device, comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of input connections and an output connection, each of the input connections adapted to receive an audio/visual signal;
• a plurality of signal processors coupled to the input connections, at least two of the plurality of signal processors being coupled to a shared input connection, a first one of the at least two of the plurality of signal processors configured to perform a compression of a signal from the shared input connection, and a second one of the at least two of the plurality of signal processors configured to perform an analysis of the signal from the shared input connection;
• an evaluation device to analyze output of at least a subset of the signal processors;
• and
• one of a central hub, a switch and a port, directly connected to each of the signal processors and to the evaluation device to form a network having a star-shaped topology, each of the connections to the one of a central hub, a switch and a port being assigned a specific communication bandwidth;
• wherein the one of a central hub, a switch and a port is configured to engage in full duplex communication with each of the signal processors, communicate the output of the at least a subset of the signal processors to the evaluation device, communicate an output of the evaluation device to a second device coupled to the output connection, and communicate an input from the second device, received via the output connection, to the evaluation device.

A device, comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of input connections and a plurality of output connections, each of the input connections adapted to receive an audio/visual signal;
• a plurality of signal processors coupled to the input connections, at least two of the plurality of signal processors being coupled to a shared input connection, a first one of the at least two of the plurality of signal processors configured to perform a compression of a signal from the shared input connection, and a second one of the at least two of the plurality of signal processors configured to perform an analysis of the signal from the shared input connection;
• and
• an evaluation device configured to analyze output of at least a subset of the signal processors;
• wherein, each of the plurality of signal processors and the evaluation device is directly coupled to one of a central hub, a switch and a port, via a respective one of the plurality of output connections, to form a network having a star-shaped topology, each of the connections to the one of a central hub, a switch and a port being assigned a specific communication bandwidth, and
• wherein the one of a central hub, a switch and a port is configured to engage in full duplex communication with each of the signal processors, communicate the output of the at least a subset of the signal processors to the evaluation device, communicate an output of the evaluation device to a second device coupled to an output connection of the one of a central hub, a switch and a port, and communicate an input from the second device, received via the output connection of the one of a central hub, a switch and a port, to the evaluation device.