Tuning Patents (Class 348/731)
  • Patent number: 8817923
    Abstract: When a decision is made that receiving performance deterioration due to an interfering wave is present in a digital broadcasting wave, an operating point of an RF AGC amplifier 6 and a time constant of gain control of the RF AGC amplifier 6 are altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takanori Kawai, Hiroyuki Nagahama
  • Patent number: 8819730
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for commonly applying channel scanning to non-network scanning schemes in a digital video broadcasting system are provided. The method includes deleting all services stored in a database, temporarily storing services scanned through each frequency in a temporary storage unit, and performing channel scanning for all frequencies. Accordingly, the same service including different Logical Channel Numbers (LCNs) that is repeatedly stored or another service including the same LCN that is not stored in a Multi Frequency Network (MFN) boundary area using the non-networking scanning scheme is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eung-Sun Kim
  • Patent number: 8804052
    Abstract: A system and method for automatically managing television channel lists is disclosed. Pixel resolutions characteristics of a plurality of televisions channels are analyzed. One or more high definition television (HDTV) channels having HD pixel resolutions from the plurality of available television channels are selected. The one or more selected HDTV channels are stored in a HD channel list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung Chan Kang, Taehee Kim, Paul Kim
  • Patent number: 8804051
    Abstract: An apparatus to start channel switchover processing with reliability and to shorten an image non-displaying period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Daiki Matsuura, Satoru Tokuyama, Jun Yukawa, Satoko Miki, Kensuke Ueda
  • Patent number: 8804042
    Abstract: Digital television channels are preemptively cached based on a modeling of a user to reduce delays while switching channels. A current television channel is selected using a first tuner. A future television channel selection of the user is then predicted based on a modeling of the user. The recorded content of the predicted future television channel is preemptively cached using a second tuner. A buffer of the recorded content of the predicted future television channel is displayed when the user switches from the current television channel to the predicted future television channel. The modeling of the user is updated and stored in storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory J. Boss, James R. Kozloski, Clifford Alan Pickover, Anne R. Sand
  • Patent number: 8797460
    Abstract: A reception apparatus includes: a reception unit configured to receive a broadcast stream at least including a data stream for data broadcasting; a first style selector configured to select a display style for each of data broadcast content acquired from the broadcast stream received by the reception unit; a second style selector configured to select, when the data broadcast content corresponding to the style selected by the first style selector corresponds to a plurality of display styles, one display style out of the plurality of display styles; and a display unit configured to display the data broadcast content corresponding to the style selected by the first style selector or the second style selector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa Kitazato, Yoshiharu Dewa, Izumi Hatakeyama, Masayuki Obayashi
  • Publication number: 20140211098
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for switching between channels of encoded media data involving receiving encoded media data including reference frames and dependent frames for a plurality of channels, wherein each dependent frame refers to at least one reference frame. Frames associated with a first channel from the plurality of channels are decoded to generate a decoded signal for the first channel. While decoding frames associated with the first channel, data corresponding to at least one reference frame associated with a second channel from the plurality of channels are stored. In response to a control signal for switching from the first to the second channel, at least one dependent frame associated with the second channel is decoded by utilizing the stored data corresponding to the at least one reference frame associated with the second channel, to generate a decoded signal for the second channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Weimin ZHANG, Bin-Fan Liu
  • Patent number: 8792589
    Abstract: A wireless microphone system broadcasts a pilot tone at the designated ATSC pilot position in the TV Band channel being used by the wireless microphone system. The pilot tone is a readily detectable waveform transmitted in the ATSC pilot position. The pilot tone can be generated by any one of: a standalone pilot tone generator; a pilot tone generator incorporated into a wireless microphone receiver; or, a pilot tone generator incorporated into a wireless microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Wi-LAN Inc.
    Inventors: Shiquan Wu, Vajira Samarasooriya
  • Patent number: 8792777
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to system(s), method(s), and apparatus for accurate fast forward rate when performing trick play with variable distance between frames. In one embodiment, there is presented a circuit for providing a fast forward video sequence. The circuit comprises a system time clock for providing a time reference, said time reference incremented at a predetermined fast forward rate; a comparator for comparing the time reference with timing information associated with a picture; and a controller for determining whether to display the picture based at least in part on the comparison between the timing information and the time reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Tim Ross
  • Publication number: 20140204277
    Abstract: Systems and methods for toggling between television channels that appear on a display. A listing of channels is received from a user, with the channels being prioritized in an order of preference. One or more toggle types are also received from the user, with each toggle type further including a toggle trigger. In use, a channel is displayed on the display until a toggle trigger is detected. Once detected, the channel on the display is changed to another channel from the list of channels. This process may continue with the detection of another toggle trigger causing another changing of the displayed channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Inventors: Darryl Adderly, Brian Murray, Wenjian Qiao, Prasad Kashyap
  • Patent number: 8786786
    Abstract: Method for receiving audio and/or video services and an automatic selection step of audio or audio/video services. In order to optimise access to varied services, the method comprises: a radio and/or television channel request step, referred to as a requested channel, then a determination step of at least two services representative of said requested channel, said services being received via distinct networks, a reception step of said at least two services, and an automatic selection step of one of said services according to at least one service quality parameter associated with each of said services at reception.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Thierry Quere, Renaud Rigal, Nicolas Caramelli
  • Publication number: 20140198258
    Abstract: A terrestrial receiver at a premises includes a plurality of antennas and a corresponding plurality of tuners. The terrestrial receiver receives terrestrial television signals via the plurality of antennas and the plurality of tuners and diversity combines a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels within the received terrestrial television signals, for example, based on control signals received from one or more customer premises equipment (CPE). The terrestrial receiver processes the diversity combined corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels and communicates the processed and diversity combined corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels to the one or more CPE. The diversity combined corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels may be remodulated, and converted to corresponding analog signals prior to being communicated to the one or more CPE.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventor: Curtis Ling
  • Patent number: 8780277
    Abstract: A television receiver for receiving TV signals when unknown interference is present in a predetermined bandwidth in which the TV signals are transmitted. The TV receiver comprises an input, a tuner, a configurable filter and a controller circuitry. The input receives a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising the terrestrial TV signals. The tuner is configured to detect the terrestrial TV signals, where the terrestrial TV signals include a plurality of frequency channels within a predetermined bandwidth and the plurality of frequency channels provide TV signals which communicate TV channels. The configurable filter is configurable to suppress signals received from one or more of the plurality of frequency channels within the predetermined bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Europe Limited
    Inventors: David Williams, Stephen Beck, John Nicholas Wilson, James Kenneth Alexander Ritchie
  • Patent number: 8780276
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing access to program channels, e.g., high definition programs and program channels which corresponding to a standard definition program and/or program channels are described. In accordance with the invention, a high definition auto tune function is supported. When enabled, in one exemplary embodiment, if a user selects a standard program definition channel, a check is automatically made to determine if a corresponding high definition program channel is available. The corresponding high definition program channel is a channel which provides the same program as on the selected standard definition channel but in high definition. When the auto tune function is enabled and a corresponding high definition channel is available, the device, e.g., set to box or tuner implementing the auto tune feature of the present invention, automatically tunes to the high definition channel instead of the standard definition channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
    Inventor: Hugh Josephs
  • Publication number: 20140184921
    Abstract: Provided is an LTE-system mobile communication terminal in which a reduction in terminal size and a reduction in the number of components is desired when a terrestrial digital television broadcast is to be received. Two antennas from among terrestrial digital television broadcast receiving antennas are switched and controlled so as to also be used as transmitting/receiving antennas from LTE communication, and the reception diversity is switched to either a 2-system combination or 4-system combination in accordance with whether the television broadcast is in the VHF band or UHF band. As a result, the number of antennas for example can be reduced and the terminal costs and size can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: TKR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Sugiyama, Masaaki Yamada
  • Patent number: 8767131
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a one-segment tuner I/F that is connected to a one-segment tuner, a tuner I/F that is connected to a digital terrestrial tuner, a decoder that selectively decodes a first broadcast signal supplied from the one-segment tuner I/F and a second broadcast signal supplied from the tuner I/F, a general purpose processor that is provided separately from the decoder and decodes the first broadcast signal, and a switch unit that, based on signal intensity of the second broadcast wave, switches the decoding by the decoder between the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal while the general purpose processor is decoding the first broadcast signal. The one-segment tuner I/F, the tuner I/F, the decoder, the general purpose processor, and the switch unit are integrated on one chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Mobile Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Hotta, Seiichi Saito, Kazushige Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 8767130
    Abstract: A method for assisting users with channel entry utilizes channel tuning history to simplify the channel entry process. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method includes steps of storing a list of channel numbers previously tuned by the apparatus; receiving a first input selecting a most significant digit of a channel number; and enabling a display of channel numbers in response to the first input, wherein the displayed channel numbers comprise at least one channel number included in the stored list and having the most significant digit and at least one other channel number not included in the stored list and having the most significant digit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Darrell Wayne Randall, Michael Joseph McLane
  • Publication number: 20140181876
    Abstract: Methods, system, and set-top box are provided. A method for personalizing a home screen of an electronic device includes entering a standby mode of the electronic device, loading modules based on personalization indicators, retrieving content that is associated with the modules, and generating a video signal while the electronic device is in one of the standby mode and a startup mode. The video signal includes the content. The entertainment system and the set-top box are provided for performing the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES L.L.C.
    Inventors: Kate Landow, Kara Jacobs
  • Publication number: 20140176806
    Abstract: An integrated receiver includes a first signal processing path, a second signal processing path, and a controller. The first signal processing path has an input and an output for providing a first processed signal, and comprises a first tracking bandpass filter having a first integrated inductor formed with windings in a first number of metal layers of the integrated receiver. The second signal processing path has an input and an output for providing a second processed signal, and comprises a second tracking bandpass filter having a second integrated inductor formed with windings in a second number of metal layers of the integrated receiver. The second number of windings is lower than the first number. The controller enables one of the first and second signal processing paths corresponding to a selected channel of a radio frequency (RF) input signal to provide an output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: SILICON LABORATORIES INC.
    Inventors: Ramin Khoini-Poorfard, Alessandro Piovaccari, Aslamali A. Rafi, Mustafa H. Koroglu, David S. Trager, Abdulkerim L. Coban
  • Patent number: 8763040
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices for receiving broadcast signal. More specifically, one of the devices includes at least two tuners (102, 103) configured to synchronize at least two transmit stream independently, at least two transmit stream processors (104, 105) each configured to convert the at least one transmit stream into a plurality of audio signals, a plurality of displayable video signals, and a plurality of displayable data signals, a controller (100) configured to provide switching control signal and display control signal based on channel selected by a user, a switching unit (135) configured to output a data broadcast associated with a first broadcast channel and the video and the audio associated with a second broadcast channel, a display module (138) configured to display a video of the first broadcast channel in a first display area and a data of the second broadcast channel in a second display area, and at least one speaker configured to audio output of at least two different broadcast channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Eun Kyung Shin, Jae Kyung Lee
  • Patent number: 8760586
    Abstract: Provided are a tuner module and a receiving apparatus capable of providing great degrees of variation and freedom to a layout in a main board, improving a degree of freedom of design, and achieving low cost. A tuner module includes a tuner module board on which a tuner functional unit is formed, a main board on which the tuner module board is surface-mounted, and a shield casing including at least one antenna connector, arranged to cover the surface-mounted tuner module board, and fixed to the main board. In the shield casing, a length of a longest long-side is a length equal to or less than ¼ of a wavelength of a highest received frequency in the air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Imai, Teruyuki Toyoda
  • Publication number: 20140168519
    Abstract: There is provided a tuner module of the present disclosure includes a tuner module board on which a tuner function unit is formed, a case body that holds at least the tuner module board so as to contain the board, and at least one antenna connector fixed to the case body and whose core wire is connected to the tuner module board contained in the case body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Imai, Hideaki Ozawa, Toshiyuki Nagano, Teruyuki Toyoda, Tomonori Nakajima, Mitsuru Ikeda, Goujin Arakawa, Toshiyuki Sudo, Norio Uchida, Hiroyuki Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 8754987
    Abstract: A display device includes a display component coupled to a signal generating unit with a single trace. The signal generating unit generates a first signal. A processing unit, connected to the display component and the single trace, receives the first signal through the single trace and generates a first type control signal, a second type control signal, and a third type control signal according to the first signal. The processing unit generates and controls an on-screen display menu displayed by the display component according to status of the display device and the received first signal as one of the first type control signal, the second type control signal, and the third type control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ching-Chang Hsu, Wen-Kang Wei, Yung-Hung Ho, Chien-Yu Hsiung
  • Patent number: 8749638
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus, a method and a computer program for mapping and allocating available television white space channels for a terminal requesting resources. The mapping is based on the data of available overlapping TV white space channels within a geographical tracking area and coexistence with other cellular secondary systems within the area. Furthermore, a location for a moving mode II device may be tracked periodically. The geo-location accuracy of the mode II device affects the TV white space resources which can be allocated to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Gilles Charbit, Samuli Turtinen, Sami-Jukka Hakola, Timo Koskela
  • Publication number: 20140152898
    Abstract: A system capable of changing TV programs includes a TV set and a remote control apparatus. The remote control apparatus includes a first user information obtaining unit mounted outside of the remote control apparatus. The TV set includes a database, a user information processing unit, and a control unit. The database pre-stores a first table recording relationships between a plurality of user information and a plurality of preferable TV programs corresponding to each of the plurality of user information. The control unit determines the preferable TV programs of the determined user information according to the first table stored in the database, and controls the display unit to display the determined preferable TV programs. A related method is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: YUN ZHAO, CHIH-SAN CHIANG, HUA-DONG CHENG, CHUN-HUI LIN
  • Patent number: 8743293
    Abstract: An audio/video system includes a display having a plurality of input sources and a first peripheral device connected to one of the input sources. The display provides a user interface for receiving a switching command for switching current input source of the display among the input sources from a user, and the display automatically generates a first standby command to the first peripheral device when the received switching command is not switching the current input source to the input source corresponding to the first peripheral device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: AmTran Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Chin-Chiang Chang, Kuang-Cheng Chao, Wei-Wen Mai, Chien-Cheng Lin, Min-I Chen, Wen-Kang Wei
  • Publication number: 20140146239
    Abstract: A geolocation smart antenna system is presented. In the system a database of television station information is provided. The database may include information such as channel number, broadcast frequency, network affiliation, and locations of one or more terrestrial television broadcast towers. An optimal antenna direction is determined based on a determined geographic location of an antenna and a geographic location of a broadcast tower. A system user selects a television program or television network broadcasted by a television station. A selection signal is sent to an antenna controller, and in response a television antenna is automatically oriented in an optimal direction toward a broadcast tower for the selected station. The selection signal may also be sent to a television receiver, and in response a television tuner is tuned to the station's radio frequency channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: BBY SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Newton Guillen
  • Publication number: 20140146240
    Abstract: Provided a circuit board including an input terminal to which a high-frequency signal is input, a high-frequency amplifier for amplifying the high-frequency signal input to the input terminal, at least one distributor distributing the high-frequency signal, a plurality of high-frequency processing circuits of which transmission path lengths for inputting each of the high-frequency signals distributed by the distributor into signal inputting sections of the plurality of high-frequency processing circuits are different from one another, and a plurality of attenuating devices which are mounted at previous stages of each of the plurality of high-frequency processing circuits and possess amounts of attenuation which increase with decrease of the transmission path lengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toshikazu Yoshida, Hideaki Ozawa
  • Patent number: 8736763
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a content synchronizing method includes: first transmitting when receiving an acquiring request for reference time to determine a timing to synchronize a plurality of pieces of content executed by a plurality of modules with each other from a first module out of the modules, the acquiring request for the reference time to a second module out of the modules; receiving source information indicating an acquisition source of the reference time from the second module; and acquiring reference time information indicating the reference time from the acquisition source indicated by the source information, wherein second transmitting to the first module, together with the reference time information, processing time information indicating processing time from receiving the acquiring request until transmitting the reference time information, the processing time information being used to calculate a time lag between time in the first module and the reference time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Yoshikata Tobita
  • Patent number: 8736771
    Abstract: Provided is a display method which can avoid the load increase and display rapidly the video of the selected channel. The display method includes adjusting a timing, in which a video is displayed based on a predetermined reference frame received and decoded at first after channel selection, toward shifting earlier than a time originally displaying the video based on a time information attached to the reference frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Go Toriumi
  • Patent number: 8732327
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a server and a method for achieving a fast channel change in e.g. an IPTV system. This is achieved by selecting a source for retrieving the requested channel based on the current load of the FCC server. The source may be the streaming server providing the regular multicast stream or a buffer providing a buffered version of the requested channel. According to one embodiment requests for fast channel change (relating to the same channel) are grouped and served and served as a bundle over multicast. By doing that one can alleviate the load on the FCC server and the network since multiple clients can share the same stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Publ)
    Inventors: Joacim Halén, Victor Souza
  • Patent number: 8730404
    Abstract: In an embodiment, the present invention includes a latch circuit having a first input to receive a data signal and a second input to receive a clock signal. This latch circuit may have a first pair of transistors including a first transistor gated by the data signal and a second transistor gated by an inverted data signal and a second pair of transistors including third and fourth transistors gated by the clock signal. The first transistor may be coupled to the third transistor at a first inter-latch node and the second transistor coupled to the fourth transistor at a second inter-latch node. A reset circuit may be coupled to the latch circuit to maintain the first and second inter-latch nodes at a predetermined voltage level when the clock signal is inactive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Clayton Daigle, Abdulkerim L. Coban
  • Publication number: 20140132843
    Abstract: A system comprising a decoder to receive an encoded video stream including video frames including reference and non-reference frames, and decode the reference frames, a processor to receive a request from an end-user rendering device requiring a first reference frame as part of decoding the encoded video stream of the first channel from the middle of a group of pictures of the encoded video stream, wherein a second reference frame is a reference frame for the first reference frame in the received encoded video stream, an encoder to encode the decoded first reference frame yielding a re-encoded first reference frame so that decoding the re-encoded first reference frame is not dependent upon the second reference frame, and a transmitter to transmit the re-encoded first reference frame to the end-user rendering device. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventors: Ariel Zentner, Yair Mirsky, Netanel Lipschuetz, Len Sundy, Keren Tal
  • Patent number: 8724035
    Abstract: Receiver apparatus comprises: first and second receiving systems; a demodulation/diversity combining means for combining demodulated signals of first and second receiving systems; a selection means for selecting and outputting an output of either one of first and second receiving systems; and a control means for controlling the operations of the whole receiver apparatus. Control means causes to execute a first composite operation, either one of the receiving systems is caused to continue reception operation while the other receiving system is caused to perform channel search to search a channel satisfying a predetermined condition, further the selection means is caused to select output of the resulting receiving system for performing continuous reception operation. If no channel to be received is found, the control means controls to interchange the receiving system for performing continuous reception operation and the receiving system for performing channel search, and to perform a second composite operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Murakami, Takatoshi Shirosugi
  • Patent number: 8724025
    Abstract: A video processing apparatus and a method capable of selecting various video signals are provided. The video processing apparatus includes an input unit which receives a video signal select key value by which a video signal select command to select one of the plurality of video signals is recognized; a storage unit which stores a plurality of video signal names corresponding to the plurality of video signals; and a control unit which sets a first display mode or a second display mode according to the duration of the video signal select key value, the first and second display modes indicating opposite orders in which the video signal names corresponding to the plurality of video signal units are displayed, and displays the video signal names sequentially in the set display mode. Thus, a user can conveniently select the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-hong Park, Young-kil Choil
  • Patent number: 8719859
    Abstract: A channel remapping pre-notification (RPN) message is transmitted in each of multiple frequencies prior to movement of data associated with one or more virtual channels to one or more different frequencies. The RPN message is also sent prior to transmission of a Virtual Channel Table (VCT) reflecting channel movement. If a receiving device is unable to find data associated with a selected channel subsequent to the channel movement, the stored RPN information can be used to identify a new frequency for that selected channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventor: Ross Gilson
  • Patent number: 8711289
    Abstract: An advertising apparatus 10 including a generally flat base 12 and a broad face 14 which forms an acute angle 16 with the generally flat base 12. Further, the broad face 14 includes several display portions 20, 22, and 18 which, in one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, are programmable. In one non-limiting embodiment, the apparatus may include a selectively depressible alarm switch 100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Inventor: Kenneth J. Kramer
  • Patent number: 8711090
    Abstract: When a content output apparatus which can use a plurality of content providing devices switches from a first content providing device to a second content providing device and displays a content, a determination section predicts a start-up timing of starting to prepare for making a content of the second content providing device available on the basis of an operation input by a user, which is obtained by an input section. The switching section supplies power to a second device processing section on the basis of the predicted start-up timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Kambe
  • Patent number: 8704615
    Abstract: A system includes a filter and a tuner formed on an integrated circuit. The filter receives an input signal comprising a first number of channels and communicates an intermediate output signal comprising a second number of channels less than the first number of channels. The tuner is coupled to the filter and receives the intermediate output signal and communicates an output signal comprising a third number of channels less than the second number of channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: CSR Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Nathan R. Belk
  • Publication number: 20140104499
    Abstract: A wideband receiver system is provided to concurrently receive multiple RF channels including a number of desired channels that are located in non-contiguous portions of a radio frequency spectrum and to group the number of desired channels into a contiguous frequency band. The system includes a wideband receiver having a complex mixer for down-shifting the multiple RF channels and transforming them to an in-phase signal and a quadrature signal in the baseband. The system further includes a wideband analog-to-digital converter module that digitizes the in-phase and quadrature signals and a digital frontend module that transforms the digital in-phase and quadrature signals to baseband signals that contains only the number of desired RF channels that are now located in a contiguous frequency band. An up-converter module up-shifts the baseband signals to a contiguous band in an IF spectrum so that the system can directly interface with commercially available demodulators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: MAXLINEAR, INC.
    Inventors: Madhukar Reddy, Curtis Ling, Tim Gallagher
  • Patent number: 8700108
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing, an antenna carried by the housing, and a circuit board carried by the housing. The mobile wireless communications device may also include a power amplifier carried by the circuit board, an antenna switch carried by the circuit board and configured to selectively couple the power amplifier to the antenna, a first radio frequency (RF) shield covering the power amplifier and the antenna switch, and a second RF shield within the first RF shield and covering the antenna switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Prabhu V. Patil, Roberto Gautier, Paul Brian Koch, Adrian Piseu Davis, Nirajkumar Patel
  • Patent number: 8698956
    Abstract: A transmitting device includes a video-signal output unit, an image displaying unit, an information receiving unit, and a controller. The video-signal output unit outputs a video signal. The image displaying unit displays an image based on the video signal outputted from the video-signal output unit, on a first image display element. The signal transmitting unit transmits the video signal outputted from the video-signal output unit, to an external apparatus via a transmission path. The information receiving unit receives operational information transmitted from the external apparatus, on a display screen of a second image display of the external apparatus. The controller controls at least an operation of the video-signal output unit on the basis of the operational information received by the information receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumoto Kondo, Naoko Ninomiya, Yasuhisa Nakajima
  • Patent number: 8692938
    Abstract: There is provided a video processing device capable of reducing the influence of a disturbance of an input vertical synchronization signal. When the synchronization signal detecting unit detects an input of the input-side vertical synchronization signal at a predetermined cycle, the synchronization signal control unit outputs the input-side vertical synchronization signal, which has been input, as an output-side vertical synchronization signal, and, when the synchronization signal detecting unit detects an input of a next input-side vertical synchronization signal before the predetermined cycle elapses after the output of the output-side vertical synchronization signal, a next input-side vertical synchronization signal input before the predetermined cycle elapses is not output as a next output-side vertical synchronization signal, and an input-side vertical synchronization signal input further next is output as the next output-side vertical synchronization signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 8689262
    Abstract: A broadcast receiving device capable of easily setting area information. A control unit of a DVR transmits an acquisition request for area information to a TV. When the control unit receives a response to the acquisition request from the TV, the control unit extracts area information from the received response and performs a channel presetting using the extracted area information. A control unit of the TV has area information stored therein. When the control unit receives an acquisition request for area information from the DVR, the control unit transmits, as a response to the request, the stored area information to the DVR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiki Yamamura, Junji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8687128
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to systems and methods of navigating previously viewed channels. In a particular embodiment, a method may include maintaining a channel list in a memory, the channel list comprising multiple previously viewed channels. The method may also include receiving a first signal to select a first selected channel in the channel list. The method may also include tuning a channel tuner to the first selected channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Charles Stahulak, Bruce Barnes, Dolores J. Mallian, Nikhil Marathe
  • Publication number: 20140078403
    Abstract: A system and method for broadcast reception management. In some embodiments, a database is used to determine the available broadcasts and associated channel numbers for a given location. In other embodiments, a station list is determined for a specified broadcast, the station list comprising a first channel of a first station on which the specified broadcast is broadcast at a first location and a second channel of a second station on which the specified broadcast is broadcast at a second location. The communication circuitry of the wireless electronic device is tuned in accordance with the station list to the first channel in the first location to receive the specified broadcast. The communication circuitry is retuned to the second channel in the second location to continue reception of the specified broadcast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: SPECTRUM BRIDGE, INC.
    Inventors: Don Joslyn, Santosh Hari, Peter Stanforth
  • Patent number: 8675078
    Abstract: A test system (200) for testing for missing or shorted parts within a tuner circuit includes a signal generator (202) for applying a harmonic-containing baseband time varying RF test signal to the tuner circuit. The tuner circuit is tuned to a harmonic of test signal. A detector 208 coupled to the baseband IF output of the tuner circuit detects the voltage generated in response to the applied RF test signal. A voltage measurement device (210) measures voltage detected by detector to provide an indication of the gain. Significant changes in the gain indicate missing part(s) or short circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: Lincheng Xiu, Joseph Risley Perrin, Xiaohong Ji
  • Patent number: 8677444
    Abstract: A set-top box for receiving radio and television signals is disclosed in which there is the presence of at least one unit (2) for receiving a signal (S) and at least one unit (3) for sending the received and processed signal (S?) to an image and/or sound broadcasting apparatus (4) such as a television set, radio set, PC, iPOD, and any other existing and/or achievable apparatus; means for processing the signal (S) converts said signal (S)—into the signal (S?) to be sent through a circuit (5) adapted to allow passage towards the broadcasting apparatus' (4) of information, data, promotions or advertising depending on suitable scheduling of said circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Inventor: Riccardo Pilla
  • Publication number: 20140063343
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an interface may include various mechanisms to handle incoming clock and data signals. More specifically, the interface includes a first multiplexer to receive a first data signal via a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus coupled to a first pin and a second multiplexer to receive a first clock signal via the SPI bus coupled to a second pin of the first IC and a second clock signal via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) bus coupled to a third pin. In addition, the interface may include a decoder to receive the second clock signal and a second data signal via the I2C bus coupled to a fourth pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: David Le Goff, Pascal Blouin, Eric Mauger
  • Patent number: 8665371
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a television including a user input part for manipulating a channel adjusting item. The method includes displaying a channel map showing a predetermined number of channels including a tuned broadcast channel if the channel adjusting item is selected through the user input part, and a channel setting information menu corresponding to one of the channels shown in the channel map. Thus, the television control method not only allows a user to easily and simply recognize a channel setting state according to channels when the user wants to adjust channel-related functions, but also allows a user to conveniently and effectively adjust the channel setting state according to the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-dae Kim, Yong-hwan Kwon, Sun-hwa Shin