Home entertainment system
First Claim
1. A home entertainment system, comprising:
- a hub having a plurality of TV tuners for each demodulating a video carrier signal that is modulated with a plurality of video channels, each TV tuner having an output that carries a baseband signal representing one of the video channels, and each TV tuner having an input for receiving control signals to change the channel;
a plurality of terminals that each includes a video monitor for displaying a video image and a controller for generating control signals;
a switching matrix that has multiple supply ports, each of a plurality of said supply ports connected to an output of one of said TV tuners, and having multiple consumer ports each connected to the video monitor and controller of a terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A home entertainment system has a switching matrix having supply ports that are connected to a plurality of TV tuners and at least one video camera. Each TV tuner demodulates a high frequency carrier signal to provide a specific channel to a supply port. Control signals that change the channel output of each TV tuner are transmitted upstream from the supply port to a corresponding TV tuner. The switching matrix has consumer ports that connect to terminals with consumer devices such as TV monitors located in different rooms of the home, each terminal receiving a signal of baseband frequency (no demodulation required) that may represent a television channel or a camera view and each terminal having a control that delivers signals to the consumer port to select a TV channel or select the camera. The switching matrix enables different ports to be coupled together, so that, for example, a camera in baby'"'"'s room can be coupled to a television monitor in another room. All of the TV tuners and the switching matrix are located in the hub that lies in one room of a home, while the monitors are in different rooms, and the distribution of signals around the system takes place at baseband frequencies.
14 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A home entertainment system, comprising:
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a hub having a plurality of TV tuners for each demodulating a video carrier signal that is modulated with a plurality of video channels, each TV tuner having an output that carries a baseband signal representing one of the video channels, and each TV tuner having an input for receiving control signals to change the channel;
a plurality of terminals that each includes a video monitor for displaying a video image and a controller for generating control signals;
a switching matrix that has multiple supply ports, each of a plurality of said supply ports connected to an output of one of said TV tuners, and having multiple consumer ports each connected to the video monitor and controller of a terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11)
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10. An entertainment center system that includes a plurality of TV tuner video devices that each demodulate at least one high frequency carrier signal to generate each of a plurality of corresponding baseband signals, a plurality of generating video devices that each generates baseband signals, and a plurality of video monitors that are isolated from one another, comprising:
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a switching matrix that has a default setting wherein said switching matrix connects each of a plurality of the baseband signals of said video devices to each of a selected one of said video monitors;
a plurality of controls for use at each of said video monitors, which enables a person viewing a particular video monitor to control the switching matrix to connect the baseband signal of a different one of said video devices to said particular video monitor;
at least one of said generating video devices is a video camera that generates a view of an area, and said switching matrix is constructed to switch one of its outputs that is delivered to one of said video monitors, to display the output of one of said TV tuner devices or the output of said camera. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification