Set-top box integration of integrated drive electronics

• US 20030190140A1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dang, Cynthia, Kaylani, Tarek, Monroe, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/326
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums

Abstract

A system for implementing personal video recording, in which integrated drive electronics are incorporated in set-top box logic, instead of with a hard disk drive. This allows the set-top box logic to communicate directly to the hard disk, so that no intervening bus is necessary.

Claims

1. A system for personal video recording, comprising:

a video memory medium; and

set-top box logic,

wherein said set-top box logic comprises integrated drive electronics that interface said set-top box logic directly with said video memory medium.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said set-top box logic further comprises a central processing unit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said set-top box logic further comprises a local bus, such that said central processing unit and said integrated drive electronics communicate through said local bus.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external memory.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said set-top box logic further comprises a memory controller that controls access of said set-top box logic to said external memory.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said video memory medium comprises a hard disk.

7. Set-top box logic comprising integrated drive electronics, wherein said integrated drive electronics enable the set-top box logic to be connected to a video memory medium.

8. The set-top box logic of claim 7, wherein said set-top box logic comprises a central processing unit.

9. The set-top box logic of claim 8, further comprising a local bus, such that said central processing unit and said integrated drive electronics communicate through said local bus.

10. The set-top box of claim 7, wherein said set-top box logic comprises a memory controller that controls access of said set-top box logic to an external memory.

11. The set-top box logic of claim 7, wherein said video memory medium comprises a hard disk.