System and method for an interactive broadband system-on-chip with a reconfigurable interface

• US 20040019913A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spieker, Thomas Lee, Wong, Jorge Juan, Huynh, Dave Datphuoc
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/139
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42623 involving specific decryption arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6336 directed to decoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed, in an interactive broadband set-top box receiving broadband signals from a headend, to facilitate communications with an installed card within the set-top box using a single IC chip that processes the broadband signals. The single IC chip is configured to a PCMCIA PC-card mode such that PC card signals are multiplexed to certain I/O pins of the single IC chip. In the PCMCIA PC-card mode, the single IC chip attempts to detect the presence of and identify an installed card in the set-top box. If an installed card is present and is identified as a POD module, then the single IC chip is reconfigured from the PCMCIA PC-card mode to a POD mode such that POD-compatible signals are multiplexed to certain existing I/O pins of the single IC chip when operating in the POD mode.

Claims

1. In an interactive broadband set-top box receiving broadband signals from a headend, a method to facilitate communications with an installed card within said set-top box using a single IC chip processing said broadband signals, said method comprising:

configuring said single IC chip to a PCMCIA PC-card mode such that said single IC chip multiplexes PC card signals to certain I/O pins of said single IC chip when operating in said PCMCIA PC-card mode;

detecting the presence of said installed card interfacing to said single IC chip;

identifying said installed card as a PC card or a POD module; and

reconfiguring said single IC chip from said PCMCIA PC-card mode to a POD mode, if said installed card is identified as said POD module, such that said single IC chip muliplexes POD-compatible signals to at least one of said certain I/O pins or other existing pins of said single IC chip when operating in said POD mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying appropriate power to said installed card based on, at least in part, said identifying.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating said single IC chip in said POD mode with said POD module after said single IC chip is reconfigured to said POD mode.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising operating said single IC chip in said PCMCIA PC-card mode with said PC card if said installed card is identified as said PCMCIA PC card.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said detecting is performed by said single IC chip.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifying is performed by said single IC chip.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said applying is commanded, at least in part, by said single IC chip.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said configuring and said reconfiguring each comprise changing a communication protocol of said single IC chip and multiplexing between said PC card signals and said POD-compatible signals within said single IC chip.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said POD-compatible signals comprise parallel MPEG transport signals generated by said single IC chip from said broadband signals processed by said single IC chip and wherein said parallel MPEG transport signals are multiplexed to said POD module by said single IC chip.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said POD-compatible signals comprise de-encrypted parallel MPEG transport signals generated by said POD module and received by said single IC chip.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said POD-compatible signals comprise digital out-of-band (OOB) signals generated by said single IC chip from said broadband signals processed by said single IC chip and wherein said digital OOB signals are multiplexed to said POD module by said single IC chip.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said POD-compatible signals comprise CPU signals generated by a first CPU within said single IC chip and a second CPU within said POD module.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said POD-compatible signals comprise digital upstream signals generated by said POD module and wherein said digital upstream signals are received and processed by said single IC chip to generate upstream RF signals and wherein said upstream RF signals are subsequently sent to said headend.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating multiple serial MPEG transport streams within said single IC chip from said broadband signals;

combining at least two of said multiple serial MPEG transport streams within said single IC chip to form at least one muxed transport stream;

converting at least one of said multiple serial MPEG transport streams or said at least one muxed transport stream to parallel MPEG transport signals within said single IC chip when said single IC chip is in said POD mode; and

multiplexing said parallel MPEG transport signals to said POD module.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a serial MPEG transport stream within said single IC chip from de-encrypted parallel MPEG signals from said POD module; and

decoding said serial MPEG transport stream within said single IC chip by decompressing audio and/or video signal components of said serial MPEG transport stream.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a serial MPEG transport stream within said single IC chip from de-encrypted parallel MPEG signals from said POD module;

video encoding a video signal component of said serial MPEG transport stream to generate an encoded video signal; and

sending said encoded video signal to a device for further processing and/or display.

17. In an interactive broadband set-top box receiving broadband signals from a headend, a method to facilitate communications with an installed card within said set-top box using a single IC chip processing said broadband signals, said method comprising:

configuring said single IC chip to a PCMCIA PC-card mode;

detecting the presence of said installed card interfacing to said single IC chip;

identifying said installed card as a PC card or a POD module; and

reconfiguring said single IC chip from said PCMCIA PC-card mode to a POD mode, if said installed card is identified as said POD module.

18. In an interactive broadband set-top box receiving broadband signals from a headend, a method to facilitate communications with an installed card within said set-top box using a single IC chip processing said broadband signals, said method comprising:

processing said broadband signals using said single IC chip;

communicating directly between said single IC chip and said installed card when said installed card is a PC card; and

communicating directly between said single IC chip and said installed card when said installed card is a POD module.

19. In an interactive broadband set-top box receiving broadband signals from a headend, apparatus within a single IC chip to facilitate communications with an installed card within said set-top box, said apparatus comprising:

a broadband digital signal processing module (BDSPM) residing on said single IC chip to process said broadband signals; and

a PC-card/POD interface module (PPIM) residing on said single IC chip and interfacing to said BDSPM and capable of being configured to operate in a PCMCIA PC-card mode or a POD mode, along with said BDSPM, in order to communicate with said installed card by multiplexing PC card signals or POD-compatible signals to said installed card.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said BDSPM comprises an in-band receiver to generate at least one serial MPEG transport stream from said broadband signals.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said BDSPM comprises an out-of-band (OOB) receiver to generate OOB signals from said broadband signals.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said BDSPM comprises a CPU to control functionality of said single IC chip.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said PPIM multiplexes PC card signals or POD-compatible signals, generated within said single IC chip, to/from said installed card and performs MPEG serial-to-parallel transport stream conversion and MPEG parallel-to-serial transport stream conversion.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said BDSPM comprises a transport processor to generate at least one parsed serial MPEG transport stream from an unparsed serial MPEG transport stream.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said BDSPM comprises an MPEG decoder/video encoder to decompress a parsed serial MPEG transport stream and to convert said parsed serial MPEG transport stream to a video format for display.

26. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said BDSPM comprises an upstream RF module to generate upstream RF signals, to be sent to said headend, from digital upstream signals multiplexed through said PPIM from said installed card.

27. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said BDSPM comprises an MPEG transport multiplexer to combine at least two of a plurality of serial MPEG transport streams generated within said BDSPM for subsequent serial-to-parallel conversion within said PPIM.

28. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said PPIM comprises an MPEG serial-to-parallel converter/multiplexer to convert a serial MPEG transport stream, received from said BDSPM in said POD mode, into parallel MPEG transport signals to be multiplexed to said installed card.

29. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said PPIM comprises an MPEG parallel-to-serial converter/multiplexer to convert parallel MPEG transport signals, multiplexed from said installed card in said POD mode, into a serial MPEG transport stream to be sent to said BDSPM.

30. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said PPIM comprises a Selector/MPEG Serial-to-Parallel Converter/Multiplexer to select one of a plurality of serial MPEG transport streams generated within said BDSPM and to convert said one into parallel MPEG transport signals to be multiplexed to said installed card.

31. In an interactive broadband set-top box receiving broadband signals from a headend, apparatus within a single IC chip to facilitate communications with an installed card within said set-top box, said apparatus comprising:

a broadband digital signal processing module (BDSPM) residing on said single IC chip to process said broadband signals; and

a PC-card/POD interface module (PPIM) residing on said single IC chip and interfacing to said BDSPM and capable of being configured to operate in a PCMCIA PC-card mode or a POD mode, along with said BDSPM, in order to communicate with said installed card.