Interchangeable media input cartridge for home entertainment

• US 20050105007A1
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Christian, John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/714,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105007A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

In one embodiment, a tuner cartridge has a tuner to demodulate video signals, a first bus connector to receive modulated signals and supply the modulated signals to the tuner, and a second bus connector to send baseband signals received from the tuner. In another embodiment, a tuner system has a slot to receive a tuner cartridge, a baseband bus to connect to a tuner cartridge in the slot, and a source bus to connect to a tuner cartridge in the slot and to supply modulated video signals to a tuner cartridge in the slot.

Claims

1. A tuner cartridge comprising:

a tuner to demodulate video signals;

a first bus connector to receive modulated signals and supply the modulated signals to the tuner; and

a second bus connector to send baseband signals received from the tuner.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the first bus connector couples to a first bus of a tuner system, the first bus being a radio frequency bus.

3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the second bus connector couples to a second bus of a tuner system, the second bus being a baseband bus.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the second bus connector further communicates power, command and control signals.

5. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the first bus connector and the second bus connector are formed in a printed circuit board substrate including electrical connectors formed of conductive leads on the substrate to connect to first and second buses of a tuner system.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising fingers at an end of the cartridge to carry the first bus connector and the second bus connector.

7. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising an encoder coupled between the tuner and the second bus connector to decode signals demodulated by the tuner.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a housing to enclose the tuner and to carry the first bus connector and the second bus connector.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the baseband bus communicates power, command and control to a tuner cartridge in the slot.

9. A tuner cartridge comprising:

a tuner to demodulate radio frequency modulated video signals;

a housing to enclose the tuner;

a connector card edge protruding from an end of the housing to engage a slot in a tuner system; and

fingers on the connector card edge to connect to a bus in the tuner system when the card edge is engaged in the slot.

10. The cartridge of claim 9, further comprising a gripping surface to allow the cartridge to be inserted into and removed from a tuner system.

11. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the fingers comprise a plurality of electrical connectors to communicate power, command and control signals with the baseband bus.

12. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the fingers comprise a plurality of connectors to receive modulated video signals from a source bus in the tuner system.

13. The cartridge of claim 9, wherein the fingers comprise a plurality of connectors to send demodulated video signals to a baseband bus in the tuner system.

14. The cartridge of claim 10, wherein the connector card edge comprises a printed circuit board substrate and wherein the fingers comprise conductive leads on the substrate.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the baseband bus receives demodulated video signals from a tuner cartridge in the slot.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the slot comprises electrical connectors to mate with corresponding electrical connectors of a tuner cartridge to provide a connection the baseband bus.

19. The system of claim 9, further comprising a source connector to connect to a source of modulated video signals and to the source bus.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of slots and wherein the source bus comprises a splitter to couple a tuner cartridge in a plurality of slots to the source connector.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the source connector comprises a coaxial cable connector to receive video signals from an antenna.

22. The system of claim 9, further comprising a video output connector to provide video signals from the baseband bus to a video device.

23. The system of claim 9, further comprising a video processor coupled between the baseband bus and the video output connector to generate a video signal for the video device.

27. The system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of slots and a source connector to connect to a source of modulated video signals and to the source bus, and wherein the source bus comprises a splitter to couple a tuner cartridge in a plurality of slots to the source connector.

15. A tuner system comprising:

a slot to receive a tuner cartridge;

a baseband bus to connect to a tuner cartridge in the slot; and

a source bus to connect to a tuner cartridge in the slot and to supply modulated video signals to a tuner cartridge in the slot.

24. A consumer entertainment system comprising:

a slot to receive a tuner cartridge;

a baseband bus to connect to a tuner cartridge in the slot;

a video processor coupled to the baseband bus to generate a video signal at the video output connector for a video device; and

a source bus to connect to a tuner cartridge in the slot and to supply modulated video signals to a tuner cartridge in the slot.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the baseband bus receives demodulated video signals from a tuner cartridge in the slot.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the baseband bus communicates power, command and control to a tuner cartridge in the slot.