Apparatus for Processing Video Signals

• US 20080062313A1
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: You, Tao
• Application Number:
  US11/573,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062313A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4888 for displaying teletext characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0132 the field or frame frequency of the incoming video signal being multiplied by a positive integer, e.g. for flicker reduction

Abstract

The apparatus comprises processing circuitry for processing video signals and a memory (10) for storing information related to the video signal in a first operation mode. The apparatus further comprises a radio receiver (20) or other audio reception circuitry (1,5) for receiving an audio signal, and a memory controller (24) for arranging storing and retrieving of the received audio signal in the memory (10). To increase the value of the apparatus for the user, audio signals may be stored into and retrieved from the memory (10) during a semi-standby mode when the apparatus is not used for processing video signals.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry for processing video signals;

a memory (10) for storing in a first operation mode information related to the video signal in order to enhance and /or convert the video signal and/or teletext information;

means (20;

1,5) for receiving an audio signal;

controlling means (24) for arranging storing of said audio signal into the memory (10) in a second operation mode in which second operation mode the processing circuitry does not process video signals; and

means (24, 13) for retrieving the audio signal from the memory (10) in the second operation mode.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the controlling means (24) being adapted to arrange storing of said audio signal into the video memory (10) in a compressed and/or monaural format.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the receiving means (20;

1,5) comprising a radio receiver (20).

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the receiving means (20;

1,5) comprising a video processor (5).

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control unit (29) for enabling power to be supplied to the receiving means (20;

1,5), the controlling means (24) and the memory (10) during a time period for storing the audio signal, while power to other units of the apparatus, which are not needed for receiving or controlling or storing of the audio signal, is substantially disabled.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control unit (29) for enabling power to be supplied to the receiving means (20;

1,5) during a time period for storing the audio signal.

7. A method of processing video signals, the method comprising:

storing in a first operation mode information related to the video signal in order to enhance or convert the video signal and/or teletext information into a memory (10);

receiving an audio signal;

storing said audio signal into the memory (10) in a second operation mode in which circuitry for processing video signals does not process the video signals; and

retrieving the audio signal from the memory (10) in the second operation mode.