Set Back Box with Digital Receiver for Upgrading TV with Analog Receiver

• US 20090064265A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TAKEDA, KOJI, Takei, Edson
• Granted Patent: US 7,954,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/132
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A set-back box (SBB) includes a digital TV signal receiver. The SBB can be connected via a HDMI cable to a TV having only an analog TV signal receiver so that digital TV signals from the SUB can be displayed on the TV screen. The TV processor recognizes the SUB and in effect treats the digital receiver of the SBB as its own, such that a single remote control can be used to control both analog channel selection within the TV and digital channel selection within the SBB.

Claims

1. A set back box (SBB) for a TV having a chassis holding TV processor, an analog TV receiver, and no digital TV receiver, comprising:

a housing; and

at least one digital TV receiver in the housing, wherein

the digital TV receiver is connectable through a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable to the TV processor so that signals on digital channels received by the SBB can be displayed on the TV, the TV processor receiving channel selection signals from a single remote control and passing digital channel selection signals to the SBB.

2. The SBB of claim 1, wherein the housing of the SBB is slidably engageable with a rear of the chassis of the TV.

3. The SBB of claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a digital TV channel tuner.

4. The SBB of claim 3, wherein the tuner sends signals to at least one processor chip in the SBB.

5. The SBB of claim 4, wherein the processor chip includes an MPEG decoder.

6. The SBB of claim 5, comprising an AVC decoder in the SBB and communicating with the processor chip.

7. The SBB of claim 3, comprising a main processor in the SBB configured for receiving channel up/down signals from the TV.

14. The system of claim 3, comprising a main processor in the SBB and receiving channel up/down signals from the TV.

8. A system, comprising:

a TV with a chassis holding an analog TV signal receiver and no digital TV signal receiver;

a TV processor in the chassis;

a remote control sending wireless channel up/down commands to the TV processor; and

a set back box (SBB) external to the TV chassis and electrically connected to the TV processor, the SBB providing digital TV signals to the TV for display thereof on the TV, the SBB receiving channel up/down signals from the TV processor and generated by the remote control, the SBB configuring a digital channel tuner in response thereto.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable connecting the TV processor to the SBB so that signals on digital channels received by the SBB can be displayed on the TV.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the SBB is slidably engaged with a rear of the chassis of the TV.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the digital channel tuner sends signals to at least one processor chip in the SBB.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor chip includes an MPEG decoder.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising an AVC decoder in the SBB and communicating with the processor chip.

15. A method for upgrading a TV having analog receive capabilities only, comprising:

connecting a set back box (SBB) to a digital signal port of the TV;

displaying digital TV signals from the SBB on the TV;

inputting channel up/down commands to the TV;

selectively sending at least some of the up/down commands to the SBB; and

tuning the SBB in accordance with the at least some of the up/down commands.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising not sending at least some of the up/down commands to the SBB and instead tuning an analog tuner in the TV in accordance therewith.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising using one and only one remote control to tune both the SBB and analog tuner.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the remote control has a key that can be toggled to select whether to cause channel/up down commands generated by the remote control to effect the SBB or the analog tuner.