Apparatus for monitoring a multichannel receiver

• US 4,216,497 A
• Filed: 10/18/1976
• Issued: 08/05/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: E-Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: E-Systems LLC
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael E., McArthur, James F., Ishman, Neal H., Durst, Duane A., Buxton, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, John C.
• Application Number:
  US05/733,164
• Time in Patent Office: 1,387 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/193, 325/31, 325/311, 325/464, 325/468, 325/470
• US Class Current: 725/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver includes a channel monitor coupled to the sync separator of the receiver for collecting and transmitting channel information to a central collector station. The collector station selectively responds to one of a plurality of channel monitors to record, in sequential order, channel information. Each of the channel monitors is similar and includes a synchronizing pulse generator triggered by the vertical synchronizing pulse from a receiver to generate a match recognize pulse when a frequency coupled to the receiver from the monitor and the channel frequency have a preestablished relationship. To generate the match recognize pulse a counter provides signals to a tuning matrix that controls a frequency synthesizer or plurality of oscillators for generating the frequency coupled to the receiver for the match evaluation. Also, the counter activates a data encoder that provides channel information to the collector station. The collector station responds to the channel information and records incoming data for future evaluation of the operation of the multichannel receiver.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver, where each channel is identified by a selected frequency, comprising in combination:

detector means responsive to a frequency pulse from the receiver to identify a match between a channel frequency and a frequency signal injected into the receiver and generating a match signal, and including a controller for synchronizing the injection of the frequency signal into the receiver with the vertical sync signal at the receiver,

counter means responsive to the match signal for maintaining a count signal related to the channel frequency, and

tuning means responsive to the count signal for generating a sequence of frequency signals injected into the receiver.

2. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver in response to a selected band of frequency signals applied thereto, where each channel is identified by an assigned frequency, comprising in combination:

means for applying to the multichannel receiver a sequence of selected frequency injection signals,

detector means responsive to a frequency signal at an output of the receiver to identify a match between an assigned channel frequency and an injection signal at the channel frequency and generating a match signal,

counter means responsive to the match signal for generating a count signal related to the channel frequency,

tuning means responsive to the count signal for generating control signals, and

means responsive to the control signals for generating the sequence of injection signals at the selected frequencies.

3. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 2 including channel identifying means responsive to the count signal to generate a channel number code for transmission to a remote recorder.

4. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 3 wherein said channel identifying means includes means for generating a binary code as the channel number for transmission to the remote recorder.

5. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 3 wherein said channel identifying means includes a data encoder responsive to the count signal and generating a voltage varying therewith.

6. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 5 wherein said channel identifying means includes a voltage controlled oscillator receiving the generated voltage and in turn generating a frequency varying therewith.

7. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 5 wherein said data encoder includes means connected to a power source for the receiver to transmit power OFF/ON status to said encoder.

8. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver in response to a selected band of frequency signals applied thereto, where each channel is identified by an assigned frequency, comprising in combination:

detector means responsive to a frequency signal at an output of the receiver to identify a match between an assigned channel frequency and a frequency signal applied to the receiver and generating a match signal,

counter means responsive to the match signal for generating a count signal related to the channel frequency,

channel identifying means responsive to the count signal to generate a channel number code for transmission to a remote recorder,

tuning means responsive to the count signal for generating control signals,

means responsive to the control signals for generating a sequence of selected frequency signals for individually identifying one channel of the receiver, and

an attenuator for sequentially increasing the amplitude of the sequence of frequency signals applied to the receiver until a match signal is generated.

9. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 8 wherein said detector means includes means responsive to the frequency pulse to generate a key signal to control the operation of said means for generating a frequency signal.

10. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 8 wherein said detector means includes means responsive to noise signals from the receiver to disable said detector means from generating the match signal.

11. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 10 wherein said channel identifying means includes means connected to a power source for the receiver to indicate a power ON and power OFF condition of the receiver.

12. A system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 8 wherein said channel identifying means includes a data encoder responsive to the count signal and generating a voltage varying therewith.

13. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver in response to a selected band of frequency signals applied thereto, where each channel is identified by an assigned frequency, comprising in combination:

means for applying to the multichannel receiver selected frequency injection signals,

a monitor resonsive to a frequency signal at an output of the receiver for generating a channel identifying signal when a match occurs between an assigned channel frequency and a frequency of one of the selected frequency injection signals, and

a remote recorder receiving the channel identifying signal and generating a channel identifying code for recording in memory storage.

14. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 13 wherein said remote recorder receives channel identifying signals from a plurality of receivers, and includes means for selecting the channel identifying signal from one of the receivers.

15. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 14 wherein said remote recorder includes control means for sequentially addressing each of the plurality of receivers for sequentially storing a channel identifying signal from each receiver.

16. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 13 wherein said remote recorder includes means for converting the channel identifying signal into a digital format for recording as the channel identification in the memory storage.

17. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 13 wherein said monitor includes:

detector means responsive to a frequency pulse from the receiver to identify a match between a channel frequency and a frequency signal injected into the receiver and generating a match signal,

counter means responsive to the match signal for maintaining a count signal related to the channel frequency, and

channel identifying means responsive to the count signal to generate the channel identifying signal for transmission to said remote recorder.

18. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 17 including:

tuning means responsive to the count signal for generating oscillator control signals, and

oscillator means responsive to the control signals to sequentially generate the frequency signals injected into the receiver.

19. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 18 wherein said detector means includes means responsive to the frequency pulse to generate a key signal to control the operation of said oscillator means.

20. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 19 wherein said detector means includes means for detecting noise signals from the receiver to disable said detector from generating the match signal.

21. In a system for monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 13 wherein said memory storage comprises a magnetic tape media.

22. The method of monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver, where each channel is identified by an assigned channel signal, comprising the steps of:

applying to the multichannel receiver a selected sequence of frequency injection signals,

monitoring the output of the receiver for a match between an applied frequency injection signal and an assigned channel signal,

generating a channel identifying signal when a match occurs between an injection signal and an assigned channel frequency,

transmitting the channel identifying signal from a receiver location to a remote recorder,

generating at the remote recorder a channel identifying code from the channel identifying signal, and

storing the channel identifying code in memory at the remote recorder.

23. The method of monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 22 including the step of generating the selected sequence of frequency injection signals to be applied to the multichannel receiver.

24. The method of monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 23 wherein the sequence of frequency injection signals is generated until a match condition exists between an applied frequency injection signal and an assigned channel signal.

25. The method of monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 23 including the step of sequentially increasing the amplitude of the sequence of frequency injection signals applied to the multichannel receiver until a match condition exists between an applied frequency injection signal and an assigned channel signal.

26. The method of monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver, where each channel is identified by an assigned channel signal, comprising the steps of:

applying to the multichannel receiver a selected sequence of frequency injection signals,

monitoring the output of the receiver for a match between an applied frequency injection signal and an assigned channel signal, and

generating a channel identifying signal when a match occurs between an injection signal and an assigned channel frequency.

27. The method of monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 26 including the steps of:

transmitting the channel identifying code from a receiver location to a remote recorder, and

storing the channel identifying code at the remote recorder.

28. The method of monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 26 including the step of generating a count signal related to the channel frequency when a match condition exists between an applied frequency injection signal and an assigned channel signal.

29. The method of monitoring the operation of a multichannel receiver as set forth in claim 28 including the step of generating the selected sequence of frequency injection signals in response to the generated control signals.