Power supply arrangement for a tuning system

• US 4,281,349 A
• Filed: 04/29/1980
• Issued: 07/28/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RCA Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: RCA Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: George, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Richard
• Application Number:
  US06/145,317
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 358/191, 358/193, 455/185, 455/186, 455/343
• US Class Current: 348/733
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0032 Control circuits allowing low power mode operation, e.g. in standby mode
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/0281 the digital values being held in an auxiliary non erasable memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/18 Generation of supply voltages, in combination with electron beam deflecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A tuning system of a television receiver includes a non-volatile memory for storing tuning information. Control apparatus allows memory locations of the memory to be selectively programmed during a set-up procedure for tuning respective channels and thereafter to be selectively interrogated during channel selection. A power supply for providing a supply voltage for the memory includes apparatus for maintaining the magnitude of the supply voltage at a relatively low level when the receiver is on but the tuning system is dormant, and for increasing the magnitude of the supply voltage to a change-enabling level for a predetermined time after the operation of switches for enabling the memory to be programmed during set-up and interrogated during channel selection.

Claims

1. In a receiver, apparatus comprising:

tuning means for tuning said receiver to various channels;

power supply means for supplying at least one supply voltage to said tuning means;

tuning control means coupled to said tuning means for controlling said tuning means to change conditions of said tuning means associated with the selection of channels; and

power supply control means coupled to said power supply means and said tuning control means for normally causing the magnitude of said supply voltage to be at a relatively low level and for selectively causing the magnitude of said supply voltage to be at a level sufficiently higher than said low level to enable said channel selection conditions to be changed when said tuning control means is operated.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein:

said tuning means includes a non-volatile memory for storing channel selection information;

said power supply means supplies said supply voltage to said non-volatile memory; and

said power supply control means causes the magnitude of said supply voltage to equal substantially zero volts unless said tuning control means is operated.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein:

power supply means first and second means for supplying first and second power supply voltages of opposite polarities to said non-volatile memory, said second supply voltage having a magnitude substantially lower than the magnitude of said first supply voltage; and

said power supply control means reduces the magnitude of said first supply substantially to zero volts when said tuning control means is not operated and does not substantially affect the magnitude of said second supply voltage when said tuning control means is not operated.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein:

said tuning control means includes a channel-changing switch for selectively causing said tuning means to tune a different channel than that presently tuned when it is operated; and

said power supply control means is connected to said channel-changing switch to increase the magnitude of said supply voltage from said lower level to said change-enabling level in direct response to the operation of said channel changing switch.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein:

said tuning means includes a memory including a plurality of memory locations for storing tuning information for respective channels;

address means for addressing said memory locations to retrieve tuning information stored therein in response to the operation of said channel-changing means; and

said power supply means supplies said first supply voltage to said memory.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein:

said tuning control means includes a memory-changing switch coupled to said memory for selectively enabling the contents of an addressed one of said memory locations to be changed when operated; and

said power supply control means is connected to said memory-changing switch to increase the magnitude of said supply voltage from said lower level to said change-enabling level in direct response to the operation of said memory-changing switch.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein:

said tuning means includes counter means for generating a coded group of binary signals representing the channel number of a selected channel, converter means for generating a tuning signal having a magnitude corresponding to the group of binary signals generated by said counter means, at least one tuning circuit having a frequency response controlled in response to the magnitude of said tuning signal, and memory means including a plurality of memory locations addressed in response to the said binary signals generated by said counter means for storing a skip signal for each one of said channels having either a first or a second level even in the absence of said supply voltage;

said counter means receiving said skip signals and generating the group of binary signals representing the next channel when one of said skip signals has said second level;

said tuner control means includes at least one channel-changing switch coupled to said counter for selectively changing the contents of said counter means when operated, and a memory-changing switch coupled to said counter for enabling the skip signal stored in an addressed one of said memory locations to be changed to either of said first and second levels when it is operated; and

said power supply control means is connected to said channel-changing switch and to said memory-changing switch to increase the magnitude of said supply stage from said lower level to said change enabling level in direct response to the operation of either of said channel-changing or said memory-changing switch.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 7 wherein:

said receiver further includes;

main power supply means for generating at least one operating voltage for said receiver from a.c. line voltage; and

wherein said tuning means includes means for setting the contents of said counter to a predetermined condition when the magnitude of said operating voltage changes from a predetermined low level to a predetermined high level; and

said power supply control means includes initialization means responsive to said operative voltage for increasing the magnitude of said supply voltage from said lower level to said change enabling level when the magnitude of said operating voltage changes from said predetermined low level to said predetermined high level.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein:

said power supply control means includes;

time delay means for maintaining said supply voltage at said change enabling level for a predetermined time after one of said channel changing or memory changing switches is operated, with predetermined time being longer than the time required for the contents of said counter means to address a first one of said memory locations containing a skip signal having said first level.

10. In a television receiver including a picture tube for generating an electron beam;

signal processing means for generating a video signal for modulating said electron beam;

horizontal and vertical deflection means for generating horizontal and vertical deflection signals to deflect said electron beam to form an image;

tuning register means for storing binary signals representing a selected channel;

channel selection means for changing the binary signals stored in said register means when operated;

converter means for converting said binary signals to a tuning voltage;

frequency selective means responsive to said tuning voltage for tuning said television receiver to various channels; and

channel number display means responsive to said deflection signals for displaying the channel number of said selected channel in a predetermined portion of said image for a display time after said selected channel is selected;

apparatus comprising;

power supply means for generating at least one supply voltage for said tuning means in response to one of said deflection signals; and

power supply control means connected to said power supply means and said channel selection means for normally causing the magnitude of said supply voltage to be at a relatively low value and selectively causing the magnitude of said supply voltage to be a relatively high value for a predetermined time longer than said display time after said channel change selection means is operated and thereafter automatically causing the magnitude of said supply voltage to return to said relatively low value.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 10 wherein:

said power supply means includes a first capacitor connected at one end to a circuit point;

rectifying means for charging said first capacitor in response to said deflection signal;

a second capacitor connected at one end to said circuit point;

a transistor having a collector-emitter path connected between the other ends of said first and second capacitors; and

voltage regulation means for establishing a reference voltage at the base of said transistor in response to the voltage developed across said first capacitor;

said supply voltage being developed across said second capacitor.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein:

said power supply control means includes reduction means connected to the base of said transistor for reducing the voltage developed at said base for said predetermined time after said channel selection means is operated.

13. The apparatus recited in claim 12 wherein:

said tuning means includes a non-volatile memory for storing tuning information which is accessed in response to the binary signals stored in said register means;

said supply voltage is applied to said non-volatile memory; and

said reduction means renders said transistor non-conductive when said channel selection means is operated.