Monitoring system and method utilizing signal injection for determining channel reception of video receivers
First Claim
1. Apparatus for determining the video channel of a plurality of predetermined channels to which a video receiver is tuned, said video receiver including a signal input for the video channel carrier signals of said predetermined channels, channel selection and tuning apparatus, and a video circuit, said apparatus comprising:
- signal source means being selectively controllable and coupled to said signal input of said video receiver for generating one of a predetermined plurality of signal frequencies in a predetermined frequency set, each of said signal frequencies in said predetermined frequency set corresponding to one of said predetermined channels tuned by said video receiver and defined by a predetermined offset frequency fr from each of said channel frequencies;
means for controlling said signal source generating means; and
means responsive to said video receiver for detecting a predetermined detection frequency signal fr resulting from the combination of the signal generated by said signal source generating means and the video carrier signal corresponding to the channel to which said video receiver is tuned,said signal source controlling means comprising means for advancing said signal source generating means to generate successive ones of said signal frequencies at predetermined time intervals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is provided for determining the channel to which a video wave receiver is tuned. The system includes an RF signal source connected to the antenna input of the video wave receiver, a frequency control stage that determines the signal frequencies generated by the RF signal source and a system and advance control stage to appropriately program operation of the frequency control stage. The RF signal source is conditioned by the system and advance control stage and the frequency control stage to output signals such that the fundamental or one of the harmonics when combined with the video carrier of a corresponding channel results in a signal having a predetermined frequency. The RF signal source is successively advanced to output a set of predetermined frequencies, corresponding to each of the receivable channels to which the video receiver is tunable. The system includes a detector/receiver arranged to monitor the video signal of the video receiver to detect the predetermined frequency resulting from the combined signal from the RF signal source and a video carrier to which the video receiver is tuned. The RF signal source is stepped through a predetermined set of frequencies corresponding to each receivable channel and the system outputs a signal denoting the received channel to which the video receiver is tuned when the predetermined frequency is detected by the detector/receiver.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. Apparatus for determining the video channel of a plurality of predetermined channels to which a video receiver is tuned, said video receiver including a signal input for the video channel carrier signals of said predetermined channels, channel selection and tuning apparatus, and a video circuit, said apparatus comprising:
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signal source means being selectively controllable and coupled to said signal input of said video receiver for generating one of a predetermined plurality of signal frequencies in a predetermined frequency set, each of said signal frequencies in said predetermined frequency set corresponding to one of said predetermined channels tuned by said video receiver and defined by a predetermined offset frequency fr from each of said channel frequencies; means for controlling said signal source generating means; and means responsive to said video receiver for detecting a predetermined detection frequency signal fr resulting from the combination of the signal generated by said signal source generating means and the video carrier signal corresponding to the channel to which said video receiver is tuned, said signal source controlling means comprising means for advancing said signal source generating means to generate successive ones of said signal frequencies at predetermined time intervals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for determining the channel of a plurality of predetermined channels to which a video receiver is tuned, the video receiver including a signal input for the video channel carrier signals of said predetermined channels, channel selection and tuning apparatus, and a video circuit, said method comprising the steps of:
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supplying at said signal input of said video receiver one of a predetermined plurality of signal frequencies in a predetermined frequency set, each of said signal frequencies corresponding to one of said predetermined channels tuned by the video receiver and defined by a predetermined offset frequency fr from each of said channel frequencies; detecting the presence of a predetermined detection signal frequency fr in the video receiver; and successively advancing the supplied signal frequency in said frequency set by one increment in said frequency set at predetermined time intervals. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification