Television receiver having the capability to associate any HDTV and any NTSC channel

• US 5,461,427 A
• Filed: 06/28/1994
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Duffield, David J., Altmanshofer, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Application Number:
  US08/266,903
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 348/555, 348/554, 348/556, 348/570, 348/731, 348/732, 455/186.1, 455/186.2
• US Class Current: 348/555
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

A television receiver system includes an HDTV tuner, and an NTSC tuner. In response to the entering of a channel number, a CHANNEL UP or CHANNEL DOWN command, or a channel label, in a channel selection mode, a controller searches a "paired channel" table for associated HDTV and NTSC channels. If an HDTV channel is associated with that channel number or channel label, the HDTV tuner is controlled to select the HDTV channel. If no HDTV channel is associated with that channel number or channel label, the NTSC tuner is controlled to select the corresponding NTSC channel. In another embodiment, the controller determines if HDTV signals are actually being received. If not, the controller causes the NTSC tuner to select the corresponding NTSC channel. In yet another embodiment, the "paired channel" data is sent via an Extended Data Services (EDS) transmission and automatically loaded into memory.

Claims

1. A television receiver, comprising:

a conventional tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in a conventional format;

an HDTV tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in an HDTV format;

user-operable data input circuitry adapted to receive user-entered data or commands;

a controller responsive to user-entered data or commands for generating control signals;

memory circuitry for storing data indicative of an association of a television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format and a television channel broadcasting in said conventional format; and

a switch having a first input coupled to receive conventional video signals and a second input coupled to receive HDTV video signals, said switch selecting either said HDTV video signals or said conventional video signals under control of said controller;

said controller, in response to the entering of a channel change command, searches said memory circuitry, and retrieves a channel number of said television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format and a channel number of said television channel broadcasting in said conventional format, said controller causing said HDTV tuner and said conventional tuner to tune to their respective channels in accordance with said retrieved channel numbers;

said controller causing said switch to select said HDTV video signals for viewing in response to a determination that a valid HDTV signal is present, and causing said switch to select said conventional video signals for viewing in response to a determination that said valid HDTV signal is not present.

2. The television receiver of claim 1 wherein, said conventional tuner is an NTSC tuner.

3. The television receiver of claim 1 wherein, said conventional tuner is a PAL tuner.

4. The television receiver of claim 1 wherein, said conventional tuner is a SECAM tuner.

5. A television receiver, comprising:

a conventional tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in a conventional format;

an HDTV tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in an HDTV format;

user-operable data input circuitry adapted to receive user-entered data or commands;

a controller responsive to user-entered data or commands for generating control signals;

memory circuitry for storing a data indicative of a label associated with a television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format and a television channel broadcasting in said conventional format; and

a switch for selecting conventional video signals at a first input or HDTV video signals at a second input under control of said controller;

said controller, in response to the entering of said label, searches said memory circuitry, and retrieves a channel number of said television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format and a channel number of said television channel broadcasting in said conventional format, said controller causing said HDTV tuner and said conventional tuner to tune to their respective channels in accordance with said retrieved channel numbers;

said controller causing said switch to select said HDTV video signals for viewing in response to a determination that a valid HDTV signal is present, and causing said switch to select said conventional video signals for viewing in response to a determination that said valid HDTV signal is not present.

6. The television receiver of claim 5 wherein, conventional tuner is an NTSC tuner.

7. The television receiver of claim 5 wherein, said conventional tuner is a PAL tuner.

8. The television receiver of claim 5 wherein, said conventional tuner is a SECAM tuner.

9. A television receiver, comprising:

a conventional tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in a conventional format;

an HDTV tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in an HDTV format;

user-operable data input circuitry adapted to receive user-entered data or commands;

a controller responsive to user-entered data or commands for generating control signals;

memory circuitry for storing channel-related data for a television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format and a television channel broadcasting in said conventional format; and

a switch for selecting conventional video signals at a first input or HDTV video signals at a second input under control of said controller;

said controller causing said switch to select said conventional video signals for viewing in response to a determination that a valid HDTV signal is not present.

10. The television receiver of claim 9 wherein, said conventional tuner is an NTSC tuner.

11. The television receiver of claim 9 wherein, said conventional tuner is a PAL tuner.

12. The television receiver of claim 9 wherein, said conventional tuner is a SECAM tuner.

13. A television receiver, comprising:

a conventional tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in a conventional format;

an HDTV tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in an HDTV format;

user-operable data input circuitry adapted to receive user-entered data or commands;

a controller responsive to user-entered data or commands for generating control signals;

memory circuitry for storing data indicative of a label associated with a television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format or data indicative of no television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format being associated with said label, and data indicative of a television channel broadcasting in said conventional format being associated with said label; and

a switch for selecting conventional video signals at a first input or HDTV video signals at a second input under control of said controller;

said controller, in response to the entering of said label, searches said memory circuitry, and retrieves a channel number of said television channel broadcasting in said conventional format and causes said conventional tuner to tune to a channel in accordance with said retrieved channel number;

said controller causing said switch to select conventional video signals for viewing in response to a determination that said memory contains said data indicative of no television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format being associated with said label.

14. A television receiver, comprising:

a conventional tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in a conventional format;

an HDTV tuner and signal processing arrangement for receiving and processing television signals in an HDTV format;

user-operable data input circuitry adapted to receive user-entered data or commands;

a controller responsive to user-entered data or commands for generating control signals;

memory circuitry for storing data indicative of the association of a television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format and a television channel broadcasting in said conventional format;

circuitry for receiving and processing auxiliary data transmitted during synchronizing portions of said conventional television signals, data being indicative of the availability of an associated HDTV channel; and

a switch having a first input coupled to receive conventional video signals and a second input coupled to receive HDTV video signals, said switch selecting either said HDTV video signals or said conventional video signals under control of said controller;

said controller, in response to the entering of a channel change command and in response to said auxiliary data indicating availability of an associated HDTV channel, searches said memory circuitry, and retrieves a channel number of said television channel broadcasting in said HDTV format, said controller causing said switch to select said HDTV video signals for viewing;

said controller, in response to the entering of a channel change command and in response to said auxiliary data indicating nonavailability of an associated HDTV channel, causes said switch to select said conventional video signals for viewing.