Tuner and splitter-modulator circuit having a common quartz crystal

• US 5,640,688 A
• Filed: 04/20/1995
• Issued: 06/17/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ruitenburg, Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARTHUR JEANGLAUDE, GERTRUDE
• Application Number:
  US08/426,294
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 455/77, 455/84, 455/85, 455/86, 455/105, 455/112, 455/118, 455/120, 455/125, 455/76, 455/193.1, 455/197.3, 386/46, 348/726, 348/727, 348/731
• US Class Current: 455/84
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 5/242 used exclusively for band selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A circuit arrangement comprising a tuner and a splitter-modulator, the latter made up of a splitter and a modulator, the splitter having an RF signal input for receiving an RF input signal, an RF signal output for supplying an RF output signal, and a first line for applying the RF input signal to the tuner. A second line is provided for supplying an RF output signal from the modulator. The tuner is adapted to demodulate the RF input signal and the modulator is adapted to, convert a baseband signal into the RF output signal to be supplied by the modulator. Devices for generating reference oscillations for the tuner and the splitter-modulator have one quartz crystal which is common to the tuner and the splitter-modulator. This results in a reduction in the number of components, particularly for generating the oscillations.

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement for an RF processing stage of a video recorder comprising:

a tuner and a splitter-modulator where the splitter-modulator comprises a splitter and a modulator, the splitter having an RF signal input for receiving an RF input signal, an RF signal output for supplying an RF output signal, a first line for applying the RF input signal to the tuner and a second line for supplying an RF output signal from the modulator, the tuner being adapted to demodulate the RF input signal and the modulator being adapted to convert a baseband signal into the RF output signal to be supplied by said modulator, and means for generating reference oscillations for the tuner and the splitter-modulator, said generating means having only one quartz crystal which is common to the tuner and the splitter-modulator.

2. A circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein means for generating reference oscillations comprise a single phase-locked loop which is common to the tuner and the splitter-modulator.

3. In a video recorder, an RF signal processing apparatus comprising:

an input terminal for receiving an RF input signal,

a signal splitter having an input coupled to said input terminal and an output for supplying the RF output signal,

a tuner circuit having an input coupled to the output of the signal splitter, means for demodulating the RF signal, and an output coupled to an I.F. output terminal,

a modulator which converts a baseband signal into an RF output signal,

means coupled to the tuner and to the modulator for generating reference frequency oscillations for the tuner and modulator and which includes a single quartz crystal which is common to the tuner and to the modulator, and

means for coupling an output of the modulator to an RF output terminal.

4. The RF signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said reference frequency generating means comprises:

a first synthesizer circuit coupled to said quartz crystal,

a second synthesizer circuit coupled to said quartz crystal, wherein said second synthesizer circuit includes an oscillator having an output coupled to the modulator but not to the first synthesizer circuit, and wherein

the first synthesizer circuit includes an oscillator having an output coupled to the tuner but not to the second synthesizer circuit.

5. The RF signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first and second synthesizer circuits further comprise first and second respective phase-locked loops.

6. The RF signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the tuner includes a mixer which receives said reference frequency oscillations, and wherein the frequencies of signals in the modulator and the tuner mixer have no fixed relationship to one another.

7. The RF signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said coupling means comprises a signal combining circuit having first and second inputs coupled to a second output of the signal splitter and to the output of the modulator, respectively, and an output coupled to said RF output terminal.

8. The RF signal processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said reference frequency generating means comprises a single phase-locked loop which is coupled to the tuner circuit and to the modulator.