Semiconductor integrated circuit device for television and a television receiving system using the same

• US 5,657,078 A
• Filed: 11/29/1995
• Issued: 08/12/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimazu, Tadaharu, Saito, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Application Number:
  US08/564,448
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 348/180, 348/184, 348/189, 348/192, 348/725, 348/673, 348/674, 348/678, 348/680
• US Class Current: 348/180
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/04 for receivers

Abstract

An IC for generating various signals for television includes a switch circuit for selecting a signal to be monitored from the various signals and outputting the selected signal through an external terminal. A selection signal for selecting and outputting the signal to be monitored is supplied from a microcomputer to the IC. The microcomputer compares data contained in the signal selected and output from the IC with data which has been prepared in advance. Based on the comparison result, adjustment data used in generating a corresponding signal in the IC is renewed.

Claims

1. A television receiving system comprising:

a tuner, connected to an antenna, for selecting a channel and outputting an IF (intermediate frequency) signal corresponding to the selected channel; and

a semiconductor integrated circuit device for television, having a normal operation mode and a monitor mode, the device comprising;

an IF (intermediate frequency) circuit for generating an AFT (automatic fine tuning) control signal and an RF-AGC (automatic gain control) signal from the IF signal output from the tuner;

a chroma signal generating circuit for generating B, G, and R signals from the IF signal;

a switch circuit, to which the AFT control signal, the RF-AGC signal and the B signal are supplied, the switch circuit selecting one signal from these signals in accordance with a selection signal in the monitor mode; and

an external terminal through which the signal selected by the switch circuit is output.

2. The television receiving system according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit selects and outputs the AFT control signal from the signals supplied thereto in the normal operation mode.

3. A television receiving system comprising:

a tuner, connected to an antenna, for selecting a channel and outputting an IF (intermediate frequency) signal corresponding to the selected channel; and

a semiconductor integrated circuit device for television, having a normal operation mode and a monitor mode, for generating various signals for television based on the IF signal output from the tuner and selecting a signal to be externally monitored from the various signals and outputting the selected signal through a specific external terminal;

selection signal generating means for selecting and outputting the signal to be monitored through the external terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television;

adjustment data storing means for storing initial value data used in adjusting operations of generating the various signals in the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television;

data supply control means for supplying to the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television the initial value data stored in the adjustment data storing means as adjustment data for adjusting operations of generating the various signals;

data comparing means for comparing data contained in the signal output through the external terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television with data which has been prepared in advance;

adjustment data renewing means for renewing the adjustment data used to adjust the operations of generating various signals, when a specific relationship between the data compared by the data comparing means is not detected; and

adjustment data storage controlling means for causing the adjustment data renewed by the adjustment data renewing means to be stored in the adjustment data storing means as adjustment data used in the normal operation mode.

4. The television receiving system according to claim 3, wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television comprises:

an IF (intermediate frequency) circuit for generating an AFT (automatic fine tuning) control signal and an RF-AGC (automatic gain control) signal from the IF signal output from the tuner;

a chroma signal generating circuit for generating B, G, and R signals from the IF signal;

a switch circuit, to which the AFT control signal, the RF-AGC signal and the B signal are supplied, the switch circuit selecting one signal from these signals in accordance with a selection signal in the monitor mode; and

an external terminal through which the signal selected by the switch circuit is output.

5. The television receiving system according to claim 3, wherein the selection signal generating means comprises:

a remote control optical signal transmitter for transmitting, as an optical signal, instructions for selectively outputting the various signals for television to be monitored through the external terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television; and

signal generating means for generating the selection signal upon reception of the optical signal from the remote control optical signal transmitter, and supplying the selection signal to the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television.

6. The television receiving system according to claim 4, wherein the switch circuit selects and outputs the AFT control signal in the normal operation mode.

7. The television receiving system according to claim 5, wherein the remote control optical signal transmitter transmits, as an optical signal, instructions for selecting a channel in the tuner.

8. A television receiving system comprising:

a tuner, connected to an antenna, for selecting a channel and outputting an IF (intermediate frequency) signal corresponding to the selected channel;

a semiconductor integrated circuit device for television, having a normal operation mode and a monitor mode, for generating a plurality of signals for use in adjustment of various functions of the television based on the IF signal output from the tuner, selecting a signal to be externally monitored from the various signals based on a selection signal, and outputting the selected signal through a specific external terminal;

a remote control optical signal transmitter for transmitting, as an optical signal, instructions for selectively outputting the plurality of signals for use in adjustment of various functions of the television to be monitored through the external terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television; and

selection signal generating means for receiving the optical signal from the remote control optical signal transmitter, generating the selection signal for controlling a monitor signal selecting operation in the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television, and supplying the selection signal to the semiconductor integrated circuit device for television.

9. The television receiving system according to claim 8, wherein the selection signal generating means includes a microcontroller unit for controlling a channel selecting operation in the tuner.

10. The television receiving system according to claim 9, wherein the remote control optical signal transmitter transmits, as an optical signal, instructions for selecting a channel in the tuner.

11. A television receiving system comprising:

a tuner, connected to an antenna, for selecting a channel and outputting an IF (intermediate frequency) signal corresponding to the selected channel; and

a semiconductor integrated circuit device for television, having a normal operation mode and a monitor mode, for generating various signals for television based on the IF signal output from the tuner, the semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising;

signal generating means for generating the various signals for television;

signal selecting means for selecting a signal to be monitored from the various signals in the monitor mode;

selection signal generating means for generating a selection signal used in selecting a signal in the signal selecting means;

adjustment data storing means for storing initial value data used in adjusting operations of the signal generating means for generating the various signals;

data supply control means for supplying to the signal generating means the initial value data stored in the adjustment data storing means as adjustment data for adjusting operations of generating the various signals;

data comparing means for comparing data contained in the signal output from the signal selecting means with data which has been prepared in advance;

adjustment data renewing means for renewing the adjustment data used to adjust the operations of generating various signals, when a specific relationship between the data compared by the data comparing means is not detected;

adjustment data storage controlling means for causing the adjustment data renewed by the adjustment data renewing means to be stored in the adjustment data storing means as adjustment data used in the normal operation mode; and

a remote control optical signal transmitter for transmitting, as an optical signal, instructions for generating the selection signal in the selection signal generating means.

12. A television receiving system comprising:

signal generating means for generating various signals for television on the basis of a received signal selected by a tuner;

selective output means for selectively outputting the various signals to be monitored, which have been generated by the signal generating means in a monitor mode;

first storage means for storing reference data of the various signals which are to be generated by the signal generating means and to be monitored, when a monitor mode reference signal has been received by the tuner;

comparing means for comparing the signal selectively output from the selective output means in the monitor mode, with the reference data stored in the first storage means and associated with the selectively output signal;

data generating means for generating various adjustment data for adjusting the signal generating means, on the basis of a comparison result of the comparing means, such that the selectively output signal coincides with the associated reference data; and

second storage means for storing the generated various adjustment data,

wherein the signal generating means is adjusted on the basis of the various adjustment data stored in the second storage means, thereby generating the various signals for the television.

13. A semiconductor integrated circuit device for television, having a normal operation mode and a monitor mode, the device comprising:

an IF (intermediate frequency) circuit for receiving an IF (intermediate frequency) signal, and generating an AFT (automatic fine tuning) control signal and an RF-AGC (automatic gain control) signal from the IF signal;

a video processing unit for receiving the IF signal, and generating a luminance signal from the IF signal;

a chroma processing circuit for receiving the IF signal, and generating chroma signals from the IF signal;

a matrix circuit for receiving the chroma signals generated by the chroma processing circuit, and generating B, G and R signals from the chroma signals;

a switch circuit for receiving the AFT control signal, the RF-AGC signal and the B signal, and selecting one of the AFT control signal, the RF-AGC signal and the B signal in accordance with a selection signal in the monitor mode; and

an external terminal for allowing said one of the AFT control signal, the RF-AGC signal and the B signal to be output through the external terminal.