Monaural and stereo audio signal control system

• US 6,707,917 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Dipakkumar R., Landgraf, Henry S., Troiano, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Minsun Oh
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCHESNEY, ELIZABETH A
• Application Number:
  US09/328,906
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 381/11, 381/1-12
• US Class Current: 381/11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/607 for more than one sound signal, e.g. stereo, multilanguages H04N5/602 takes precedence

Abstract

A monaural and stereo audio signal control system for use in cable-signal set-top boxes selects signal processing paths as a function of the monaural and stereo nature of the incoming audio component of the television signal and an indication as to whether the audio component is a “clear” or “masked” signal. A clear audio signal is a signal that conforms to a NTSC or BTSC standard that can be processed by a conventional television receiver while a “masked” signal is one in which the carrier frequency has been changed or otherwise modified so that a conventional television receiver cannot extract the audio content. A signal-processing path is provided for conventional clear monaural and stereo audio and for a masked monaural signal and for a masked stereo signal. Monaural clear and masked processing is addressed by microprocessor controlled switching in accordance with control information provided in the television signal and stereo masked processing is addressed by the presence or absence of energy corresponding to the masked stereo carrier.

Claims

1. An audio signal control system for monaural and stereo clear and masked signals, comprising:

an input for accepting signals having an audio component the audio component being a clear or masked monaural audio signal or a clear or masked stereo audio signal;

a first signal processing path for passing clear signals from said input;

a second signal processing path for passing a masked monaural signal from said input;

a third signal processing path for passing a masked stereo audio signal from said input;

a first switching means for selectively connecting either said first signal path or one of said second and third signal paths to a system output; and

a second switching means for automatically connecting either said second or third signal paths to said first switching means depending on whether said audio component is a masked monoaural signal or a masked stereo signal.

2. The audio control system of claim 1, further comprising means for detecting signal energy associated with a signal processed by said third signal processing path and for actuating said second switching means in response thereto to switch the signal of said third signal processing path to said first switching means.

3. The audio control system of claim 2, wherein said means for detecting comprises a bandpass filter for detecting signal energy uniquely identifying a signal on said third processing path.

4. The audio control system of claim 3, further comprising means for actuating said first switching means to select between said first signal path and the switched output of said second switching means.

5. The audio control system of claim 4, wherein said means for actuating said first switching means comprises a data responsive device responsive to data carried on said signal provided to said input.

6. An audio signal control system for set-top boxes for processing monaural and stereo clear and masked signals, comprising:

first, second, and third signal processing paths for accepting an input signal comprising a clear audio signal, a masked monoaural audio signal or a masked stereo audio signal, said first processing path for passing clear signals, said second signal processing path for passing a masked monaural signal, and said third signal processing path for passing a masked stereo audio signal;

a first switch for selectively connecting either said first signal processing path or one of said second and third signal processing paths to a system output;

a second switch for automatically connecting either said second or third signal processing paths to said first switching means depending on whether said audio component is a masked monoaural signal or a masked stereo signal; and

a switch controller connected to said second switch to cause said second switch to connect said third signal processing path to said first switch in response to a masked stereo signal being processed on said third signal processing path.

7. The audio control system of claim 6, further comprising a system input for providing said input signal to said first, second and third signal processing paths, wherein said system input comprises:

a tuner for tuning and outputting said input signal;

an intermediate frequency stage for processing said input signal from said tuner; and

a converter for converting a frequency of said input signal output by said intermediate frequency stage.

8. The audio control system of claim 7, wherein said converter is a down-converter.

9. The audio signal control system of claim 6, wherein said first signal processing path comprises a FM detector.

10. The audio control system of claim 6, wherein said first signal processing path comprises a bandpass filter and a FM detector.

11. The audio control system of claim 6, wherein said second signal processing path comprises a 2H detector.

12. The audio control system of claim 6, wherein said second signal processing path comprises a bandpass filter, 2H detector, and a lowpass filter.

13. The audio control system of claim 6, wherein said third signal processing path comprises a detector for processing a masked stereo signal.

14. The audio control system of claim 6, wherein said third signal processing path comprises a bandpass filter, a detector for processing a masked stereo signal, and a lowpass filter.

15. The audio control system of claim 6, wherein said switch controller comprises means for detecting a stereo masked signal and for causing said second switch to switch to the third processing path in response thereto.

16. The audio control system of claim 15, wherein said switch controller comprises a bandpass filter for filtering energy indicating a carrier of a stereo masked signal and a carrier detector for detecting the stereo masked signal carrier.

17. The audio control system of claim 6, wherein said third signal processing path comprises a first bandpass filter, a detector for receiving the output of said first bandpass filter for processing a masked stereo signal therefrom, and a lowpass filter through which the output of said detector is presented to said second switch and a second bandpass filter for filtering energy indicating a carrier of a stereo masked signal and a carrier detector for detecting the stereo masked signal carrier.

18. The audio control system of claim 17, wherein a pass band of said second bandpass filter is narrower than a pass band of said first bandpass filter.

19. A method of processing a clear or masked monaural or masked stereo audio signal having different modulated-carrier frequencies associated with either a clear or masked signal, comprising:

providing the audio signal to a clear processing path, to a masked monaural and to a masked stereo processing path;

providing a first selectively controllable switch to automatically connect the clear processing path or one of the masked monaural or the masked stereo processing path to a signal output in response to whether said audio signal is clear or masked; and

providing a second selectively controlled switch to automatically connect either said masked monaural or masked stereo processing path to said first selectively controlled switch.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising detecting energy associated with a modulated-frequency carrier for the masked signal.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting energy associated with a modulated-carrier frequency of said audio signal; and

controlling said second selectively controllable switch in response to said detecting energy associated with a modulated-carrier frequency of said audio signal.