Television tuner for reducing power consumption and video device using the television tuner

• US 6,757,028 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/898,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20020018147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 348/730, 348/731, 348/553, 348/725
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

When a television signal is not received, supply of a power supply voltage to the inner circuits is stopped to save the electric current consumed. A television tuner comprises at least a mixer circuit for frequency-converting a television signal to an intermediate-frequency signal, a local oscillation circuit for inputting a local oscillation signal to the mixer circuit, an intermediate-frequency amplifier circuit for amplifying the intermediate-frequency signal, and a PLL circuit for controlling the oscillating frequency of the local oscillation circuit, the television tuner further comprising switch means for supplying a power supply voltage to the mixer circuit, the local oscillation circuit, the intermediate-frequency amplifier circuit, and the PLL circuit, wherein when the television signal is received, the switch means is turned on, and when the television signal is not received, the switch means is turned off.

Claims

1. A video device comprising:

an external video terminal to be fed an external video signal;

an external audio terminal to be fed an external audio signal;

a video signal process circuit;

an audio signal process circuit;

a video/audio; and

a television tuner including;

a mixer circuit to frequency-convert a television signal to an intermediate-frequency signal;

a local oscillation circuit that inputs a local oscillation signal to the mixer circuit;

an intermediate-frequency amplifier circuit to amplify the intermediate-frequency signal;

a PLL circuit to control the oscillating frequency of the local oscillation circuit; and

a switch to supply a power supply voltage to the mixer circuit, the local oscillation circuit, the intermediate-frequency amplifier circuit, and the PLL circuit,

wherein

when the television signal is received, the switch is turned on, and when the television signal is not received, the switch is turned off,

the mixer circuit, the local oscillation circuit, the intermediate-frequency amplifier circuit, and the PLL circuit are constructed in one package of an integrated circuit, the switch is provided with a first switch element, the power supply voltage is supplied through the first switch element to the mixer circuit, the local oscillation circuit, the intermediate-frequency amplifier circuit, and the PLL circuit, and the first switch element is constructed in the integrated circuit,

a video intermediate-frequency circuit is provided outside the integrated circuit to process the intermediate-frequency signal amplified by the intermediate-frequency amplifier circuit, and to have a video signal output terminal to output a video signal and an audio signal output terminal to output an audio signal, the switch is provided with a second switch element, the cower supply voltage is supplied through the second switch element to the video intermediate-frequency circuit, and the second switch element is provided outside the integrated circuit, and

when the television signal is received, the video/audio switch connects the video signal output terminal to the video signal process circuit and connects the audio signal output terminal to the audio signal process circuit, and when the television signal is not received, the video/audio switch connects the external video terminal to the video signal process circuit and connects the external audio terminal to the audio signal process circuit.