Real-time signal strength display of terrestrial digital television signals

• US 6,985,190 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2000
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Dinwiddie, Aaron Hal, Schneidewend, Daniel Richard, Klopfenstein, Scott Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): KOSTAK, VICTOR R
• Application Number:
  US10/009,298
• Time in Patent Office: 1,983 Days
• Field of Search: 348/569, 348/570, 348/735, 348/732, 348/733, 348/731, 725/38, 725/40, 725/68, 725/72, 725/69, 455/154.1, 455/154.2, 455/159.1, 455/161.3, 343/760, 342/359
• US Class Current: 348/569
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

An HDTV receiver coupled to a terrestrial antenna displays real-time signal strength of terrestrial digital television signals. A graphical user interface preferably displays various data relating to all terrestrial television signals in a scrollable grid format. The grid is displayed within an active video display of a selected television signal from the grid. Audio for the selected channel is also active.

Claims

1. A video processing apparatus, for receiving terrestrial analog and digital television signals and for generating an output signal suitable for coupling to a display device for producing a displayable image, the apparatus comprising:

means for selecting a television signal from a plurality of received television signals;

control means for controlling said video processing apparatus; and

means for determining the signal strength of said received television signals, wherein

said control means causes said video processing apparatus to operate in one of a first mode of operation during which said selected television signal is included in said output signal for display in said displayed image; and

a second mode of operation during which said signal strength of said received television signals is provided for display on said display device concurrently with said selected television signal.

2. The video processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for determining signal strength includes means for updating said signal strength of said selected television signal and said second mode of operation includes showing the update of signal strength.

3. The video processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for updating includes means for determining whether a television signal is digital or analog, and said second mode of operation includes means for displaying whether said television signal is digital or analog.