Terminal equipment for cable television

• US 6,996,837 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Miura, Takeshi, Uee, Nobuo, Nishitsuka, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US09/639,085
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 728/78, 728 80- 82, 728/85, 728/139, 728/133, 728/141, 715/153
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

Terminal equipment has a master terminal (1) and a slave terminal (2), the master terminal (1) includes a first tuner (TA) receiving the cablecast signal for television programming delivered from the cable television station, and applying an image signal produced from the cablecast signal to a first television receiver (3); a second tuner (TB) receiving a cablecast signal, and applying an image signal produced from the cablecast signal; and a transmitter/receiver (RT) radio-transmitting the image signal output from the second tuner section, the slave terminal (2) includes a radio-receiving section for receiving the image signal transmitted from the transmitter/receiver (RT) of the master terminal (1), and applying the image signal, received by the radio-receiving section, to a second television receiver (5).

Claims

1. Terminal equipment connected to a cable television station of cable television to receive a cablecast signal for television programming delivered from the cable television station, comprising:

a master terminal including a first tuner section for receiving a cablecast signal for television programming delivered from the cable television station and applying an image signal produced from the cablecast signal to a first television receiver, at least one second tuner section for receiving a cablecast signal for television programming delivered from the cable television station and outputting an image signal produced from the cablecast signal, and a radio-transmitter section connected to said second tuner section to radio-transmit the image signal output from the second tuner section, wherein said second tuner section has a selector subsection for switching between a terminal connected to a picture-recording device and said radio-transmitter section to apply the image signal to the terminal or said radio-transmitter section;

at least one slave terminal including a radio-receiving section for receiving the image signal transmitted from said radio-transmitter section of said master terminal, and applying the image signal received by said radio-receiving section to a second television receiver; and

a message signal outputting section for outputting a message signal for displaying a selecting state of said selector subsection on the second television receiver, to transmit the message signal through said radio-transmitter section to said slave terminal, the message signal indicating that the image signal is prevented from being transmitted when the selector subsection is switched to send the image signal from said second tuner section to the picture-recording device.

2. The terminal equipment for cable television according to claim 1, wherein said controller switches the selector subsection of said second tuner section in response to a manipulation signal input thereto, to supply the image signal from said second tuner section to said radio-transmitter section or the terminal connected to the picture-recording device.

3. The terminal equipment for cable television according to claim 1, wherein said slave terminal further includes a remote controller receiving section for receiving a remote control signal supplied from a wireless remote controller.