Multiple time-base clock for processing multiple satellite signals

• US 7,230,987 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Demas, Jason, Schoner, Brian, Baer, David, Law, Honman
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US10/374,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20040062314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 37524001-24029, 375/373, 375/327, 348/500, 348/512
• US Class Current: 375/240.28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite

Abstract

An integrated receiver with multiple, independently synchronized clock signals for multiple channel transport stream decoding and delivery substantially implemented on a single CMOS integrated circuit is described. An integrated circuit that services two satellite programs must generate and distribute corresponding time domain clocks to the various components of the integrated circuit. The transport block that receives one or more satellite signals from a demodulating block will extract program clock recover values from each signal being decoded and use these values to produce an error signal or control word that serves as an input to a clock generator. Based upon this input, the clock circuit will produce a corresponding time domain clock for each channel serviced by the integrated circuit. The output of the clock circuit is distributed to the various processing blocks within the integrated circuit that operate upon channel content received and processed by the transport block.

Claims

1. In a decoding apparatus for simultaneously servicing a plurality of independent programs for display on independent display devices, a multiple time-base clock generator comprising:

a transport processor for demultiplexing multiple input transport streams to generate a first video stream corresponding to a first program signal, and to further generate a second video stream corresponding to a second program signal, said transport processor comprising a PCR circuit for extracting first PCR data from the transport streams corresponding to the first program signal, and for extracting second PCR data from the transport streams corresponding to the second program signal, and

a clock circuit responsive to the first and second PCR data for generating a first clock signal that is synchronized to a program clock for the first program signal and for generating a second clock signal that is synchronized to a program clock for the second program signal.

2. The clock generator of claim 1, wherein the clock circuit comprises:

a first clock circuit that generates a first system clock corresponding to the first program signal under control of the first PCR data and further generates a second system clock corresponding to the second program signal under control of the second PCR data, said first clock circuit comprising;

a phase detector, an internal voltage controlled oscillator and a divider coupled between an output of the voltage controlled oscillator and an input of the phase detector, and

a plurality of phase rotators coupled to the output of the voltage controlled oscillator, each phase rotator generating a plurality of phases; and

a second clock circuit comprising a phase locked loop circuit for generating additional frequencies required by the decoding apparatus for decoding and displaying the first and second program signals.

3. The clock generator of claim 1, wherein the clock circuit comprises:

a first clock circuit that generates a first system clock corresponding to the first program signal in response to the first PCR data and further generates a second system clock corresponding to the second program signal in response to the second PCR data, said first clock circuit comprising;

a first external voltage controlled oscillator controlled by a first voltage-based error signal derived from the first PCR data, and

a second external voltage controlled oscillator controlled by a second voltage-based error signal derived from the second PCR data, and

a second clock circuit comprising a phase locked loop circuit coupled to an output of the first clock circuit for generating additional frequencies required by the decoding apparatus for decoding and displaying the first and second program signals.

4. The clock generator of claim 1, wherein the decoding apparatus comprises an MPEG video decoder, and wherein the clock generator provides said first and second clock signals to the MPEG video decoder such that the MPEG video decoder simultaneously decodes first and second video streams extracted from the first and second program signals under control of the first and second clock signals.

5. The clock generator of claim 1, wherein the decoding apparatus comprises an MPEG audio decoder, and wherein the clock generator provides said first and second clock signals to the MPEG audio decoder such that the MPEG audio decoder simultaneously decodes first and second audio streams extracted from the first and second program signals under control of the first and second clock signals.

6. The clock generator of claim 1, wherein the clock circuit comprises first and second external voltage controlled oscillators controlled by first and second PWM waveforms, where said first PWM waveform is derived from the first PCR data.

7. The clock generator of claim 1, wherein the clock circuit comprises:

a first phase locked loop coupled to a first plurality of phase rotators for generating a first plurality of clock signals for use in decoding the first program signal, and

a second phase locked loop coupled to a second plurality of phase rotators for generating a second plurality of clock signals for use in decoding the second program signal.

8. The clock generator of claim 1, wherein the clock generator and decoding apparatus are formed together on a common substrate.

9. The clock generator of claim 8, wherein the substrate is silicon.

10. The clock generator of claim 8 wherein the clock generator and decoding apparatus are fabricated according to standard CMOS processing.