Method and system for single chip satellite set-top box system

• US 7,526,245 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bushner, Paige
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US10/716,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20050009481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.02, 455/410, 455/411, 455/75, 455/76, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/557, 455/558, 455/132, 455/101, 455/133, 455/137, 455/313, 455/314, 455/323, 455/324, 455/333, 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 701/213, 701/214, 701/215
• US Class Current: 455/3.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in an single chip satellite set-top box solution that comprises demodulation, decoding and audio/video display functions integrated within a single chip. The single chip solution for the satellite set-top box is adapted to provide demodulation, display, and other related set-top box functions for a system that may be adapted to handle two incoming data streams modulated using an 8 PSK, 8 PSK-turbo or QPSK scheme, for example. Accordingly, the single chip satellite set-top box solution comprise dual 8 PSK/8 PSK-turbo/QPSK demodulators, a MIPS CPU, a 16-bit DDR-SDRAM, graphics display capability for handling two channels, and audio/video decoders and DACs for handling two incoming channels. The single chip satellite set-top box solution may also comprise integrated peripheral support for major set top box functions including a smart card interface, IR receivers, and general purpose input/output (GP/IO) pins.

Claims

1. A system for an integrated set-top box, the system comprising:

a single integrated circuit chip comprising;

a first satellite receiver demodulator integrated within said single integrated circuit chip;

at least a second satellite receiver demodulator integrated within said single integrated circuit chip;

at least one processor integrated within said single integrated circuit chip and coupled to said first satellite receiver demodulator and said second satellite receiver demodulator;

at least one video decoder integrated within said single integrated circuit chip and coupled to said at least one processor;

at least one video and graphics display engine integrated within said single integrated circuit chip and coupled to said at least one video decoder; and

at least one video encoder integrated within said single integrated circuit chip and coupled to said at least one video and graphics display engine.

2. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one video digital-to-analog converter and RF modulator integrated within said single integrated circuit chip and coupled to said at least one video encoder.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one video decoder is a standard definition MPEG-2 video decoder.

4. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one audio decoder integrated within said single integrated circuit chip and coupled to said at least one processor.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said at least one audio decoder is an MPEG-2 audio decoder.

6. The system according to claim 4, comprising at least one audio digital-to-analog converter integrated within said single integrated circuit chip and coupled to said at lest one audio decoder.

7. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one memory controller integrated within said single integrated circuit chip and coupled to at least said at least one processor.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said at least one memory controller comprises a unified dual data rate DRAM memory controller.

9. The system according to claim 1, comprising a digital satellite equipment control (DiSEqC) bus integrated within said single integrated circuit chip.

10. The system according to claim 1, comprising one or more of a plurality of peripheral interfaces comprising an infrared interface, a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter, a serial peripheral interface, a binary synchronous communication interface, general purpose input/output pins, and/or pulse width modulation controller interface, integrated within said single integrated circuit chip.

11. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one read-only memory integrated within said single integrated circuit chip.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said at least one read-only memory comprises a CPU boot ROM and a FLASH.

13. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one debug port integrated within said single integrated circuit chip.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said debug port comprises a JTAG port or any variation thereof.

15. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one card reader or writer interface integrated within said single integrated circuit chip.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said card reader or writer interface is a smart card reader or writer interface.

17. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one core voltage regulator integrated within said single integrated circuit chip.

18. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one phase lock loop integrated within said single integrated circuit chip.

19. The system according to claim 1, comprising at least one telephony modem integrated within said single integrated circuit chip.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first satellite receiver demodulator and said second satellite receiver demodulator are one or more of 8 PSK, 8 PSK-turbo and/or QPSK demodulators.

21. A method for processing information in a set-top box, the method comprising:

receiving a first modulated signal by a first satellite receiver within a single integrated circuit chip;

demodulating said first modulated signal by said first satellite receiver within said single integrated circuit chip to generate a first demodulated signal;

receiving a second modulated signal by a second satellite receiver within said single integrated circuit chip;

demodulating said second modulated signal by said second satellite receiver within said single integrated circuit chip to generate a second demodulated signal;

decoding within said single integrated circuit chip, a video portion of said second demodulated signal to generate a second decoded video signal;

encoding within said single integrated circuit chip, said second decoded video signal within said single integrated circuit chip to generate a second encoded digital video signal; and

converting within said single integrated circuit chip, said second encoded digital video signal to a second analog video signal.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said demodulating of said first modulated signal and said demodulating of said second modulated signal occurs simultaneously.

23. The method according to claim 21, comprising decoding within said single integrated circuit chip, a video portion of said first demodulated signal to generate a first decoded video signal.

24. The method according to claim 23, comprising encoding within said single integrated circuit chip, said first decoded video signal within said single integrated circuit chip to generate a first encoded digital video signal.

25. The method according to claim 24, comprising converting within said single integrated circuit chip, said first encoded digital video signal to a first analog video signal.

26. The method according to claim 21, comprising decoding within said single integrated circuit chip, an audio portion of said first demodulated signal to generate a first decoded digital audio signal.

27. The method according to claim 26, comprising converting within said single integrated circuit chip, said first decoded digital audio signal to a first analog audio signal.

28. A method for processing information in a set-top box, the method comprising:

receiving a first modulated signal by a first satellite receiver within a single integrated circuit chip;

demodulating said first modulated signal by said first satellite receiver within said single integrated circuit chip to generate a first demodulated signal;

receiving a second modulated signal by a second satellite receiver within said single integrated circuit chip;

demodulating said second modulated signal by said second satellite receiver within said single integrated circuit chip to generate a second demodulated signal;

decoding within said single integrated circuit chip, a video portion of said second demodulated signal to generate a second decoded video signal;

decoding within said single integrated circuit chip, an audio portion of said second demodulated signal to generate a second decoded digital audio signal; and

converting within said single integrated circuit chip, said second decoded digital audio signal to a second analog audio signal.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein said demodulating of said first modulated signal and said demodulating of said second modulated signal occurs simultaneously.

30. The method according to claim 28, comprising decoding within said single integrated circuit chip, a video portion of said first demodulated signal to generate a first decoded video signal.

31. The method according to claim 30, comprising encoding within said single integrated circuit chip, said first decoded video signal within said single integrated circuit chip to generate a first encoded digital video signal.

32. The method according to claim 31, comprising converting within said single integrated circuit chip, said first encoded digital video signal to a first analog video signal.

33. The method according to claim 28, comprising decoding within said single integrated circuit chip, an audio portion of said first demodulated signal to generate a first decoded digital audio signal.

34. The method according to claim 33, comprising converting within said single integrated circuit chip, said first decoded digital audio signal to a first analog audio signal.