Method for controlling a multi-tuner signal receiving apparatus

• US 7,873,977 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Teskey, John Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton; Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr; Jean D
• Application Number:
  US11/579,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 725/74, 725/76, 725/78, 348/114, 348/211.99, 348/734
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/43615 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

A multi-tuner signal receiving apparatus enables signal distribution in a household and/or business dwelling, and can be effectively controlled by users via one or more remote control devices. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of tuners and a controller including a memory for storing association data indicating an association between a remote control device and a first one of the tuners. The controller causes the first tuner to tune to a particular channel responsive to a control signal from the remote control device selecting the particular channel.

Claims

1. An apparatus operative to provide signals to a plurality of client devices via a transmission medium having a plurality of frequency bands, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of tuners;

control means including a memory for storing association data indicating user designated associations between a plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of tuners and further indicating user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of frequency bands; and

wherein said control means causes a first one of said tuners to tune to a particular channel responsive to a control signal from a first one of said remote control devices associated with said first tuner selecting said particular channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of tuners are made by said user independently from said user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of frequency bands.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means further causes data from said particular channel to be output to a first one of said frequency bands associated with said first remote control device responsive to said control signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising modulating means for generating modulated signals by modulating signals provided from said first tuner to a first one of said frequency bands associated with said first remote control device, and wherein said modulated signals are output to said transmission medium.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

said association data includes a first code associated with said first remote control device;

said first remote control device provides said first code with each control signal output there from; and

said control means uses said first code to distinguish said first remote control device from other said remote control devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a graphics compositor for enabling display of a menu, and wherein a user can create said user designated associations between said remote control devices and said tuners and said user designated associations between said remote control devices and said frequency bands using said menu.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said menu provides a list of said plurality of tuners and said user designates said first tuner to be associated with said first remote control device from said list.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of said remote control devices is also associated with one of said client devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

said control means detects available frequency bands on said transmission medium from among said plurality of frequency bands;

said menu provides a list of said available frequency bands; and

said user designates said first frequency band to be associated with said first remote control device from said list.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said control means allows said user to select a frequency band not included in said list.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tuners receive broadcast signals from at least one signal source including at least one of a satellite source, a terrestrial source, a cable source, and an internet source.

12. A method for controlling an apparatus having a plurality of tuners, said apparatus being operatively coupled to a plurality of client devices via a transmission medium having a plurality of frequency bands, said method comprising steps of:

storing association data indicating user designated associations between a plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of tuners and further indicating user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of frequency bands; and

causing a first one of said tuners to tune to a particular channel responsive to a control signal from a first one of said remote control devices associated with said first tuner selecting said particular channel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of tuners are made by said user independently from said user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of frequency bands.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of causing data from said particular channel to be output to a first one of said frequency bands associated with said first remote control device responsive to said control signal.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising steps of:

generating modulated signals by modulating signals provided from said first tuner to a first one of said frequency bands associated with said first remote control device; and

outputting said modulated signals to said transmission medium.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

said association data includes a first code associated with said first remote control device;

said first remote control device provides said first code with each control signal output there from; and

said apparatus uses said first code to distinguish said first remote control device from other said remote control devices.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising steps of:

enabling display of a menu; and

enabling a user to create said user designated associations between said remote control devices and said tuners and said user designated associations between said remote control devices and said frequency bands using said menu.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said menu provides a list of said plurality of tuners and said user designates said first tuner to be associated with said first remote control device from said list.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein each of said remote control devices is also associated with one of said client devices.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of:

detecting available frequency bands on said transmission medium from among said plurality of frequency bands; and

wherein said menu provides a list of said available frequency bands and said user designates said first frequency band to be associated with said first remote control device from said list.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said apparatus allows said user to select a frequency band not included in said list.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein said tuners receive broadcast signals from at least one signal source including at least one of a satellite source, a terrestrial source, a cable source, and an internet source.

23. A television signal receiving apparatus operative to provide signals to a plurality of client devices via a transmission medium having a plurality of frequency bands, said television signal receiving apparatus comprising:

a plurality of tuners;

a controller including a memory operative to store association data indicating user designated associations between a plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of tuners and further indicating user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of frequency bands; and

wherein said controller causes a first one of said tuners to tune to a particular channel responsive to a control signal from a first one of said remote control devices associated with said first tuner selecting said particular channel.

24. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 23, wherein said user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of tuners are made by said user independently from said user designated associations between said plurality of remote control devices and said plurality of frequency bands.

25. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 23, wherein said controller further causes data from said particular channel to be output to a first one of said frequency bands associated with said first remote control device responsive to said control signal.

26. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a multi-channel modulator operative to generate modulated signals by modulating signals provided from said first tuner to a first one of said frequency bands associated with said first remote control device, and wherein said modulated signals are output to said transmission medium.

27. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

said association data includes a first code associated with said first remote control device;

said first remote control device provides said first code with each control signal output there from; and

said control means uses said first code to distinguish said first remote control device from other said remote control devices.

28. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a graphics compositor operative to enable display of a menu, and wherein a user can create said user designated associations between said remote control devices and said tuners and said user designated associations between said remote control devices and said frequency bands using said menu.

29. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 28, wherein said menu provides a list of said plurality of tuners and said user designates said first tuner to be associated with said first remote control device from said list.

30. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of said remote control devices is also associated with one of said client devices.

31. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 28, wherein:

said controller is further operative to detect available frequency bands on said transmission medium from among said plurality of frequency bands;

said menu provides a list of said available frequency bands; and

said user designates said first frequency band to be associated with said first remote control device from said list.

32. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 31, wherein said controller allows said user to select a frequency band not included in said list.

33. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 23, wherein said tuners receive broadcast signals from at least one signal source including at least one of a satellite source, a terrestrial source, a cable source, and an internet source.

34. The television signal receiving apparatus of claim 23, wherein said controller is further operative to measure signal strengths of signals output from said remote control devices and enable outputs indicating said measured signal strengths.