Apparatus and method for signal level control

• US 7,928,814 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Bajgrowicz, Brian David, White, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Alan
• Application Number:
  US12/087,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 333/17.1, 333/1, 333/100, 333/24.R, 333/129, 725/149, 725/151, 348/731, 455/150.1, 455/3.02, 455/334, 330/124.R
• US Class Current: 333/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/18 Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H

Abstract

A set top box is described including multiple tuners and an apparatus and method for controlling signal level. The apparatus includes a signal splitter for splitting signal power of a signal between an input and at least two outputs, a controller coupled to an output, and a circuit controlled by the controller and selectively coupled to the signal splitter for altering a signal transfer response characteristic of the signal. The method describes controlling the signal level of signals outputted by a signal splitter including determining a signal quality characteristic of one of the output signals and altering a signal response in the signal splitter in response to comparing the signal quality characteristic to a predetermined signal quality characteristic threshold.

Claims

1. A signal tuning apparatus comprising:

a signal splitter for splitting signal power of a signal between an input and at least two outputs;

a controller coupled to at least one output of said at least two outputs; and

a circuit controlled by said controller and selectively coupled to said signal splitter, said circuit for altering a signal transfer response characteristic of said signal, wherein said signal transfer response characteristic of said signal is frequency response.

2. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said signal splitter comprises three resistive elements connected at a common node.

3. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said circuit is selectively coupled to said signal splitter at said common node.

4. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said frequency response is a high pass frequency response.

5. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a first detector coupled to a first output of said at least two outputs and to said controller, wherein said first detector determines a signal quality value of said signal at said first output.

6. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said circuit is selectively coupled by said controller in response to said first detector.

7. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said controller compares said signal quality value to a predetermined value of signal quality.

8. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 6, wherein said signal quality value is at least one of signal level, signal to noise ratio, and bit error rate.

9. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising a second detector coupled to a second output of said at least two outputs and to said controller, wherein said second detector determines a signal quality value of said signal at said second output.

10. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said circuit is selectively coupled by said controller in response to said first detector and said second detector.

11. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said controller compares said signal quality value of said signal at said second output to said signal quality value of said signal at said first output and to a predetermined value of signal quality.

12. The signal tuning apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said circuit comprises at least one of a resistor, capacitor, and inductor.

13. A method for changing signal transfer characteristics using output signals of a signal splitter comprising the steps of:

determining a first signal quality characteristic of a first output signal;

altering a signal response in said signal splitter;

determining a second signal quality characteristic of said first output signal in response to altering said signal response; and

comparing said first signal quality characteristic to said second signal quality characteristic and to a predetermined signal quality characteristic threshold.

14. An apparatus comprising of:

means for determining a signal quality characteristic of a signal; and

means for altering a signal transfer response in a signal splitter in response to comparing said signal quality characteristic to a predetermined signal quality characteristic threshold, wherein said signal transfer response in said signal splitter is frequency response.

15. A method for controlling the signal level of signals outputted by a signal power splitter, comprising the steps of:

determining a first signal quality characteristic of a first output signal; and

altering a signal transfer response in said signal power splitter in response to comparing said first signal quality characteristic to a predetermined signal quality characteristic threshold, wherein said signal transfer response in said signal power splitter is frequency response.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

determining a second signal quality characteristic of a second output signal; and

altering said signal transfer response in said signal power splitter in response to comparing said second signal quality characteristic to a predetermined signal quality characteristic threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising altering said signal transfer response in said signal splitter in response to comparing said first signal quality characteristic to said second signal quality characteristic.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said signal quality characteristic is one of at least signal level, signal to noise ratio, and bit error rate.