Electronic apparatus

• US 6,883,054 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Kazuhiro, Takeshima, Kuriko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US09/808,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20010036809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 713/301, 713/302, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 713/1, 455/572, 455/574, 710/302, 307/131
• US Class Current: 710/302
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises a main unit which stops operation when receiving an apparatus control signal S1 specifying a standby state while in a normal state, and then outputs an operating state signal S2 indicating that the main unit is in the standby state; and begins operation when receiving an apparatus control signal S1 for selecting the normal state while in the standby state, and then outputs an operating state signal S2 indicating that the main unit is in the normal state; and a sub-unit which stops operation when, while operating, receiving an IC card detection signal S3 indicating that the reading of an IC card 4 is possible and also receiving the operating state signal S2 indicating that the main unit is in the standby state from the main unit, and brings part of its functional blocks into operation when, while not operating, receiving the operating state signal S2 indicating that the main unit is in the normal state from the main unit.

Claims

1. A broadcasting receiver having a standby state and a normal state of power supply, comprising:

an antenna device for receiving broadcast signals;

a sub-unit operatively connected to the antenna device including a received signal processing circuit for processing said broadcast signals and a user information processing circuit for processing subscription information;

a slot operatively connected to the sub-unit for inserting a storage medium on which said subscription information is recorded;

a detecting means operatively connected to the sub-unit for detecting presence or absence of said storage medium inserted in said slot and for supplying a detection signal indicative of the presence or absence of said storage medium in said slot; and

a main unit operatively connected to said sub-unit for receiving a control signal for placing said main unit in a normal state or a standby state and for outputting a state signal indicative of the current state of said main unit to said received signal processing circuit and said user information processing circuit of said sub-unit,

wherein when said received signal processing circuit and said user information processing circuit receive the state signal indicating that said main unit is in the standby state and receive said detection signal indicating the absence of said storage medium in said slot while said sub-unit is in an operating state, said received signal processing circuit and said user information processing circuit are set into a non-operating state, and

wherein when said received signal processing circuit and said user information processing circuit receive said detection signal indicating the presence of said storage medium in said slot while said sub-unit is in a non-operating state, said user information processing circuit is set into an operating state and said received signal processing circuit is maintained in a non-operating state.

2. A broadcasting receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein power is supplied to the antenna device and to said sub-unit when said broadcasting receiver is in said normal state and said detecting means detects insertion of said storage medium.

3. A broadcasting receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said broadcast signals are transmitted from a satellite.

4. A broadcasting receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein said broadcast signals further include program information.

5. A broadcasting receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein additional subscription information is provided in the broadcast signals received by said antenna device, and wherein said subscription information and additional subscription information are utilized to allow a subscriber to view a program.

6. A broadcasting receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna device includes a low-noise frequency converter circuit.

7. A broadcasting receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein the converter circuit includes an amplifier for amplifying said signals.

8. A broadcasting receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein the converter circuit transmits the signals to the sub-unit.