Thomson Licensing

Thomson Licensing S.a.

Thomson Licensing Dtv

David Glen White

Matthew Thomas Mayer

Aaron Reel Bouillet

Daniel Mark Hutchinson

Henri Girard

Brian David Bajgrowicz

Alexander Sarapin

Hutchinson Daniel Mark

Many advanced signal receiving devices include more than one tuner. An apparatus is described that includes a first circuit operating as a first portion of a signal attenuator, a second circuit operating as a second portion of the signal attenuator and outputting a first differential output signal, and a third circuit also operating as the second portion of the signal attenuator and outputting a second differential output signal. A method is described including receiving a signal, splitting the received signal to produce a first output signal and a second output signal, the splitting being performed using a differential signal format and further being performed using only at least one of a resistor, capacitor, and inductor, and outputting the first output signal in a differential signal format and the second output signal in a differential signal format.

Apparatus and method for processing a radio frequency signal

The present invention concerns an apparatus for protecting a satellite reception system from strong terrestrial signals. A high Q tunable trap is used to help reject strong ATSC signals or other signals that may be present on the input coaxial cable of a satellite receiver that operates in a single-wire multi-switch (SWM) environment.

Method for protecting satellite reception from strong terrestrial signals

A method and apparatus for isolating a noise intolerant device, e.g., a phase-lock loop of a tuner within a television receiver, from source of noise. In one embodiment, the apparatus isolates a phase-lock loop integrated circuit (IC) from the bus, by providing an isolation buffer that allows the receiver to only pass data to the tuner's phase-lock loop IC when a tune command is issued by a processor. When not being tuned, the IIC lines to the tuner are held HIGH by a buffer until needed again to perform the tuning function. This allows the demodulation circuitry to use a setting for a carrier tracking-loop that optimizes bit error rate performance.

Method and apparatus for isolating IIC bus noise from a tuner in a television receiver

A method and apparatus for demodulating different type of signals having at least a portion of overlapping frequency ranges is provided. The method and apparatus receives at least one a broadcast signal and a home networking signal, wherein the frequency range of the broadcast signal overlaps the frequency range of the home networking signal. The system further determines if the received signal is a broadcast signal or a home networking signal and provides the respective signal to a demodulator for demodulation.

System and method for combined home network communications and broadcast reception in a settop box

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.

Apparatus and method for signal level control

An apparatus ( ) for isolating a noise intolerant device ( ) from a source of noise includes a digital bus ( ). A processor ( ) outputs clock signals and first data signals and receives second data signals over the digital bus ( ). A bi-directional buffer ( ) is coupled between the digital bus ( ) and the noise intolerant device ( ) disposed in a tuner module. The apparatus ( ) operates such that, in dependence upon a control signal, the bi-directional buffer ( ) selectively passes the clock signals and the first data signals from the digital bus ( ) to the noise intolerant device ( ), and the second data signals from the noise intolerant device ( ) to the digital bus ( ).

Method and apparatus for isolating noise from a tuner in a television signal receiver

A receiver for processing a VSB modulated signal containing terrestrial broadcast high definition television information includes an input analog-to-digital converter ( ) for producing a digital datastream. A symbol timing recovery and segment sync recovery network ( ; FIG. ) develops a properly timed sampling clock for the digital converter ( ). The symbol timing recovery network ( ) responds to an output from the segment sync recovery network ( ), which in turn responds to an equalized signal from an adaptive channel equalizer ( ). A controlled oscillator ( ) generates the sampling clock for the digital converter. A control network ( ; FIG. ) shifts the frequency range of the oscillator to maintain desired linear operation to enhance symbol timing acquisition.

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

David Glen White