Sony Corporation

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

Kenji Inose

Katsumi Oishi

Keiji Fukuzawa

Katsumi Ohishi

Naohisa Kitazato

Hirofumi Yuchi

Masakatsu Toyoshima

Haruhiko Yata

Jun Nishihara

Yuichiro Nakamura

Tai Hirakawa

Hideaki Shimizu

Keiichi Kurokawa

A first communication control unit and a second communication control unit share a single transmission and reception unit. The second communication control unit maintains connection with a terminal device while the first communication control unit is scanning frequency channels to search for an access point. When a search processing unitdetects an access point, the second communication control unitswitches the frequency channel for use in communication with the terminal device to the channel used in the detected access point.

Wireless communication device, wireless communication system, and channel switching method

This invention relates to an information delivery system and method, an information transmission apparatus and method, and an information receiving apparatus and method for delivering a digital multi-channel service signal through a satellite and a cable network. A QPSK demodulation circuit demodulates an inputted TS and outputs it to an error correction circuit. The error correction circuit corrects the inputted signal and outputs it to a network information (NIT) conversion circuit. The NIT conversion circuit replaces the NIT for CS waves with NIT for cable TV and outputs it to a QAM demodulation circuit. The QAM demodulation circuit demodulates the inputted signal and pouts it to a frequency conversion circuit. The frequency conversion circuit converts the frequency of the inputted signal into a predetermined value and outputs the signal to a signal mixer.

Information distribution system

In a television signal transmission system, CS broadcasting signals received via a master antenna are converted into intermediate frequency signals in an LNB (Low Noise Block Down Converter). The CS intermediate frequency signals then undergo conversion of the modulation format, for example, from QPSK into 64-QAM, so that CS broadcasting signals from each transponder, having a bandwidth of, for example, 27 MHz, are accommodated in a narrower bandwidth, for example, 6 MHz, which is equivalent to one channel of terrestrial broadcasting services. Then, the signals accommodated in the narrower bandwidth is frequency-shifted into a vacant frequency band in the VHF band or the UHF band. Accordingly, the CS signals accommodated in the narrower band and frequency-shifted into the vacant band are multiplexed with terrestrial broadcasting signals in the VHF and UHF bands and BS intermediate frequency signals so that all these signals are delivered to each household via a single cable.

Television signal distributor apparatus, receiver apparatus, television signal transmission system and method

In a step S, when the user executes a tuning operation (a service-number input operation) on an input section, the information is output to a control section. In a step S, the control section determines whether the service number selected in the step Scorresponds to a promotion channel. When it is determined that the service number corresponds to a promotion channel, the procedure proceeds to a step S. In the step S, the control section displays on the monitor a message indicating that the selected service number is not found.

Receiving apparatus, receiving method, and providing medium

The display section connected to a control section displays, at the same time, both the contents described in the network information table of the digital broadcast data demodulated by a demodulator and complying with the first network, and also the contents described in the network information table of the digital broadcast data replaced by an NIT-replacing circuit and complying with the second network. An NIT-detecting circuit detects an NITa from an MPEG2 transport packet, i.e., digital broadcast data in the satellite broadcasting system (first network). The control section complying with a CATV system (second network) generates the data representing at least the transmission frequency of the NITa detected by the NIT-detecting circuit . The NIT-replacing circuit replaces the NITa contained in the MPEG2 transport packet, i.e., digital broadcast data in the satellite broadcasting system, with the NITb, thereby generating an MPEG2 transport packet, which will be used as digital broadcast data in the CATV system.

Signal processing apparatus and signal processing method

A digital broadcast program broadcast with a first network is transmitted to a second network. A tuner selects digital broadcast signal having a predetermined transmission frequency and ECC decoder obtains MPEG2 TS packet S as the digital broadcast data on the digital satellite broadcasting. An NIT detecting circuit detects NIT from the MPEG2 TS packet S and a control unit changes the NIT to obtain a table NITb applicable to CATV. A NIT substitution circuit detects NIT from the MPEG2 TS packet S and substitutes table the NITb for the NIT to obtain MPEG2 TS packet S as the digital broadcast data on the CATV. Then, an error correct code is added to the MPEG2 TS packet S and the added packet S is modulated. Then, modulated one is frequency-converted to obtain digital broadcast signal BS- having a predetermined transmission frequency for the CATV. Further, a signal processing device including spare (redundant) signal processors simplified in their configurations and simple in their management may be obtained by this invention. Switch units corresponding to N signal processors in use, of switch units - through - (N&plus; ) are brought into conduction, and the switch unit corresponding to the remaining one signal processor set as a spare and placed in a standby state is brought to a cut-off state. Signals outputted from the switch units - through - (N&plus; ) are added together and the result of addition is sent to a CATV transmission path . When any of the N signal processors in use fails and a user inputs information about its failure through an operation unit , the faulty signal processor is newly kept in reserve and standby state. As an alternative to this, each signal processor kept in reserve and standby state up to now is placed in a used state. Thereby, it is possible to construct a spare signal processor as being unfixed.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Kenji Inose