Television tuner employing micro-electro-mechanically-switched tuning matrix

Abstract

A tuning circuit, as for a television receiver or video recorder, employs switchable tuning circuits including micro-electronic electro-mechanical switches for selecting the ones of an array of capacitors and/or inductors as is useful in tunable circuits. The array of capacitors and/or inductors and micro-electro-mechanical switches of the switched tuning matrix is formed on an integrated circuit or an electronic circuit substrate along with amplifiers and other electronic elements of the tuning circuit for which the switched tuning matrix is employed. The switchable capacitance and inductance matrices are well suited for use in the resonators employed in the pre-selector filters, post-selector filters and oscillators of electronic tuners, such as those employed in television receivers and video recorders. The capacitors and micro-electro-mechanical switches may be connected to select a particular capacitor of the array of capacitors or to select ones of the capacitors of the array of capacitors to establish a particular capacitance value. The capacitors of the array of capacitors may be of like value or may be of different values, such as would advance simplified response to a digital control word, such as a 1-2-4-8 weighting or a 1-2-2-4 weighting. Similarly, the inductors and micro-electro-mechanical switches may be connected to select a particular inductor of the array of inductors or to select ones of the inductors of the array of inductors to establish a particular inductance value. The inductors of the array of inductors may be of like value or may be of different values, such as would advance simplified response to a digital control word, such as a 1-2-4-8 weighting or a 1-2-2-4 weighting.