The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 05, 2005
Filed:
Dec. 19, 2001
John Ryan Schnellenberger, Westfield, IN (US);
John Ryan Schnellenberger, Westfield, IN (US);
Thomson Licensing S.A., Boulogne-Billancourt, FR;
Abstract
An apparatus such as a television signal receiver includes first and second circuit boards. The first circuit board includes a memory, and control circuitry for controlling at least one function of the apparatus. The second circuit board is operably coupled to the first circuit board via control lines. The second circuit board includes a controller for generating first and second control signals. The control lines transmit the first control signals from the controller to the memory when the apparatus is in a first operational state, and transmit the second control signals from the controller to the control circuitry when the apparatus is in a second operational state. To prevent inadvertent writes to the memory during the second operational state, the controller places the memory in an unpowered state when the controller transmits the second control signals to the control circuitry. Also, means are provided to prevent the memory from keeping the control lines in one state, for example, low level, during the unpowered state to allow communications to continue on the control lines.