Broadband converter/descrambler interface for cable TV

Claim 1

Converter/descrambler apparatus for a cable ready video appliance, said video appliance having means for tuning and viewing non-premium nonscrambled and premium descrambled TV signals within and above a signal channel band, said signal channel band being defined by upper and lower signal channels and having a plurality of said scrambled signal channels and a multiplicity of said nonscrambled signal channels, said converter/descrambler apparatus comprising: an input adapted to receive said TV signals at least within said signal channel band; signal divider means coupled to receive the TV signals from said input for providing first and second divided signals, each having the scrambled and nonscrambled signal channels; a plurality of descrambler means coupled to receive said second divided signal for simultaneously descrambling a plurality of said scrambled signal channels; a plurality of converter means, coupled respectively to said plurality of descrambler means, for simultaneously up-converting each signal channel descrambled by said plurality of descrambler means to a different signal channel above said upper signal channel, each of said converter means being consistently tuned to a respective one of said scrambled signal channels, and each of the scrambled signal channels consistently corresponding one-to-one with each of the up-converted, descrambled signal channels; and signal combiner means coupled to receive the up-converted, descrambled signal channels and said first divided signal for producing a composite broadband signal which simultaneously contains the signal channels of said first divided signal together with the plurality of up-converted descrambled signal channels for input to said cable-ready video appliance.

Claim 9

A method of providing signals from a cable TV drop to a cable ready video appliance comprising: receiving from a cable TV drop TV signals in a first range of channels, said TV signals including both nonscrambled and scrambled channels; splitting the TV signals into two signal paths, a first signal path and a second signal path; unscrambling in the second signal path the scrambled channels; up-converting in the second signal path the unscrambled channels to a second range of channels above the first range of channels; combining the unscrambled, up-converted signals in the second range of channels in the second signal path with the signals in the first range of channels in the first signal path; and providing the first range of channels and the second range of channels along a single transmission path to a cable ready video appliance.

Claim 10

A method of providing signals from a cable TV drop to a cable ready video appliance comprising: receiving from a cable TV drop TV signals in a first range of channels, said TV signals including both nonscrambled and scrambled channels; splitting the TV signals into two signal paths, a first signal path and a second signal path; unscrambling in the second signal path the scrambled channels; up-converting in the second signal path the unscrambled channels to a second range of channels above the first range of channels; combining the unscrambled, up-converted signals in the second range of channels in the second signal path with the signals in the first range of channels in the first signal path; and providing the first range of channels and the second range of channels along a single transmission path to a cable ready video appliance.