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US5638112A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Hybrid analog/digital STB

Assignee: Zenith Electronics LLC
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Filing: 1995-08-07
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Granted: 1997-06-10
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Expires: 2015-08-07
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Abstract

Abstract A hybrid analog/digital STB includes a tuner supplying respective analog and digital television signal processing paths. The analog processing path provides demodulated composite analog video and audio signals and the digital processing path provides demodulated component digital video and audio signals. The demodulated analog and video signals are combined in composite or component form to achieve various desirable effects in a highly flexible system architecture. OSD and display map normalization functions are also integrated within the system architecture.

Inventors

  • 👤 Caitlin B. Bestler
  • 👤 Khosro M. Rabii

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 21:55
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/46; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/426; H04N21/42607; H04N21/4263; H04N21/42638; H04N21/43; H04N21/434; H04N5/445; H04N5/60; H04N5/602

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 155 words
Apparatus for processing analog and digital television signals received over respective television channels, comprising: a tuner (14) selectively operable for tuning said television channels; an analog processing path (24-28) coupled to the output of said tuner (14) and responsive to a tuned analog television signal for providing a demodulated baseband analog television signal including a first analog composite video signal and a first analog composite audio signal; a digital processing path (32-36, 40) coupled to the output of said tuner (14) and responsive to a tuned digital television signal for providing a demodulated digital television signal including a first digital component video signal and a first digital component audio signal; means (76, 80) for converting the first digital component video signal to a corresponding second analog composite video signal; and first means (82) for linearly mixing said first and second analog composite video signals in selected proportions for providing an output analog composite video signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 155 words
Apparatus for processing analog and digital television signals received over respective television channels, comprising: a tuner (14) selectively operable for tuning said television channels; an analog processing path (24-28) coupled to the output of said tuner (14) and responsive to a tuned analog television signal for providing a demodulated baseband analog television signal including a first analog composite video signal and a first analog composite audio signal; a digital processing path (32-36, 40) coupled to the output of said tuner (14) and responsive to a tuned digital television signal for providing a demodulated digital television signal including a first digital component video signal and a first digital component audio signal; means (76, 80) for converting the first digital component video signal to a corresponding second analog composite video signal; and first means (82) for linearly mixing said first and second analog composite video signals in selected proportions for providing an output analog composite video signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 60 words
The apparatus of claim 1 including an OSD signal generator (66) for providing a digital OSD component video signal and second means (60) coupled between the digital processing path and the OSD generator on the one hand and the means for converting on the other hand for linearly mixing said first and OSD digital video component signals in selected proportions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 20 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first and second linear mixing means are both operable in a switch mode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 58 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said second linear mixing means comprises a first multiplier (62) for multiplying said first digital component video signal by a programmable factor K, a second multiplier (68) for multiplying said digital OSD component video signal by the factor (1-K) and means (64) for combining the outputs of said first and second multipliers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 52 words
The apparatus of claim 2 including means (72, 74) for converting the first analog composite video signal to a corresponding second digital component video signal and display map normalization means (70) for coupling said first and/or second digital component video signals to said first digital component video signal converting means (76, 80).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 67 words
The apparatus of claim 1 including means (46) for converting the first analog composite audio signal to a corresponding analog component audio signal, means (42) for converting the first digital component audio signal to a corresponding second analog component audio signal and third means (48) for linearly mixing said first and second analog component audio signals in selected proportions for providing an output analog component audio signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The apparatus of claim 6 including means for selectively adjusting a selected characteristic of said output analog component audio signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 17 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said third linear mixing means is operable in a switch mode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 46 words
The apparatus of claim 6 including means (52) for converting the second analog component audio signal to a corresponding second analog composite audio signal and switch means (54) for coupling a selected one of said first and second analog composite audio signal to an output terminal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 19 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for converting said second analog component audio signal comprises a summer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for converting said second analog component audio signal comprises a composite audio encoder.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 20 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said switch means comprises means for adjusting a selected characteristic of the selected signal.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4970595A Cited
US5014341A Cited
US5253275A Cited
US5450392A Cited
US5479202A Cited
US5534942A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-06-09 2000-12-09 2001-06-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-06-09 2004-12-09 2005-06-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-06-09 2008-12-09 2009-06-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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