Patent · US Expired

Cable select box supplemental signal splitting apparatus

US5216499A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
8References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 1991
Grant dateJun 1, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 31, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N5/782
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

This is a supplemental signal splitting apparatus for use with television apparatus having a cable signal input including scrambled signal channels; a cable select box including a cable tuner for selecting a channel, descrambling circuitry for unscrambling scrambled signals, and first output circuitry for outputting a first signal on a television channel frequency; and a programmable video cassette recorder (VCR) including a VCR tuner for selecting a channel, an antenna input to the VCR tuner, an audio/video input, programmable selection means for selectively receiving an input signal from the VCR tuner or the audio/video input, and second output circuitry for outputting a second signal on a television channel frequency. The supplemental signal splitting apparatus allows the VCR to be programmed to record both an unscrambled pay channel and normal cable channels. There is input circuitry for receiving the cable signal input and for outputting a first and a second copy of television signals contained in the cable signal input, first connecting circuitry for connecting the first copy of television signals contained in the cable signal input to the cable tuner; and, second connecting …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.