Patent · US Expired

NTSC tuner to improve ATSC channel acquisition and reception

US6538704B1 · kind B1 · utility

50Cited by
12References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 21, 1999
Grant dateMar 25, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 21, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/4384
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Reduction in the time required for an Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) digital television tuner to equalize, converge, and acquire a digital television signal suitable for viewing, wherein early model ATSC tuners also include a National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) analog tuner, is achieved by using a microprocessor to control use of the NTSC tuner to scan television channels. A channel measurement module converts the scanned analog signal to a digital signal, and the equalization coefficients for the resultant digital signal are stored in memory. The equalization coefficients stored in memory are then accessed and utilized to tune in new channels on the ATSC tuner. The amount of time necessary for the ATSC tuner to tune in a new channel is thus reduced. When the ATSC tuner is in use, the equalization coefficient data stored in memory are periodically updated.

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