Television receiver application for TV and electronic devices

An external tuner device comprising:

• a communication interface configured to connect to a plurality of different devices;
• processing circuitry configured to, when an information processing apparatus is connected to the communication interface,
• (a) receive a first command from the information processing apparatus, via an application programming interface (API) that enables communication between the information processing apparatus and the external tuner device across the communication interface, that instructs the external tuner device to tune to a RF channel of a broadcast stream,
• (b) in response to a determination that the RF channel is acquired and is a first predetermined type of signal,
• (i) send to the information processing apparatus via the API an indication that specifies a signal type of the acquired RF channel as the first predetermined type of signal,
• (ii) receive a second command, from the information processing apparatus via the API, that instructs the external tuner device to (a) identify each physical layer pipe (PLP) in the broadcast stream that includes a respective low level signaling (LLS) table and (b) send a list including each identified PLP that includes the respective LLS table to the information processing apparatus via the API,
• (iii) receive a third command, from the information processing apparatus via the API, that instructs the external tuner device to select up to a predetermined number of PLPs from the identified PLPs and send data packets from the selected PLPs to the information processing apparatus, and
• (iv) receive a fourth command issued by the information processing apparatus via the API based on a determination that one or more identified PLPs has not been processed, the fourth command instructing the external tuner device to (i) deactivate the selected PLPs, (ii) select up to a predetermined number of the one or more identified PLPs that have not been processed, and (iii) send data packets from the selected one or more identified PLPs that have not been processed.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor in an information processing apparatus and when a communication interface of the information processing apparatus is connected to an external tuner device, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• issuing a first command, via an application programming interface (API) that enables communication between the information processing apparatus and the external tuner device across the communication interface configured to connect to a plurality of devices, that instructs the external tuner device to tune to a RF channel of a broadcast stream,
• in response to reception of an indication from the external tuner device that the RF channel is acquired, and the received indication specifies a signal type of the acquired RF channel is a first predetermined type of signal,
• (i) issuing a second command, via the API, that instructs the external tuner device to identify each physical layer pipe (PLP) in the broadcast stream that includes a respective low level signaling (LLS) table,
• (ii) issuing a third command, via the API, that instructs the external tuner device to select up to a predetermined number of PLPs from the identified PLPs and send data packets from the selected PLPs to the processor, and
• (iii) processing the data packets to retrieve signaling content and content of a television service,
• wherein in response to a determination that one or more identified PLPs has not been processed, the method further includes issuing a fourth command, via the API, that causes the external tuner device to (i) deactivate the selected PLPs, (ii) select up to a predetermined number of the one or more identified PLPs that have not been processed, and (iii) send data packets from the selected one or more identified PLPs that have not been processed.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor in an external tuner device and when a communication interface of the external tuner device is connected to an information processing apparatus, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• receiving a first command from the information processing apparatus, via an application programming interface (API) that enables communication between the information processing apparatus and the external tuner device across the communication interface configured to connect to a plurality of different devices, that instructs the external tuner device to tune to a RF channel of a broadcast stream,
• in response to a determination that the RF channel is acquired and is a first predetermined type of signal,
• (i) sending to the information processing apparatus via the API an indication that specifies a signal type of the acquired RF channel as the first predetermined type of signal,
• (ii) receiving a second command, from the information processing apparatus via the API, that instructs the external tuner device to (a) identify each physical layer pipe (PLP) in the broadcast stream that includes a respective low level signaling (LLS) table and (b) send a list including each identified PLP that includes the respective LLS table to the information processing apparatus via the API,
• (iii) receiving a third command, from the information processing apparatus via the API, that instructs the external tuner device to select up to a predetermined number of PLPs from the identified PLPs and send data packets from the selected PLPs to the information processing apparatus, and
• (iv) receiving a fourth command issued by the information processing apparatus via the API based on a determination that one or more identified PLPs has not been processed, the fourth command instructing the external tuner device to (i) deactivate the selected PLPs, (ii) select up to a predetermined number of the one or more identified PLPs that have not been processed, and (iii) send data packets from the selected one or more identified PLPs that have not been processed.