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US 2002/0057367 A1Published application
Broadcast data receiver
AssigneePace Micro Technology PLC.
InventorMark R. Baldock
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AssigneePace Micro Technology PLC.
InventorMark R. Baldock
Estimating the term…
The invention relates to the provision of a broadcast data receiver for use in receiving digital data providing any or any combination of video, audio or auxiliary data. The broadcast data receiver receives the data via satellite, cable and/or terrestrial transmission systems via a number of RF carriers. The broadcast data receiver includes at least two tuners which can be controlled to receive data on specific data carriers at specified frequencies in response to user selections when operating a broadcast data receiver. In some instances, at least one of the tuners may not be required to receive data at a specific frequency and, in these instances, in accordance with the invention, the tuner is utilized to scan the available frequency bandwidth for service information and to store said service information for subsequent use. The invention therefore allows the utilization of a tuner when not in primary use for a useful service.
A television system, including a display screen, speakers and a broadcast data receiver (BDR) for receiving digital data carried in data streams from one or more broadcaster(s) via satellite, terrestrial or cable transmission systems, said data streams being broadcast and transmitted on radio frequency (RF) carriers at different frequencies and said data corresponding to a number of different, user selectable, channels and/or services and said BDR selectively processing and generating audio, video and/or auxiliary information from said data streams in response to user selections, said BDR having two or more tuners for tuning to the required data carrier frequencies to receive data relating to two or more channels or services as and when required and characterized in that when at least one of the tuners is not in use the said at least one tuner is operated to scan through the data carrier frequency bandwidth to allow the BDR to identify and receive system service information (SI).
A broadcast data receiver (BDR) for receiving data comprising video, audio and/or auxiliary data, said BDR incorporating first and second tuners, each tuner controlled to tune to a specified radio frequency to allow the BDR to receive a designated data carrier, said data carrier frequencies selected and controlled by the BDR in response to a user selection, and characterized in that when said first or second tuners are not in use to tune to a specific frequency for a particular data carrier, said tuner is controlled to scan through the data carrier frequency bandwidth to identify and retrieve service information (SI).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.