Apparatus and method for sharing signal control lines
AssigneeThomson Licensing
InventorWilliam John Testin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus such as a television signal receiver includes first and second circuit boards. The first circuit board includes a first device such as a memory, and control circuitry for controlling at least one function of the apparatus. The second circuit board is operably coupled to the first circuit board via control lines. The second circuit board includes a controller for generating first and second control signals. The control lines transmit the first control signals from the controller to the first device when the apparatus is in a first operational state, and transmit the second control signals from the controller to the control circuitry when the apparatus is in a second operational state.
Claims20
A television signal receiver, comprising:
- a first circuit board including a memory and control circuitry for controlling an operation of the receiver, the control circuitry controlling the operation of the receiver in response to operational data stored in the memory;
- and
- a second circuit board operably coupled to the first circuit board via IIC bus lines, the second circuit board including a controller, coupled to the IIC bus lines, for generating first control signals in accordance with a first signal format in a first operational state and second control signals in accordance with a second signal format in a second operational state,
- wherein the memory and the control circuitry are coupled to the IIC bus lines, and the controller transmits the first control signals to the memory to retrieve the operational data via the IIC bus lines without affecting the control circuitry in the first operational state, and transmits the second control signals to the control circuitry to control the control circuitry in response to the retrieved operational data via the control lines.
A signal processing apparatus, comprising:
- a first circuit board including first electronic circuitry, and second electronic circuitry for controlling at least one operation of the receiver;
- and
- a second circuit board operably coupled to the first circuit board via control lines, the second circuit board including a controller, coupled to the control lines, for generating first control signals in accordance with a first signal format in a first operational state and second control signals in accordance with a second signal format in a second operational state,
- wherein the first and second electronic circuitry are coupled to the control lines, and the controller transmits the first control signals to the first electronic circuitry to retrieve operational data via the control lines without affecting the second electronic circuitry in the first operational state, and transmits the second control signals to the second electronic circuitry to control the second electronic circuitry in response to the operational data via the control lines.
A method of operating a television signal receiver, the method comprising steps of:
- providing first and second circuit boards coupled via control lines, the first circuit board having a memory device and control circuitry included thereon and coupled to the control lines, the second circuit board having a controller included thereon and coupled to the control lines;
- transmitting via the control lines, first control signals in accordance with a first signal format from the controller on the second circuit board to the memory device on the first circuit board to retrieve operational data from the memory device, without affecting the control circuitry, when the receiver is in a first operational state;
- and
- transmitting via the control lines, second control signals in accordance with a second signal format from the controller to the control circuitry on the first circuit board in response to the retrieved operational data when the receiver is in a second operational state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.