Set top box and associated method of operation to facilitate display of locally sourced display data

A set top box that is operably coupleable to a display device via a first communication link, the display device including a decoder for decoding encoded display data, the set top box comprising:

• a radio signal receiver that receives a broadcast signal from a remote broadcast source over a second communication link to produce a received broadcast signal, the broadcast signal including first encoded display data;
• a wireless receiver that receives second encoded display data from a local source over a third communication link;
• and
• a display interface, operably coupled to the radio signal receiver and the wireless receiver, that provides the first encoded display data and the second encoded display data to the display device via the first communication link.

A wireless display system comprising:

• a local display data source including:
• a central processor that issues drawing commands to draw graphics primitives;
• a graphics processor, operably coupled to the central processor, that receives the drawing commands and renders the graphics primitives to produce a graphics data stream;
• an encoder, operably coupled to the graphics processor, that encodes the graphics data stream to produce first encoded display data;
• and
• a wireless transmitter, operably coupled to the encoder, that transmits the first encoded display data over a first communication link;
• and
• a set top box including:
• a radio signal receiver that receives a broadcast signal from a remote broadcast source over a second communication link, the broadcast signal including second encoded display data;
• a wireless receiver that receives the first encoded display data from the local graphics source over the first communication link;
• at least one decoder, operably coupled to the radio signal receiver and the wireless receiver, that decodes at least one of the first encoded display data and the second encoded display data to produce decoded display data;
• and
• a display interface, operably coupled to the at least one decoder, that provides the decoded display data to a display device over a third communication link.

A method for a set top box to facilitate display of locally sourced display data on a display device operably coupled to the set top box, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a broadcast signal from a remote broadcast source over a first communication link, the broadcast signal including first encoded display data;
• receiving second encoded display data over a second communication link from a local source;
• decoding at least one of the first encoded display data and the second encoded display data to produce decoded display data;
• and
• providing the decoded display data to the display device over a third communication link.

A method for a set top box to facilitate display of locally sourced display data on a high definition display device coupled to the set top box, the high definition display device including a decoder that decodes in accordance with a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) decoding specification, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a broadcast signal from a remote broadcast source over a first communication link, the broadcast signal including first MPEG-encoded display data;
• receiving a wireless signal from a local source over a second communication link, the wireless signal including second MPEG-encoded display data;
• selecting at least one of the broadcast signal and the wireless signal to produce at least one selected signal;
• and
• providing the at least one selected signal to the high definition display device over a third communication link for decoding by the decoder, wherein the third communication link has the a bandwidth that is substantially greater than individual bandwidths of the first communication link and the second communication link.