Apparatus and method for receiving and combining digital broadcast data with an analog composite signal
AssigneeZenith Electronics Corporation
InventorTom Lee Sorensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An analog television is digitally enabled so that both analog video received in an analog broadcast signal and data received in data packets of a digital broadcast signal can be displayed on the same display. The analog television is digitally enabled by including digital television tuning and demodulation equipment either in the cabinet of the analog television or in a set top box coupled to the analog television.
Claims29
A television system comprising:
- an analog tuner, wherein the analog tuner tunes to an analog programming signal;
- an analog signal demodulator coupled to the analog tuner, wherein the analog signal demodulator demodulates the analog programming signal;
- a digital tuner, wherein the digital tuner tunes to a digital programming signal;
- a digital signal demodulator coupled to the digital tuner, wherein the digital signal demodulator demodulates the digital programming signal;
- and,
- a display coupled to the analog and digital signal demodulators, wherein the display displays analog programming contained in the demodulated analog programming signal, wherein the display displays data as contained in one or more digital data packets transmitted in the digital programming signal, and wherein the analog programming and the data are displayed concurrently.
A television system method comprising:
- receiving both an analog program signal and a digital program signal;
- extracting an analog program from the analog program signal;
- displaying the analog program on a display;
- extracting data from data packets in the digital program signal;
- displaying the data concurrently with the analog program on the display.
A method for receiving a digital broadcast signal and for combining the digital broadcast signal with an analog broadcast signal, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) tuning to and receiving the analog broadcast signal;
- b) demodulating the analog broadcast signal;
- c) tuning to and receiving the digital broadcast signal;
- d) demodulating the digital broadcast signal;
- e) separating a digital data packet from the digital broadcast signal;
- f) formatting data contained in the digital data packet for display, thereby generating a formatted data signal;
- g) combining the formatted data signal with the demodulated analog broadcast signal thereby to form a combined signal;
- and
- h) supplying the combined signal to a display for display thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.