Cable television setback decoder automatic control
View Patent ↗A receiver which receives a multichannel signal and which detects and outputs an unscrambled desired signal to a video display and speaker unit includes a first unit, a second unit and a controller. The first unit comprises a frequency agile tuner for receiving said multichannel signal and for outputting a selected CATV signal. The a second unit includes a unit means for receiving the selected CATV channel signal; a unit for detecting whether the selected CATV channel signal is scrambled; and a descrambler for descrambling a scrambled CATV channel signal and for outputting a descrambled CATV channel signal. The controller controls the output of the receiver such that a signal is output from the first unit to said video display and speaker unit when the selected CATV signal is unscrambled and a signal is output from the second unit to the video display and speaker unit only when a scrambled signal is detected. The content of the selected CATV channel signal controls the operation of the second unit.
1. A cable television system comprising:
(a) at least one cable-ready receiver including:
(i) a tuner including an amplifier for outputting an audio and video (A/V) signal via an output of the tuner;
(ii) a two-way signal splitter having an input electrically coupled to the output of the tuner, the splitter being configured to receive the A/V signal directly from the output of the tuner and divide the A/V signal into a first A/V signal which is output from a first output port of the splitter and a second A/V signal which is output from a second output port of the splitter;
(iii) a signal processing circuit electrically coupled to the tuner and the splitter, the signal processing circuit being configured to receive the first A/V signal directly from the first output port of the splitter and process the first A/V signal; and
(iv) an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit electrically coupled to the tuner and the splitter, the AGC circuit being configured to receive the second A/V signal directly from the second output port of the splitter and process the second A/V signal; and
(b) a decoder electrically coupled to the AGC circuit in the cable-ready receiver, the decoder being configured to determine whether or not the second A/V signal is scrambled.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the amplifier is controlled by the signaling processing circuit when the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is not scrambled, and the amplifier is controlled by the decoder via the AGC circuit when the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is scrambled.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the decoder determines whether or not the second A/V signal uses a type of scrambling that can be descrambled by the decoder when the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is scrambled.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver further comprises:
(v) at least one speaker in communication with the signal processing circuit; and
(vi) at least one video monitor in communication with the signal processing circuit, wherein the signal processing circuit separates audio and video information derived from the first A/V signal to provide an audio output to the speaker and a video output to the monitor when the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is not scrambled.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver further comprises:
(v) at least one speaker in communication with the signal processing circuit; and
(vi) at least one video monitor in communication with the signal processing circuit, wherein the decoder separates audio and video information derived from the second A/V signal to provide an audio output to the speaker and a video output to the monitor when the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is scrambled.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein if the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is scrambled using a type of scrambling that cannot be descrambled by the decoder, no further action is taken by the decoder to process the second A/V signal.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the decoder determines whether or not a subscriber is authorized to receive the second A/V signal.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the decoder descrambles the second A/V signal only after the decoder determines that the subscriber is authorized to receive the second A/V signal.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein if the decoder determines that the subscriber is not authorized to receive the second A/V signal, the decoder outputs a video signal indicating that the subscriber is not authorized to receive the second A/V signal.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a television.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a video recorder.
12. A cable-ready receiver comprising:
(a) a tuner including an amplifier for outputting an audio and video (A/V) signal via an output of the tuner;
(b) a two-way signal splitter having an input electrically coupled to the output of the tuner, the splitter being configured to directly receive the A/V signal from the tuner and divide the A/V signal into a first A/V signal which is output from a first output port of the splitter and a second A/V signal which is output from a second output port of the splitter;
(c) a signal processing circuit electrically coupled to the tuner and the splitter, the signal processing circuit being configured to directly receive the first A/V signal from the first output port of the splitter and process the first A/V signal; and
(d) an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit electrically coupled to the tuner and the splitter, the AGC circuit being configured to receive the second A/V signal directly from the second output port of the splitter and process the second A/V signal, wherein the amplifier is controlled by the signaling processing circuit when the second A/V signal is not scrambled, and the amplifier is controlled via the AGC circuit when the second A/V signal is scrambled.
13. The receiver of claim 12 further comprising:
(e) at least one speaker in communication with the signal processing circuit; and
(f) at least one video monitor in communication with the signal processing circuit, wherein the signal processing circuit separates audio and video information derived from the first A/V signal to provide an audio output to the speaker and a video output to the monitor when the second A/V signal is not scrambled.
14. The system of claim 12 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a television.
15. The system of claim 12 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a video recorder.
16. In a cable television system including at least one cable-ready receiver in communication with a decoder, a method of processing cable television programming signals, wherein the cable-ready receiver includes (i) a tuner including an amplifier for outputting an audio and video (A/V) signal via an output of the tuner, and (ii) a two-way signal splitter having an input electrically coupled to the output of the tuner, the splitter being configured to receive the A/V signal directly from the tuner and divide the A/V signal into a first A/V signal which is output from a first output port of the splitter and a second A/V signal which is output from a second output port of the splitter, the method comprising:
(a) the receiver tuning to a selected one of the programming signals;
(b) the receiver using the amplifier to amplify the selected programming signal;
(c) the receiver processing the selected programming signal to provide the audio and video (A/V) signal;
(d) the decoder determining whether or not the second A/V signal output from the second port of the splitter is scrambled;
(e) using a first control signal provided by the receiver to adjust the gain of the amplifier when the second A/V signal output from the second port of the splitter is determined by the decoder not to be scrambled;
(f) using a second control signal provided by the decoder to adjust the gain of the amplifier when the second A/V signal output from the second port of the splitter is determined by the decoder to be scrambled; and
(g) when the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is not scrambled, separating audio information and video information derived from the first A/V signal output from the first port of the splitter.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
(h) the decoder determining whether or not the second A/V signal uses a type of scrambling that can be descrambled by the decoder when the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is scrambled.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the cable-ready receiver further comprises at least one speaker and at least one video monitor, the method further comprising:
(h) using the audio information to drive the at least one speaker: and
(i) using the video information to drive the video monitor.
19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
(h) the decoder separating audio and video information derived from the second A/V signal to provide audio and video output signals when the decoder determines that the second A/V signal is scrambled.
20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
(h) the decoder determining whether or not a subscriber is authorized to receive the second A/V signal.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:
(i) the decoder descrambling the second A/V signal only after the decoder determines that the subscriber is authorized to receive the second A/V signal.
22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:
(i) if the decoder determines that the subscriber is not authorized to receive the second A/V signal, the decoder outputting a video signal indicating that the subscriber is not authorized to receive the second A/V signal.
23. The method of claim 16 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a television.
24. The method of claim 16 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a video recorder.
25. A cable-ready receiver comprising:
(a) a tuner including an amplifier for outputting an audio and video (A/V) signal via an output of the tuner; and
(b) a two-way signal splitter having an input electrically coupled to the output of the tuner, the splitter being configured to receive the A/V signal directly from the tuner and divide the A/V signal into a first A/V signal which is output from a first output port of the splitter and a second A/V signal which is output from a second output port of the splitter, wherein the amplifier is controlled by a first control signal received by the tuner via a first path when the second A/V signal is not scrambled, and the amplifier is controlled by a second control signal received by the tuner via a second path that is independent of the first path when the second A/V signal is scrambled.
26. The receiver of claim 25 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a television.
27. The receiver of claim 25 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a video recorder.
28. In a cable television system including at least one cable-ready receiver in communication with a decoder, a method of processing cable television programming signals, wherein the cable-ready receiver includes (i) a tuner including an amplifier for outputting an audio and video (A/V) signal via an output of the tuner, and (ii) a two-way signal splitter having an input electrically coupled to the output of the tuner, the splitter being configured to receive the A/V signal directly from the tuner and divide the A/V signal into a first A/V signal which is output from a first output port of the splitter and a second A/V signal which is output from a second output port of the splitter, the method comprising:
(a) the receiver tuning to a selected one of the programming signals;
(b) the receiver using the amplifier to amplify the selected programming signal;
(c) the receiver processing the selected programming signal to provide the audio and video (A/V) signal;
(d) the decoder determining whether or not the second A/V signal output from the second port of the splitter is scrambled;
(e) routing a first control signal to the tuner via a first path to adjust the gain of the amplifier when the second A/V signal output from the second port of the splitter is determined by the decoder not to be scrambled; and
(f) routing a second control signal to the tuner via a second path that is independent of the first path to adjust the gain of the amplifier when the second A/V signal output from the second port of the splitter is determined by the decoder to be scrambled.
29. The receiver of claim 28 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a television.
30. The receiver of claim 28 wherein the cable-ready receiver is a video recorder.