Method and system for controlling a low power mode for external devices
View Patent ↗A system and method of entering a low power mode includes an external tuner module having a first external tuner and a receiving device having a first receiving tuner. The receiving device has a controller determining an unused tuner from one of the first external tuner or first receiving tuner and controls entering a low power mode at the unused tuner.
1. A method comprising:
coupling a host device to an external tuner, having a first tuner and a second tuner, that is separate from and in communication with the host device;
determining, by the host device, the external tuner is streaming data to the host device; and
entering a low power mode at the external tuner, by control of the host device, for a higher power tuner of the first tuner or the second tuner when the external tuner is not streaming data.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the determining the external tuner is streaming data to the host device further comprises determining whether the first tuner or the second tuner is streaming data to the host device.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising entering, by control of the host device, the low power mode for a lower power tuner of the first tuner or the second tuner when both the first tuner and second tuner are not streaming data to the host device.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the external tuner comprises an external high definition tuner.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the host device comprises a receiver.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the host device comprises a satellite television receiver and the external tuner comprises an external high definition tuner.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein entering the low power mode further comprises entering the low power mode at the external tuner after a predetermined time of not streaming data.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the determining the external tuner is streaming data to the host device further comprises generating an unused tuner signal by the host device, and wherein the entering the low power mode further comprises entering the low power mode in response to the unused tuner signal.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the external tuner comprise an external television tuner and the host device comprises a set top box.
10. A method comprising:
coupling an external tuner device having a first external tuner to a receiving device, said receiving device separate from and in communication with the external tuner device, said receiving device comprising a first receiving tuner;
determining, by the receiving device, that the first external tuner is streaming data to the receiving device;
determining, by the receiving device, that the first receiving tuner is streaming data received at the receiving device;
determining, by the receiving device, an unused tuner from one of the first external tuner or the first receiving tuner when the first external tuner or the first receiving tuner is not streaming data; and
entering a low power mode at the unused tuner, by control of the receiving device, at a highest power unused tuner of the first external tuner or the first receiving tuner.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the external tuner device comprises the first external tuner and a second external tuner and the receiving device comprises the first receiving tuner and a second receiving tuner.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the determining the unused tuner further comprises determining the unused tuner from one of the first external tuner, the second external tuner, the first receiving tuner and the second receiving tuner.
13. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising determining, by the receiving device, the highest power unused tuner of the first external tuner or the first receiving tuner.
14. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the receiving device comprises a satellite television receiving device.
15. A method comprising:
coupling a host device to an external television signal tuner that is separate from and in communication with the host device;
determining, by the host device, the external television signal tuner is streaming data to the host device; and
entering a low power mode at the external television signal tuner, by control of the host device, for a higher power tuner of a first tuner or a second tuner of the external television signal tuner after a predetermined time of the external television signal tuner not streaming data.