Abstract:
A WiFi chipset is integrated into a TV chassis as are wireless audio-video signal antennas that feed the chipset. The TV processor causes signals from home network components received through the antennas and chipset to be displayed on the TV.

Description:
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to embedded wireless modules (chipsets) and associated antennas for network TVs. 
       II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Home networks are provided in which information including multimedia is shared among networked components. For example, a TV might access a disk player or central server to play multimedia programming stored on disk or at the server. The TV might also access a hard disk drive to play recorded TV programming, display digital photographs, etc. 
         [0003]    TVs also evolve, and presently relatively large flat panel display TVs can be mounted on walls as beautiful pieces of art work in which unsightly wires (network cables, video cables, etc.) are removed from view. This is often accomplished using wireless technology, wherein TVs wirelessly receive multimedia information from other components in the network. 
         [0004]    As understood herein, relatively large wireless bandwidth is required to transfer multimedia information in a home network. For instance, compressed high definition (HD) video requires between twenty and fifty megabits per second of bandwidth. 
         [0005]    As also understood herein, current wireless adapters for TVs such as universal serial bus (USB) adapters typically require the host CPU to process the wireless protocol, which greatly lowers both the TV and wireless performance, due to the limited processing capability of the TV CPU and its high application load. Although some USB adapters offload the wireless processing, the USB driver that must be executed by the TV processor still consumes a great amount of processing capacity in the TV. Still further, such adapters often result in poor reception because the adapter must be plugged in behind the TV, reducing received wireless signal strength. Furthermore, the customer must install the electrical connections behind the TV and mount the antennas on the TV, which is not only inconvenient but which also may result in unsightly appearance as well as poor wireless performance. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, a TV includes a chassis, a TV display on the chassis, and a TV signal processing board supported on the chassis. A wireless module is on the signal processing board and likewise a TV processor is on the signal processing board in communication with the wireless module using, e.g., standard communication buses. Network applications in the TV can stream audio and video as well as transfer data using the wireless module from a home network or the Internet. Additionally, a TV tuner receives TV signals from a TV signal source. As set forth further below, at least one antenna element is inside the chassis and sends the audio-video signals, which are received from a home network, to the wireless module, as well as, if desired, sending audio and/or video and/or non-audio/video data back to the network. The wireless module and antenna can be configured for, e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. 
         [0007]    In example embodiments a bezel surrounds the chassis and a display shield is in the chassis and is disposed between the TV display and the signal processing board. The display shield defines an outer periphery, and the antenna element is juxtaposed with the bezel beyond the outer periphery of the display shield. In some implementations an electrical lead connecting the antenna element to the wireless module is also juxtaposed with the bezel beyond the outer periphery of the display shield. 
         [0008]    In example implementations at least first and second antenna elements are provided, with the first antenna element being disposed parallel to a first edge of the chassis and the second antenna element being disposed parallel to a second, perpendicular edge of the chassis. 
         [0009]    In example embodiments the signal processing board defines first through fourth edges respectively facing first through fourth edges of the chassis. The TV tuner can be juxtaposed with the third and fourth edges of the signal processing board and the antenna elements can be juxtaposed with the first and second edges of the chassis, i.e., opposite the tuner relative to the signal processing board. 
         [0010]    In another aspect, an apparatus has a wireless chipset integrated into a TV chassis. At least one wireless antenna element is in the chassis for feeding the chipset. A TV processor in the chassis causes signals from home network components received through the antenna and chipset to be displayed on the TV. 
         [0011]    In another aspect, a system is disclosed for facilitating presentation, on a TV in a home network, audio-video content wirelessly received from the home network without requiring antenna wires extending outside the TV to receive the content. The system includes means for displaying video content and means for holding the means for displaying. Antenna means are inside the means for holding and are configured for wirelessly receiving the audio-video content from the home network. 
         [0012]    The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the front of a wall-mounted flat panel TV, showing network components schematically; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a rear elevation view of the rear of an example embodiment of the TV with the outer skin removed to expose internal components. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a home network  10  may include one more TVs  12  (only a single TV shown) with a TV chassis  13  holding a TV display  14 . Typically, a plastic frame-like bezel  15  frames the display  14 . 
         [0016]    A TV  12  may be mounted by means known in the art on a surface  16  of a dwelling, such as a wall or ceiling. The TV  12  may be an analog and/or digital TV with a flat panel (matrix-type) standard definition and/or high definition (HD) display  14 , although other types of displays may be used. 
         [0017]    The network  10  may include various components that communicate audio-video information wirelessly to the TV  12  using, e.g., WiFi principles, Bluetooth principles, or other wireless principles known in the art. For example, the TV  12  may receive compressed or uncompressed HD video from a computer server  18 , a disk player  20 , a personal video recorder (PVR)  22 , and a personal computer (PC)  24 , as well as other information such as digital photographs for display on the TV  12 . Other network components such as game players or indeed other TVs may be provided in the network  10 . A hand-held remote control device  26  may be manipulated by a person to input wireless command signals to the TV  12  and/or to various network components in accordance with principles known in the art. 
         [0018]    Now referring to  FIG. 2 , the rear of an example embodiment of the TV  12  (with any outer skin or covering removed) is shown. A metal display shield  28  such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) shield typically is registered with the display  14  to be generally flush therewith, to shield the display elements of the display  14  from interference that might be generated by the components on the opposite side of the shield  28  from the display  14 . As divulged in more detail below, it is desirable that the antennas are disposed away from the metal display shield for improved reception. 
         [0019]    Among the shielded components alluded to above can be a TV power module  30  for powering the TV and a TV signal processing board  32  for holding sub-components. Both the TV power module  30  and TV signal processing board  32  typically are mounted to the shield  28 . A display power inverter  34  may also be mounted on the shield  28  for purposes known in the art of, e.g., LCD displays. 
         [0020]    The TV signal processing board  32  may hold, among other things, a TV tuner  36  and a wireless module  38  such as but not limited to an 802.11a/b/g/n chipset made by Broadcom, Marvell, Atheros, or Ralink with a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) or PCI express form factor (e.g., Ralink  2880 ) and which consequently may communicate with a TV processor  40  on the signal processing board over a mini PCI bus or PCI express bus or other appropriate communication buses. Also, the wireless module  38  may further include a Bluetooth transceiver, in which case such a combination chipset may assume a secure digital input/output (SDIO) form factor and communicate with the TV processor  40  over an SDIO bus or a USB bus. To reduce the processing load on the TV (host) processor, wireless modules that have the capability to offload processing onto the wireless chipset are preferred. Such processing offloading chipsets place very little load on the host processor. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , one or more wireless antenna elements may be included within the TV  12 . For example, a first elongated antenna element  42  may be disposed near a top edge  44  of the TV  12  and parallel thereto (i.e., horizontally), while a second elongated antenna element  46  may be disposed near a left edge  48  (or right edge) of the TV  12  and parallel thereto (i.e., vertically). In the example embodiment shown, the antenna elements  42 ,  46  are disposed between the edges of the display shield  28  and the plastic bezel  15  that frames the TV, and may be co-planar with the bezel as shown. Furthermore, in the example shown when the tuner  36  is mounted near one set of edges of the signal processing board  32 , in this case, near the right and bottom edges, the antenna elements  42 ,  46  are mounted near opposite counterpart edges the TV  12 , in this case, near the top and left edges of the TV  12 . 
         [0022]    The antenna elements  42 ,  46  may be dual-band multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) antenna elements that are configured for reception of 2.4 GHz signals and 5 GHz signals. Furthermore, as can be appreciated from the dashed line  50 , connecting wires from the antenna elements  42 ,  46  (only the line from the first antenna  46  shown) to the wireless module  38  may be routed in the space between the outer edges of the shield  28  and the bezel  15 . To reduce the radiofrequency signal loss of antenna extension cables, a bus extension cable (when using USB) can be used to extend the wireless module closer to the antenna. 
         [0023]    With the above in mind, the present invention recognizes that a MIMO antenna may be implemented in separate antenna elements, and it can be advantageous to separate the locations of those elements for diversity gain (a benefit of 802.11n using MIMO technology). The antenna element placement and positioning shown in  FIG. 2  can produce optimal reception and diversity and minimize interference to the TV tuner  36 . Also, mounting the antenna elements inside the plastic bezels at the edge and outside the metal shield can produce improved reception, it being understood that the exact antenna positions can be determined based on different TV model configurations. The lines  50  connecting the antenna elements to the wireless module may be mini coaxial cables (with Hirose U.FL type connectors) to minimize signal loss and they can be wired along the edge of the TV inside the bezels as shown to promote network performance. 
         [0024]    In non-limiting implementations a SDIO controller may be included, e.g., on the signal processing board  32  to allow the TV  12  to access a secure digital media card (not shown) to display photos or other media. Without limitation, the wireless module  38  may be implemented by a USB WiFi with the capability to offload certain CPU functions. For example, a Broadcom 4323 chip may be used. 
         [0025]    Completing the description of  FIG. 2 , in addition to communicating audio, video, and data with the home network through the antennas  42 ,  46  and wireless module  38 , the TV  12  receives, through the TV tuner  36 , TV signals from a source  52  of TV programming such as a set-top box, a cable TV source, a satellite TV receiver, a conventional terrestrial TV broadcast antenna, etc. 
         [0026]    While the particular EMBEDDED WIRELESS ANTENNA FOR NETWORK TV is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.