Patent Abstract:
A method and apparatus are disclosed, in an interactive broadband set-top box receiving broadband signals from a headend, to facilitate communications with an installed card within the set-top box using a single IC chip that processes the broadband signals. The single IC chip is configured to a PCMCIA PC-card mode such that PC card signals are multiplexed to certain I/O pins of the single IC chip. In the PCMCIA PC-card mode, the single IC chip attempts to detect the presence of and identify an installed card in the set-top box. If an installed card is present and is identified as a POD module, then the single IC chip is reconfigured from the PCMCIA PC-card mode to a POD mode such that POD-compatible signals are multiplexed to certain existing I/O pins of the single IC chip when operating in the POD mode.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to application Ser. No. 09/969,212 filed Oct. 2, 2001, titled “SINGLE CHIP SET-TOP BOX SYSTEM”, the complete subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to integrated circuits and systems, and more particularly to an interactive broadband set-top box on a single integrated circuit (IC) chip. 
         [0003]    In general, a set-top box interfaces with RF devices to receive and process audio, video, data, and/or graphics information for display on a display device such as a high definition television, standard definition television, or a computer monitor. The video and graphics signals transmitted to the display device by the set-top box may comprise, for example, RGB, NTSC, PAL, SECAM, ATSC, S-video, and DVI-compatible signals as well as any other standard or non-standard video and/or graphics signals. 
         [0004]    The audio, video, data, and/or graphics information may originate, for example, at a cable headend. A headend is the mainframe of a cable television system where inputs from satellites, local signals, and other sources are combined, balanced, and amplified for subsequent distribution to customers on a single cable. The headend includes various RF devices including antennas, preamplifiers, frequency converters, demodulators, modulators, processors, and other related devices. However, as used herein from this point forward, the term “headend” is used generally to simply indicate a source of audio, video, data, and/or graphics information. 
         [0005]    A set-top box system may receive audio, video, data, and/or graphics information using any combination of available communication media such as, for example, cable, landline (eg. PSTN, ISDN, DSL), Internet, satellite links, free space, wireless links, and the like. The set-top box system may interface to a memory device to store data during audio, video, data, and/or graphics processing. 
         [0006]    Conventional set-top boxes may include various discrete and separate elements. For example, a typical set-top box may include a broadband receiver, an MPEG decoder, a video encoder, an upstream RF transmitter, and a CPU all implemented on separate integrated circuit (IC) chips or systems. Also, a set-top box may include peripheral interfaces including PCMCIA-compatible interfaces and a POD interface implemented on separate chips or systems. 
         [0007]    Peripheral interfaces may include various types of installed PC cards that are communicated to/from using a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) standard communication protocol. The purpose of the PCMCIA protocol is to support the interoperability of PC cards in computers, automobiles, cable TV, digital cameras, and set-top box systems. The PCMCIA protocol defines the electrical interface, associated software, socket design, and physical size of the cards and, as an example, may be in compliance with PC Card Standard 8.0 Release, April 2001 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Some examples of PC cards include memory cards, modems, sound cards, floppy disk controllers, hard drives, CD ROM and SCSI controllers, GPS cards, data acquisition and LAN cards, pagers, radios, wireless network cards, etc. 
         [0008]    Also, peripheral interfaces may include a point-of-deployment (POD) interface. A POD module is a programmable card that may be installed in a set-top box system and is communicated to/from using a POD communication protocol through the POD interface. The functions of the POD module are to receive, de-encrypt, and transmit parallel MPEG transport streams and receive, process, and transmit out-of-band (OOB) signals. 
         [0009]    A cable provider may download data to the POD module using the OOB channels to, for example, enable pay-per-view channels requested by a user. The POD module may transmit upstream signals through the POD interface using the OOB channels to provide requests and status information to the cable provider, for example, such that a user&#39;s account may be updated. As an example, the POD protocol may be in compliance with OpenCable™ Host-POD Interface Specification IS-POD-131-INT07-010803, dated Aug. 3, 2001 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
         [0010]    Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with embodiments of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus, in an interactive broadband set-top box receiving broadband signals from, for example, a headend, to facilitate communications with an installed card within the set-top box using a single IC chip that processes the broadband signals. 
         [0012]    A method of the present invention provides for configuring a single IC chip to a PCMCIA PC-card mode such that certain existing I/O pins of the single IC chip carry PC card signals when operating in the PCMCIA PC-card mode. The single IC chip may detect the presence of an installed card interfacing to the single IC chip and may identify the installed card as a PC card or a POD module. The single IC chip may be reconfigured from the PCMCIA PC-card mode to a POD mode, if the installed card is identified as a POD module, such that POD-compatible signals are multiplexed to certain existing I/O pins of the single IC chip when operating in the POD mode. 
         [0013]    Apparatus of the present invention provides, within a single IC chip, a broadband digital signal processing module (BDSPM) to process broadband signals. The apparatus also provides, within the single IC chip, a PC-card/POD interface module (PPIM) interfacing to the BDSPM. The PPIM is capable of being configured to operate in a PCMCIA PC-card mode or a POD mode, along with the BDSPM, in order to communicate with an installed card in an interactive broadband set-top box by multiplexing signals onto shared I/O pins of the single IC chip. 
         [0014]    Certain embodiments of the present invention afford an approach for a single IC chip to multiplex certain I/O pins between PC card signals and POD-compatible signals in order to communicate with a PCMCIA module or a POD module installed in an interactive broadband set-top box. 
         [0015]    These and other advantages and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a single IC chip apparatus processing broadband signals from a headend and interfacing to a POD module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method to reconfigure the single IC chip apparatus in  FIG. 1  from a PCMCIA PC-card mode to a POD mode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a table illustrating how to configure a control register in the single IC chip apparatus of  FIG. 1  in order to switch between a PCMCIA PC-card configuration and a POD configuration in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a table illustrating the various POD or PC-card signals that may be multiplexed onto certain I/O pins of the single IC chip apparatus of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a schematic block diagram of an alternative embodiment of a single IC chip apparatus processing broadband signals from a headend and interfacing to a POD module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]    Integrating the functionality of various set-top box system elements on a single IC chip reduces fabrication time, fabrication cost, and maintenance cost. Application Ser. No. 09/969,21 2 filed Oct. 2, 2001, titled “SINGLE CHIP SET-TOP BOX SYSTEM” describes the integration of many of the set-top box functional elements into a single IC chip. 
         [0022]    It is desirable, however, to have a single set-top box chip that is able to interface directly to an installed PC card or an installed POD-compatible module simply by changing a programmable configuration or mode of the single IC chip. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of a single IC chip  5  in a set-top box and processing broadband signals from a headend  110  and interfacing to a POD module  150  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The single IC chip  5  may also interface to certain PC cards as well. 
         [0024]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the single IC chip  5  comprises two main sections including a Broadband Digital Signal Processing module (BDSPM)  100  and a PC-card/POD Interface Module (PPIM). The BDSPM  100  receives broadband audio, video, data, and/or graphics information from a headend  110 , processes the information, interfaces to PPIM  200  within the single IC chip  5 , outputs upstream RF signals to the headend  110 , and outputs other signals for display to, for example, a television  120 . The PPIM  200  receives/transmits signals from/to the BDSPM  100  and multiplexes the appropriate signals to I/O pins of the single IC chip  5  such that the single IC chip  5  may interface to a PC card or a POD module installed in the set-top box. 
         [0025]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the BDSPM  100  comprises an MPEG decoder/video encoder  10 , a transport processor  20 , an in-band receiver  30 , and out-of-band receiver  40 , an upstream RF module  50 , and a CPU  60 . 
         [0026]    During operation of the single IC chip  5  in a set-top box, broadband signals are received by the BDSPM  100  in the form of in-band signals and out-of-band signals. The in-band signals are received by in-band receiver  30  which generates a digital serial MPEG transport stream from the received in-band signals. In an embodiment of the present invention, in-band receiver  30  comprises a QAM receiver. The out-of-band signals are received by OOB receiver  40  which generates digital OOB signals. In an embodiment of the present invention, the OOB receiver  40  comprises a QPSK receiver. 
         [0027]    The CPU  60  controls the functionality of the single IC chip  5  by generating various control signals within the chip. Digital upstream signals, generated by a POD module  150  external to the single IC chip  5 , may be converted to upstream RF signals by upstream RF module  50  and transmitted to the headend  110 . Upstream RF module  50  may comprise a QPSK/16-QAM upstream transmitter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0028]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the transport processor  20  receives a serial MPEG transport stream from the PPIM  200 . The serial MPEG transport stream may include one or more in-band streams (high data rate streams such as audio or video data). The transport processor  20  may perform one or more of, but not limited to, signal parsing, PID filtering, encrypting, de-encrypting, and packet buffering of the received serial MPEG transport stream. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transport processor  20  transmits a de-encrypted, parsed serial MPEG transport stream to MPEG Decoder/Video Encoder  10  for audio and video decoding (i.e. decompression). 
         [0029]    MPEG Decoder/Video Encoder  10  performs dual functions. The MPEG decoder section receives compressed signals from a parsed serial MPEG transport stream and performs signal decompression. The signal decompression operation may, in an embodiment of the present invention, decode a compressed video signal of the parsed serial MPEG transport stream into a CCIR-656 standard digital signal. In other embodiments, the MPEG decoder may format the compressed signals into other types of decompressed signal formats. 
         [0030]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the video encoder section of the MPEG Decoder/Video Encoder  10  receives a video signal (e.g. a CCIR-656 stream) as a parsed serial MPEG transport stream and encodes the received video signal by converting it to, for example, a NTSC or PAL video signal for display. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  shows the BDSPM  100  and PPIM  200  of the single IC chip  5  configured in the POD mode as opposed to the PCMCIA PC-card mode. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the single IC chip  5  may be configured to either the POD mode or the PCMCIA PC-card mode. 
         [0032]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the BDSPM  100  of the single IC chip  5  processes broadband signals received from the headend as previously described. Referring to  FIG. 2 , in step  320  of method  300 , the BDSPM  100  and PPIM  200  of the single IC chip  5  are configured to the PCMCIA PC-card mode by CPU  60  by configuring a control register in the BDSPM  100 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , for the PCMCIA PC-card mode. 
         [0033]    While in the PCMCIA PC-card mode, the CPU  60  detects the presence of an installed card  150  (such as a POD module or a PC card) in step  330 . If the CPU  60  detects the presence of an installed card  150 , then the CPU  60  reads an identification register in installed card  150  and identifies the installed card as a particular PC card or a POD module in step  340 . 
         [0034]    In step  350 , if the installed card  150  is a POD module, then the CPU reconfigures the BDSPM  100  and PPIM  200  in single IC chip  5  to the POD mode by configuring a control register in the BDSPM  100 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , for the POD mode (step  360  in  FIG. 2 ). In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, when configured to the POD mode, the single IC chip  5  will operate in the POD mode in compliance with OpenCable™ Host-POD Interface Specification IS-POD-131-INT07-010803, dated Aug. 3, 2001 (step  370  in  FIG. 2 ). Otherwise, the single IC chip  5  remains in the PCMCIA PC-card mode and operates in compliance with PC Card Standard 8.0 Release, April 2001 (step  380  in  FIG. 2 ) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Other embodiments complying with other standards and/or specifications are possible as well. 
         [0035]      FIG. 4  is a table illustrating the various POD or PC card signals that may be multiplexed onto certain I/O pins of the single IC chip  5  of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The signals and pins that are boxed are multiplexed between PC card signals and POD signals depending on the mode of operation (PCMCIA PC-card or POD). The direction of the signals (input, output or both) with respect to the single IC chip  5  is also shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0036]    For example, in the POD mode, the TX_CLK pin carries a clock signal from the single IC chip  5  to the POD module  150  and the TX_I, TX_Q, and TX_ENABb pins carry data from the POD module  5  to the single IC chip  5 . In the PCMCIA PC-card mode, the same pins carry address information, A[ 4 ] to A[ 7 ], from the single IC chip  5  to a PC card. 
         [0037]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the PPIM  200  comprises an MPEG parallel-to-serial converter/multiplexer (MPSCM)  70 , an MPEG serial-to-parallel converter/multiplexer (MSPCM)  80 , and a CPU/OOB/Upstream muxed interface (COUMI)  90  which support the POD mode of the single IC chip  5 . 
         [0038]    While in the POD mode, the CPU  60  in the BDSPM  100  communicates through the PPIM  200  to a CPU in the POD module  150  to coordinate activities and functions between the single IC chip  5  and the external POD module  150 . 
         [0039]    In an embodiment of the present invention, an encrypted serial MPEG transport stream from in-band receiver  30  is input to MSPCM  80  in PPIM  200 . MSPCM  80  converts the serial MPEG transport stream to parallel MPEG transport signals and multiplexes the parallel MPEG transport signals to POD module  150 . POD module  150  de-encrypts the parallel MPEG transport signals and sends the de-encrypted parallel MPEG transport signals to MPSCM  70  in PPIM  200 . 
         [0040]    MPSCM  70  multiplexes the de-encrypted parallel MPEG transport signals from the POD module  150  and converts the de-encrypted parallel MPEG transport signals to a de-encrypted serial MPEG transport stream and sends the de-encrypted serial MPEG transport stream to transport processor  20  in BDSPM  100 . Transport processor  20  generates a parsed serial MPEG transport stream from the de-encrypted serial MPEG transport stream and sends the parsed stream to MPEG Decoder/Video Encoder  10  for audio and/or video decoding (i.e. decompression) and/or video encoding. 
         [0041]    In an embodiment of the present invention, conditional access may be provided using the OOB channels. Digital OOB signals from OOB receiver  40  are transmitted to COUMI  90  and multiplexed to POD module  150 . The OOB signals may contain programming information from the headend. For example, the headend may download a key or code to the POD through the single IC chip  5  to enable de-encryption of a particular cable channel such as a pay-per-view channel. 
         [0042]    In an embodiment of the present invention, the POD module  150  may also send digital upstream signals to single IC chip  5  that are multiplexed through COUMI  90  to upstream RF module  50 . Upstream RF module  50  converts the digital upstream signals to upstream RF signals that are transmitted to the headend  110 . For example, the upstream signals may contain user request information, such as requesting that an additional channel (e.g. a pay-per-view channel) be de-encrypted by POD module  150 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 5  is a schematic block diagram of an alternative embodiment of a single IC chip  5  processing broadband signals from a headend  110  and interfacing to a POD module  150  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 5 , two in-band receivers  31  and  32  are shown, each generating a serial MPEG transport stream that are sent to PPIM  200 . Also, MPEG Transport Multiplexer (MTM)  33  combines the two streams and sends the resultant combined stream to PPIM  200 . MSPCM  80  selects one of the three transport streams for subsequent MPEG serial-to-parallel conversion and multiplexing to the POD module  200 . 
         [0044]    In other embodiments of the present invention, the single IC chip  5  may generate more than two serial MPEG transport streams and multiplex various combinations of them to POD module  150 . 
         [0045]    As an alternative embodiment, the single IC chip  5  may support the multiplexing of other functional signals onto the existing shared pins of single IC chip  5  in addition to PC card signals and POD signals. In other words, other functional modes may also be supported by sharing of pins. 
         [0046]    As a further alternative embodiment, the single IC chip  5  may support a PCMCIA PC-card mode and a POD mode by having dedicated pins for each mode. No multiplexing or sharing of pins is performed to accommodate the two modes in the single IC chip S. 
         [0047]    The various elements of the single IC chip  5  may be combined or separated according to various embodiments of the present invention. For example, transport processor  20  may be combined with MPEG Decoder/Video Encoder  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0048]    In summary, certain embodiments of the present invention afford an approach to configure a single IC chip, processing broadband signals in a set-top box, to a PCMCIA PC-card mode or a POD mode and to multiplex PC card signals or POD-compatible signals within the single IC chip to certain pins of the single IC chip in order to interface with a PC card in the PCMCIA PC-card mode or a POD module in the POD mode. 
         [0049]    While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7