Patent ID: 8208077

Claim:
A tuner unit apparatus, comprising: a main controller which transmits control signals via a first communication line; a sub controller which transmits control signals via a second communication line; a common control object which is connected to both the first communication line and the second communication line and is controlled by the main controller and the sub controller; a main control object which is connected to the first communication line and is controlled by the main controller; and a sub control object which is connected to the second communication line and is controlled by the sub controller, wherein the common control object is a tuner which receives digital TV (television) signals and outputs the received digital TV signals, and also receives analog TV signals and outputs the received analog TV signals, the main controller controls an operation of receiving the digital TV signals in the tuner and an operation in the main control object by transmitting control signals by I2C (inter-integrated circuit) communication via the first communication line, and the sub controller controls an operation of receiving the analog TV signals in the tuner and an operation in the sub control object by transmitting control signals by I2C communication via the second communication line, the tuner unit apparatus further comprises: a first switching circuit which is located in the first communication line leading from the main controller to the tuner and switches modes of the control signals which are transmitted from the main controller between a mode that the control signals are transmitted to the tuner via the first communication line and a mode that the control signals are not transmitted to the tuner; and a second switching circuit which is located in the second communication line leading from the sub controller to the tuner and switches modes of the control signals which are transmitted from the sub controller between a mode that the control signals are transmitted to the tuner via the second communication line and a mode that the control signals are not transmitted to the tuner, wherein the first switching circuit switches the mode so that the control signals transmitted from the main controller are not transmitted to the tuner via the first communication line when the sub controller controls the operation of receiving the analog TV signals in the tuner, and the second switching circuit switches the mode so that the control signals transmitted from the sub controller are not transmitted to the tuner via the second communication line when the main controller controls the operation of receiving the digital TV signals in the tuner.