Patent Application
20090209216
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to the formulation and placement of a specialized apparatus made of radio frequency (RF) reflective material in order to enhance the detected signal strength of RF signals received from a remote HD signaling source.
Over the last decade, home networks enabling Internet connectivity have grown in popularity, especially wireless networks. While these networks are currently implemented for computer-based Internet communications, not until recently have wireless networks been used to deliver compressed and uncompressed high-definition (HD) digital television programming.
Over the last few years, companies have attempted to devise and manufacture televisions that are adapted to receive wireless radio-frequency (RF) signals featuring HD television programming. These televisions are implemented with a RF receiver featuring one or more antennas placed within the chassis of the television or standalone receivers with an output to the television. However, depending on the placement of the RF transmitter and the extent of requisite shielding placed within the television or around the standalone receiver for reducing electromagnetic radiation, a large amount of energy may go undetected by the antenna(s) as RF signals propagate through interior and perhaps exterior walls, ceilings and floors of a home.
For instance, interior walls are normally composed of drywall, sometimes referred to as “plaster board”. The drywall comes in sheets that are nailed to the studs and are placed adjacent to each other so as to form a wall. The drywall is made of a paper liner wrapped around an inner core made primarily from gypsum plaster, and thus, it has minimal properties to reflect or absorb propagating RF signals. Similarly, exterior walls may be made of wood and stucco being materials with no RF reflective properties as well.
This lack of recapturing errand RF signals may lead to a temporary interruption in the display of television programming upon experiencing signal loss or an inferior display or audio playback quality due to any reduction in signal strength.
Therefore, it is desirable to create an apparatus that is designed to reflect RF signals, such as wireless high-definition television programming, toward the television or standalone receiver and mitigate RF energy loss.
The invention may best be understood by referring to the following description and accompanying drawings that are used to illustrate embodiments of the invention.
Embodiments of the invention may best be understood by referring to the description in accompanying drawings set forth herein. In general, materials can be described as absorbing, passing, reflecting or scattering radio-frequency waves. According to one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is described that intentionally reflects radio-frequency (RF) signals, hereinafter referred to as an “RF reflective element,” toward an audio/visual (A/V) device. Hence, the RF reflective element redirects errant RE signals that would have normally passed through a physical barrier of a room (e.g., wall, ceiling, floor, etc.) back to the A/V device. This re-direction of otherwise lost RF signal energy enhances the signal strength at the receiver resulting in enhanced performance.
In the following description, certain terminology is used to describe certain features of one or more embodiments of the invention. For instance, the term “digital content” constitutes information in a digital format including, but not limited or restricted to a digital image, an audio data stream, a video data stream, or an audio-video stream such as high-definition television programming. The term “logic” generally refers to hardware and/or software. For instance, certain types of logic may include an antenna, RF receiver for tuning the antenna in order to detect and recover digital data for subsequent rendering on an A/V device, or the like.
The term “A/V device” is generally defined as an electronic product with a visual display and/or audio playback capability. The electronic product is further adapted with an integrated or external wireless receiver controlling one or more antennas for receipt of wireless signals.
In this detailed description, for clarity sake, the A/V device is illustrated as a high-definition television (e.g., at least 1280 pixels per line and 720 lines per frame resolution) with an integrated wireless receiver. However, it is evident that there are a number of other embodiments for the A/V device, including but not limited or restricted to a standalone receiver which could be attached to the TV via HDMI, a projector or the like.
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Herein, a RF reflective element 170 is positioned generally “behind” television 110 in order to reflect RP signals that were directed in the vicinity of television 110 but were not detected by its antenna. The order of wireless signaling source 150, television (TV) 110, and reflective element 170 are such that reflective element 170 is designed to reflect energy from wireless signaling source 150 that has progressed beyond television 110 and would otherwise be lost. For instance if the transmitter were directly above television 110, reflective element 170 might be underneath television 110 or if wireless signaling source 150 were in front of television 110, then RF reflector element 170 would be behind television 110. It should be noted that RF reflective element 170 could also be used on side walls, ceilings and floors. These could all aid in reflecting RF signals towards television 110. This might be especially desirable for a room set-up as a home theater.
Special care must be used to make sure that reflective element 170 will not act as a “shield” for RF radiation if wireless signaling source 150 were located in another room that could be behind, to the side, or on a lower floor to the home theater. Generally, RF reflective element 170 would not be placed in between signal source 150 and television 110. As shown, RF reflective element 170 is formed with RF reflective material that can be applied to wall 160. The RF reflective material may have its own adhesive so that it may be attached to wall 160, or the adhesive may be applied separately. An outer side of RF reflective element 170 may be rough or textured in order to receive drywall texture coating. This RF reflecting material includes any electrically conductive material including, but not limited or restricted to metals (e.g., copper, aluminum, tin, silver, gold, etc.) or any polymer composite with conductive additives or coatings. Some of the different applications of RF reflective element 170 are described below.
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Logic 130 includes a wireless receiver 220 (e.g., a RF receiver) that tunes one or more antennas 230 to receive wireless signals and recover digital content from these wireless signals for transfer to internal data processing circuitry. The internal data processing circuitry is adapted to control the backlighting or illumination of picture elements within display 208.
Radiation shielding 250 is arranged in front of components of logic 130 in order to limit the amount of electromagnetic radiation that escapes housing 140, especially toward the viewer. Exposed from shielding 250 is an antenna structure 230 that may feature one or more antennas positioned in order to receive wireless signals from signaling source 150 of
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According to one embodiment of the invention, film 300 may be a thin sheet of material (e.g., thin sheet of metal with a thickness 320 being less than three millimeters) that is applied to top surface 310 of wall 160. Alternatively, film 300 may be initially in a gel or liquid state during application, but after drying, film 300 forms a layer of RF reflective material that has adhered to top surface 310 of wall 160.
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It is contemplated that both film 300 and mesh fabric 400 may be applied so as to be visible on wall 160 or may be covered by wall covering or paint. Hence, the film 300 or mesh fabric 400 would constitute a layer of wall 160.
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Additionally, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. For instance, the techniques for enhancing RF reflectivity set forth in
