Methods and apparatus for frequency agile band-pass filtering of broadcast signals

Abstract

Example frequency agile band-pass filtering methods disclosed herein include sending a first command to a frequency agile band-pass filter included in a receiving system, the receiving system to process a media signal to receive first media provided by a first channel of the media signal, the first command being sent to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to tune to and attenuate the first channel when the first channel is determined to be experiencing degradation caused by a first type of channel interference. Such example methods also include sending a subsequent second command to the frequency agile band-pass filter when the degradation is determined to be caused by fading in addition to the first type of channel interference, the subsequent second command to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to bypass attenuation processing invoked by the first command during reception of the first channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method to receive a media signal, the method comprising:
 sending a first command to a frequency agile band-pass filter included in a receiving system, the receiving system to process the media signal to receive first media provided by a first channel of the media signal, the first command being sent to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to tune to and attenuate the first channel when the first channel is determined to be experiencing degradation caused by a first type of channel interference; and   sending a subsequent second command to the frequency agile band-pass filter when the degradation is determined to be caused by fading in addition to the first type of channel interference, the subsequent second command to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to bypass attenuation processing invoked by the first command during reception of the first channel.   
     
     
         2 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second commands comprise respective first and second infrared commands receivable by the frequency agile band-pass filter. 
     
     
         3 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second commands comprise respective first and second wireless commands receivable by the frequency agile band-pass filter. 
     
     
         4 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first type of channel interference comprises adjacent channel interference. 
     
     
         5 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising determining that the first channel is experiencing degradation caused by the first type of channel interference when an overlap of two video signals in a video display corresponding to the first channel is detected. 
     
     
         6 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising determining that the first channel is experiencing degradation caused by fading when pixelation in a video display corresponding to the first channel is detected. 
     
     
         7 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the media signal comprises a plurality of channels and the frequency agile band-pass filter is tunable to respective ones of the plurality of channels. 
     
     
         8 . An tangible machine readable storage device comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising:
 sending a first command to a frequency agile band-pass filter included in a receiving system, the receiving system to process a media signal to receive first media provided by a first channel of the media signal, the first command being sent to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to tune to and attenuate the first channel when the first channel is determined to be experiencing degradation caused by a first type of channel interference; and   sending a subsequent second command to the frequency agile band-pass filter when the degradation is determined to be caused by fading in addition to the first type of channel interference, the subsequent second command to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to bypass attenuation processing invoked by the first command during reception of the first channel.   
     
     
         9 . The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the first and second commands comprise respective first and second infrared commands receivable by the frequency agile band-pass filter. 
     
     
         10 . The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the first and second commands comprise respective first and second wireless commands receivable by the frequency agile band-pass filter. 
     
     
         11 . The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the first type of channel interference comprises adjacent channel interference. 
     
     
         12 . The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the first channel is experiencing degradation caused by the first type of channel interference when an overlap of two video signals in a video display corresponding to the first channel is detected. 
     
     
         13 . The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the first channel is experiencing degradation caused by fading when pixelation in a video display corresponding to the first channel is detected. 
     
     
         14 . The tangible machine readable storage device as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the media signal comprises a plurality of channels and the frequency agile band-pass filter is tunable to respective ones of the plurality of channels. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising:
 a memory having machine readable instructions stored thereon; and   a processor to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:
 sending a first command to a frequency agile band-pass filter included in a receiving system, the receiving system to process a media signal to receive first media provided by a first channel of the media signal, the first command being sent to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to tune to and attenuate the first channel when the first channel is determined to be experiencing degradation caused by a first type of channel interference; and 
 sending a subsequent second command to the frequency agile band-pass filter when the degradation is determined to be caused by fading in addition to the first type of channel interference, the subsequent second command to cause the frequency agile band-pass filter to bypass attenuation processing invoked by the first command during reception of the first channel. 
   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the first and second commands comprise respective first and second infrared commands receivable by the frequency agile band-pass filter. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the first and second commands comprise respective first and second wireless commands receivable by the frequency agile band-pass filter. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the first type of channel interference comprises adjacent channel interference. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the first channel is experiencing degradation caused by the first type of channel interference when an overlap of two video signals in a video display corresponding to the first channel is detected. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the first channel is experiencing degradation caused by fading when pixelation in a video display corresponding to the first channel is detected.