FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention concerns a signal converter in general, and more specifically, a signal converter that converts video signals and/or audio signals output from an entertainment device or video recording and playback device and outputs such signals to a television receiver.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Heretofore if one connects an entertainment device, etc. to a television receiver that has no video signal input terminal, audio signal input terminal, or other video input terminal, one uses a radio frequency (RF) converter, which is a signal converter. With a RF converter, output from an entertainment device is converted into wireless frequency signals for television and input to a television receiver via its antenna terminal.  
           [0003]    An RF converter has an audiovisual signal input unit into which are input video signals and/or audio signals from an entertainment device, a signal conversion unit that converts the signals input from this audiovisual signal input unit into wireless frequency signals, a signal switching unit that switches between broadcast radio signals from the antenna and wireless frequency signals, and a signal output device that outputs said broadcast radio signals and/or said wireless frequency signals. In a conventional RF converter, the signal conversion unit and signal switching unit are constituted integrally. Also, conventional RF converters are not limited to the output of entertainment device video signals and audio signals to a television receiver. Such converters may also be used, for example, for outputting to a television receiver the video signals and audio signals of a video recording and playback device or the output of a video camera.  
           [0004]    However, because the signal switching unit and signal output unit are constituted integrally, the part for insertion into the antenna terminal of a television receiver is large, and it may be difficult to securely insert said signal output unit into the antenna terminal of said television receiver. Also, if the television set is moved with the signal output unit plugged into the antenna terminal, said signal output unit might come lose from the antenna terminal.  
         OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a signal converter that can simply and securely be inserted into the antenna terminal of a television receiver.  
           [0006]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a signal converter having an integrated signal conversion unit and signal switching unit.  
           [0007]    Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear upon review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended drawings.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    A signal converter that connects the antenna terminal of a television receiver and the output terminal of an entertainment device, converts video signals and/or audio signals output from said entertainment device, and outputs such signals to the television receiver, has an audiovisual input unit into which are input video signals and/or audio signals output from the entertainment device, a signal conversion unit that converts the signals input from this audiovisual signal input unit into wireless frequency signals, a signal switching unit that switches between broadcast radio signals from the antenna and the wireless frequency signals, and a signal output device that outputs the broadcast radio signals and/or the wireless frequency signals. The signal conversion unit and signal switching unit are constituted integrally and are made into a signal conversion and switching unit. The signal output unit includes a connection terminal connected to the antenna terminal of the television receiver and a flexible cable that links together the connection terminal and the signal conversion and switching unit.  
           [0009]    In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, because the signal conversion unit and signal switching unit are constituted integrally and the connection terminal of the signal output unit is made independent via a cable and is separated from the signal conversion and switching unit, the size of the connection terminal that plugs into the antenna terminal is reduced, thereby making it possible to simply and securely insert the signal output unit into the antenna terminal of the television receiver. In addition, because the cable that links the connection terminal and the signal conversion and switching unit is flexible, even if the television receiver is moved, it suffices merely to bend the cable in accordance with the movement of said television receiver, with no effect on the connection terminal that is connected to the antenna terminal, thereby making it possible to insert the signal output unit into the antenna terminal of the television receiver even more securely.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an environment in which the RF converter of the invention is used.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the RF converter of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of the RF converter of FIG. 2. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]    The following detailed description is of the best mode or modes of the invention presently contemplated. Such description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but to be an example of the invention presented solely for illustration thereof, and by reference to which in connection with the following description and the accompanying drawings one skilled in the art may be advised of the advantages and construction of the invention. In the various views of the drawings, like reference characters designate like or similar parts.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 illustrates a typical living room  21  in which is arranged an entertainment device  1  connected to a television receiver  2  for viewing the content of the entertainment device  1 . Exposed on the inside walls of the living room  21  are electrical outlet  22  for supplying power to television receiver  2  and entertainment device  1 , and antenna output terminal  23 , into which are input the broadcast radio signals from the antenna. Entertainment device  1  has a main body  10 , controller  30 , which serves as the operation terminal, and memory card  50 , which serves as an external memory device.  
         [0015]    Entertainment device main body  10  has the function of reading games, images, and other application programs recorded on an optical disk, etc., displaying them on said television receiver  2 , and executing said application programs by the instructions of the operator given through controller  30 . Main body  10  has a main board, power source unit, and disk device, etc. (all not shown) all accommodated inside cabinet  11 . The main board has a control system consisting of a central processing unit and its peripheral devices, etc., a graphic system that includes a graphic processing unit that draws pictures, a sound system that plays sound effects, etc., an optical disk control unit that controls the optical disk on which application programs are recorded, and a communication control unit that performs communication between entertainment device main body  10  and external devices. The optical disk control unit has, for example, a decoder that decodes programs or data, etc. recorded with an appended error correction code, and a buffer that speeds up the reading of data from the optical disk by temporarily recording data from the disk device. Connected to the communication control unit are controller connection  15  and card slot  16 , which are arranged on the front left side of cabinet  11 , and, arranged below them, an external device connection that is USB compliant. Also provided on entertainment device main body  10  are a PCMCIA slot and an audiovisual output terminal. The power source unit, which supplies power to the peripheral devices inside the entertainment device also supplies power to controller  30  and memory card  50 , which are connected to entertainment device main body  10 , via a power source switch  12  on the right front side of cabinet  11 . Through an AC inlet (not pictured) exposed on the back of cabinet  11  and power cable  3  that connects this AC inlet and electrical outlet  22 , external power is supplied to the power supply unit from said electrical outlet  22 . The disk device, which plays CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, is provided with an optical pickup unit arranged inside cabinet  11  and a disk tray  13  operable by switch  14  for loading optical disks into device main body. Controller  30  has multiple operation switches  32  are arranged on the top part and side part of controller main body  31 , and connection terminal  33  for connecting to entertainment device main body  10 . Memory card  50  comprises a flash memory for recording the state of progress and settings of a game or other application loaded from device main body  10 , which information can then be loaded back into main body  10  when it is desired to resume such state.  
         [0016]    Television receiver  2  has on its back an antenna terminal (not pictured), power source cable  4  connected to electrical outlet  22 , video input terminals (not shown) such as a video signal input terminal and an audio signal input terminal (not shown). The antenna terminal of television receiver  2  and the audiovisual output terminal of entertainment device  1  are connected by RF converter  60 , which is a signal converter (FIG. 2). RF converter  60  converts the video signals and audio signals output from entertainment device  1  and outputs them to television receiver  2 , and comprises an audiovisual signal input unit  61 , a signal conversion and switching unit  62 , and a signal output unit  63 .  
         [0017]    Audiovisual signal input unit  61 , into which are input video signals and audio signals output from entertainment device  1 , consists of audiovisual connection terminal  61  A, which is connected to the audiovisual output terminal of entertainment device  1 , and cable  61 B, which links together audiovisual connection terminal  61 A and signal conversion and switching unit  62 . Flat cable  61 B is flexible and has three signal lines, i.e., a video signal output, an audio signal output and a power source line for supplying electric power. An EMI filter  61 C is provided in the middle portion of cable  61 B, which eliminates the noise included in the video signal and audio signal input to audiovisual connection terminal  61 A.  
         [0018]    As also shown in FIG. 2, signal conversion and switching unit  62  consists integrally of signal conversion unit  62 A, signal switching unit  62 B, box-shaped case  62 C, which houses conversion unit  62 A and switching unit  62 B, and broadcast radio signal input unit  62 D provided on the side of case  62 C. Signal conversion unit  62 A converts the signal input to audiovisual signal input unit  61  into a 1- or 2-channel wireless frequency signal for television. Broadcast radio signal input unit  62 D, into which broadcast radio signals from an antenna are input, is cylindrical in shape and protrudes outwardly from the side of case  62 C. Broadcast radio signal input unit  62 D and antenna output terminal  23  are connected by coaxial cable  24  (FIG. 1).  
         [0019]    In signal switching unit  62 B, which performs switching between the broadcast radio signal input into broadcast radio signal input unit  62 D and the wireless frequency signal converted by signal conversion unit  62 A, channel switching switch  62 E that constitutes said signal switching unit  62 B is exposed on the top surface of case  62 C. Channel switching switch  62 E switches between unoccupied frequency regions of broadcast radio signals, so-called television broadcasting empty channels, and in this embodiment it can switch between VHF channel 1 and channel 2. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, signal switching unit  62 B outputs only a broadcast radio signal to television receiver  2  if only a broadcast radio signal is input to said signal switching unit  62 B, or only a wireless frequency signal to receiver  2  if only a wireless frequency signal is input, and outputs both signals to television receiver  2  if a broadcast radio signal and a wireless frequency signal are input to signal switching unit  62 B. Here, the wireless frequency signal is input to and displayed on television receiver  2  using the television broadcasting empty channel set by channel switching switch  62 E. For example, in the Tokyo region this empty channel is normally channel 2, so channel switching switch  62 E is set to channel 2.  
         [0020]    Signal output unit  63 , which outputs the broadcast radio signal, wireless frequency signal, or a mixed signal of these from said signal switching unit  62 B, has connection terminal  63 A, which is connected to the antenna terminal of television receiver  2 , and flexible cable  63 B, which links together connection terminal  63 A and signal conversion and switching unit  62 . That is, the video signals and audio signals output from entertainment device  1  are converted to wireless frequency signals by signal conversion unit  62 A, travel through signal switching unit  62 B, and are input from signal output unit  63  to the antenna terminal of television receiver  2 , resulting in display or audio output to said television receiver  2 . Similarly, broadcast radio signals input to broadcast radio signal unit  62 D travel through signal switching unit  62 B and are input from signal output unit  63  to the antenna terminal of television receiver  2 . The output of the signal to television receiver  2  is switched by signal switching unit  62 B depending on the presence or absence of the input of broadcast radio signals to broadcast radio signal input unit  62 D and the presence or absence of the input of wireless frequency signals.  
         [0021]    Thus, because signal conversion unit  62 A and signal switching unit  62 B are constituted integrally and connection terminal  63 A of signal output unit  63  is made independent by means of flexible cable  63 B and is separate from signal conversion and switching unit  62 , the part where it is inserted into the antenna terminal can be made smaller than previously, and thus the insertion of signal output unit  63  into the antenna terminal of television receiver  2  can be done simply and securely. In addition, because cable  63 B that links connection terminal  63 A and signal conversion and switching unit  62  is flexible, even if television receiver  2  is moved, it suffices merely to bend flexible cable  63 B in accordance with the movement of said television receiver  2 , with no effect on connection terminal  63 A that is connected to the antenna terminal.  
         [0022]    While the RF converter of the present invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment, alternative embodiments are contemplated. For example, in the aforesaid embodiment, while video signals and audio signals are input to audiovisual signal input unit  61 , it may suffice to input just video signals or audio signals. Also, the connection terminal  63 A may be integrated into the signal conversion and switching unit  62  as opposed to being separated therefrom by cable  63 B.  
         [0023]    Furthermore, the signal converter of the present invention is not limited to the connection between a television receiver and an entertainment device. It can also be used for the connection between a television receiver and a video recording and playback device or some other video and/or audio output device.  
         [0024]    While the present invention has been described at some length and with some particularity with respect to the several described embodiments, it is not intended that it should be limited to any such particulars or embodiments or any particular embodiment, but it is to be construed with references to the appended claims so as to provide the broadest possible interpretation of such claims in view of the prior art and, therefore, to effectively encompass the intended scope of the invention.
A signal converter is provided with a terminal output unit having an integrated signal conversion unit and signal switching unit, a connection terminal connected to an antenna terminal and a flexible rod-shaped cable, which joins together the connection terminal and signal conversion and switching unit. Because the signal conversion unit and signal switching unit are constituted integrally and connection terminal of signal output unit is independent from the signal conversion and switching unit via a rod-shaped cable, the size of the connection terminal that plugs into the antenna terminal can be reduced, thereby making it possible to insert signal output unit into the antenna terminal of the television receiver simply and securely.