Google's auction of Motorola's set-top box division is set to come to a close today, with bids from multiple suitors expected to reach a selling price between $1.5b and $2.5b, according to The Wall Street Journal. Citing numerous sources familiar with Google's dealings, the Journal notes that the deadline for bids may be pushed into next week, but the likeliest scenario is that one of the prime bidders will seal the deal by the end of business today. Arris, Pace, and Technicolor are the three companies named as having greatest interest in acquiring the cable box business, which Google has clearly decided isn't going to play part in its future home entertainment ventures.

According to the report, Google may opt to retain some part of the intellectual property portfolio held by Moto's cable business and just sell off the hardware distribution unit. In any case, with the lowest estimate for the transaction reaching into the billions, Google looks like it'll be making a decent return on at least one part of its investment in Motorola.