Digital television translator with PSIP update

• US 20040261117A1
• Filed: 07/14/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K Tech Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: K Tech Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Kuh, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]

Abstract

A digital television translator includes a digital television receiver for receiving a first digital television signal at a first frequency and generating a digital transport stream from the first digital television signal. The digital transport stream can include original Program and System Information (PSIP) data having RX channel data that is indicative of the first frequency, the first major channel number, and/or the first minor channel number. The digital television translator also includes a PSIP update module for updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data. The TX data is indicative of a second frequency, a second major channel number, and/or a second minor channel number. The digital television translator further includes a digital television modulator for converting the digital transport stream having the updated PSIP data into a second digital television signal at the second frequency, where the second frequency can be the same or different from the first frequency.

Claims

1-50. -50. (canceled).

51. A digital television translator, comprising:

a digital television receiver for receiving a first digital television signal and generating a digital transport stream from the first digital television signal, the digital transport stream including original PSIP data having RX channel data, the RX channel data being associated with the first digital television signal and including a VCT;

a PSIP update module for updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data, the TX channel data being associated with a second digital television signal and including an updated VCT; and

a digital television modulator for converting the digital transport stream having the updated PSIP data into the second digital television signal.

52. The digital television translator according to claim 51, further comprising a re-multiplexor for replacing original ancillary data in the digital transport stream with new ancillary data.

53. The digital television translator according to claim 52, wherein the re-multiplexor comprises:

a de-multiplexor for separating the digital transport stream into video data, audio data, one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the original ancillary data, and

a multiplexor for combining the video data, the audio data, the one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the new ancillary data into the digital transport stream.

54. The digital television translator according to claim 52, wherein the new ancillary data includes Internet data.

55. The digital television translator according to claim 51, wherein a frequency of the second digital television signal is approximately equal to a frequency of the first digital television signal.

56. The digital television translator according to claim 51, wherein a frequency of the second digital television signal is different from a frequency of the first digital television signal.

57. The digital television translator according to claim 51, wherein the updated VCT contains one or more of an updated major channel number, updated minor channel number, and updated carrier frequency.

58. An information distribution network using digital television transmission, the information distribution network comprising:

a plurality of digital television transmission nodes including

a main digital television signal source for generating a main digital television signal; and

a plurality of digital television translators receiving a digital television signal from one of the plurality of digital television nodes, at least one of said plurality of digital television translators including

a digital television receiver for receiving the digital television signal from one of the plurality of digital television nodes and generating a digital transport stream from the received digital television signal, the digital transport stream including original ancillary data and original PSIP data having RX data, the RX channel data being associated with the received digital television signal and including a VCT,

a data update module for updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data and for replacing the original ancillary data in the digital transport stream with new ancillary data, the TX channel data being associated with a transmitted digital television signal and including an updated VCT, and

a digital television modulator for converting the digital transport stream having the new ancillary data and the updated PSIP data into the transmitted digital television signal, wherein at least two of the plurality of digital television transmission nodes transmit at the same frequency and the total ancillary data of the information distribution network includes the new ancillary data from multiple digital television translators of the plurality of digital television translators.

59. The information distribution network according to claim 58, wherein the data update module comprises:

a demultiplexor for separating the digital transport stream into video data, audio data, the updated PSIP data, and the original ancillary data, and

a multiplexor for combining the video data, the audio data, the updated PSIP data, and the new ancillary data into the digital transport stream.

60. The information distribution network according to claim 58, wherein the new ancillary data includes Internet data.

61. The information distribution network according to claim 58, wherein a frequency of the received digital television signal is approximately equal to a frequency of the transmitted digital television signal.

62. The information distribution network according to claim 58, wherein a frequency of the received digital television signal is different from a frequency of the transmitted digital television signal.

63. The digital television translator according to claim 58, wherein the updated VCT contains one or more of an updated major channel number, an updated minor channel number, and an updated carrier frequency.

64. A method of translating a digital television signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first digital television signal and generating a digital transport stream from the first digital television signal, the digital transport stream including original PSIP data having RX channel data, the RX channel data being associated with the first digital television signal and including a VCT;

updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data, the TX channel data being associated with a second digital television signal and including an updated VCT; and

converting the digital transport stream having the updated PSIP data into the second digital television signal.

65. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 64, further comprising the step of replacing original ancillary data in the digital transport stream with new ancillary data.

66. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 65, wherein the step of replacing the original ancillary data further comprising the steps of:

separating the digital transport stream into video data, audio data, one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the original ancillary data, and

combining the video data, the audio data, the one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the new ancillary data into the digital transport stream.

67. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 65, wherein the new ancillary data includes Internet data.

68. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 64, wherein a frequency of the first digital television signal is approximately equal to a frequency of the second digital television signal.

69. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 64, wherein a frequency of the first digital television signal is different from a frequency of the second digital television signal.

70. The digital television translator according to claim 64, wherein the updated VCT contains one or more of an updated major channel, an updated minor channel number, and an updated carrier frequency.

71. An information distribution method using digital television transmission and increasing data capacity through frequency re-use, comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of digital television signals each from one of a plurality of digital television transmission nodes, further comprising the steps of

generating a main digital television signal by one of the plurality of digital television transmission nodes; and

generating a plurality of translated digital television signals by the plurality of digital television transmission nodes, the generation of at least one of the plurality of translated digital television signals further comprising the steps of

receiving a digital television signal from at least one of the digital television transmission nodes and

generating a digital transport stream from the received digital television signal, the digital transport stream including original ancillary data and original PSIP data having RX channel data, the RX channel data being associated with the received digital television signal and including a VCT,

updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data, the TX channel data being associated with a transmitted digital television signal and including an updated VCT,

replacing the original ancillary data in the digital transport stream with new ancillary data, and

converting the digital transport stream having the new ancillary data and the updated PSIP data into a transmitted digital television signal, wherein at least two of the plurality of translated digital television signals are transmitted at a same frequency and the total ancillary data of the information distribution network includes new ancillary data from multiple digital television translators of the plurality of digital television translators.

72. The information distribution method according to claim 71, wherein replacing the original ancillary data further comprises the steps of:

separating the digital transport stream into video data, audio data, one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the original ancillary data, and

combining the video data, the audio data, the one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the new ancillary data into the digital transport stream.

73. The information distribution method according to claim 71, wherein the new ancillary data includes Internet data.

74. The information distribution method according to claim 71, wherein a frequency of the transmitted digital television signal is approximately equal to a frequency of the received digital television signal.

75. The information distribution method according to claim 71, wherein a frequency of the transmitted digital television signal is different from a frequency of the received digital television signal.

76. The digital television translator according to claim 71, wherein the updated VCT contains one or more of an updated major channel number, an updated minor channel number, and an updated carrier frequency.