Whole-House Video Network

• US 20060271954A1
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Lockridge, Terry Wayne, Ramaswamy, Kumar, Derrenberger, Mike Arthur, Wehmeyer, Keith Reynolds, Lankford, Douglas Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/548,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271954A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A home satellite system includes a satellite antenna for receiving satellite broadcast video signals, and a satellite receiver that can provide the broadcast video signals to a first television directly coupled to the satellite receiver, to a second television via a in-house coaxial cable, and to a third television through a wireless network. The channel displayed in each television can be individually tuned. The satellite receiver further provides a call back link, which is shared by all the televisions, to a video source for billing or other purposes.

Claims

1. A receiver comprising:

an input terminal for receiving broadcast signals of a plurality of channels;

a first output terminal for providing first baseband video signals corresponding to first broadcast signals from a first channel;

a second output terminal for providing network packets corresponding to second broadcast signals from a second channel for transmitting to a network coupled to the second output terminal; and

a third output terminal for providing first analog video signals corresponding to third broadcast signals of a third channel, the first analog video signals having a first frequency band transmissible in a transmission medium coupled to the third output terminal, wherein said transmission medium is RG-59 cable.

2. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

means for tuning to the first and second channels, and demodulating the respective first and second broadcast signals therefrom;

means for processing the first demodulated signals and generating the first baseband video signals; and

means for processing the second demodulated signals and generating the network packets.

3. The receiver of claim 2, wherein a first network client is connected to the network for receiving the network packets.

4. The receiver of claim 3, wherein the means for generating the network packets serves as a dynamic host configuration protocol server for automatically assigning the first network client a network address.

5. The receiver of claim 3, wherein the first network client is pre-assigned a network address and the means for generating the network packets discovers the network address of the network client using a device discovery protocol.

6. The receiver of claim 3, wherein a second network client is connected to the network and has a different network address.

7. The receiver of claim 6, wherein the network packets are multicast packets, so that both the first and second network clients receive the network packets.

8. The receiver of claim 6, wherein the network packets are unicast packets.

9. The receiver of claim 8, wherein the unicast packets have destination addresses as a network address associated with the first network client.

10. The receiver of claim 6, wherein the first and second network clients are computers having a network interface module connected to the network.

11. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the network uses TCP/UDP/IP protocols.

12. The receiver of claim 11, wherein the network is a wireless network

14. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the tuning means also tunes to the third channel, receives the third broadcast signals from the third channel, and generates third demodulated video signals from the third broadcast signals.

15. The receiver of claim 14, further comprising means for processing the third demodulated video signals and generating the first analog video signal.

16. The receiver of claim 15, wherein the tuning means also tunes to a fourth channel, receives fourth broadcast signals from the fourth channel, and generates fourth demodulated video signals from the fourth broadcast signals.

17. The receiver of claim 16, further comprising means for processing the fourth demodulated video signals and generating a second analog video signal having a second frequency band different from the first frequency band for transmission using the transmission medium.

18. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the first and second frequency bands are below 1 GHz.

19. The receiver of claim 18, wherein the transmission medium includes a RG-59 cable.

20. The receiver of claim 17, wherein the tuning means tune to the four channels in response to remote signals from respective remote controls.

21. The receiver of claim 2, further comprising a conditional access module for decrypting the demodulated signals.

22. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising a modem providing a callback link.

13. (canceled)