RECEIVING CIRCUIT MODULE FOR RECEIVING AND ENCODING CHANNEL SIGNALS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20090070829A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miner, Daniel M., Ribordy, Douglas E.
• Application Number:
  US11/853,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070829A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A receiving circuit module and method for operating the same includes a housing having a first receiver, a second receiver, a serial digital interface and an input-output port disposed therein. The receiving circuit module includes an encoder disposed within the housing and in communication with the first receiver, the second receiver and the serial digital interface. The receiver circuit module also includes a controller disposed within the housing receiving a control signal, switching between the first receiver, the second receiver and serial digital interface in response to the control signal and generating an encoded output signal corresponding to the first receiver, the second receiver and serial digital interface.

Claims

1. A method of operating a receiving circuit module comprising:

receiving a first signal at the receiving circuit module;

encoding the first signal within the receiving circuit module to form an encoded signal;

generating an output signal at an output of the receiving circuit module corresponding to the encoded signal.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the first signal comprises receiving an over-the-air signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the first signal comprises receiving an over-the-air television signal.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the first signal comprises receiving an over-the-air standard definition television signal.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the first signal comprises receiving an over-the-air high definition television signal.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a serial digital input, and switching between the first signal or the serial digital input signal to form the output signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising receiving a control signal and wherein switching comprises switching in response to the control signal.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving a control signal comprises receiving the control signal from a monitoring system through a network connection.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the network connection comprises an IP connection.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a serial digital input and a second signal and switching between the first signal, the second signal or the serial digital input signal to form the output signal.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving comprises receiving and over-the air signal and tuning, demodulating and decoding the over-the-air signal to form the first signal.

12. A receiving circuit module comprising:

a housing having a first receiver, a second receiver, a serial digital interface and an input-output port disposed therein;

an encoder disposed within the housing and in communication with the first receiver, the second receiver and the serial digital interface; and

a controller disposed within the housing receiving a control signal, switching between the first receiver, the second receiver and serial digital interface in response to the control signal and generating an encoded output signal corresponding to the first receiver, the second receiver and serial digital interface.

13. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 12 further comprising an antenna in communication with the first receiver and the second receiver.

14. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 12 further comprising an input port in communication with the first receiver and the second receiver.

15. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 12 wherein the first receiver comprises an NTSC receiver.

16. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 12 wherein the second receiver comprises an ATSC receiver.

17. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 12 wherein the first receiver comprises an NTSC receiver and the second receiver comprises an ATSC receiver.

18. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 12 wherein the encoded output signal comprises an IP encoded output signal

19. A system comprising:

a first local collection facility having a first plurality of receiving circuit modules as recited in claim 12 generating a first plurality of output signals;

a second local collection facility having a second plurality of receiving circuit modules as recited in claim 12 generating a second plurality of output signals;

an IP network in communication with the first local collection facility and the second local collection facility;

a remote uplink facility communicating with the first local collection facility and the second local collection facility through the IP network and generating an uplink signals in response to the first plurality of output signals and the second plurality of output signals.

20. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the first plurality of receiving circuit modules is coupled to the IP network through a router.

21. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the first plurality of receiving circuit modules are coupled to the IP network through a primary router a secondary router and a switch switching between the first primary router and the secondary router.