METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A RECEIVING CIRCUIT FOR MULTIPLE TYPES OF INPUT CHANNEL SIGNALS

• US 20100115561A1
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ribordy, Douglas E., Miner, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,762,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/51 specially adapted for satellite broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2389 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream encrypting
• 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 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6193 involving transmission via a satellite arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session in a satellite broadcast system H04B7/18526
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16
• 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 receiving a first signal, a first encoder disposed within the housing encoding the first signal to form a first encoded signal and a second encoder disposed within the housing encoding the first signal to form a second encoded signal having a different format than the first signal.

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 a first encoded signal;

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

generating a first output signal at receiving circuit module corresponding to the first encoded signal; and

generating a second output signal at the receiving circuit module corresponding to the second 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 wherein receiving the first signal comprises decoding an over-the-air television signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein encoding the first signal within the receiving circuit module to form a first encoded signal comprises encoding the first signal within the receiving circuit module to form an MPEG2 encoded signal and wherein encoding the first signal within the receiving circuit module to form a second encoded signal comprises encoding the first signal within the receiving circuit module to form an MPEG4 encoded signal.

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

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the first output signal and the second output signal to a satellite uplink facility.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the first output signal and the second output signal to a satellite uplink facility through an Internet Protocol network.

11. A method as recite in claim 1 simultaneously uplinking signals corresponding to the first output signal and the second output signal to the satellite.

12. A method as recite in claim 1 wherein generating a first output signal and generating a second output signal comprises simultaneously generating the first output signal and the second output signal.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating first output signal and generating a second output signal comprises multiplexing the first output signal and the second output signal to form a multiplexed signal.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising communicating the multiplexed signal to a satellite uplink facility.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first output signal and generating a second output signal comprises simultaneously generating the first output signal and the second output signal.

16. A receiving circuit module comprising:

a housing having an input for a first signal;

a first encoder disposed within the housing encoding the first signal to form a first encoded signal; and

a second encoder disposed within the housing encoding the first signal to form a second encoded signal having a different format than the first signal.

17. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 16 further comprising a decoder decoding the first signal.

18. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 16 wherein the first encoded signal comprises an MPEG 2 encoded signal and the second encoded signal comprises an MPEG 4 encoded signal.

19. A receiving circuit module as recited in claim 16 further comprising a multiplexer simultaneously multiplexing the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal first.

20. A system comprising:

a first local collection facility having a first plurality of receiving circuit modules as recited in claim 16 generating a first plurality of output signals;

a second local collection facility having a second plurality of receiving circuit modules as recited in claim 16 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.