Satellite Signal Distribution

• US 20100325670A1
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Landreth, Daniel Alexander, Tuck, Frederick R., Strong, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• 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: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4343 Extraction or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• 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 21/6143 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 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for receiving satellite television signals. A centralized system component may be provided in association with the satellite antenna. The centralized system component includes at least one or more tuners and one or more demodulators. The centralized component may provide output through a network adaptor that provides output through a single output, which is a coaxial cable in one embodiment. The centralized component may send output in the form of packetized data directed to one or more set-top boxes by way of a network transaction. The set-top box or boxes may be operable to receive the network transaction and to process the data, as appropriate, for display on a TV/monitor.

Claims

1. A satellite signal receiving system component, comprising:

one or more tuners operable to receive one or more input signals, each input signal including a block of intermediate frequency signals, the intermediate frequency signals having been down converted from a satellite downlink signal, each tuner operable to select and output a transponder signal from the intermediate frequency signals;

one or more demodulators, each demodulator having an input connected to an output of one of the tuners, each demodulator operable remove a carrier signal from the transponder signal received from the tuner and operable to output a baseband signal; and

a network adapter operable to receive one or more baseband signals and to packetize data associated with the baseband to form one or more packets, the network adapter operable to transmit the packets across a network through a single output.

2. The satellite signal receiving system component of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more demultiplexers, each demultiplexer disposed between one of the demodulator and the network adapter, each demultiplexer operable to separate out individual transport streams from the baseband signals provided by the demodulators and to provide the individual transport streams to the network adapter.

3. The satellite television receiving system component of claim 1, wherein the single output line includes a coaxial cable that forms a portion of the network.

4. The satellite television receiving system component of claim 1, wherein the network includes a MoCA media access layer.

5. In a satellite receiving system, a client device comprising:

a network adapter operable to receive a number of packets, the packets comprising a packetized stream of data received from a satellite;

a decoder connected to the network adapter, the decoder operable to decode an audio, a video and/or a data stream associated with the packetized stream of data; and

audio visual processing unit connected to the decoder operable to convert digital data to one or more signals having a second format and to output the signals having a second format.

6. The client device of claim 5, further comprising:

a demultiplexer disposed between the network adapter and the decoder the demultiplexer operable to separate out individual transport streams from the packets received by the network adapter and operable to provide the individual transport streams to the decoder.

7. The client device of claim 5, further comprising:

a storage medium operable to store one or more videos;

wherein the video may be shared with other client devices through one or more network transactions issued through the network adapter.

8. The client device of claim 7, wherein the video is a high-definition video.

9. The client device of claim 7, wherein the storage medium is associated with a removable device.

10. The client device of claim 5, further comprising:

a processor operable to at least process user input commands, wherein user input commands that include a channel change are packetized and sent to a tuner through the network adapter.

11. The client device of claim 5, wherein the packets received at the network adapter are received over a coaxial cable connected to an input.

12. The client device of claim 11, wherein the coaxial cable is a portion of a network that interconnects a number of client devices.

13. A method of receiving satellite television signals, comprising:

receiving a block of intermediate frequency signals, the intermediate frequency signals having been down converted from a satellite downlink signal;

in response to receiving the block of intermediate frequency signals, filtering the block of intermediate frequency signals by a tuner to remove a transponder signal;

in response to filtering the block of intermediate frequency signals, demodulating the transponder signal by a demodulator to produce a baseband signal;

packetizing data from the baseband signal at a network adapter to produce packetized data; and

transmitting the packetized data set from the network adapter across a network to be received by a client device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the packetized data at a client device;

in response to receiving the packetized data, demultiplexing the packetized data to produce one or more individual transport stream signals;

in response to demultiplexing the packetized data, decoding the individual transport streams to produce one or more decompressed digital data streams; and

in response to decoding the individual transport streams, converting the digital data streams to one or more analog data streams.

in response to converting the digital data, outputting the one or more analog data streams from the client device to a television or monitor.

15. The method claim 13, further comprising:

in response to demodulating the transponder signal, demultiplexing the baseband signal to produce one or more individual transport stream signals;

wherein the baseband signal packetized at the network adapter includes the one or more individual transport streams.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the packetized data at a client device;

in response to receiving the packetized data, decoding the individual transport streams to produce one or more decompressed digital data streams; and

in response to decoding the individual transport streams, converting the digital data streams to one or more uncompressed digital data streams.

in response to converting the digital data, outputting the one or more uncompressed digital data streams from the client device to a television or monitor.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a channel change command at the client device;

in response to receiving the channel change command, transmitting the command across the network;

in response to sending the channel change command at the tuner, receiving the channel change command at the tuner;

in response to receiving the channel change command at the tuner, adjusting the tuner to remove a transponder signal that carriers a channel specified by the channel change command.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the packetized data at a client device;

in response to receiving the packetized data at the client device, storing the packetized data as a stored audiovisual program;

receiving a request for the stored audiovisual program from a network node, the request for the stored audiovisual program being received through the network adapter associated with the client device; and

in response to receiving the request, transmitting the stored audiovisual program to the network node through the network adapter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the network node is a second client device associated with a home network to which the client device is attached.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the request for the stored content is received from across the Internet.