BROADBAND RECORDING METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VIDEO AND/OR AUDIO PROGRAMS

• US 20110081129A1
• Filed: 09/15/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Quan, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US12/882,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20110081129A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/92 Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A more efficient method of recording programs simultaneously is provided in one embodiment by translating certain bands of the RF spectrum and translating and or reordering the channel allocation into a (analog) spectrum of one or more lower intermediate frequency band(s). A recorder records the analog RF spectrum, which then is available for playback from the recorder. Programs contained in the played back RF spectrum are selectively extracted by means of a tuner and or demodulator for subsequent viewing, listening, or distribution. Alternatively, an RF signal is supplied to a recorder for recording or storage without translation. The recorder then plays back the RF signal to a tuner and or demodulator for display and or distribution.

Claims

1. A method of recording and subsequently playing back one or multiple RF signals containing one or more programs, comprising:

recording the one or multiple RF signals;

playing back the recorded one or more multiple RF signals; and

selectively tuning and demodulating the one or more multiple RF signals via one or more tuner-demodulator to view or distribute the one or more programs contained in the one or multiple RF signals.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

down-translating the one or multiple RF signals to a lower frequency spectrum prior to recording; and

upon playback, up-translating the lower frequency spectrum back to one or more multiple RF signals prior to selectively tuning and demodulating.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the RF signals comprise one or more video and or audio channels including descriptive video services (DVS), secondary audio programs (SAP) sub channels, weather or traffic sub channels, auxiliary audio/video sub channels, or access to metadata or programming guide sub channels.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

applying a copy protection or content control signal to the one or multiple demodulated RF signals.

5. The method of claim 1 including recording simultaneously one or multiple RF signals.

6. Apparatus for recording and subsequently playing back one or multiple RF signals containing one or more programs, comprising:

a recorder for recording the one or multiple RF signals;

wherein the recorder is enabled to playback the recorded one or multiple RF signals; and

a tuner-demodulator for selectively recovering the one or multiple RF signals to view or distribute the one or more programs contained in the one or multiple RF signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a down-translator for translating the one or multiple RF signals to a lower (intermediate) frequency spectrum;

an amplifier/filter for providing the frequency translated spectrum;

wherein the recorder records the lower frequency translated spectrum; and

an up-translator for translating the lower frequency spectrum back to one or multiple RF signals prior to selectively tuning and demodulating the RF signals.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

an analog to digital converter for digitizing the one or multiple RF signals prior to recording; and

a digital to analog converter for converting the recorded signals, upon playback, to an analog (RF) format.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the RF signals comprise video and or audio channels including sub channels of descriptive video services (DVS), secondary audio programs (SAP), auxiliary audio/video (material), weather or traffic sub channels, and or access to metadata or programming guide information.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the recorder simultaneously records the frequency spectrum of the one or multiple RF signals.

11. A system of recording and subsequently playing back a RF signal containing multiple programs, comprising:

a recorder for simultaneously recording a RF signal of the multiple programs;

wherein the recorder plays back the recorded RF signal; and

a tuner and demodulator for tuning and demodulating the played back RF frequency spectrum to extract one or multiple channels and or one or multiple sub channels of the multiple programs.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein recording the RF signal includes circuitry for frequency translation of the RF signal prior to recording, or storing in a memory system.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the circuitry for frequency translation is provided by sub-Nyquist sampling in an analog to digital converter.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the circuitry for frequency translation is provided by a mixer or multiplier and a local oscillator.

15. The system of claim 11 further including frequency translation of the played back recorded RF frequency spectrum.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the RF signal is provided via WiFi, WiMax, IPTV, ATSC, off the air, cable, and or satellite.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the multiple programs include programs in SDTV and or HDTV.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the multiple programs include audio programs.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the tuner and demodulator include one or multiple tuners and or demodulators.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the one or multiple tuners and or demodulators provide video, audio, data, and or metadata signals simultaneously.