System for and method of combining signals of combining signals of diverse modulation formats for distribution in multiple dwelling units

• US 6,104,908 A
• Filed: 02/28/1997
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Schaffner, James H., Tangonan, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US08/807,929
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.3, 455/6.2, 455/131, 348/6, 348/8, 348/723, 348/724, 348/10
• US Class Current: 725/78
• 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: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

A system for distributing first and second television signals of diverse modulation formats to a number of locations in a multiple-dwelling unit includes first and second antennas for receiving, at the multiple-dwelling unit, respective first and second received television signals having respective first and second, different modulation formats. The system also includes first and second transmodulators for transmodulating the first and second received television signals, respectively, to develop first and second transmodulated signals, respectively. A combiner or diplexer combines the first and second transmodulated signals into a combined signal, and a distributing network distributes the combined signal to each of a plurality of locations. A diplexer at a particular location selected from the number of locations separates the combined signal to recover the first and second transmodulated signals. A demodulator demodulates the second transmodulated signal recovered by the diplexer to develop a demodulated signal having the second modulation format. At the particular location in the multiple-dwelling unit, either the first transmodulated signal recovered by a separator or the demodulated signal developed by the demodulator is coupled to a television set.

Claims

1. A system for distributing first and second television signals of diverse modulation formats to a plurality of locations in a multiple-dwelling unit, comprising:

first receiving means for receiving at the multiple-dwelling unit a first received television signal having a first modulation format;

second receiving means for receiving at the multiple-dwelling unit a second received television signal having a second modulation format different than the first modulation format;

first transmodulating means converting the modulation format of the second received television signal into a third modulation format, the second received television signal having the third modulation format referred to as a first transmodulated signal;

combining means for combining the first received television signal and the first transmodulated signal into a combined signal;

distributing means for distributing the combined signal to each of a plurality of locations;

separating means at a particular location selected from the plurality of locations for separating the combined signal to recover the first received television signal and the first transmodulated signal;

demodulating means for demodulating the first transmodulated signal recovered by the separating means to develop a demodulated signal having the second modulation format; and

coupling means adapted for connection to a television set for coupling to a television set at the particular location, one of the first received television signal recovered by the separating means and the demodulated signal developed by the demodulating means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first receiving means comprises a satellite signal receiving antenna and wherein the first received television signal is received from a satellite.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first received television signal is quadrature phase shift key modulated in format.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a second transmodulating means converting the modulation format of the first received television into a fourth modulation format before the first received television signal is combined by the combining means with the first transmodulated signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second transmodulating means converts the first received television signal into a quadrature amplitude modulation format.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second receiving means is a VHF/UHF antenna.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second received television signal is amplitude-modulated.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first transmodulating means converts the second received television signal to a second transmodulated signal having a modulation format selected from the group consisting of frequency modulation, frequency-shift key modulation, and phase-shift key modulation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the combining means comprises a diplexer for multiplexing the first received television signal and the first transmodulated signal together.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the combining means comprises a combiner for multiplexing the first received television signal and the first transmodulated signal together.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the distributing means comprises a wireless distribution system for distributing the combined signal to the plurality of locations in a multiple-dwelling unit.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the distributing means comprises a wire-based distribution system for distributing the combined signal to the plurality of locations in a multiple-dwelling unit.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the separating means comprises a diplexer for diplexing the combined signal to recover the first received television signal and the first transmodulated signal.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the demodulating means comprises a demodulator and a decoder for developing a demodulated signal having the second modulation format from the first transmodulated signal.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the demodulating means comprises a frequency modulated satellite video signal tuner.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the demodulating means comprises a frequency-shift-key demodulator.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the demodulating means comprises a phase-shift-key demodulator.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first transmodulating means includes a tuner and an FM modulator for tuning a predetermined television channel.

19. A system for distributing first and second television signals of diverse modulation formats to a plurality of locations in a multiple-dwelling unit, comprising:

a satellite signal receiving antenna at the multiple-dwelling unit capable of receiving a first television signal having a first modulation format;

a UHF/VHF signal receiving antenna at the multiple-dwelling unit capable of receiving a second television signal having a second modulation format different than the first modulation format;

a transmodulator coupled to the UHF/VHF signal receiving antenna and capable of developing a first transmodulated signal from the second television signal;

a first diplexer capable of combining the first television signal and the first transmodulated signal into a combined signal;

a second diplexer at a particular location selected from the plurality of locations and capable of separating the combined signal to recover the first television signal and the first transmodulated signal;

a distribution network coupled between the first and second diplexers;

a demodulator coupled to the second diplexer and capable of demodulating the first transmodulated signal recovered by the second diplexer to develop a demodulated signal having the second modulation format; and

a coupler connected to the second diplexer and the demodulator and having a television signal output adapted for connection to a television set.

20. A method of distributing first and second television signals of diverse modulation formats to a plurality of locations in a multiple-dwelling unit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at the multiple-dwelling unit a first received television signal having a first modulation format;

receiving at the multiple-dwelling unit a second received television signal having a second modulation format different than the first modulation format;

transmodulating the second received television signal to develop a first transmodulated signal;

combining the first received television signal and the first transmodulated signal into a combined signal;

distributing the combined signal to each of a plurality of locations;

separating the combined signal to recover, at a particular location selected from the plurality of locations, the first received television signal and the first transmodulated signal;

demodulating the first transmodulated signal recovered by the separating means to develop a demodulated signal having the second modulation format; and

providing for coupling to a television set at the particular location, one of the first received television signal recovered by the separating means and the demodulated signal developed by the demodulating means.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of transmodulating the first received television signal before the combining step so that the first television signal has a modulation format different than the first modulation format.

22. An apparatus for combining first and second television signals having different modulation formats, comprising:

a first antenna for receiving a first television signal having a first modulation format;

a second antenna for receiving a second television signal having a second modulation format;

a transmodulator receiving a signal from the first antenna, said transmodulator converting the first television signal from the first modulation format to a third format; and

a diplexer receiving signals from the second antenna and the transmodulator, the diplexer combining the signals from the second antenna and the transmodulator into a combined signal.

23. An apparatus for receiving a combined signal that is a combination of a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal has a first modulation format and the second signal has a second modulation format, comprising:

a diplexer for receiving the combined signal and separating and separating the combined signal into the first signal and the second signal;

a demodulator for converting the first signal having a first modulation format into a first signal having a third modulation format; and

an MDU-IRD receiving the first signal having the third modulation format from the demodulator and the second signal having the second modulation format from the diplexer, the MDU-IRD processing the first signal having the third modulation format and the second signal having the second modulation format to create a signal for display on a television.