Multiple-room signal distribution system

• US 6,622,307 B1
• Filed: 03/26/1999
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Ho, Kesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, AN SON PHI
• Application Number:
  US09/277,471
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 725/71, 725/78, 725/80, 725/85, 725/120, 725/149, 725/65, 725/79, 725/82, 725/121, 725/130
• US Class Current: 725/120
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A multiple-room communication system is adapted to provide digital television programming (e.g. DBS) to a plurality of rooms in a single family dwelling and may be further adapted to provide digital television programming to a plurality of dwelling units in a multiple dwelling unit such as an apartment. A central unit includes a plurality of integrated receiver decoder modules that receive e.g. satellite signals from a satellite antenna and filter and supply the signals to a distribution system that is coupled to a plurality of display devices that are located in various rooms throughout the single family home. A plurality of hand-held remote controllers, each being associated with one of the integrated receiver decoder modules, are used to communicate with and control the associated integrated receiver decoder module to cause it to supply a desired signal to a desired display device. Each of the remote controllers are adapted to ensure exclusive communication with the associated integrated receiver decoder module and to prevent interference with the operation of the other integrated receiver decoder modules. A single power supply is used to power the co-located integrated receiver decoder modules, and a single modem is used to report billing information to the satellite provider.

Claims

1. In a transmission system in which digital television signals are transmitted to a plurality of user locations, wherein each of said user locations includes a plurality of service areas therein, a television signal distribution system at one or more of said user locations and comprising:

a central unit having a primary television signal input port that receives primary digital television signals, said primary digital television signals comprising a plurality of primary digital television signal components;

said central unit further having at least one output port that outputs to a distribution network selected ones of said plurality of primary digital television signal components for distribution to each of the plurality of service areas; and

said central unit having signal processing circuitry that receives said primary digital television signal, along with a plurality of coded user selection signals, each including a coded portion;

said signal processing circuitry further comprises a remote interface circuit that receives said coded portion of said coded user selection signals;

said remote interface circuit comprising a plurality of demodulators;

said remote interface circuit further comprising a plurality of remote code select switches coupled to said demodulators wherein said remote code select switches restrict the operation of said demodulators; and

wherein said demodulators selectively distribute a decoded signal to said decoder modules and

said signal processing circuitry processing said primary digital television signal based on said user selection signals, along a plurality of parallel and independent signal paths to independently and in parallel provide any one of said primary digital television signal components to said at least one output port, said signal processing circuitry comprises decoder modules for each of said plurality of parallel and independent signal paths, said decoder modules independently and in parallel decoding said primary digital television signal to provide any one of said primary digital television signal components to said at least one output port; and

wherein said user selection signals comprise a user selection component that identifies one of the plurality of primary digital television signal components and wherein the coded portions of said user selection signals identify one of said plurality of parallel and independent signal paths.

2. The television signal distribution system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of remote user interface units located in at least some of said service areas;

said remote user interface units receiving said coded user selection signals and providing them to said central unit; and

said remote user interface units comprising a remote code select switch.

3. The television signal distribution system of claim 2 wherein said signal processing circuitry further comprises at least one shared-resources module that generates shared resources that are shared among said decoder modules.

4. The television signal distribution system of claim 3 wherein said shared resources comprise power resources.

5. The television signal distribution system of claim 3 wherein said shared resources comprise conditional access resources that determine what primary digital television signal components said signal processing circuitry is authorized to receive.

6. The television signal distribution system of claim 3 wherein said shared resources comprise modem resources that provide access to a telephone line for transmitting information gathered by said signal processing circuitry.

7. The television signal distribution system of claim 6 wherein one of said decoder modules is adapted to retrieve data from said decoder modules and is further adapted to supply said data to said telephone line via said modem resources.

8. The television signal distribution system of claim 2 wherein said signal processing circuitry further comprises a signal combiner that combines the selected primary digital television signal components decoded by said decoder modules and provides a combined signal to said central unit output port and said distribution network.

9. The television signal distribution system of claim 8 wherein:

said central unit further comprises at least one auxiliary input port that receives auxiliary information signals; and

said signal combiner also combines said auxiliary information signals such that said combined signal comprises said selected primary digital television signal components decoded by said decoder modules and said auxiliary information signal.

10. The television signal distribution system of claim 9 wherein said auxiliary information signal comprises an off-air broadcast television signal.

11. The television signal distribution system of claim 9 wherein said auxiliary information signal comprises a cable television signal.

12. The television signal distribution system of claim 2 wherein:

said primary digital television signal comprises a wide L-band signal; and

each of said decoder modules comprise an agile radio frequency (RF) modulator that modulates said primary digital television signal component to a narrow bandwidth signal.

13. The television signal distribution system of claim 2 wherein said remote user interface units are coupled to a power distribution network, and are adapted to transmit said user selection signals to said central unit via said power distribution network.

14. The television signal distribution system of claim 2 further comprising:

a plurality of hand held units located in at least some of said service areas;

said hand held units being adapted to transmit said user selection signals; and

said hand held units comprising an encoder for encoding said user selection signals.

15. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

a plurality of signal combiners, each of said signal combiners being coupled to a different, selected one of said decoder modules;

wherein said central unit further comprises at least one auxiliary input port that receives auxiliary information signals; and

wherein each of said signal combiners are adapted to combine said primary digital television signal components with said auxiliary information signals and to provide a combined signal to said at least one output port and to said distribution network.

16. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 2 wherein:

said central unit further comprises a plurality of slots for receiving said plurality of decoder modules wherein each of said slots comprises a plurality of signal ports.

17. The television signal distribution system of claim 1 wherein:

said at least one user location comprises a single family dwelling unit; and

said plurality of service areas comprise rooms in said single family dwelling unit.

18. The television signal distribution system of claim 1 wherein:

said at least one user location comprises a multiple-dwelling-unit building; and

said plurality of service areas comprise dwelling units of said multiple dwelling-unit building.

19. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of display devices wherein at least one of said display devices is located at one of said user locations; and

wherein said display devices are adapted to receive said primary digital television signal components from said at least one output port.

20. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 1 wherein said central unit further comprises:

a plurality of signal combiners, each of said signal combiners being coupled to a different selected one of said decoder modules;

wherein said central unit further comprises at least one auxiliary input port that receives auxiliary information signals; and

wherein each of said signal combiners is adapted to combine said primary digital television signal components with said auxiliary information signals and to provide a combined signal to said at least one output port and to said distribution network.

21. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 20 further comprising a filter coupled to said auxiliary input port for filtering said auxiliary information signal.

22. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 21 further comprising:

a plurality of transceiver units located in at least one of said service areas;

said transceiver units being coupled to said distribution network and being adapted to receive said primary digital television signal components from a specific one of said decoder modules; and

said transceiver units being adapted to receive an auxiliary information signal.

23. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 22 wherein said transceiver unit comprises:

a selector circuit that selects between said primary digital television signal components and said auxiliary information signal;

a signal receiver that receives said user selection signals;

a signal decoder for decoding said user selection signals;

a control circuit responsive to said user selection signals to cause said selector circuit to select between said primary digital television signal and said auxiliary information signal.

24. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 23 wherein said transceiver unit further comprises:

a signal modulator for converting said user selection signals to a format suitable for transmission over said distribution network;

a transmitter coupled to said signal modulator for transmitting said converted user selection signals via said distribution network to said specific decoder module.

25. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 24 wherein said decoder modules comprise:

a modem circuit that generates a modem signal;

a signal combiner that combines off-air or cable programming signals provided by an antenna with said primary digital television signal; and

wherein said signal combiner provides a combined signal to said output port and to said distribution network.

26. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 25 wherein said transceiver unit further comprises a filter that filters said combined signal.

27. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 25 wherein said transceiver unit further comprises:

a modem interface circuit, that is adapted to receive said combined signal and to separate said modem signal from said combined signal and to convert said modem signal to a format suitable for transmission on a telephone line.

28. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 22 further comprising:

a power supply coupled to said central unit, said power supply being adapted to provide power to said decoder modules; and

wherein said transceiver unit further comprises a power tap that draws power from said distribution network.

29. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 20 further comprising:

a plurality of distribution centers that receive said primary digital television signal;

a plurality of switches, wherein at least some of said switches are coupled to some of said distribution centers; and

a plurality of said central units wherein at least some of said central units are coupled to some of said switches.

30. The television signal distribution system of claim 29 wherein:

said at least one user location comprises a multiple-dwelling-unit building having a plurality of levels; and

wherein each of said distribution centers is located on a different one of said levels; and

wherein said switch coupled to said distribution center is located on the same level as said distribution center.

31. The television signal distribution system as defined in claim 20 further comprising:

an amplifier that receives said primary digital television signal;

a plurality of splitters coupled to said amplifier that receive said primary digital television signal from said amplifier;

a plurality of switches coupled to said splitters; and

wherein one of each of said central units are coupled to a different one of said switches.

32. The television signal distribution system of claim 31 wherein:

said at least one user location comprises a multiple-dwelling-unit building having a plurality of levels; and

wherein said amplifier, said splitters, said switches and said central units are located on a first level; and

wherein said central units provide signals to said at least one of said dwelling units wherein said dwelling units are not located on said first level.

33. In a transmission system in which digital television signals are transmitted to a plurality of user locations, wherein each of said user locations includes a plurality of service areas therein, a television signal distribution system at one or more of said user locations and comprising:

a central unit having a primary television signal input port that received primary digital television signals, said primary digital television signals comprising a plurality of primary digital television signal components;

said central unit further having at least one output port that outputs to a distribution network selected ones of said plurality of primary digital television signal components for distribution to each of the plurality of service areas; and

said central unit having signal processing circuitry that receives said primary digital television signal, along with a plurality of coded user selection signals, each including a coded portion;

said signal processing circuitry further comprises a remote interface circuit that receives said coded portion of said coded user selection signals;

said remote interface circuit comprising a plurality of demodulators;

said remote interface circuit further comprising a plurality of remote code select switches coupled to said demodulators wherein said remote code select switches restrict the operation of said demodulators; and

wherein said demodulators selectively distribute a decoded signal to said decoder modules and

said signal processing circuitry processing said primary digital television signal based on said user selection signals, along a plurality of parallel and independent signal paths to independently and in parallel provide any one of said primary digital television signal components to said at least one output port, said signal processing circuitry comprises decoder modules for each of said plurality of parallel and independent signal paths, said decoder modules independently and in parallel decoding said primary digital television signal to provide any one of said primary digital television signal components to said at least one output port; and

wherein said user selection signals comprise a user selection component that identifies one of the plurality of primary digital television signal components and wherein the coded portions of said user selection signals identify one of said plurality of parallel and independent signal paths, and

wherein said remote interface circuit is coupled to a power signal distribution network and is adapted to retrieve said user selection signals from said power signal distribution network.