Narrow bandwidth signal delivery system

• US 7,945,932 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: James, Thomas H., Shah, Dipak M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tilahun; Alazar
• Application Number:
  US11/097,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20060225102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 725 62- 78, 725/95, 725120-122, 455 301- 306
• US Class Current: 725/68
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/247 with frequency mixer, e.g. for direct satellite reception or Doppler radar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/45 using two or more feeds in association with a common reflecting, diffracting or refracting device
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/104 Switchers or splitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A bandwidth-limited system for delivering satellite video signals. The system comprises a receive antenna that includes at least one low noise block amplifier (LNB), and a module, coupled to and proximate the receive antenna, the module comprising a multiswitch, coupled to the LNB, for directing the satellite signal received by the LNB to an output of the multiswitch a tuner, coupled to the output of the multiswitch, for tuning to a specific portion of the satellite signal, the specific portion of the satellite signal selected based on commands received from a new Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD), a demodulator, coupled to the tuner, for demodulating the specific portion of the signal into a plurality of demodulated signals, and an interface for delivering a specific demodulated signal to the new IRD, wherein the specific demodulated signal is selected based on the commands received from the new IRD, and the commands and the demodulated signal are carried on a single connection between the at least one IRD and the interface.

Claims

1. A bandwidth-limited system for delivering satellite signals within a structure, comprising:

a receive antenna, including at least one low noise block amplifier (LNB) for downconverting a satellite signal to an Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal; and

a module, coupled to and proximate the receive antenna, the module comprising;

a multiswitch, coupled to the LNB, for directing the IF signal of the satellite signal received by the LNB to an output of the multiswitch;

a tuner, coupled to the output of the multiswitch, for tuning to a portion of the IF signal, the portion of the IF signal being selected based on commands received from an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD);

a demodulator, coupled to the tuner, for demodulating the tuned portion of the IF signal into a plurality of demodulated signals;

an interface for delivering only selected demodulated signals to the IRD, wherein the selected demodulated signals are also selected based on the commands received from the IRD, and the selected demodulated signals comprise a subset of the plurality of demodulated signals, wherein the subset of the plurality of demodulated signals is remapped into a composite demodulated signal, and the commands and the composite demodulated signal are carried on a single connection between the at least one IRD and the interface; and

a dedicated tuner, in addition to the tuner, wherein the dedicated tuner is controlled by a service provider through provider commands sent to the dedicated tuner through the receive antenna.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is a network interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the multiswitch further comprises at least one legacy output, each legacy output being respectively selectively controlled by a legacy IRD.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the legacy IRD output delivers a different signal than the composite demodulated signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the IRD sends commands to the module using a first command schema and the legacy IRD sends commands to the module using a second command schema.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

at least one additional tuner, coupled to the multiswitch;

at least one additional demodulator, coupled to the at least one additional tuner in a respective fashion; and

at least one additional IRD, coupled to the at least one additional demodulator in a respective fashion through the interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the at least one additional tuners and demodulators are controlled by separate IRDs.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the commands sent by the IRDs are sent in a shift-keyed format.

9. A bandwidth-limited system for distributing signals, comprising:

a plurality of Integrated Receiver Decoders (IRDs); and

a distribution module, coupled to the plurality of IRDs, comprising;

a multiswitch, wherein a plurality of inputs of the multiswitch each receive an Intermediate Frequency (IF) satellite signal;

a plurality of tuners, each tuner coupled to an output of the multiswitch, wherein each tuner tunes to a selected IF frequency band within the IF satellite signal based on commands from at least one IRD in the plurality of IRDs;

a plurality of demodulators, coupled to the plurality of tuners in a respective fashion, for demodulating the selected IF frequency band into a plurality of demodulated signals;

a plurality of demultiplexers, coupled to the plurality of demodulators in a respective fashion, for demulitplexing the plurality of demodulated signals into a plurality of demodulated packets;

an interface for delivering at least some of the demodulated packets to the at least one IRD, wherein at least the demodulated packets and the commands are carried on a single connection between the at least one IRD and the interface wherein each IRD sends commands to the distribution module to control the tuners, such that the interface delivers only a group of demodulated packets corresponding to the commands received from each IRD; and

a dedicated tuner, in addition to the tuner, wherein the dedicated tuner is controlled by a service provider through provider commands sent to the dedicated tuner through the receive antenna.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the multiswitch further comprises at least one legacy output, each legacy output being respectively selectively controlled by a legacy IRD.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface is a network interface.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a controller, coupled to the network interface, for controlling signal flow between the network interface and the plurality of IRDs and the at least one legacy IRD.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the network interface provides each IRD with a private channel, each private channel being dedicated between a corresponding IRD and the interface, such that each IRD sends commands to the interface to control content of the private channel corresponding to that IRD.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller monitors at least an identification (ID) of each of the plurality of IRDs coupled to the network interface.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller further monitors at least a signal strength between the network interface and the at least one IRD.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller refuses commands sent from the at least one IRD that does not have an ID recognized by the controller.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller refuses commands sent from the at least one IRD that does not have a signal strength within a predetermined limit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the commands are sent using a frequency-shift-keyed (FSK) schema.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller determines whether or not the at least one IRD is a legacy IRD, and accepts commands from the at least one IRD based on the determination.