Television converter device including an internet protocol interface

• US 8,087,057 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Minnick, Danny Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Newlin, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/965,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20080216138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 725/109, 725/110, 725/112, 725/51
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/202 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A television converter device is provided which includes a channel selector and an Internet Protocol (IP) interface. The channel selector is configured to receive multiple channels of television programming from at least one of a satellite, cable, and over-the-air broadcasting source, select one of the channels from the multiple channels, and deliver the selected channel to at least one television (TV). The IP interface is configured to receive television programming over an IP connection, and to deliver the television programming received over the IP connection to the at least one TV.

Claims

1. A video converter device, comprising:

an output port connecting the video converter device to at least one display device;

a channel selector configured to receive multiple channels of programming, to select one of the channels from the multiple channels, and to deliver the selected channel to at the least one display device via the output port;

an Internet Protocol (IP) interface configured to receive programming over an IP connection, and to deliver the programming received over the IP connection to the at least one display device via the output port; and

at least one processor configured to provide via the output port to the at least one display device an electronic program guide comprising timing information for the programming received by the channel selector and the IP interface, wherein the timing information for at least some of the programming received by the IP interface is displayed in the electronic program guide as at least one virtual channel providing streaming of the programming over the IP interface;

wherein the video converter device bidirectionally communicates with a second video converter device utilizing the IP interface to retransmit from the video converter device the programming received through the IP interface and the multiple channels of programming received through the channel selector to the second video converter device via the IP interface.

2. The video converter device of claim 1, wherein the channel selector is configured to receive multiple channels of programming from at least one of a broadcast satellite, a cable broadcast system, and an over-the-air terrestrial broadcast station.

3. The video converter device of claim 1, further comprising a second channel selector configured to receive the multiple channels, select another one of the channels from the multiple channels, and to deliver the other selected channel to the at least one display device.

4. The video converter device of claim 1, wherein the IP connection comprises at least one of a digital subscriber line connection, a coaxial cable connection, an Ethernet connection, and a wireless connection.

5. The video converter device of claim 1, wherein the IP interface is configured to stream the programming received over the IP connection to the at least one display device.

6. The video converter device of claim 1, wherein the IP interface is configured to buffer at least a portion of the programming received over the IP connection before delivering the programming to the at least one display device.

7. The video converter device of claim 1, wherein the IP interface is configured to deliver programming to the at least one display device as a picture-in-picture display.

8. The video converter device of claim 1, further comprising a storage device configured to record programming from the channel selector and the IP interface, and deliver the recorded programming to the at least one display device.

9. The video converter device of claim 8, wherein the storage device is configured to record programming from the channel selector and from the IP interface concurrently.

10. The video converter device of claim 9, wherein the storage device is configured to record programming from the channel selector and the IP interface concurrently while at least one of the channel selector and the IP interface delivers at least a portion of the programming to the at least one display device.

11. The video converter device of claim 9, wherein the storage device is configured to deliver programming previously stored therein to the at least one display device while recording programming from the channel selector and the IP interface concurrently.

12. The video converter device of claim 8, further comprising at least one timer configured to control the recording of programming by the storage device from the channel selector and the IP interface.

13. The converter device of claim 1, wherein the IP interface is configured to receive the electronic program guide.

14. The video converter device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the video programming received over the IP connection comprises on-demand video programs, and wherein the electronic program guide comprises information identifying the on-demand video programs.

15. A method for receiving video programming, the method comprising:

receiving multiple channels of video programming from a video programming broadcasting source;

selecting one or more of the multiple channels of video programming;

delivering the selected channels to at least one display device;

receiving video programming over an Internet Protocol (IP) connection;

delivering the video programming received over the IP connection to the at least one display device;

transferring to the at least one display device for display thereon an electronic program guide comprising timing information for the video programming received from the video programming broadcasting source and the video programming received over the IP connection, wherein the timing information associated with at least some of the video programming received over the IP connection is presented in the electronic program guide as at least one virtual channel providing the programming received over the IP connection; and

bidirectionally communicating with an external destination utilizing the IP connection to retransmit over the IP connection the video programming received over the IP connection and the multiple channels of video programming received from the video programming broadcasting source to the external destination.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

recording the video programming of the selected channels;

delivering the recorded video programming of the selected channels to the at least one display device;

recording the video programming received over the IP connection; and

delivering the recorded video programming received over the IP connection to the at least one display device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising delivering previously-recorded video programming to the at least one display device while recording the video programming of the selected channels and the video programming received over the IP connection concurrently.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic program guide is received over the IP connection prior to transferring the electronic program guide for display on the at least one display device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising retransmitting the electronic program guide over the IP connection to a video converter device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving housekeeping information over the IP connection.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising retransmitting the housekeeping information over the IP connection to a video converter device.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable on a processor for employing a method for receiving video programming, the method comprising:

receiving multiple channels of video programming from a video programming broadcast source comprising at least one of a broadcast satellite, a cable broadcast system, and an over-the-air terrestrial broadcast station;

selecting one or more of the multiple channels of video programming;

delivering the selected channels to at least one display device;

receiving video programming over an Internet Protocol (IP) connection;

delivering the video programming received over the IP connection to the at least one display device;

transferring to the at least one display device for display thereon an electronic program guide comprising timing information for the video programming received from the video programming broadcast source and the video programming received over the IP connection, wherein the timing information for at least a portion of the video programming received over the IP connection is presented in the electronic program guide as at least one virtual channel carrying the programming received over the IP connection at a predetermined time; and

bidirectionally communicating with a video converter device utilizing the IP connection to retransmit over the IP connection the video programming received over the IP connection and the multiple channels of video programming received from the video programming broadcast source to the external destination.