Computationally efficient design for broadcast satellite single wire and/or direct demod interface

• US 8,238,813 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Popoli, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Application Number:
  US12/195,256
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455 111- 133, 455/20, 455/21, 725/63, 725/68, 725/70, 725/78, 725/82, 725/85
• US Class Current: 455/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations

Abstract

A broadcast satellite single wire interface. Such an interface comprises a low noise block amplifier module having multiple outputs, a plurality of filter banks, each filter bank coupled to each of the outputs of the low noise block amplifier module in a respective fashion and comprising a plurality of filters, and a plurality of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, each A/D converter coupled to a filter in the plurality of filters in the plurality of filter banks in a respective fashion, wherein the A/D converters directly sample incoming downconverted broadcast satellite signals and the sampled incoming downconverted broadcast signals are output on a single wire in a stacked output.

Claims

1. A broadcast satellite single wire interface, comprising:

a low noise block amplifier module having multiple outputs;

a plurality of filter banks, each filter bank coupled to each of the outputs of the low noise block amplifier module in a respective fashion and comprising a plurality of filters;

a plurality of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, each A/D converter coupled to a filter in the plurality of filters in the plurality of filter banks in a respective fashion;

a plurality of Hilbert transformers and a plurality of Fourier transformers, each Hilbert transformer coupled in series with a corresponding Fourier transformer and in series with a corresponding A/D converter in the plurality of A/D converters; and

a combiner, coupled to outputs of the plurality of Fourier transformers, for combining signals output from the Fourier transformers in a digital manner, wherein the A/D converters directly sample incoming downconverted broadcast satellite signals and the sampled incoming downconverted broadcast signals are output on a single wire from the combiner in a stacked output.

2. The broadcast satellite single wire interface of claim 1, wherein the sampling frequency of the A/D converters is adjustable.

3. The broadcast satellite single wire interface of claim 1, further comprising a digital signal processor (DSP).

4. The broadcast satellite single wire interface of claim 3, wherein the DSP comprises a plurality of polyphase bandpass filters.

5. The broadcast satellite single wire interface of claim 4, wherein the plurality of polyphase bandpass filters overlap in terms of passbands.

6. The broadcast satellite single wire interface of claim 5, wherein a plurality of stacked outputs are present.

7. The broadcast satellite single wire interface of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of stacked outputs is an In-phase/Quadrature phase (I/Q) near-baseband output.

8. The broadcast satellite single wire interface of claim 7, wherein the I/Q near-baseband output is networked onto a distribution layer.

9. A system for distributing a plurality of satellite signals on a single interface, comprising:

a plurality of low noise block amplifier modules, each receiving at least one satellite signal;

a plurality of filter banks, each filter bank coupled to each of the outputs of the low noise block amplifier module in a respective fashion and comprising a plurality of filters;

a plurality of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, each A/D converter coupled to a filter in the plurality of filters in the plurality of filter banks in a respective fashion, wherein the A/D converters directly sample incoming downconverted broadcast satellite signals;

a plurality of transformers, each transformer in the plurality of transformers comprising at least a Fourier transformer and a Hilbert transformer, each transformer coupled to an A/D converter in the plurality of A/D converters in a respective fashion; and

a combiner, coupled to the plurality of transformers, wherein the combiner combines outputs from the transformers in a digital manner and outputs the plurality of satellite signals on the single interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sampling frequency of the A/D converters is adjustable.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a digital signal processor (DSP).

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the DSP comprises a plurality of polyphase bandpass filters.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of polyphase bandpass filters overlap in terms of passbands.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a plurality of stacked outputs are present.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of stacked outputs is an In-phase/Quadrature phase (I/Q near-baseband output.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the I/Q near-baseband output is networked onto a distribution layer.