Method and device for band translation

• US 8,369,772 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Petruzzelli, Edmund F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US12/876,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20110059690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.02
• US Class Current: 455/3.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/4446 IF amplifier circuits specially adapted for B&W TV RF amplifiers in general H03F3/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A band translation method and device for selecting two or more desired frequency bands of data and bandstacking the two or more desired frequency bands of data into a single output.

Claims

1. A band-stacked low-noise block converter, comprising:

a first input configured to receive a first satellite feed having a first television signal carried on a first polarized frequency band and a second television signal carried on a second polarized frequency band;

a first filter operationally connected to the first input and configured to remove the first television signal from the first satellite feed and to provide the first television signal as output;

a first oscillator configured to output a first oscillator signal at a first frequency;

a first mixer operationally connected to the first filter and to the first oscillator, the first mixer configured to mix the first filter output and the first oscillator signal into a first mixer output having the first television signal carried thereon;

a second filter operationally connected to the first input and configured to remove the second television signal from the first satellite feed and to provide the second television signal as output;

a second oscillator configured to output a second oscillator signal at a second frequency;

a second mixer operationally connected to the second filter and to the second oscillator, the second mixer configured to mix the second filter output and the second oscillator signal into a second mixer output having the second television signal carried thereon;

a first combiner operationally connected to the first mixer output and to the second mixer output, the first combiner configured to frequency stack the first mixer output and the second mixer output into a first combiner output having the first and second television signals together in a first band stacked signal;

an auxiliary input configured to receive output from a low-noise block converter feed having third and fourth television signals together in a second band stacked signal; and

a band translation block connected to at least the first combiner output and to the auxiliary input, the band translation block configured to receive requests and, in response, to process the first and second band-stacked signals to output two of the first, second, third, and fourth television signals in a band stacked signal on a predetermined frequency from a first band translation block output.

2. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 1, wherein the first filter comprises a band pass filter.

3. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 1, further comprising an amplifier interposed between the first input and the first filter, the amplifier comprising an input connected to the first input and an output connected to a first input of the first filter.

4. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 1, further comprising:

a third filter interposed between the first mixer and the first combiner, the third filter having an input and an output, the input of the third filter operationally connected to the output of the first mixer, the output of the third filter connected to a first input of the first combiner; and

a fourth filter interposed between the second mixer and the first combiner, the fourth filter having an input and an output, the input of the fourth filter operationally connected to the output of the second mixer, the output of the fourth filter connected to a second input of the first combiner.

5. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 4, wherein the third filter comprises a high pass filter.

6. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 4, wherein the fourth filter comprises a low pass filter.

7. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 4, further comprising an amplifier interposed between the first mixer and the third filter, the amplifier comprising an input connected to the output of the first mixer and an output connected to the first input and the third filter.

8. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 1, further comprising:

a second input configured to receive a second satellite feed having a fifth television signal carried on a third polarized frequency band and a sixth television signal carried on a fourth polarized frequency band;

a third filter operationally connected to the second input and configured to remove the fifth television signal from the second satellite feed and to provide the fifth television signal as output;

a third mixer operationally connected to the third filter and to the first oscillator, the third mixer configured to mix the third filter output and the first oscillator signal into a third mixer output having the fifth television signal carried thereon;

a fourth filter operationally connected to the second input and configured to remove the sixth television signal from the second satellite feed and to provide the sixth television signal as output;

a fourth mixer operationally connected to the fourth filter and to the second oscillator, the fourth mixer configured to mix the fourth filter output and the second oscillator signal into a fourth mixer output having the sixth television signal carried thereon; and

a second combiner operationally connected to the third mixer output and to the fourth mixer output, the second combiner configured to frequency stack the third mixer output and the fourth mixer output into a second combiner output having the fifth and sixth television signals together in a third band stacked signal;

wherein the band translation block is further connected to the second combiner output, and the band translation block is configured to receive requests and, in response, to process the first, second, and third band-stacked signals to output two of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth television signals in a band stacked signal on a predetermined frequency from the first band translation block output.

9. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 8, further comprising:

a first output port connected to a first output of the band translation block, the first output port operable to deliver a first specific frequency band to a first receiver; and

a second output port connected to a second output of the band translation block, the second output port operable to deliver a second specific frequency band to a second receiver.

10. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 8, wherein the first input signal is received from a first satellite in a first orbital position, and the second input signal is received from a second satellite in a second orbital position.

11. A band-stacked low-noise block converter, comprising:

a first input configured to receive a first satellite feed having at least a first television signal carried on a first polarized frequency band;

a first filter operationally connected to the first input and configured to remove the first television signal from the first satellite feed and to provide the first television signal as output;

a second input configured to receive a second satellite feed having at least a second television signal carried on a second polarized frequency band;

a second filter operationally connected to the second input and configured to remove the second television signal from the second satellite feed and to provide the second television signal as output;

a first oscillator configured to output a first oscillator signal at a first frequency;

a first mixer operationally connected to the first filter and to the first oscillator, the first mixer configured to mix the first filter output and the first oscillator signal into a first mixer output having the first television signal carried thereon;

a second mixer operationally connected to the second filter and to the first oscillator, the second mixer configured to mix the second filter output and the first oscillator signal into a second mixer output having the second television signal carried thereon;

an auxiliary input configured to receive output from a low-noise block converter feed having third and fourth television signals together is in a first band stacked signal; and

a band translation block operationally connected to at least the first mixer, the second mixer, and the auxiliary input, the band translation block configured to receive requests and, in response, to process the first and second mixer output and auxiliary input to output two of the first, second, third, and fourth television signals in a band stacked signal on a predetermined frequency from a first band translation block output.

12. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 11, further comprising:

a third filter operationally connected to the first input and configured to remove a fifth television signal from the first satellite feed and to provide the fifth television signal as output, wherein the fifth television signal is carried on a third polarized frequency band in the first satellite feed;

a fourth filter operationally connected to the second input and configured to remove a sixth television signal from the second satellite feed and to provide the sixth television signal as output, wherein the sixth television signal is carried on a fourth polarized frequency band in the second satellite feed;

a second oscillator configured to output a second oscillator signal at a second frequency;

a third mixer operationally connected to the third filter and to the second oscillator, the third mixer configured to mix the third mixer output and the second oscillator signal into a third mixer output having the fifth television signal carried thereon; and

a fourth mixer operationally connected to the fourth filter and to the second oscillator, the fourth mixer configured to mix the fourth mixer output and the second oscillator signal into a fourth mixer output having the sixth television signal carried thereon;

wherein the band translation block is further operationally connected to the third mixer and the fourth mixer, the band translation block configured to receive requests and, in response, to process the first, second, third and forth mixer output and auxiliary input to output two of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth television signals in a band stacked signal on a predetermined frequency from the first band translation block output.

13. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 12, further comprising:

a first combiner interposed between the first mixer and the band translation block and between the third mixer and the band translation block, a first input of the first combiner connected to the first mixer output, a second input of the first combiner connected to the third mixer output, an output of the first combiner connected to the band translation block, the first combiner configured to frequency stack the first mixer output and the third mixer output; and

a second combiner interposed between the second mixer and the band translation block and between the fourth mixer and the band translation block, a first input of the second combiner connected to the second mixer output, a second input of the second combiner connected to the fourth mixer output, an output of the second combiner connected to the band translation block, the second combiner configured to frequency stack the second mixer output and the fourth mixer output.

14. The band-stacked low-noise block converter of claim 12, wherein the first input signal is received from a first satellite in a first orbital position, and the second input signal is received from a second satellite in a second orbital position.

15. A method of band-stacking signals received at a low-noise block filter, comprising:

receiving one or more input signals in a first input frequency band;

receiving one or more input signals in a second input frequency band;

mixing each of the input signals in the first input frequency band with a signal having a first local oscillator frequency to form one or more first mixer outputs;

mixing each of the input signals in the second input frequency band with a signal having a second local oscillator frequency to form one or more second mixer outputs;

combining at least one first mixer output with at least one second mixer output to form at least one combiner output;

routing the at least one combiner output to a band translation block;

receiving an auxiliary input comprising a band-stacked signal;

routing the band-stacked signal to the band translation device; and

providing output from the band translation block in response to a request, the output containing at least one specific band from the at least one combiner output and the band-stacked signal.

16. The method of band-stacking signals received at a low-noise block filter of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a first input signal in the first input frequency band from a first satellite in a first orbital location; and

receiving a second input signal in the first input frequency band from a second satellite in a second orbital location.

17. The method of band-stacking signals received at a low-noise block filter of claim 15, wherein the operation of providing output from the band translation device includes simultaneously outputting a first output signal and a second output signal, the first output signal including a first specific band from the at least one combiner output, and the second output signal including a second specific band from the at least one combiner output.