Satellite television IP bitstream generator receiving unit

• US 8,719,875 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casavant, Scott D, Nguyen, Linh H, Norin, John L
• Primary Examiner(s): RABOVIANSKI, JIVKA A
• Application Number:
  US11/863,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,412 Days
• Field of Search: 725/68, 725/139, 725/74
• US Class Current: 725/68
• 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: H04H 20/95 characterised by a specific format, e.g. an encoded audio stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4385 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream decrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

A receiving unit 28 includes a tuner circuit board 100 that receives a first signal that may include a satellite signal. The tuner circuit board 100 demodulates the satellite signal to form a second signal. The second signal is provided to an internet protocol (IP) and control module circuit board 102 that is separated from the tuner circuit board 100. The internet protocol (IP) and control module circuit board 102 formats the second signal to form an IP encapsulated signal. The IP encapsulated signal is communicated to a device 44 so that a display 46 may be generated.

Claims

1. A receiving unit comprising:

a first tuner board receiving a first signal from an antenna at a first tuner module, wherein said first tuner board comprises a first demodulator module that demodulates the first signal to form a second signal;

an Internet protocol (IP) encapsulation circuit board separate from the first tuner board, wherein the IP encapsulation circuit board receives the second signal, formats the second signal to form an IP encapsulated signal, and forwards the IP encapsulated signal to a device, wherein the device is downstream from the receiving unit;

a processor implemented on the IP encapsulation circuit board, wherein the processor receives a command from the device based on the IP encapsulated signal and outputs a control signal in response to the command; and

a first low noise block (LNB) control module implemented on the first tuner board, wherein the LNB control module, in response to the control signal, controls at least one of the antenna and the first tuner module.

2. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the first signal comprises a satellite signal.

3. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the second signal comprises a transport stream signal.

4. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a channel change signal.

5. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the control signal requests guide data.

6. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the control signal requests conditional access data.

7. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the control signal is in an inter-integrated circuit bus format.

8. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, further comprising a network control module in communication with the device and the processor, wherein said network control module generates the control signal.

9. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the second signal comprises first packets for the device and second packets;

the IP encapsulation circuit board comprises an input processing module; and

the input processing module buffers the second signal, filters the second signal to pass the first packets, and discards the second packets.

10. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said IP encapsulation circuit board further comprises an IP encapsulation module; and

the IP encapsulation module generates the IP encapsulated signal and encrypts the IP encapsulated signal.

11. A receiving unit as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the second signal comprises first packets for the device and second packets; and

the IP encapsulation circuit board comprises

an input processing module that buffers the second signal, filters the second signal to pass the first packets, and discards the second packets,

an IP encapsulation module receiving an output of the input processing module, generating the IP encapsulated signal, and encrypting the IP encapsulated signal, and

an output processing module receiving an output of the IP encapsulation module and buffering the encrypted IP encapsulated signal,

wherein the processor is in communication with the input processing module, the IP encapsulation module, and the output processing module.

12. A satellite television receiving system comprising;

a receiving unit as recited in claim 1; and

the device in communication with the receiving unit,

wherein the device receives the IP encapsulated signal, converts the IP encapsulated signal to a transport stream, and generates a command based on the transport stream.

13. A satellite television receiving system as recited in claim 12, wherein the device comprises a set top box.

14. A satellite television receiving system as recited in claim 12, wherein;

the IP encapsulation circuit board comprises an IP encapsulation module, wherein the IP encapsulation module generates the IP encapsulated signal and encrypts the IP encapsulated signal; and

the device comprises

a decapsulation module decapsulating the IP encapsulated signal,

a decryption module decrypting a result of the decapsulation of the IP encapsulated signal to generate the transport stream,

a decoder module decoding the transport stream, and

a driver that forwards an output of the decoder module to a display.

15. The satellite television receiving system as recited in claim 14, wherein the device further comprises:

a conditional access module that receives an output of the decoder module; and

a channel selector module that generates the command in response to an output of the conditional access module.

16. A satellite television receiving system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a router coupling the device to the receiving unit.

17. A satellite television receiving system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a wireless router wirelessly coupling the device to the receiving unit.

18. The receiving unit of claim 1, wherein:

the first tuner module tunes to the second signal and forwards the second signal to the first demodulator module; and

the first LNB control module, in response to the control signal, controls the antenna, the first tuner module, and the first demodulator module.

19. The receiving unit of claim 1, wherein:

the processor, in response to the command, controls the first LNB control module, the first tuner module, and the first demodulator module; and

the command requests for at least one of guide data and conditional access data.

20. The receiving unit of claim 19, wherein the command requests the guide data and the conditional access data.

21. The receiving unit of claim 1, wherein the control signal switches an LNB in the antenna.

22. The receiving unit of claim 1, further comprising an outdoor unit comprising the antenna,

wherein the first LNB control module, in response to the control signal, switches an LNB in the outdoor unit and selects an orbital location.

23. The receiving unit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tuner boards wherein:

the plurality of tuner boards include the first tuner board;

the plurality of tuner boards receive respective signals from the antenna and comprise respective LNB control modules, tuner modules, and demodulator modules;

the LNB control modules include the first LNB control module;

the tuner modules include the first tuner module;

the demodulator modules include the first demodulator module; and

the processor generates the control signal to control the LNB control modules, the tuner modules, and the demodulator modules.

24. A receiving unit comprising:

a plurality of tuner circuit boards comprising respective low noise block (LNB) control modules, wherein

the plurality of tuner circuit boards receive a same satellite signal from an antenna and at respective tuner modules,

each of said plurality of tuner circuit boards comprises a demodulator module, and

each of the demodulator modules demodulates the satellite signal to form a respective transport stream; and

an IP encapsulation circuit board comprises a processor and is separate from the plurality of tuner circuit boards, wherein

the IP encapsulation circuit board receives the transport streams, formats the transport streams to form a single IP encapsulated signal, and forwards the IP encapsulated signal to a plurality of devices,

the plurality of devices are downstream from the receiving unit,

the processor receives commands from the plurality of devices based on the IP encapsulated signal and outputs a control signal in response to the commands, and

each of the LNB control modules, in response to the control signal, controls at least one of the antenna and a respective one of the tuner modules.

25. A receiving unit as recited in claim 24, wherein the IP encapsulation circuit board comprises a network control module, wherein:

said network control module is in communication with the plurality of devices; and

said network control module generates the control signal.

26. A method comprising:

receiving a first signal from an antenna at a tuner module, wherein the tuner module is implemented on a tuner-demodulator circuit board;

demodulating the first signal to form a transport stream signal at the tuner-demodulator circuit board;

Internet protocol (IP) encapsulating the transport stream signal to form an IP encapsulated signal at an IP encapsulation circuit board, wherein the IP encapsulation circuit board is separate from the tuner-demodulator circuit board;

communicating the IP encapsulated signal from the IP encapsulation circuit board to a device, wherein the device is downstream from the IP encapsulation circuit board;

receiving a command from the device at a processor based on the IP encapsulated signal, wherein the processor is implemented on the IP encapsulation circuit board;

in response to the command, outputting a control signal from the IP encapsulation circuit board to the tuner-demodulator circuit board; and

in response to the control signal and via a low noise block (LNB) control module, controlling at least one of the antenna and the tuner module, wherein the LNB control module is implemented on the tuner-demodulator circuit board.