Power balancing signal combiner

• US 8,839,312 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• 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): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tilahun, Alazar
• Application Number:
  US14/042,599
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 725 63- 72
• US Class Current: 725/63
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/247 with frequency mixer, e.g. for direct satellite reception or Doppler radar
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/17 the primary radiating source comprising two or more radiating elements H01Q19/15, H01Q25/00 take precedence
• 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: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

Multiple systems for delivering satellite signals are described. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention comprises a receive antenna, including 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 signals received by the LNB to a plurality of outputs of the multiswitch, a plurality of tuners, respectively coupled to the outputs of the multiswitch, for tuning to a plurality of specific portions of the satellite signals in a respective fashion, the specific portions of the satellite signals selected based on commands received from a plurality of receivers, and an interface for delivering the specific portions of the satellite signals to the plurality of receivers, wherein the specific portions of the satellite signals are combined into a single combined signal and delivered to the plurality of receivers on a single output of the interface.

Claims

1. A system for delivering a satellite signal to at least one of a plurality of receivers, comprising:

a module, comprising;

a multiswitch, having a plurality of multiswitch outputs and an multiswitch input coupled to accept the satellite signal, the multiswitch for routing the satellite signal to at least one of the plurality of multiswitch outputs;

a plurality of tuners, each of the plurality of tuners communicatively coupled to a respective one of the plurality of multiswitch outputs, each of the plurality of tuners for tuning to a respective one of a plurality of portions of the satellite signal according to a command from the at least one of the plurality of receivers selecting the one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal;

an interface, communicatively coupled to the plurality of tuners, the interface for delivering the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal to the at least one of the plurality of receivers, wherein the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal is combined with another portion of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal selected by another of the plurality of receivers into a single combined signal and delivered to the at least one of the plurality receivers and the another of the plurality of receivers on a single output of the interface; and

an automatic gain controller, coupled between the multiswitch and the interface, for individually controlling a signal strength of the selected portion of the satellite signal;

wherein the module determines if the controlled signal strength of the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal exceeds a permitted value and delivers the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal according to whether the controlled signal strength of the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal exceeds the permitted value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system delivers a plurality of satellite signals received from a plurality of satellites to the plurality of receivers; and

the multiswitch routes the satellite signals to each of the plurality of multiswitch outputs according to which satellite of the plurality of satellites transmits the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the permitted value is an amount selected to indicate fraudulent use of the at least one of the plurality of receivers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of multiswitch outputs comprises a legacy output that commands the multiswitch via a cable distinct from the single output of the interface.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network tuner, coupled between the multiswitch and the interface, wherein the network tuner is controlled by a service provider providing the satellite signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the module refuses commands from any of the plurality of receivers having an identifier not recognized by the module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the module is coupled to and proximate a receive antenna for receiving the satellite signal; and

the module includes at least one converter for converting the received satellite signal to an intermediate frequency.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the module further comprises an automatic level controller, coupled between the multiswitch and the converter, for controlling a level of the satellite signal at the multiswitch input.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of receivers selects the portion of the combined signal comprising the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal based upon a private channel.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal includes a plurality of channels having packets, each packet of an associated one of the plurality of channels having an identifier; and

the at least one of the plurality of receivers selects the portion of the combined signal based on the identifier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the module remaps the identifier, and the at least one of the plurality of receivers selects the portion of the combined signal based on the remapped identifier.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system further comprises a plurality of demodulators, each coupled to a respective one of the plurality of tuners, for demodulating the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal; and

the interface delivers the demodulated selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal combined with a demodulated another portion of the satellite signal selected by another of the plurality of receivers into the single combined signal.

13. A method of delivering a satellite signal to at least one of a plurality of receivers, comprising:

routing a received satellite signal to one of a plurality of tuners;

tuning to a respective one of a plurality of portions of the satellite signal according to a command from the at least one of the plurality of receivers selecting the one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal;

automatically and individually controlling the signal strength of the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal;

combining the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal with another portion of the satellite signal selected by another of the plurality of receivers into a single combined signal;

determining if the controlled signal strength of the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal exceeds a permitted value; and

delivering the single combined signal the at least one of the plurality of receivers according to whether the controlled signal strength of the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal exceeds the permitted value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the method delivers a plurality of satellite signals received from a plurality of satellites to the at least one of the plurality of receivers; and

the step of routing the received satellite signal to one of a plurality of tuners comprises routing the plurality of satellite signals to each of the plurality of tuners according to which satellite of the plurality of satellites transmits the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the permitted value is an amount selected to indicate fraudulent use of the one of the plurality of receivers.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the single combined signal is provided on a single output; and

the received satellite signal is routed to the one of the plurality of tuners according to a command received via a cable distinct from the single output.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

refusing the command from the at least one of the plurality of receivers having an unrecognized receiver identifier.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

converting the received satellite signal to an intermediate frequency.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising automatically controlling a level of the converted satellite signal before routing.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting a portion of the combined signal comprising the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal based upon a channel private to the at least one of the plurality of receivers.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal includes a plurality of channels having packets, each packet of an associated one of the plurality of channels having an identifier; and

the at least one of the plurality of receivers selects the portion of the combined signal based on the identifier.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the method further comprises remapping the identifier; and

the one of the plurality of receivers selects the portion of the combined signal based on the remapped identifier.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the method further comprises demodulating the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal;

automatically and individually controlling the signal strength of the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal comprises automatically and individually controlling the signal strength of the demodulated selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal;

combining the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal with another portion of the satellite signal selected by another of the plurality of receivers into a single combined signal comprises;

combining the demodulated selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal with another demodulated portion of the satellite signal selected by another of the plurality of receivers into a single combined signal;

determining if the controlled signal strength of the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal exceeds a permitted value comprises determining if the controlled signal strength of the demodulated selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal exceeds a permitted value; and

delivering the single combined signal the at least one of the plurality of receivers according to whether the controlled signal strength of the selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal exceeds the permitted value comprises delivering the single combined signal the at least one of the plurality of receivers according to whether the controlled signal strength of the demodulated selected one of the plurality of portions of the satellite signal exceeds the permitted value.