Recording additional channels of a shared multi-channel transmitter

• US 9,088,763 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Martch, Henry Gregg, Beals, William, Kummer, Dave, Jackson, Mark, Minnick, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Andramuno, Franklin
• Application Number:
  US13/614,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 725/48, 725/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26606 for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

A method for recording multiple pieces of content with a single tuner. A content delivery network can include multiple channels organized into bands with several channels per band. These bands can be transmitted on an up-link such as to a satellite. The bands can be relayed to receivers at the end user locations. The end user receivers can tune to one, two, or some other fraction of the total number of transmitted bands. When a user selects a program to view and/or record, a tuner of the receiver tunes to the band that includes the channel that includes the program. The method prompts the user regarding the other channels that form the set of channels on that band, and solicits input for recording one or more concurrent programs of the band, which can all be recorded on the single receiving tuner.

Claims

1. A method for storing satellite-transmitted television channels, the method comprising:

receiving, by a content receiver, a transponder frequency band that includes a group of television channels transmitted via a satellite, wherein the group of television channels are received during a same time period from the satellite by the content receiver;

tuning, by a single tuner of the content receiver, to the transponder frequency band that includes the group of television channels, wherein

each television channel of the group of television channels received on the transponder frequency band are each scrambled using a same control word when received by the content receiver;

obtaining, by a demultiplexer of the content receiver, an entitlement control message;

providing, by the demultiplexer to a smart card of the content receiver, the entitlement control message;

decrypting, by the smart card of the content receiver, the entitlement control message to obtain the same control word used for descrambling of the group of television channels;

descrambling, by a descrambler of the content receiver, using the same control word, at least the two or more television channels of the group of television channels prior to storing the two or more television channels using the non-transitory storage medium, wherein the descrambler is distinct from the smart card; and

storing, by the content receiver, using a non-transitory storage medium, recordings of two or more television channels of the group of television channels received on the transponder frequency band tuned to by the single tuner of the content receiver.

2. The method for storing satellite-transmitted television channels of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the content receiver, an encrypted entitlement control message in the transponder frequency band; and

decrypting, by the content receiver, the encrypted entitlement control message to obtain the same control word.

3. The method for storing satellite-transmitted television channels of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the content receiver, input from a user indicating a first television channel of the two or more television channels is to be recorded;

presenting, by the content receiver via a presentation device, indications of at least some of the multiple television channels of the transponder frequency band to the user; and

receiving, by the content receiver from the user, a selection of a second television channel of the two or more television channels for recording from the group of television channels received on the transponder frequency band.

4. The method for storing satellite-transmitted television channels of claim 1, the method further comprising:

outputting, by the content receiver, a television channel of the group of television channels received on the transponder frequency band tuned to by the single tuner of the content receiver to a presentation device.

5. The method for storing satellite-transmitted television channels of claim 1, the method further comprising:

prior to storing the two or more television channels and after tuning to the transponder frequency band that includes the group of television channels, demultiplexing, by a demultiplexer of the content receiver, the two or more television channels of the transponder frequency band tuned to by the single tuner of the content receiver.

6. The method for storing satellite-transmitted television channels of claim 1, further comprising:

simultaneously outputting the at least two or more of the multiple television channels in a combined display screen for presentation to a user.

7. The method for storing satellite-transmitted television channels of claim 1, the method further comprising:

tuning, by a second tuner of the content receiver, to a second transponder frequency band that includes television channels while tuning, by the single tuner of the content receiver, to the transponder frequency band that includes the group of television channels.

8. A system, the system comprising:

a content receiver comprising one or more tuners , a non-transitory storage medium and an electronic processor, the content receiver configured to;

receive a transponder frequency band that includes a group of television channels transmitted via a satellite, wherein the multiple television channels are received during a same time period from the satellite;

tune by a single tuner of the one or more tuners, to the transponder frequency band that includes the group of television channels, wherein each television channel of the group of television channels received on the transponder frequency band are scrambled using a same control word when received by the content receiver;

obtain, using a demultiplexer, an entitlement control message;

provide to a smart card, the entitlement control message;

decrypt, using the smart card, the entitlement control message to obtain the same control word used for descrambling of the group of television channels;

descramble, using a descrambler, at least two television channels of the group of television channels using the same control word, wherein the descrambler is distinct from the smart card; and

store, using the non-transitory storage medium, recordings of the at least two of the group of television channels received on the transponder frequency band tuned to by the single tuner of the content receiver.

9. The system of claim 8, the system further comprising:

a multiplexer configured to multiplex the group of television channels to be transmitted via the satellite to the content receiver as part of the transponder frequency band.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a scrambler, communicatively coupled to the multiplexer, the scrambler configured to scramble the multiplexed group of television channels using the same control word for transmission to the content receiver via the satellite.

11. The system of claim 8, the content receiver further configured to:

descramble the at least the two of the television channels using the same control word prior to storing the two or more television channels using the non-transitory storage medium.

12. The system of claim 8, the content receiver further configured to:

receive an encrypted entitlement control message in the transponder frequency band, wherein the encrypted entitlement control message is transmitted by the satellite as part of the transponder frequency band; and

decrypt the encrypted entitlement control message to obtain the same control word.

13. The system claim 8, the content receiver further configured to:

output for presentation, via a presentation device, indications of at least a portion of the group of television channels of the transponder frequency band to the user; and

receive, from the user, a selection of at least a first television channel and a second television channel of the group of television channels received on the transponder frequency band for recording.

14. The system claim 8, the content receiver further configured to:

receive, from a user, input indicating a first television channel of the two or more television channels is to be recorded;

output for presentation via a presentation device, indications of at least a portion of the group of television channels of the transponder frequency band to the user; and

receive, from the user, a selection of a second television channel of the two or more television channels for recording from the group of television channels received on the transponder frequency band.

15. The system of claim 8, the method further comprising:

outputting, by the content receiver, a television channel of the group of television channels of the transponder frequency band tuned to by the single tuner of the content receiver to a presentation device.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the content receiver further comprises a demultiplexer configured to:

prior to storing the two or more television channels and after tuning to the transponder frequency band that includes the group of television channels, demultiplex the two or more television channels of the transponder frequency band tuned to by the single tuner of the content receiver.

17. The system of claim 8, wherein the content receiver comprises a second tuner, the content receiver further configured to:

tune, using the second tuner, to a second transponder frequency band that includes television channels while tuning, by the single tuner of the content receiver, to the transponder frequency band that includes the group of television channels.