Low noise block converter feedhorn

• US 9,179,170 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Petruzzelli, Edmund F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US13/412,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 725 68- 71, 455/3.01, 455/189.1, 455/314, 455/208, 455/191.1, 331/47
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams

Abstract

A circuit, electrical device or other apparatus for band stacking and/or band translating multiple transmissions. Such transmissions may be satellite transmissions, terrestrial transmissions, signals carried across a wired network such as a cable network, and so forth. Two sets of left-hand polarized and right-hand polarized signals may be accepted by an embodiment. One left-hand polarized signal and one right-hand polarized signal may be band stacked such that the left-hand polarized signal occupies a first frequency and the right-hand polarized signal occupies a second frequency, thereby permitting the two signals to be transmitted simultaneously across a single transmission line as a first unique signal. The second left-hand polarized signal and second right-hand polarized signal may likewise be combined into a second unique signal for transmission. The first and second unique signals may be stacked as a first stacked output and a second stacked output by a band translating circuit.

Claims

1. A low noise block converter feedhorn, comprising:

a signal receiver operative to receive at least a first input signal and a second input signal, the first and second input signals including at least portions of programs, respectively;

a first mixer operative to receive the first input signal from the signal receiver, further operative to mix the first input signal with a first reference signal to create a first translated signal, the first reference signal derived from a first local source;

a second mixer operative to receive the second input signal from the signal receiver, further operative to mix the second input signal with the first reference signal to create a second translated signal;

a third mixer operative to mix the first translated signal with a second reference signal to create a third translated signal, the second reference signal derived from a second local source, the second local source different from the first local source; and

a first combiner operative to stack the third translated signal and second translated signal into a first single stacked signal, wherein said at least portions of programs in the first single stacked signal are arranged for delivery through a band translating circuit to a television converter device.

2. The low noise block converter feedhorn of claim 1, further comprising:

a second signal receiver operative to receive at least a third input signal and a fourth input signal;

a fourth mixer operative to receive the third input signal from the second signal receiver, further operative to mix the third input signal with the first reference signal to create a fourth translated signal;

a fifth mixer operative to receive the fourth input signal from the second signal receiver, further operative to mix the fourth input signal with the first reference signal to create a fifth translated signal;

a sixth mixer operative to mix the fourth translated signal with the second reference signal to create a sixth translated signal; and

a second combiner operative to stack the fifth translated signal and sixth translated signal into a second single stacked signal.

3. The low noise block converter feedhorn of claim 2, further comprising:

a band translating circuit operative to receive the first and second single stacked signals from the first and second combiners, further operative to create a first and second stacked output.

4. The low noise block converter feedhorn of claim 3, wherein, the first reference signal is generated by an oscillator.

5. The low noise block converter feedhorn of claim 3, wherein, the second reference signal is generated by the band translating circuit.

6. A method for converting at least a first incoming transmission and a second incoming transmission to an outgoing transmission, comprising:

receiving a first incoming transmission having a portion of a first program;

receiving a second incoming transmission having a portion of a second program;

multiplexing the first incoming transmission with a first reference signal to create a first multiplexed signal, the first reference signal derived from a first local source;

multiplexing the second incoming transmission with a second reference signal to create a second multiplexed signal, the second reference signal derived from the first local source;

multiplexing the second multiplexed signal with a third reference signal to create a third multiplexed signal, the third reference signal derived from a second local source, the second local source different from the first local source; and

diplexing the second and third multiplexed signals to create a first band-stacked signal, wherein the portions of the first and second programs in the first band-stacked signal are arranged for delivery through a band translating circuit to a television converter device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second reference signals are identical.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating a base signal; and

splitting the base signal to create the first and second reference signals.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a third incoming transmission;

receiving a fourth incoming transmission;

multiplexing the third incoming transmission with a fourth reference signal to create a fourth multiplexed signal;

multiplexing the fourth incoming transmission with a fifth reference signal to create a fifth multiplexed signal;

multiplexing the fourth multiplexed signal with a sixth reference signal to create a sixth multiplexed signal;

diplexing the fifth and sixth multiplexed signals to create a second band-stacked signal; and

translating the first and second band-stacked signals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first, second, fourth and fifth reference signals are identical.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third and sixth reference signals are identical.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the third and sixth reference signals are generated by a band translation circuit.

13. An apparatus for converting at least one right-hand polarized signal and at least one left-hand polarized signal into a stacked output, comprising:

a first signal receiver for receiving a first right-hand polarized signal and a first left-hand polarized signal, the first right-hand polarized signal and the first left-hand polarized signal including at least portions of programs, respectively;

a first signal generator;

a first mixer electrically connected to the first signal generator and the first signal receiver;

a second mixer electrically connected to the first signal generator and the first signal receiver; and

a band translating circuit to receive signals from the first and second mixers, the band translating circuit to output at least a first stacked output derived from the received signals, wherein said at least portions of programs in the first stacked output are arranged for delivery to a television converter device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a splitter, the splitter electrically connected to the signal generator and operative to split a reference signal generated by the first signal generator into first and second reference signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the first multiplexer is electrically connected to the first signal generator via the splitter; and

the first multiplexer is operative to accept the first reference signal from the splitter and multiplex the first reference signal with the left-hand polarized signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the second multiplexer is electrically connected to the first signal generator via the splitter; and

the second multiplexer is operative to accept the second reference signal from the splitter and multiplex the first reference signal with the right-hand polarized signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a second signal receiver for receiving a second left-hand polarized signal and a second right-hand polarized signal;

a second signal generator operative to generate a second reference signal and a third reference signal;

a third multiplexer electrically connected to the second signal generator and the second signal receiver, the third multiplexer operative to multiplex the second reference signal with the second left-hand polarized signal; and

a fourth multiplexer electrically connected to the second signal generator and the second signal receiver, the fourth multiplexer operative to multiplex the third reference signal with the second right-hand polarized signal;

wherein

a band translating circuit is further electrically connected to the third and fourth multiplexers, the band translating circuit outputting at least a second stacked output.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second signal generator comprises:

an oscillator operative to generate a base signal;

a doubler electrically connected to the oscillator and operative to double the base signal, thereby producing a doubled base signal; and

a splitter operatively connected to the doubler and operative to split the doubled base signal into the second reference signal and the third reference signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the base signal comprises an 8.175 GHz signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the second reference signal comprises a 16.35 GHz signal, and the third reference signal comprises a 16.35 GHz signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first signal generator is electrically connected to the first multiplexer through a mixer, the signal generator receiving a first input from the signal generator, the mixer receiving a second input from the band translating circuit, the mixer supplying a reference signal formed by adding signals present at the first input and signals present at the second input.