Virtualized content sourcing

• US 9,420,325 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Zelkowitz, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): EKPO, NNENNA NGOZI
• Application Number:
  US14/137,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 725/63, 725/67, 725/68, 725/70, 725/95
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• 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 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• 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 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

Systems and methods that enable simultaneous or concurrent access to, either for display or storage, an increased number of television programs of specific interest when compared to other systems having a similar or even greater number of tuners.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a television receiver from an outdoor satellite unit, a first television channel within a particular bandwidth that is addressable by a particular tuner of the television receiver;

receiving, by the television receiver, a request from a user to tune to a second television channel, the second television channel broadcast on a satellite transponder different than the first television channel;

sending, by the television receiver to the outdoor satellite unit, a request to receive the first television channel and the second television channel within the particular bandwidth that is addressable by the particular tuner; and

receiving, at the television receiver, the first television channel and the second television channel within the particular bandwidth that is addressable by the particular tuner, and at least one other television channel within the particular bandwidth that is broadcast on a satellite transponder different than the first television channel and the second television channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one other television channel within the particular bandwidth that is broadcast on a satellite transponder similar to one of the first television channel and the second television channel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the request to receive the first television channel and the second television channel within the particular bandwidth in response to detection of a channel-change command.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the request to receive the first television channel and the second television channel within the particular bandwidth in response to detection of activation of a recording timer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular bandwidth has a band width that accommodates at least three distinct television channels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular bandwidth is formatted according to a channel-stacking content sourcing scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular bandwidth is about 30 MHz in band width.

8. A television receiver, comprising:

a plurality of tuners;

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

process a first television channel embedded within a particular bandwidth that is addressable by a particular tuner of the plurality of tuners;

detect a request to tune to a second television channel, the second television channel broadcast on a satellite transponder different than the first television channel;

send to an outdoor satellite unit a request to receive the first television channel and the second television channel within the particular bandwidth that is addressable by the particular tuner; and

process the first television channel and the second television channel as embedded within the particular bandwidth that is addressable by the particular tuner, and at least one other television channel as embedded within the particular bandwidth that is broadcast on a satellite transponder different than the first television channel and the second television channel.

9. The television receiver of claim 8, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

process at least one other television channel as embedded within the particular bandwidth that is broadcast on a satellite transponder similar to one of the first television channel and the second television channel.

10. The television receiver of claim 8, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

send the request to receive the first television channel and the second television channel within the particular bandwidth in response to detection of a channel-change command.

11. The television receiver of claim 8, wherein the memory having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

send the request to receive the first television channel and the second television channel within the particular bandwidth in response to detection of activation of a recording timer.

12. A method, comprising,

receiving, by an outdoor satellite unit from a television receiver, a request for access to a television channel broadcast on a particular satellite transponder different from a satellite transponder for which a current channel is being broadcast and delivered;

and

sending, by the outdoor satellite unit to the television receiver, the television channel, the current channel, and at least one other television channel embedded within a particular bandwidth that is addressable by a particular tuner of the television receiver, the at least one other television channel broadcast on a satellite transponder different than the particular satellite transponder.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular bandwidth has a band width that accommodates at least three distinct television channels.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular bandwidth is formatted according to a channel-stacking content sourcing scheme.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular bandwidth is about 30 MHz in band width.