Integrated satellite-TV broadband wireless system

• US 9,894,410 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Norin, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUFFIELD, JEREMY S
• Application Number:
  US12/797,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,806 Days
• Field of Search: 725 63- 72, 725 74- 85
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/633 Control signals issued by server directed to the network components or client management of faults, events, alarms in data networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

Systems and methods for combining a satellite broadcast system with a wireless system are described. The system comprises a satellite receive antenna and a wireless system device coupled thereto, the wireless system device comprising a wireless network antenna, a wireless radio system coupled to the antenna, a networking bridge coupled to the radio system, and a coaxial networking bridge for coupling a satellite signal on the satellite broadcast system with a wireless signal on the wireless network, wherein the coaxial network bridge enables a device to receive the satellite signal and the wireless signal.

Claims

1. A system for combining a satellite broadcast system with a wireless network, comprising:

a satellite receive antenna that only receives a satellite broadcast signal comprised of both television programming and commands from the satellite broadcast system, wherein the satellite receive antenna is coupled to a single wire multiswitch and the satellite broadcast signal comprised of television programming is sent by the single wire multiswitch to at least one integrated receive decoder, and the integrated receive decoder decodes and separates the satellite broadcast signal comprised of television programming into viewer channels, which are then passed to a monitor for viewing by a user; and

a wireless system device, separate from the integrated receive decoder and also coupled to the single wire multiswitch, that both transmits and receives a wireless broadband signal to or from the wireless network using a wireless network antenna, the wireless system device comprising;

a wireless radio system, coupled to the wireless network antenna,

a networking bridge, coupled to the wireless radio system;

a coaxial networking bridge, for coupling the satellite broadcast signal received by the satellite receive antenna from the satellite broadcast system with the wireless broadband signal received by the wireless network antenna from the wireless network; and

a controller for the wireless system device for controlling other elements of the wireless system device;

wherein the coaxial network bridge enables the wireless system device to receive both the satellite broadcast signal and the wireless broadband signal; and

wherein the coaxial network bridge enables the satellite broadcast system to send the satellite broadcast signal comprised of the commands to the wireless system device that are interpreted by the controller for the wireless system device, and the controller controls the wireless network antenna of the wireless system device based on the commands.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless system device is mounted external to a structure.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless system device is mounted with the satellite receive antenna.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless system device is controlled via the wireless network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless system device is a relay device for at least one wireless device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless system device provides a two-way communications path.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless system device provides a higher signal throughput as compared to a wireless system lacking the wireless system device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the higher signal throughput is provided by an increase in wireless system signal strength.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the higher signal throughput is provided by a change in coding schema.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the higher signal throughput is provided by additional gain in the wireless system antenna.

11. A wireless device for increasing capacity of a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless network antenna;

a wireless radio system, coupled to the wireless network antenna;

a networking bridge, coupled to the wireless radio system, the networking bridge enabling a higher efficiency modulation schema than a modulation schema used on the wireless network, wherein the wireless device is installed external to a structure and provides an access point to the wireless network for at least one device internal to the structure; and

a coaxial networking bridge, for coupling a satellite broadcast signal received by a satellite receive antenna from a satellite broadcast system with a wireless broadband signal for bidirectional communication transmitted or received on the wireless network using the wireless network antenna,

wherein the satellite receive antenna only receives the satellite broadcast signal comprised of television programming and commands from the satellite broadcast system, the satellite receive antenna is coupled to a single wire multiswitch and the satellite broadcast signal comprised of television programming is sent by the single wire multiswitch to at least one integrated receive decoder, and the integrated receive decoder decodes and separates the satellite broadcast signal comprised of television programming into viewer channels, which are then passed to a monitor for viewing by a user; and

wherein the wireless device is separate from the integrated receive decoder and also coupled to the single wire multiswitch, the coaxial networking bridge enables the wireless device to receive both the satellite broadcast signal and the wireless broadband signal, and the coaxial networking bridge enables the satellite broadcast system to send the satellite broadcast signal comprised of commands to the wireless device that are interpreted by a controller in the wireless device, and the controller controls wireless network antenna of the wireless device based on the commands.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is mounted with a satellite receive antenna.

13. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is controlled via the wireless network.

14. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is a relay device for at least one additional wireless device.

15. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the increased capacity is provided by an increase in wireless system signal strength.

16. The wireless device of claim 11 wherein the increased capacity is provided by the change in modulation schema.

17. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the increased capacity is provided by additional gain in the wireless network antenna.