SMATV headend using IP transport stream input and method for operating the same

• US 9,942,618 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Norin, John L., Tatem, Richard B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, ALAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/930,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,814 Days
• Field of Search: 725 63, 725 68, 725 78, 725 81, 725 85, 725110, 709238
• 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 21/2143 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 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

A receiving unit 28 includes a tuner that receives a first signal that may include a satellite signal. A demodulator demodulates the satellite signal to form a second signal. The second signal may be internet protocol (IP) encapsulated to form an IP encapsulated signal. The IP encapsulated signal may be communicated through an IP network to a decoder. The decoder 144 decodes the second signal or the IP encapsulated signal. A modulator 146 modulates the decoded signal which is communicated to user devices through a network 147. In addition, IP encapsulated signals may also be communicated to various user devices through the network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a receiving unit comprising;

a tuner module tuning a satellite signal;

a demodulator demodulating the satellite signal to form a transport stream signal;

an IP encapsulation module generating an IP encapsulated signal from the transport stream signal and communicating the IP encapsulated signal through a router and a network to a device controlling a display;

a decoder module decoding the IP encapsulated signal to form an analog signal;

a modulator modulating the analog signal to form a modulated signal and communicating the modulated signal to a television tuner through the network; and

a web portal and a monitoring and control module coupled to the web portal, said monitoring and control module monitoring health and status of the receiving unit, the device and the router, said web portal configured to reset or reconfigure the receiving unit, the router and the device through the web portal and the router.

2. The receiving unit as recited in claim 1 further comprising an input processing module buffering the transport stream signal.

3. The receiving unit as recited in claim 1 further comprising an encryption module generating an encrypted IP encapsulated signal.

4. The receiving unit as recited in claim 1 further comprising an output processing module buffering the IP encapsulated signal.

5. A system comprising the receiving unit as recited in claim 1 and further comprising an IP network communicating the IP encapsulated signal from the IP encapsulation module to the decoder module.

6. A system comprising the receiving unit as recited in claim 1 and further comprising an analog network communicating the modulated signal to the television tuner.

7. The receiving unit as recited in claim 1 further comprising remotely monitoring and controlling a decoder module within a device located remotely from the IP encapsulation module through the web portal.

8. The receiving unit as recited in claim 1 wherein the tuner module comprises a plurality of tuner modules and the demodulator comprises a plurality of demodulators corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of channels.

9. The receiving unit as recited in claim 8 wherein the IP encapsulation module forming a plurality of IP encapsulated signals and the decoder module decodes the plurality of IP encapsulated signals into a plurality of analog signals.

10. The receiving unit as recited in claim 9 wherein the modulator modulates the plurality of analog signals.

11. The receiving unit as recited in claim 10 wherein the modulator communicates the plurality of analog signals to a plurality of television tuners.

12. A system comprising:

a tuner demodulator module having a tuner module for tuning a satellite signal, a demodulator module demodulating the satellite signal to form a transport stream signal, and a low noise block control module for controlling a low noise block;

an IP encapsulation and control module receiving the transport stream and formatting the transport stream signal to form an IP encapsulated signal and communicating the IP encapsulated signal through a router and a network, said IP encapsulation and control module forming a control signal for controlling the tuner and low noise block control module;

a decoder in communication with the network receiving the IP encapsulated signal, said decoder decoding the IP encapsulated signal to form a decoded analog signal;

a first user device receiving the decoded analog signal;

a second user device receiving the IP encapsulated signal;

a web portal and a monitoring and control module coupled to the web portal, said monitoring and control module monitoring health and status of the first user device, the second user device and the router, said web portal configured to reset or reconfigure the first user device, the second user device and the router through the web portal and the router.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the tuner module comprises a plurality of tuner modules and the demodulator comprises a plurality of demodulators corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of channels.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the IP encapsulation and control module forms a plurality of IP encapsulated signals and communicates the IP encapsulated signals to a plurality of devices.

15. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein the plurality of devices comprises a plurality of set top boxes.