Apparatus and method for effectively implementing a wireless television system

• US 20010021998A1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sling Media LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sling Media Incorporated (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Margulis, Neal
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/43637 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 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

An apparatus and method for effectively implementing a wireless television system may include a communications processor and a transmitter device that combine at least one of a local-area network interface, a wide-area network interface, and one or more television data interfaces for effectively performing a wireless network transmission process. A transmitted stream from the wireless television system may be received via wireless network processing for viewing local-area network data, wide-area network data (such as Internet data), or television data by flexibly utilizing various electronic devices such as a notepad personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a handheld TV remote control device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for implementing a wireless base station system, comprising:

a subsystem processor coupled to said wireless base station system, said subsystem processor being configured to process a program source to thereby generate a processed stream;

a communications processor coupled to said subsystem processor, said communications processor being configured to manipulate said processed stream to thereby produce a transmitter-ready stream; and

a radio-frequency transmitter device coupled to said communications processor, said radio-frequency transmitter being configured to wirelessly transmit said transmitter-ready stream.

2. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said communications processor receives and processes wide-area network information from a wide-area network interface to thereby produce said transmitter-ready stream, said wide-area network information being subsequently transmitted as said transmitter-ready stream by utilizing said radio-frequency transmitter device.

3. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said communications processor receives and processes local-area network information from a local-area network interface to thereby produce said transmitter-ready stream, said local-area network information being subsequently transmitted as said transmitter-ready stream by utilizing said radio-frequency transmitter device.

4. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said communications processor receives wide-area network information from a wide-area network interface, said communications processor responsively transmitting said wide-area network information over a local-area network through a local-area network interface that is coupled to said communications processor.

5. The apparatus of

claim 1

wherein said subsystem processor converts and compresses an analog audio stream and an analog video stream to thereby generate said processed stream.

6. The apparatus of

claim 5

wherein said subsystem processor compresses said analog audio stream and said analog video stream to thereby generate said processed stream in accordance with an MPEG-2 specification.

7. An apparatus for implementing a wireless television system, comprising:

a base station coupled to said wireless television system, said base station including a subsystem processor that is configured to process program information from a program source;

a communications processor coupled to said base station for generating a processed stream from said program information, said communications processor subsequently transmitting said processed stream over a local-area network through a local-area network interface; and

an auxiliary base station configured to receive said processed stream over said local-area network, said auxiliary base station responsively performing a wireless transmission procedure with said processed stream.

8. The apparatus of

claim 7

wherein said communications processor coupled to said base station receives and processes wide-area network information from a wide-area network interface, said communications processor subsequently transmitting said wide-area network information over a local-area network through a local-area network interface that is coupled to said communications processor.

9. The apparatus of

claim 7

wherein a plurality of auxiliary base stations are configured to receive said processed stream over said local-area network, said plurality of auxiliary base stations responsively performing separate respective wireless transmission procedures with said processed stream to thereby transmit said processed stream to different respective locations.

10. An apparatus for receiving and displaying a wireless transmission propagated from a base station, comprising:

a hand-held electronic device configured to include a display area for displaying visual information;

a radio-frequency subsystem configured to receive said wireless transmission propagated from said base station; and

a processing subsystem configured to decode and display said wireless transmission upon said display area of said hand-held electronic device.

11. The apparatus of

claim 10

wherein said hand-held electronic device includes a transmission capability for transmitting electronic data by utilizing a radio-frequency (RF) subsystem.

12. The apparatus of

claim 10

wherein said hand-held electronic device includes a transmission capability for transmitting electronic data by utilizing an infrared (IR) subsystem.

13. The apparatus of

claim 10

wherein said hand-held electronic device is implemented to include at least one of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a tablet personal computer device.

14. A method for implementing a wireless base station system, comprising the steps of:

processing a program source with a subsystem processor coupled to said wireless base station system to thereby generate a processed stream;

manipulating said processed stream with a communications processor coupled to said subsystem processor to thereby produce a transmitter-ready stream; and

utilizing a radio-frequency transmitter device coupled to said communications processor to wirelessly transmit said transmitter-ready stream.

15. The method of

claim 14

wherein said communications processor receives and processes wide-area network information from a wide-area network interface to thereby produce said transmitter-ready stream, said wide-area network information being subsequently transmitted as said transmitter-ready stream by utilizing said radio-frequency transmitter device.

16. The method of

claim 14

wherein said communications processor receives and processes local-area network information from a local-area network interface to thereby produce said transmitter-ready stream, said local-area network information being subsequently transmitted as said transmitter-ready stream by utilizing said radio-frequency transmitter device.

17. The method of

claim 14

wherein said communications processor receives wide-area network information from a wide-area network interface, said communications processor responsively transmitting said wide-area network information over a local-area network through a local-area network interface that is coupled to said communications processor.

18. The method of

claim 14

wherein said subsystem processor converts and compresses an analog audio stream and an analog video stream to thereby generate said processed stream.

19. The method of

claim 18

wherein said subsystem processor compresses said analog audio stream and said analog video stream to thereby generate said processed stream in accordance with an MPEG-2 specification.

20. A method for implementing a wireless television system, comprising the steps of:

providing a base station coupled to said wireless television system, said base station including a subsystem processor that is configured to process program information from a program source;

generating a processed stream from said program information by utilizing a communications processor coupled to said base station;

transmitting said processed stream through a local-area network interface to a local-area network;

receiving said processed stream from said local-area network by utilizing an auxiliary base station; and

performing a wireless transmission procedure with said processed stream by utilizing said auxiliary base station.

21. The method of

claim 20

wherein said communications processor coupled to said base station receives and processes wide-area network information from a wide-area network interface, said communications processor subsequently transmitting said wide-area network information over a local-area network through a local-area network interface that is coupled to said communications processor.

22. The method of

claim 20

wherein a plurality of auxiliary base stations are configured to receive said processed stream over said local-area network, said plurality of auxiliary base stations responsively performing separate respective wireless transmission procedures with said processed stream to thereby transmit said processed stream to different respective locations.

23. A method for receiving and displaying a wireless transmission propagated from a base station, comprising the steps of:

providing a hand-held electronic device that is configured to include a display area for displaying visual information;

receiving said wireless transmission propagated from said base station by utilizing a radio-frequency subsystem;

decoding said wireless transmission with a processing subsystem; and

displaying said wireless transmission upon said display area of said hand-held electronic device.

24. The method of

claim 23

wherein said hand-held electronic device includes a transmission capability for transmitting electronic data by utilizing a radio-frequency (RF) subsystem.

25. The method of

claim 23

wherein said hand-held electronic device includes a transmission capability for transmitting electronic data by utilizing an infrared (IR) subsystem.

26. The method of

claim 23

wherein said hand-held electronic device is implemented to include at least one of a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a tablet personal computer device.