Digital television translator with PSIP update

• US 6,785,903 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2000
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: K Tech Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: K Tech Telecommunications Incorporated
• Inventors: Kuh, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sloan, Nathan A
• Application Number:
  US09/545,613
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 725/50, 725/132, 725/142, 725/152, 725/118, 725/199, 725/120, 725/127, 725/128, 725/148, 370/486
• US Class Current: 725/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]

Abstract

A digital television translator includes a digital television receiver for receiving a first digital television signal at a first frequency and generating a digital transport stream from the first digital television signal. The digital transport stream can include original Program and System Information (PSIP) data having RX channel data that is indicative of the first frequency, the first major channel number, and/or the first minor channel number. The digital television translator also includes a PSIP update module for updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data. The TX data is indicative of a second frequency, a second major channel number, and/or a second minor channel number. The digital television translator further includes a digital television modulator for converting the digital transport stream having the updated PSIP data into a second digital television signal at the second frequency, where the second frequency can be the same or different from the first frequency.

Claims

1. A digital television translator, comprising:

a digital television receiver for receiving a first digital television signal and generating a digital transport stream from the first digital television signal, the digital transport stream including original PSIP data having RX channel data;

a PSIP update module for updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data; and

a digital television modulator for converting the digital transport stream having the updated PSIP data into a second digital television signal,

wherein the RX channel data is associated with the first digital television signal and includes at least one of a major channel number, a minor channel number, and a carrier frequency, and the TX channel data is associated with the second digital television signal and includes at least one of an updated major channel number, an updated minor channel number, and an updated carrier frequency.

2. The digital television translator according to claim 1, further comprising a re-multiplexor for replacing original ancillary data in the digital transport stream with new ancillary data.

3. The digital television translator according to claim 2, wherein the re-multiplexor comprises:

a de-multiplexor for separating the digital transport stream into video data, audio data, one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the original ancillary data, and

a multiplexor for combining the video data, the audio data, the one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the new ancillary data into the digital transport stream.

4. The digital television translator according to claim 2, wherein the new ancillary data includes Internet data.

5. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein the digital television receiver processes the first digital television signal according to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard, defined by the ATSC organization, to generate the digital transport stream, and the digital television modulator processes the digital transport stream according to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard, defined by the ATSC organization, to generate the second digital television signal.

6. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein video data in the digital transport stream is MPEG2 video data.

7. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein video data in the digital transport stream is MPEG2 video data that conforms to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard defined by the ATSC organization.

8. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein the first and second digital television signals are 8-VSB ATSC standard digital television signals.

9. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein the first and second digital television signals are 16-VSB ATSC standard digital television signals.

10. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein the second digital television signal is amplified by an RF power amplifier.

11. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein a frequency of the second digital television signal is approximately equal to a frequency of the first digital television signal.

12. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein a frequency of the second digital television signal is different from a frequency of the first digital television signal.

47. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein the RX channel data includes a major channel number and the TX channel data includes an updated major channel number.

48. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein the RX channel data includes a minor channel number and the TX channel data includes an updated minor channel number.

49. The digital television translator according to claim 1, wherein the RX channel data includes a carrier frequency and the TX channel data includes an updated carrier frequency.

13. An information distribution network using digital television transmission, the information distribution network comprising:

a plurality of digital television transmission nodes including

a main digital television signal source for generating a main digital television signal; and

a plurality of digital television translators receiving a digital television signal from one of the plurality of digital television nodes, at least one of said plurality of digital television translators including

a digital television receiver for receiving the digital television signal from one of the plurality of digital television nodes and generating a digital transport stream from the received digital television signal, the digital transport stream including original ancillary data and original PSIP data having RX data,

a data update module for updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data and for replacing the original ancillary data in the digital transport stream with new ancillary data, and

a digital television modulator for converting the digital transport stream having the new ancillary data and the updated PSIP data into a transmitted digital television signal, wherein at least two of the plurality of digital television transmission nodes transmit at the same frequency and the total ancillary data of the information distribution network includes the new ancillary data from multiple digital television translators of the plurality of digital television translators,

wherein the RX channel data is associated with the received digital television signal and includes at least one of a major channel number, a minor channel number, and a carrier frequency, and the TX channel data is associated with the transmitted digital television signal and includes at least one of an updated major channel number, an updated minor channel number, and an updated carrier frequency.

14. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein the data update module comprises:

a demultiplexor for separating the digital transport stream into video data, audio data, the updated PSIP data, and the original ancillary data, and

a multiplexor for combining the video data, the audio data, the updated PSIP data, and the new ancillary data into the digital transport stream.

15. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein the new ancillary data includes Internet data.

16. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein the digital television receiver processes the received digital television signal according to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard, defined by the ATSC organization, to generate the digital transport stream, and the digital television modulator processes the digital transport stream according to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard, defined by the ATSC organization, to generate the transmitted digital television signal.

17. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein the video data in the digital transport stream is MPEG2 data.

18. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein the video data in the digital transport stream is MPEG2 video data that conforms to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard defined by the ATCS organization.

19. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein the received and transmitted digital television signals are 8-VSB ATSC standard digital television signals.

20. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein the received and transmitted digital television signals are 16-VSB ATSC standard digital television signals.

21. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein the transmitted digital television signal is amplified by an RF power amplifier.

22. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein a frequency of the received digital television signal is approximately equal to a frequency of the transmitted digital television signal.

23. The information distribution network according to claim 13, wherein a frequency of the received digital television signal is different from a frequency of the transmitted digital television signal.

50. The digital television translator according to claim 13, wherein the RX channel data includes a major channel number and the TX channel data includes an updated major channel number.

51. The digital television translator according to claim 13, wherein the RX channel data includes a minor channel number and the TX channel data includes an updated minor channel number.

52. The digital television translator according to claim 13, wherein the RX channel data includes a carrier frequency and the TX channel data includes an updated carrier frequency.

24. A method of translating a digital television signal, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first digital television signal and generating a digital transport stream from the first digital television signal, the digital transport stream including original PSIP data having RX channel data;

updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data; and

converting the digital transport stream having the updated PSIP data into a second digital television signal,

wherein the RX channel data is associated with the first digital television signal and includes at least one of a major channel number, a minor channel number, and a carrier frequency, and the TX channel data is associated with the second digital television signal and includes at least one of an updated major channel number, an updated minor channel number, and an updated carrier frequency.

25. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, further comprising the step of replacing original ancillary data in the digital transport stream with new ancillary data.

26. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein the step of replacing the original ancillary data further comprising the steps of:

separating the digital transport stream into video data, audio data, one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the original ancillary data, and

combining the video data, the audio data, the one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the new ancillary data into the digital transport stream.

27. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein the new ancillary data includes Internet data.

28. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein the first digital television signal is processed according to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard, defined by the ATSC organization, to generate the digital transport stream, and the digital transport stream is processed according to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard, defined by the ATSC organization, to generate the second digital television signal.

29. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein video data in the digital transport stream is MPEG2 video data.

30. The digital television translator according to claim 24, wherein video data in the digital transport stream is MPEG2 video data that conforms to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard defined by the ATSC organization.

31. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein the first and second digital television signals are 8-VSB ATSC standard digital television signals.

32. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein the first and second digital television signals are 16-VSB ATSC standard digital television signals.

33. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein the second digital television signal is amplified by an RF power amplifier.

34. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein a frequency of the first digital television signal is approximately equal to a frequency of the second digital television signal.

35. The method of translating a digital television signal according to claim 24, wherein a frequency of the first digital television signal is different from a frequency of the second digital television signal.

53. The digital television translator according to claim 24, wherein the RX channel data includes a major channel number and the TX channel data includes an updated major channel number.

54. The digital television translator according to claim 24, wherein the RX channel data includes a minor channel number and the TX channel data includes an updated minor channel number.

55. The digital television translator according to claim 24, wherein the RX channel data includes a carrier frequency and the TX channel data includes an updated carrier frequency.

36. An information distribution method using digital television transmission and increasing data capacity through frequency re-use, comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of digital television signals each from one of a plurality of digital television transmission nodes, further comprising the steps of

generating a main digital television signal by one of the plurality of digital television transmission nodes; and

generating a plurality of translated digital television signals by the plurality of digital television transmission nodes, the generation of at least one of the plurality of translated digital television signals further comprising the steps of

receiving a digital television signal from at least one of the digital television transmission nodes and

generating a digital transport stream from the received digital television signal, the digital transport stream including original ancillary data and original PSIP data having RX channel data,

updating the original PSIP data in the digital transport stream by replacing the RX channel data with TX channel data,

replacing the original ancillary data in the digital transport stream with new ancillary data, and

converting the digital transport stream having the new ancillary data and the updated PSIP data into a transmitted digital television signal, wherein at least two of the plurality of translated digital television signals are transmitted at a same frequency and the total ancillary data of the information distribution network includes new ancillary data from multiple digital television translators of the plurality of digital television translators,

wherein the RX channel data is associated with the received digital television signal and includes at least one of a major channel number, a minor channel number, and a carrier frequency, and the TX channel data is associated with a transmitted digital television signal and includes at least one of an updated major channel number, an updated minor channel number, and an updated carrier frequency.

37. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein replacing the original ancillary data further comprises the steps of:

separating the digital transport stream into video data, audio data, one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the original ancillary data, and

combining the video data, the audio data, the one of the original PSIP data and the updated PSIP data, and the new ancillary data into the digital transport stream.

38. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein the new ancillary data includes Internet data.

39. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein the received digital television signal is processed according to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard, defined by the ATSC organization, to generate the digital transport stream, and the digital transport stream is processed according to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard, defined by the ATSC organization, to generate the transmitted digital television signal.

40. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein video data in the digital transport stream is MPEG2 data.

41. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein video data in the digital transport stream is MPEG2 video data that conforms to the USA terrestrial digital television broadcast standard defined by the ATCS organization.

42. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein the received and transmitted digital television signals are 8-VSB ATSC standard digital television signals.

43. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein the received and transmitted digital television signals are 16-VSB ATSC standard digital television signals.

44. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein the transmitted digital television signal is amplified by an RF power amplifier.

45. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein a frequency of the transmitted digital television signal is approximately equal to a frequency of the received digital television signal.

46. The information distribution method according to claim 36, wherein a frequency of the transmitted digital television signal is different from a frequency of the received digital television signal.

56. The digital television translator according to claim 36, wherein the RX channel data includes a major channel number and the TX channel data includes an updated major channel number.

57. The digital television translator according to claim 36, wherein the RX channel data includes a minor channel number and the TX channel data includes an updated minor channel number.

58. The digital television translator according to claim 36, wherein the RX channel data includes a carrier frequency and the TX channel data includes an updated carrier frequency.