Content delivery to a digital TV using a low-power frequency converted RF signal

• US 8,654,262 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meld Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Meld Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Du Val, Jordan, Kniess, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAIEM, SEAN N
• Application Number:
  US13/224,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/034 Portable transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/40 Modulation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver

Abstract

A simple antenna is connected to the RF input port on a conventional digital TV to receive video content from a plurality of video content sources wirelessly. The wireless RF transmission by a local transmitter has a range generally limited to within a home or room. The low power RF transmission is on a carrier frequency that is legally authorized by the FCC in frequency and power level. To identify the open channels for the RF transmission, a tuner scans for weak channels, and the transmitter is tuned to transmit on the detected weak channels.

Claims

1. A method of operating a system including tuning a transmitter to transmit on open channels comprising:

receiving signals at an input of a tuner via an antenna;

scanning the tuner across a range of channels, each channel corresponding to a frequency range;

detecting in a first channel, within the range of channels, a signal having a strength below a certain threshold;

receiving non-modulated first data, from at least one content source, to be transmitted;

modulating the first data to generate a first RF signal to make suitable for wireless transmission;

automatically controlling a transmitter to wirelessly transmit the first RF signal in the first channel such that the first RF signal can be received by at least a local first television receiver tuned to the first channel,

wherein the first television receiver is tuned to the first channel for wirelessly receiving the first RF signal,

receiving non-modulated second data, from the at least one content source, to be transmitted;

modulating the second data to make suitable for wireless transmission; and

automatically controlling the transmitter to wirelessly transmit the modulated second data, simultaneously with transmitting the modulated first data on the first channel, such that the modulated second data can be received by at least a second local television receiver.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the signals received are broadcast signals, and the channels are broadcast channels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving non-modulated first data comprises receiving non-modulated first data from a video content source, the first data containing video content, wherein the video content is an original format signal;

and

wherein the step of controlling the transmitter comprises;

receiving the video content by a converter remote from the first television receiver;

converting the original format signal, by the converter, to an RF transmission transmitted by the transmitter having a format capable of being demodulated by the first television receiver so that the video content is displayed on a screen of the first television receiver.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising coupling the RF transmission to an RF input of the first local television receiver, the RF transmission having a carrier frequency within a legally allowable frequency band and signal level, wherein the first television receiver is set to an open channel to process the video content within the RF transmission.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein coupling the RF transmission to the RF input of the first local television receiver comprises receiving the RF transmission by an antenna coupled to the RF input of the first television receiver.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the original format signal is a baseband signal.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the format of the RF transmission is any one of NTSC, ATSC, QAM, DVB-C/T, ISDB-T, VSB, and PAL.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the converter receives the original format signal in any one of the following formats:

NTSC, PAL, SECAM, composite or component digital TV signals, CVBS, YbPbR, RGB, S-Video, and HDMI.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the converter receives the original format signal in any one of the following formats:

NTSC, PAL, SECAM, composite or component digital TV signals, CVBS, YbPbR, RGB, S-Video, and HDMI, and the converter then converts the original format signal into the RF transmission in any one of the following formats;

ATSC, QAM, DVB-C/T, ISDB-T, and VSB.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising coupling the RF transmission to an antenna coupled to an RF input of the first television receiver,

wherein the original format signal is a first RF transmission received by the converter containing the video content, and the converter converts the first RF transmission received by the converter to a desired frequency for transmission to the antenna coupled to the RF input of the first television receiver.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the video content source is one of a plurality of video content sources coupled to the converter and applying original format signals to the converter.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein the video content sources are any of the following:

a DVD player, a set top box, and a computer.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein the converter is configured to generate an MPEG or H.264 transport stream from video content sources and digitally modulate the transport stream as the RF transmission for reception by at least the first television receiver.

14. The method of claim 3 wherein the video content source is one of a plurality of video content sources coupled to the converter and applying original format signals to the converter, wherein the plurality of video content sources generate original format signals in different formats to the converter, the converter converting the different formats to a common format for the RF transmission to at least the first television receiver.

15. The system of claim 3 further comprising coupling the RF transmission to an antenna coupled to an RF input of the first television receiver,

wherein the original format signal is derived from a first RF transmission received by the converter containing the video content, wherein the converter converts the first RF transmission received by the converter into a VSB or QAM format for transmission to the antenna coupled to the RF input of the first television receiver.

16. The method of claim 3 wherein the converter adds information to the video content provided by the video content source for transmission to the first television receiver.

17. The method of claim 3 wherein the converter converts the baseband signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal prior to conversion to the RF transmission.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitter transmits signals to the first television receiver using at least one channel in the frequency range of 289.25 MHz-883.25 MHz.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitter transmits MPEG I frames or MPEG I, B, P motion frames for an on-screen display menu or other still pictures on the first television receiver.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the first television receiver comprises one of a plurality of digital receivers tuned to the first channel.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of scanning the tuner comprises automatically scanning the tuner.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of automatically tuning the first television receiver to the first channel for wirelessly receiving the first RF signal.