US20130268977A1

US20130268977A1 - Method and system for full spectrum capture for terrestrial applications

Info

Publication number: US20130268977A1
Application number: US13/857,755
Authority: US
Inventors: Curtis Ling; Glenn Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Entropic Communications LLC
Priority date: 2012-04-05
Filing date: 2013-04-05
Publication date: 2013-10-10
Also published as: US20150089549A1; WO2013152320A1; US20130268976A1; US8466850B1; US9258621B2; US20150022406A1; US20130268978A1; US8797220B2; WO2013152263A3; WO2013152263A2

Abstract

A satellite television system comprises a satellite dish, a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish, and an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box. The satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box receive satellite television signals via the satellite dish and receive processed terrestrial television signals from the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish. The satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box generate output satellite television channel content from the received satellite television signals and output terrestrial television channel content from the processed terrestrial television signals. The terrestrial television receiver may comprise a plurality of integrated demodulators and the terrestrial television receiver capture, utilizing a plurality of integrated demodulators, a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels. The plurality of integrated demodulators may be operable to generate the processed terrestrial television signals from the captured corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application makes reference to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/620,720, which was filed on Apr. 5, 2012.
This application also makes reference to:

U.S. application Ser. No. 13/485,003 filed on May 31, 2012;
U.S. application Ser. No. 13/336,451 filed on Dec. 23, 2011:
U.S. application Ser. No. 13/607,916 filed on Sep. 10, 2012;
U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 26187U502), which was filed on ______, 2013;
U.S. application Ser. No. 13/356,265, which was filed on Jan. 23, 2012; and
U.S. Pat. No. 8,010,070, (application Ser. No. 12/247,908), which issued on Aug. 30, 2011, discloses exemplary Low-Complexity Diversity Using Coarse FFT and Coarse Sub-band-wise Combining.

Each of the above referenced applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to wired and wireless communication systems. More specifically, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a method and system for full spectrum capture for terrestrial applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A satellite dish is placed outdoors and is oriented in a direction that provides an unobstructed view of a satellite. Commercial satellites typically operate in the range of about 950 MHz and 2150 MHz.
Terrestrial television (TV) provides over-the-air broadcast television and typically operates at frequencies that are approximately less than 950 MHz.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method is provided for full spectrum capture for terrestrial applications, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.
These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary system for providing full spectrum capture for terrestrial television and satellite broadcast, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary satellite dish that is operable to receive and process satellite signals and terrestrial television signals, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary diversity terrestrial television receiver that utilizes full spectrum capture, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary I/Q RF receive processing chain module of a diversity terrestrial television receiver that utilizes full spectrum capture, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for utilizing a terrestrial receiver integrated in a satellite dish to receive captured terrestrial television channels by an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for utilizing a terrestrial receiver integrated in a satellite dish to capture terrestrial television channels by an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box and output corresponding terrestrial television content or corresponding satellite television content based on which channel quality may be better, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for processing satellite television signals and terrestrial television signals received from a satellite dish that comprises an integrated terrestrial television receiver, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for processing satellite television signals and terrestrial television signals received from a satellite dish that comprises an integrated terrestrial television receiver, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for processing satellite television signals and terrestrial television signals received from a satellite dish that comprises an integrated terrestrial television receiver, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for processing satellite television signals and terrestrial television signals received from a satellite dish that comprises an integrated terrestrial television receiver, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for full spectrum capture for terrestrial applications. In various aspects of the invention, a satellite television system comprises a satellite dish, a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish, and an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box. The satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to receive satellite television signals via the satellite dish and may also be operable to receive processed terrestrial television signals from the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish. The satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to generate output satellite television channel content from the received satellite television signals and also generated output terrestrial television channel content from the processed terrestrial television signals. The terrestrial television receiver may comprise a plurality of integrated demodulators, which are operable to capture a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels. The terrestrial television receiver may also be operable to utilize the plurality of integrated demodulators to generate the processed terrestrial television signals from the captured corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels. The terrestrial television receiver may also be operable to diversity combine the captured plurality of terrestrial television channels and communicate the resulting diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels to the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box within the premises.
The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to handle the generation of the output satellite television channel content from the received satellite television signals and also the generation of the output terrestrial television channel content from the processed terrestrial television signals. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to generate the output terrestrial television channel content from the diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to control operation of the terrestrial television receiver by utilizing one or more communication protocols that are utilized by the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box to communicate with the satellite dish. The one or more communication protocols may comprise, for example, digital satellite equipment control (DiSeqC) protocol and frequency shift keying. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may also be operable to utilize the one or more communication protocols to control which of the corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels to capture, and combine the captured plurality of terrestrial television channels utilizing sub-band-wise combining. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may also be operable to generate the output satellite television channel content from the received satellite television signals for a particular satellite channel and additionally generate corresponding output terrestrial television channel content from the processed terrestrial television signals for a corresponding terrestrial television channel that corresponds to the particular satellite channel. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may also be operable to determine which one of the particular satellite channel and the corresponding terrestrial television channel has greater channel quality. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to select the generated output satellite television channel content for output to a display device if the determination results in the channel quality for the particular satellite channel being greater than the channel quality for the corresponding terrestrial television channel. The satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may also be operable to select the generated corresponding output terrestrial television channel content for output to the display device if the determination results in the channel quality for the corresponding terrestrial television channel being greater than channel quality for the particular satellite channel.
FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary system for providing full spectrum capture for terrestrial television and satellite broadcast, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1A, there is a satellite dish 106 and a premises 104. The satellite dish 106 is shown located external to the premises 104. The satellite dish 106 may comprise a low noise block downconverter (LNB) 108 and a terrestrial television receiver 110. Within the premises 104, there is shown an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 and a television or monitor 116.
The premises 104 may comprise, for example, a home, a building, an office, and in general, any dwelling.
The satellite dish 106 may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to receive and process satellite signals that may be received from a broadcast satellite. For example, the satellite dish 106 may typically comprise the low noise block downconverter (LNB) 108, which may be utilized to process the received satellite signals. The satellite dish 106 may be placed, for example, on a roof of the premises 104, at a side of the premises 104 or in a window of the premises 104 so long as there is a clear view of the satellite.
The low noise block downconverter (LNB) 108 may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to downconvert the received satellite signals and generate one or more corresponding intermediate frequency (IF) analog signals, which may be communicated to the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114. In this regard, the satellite dish 106 may communicate the one or more corresponding intermediate frequency (IF) analog signals via one or more cables 112 to the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114, which is located within the premises 104. The intermediate frequency analog signals may cover a frequency range of about 950 MHz to 2150 MHz.
The terrestrial television receiver 110 may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to receive and process a plurality of terrestrial television channels. The terrestrial television receiver 110 may be integrated within the satellite dish 106. The terrestrial television receiver 110 may be operable to utilize full spectrum capture to capture a plurality terrestrial television channels and combine them. The resulting combined terrestrial television signal may be communicated from the terrestrial television receiver 110 to the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 via the one or more cables 112. The terrestrial television receiver 110 may be operable to utilize channel stacking, band stacking and/or sub-band-wise combining to combine the captured terrestrial television channels.
Aspects of full spectrum capture may be found in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/485,003 filed May 31, 2012, U.S. application Ser. No. 13/336,451 filed on Dec. 23, 2011 and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/607,916 filed Sep. 10, 2012. Each of these applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
U.S. application Ser. No. 13/356,265, which was filed on Jan. 23, 2012 disclosures operation of an exemplary full spectrum receiver and is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In one embodiment of the invention, the terrestrial television receiver 110 may comprise a single antenna the may be utilized to capture a plurality of terrestrial television channels within the range of 0-950 MHz. In another embodiment of the invention, the terrestrial television receiver 110 may comprise a plurality of antennas, which may be utilized to capture a plurality of terrestrial television channels. In this regard, the terrestrial television receiver 110 may be operable to provide diversity processing of the captured plurality of terrestrial television channels. The number of terrestrial television channels that may be captured by the terrestrial television receiver 110 may be limited by the number of demodulators or receive processing chains within the terrestrial television receiver 110. A low cost implementation of a diversity receiver may comprise one demodulator or tuner per antenna.
The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to handle the processing of the intermediate frequency (IF) analog signals from the low noise block downconverter (LNB) 108 and also the processing of the resulting combined terrestrial television signals, which are communicated from the terrestrial television receiver 110. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may be located in the premises 104. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may be operable to demodulate the intermediate frequency (IF) analog signals that are received from the low noise block downconverter (LNB) 108 in order to tune to a particular satellite television channel. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may be operable to tune to a terrestrial television channel based on the combined terrestrial television signals, which are received from the terrestrial television receiver 110.
The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may be operable to utilize protocols comprising, for example, DiSeqC and/or frequency shift keying (FSK) to control and/or manage the operation of the terrestrial television receiver 110. For example, the satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may be operable to communicate one or more control and/or management signal via the one or more cables 112 to the terrestrial television receiver 110. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may be operable to control which terrestrial television channels are captured by the terrestrial television receiver 110.
In operation, a viewer of the television or monitor 116 may select, on the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114, a satellite channel for viewing on the television or monitor 116. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may be operable to capture and demodulate the satellite channel that is selected. When the satellite channel is selected, on the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may also be operable to communicate with the terrestrial television receiver 110, utilizing DiSeqC or FSK, and instruct the terrestrial television receiver to capture the corresponding terrestrial television channel. In instances when the quality of the corresponding terrestrial television channel may be better than the selected satellite channel, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may switch to the corresponding terrestrial television channel and present content from the corresponding terrestrial television channel for display on the television or monitor 116.
In some embodiments of the invention, for example, when favorite satellite channels may be stored on the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may be operable to instruct the terrestrial television receiver 110 to capture the corresponding terrestrial television so that their corresponding content may be readily presented whenever it is needed. In this regard, if the quality of the corresponding favorite terrestrial television channel is better than the selected favorite satellite channel, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may switch from the selected favorite satellite channel to the corresponding favorite terrestrial television channel and present content from the corresponding favorite terrestrial television channel for display on the television or monitor 116.
The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may also comprise one or more algorithms that may be utilized to predict one or more satellite channels that a viewer of the television or monitor 116 may select next on the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114. In this regard, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may communicate with the terrestrial television receiver 110 and accordingly instruct the terrestrial television receiver 110 to capture one or more terrestrial television channels, which may correspond to the one or more predicted next satellite channels. In instances where one of these satellite television channels is selected as the next satellite channel and the quality of the corresponding terrestrial television channel is better than the next satellite channel, then the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may select the corresponding terrestrial television channel and communicate content from the corresponding terrestrial television channel to the television or monitor 116.
In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, a location of the terrestrial television receiver 110 may be utilized as an aid to determine the frequency spectrum that should be captured by the terrestrial television receiver 110. For example, global navigational satellite system (GNSS) information may be utilized to determine a location of the terrestrial television receiver 110. In this regard, a GNSS receiver may be incorporated within the terrestrial television receiver 110, the satellite dish 106, and/or the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114. The location of other devices with a known location, for example, WiFi access points, routers and so on, which are within proximity of the terrestrial television receiver may be utilized to determine the location of the terrestrial television receiver. For example, the location of a WiFi access point or a router within the premises 104 may be utilized as an approximate location of the terrestrial television receiver 110.
FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary satellite dish that is operable to receive and process satellite signals and terrestrial television signals, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1B, there is a satellite dish 106 and a premises 104. The satellite dish 106 is shown located external to the premises 104. The satellite dish 106 may comprise a low noise block downconverter (LNB) 108 and a terrestrial television receiver 110. Within the premises 104, there is shown an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 and a television 116.
The satellite dish 106, the low noise block downconverter (LNB) 108, the terrestrial television receiver 110, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 and the television or monitor 116 may be substantially similar to the corresponding components as described and shown with respect to FIG. 1A.
The terrestrial television receiver 110 may comprise two antennas, which may be utilized to provide diversity processing. The terrestrial television receiver 110 allows service providers to rapidly deploy a fully backward compatible broadband system that enables capture of signals within the frequency range of approximately 0 MHz to 2150 MHz. This covers broadcast terrestrial television and also broadcast satellite television signals. The terrestrial television receiver 110 is operable to utilize full spectrum to capture signals within any portion of or all of the frequency spectrum in the terrestrial television range of 0-950 MHz. The terrestrial television receiver 110 may be operable to capture a single terrestrial television channel or concurrently capture a plurality of terrestrial televisions channels regardless of whether or not the terrestrial television channels are contiguous. The captured terrestrial television channels may be communicated to the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box 114, which is operable to decode both satellite television content and corresponding terrestrial television content. In instances where the terrestrial television receiver 110 may capture a large chunk of the spectrum carrying a plurality of terrestrial television channels and non-terrestrial television channels, the terrestrial television receiver 110 may be operable to discriminate between the terrestrial television channels and non-terrestrial television channels. In this regard, the terrestrial television receiver 110 may eliminate or discard the non-terrestrial television channels. GNSS information may be utilized to discriminate between the captured terrestrial television channels and non-terrestrial television channels.
The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may communicate signals over the one or more cables 112, which may be utilized to control operation and/or management of the low noise block downconverter (LNB) 108 and/or the terrestrial television receiver 110. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box 114 may be operable to decode the same content from the satellite television channel and the corresponding terrestrial television channel. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box 114 may be operable to determine which of the satellite television channel and the corresponding terrestrial television channel has the best signal quality. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box 114 may be operable to select one that has the better signal quality and output the corresponding content to the television or monitor 116. For example, the satellite television channel 500 and the terrestrial television channel 5 may be carrying the same programming or event. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box 114 may determine that the terrestrial television channel 5 has a better channel quality than the satellite television channel 500. In this regard, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box 114 may select the corresponding content for terrestrial television channel 5 to be output to the television or monitor 116. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the selection or switching between terrestrial television content and satellite television content, and vice versa, may occur transparently to a viewer of the television or monitor 116, who may be controlling the channel selection on the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box 114.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary diversity terrestrial television receiver that utilizes full spectrum capture, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a diversity terrestrial television receiver 200. The diversity terrestrial television receiver 200 may comprise antennas 202 a, 202 b, antenna interface 204, variable gain amplifiers 205 a, 205 b, multiplexers 206 a, 206 b, I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b, local oscillator generator (LOGEN) 209, channelizers 210 a, 210 b, maximum ratio combiner 212 and a baseband processor 214. The variable gain amplifier 205 a, the multiplexer 206 a, the I/Q RF receive processing chain module 208 a, and the channelizer 210 a may be operable to handle the processing of signals received via the antenna 202 a. The variable gain amplifier 205 b, the multiplexer 206 b, the I/Q RF receive processing chain module 208 b, and the channelizer 210 b may be operable to handle the processing of signals received via the antenna 202 b.
The antennas 202 a, 202 b may comprise suitable logic, circuitry and/or interfaces that are operable to receive terrestrial television signals. The characteristics of the antennas 202 (e.g., coil) may be such that it may perform filtering functions and, in those instances, transmit and/or receive filters may not be needed.
The antenna interface 204 may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to interface with the antennas 202 a, 202 b with the corresponding processing paths in the diversity terrestrial television receiver 200.
The variable gain amplifiers 205 a, 205 b may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to variably adjust a corresponding gain of the input signal from antenna interface 204. For example, the variable gain amplifiers 205 a may be operable to amplify and/or buffer the signal received via the antenna 202 a from the antenna interface 204. The variable gain amplifiers 205 a, 205 b may operate in different modes that enable capturing of different size bandwidths. For example, the variable gain amplifiers 205 a, 205 b may be configured to capture narrowband signals or broadband signals.
The multiplexers 206 a, 206 b may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to select from among a plurality of n processing RF receive (RX) chains in the I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b, respectively, where n is an integer. For example, the multiplexers 206 a may be operable to select which of the plurality of the n processing RF receive (RX) chains within the I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a are to be utilized for demodulation of the signal output from the multiplexer 206 a. Similarly, the multiplexers 206 b may be operable to select which of the plurality of the n processing RF receive (RX) chains within the I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 b are to be utilized for demodulation of the signal output from the multiplexer 206 b. The baseband processor 214 may be operable to control which of the plurality of n processing RF receive (RX) chain in the n I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b may be selected.
The I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to demodulate the signals that are output from the multiplexer 206 a, 206 b, respectively. Each of the I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b may comprise a plurality of n I/Q RF receive processing chains. The baseband processor 214 may be operable to select which of the I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b are to be utilized to demodulate the signals that are output from the multiplexers 206 a, 206 b. For example, the I/Q RF receive processing chain module 208 a may be utilized to demodulate the signals that are output from the multiplexer 206 a, while the I/Q RF receive processing chain module 208 b may be utilized to demodulate the signals that are output from the multiplexer 206 b.
The LOGEN 209 may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to drive one or more oscillators within the I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b. The LO generator 209 may comprise, for example, one or more crystals, one or more direct digital synthesizers, and/or one or more phase-locked loops.
The channelizers 210 a, 210 b may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to channelize the demodulated signals that are output from the n I/Q RF receive processing chain 208 a, 208 b, respectively. The channelizers 210 a, 210 b may be operable to separate each of the corresponding channels into a plurality of frequency bins. The output of the channelizers 210 a, 210 b may be combined by a combiner. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the channelization may be achieved via one or more digital filtering algorithms and/or other digital signal processing algorithms. Each of the channelizers 210 a, 210 b may comprise a plurality of band selection filters that are operable process the corresponding output from the plurality of n processing RF receive (RX) chains in the n I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b in order to recover a corresponding one of the a plurality of selected frequency bands or frequency bins. The granularity of the channelizers 210 a, 210 b may be programmable. In this regard, the channelizers 210 a, 210 b may be programmed to handle channels of varying bandwidth. For example, the channelizers 210 a, 210 b may be programmed to handle 20 MHz and/or 40 MHz channels.
The maximum ratio combiner 212 may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to combine the channels that are output from the channelizers 210 a, 210 b. For example, maximum ratio combiner 212 may be operable to utilize, for example, a coarse FFT processing that employs a low complexity diversity using coarse FFT and subband-wise combining. The coarse FFT processing may optimally combine the signals from a plurality of frequency bins for multiple antennas and accordingly, generate an improved maximum ratio combined (MRC) co-phased signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,010,070, (application Ser. No. 12/247,908), which issued on Aug. 30, 2011, discloses exemplary Low-Complexity Diversity Using Coarse FFT and Coarse Sub-band-wise Combining, and is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The maximum ratio combiner 212 may also be operable to utilize channel stacking and/or band stacking of the plurality of frequency bins. U.S. application Ser. No. 13/762,929, entitled “Method and System for Integrated Stacking for Handling Channel Stacking or Band Stacking,” which was filed on Feb. 8, 2013, discloses an integrated stacking method and is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The baseband processor 214 may comprise suitable logic circuitry interfaces and/or code that may be operable to provide baseband processing on the channels that are generated from the maximum ratio combiner 212. The baseband processor 214 may also be operable to function as a controller for the terrestrial television receiver 200. In this regard, the baseband processor 214 may be operable to control, configure and/or manage operation of one or more of the antenna interface 204, the variable gain amplifiers 205 a, 205 b, the multiplexers 206 a, 206 b, the I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b, the local oscillator generator (LOGEN) 209, the channelizers 210 a, 210 b, and the maximum ratio combiner 212. The baseband processor 214 may be operable to control, configure and/or manage operation of one or more of the components in the I/Q RF receive processing chain modules 208 a, 208 b such as mixers, filters and/or analog to digital controllers (ADCs).
Although the maximum ratio combiner 212 and the baseband processor 214 are illustrated as separate entities, the maximum ratio combiner 212 may be integrated as part of the baseband processor 214.
Although only two antennas 202 a, 202 b are shown for diversity, the invention is not limited in this regard. Accordingly, more than two antennas may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The addition of more than two antennas requires the addition of additional processing paths in the diversity terrestrial television receiver 200.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary I/Q RF receive processing chain module of a diversity terrestrial television receiver that utilizes full spectrum capture, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown an I/Q RF receive processing chain module 300. The I/Q RF receive processing chain module 300 comprises a plurality of n I/Q RF receive processing chains, where n is an integer. The plurality of n I/Q RF receive processing chains are referenced as 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _n. Each of the n I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nare substantially similar.
The I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁comprises an in-phase (I) path and a quadrature (Q) path. The in-phase path of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁comprises a mixer 308 _I, a filter 310 _I, and an analog to digital converter (ADC) 312 _I. The quadrature path of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁comprises a mixer 308 _Q, a filter 310 _Q, and an analog to digital converter (ADC) 312 _Q.
Each of the mixers 308 _I, 308 _Qmay comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to mix the corresponding signal 302 ₁with a local oscillator signal (not shown) to generate the signal 309 _I, 309 _Q, respectively. The mixers 308 _I, 308 _Qare operable to mix the signal 302 ₁with a pair of in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) local oscillator signals, respectively, to generate the corresponding pair of in-phase and quadrature signals 309 _I, 309 _Q.
In some embodiments of the invention, the mixers in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains may be operable to function with similar characteristics and in other embodiments of the invention, the mixers in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains may be operable to function with different characteristics. For example, the mixers 308 _I, 308 _Qmay be configured to operate with a higher bandwidth than the mixers (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 ₂. Similarly, the mixers (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 ₂may be configured to operate with a higher bandwidth than the mixers (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 _n, and the mixers 308 _I, 308 _Q, which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 _n.
The phase and/or frequency of the local oscillator signals (not shown), which are input to the mixers in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _n, may be controlled via one or more signals from the baseband processor 214, which is illustrated in FIG. 2. In accordance with various embodiments of the invention, the phase and/or frequency of the local oscillator signals, which are input to the mixers in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _n, may be controlled by the baseband processor 214 based on which one or more terrestrial television channels have been selected for consumption by the satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114. The phase and/or frequency of the local oscillator signals, which are input to the mixers in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _n, may be controlled by the baseband processor 214 based the number of terrestrial television channels, which the satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 has instructed the terrestrial television receiver 110 to capture. The phase and/or frequency of the local oscillator signals, which are input to the mixers in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _n, may be generated from the LOGEN 209, which is illustrated in FIG. 2.
The filters in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nmay comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to filter out undesired frequencies from the corresponding signals that are output from the oscillators in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _n. For example, each of the filters 310 _I, 310 _Qin the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁may be operable to filter out undesired frequencies from the signals 309 _Q, 309 _Qto generate the corresponding analog signals 311 _I, 311 _Q.
In some embodiments of the invention, the filters in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nmay be operable to function with similar characteristics and in other embodiments of the invention, the filters in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nmay be operable to function with different characteristics. For example, the filters 310 _I, 310 _Q, which are within the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, may be configured to operate with a higher bandwidth than the filters (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 ₂. Similarly, the filters (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 ₂may be configured to operate with a higher bandwidth than the mixers (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 _n, and the mixers 310 _I, 310 _Q, which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 _g.
The ADCs in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nmay comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to convert the analog signals from the corresponding signals that are output from the filters in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _n. For example, each of the ADC 312 _I, 312 _Qin the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁may be operable to convert the analog signals 311 _I, 311 _Qto the corresponding digital signals 313 _I, 313 _Q. The ADCs may be preceded by a frequency conversion step and filtering to shift a higher frequency band to a lower frequency or baseband, where it is easier to design wideband data converters.
In some embodiments of the invention, the ADCs in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nmay be operable to function with similar characteristics and in other embodiments of the invention, the ADCs in each of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nmay be operable to function with different characteristics. For example, the ADCs 312 _I, 312 _Q, which are within the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, may be configured to operate with a higher bandwidth than the ADCs (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 ₂. Similarly, the ADCs (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 ₂may be configured to operate with a higher bandwidth than the ADCs (not shown), which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 _n, and the ADC 310 _I, 310 _Q, which may be within the I/Q RF receive processing chain 306 _n.
In operation, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box (STB) 114 may instruct the terrestrial television receiver 210 to capture a specified number of terrestrial television channels. In this regard, the baseband processor 214 may be operable to configure the multiplexer that feeds the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nto select and enable a corresponding number of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _n, which are to be utilized to handle reception and demodulation of the specified number of terrestrial television channels. In some embodiments of the invention, only those I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nwhich are selected by the processor are powered and any remaining ones of the I/Q RF receive processing chains 306 ₁, 306 ₂, . . . , 306 _nthat are not selected are powered down.
U.S. application Ser. No. 13/356,265, which was filed on Jan. 23, 2012 disclosures operation of an exemplary full spectrum receiver and is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for utilizing a terrestrial receiver integrated in a satellite dish to receive captured terrestrial television channels by an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown exemplary steps 402 through 408. In step 402, an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to receive satellite television signals via a satellite dish. In step 404, the satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to receive processed terrestrial television signals from a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish. In step 406, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to process the received satellite television signals and the received processed terrestrial television signals by an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box. In step 408, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may output corresponding content for the process received satellite television signals or corresponding content for the received processed terrestrial television signals to a television or monitor
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for utilizing a terrestrial receiver integrated in a satellite dish to capture terrestrial television channels by an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box and output corresponding terrestrial television content or corresponding satellite television content based on which channel quality may be better, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, there are shown exemplary step 502 through 512. In step 502, an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to receive satellite television signals via a satellite dish. In step 504, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to configure a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish to capture a particular frequency spectrum in the terrestrial television band. The particular frequency spectrum or band may comprise one or more terrestrial television channels. In some instances, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may configure the terrestrial television receiver to capture all available terrestrial television channels within the 0-950 MHz range. Depending on the geographical location, the terrestrial television channels may be located in contiguous or non-contiguous frequency blocks within the 0-950 MHz range. Notwithstanding, the terrestrial television receiver may be operable to capture the terrestrial television channels in contiguous and/or non-contiguous frequency blocks within the 0-950 MHz range. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, a location of the terrestrial television receiver may be utilized as an aid to determine the frequency spectrum that should be captured by the terrestrial television receiver.
In step 506, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to capture the particular frequency spectrum, channelize the captured particular frequency spectrum and communicate the resulting channelized terrestrial television signal to the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box. In step 508, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to receive and process the received satellite television signals and the received resulting channelized terrestrial television signal. In step 510, based on the processing, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to determine which of a particular one of a selected satellite television channel and a corresponding terrestrial television channel has better channel quality. In step 512, based on the determination, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may output corresponding content for the processed received satellite television signals or corresponding content for the received processed terrestrial television signals, which has the better channel quality, to a television or monitor.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for processing satellite television signals and terrestrial television signals received from a satellite dish that comprises an integrated terrestrial television receiver, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 6, there are shown exemplary step 602 through 614. In step 602, an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to receive satellite television signals via a satellite dish. In step 604, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to configure a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish to capture a particular frequency spectrum in the terrestrial television band.
In step 606, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to capture the particular frequency spectrum and channelize the captured particular frequency spectrum. In step 608, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to convert the resulting channelized terrestrial television signals to packets, such as IP packets, comprising terrestrial television content, and communicate the packets comprising the terrestrial television content to the integrated satellite and terrestrial television set-top box.
In step 610, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to receive and process the packets comprising the terrestrial television content and the received satellite signals. In step 612, based on the processing, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to determine which of a particular one of a selected satellite television channel and a corresponding terrestrial television channel has better channel quality. In step 614, based on the determination, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may output corresponding content for the processed received satellite television signals or corresponding content for the received processed packets comprising terrestrial television content, which has the better channel quality, to a television or monitor.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for processing satellite television signals and terrestrial television signals received from a satellite dish that comprises an integrated terrestrial television receiver, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 7, there are shown exemplary step 702 through 714. In step 702, an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to receive satellite television signals via a satellite dish. In step 704, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to configure a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish to capture a particular frequency spectrum in the terrestrial television band.
In step 706, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to capture the particular frequency spectrum and channelize the captured particular frequency spectrum. In step 708, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to convert the resulting channelized terrestrial television signals to IF terrestrial television signals, and communicate the IF terrestrial television signals to the integrated satellite and terrestrial television set-top box.
In step 710, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to receive and process the IF terrestrial television signals and the received satellite signals. The received satellite signals may comprise IF satellite signals. In step 712, based on the processing, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to determine which of a particular one of a selected satellite television channel and a corresponding terrestrial television channel has better channel quality. In step 714, based on the determination, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may output corresponding content for the processed received satellite television signals or corresponding content for the received processed IF terrestrial television signals, which has the better channel quality, to a television or monitor.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for processing satellite television signals and terrestrial television signals received from a satellite dish that comprises an integrated terrestrial television receiver, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 8, there are shown exemplary step 802 through 814. In step 802, an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to receive satellite television signals via a satellite dish and communicate the received satellite signals to a terrestrial TV receiver integrated within the satellite dish. In step 804, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to configure a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish to capture a particular frequency spectrum in the terrestrial television band.
In step 806, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to capture the particular frequency spectrum and channelize the captured particular frequency spectrum. In step 808, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to convert the resulting channelized terrestrial television signals to terrestrial television packets, such as IP packets, convert the received satellite television signals to satellite television packets, such as IP packets, and communicate the terrestrial television packets and the satellite television packets to the integrated satellite and terrestrial television set-top box.
In step 810, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to receive and process the terrestrial television packets and satellite television packets. In step 812, based on the processing, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to determine which of a particular one of a selected satellite television channel and a corresponding terrestrial television channel has better channel quality. In step 814, based on the determination, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may output corresponding content for the processed received terrestrial television packets or corresponding content for the processed satellite television packets, which has the better channel quality, to a television or monitor.
FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating exemplary steps for processing satellite television signals and terrestrial television signals received from a satellite dish that comprises an integrated terrestrial television receiver, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 9, there are shown exemplary step 902 through 914. In step 902, an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to receive satellite television signals via a satellite dish and communicate the received satellite signals to a terrestrial TV receiver integrated within the satellite dish. In step 904, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to configure a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish to capture a particular frequency spectrum in the terrestrial television band.
In step 906, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to capture the particular frequency spectrum and channelize the captured particular frequency spectrum. In step 908, the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish may be operable to convert the resulting channelized terrestrial television signals to IF terrestrial television packets, convert the received satellite television signals to IF satellite television signals, and communicate the IF terrestrial television signals and the IF satellite television signals to the integrated satellite and terrestrial television set-top box. The IF terrestrial television packets may comprise a first IF frequency and the IF satellite television packets may comprise a second IF frequency that is different from the first IF frequency.
In step 910, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to receive and process the IF terrestrial television signals and IF satellite television signals. In step 912, based on the processing, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to determine which of a particular one of a selected satellite television channel and a corresponding terrestrial television channel has better channel quality. In step 914, based on the determination, the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may output corresponding content for the processed IF terrestrial television signals or corresponding content for the IF satellite television signals, which has the better channel quality, to a television or monitor.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the terrestrial television receiver 110 may comprise integrated phased array antennas that are operable to receive terrestrial television signals or satellite television signals. The antennas in the phased array may be automatically and/or dynamically configured to optimize reception of terrestrial television signals and/or satellite television channels such as free satellite television channels. For example, during the initial setup, the phased array antenna may be configured to optimize reception of the free terrestrial television channels and/or satellite television signals. Subsequently, when a viewer desires to receive the free satellite television channels or terrestrial television signals, the integrated phased array antennas may be utilized to receive these corresponding signals for the free satellite television channels or terrestrial television signals without the need to communicatively couple the TV to a physical antenna or dish.
In another embodiment of the invention, the television or monitor 116 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code that may be operable to display content for the satellite television channel or the terrestrial television channel to which the integrated satellite and terrestrial television set-top box (STB) 114 has been tuned. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a television such as the television 116 may comprise integrated phased array antennas that are operable to receive terrestrial television signals and/or satellite television signals. The antenna elements in the phased array antenna may be automatically and/or dynamically configured to optimize reception of satellite television channels and/or terrestrial television signals. For example, during initial setup, the phased array antenna may be configured to optimize reception of the free satellite television channels and/or terrestrial television signals. When a viewer of the television 116 tunes to the free satellite television channels or terrestrial television signals, the integrated phased array antennas may be utilized to receive these corresponding signals for the free satellite television channels or terrestrial television signals. This eliminates a need to communicatively couple the television 116 to a physical antenna or dish.
Various embodiments of the invention provide a communication system that comprises a satellite television system at a premises. The satellite television system comprises a satellite dish, a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish, and an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box. The satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to receive satellite television signals via the satellite dish and receive processed terrestrial television signals from the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish. The satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to generate output satellite television channel content from the received satellite television signals and output terrestrial television channel content from the processed terrestrial television signals. The terrestrial television receiver may comprise a plurality of integrated demodulators and the terrestrial television receiver is operable to capture, utilizing a plurality of integrated demodulators, a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels. The terrestrial television receiver is also operable to utilize the plurality of integrated demodulators to generate the processed terrestrial television signals from the captured corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels. The terrestrial television receiver is operable to diversity combine the captured plurality of terrestrial television channels and communicate the resulting diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels to the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box within the premise.
The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to handle the generation of the output satellite television channel content from the received satellite television signals and also the generation of the output terrestrial television channel content from the processed terrestrial television signals. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to generate the output terrestrial television channel content from the diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to control operation of the terrestrial television receiver by utilizing one or more communication protocols that are utilized by the integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box to communicate with the satellite dish. The one or more communication protocols comprise, for example, digital satellite equipment control (DiSeqC) protocol and frequency shift keying. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to utilize the one or more communication protocols to control which of the corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels to capture and combine the captured plurality of terrestrial television channels utilizing sub-band-wise combining.
The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may also be operable to generate the output satellite television channel content from the received satellite television signals for a particular satellite channel and additionally generate corresponding output terrestrial television channel content from the processed terrestrial television signals for a corresponding terrestrial television channel that corresponds to the particular satellite channel. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may also be operable to determine which one of the particular satellite channel and the corresponding terrestrial television channel has greater channel quality. The integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may be operable to select the generated output satellite television channel content for output to a display device if the determination results in the channel quality for the particular satellite channel being greater than the channel quality for the corresponding terrestrial television channel. The satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box may also be operable to select the generated corresponding output terrestrial television channel content for output to the display device if the determination results in the channel quality for the corresponding terrestrial television channel being greater than channel quality for the particular satellite channel.
As utilized herein the terms “circuits” and “circuitry” refer to physical electronic components (i.e. hardware) and any software and/or firmware (“code”) which may configure the hardware, be executed by the hardware, and or otherwise be associated with the hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory may comprise a first “circuit” when executing a first one or more lines of code and may comprise a second “circuit” when executing a second one or more lines of code. As utilized herein, “and/or” means any one or more of the items in the list joined by “and/or”. As an example, “x and/or y” means any element of the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. As another example, “x, y, and/or z” means any element of the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. As utilized herein, the term “exemplary” means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As utilized herein, the terms “e.g.,” and “for example” set off lists of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. As utilized herein, circuitry is “operable” to perform a function whenever the circuitry comprises the necessary hardware and code (if any is necessary) to perform the function, regardless of whether performance of the function is disabled, or not enabled, by some user-configurable setting.
Other embodiments of the invention may provide a computer readable device and/or a non-transitory computer readable medium, and/or a machine readable device and/or a non-transitory machine readable medium, having stored thereon, a machine code and/or a computer program having at least one code section executable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby causing the machine and/or computer to perform the steps as described herein for full spectrum capture for terrestrial applications
Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware and software may be a general-purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein.
The present invention may also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the present context means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion to another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.
While the present invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for communication, the method comprising:

in a satellite television system at a premises:

receiving satellite television signals via a satellite dish at said premises;

receiving processed terrestrial television signals from a terrestrial television receiver integrated within said satellite dish; and

generating output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals and output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

capturing, by said terrestrial television receiver utilizing a plurality of integrated demodulators, a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels; and

generating, by said terrestrial television receiver, said processed terrestrial television signals from said captured corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising:

diversity combining, by said terrestrial television receiver, said captured plurality of terrestrial television channels.

communicating, by said terrestrial television receiver, said diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels to an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box within said premise, wherein:

said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to handle said generation of said output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals and said generation of said output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals; and

said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to generate said output terrestrial television channel content from said diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising controlling operation of said terrestrial television receiver by said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box utilizing one or more communication protocols that are utilized by said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box to communicate with said satellite dish.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said one or more communication protocols comprise digital satellite equipment control (DiSeqC) protocol and frequency shift keying.

6. The method according to claim 4, comprising utilizing said one or more communication protocols to control which of said corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels to capture.

7. The method according to claim 2, comprising combining, by said terrestrial television receiver, said captured plurality of terrestrial television channels utilizing sub-band-wise combining.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

generating said output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals for a particular satellite channel; and

generating corresponding output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals for a corresponding terrestrial television channel that corresponds to said particular satellite channel.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising determining which one of said particular satellite channel and said corresponding terrestrial television channel comprises greater channel quality.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising:

selecting said generated said output satellite television channel content for output to a display device if said determination results in said channel quality for said particular satellite channel being greater than said channel quality for said corresponding terrestrial television channel; and

selecting said generated corresponding output terrestrial television channel content for output to said display device if said determination results in said channel quality for said corresponding terrestrial television channel being greater than channel quality for said particular satellite channel.

11. A system for communication, the system comprising:

a satellite television system at a premises, said satellite television system comprising a satellite dish, a terrestrial television receiver integrated within said satellite dish, and an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box, said satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box being operable to:

receive satellite television signals via said satellite dish;

receive processed terrestrial television signals from said terrestrial television receiver integrated within said satellite dish; and

generate output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals and output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said terrestrial television receiver comprises a plurality of integrated demodulators, said terrestrial television receiver being operable to:

capture, utilizing said plurality of integrated demodulators, a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels; and

generate, utilizing said plurality of integrated demodulators, said processed terrestrial television signals from said captured corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said terrestrial television receiver is operable to:

diversity combine said captured plurality of terrestrial television channels; and

communicate said diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels to said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box within said premises, wherein:

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to control operation of said terrestrial television receiver by utilizing one or more communication protocols that are utilized by said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box to communicate with said satellite dish.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more communication protocols comprise digital satellite equipment control (DiSeqC) protocol and frequency shift keying.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to utilize said one or more communication protocols to control which of said corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels to capture.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein said terrestrial television receiver is operable to combine said captured plurality of terrestrial television channels utilizing sub-band-wise combining.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to:

generate said output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals for a particular satellite channel; and

generate corresponding output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals for a corresponding terrestrial television channel that corresponds to said particular satellite channel.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to determine which one of said particular satellite channel and said corresponding terrestrial television channel comprises greater channel quality.

20. The system according to claim 9, wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to:

select said generated said output satellite television channel content for output to a display device if said determination results in said channel quality for said particular satellite channel being greater than said channel quality for said corresponding terrestrial television channel; and

select said generated corresponding output terrestrial television channel content for output to said display device if said determination results in said channel quality for said corresponding terrestrial television channel being greater than channel quality for said particular satellite channel.