Patent Application
20130042281
All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.
1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to antenna and transceivers, and more particularly, to antennas and transceivers connected to a local area network either by a wireless (radio) link or by a signal-over-power-line networking for reception and viewing of Over-the-Air (OTA) television broadcasts.
2. Background
Television viewing habits are undergoing enormous changes due to the increase of rich internet video content and increasing network bandwidths, digital video recording (DVR) and time-shifting devices, economic instabilities and the transition from analog to digital broadcasting. Users are finding greater video offerings from online video distributors (OVDs) or “over-the-top” (OTT) services delivered by network connections such as the internet. The exceptional high definition digital quality of over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts provides users with traditional network and local TV programming.
OTT streaming has been around for a while, but its popularity has exploded in recent years due to increased wireless network bandwidths sufficient enough to stream high quality content to any number of digital devices, ranging from smartphones, tablets, netbooks, laptops and more recently, televisions. Smart TVs, or internet connected televisions, are available and offer the capability to stream OTT content. However, although OTT streaming is gaining popularity, viewers also desire access to over-the-air broadcasting to obtain free local and network programming that is not available online.
As used herein, Over-the-Air (OTA) refers to the terrestrial broadcasts of TV stations in a local area. These local channels, which are also usually available on cable or satellite, provide local news, sports and major network shows. Most of these are the network affiliates of the large national networks, but may also include smaller independent stations.
Local TV stations have always broadcast their programs over the air for free. Prior to 2009, almost all of the TV stations broadcast analog (NTSC) TV signals. Analog TV has been around and essentially unchanged (with the exception of the modification to NTSC to allow color broadcasting) since the 1940's. Prior to the widespread availability of community and cable TV, everyone had to have an individual antenna to watch TV. Whether it was the old indoor ‘rabbit ears’ or a large rotatable outdoor antenna mounted on the roof, watching TV usually required adjusting the antenna for each channel in order to get good reception. The quality of reception varied greatly. Snowy, fuzzy pictures were often the norm. Multipath signals caused ‘ghosting’ where multiple versions of the picture were seen.
In 2009, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) mandated that all U.S. broadcast stations change over to digital (ATSC) TV broadcasts, and other countries are expected to make the transition from analog to digital networks as well. ATSC allows for high definition television (HDTV) broadcasts which offers much higher resolution TV images as compared to the old analog TV system. High resolution, clear pictures and high quality stereo audio make HDTV a significant improvement over the old analog TV signals.
In addition to higher quality images and sound, digital broadcasting also offers significant improvements in OTA reception. With digital broadcasts, signal quality is essentially independent of signal strength once a minimum signal strength threshold has been crossed. All that is needed is a digital-ready TV (a television with a digital-compatible tuner such as ATSC) and an OTA antenna.
Conventionally, to receive OTA broadcast signals, an antenna is connected directly to the television. To receive digital OTA broadcasts, the television must also include a digital tuner. The specific digital tuner technology varies in different parts of the world, with ATSC digital tuners being utilized in North America. DVB/T digital tuners in Europe, parts of Asia, and Australia, ISDB-T digital tuners being utilized in South America, and DMB-T/H digital tuners being utilized in most of Asia.
In another development, systems exist that permit users to place digital OTA content onto their wired local area networks.
Unfortunately, such systems lack wireless communication capabilities and depend instead upon the physical connectivity of the LAN, thereby suffering from all of the problems or disadvantages traditionally associated with wired networks. Although a wireless router may be connected to the LAN, and wireless links used to connect such router to other devices, the over-the-air antenna must still be physically connected to the wireless router via a wired connection from the networked tuner. Furthermore, such systems lack the ability to wirelessly connect an OTA antenna more directly to a traditional television. Thus, a need exists for new solutions providing high quality OTA content delivered to various types of remotely-located display devices without relying upon a wired LAN and the like for the distribution of the content.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to one aspect is a system for the distribution of over-the-air (OTA) television content to a remotely-located set-top box receiver for display on a television receiver, including: an OTA antenna; a wireless antenna transceiver connected to the OTA antenna for receipt of OTA television signals via the OTA antenna, the wireless antenna transceiver including a first wireless access point for transmission of television content signals, derived from the OTA television signals, via wireless link a set-top box receiver having a second wireless access point for reception of television content signals via wireless link; and a television receiver connected to the set-top box receiver and adapted to receive video data therefrom based on the television signals received by the set-top box receiver via wireless link.
In a feature of this aspect, the wireless link over which the first wireless access point transmits television content signals is the same wireless link with which the second wireless access point receives television content signals.
In another feature of this aspect, the system further includes a wireless router, wherein the wireless link over which the first wireless access point transmits television content signals is a first wireless link, wherein the wireless router receives the television content signals transmitted by the first the wireless access point via the first wireless link, and wherein the second wireless access point receives television content signals via a second wireless link established between the second wireless access point and the wireless router.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna transceiver further includes a tuner, adapted to tune analog or digital TV broadcast signals received, over-the-air via the OTA antenna, and a control system, adapted to process a compressed video signal output from the tuner and to prepare it for transmission by the first wireless access point. In further features, the processing of the compressed video signal output by the control system includes further compression thereof; and/or the processing of the compressed video signal output by the control system includes packetizing thereof.
In another feature of this aspect, the first wireless access point transmits the television content signals using a wireless communications protocol such as an 802.xx protocol connection.
In another feature of this aspect, the second wireless access point receives the television content signals using an 802.xx protocol communications link.
In another feature of this aspect, the set-top box receiver further includes a transmitter, adapted to provide the video data to the television receiver, and a control system, adapted to uncompress the television content signals received by the second wireless access point.
In another feature of this aspect, the television receiver is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located in the same room.
In another feature of this aspect, the set-top box receiver is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located in the same room.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna transceiver is located adjacent the OTA antenna.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is a system for the distribution of over-the-air (OTA) television content to a remotely-located display device, including: an OTA antenna; a wireless antenna transceiver connected to the OTA antenna for receipt of OTA television signals via the OTA antenna, the wireless antenna transceiver including a first wireless access point for transmission of television content signals, derived from the OTA television signals, via a first wireless link; a wireless router for receipt of the television content signals from the wireless access point via the first wireless link and for retransmission of the television content signals via a second wireless link; and a display device adapted to receive the television content signals via, the second wireless link.
In a feature of this aspect, the display device is adapted to receive the video data from the wireless antenna receiver in a compressed format and to convert the video data to an uncompressed format for display.
In another feature of this aspect, the display device is a personal computer, a tablet computer, or a smartphone.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless router is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located in the same room.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna transceiver is located adjacent the OTA antenna.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is a system for the distribution of over-the-air (OTA) television content to a remotely-located over-the-top set-top box for display on a television receiver, including: an OTA antenna; a wireless antenna transceiver connected to the OTA antenna for receipt of OTA television signals via the OTA antenna, the wireless antenna transceiver including a first wireless access point for transmission of television content signals, derived from the OTA television signals, via wireless link: an over-the-top set-top box having a second wireless access point for receipt of television content signals via wireless link; and a television receiver connected to the over-the-top set-top box and adapted to receive video data therefrom based on the television signals received by the over-the-top set-top box via wireless link.
In a feature of this aspect, the wireless link over which the first wireless access point transmits television content signals is the same wireless link with which the second wireless access point receives television content signals.
In another feature of this aspect, the system further includes a wireless router, wherein the wireless link over which the first wireless access point transmits television content signals is a first wireless link, wherein the wireless router receives the television content signals transmitted by the first the wireless access point via the first wireless link, and wherein the second wireless access point receives television content signals via a second wireless link established between the second wireless access point and the wireless router.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna transceiver further includes a tuner, adapted to tune analog, or digital TV broadcast signals received over-the-air via the OTA antenna, and a control system, adapted to process a compressed video signal output from the tuner and to prepare it for transmission by the first wireless access point. In further features, the processing of the compressed video signal output by the control system includes further compression thereof; and/or the processing of the compressed video signal output by the control system includes packetizing thereof.
In another feature of this aspect, the first wireless access point transmits the television content signals using an 802.xx protocol.
In another feature of this aspect, the second wireless access point receives the television content signals using an 802.xx protocol.
In another feature of this aspect, the over-the-top set-top box is adapted to provide the television content signals, received by the second wireless access point, as a content channel that is selectable by a user of the over-the-top set-top box, and to provide the video data to the television receiver when the content channel is selected.
In another feature of this aspect, the television receiver is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located in the room.
In another feature of this aspect, the over-the-top set-top box is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located in the room.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna, transceiver is located adjacent the OTA antenna.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is a system for the distribution of over-the-air (OTA) television content to a remotely-located set-top box receiver for display on a television receiver, including: an OTA antenna; a wireless antenna transceiver connected to the OTA antenna for receipt of OTA television signals via the OTA antenna, the wireless antenna transceiver including a first power-line networking device for transmission of television content signals, derived from the OTA television signals, via power-line networking; a set-top box receiver having a second power-line networking device for receipt of television content signals via power-line networking; and a television receiver connected to the set-top box receiver and adapted to receive video data therefrom based on the television signals received by the set-top box receiver via power-line networking.
In a feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna transceiver further includes a tuner, adapted to tune analog or digital TV broadcast signals received over-the-air via the OTA antenna, and a control system, adapted to process a compressed video signal output from the tuner and to prepare it for transmission by the first power-line networking device.
In another feature of this aspect, the processing of the compressed video signal output by the control system includes further compression thereof.
In another feature of this aspect, the processing of the compressed video signal output by the control system includes packetizing thereof.
In another feature of this aspect, the set-top box receiver further includes a transmitter, adapted to provide the video data to the television receiver, and a control system, adapted to uncompress the television content signals received by the second power-line networking device.
In another feature of this aspect, the television receiver is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located in the room.
In another feature of this aspect, the set-top box receiver is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located in the room.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna transceiver is located adjacent the OTA antenna.
Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is a system for the distribution of over-the-air (OTA) television content to a remotely-located wireless antenna receiver for display on a display device, including: an OTA antenna; a wireless antenna transceiver connected to the OTA antenna for receipt of OTA television signals via the OTA antenna, the wireless antenna transceiver including a first wireless access point for transmission of television content signals, derived from the OTA television signals, via wireless link; a wireless antenna receiver having a second wireless access point for receipt of television content signals via the wireless link; and a display device connected to the wireless antenna receiver and adapted to receive video data therefrom based on the television signals received by the wireless antenna receiver via wireless link.
In a feature of this aspect, the display device is adapted to receive the video data from the wireless antenna receiver in a compressed format and to convert the video data to an uncompressed format for display.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna transceiver further includes a tuner, adapted to tune analog or digital TV broadcast signals received over-the-air via the OTA antenna, and a control system, adapted to process a compressed video signal output from the tuner and to prepare it for transmission by the first wireless access point. In further features, the processing of the compressed video signal output by the control system includes further compression thereof; and/or the processing of the compressed video signal output by the control system includes packetizing thereof.
In another feature of this aspect, the first wireless access point transmits the television content signals using an 802.xx protocol.
In another feature of this aspect, the second wireless access point receives the television content signals using an 802.xx protocol.
In another feature of this aspect, the set-top box receiver further includes a control system, adapted to receive the television content signals received by the second wireless access point and to provide them to the display device.
In another feature of this aspect, the display device is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located, in the room.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna receiver is located in a room in a building, and wherein the wireless antenna transceiver is not located in the room.
In another feature of this aspect, the wireless antenna transceiver is located adjacent the OTA antenna.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein:
FIG, 4 is a block diagram illustrating a system for the distribution of OTA television content to a remotely-located set-top box receiver for display on a television receiver in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the present invention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the invention and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fill within the scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, and is made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention be defined, by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.
Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may he shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still filling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by the appended claims rather than the description set forth herein.
Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan should prevail.
Regarding applicability of 35 U.S.C. §112, ⊂6, no claim element is intended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to apply in the interpretation of such claim element.
Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having at least one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” In contrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes “a picnic basket having only one apple.”
When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese without crackers,” “a picnic basket having crackers without cheese,” and “a picnic basket having both cheese and crackers.” Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnic basket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket having cheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well as describes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basket further has cheese.”
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like components throughout the several views, one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention are next described. The following description of one or more preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its implementations, or uses.
In accordance with one or more preferred embodiments of the present invention, a digital television antenna system includes a Wireless Antenna Transceiver (WAT) and a wireless link providing content to one or more display devices. The Wireless Antenna Transceiver tunes and receives the analog and/or digital signals from either Over-the-Air (Terrestrial) or cable sources and places the content onto the wireless local area network (WLAN) or other wireless link. The WAT includes one or more analog/digital television broadcast tuners, a control system and a Wireless Access Point (WAP). Each of these is described generally below.
The single or multiple digital television broadcast tuners provide tuning capabilities to tune to a variety of broadcast standards including analog (NTSC/PAL/SECAM) and digital (ATSC, DVB, ISDB, DOCSIS) sources from either terrestrial or cable networks. The tuner block of the WAT includes a demodulator for each of the desired signal standards, thus comprising a complete radio frequency (RF) front-end integrated digital tuner.
The control system, which in some embodiments may be implemented in a System on a Chip (SoC) format, provides all elements needed for data processing, including, a microcontroller/microprocessor core, necessary memory blocks, timing sources, peripherals and interfaces, and power management circuits.
The Wireless Access Point (WAP), which in at least some embodiments is an 802.1xx-compliant access point, provides all elements needed to place the digital video signal onto a WLAN. This can be a direct peer-to-peer (P2P) connection between the WAT and an appropriate receiver such as a television Set-Top Box Receiver (STBR), or a network connection to a wireless router, making the digital video stream available to all devices connected to the network. It is noted that many common wireless routers are conventional routers that have a fixed number of network ports for wired network connections as well as a wireless transceiver for wireless network connections.
From the Wireless Access Point of the Wireless Antenna Transceiver (WAT) 200, the video data may be routed via wireless link to a Set Top Box Receiver (STBR) 213 that is connected to a television set 230. In at least some embodiments, the STBR 213 includes a Wireless Access Point (antenna 217 and wireless radio 209), a control system 210, and an appropriate transmitter 211. The Wireless Access Point feeds video data received via wireless link from the wireless router 204 (or in some cases, directly from the WAT 200) to the control system 210, which uncompresses the video data and reassembles it, reversing the functions of the control system 202 in the WAT 200. The uncompressed video is then fed to an appropriate transmitter 211 that provides the video and audio data in any of a variety of data formats and interface types appropriate for the television set 208 to display it. One preferred format is MPEG-4, but others may likewise be utilized. Interface types may include HDMI, component audio and video, S-video, composite video, and the like.
It will be appreciated that the exact location where the video stream is uncompressed to generate an MPEG-4 or other data stream may be somewhat dependent on the system architecture, but that generally, the video preferably stays compressed until a location as close to the display device as possible.
In at least some embodiments, the STBR 213 also provides a user interface for controlling the tuner 201 in the WAT 200. Using a wireless or optical remote control device (not shown), commands to the tuner 201 are received by the control system 210 of the STBR 213 and control messages are then passed back to the WAT via the same wireless network used to receive the digital video stream. In at least some embodiments, control functions such as channel scanning and channel changes are provided that are specific to the tuner 201 in the WAT 200. In this way, control of the WAT 200 may be effectuated via the STBR 213, and the remote control device (and thus the user) would not have to access or interact with the WAT 200 directly. Thus line-of-sight or wireless communication access to the WAT 200 would not be required, and the WAT 200 may be placed in a more convenient location, such as a location selected for its proximity to the OTA television antenna 221.
The OTT STB 313 is designed to stream video via a network connection from remote servers, but with appropriate application software 315, the OTT STB 313 can handle the OTA data stream from the WAT 200 in a manner similar to that used to stream from remote servers. In essence, the WAT 200 appears and functions like a remote video server to the OTT STB 313 when the latter is running the appropriate application. The resulting content may then be provided to a television in any appropriate format, such as HDMI, component audio and video, S-video, composite video, or the like. As with the system of
From the wireless router 204, the video data can also be distributed to other devices, or multiple devices, linked to a wireless LAN, including laptops 205, desktop computers 206, handheld devices such as smartphones 207 and tablets 208, and the like. Depending on the wireless communication format and protocol used, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network connection may be made by a wireless link to directly connect the WAT 200 to a target display device such as laptops 205, desktop computers 206, handheld devices such as smartphones 207 and tablets 208, and the like.
Based on the foregoing information, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those specifically described herein, as well as many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention.
Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications or equivalent arrangements; the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.
The present application is a U.S. nonprovisional patent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/574,708, filed Aug. 9, 2011, which provisional patent application is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61574708 | Aug 2011 | US |
