US 20110059690A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2011/0059690 A1 Petruzzelli 43) Pub. Date: Mar. 10,9 2011 (54) METHOD AND DEVICE FOR BAND continuation of application No. 1 1/140,330, filed on TRANSLATION May 27, 2005, now Pat. No. 7,502,587. (75) Inventor: Edmund F. Petruzzelli. Centennial (60) Provisional application No. 60/575,579, filed on May CO (US) s s 28, 2004. (73) Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C. Publication Classification Englewood, CO (US) (51) Int. Cl. H04H 2/74 (2008.01) (21) Appl. No.: 12/876,463 (52) U.S. Cl. ....................................................... 45S/3.02 (22) Filed: Sep. 7, 2010 (57) ABSTRACT A band translation method and device for selecting two or Related U.S. Application Data more desired frequency bands of data and bandstacking the (63) Continuation of application No. 1 1/256,472, filed on two or more desired frequency bands of data into a single Oct. 20, 2005, now Pat. No. 7,792.486, which is a output. UPLINKCENTER - 5 CALLCOLLECTOR TELEVISION / TELEVISION CONVERTER/ISTEREO46. AMP DEVICE - 8 VCR / Patent Application Publication Mar. 10, 2011 Sheet 1 of 7 US 2011/0059690 A1 N 11 ------------------------------------------------------------------a sa- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ UPLINKCENTER 13 15 5 CALL COLLECTOR 14 16 TELEVISION 7 TELEVISIONCONVERTER/6 STEREO AMP / 14 DEVICE Patent Application Publication Mar. 10, 2011 Sheet 3 of 7 US 2011/0059690 A1 CN O S. cy 3 S Patent Application Publication Mar. 10, 2011 Sheet 4 of 7 US 2011/0059690 A1 SOURCE SELECTION BANDTRANSLATION SWITCH SWITCH DEVICE DEVICE DEVICE DEVICE DEVICE DEVICE 414 416 418 r420 422 N424 FIG.4 Patent Application Publication Patent Application Publication Mar. 10, 2011 Sheet 7 of 7 US 2011/0059690 A1 W||— US 2011/0059690 A1 Mar. 10, 2011 METHOD AND DEVICE FOR BAND may be any digital or analog signal. Those signals may TRANSLATON include, but are not limited to, a bit, a specified set of bits, an NC signal, or a D/C signal. Uses of the term “signal” in the CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED description may include any of these different interpretations. APPLICATION It will also be understood to one skilled in the art that the term 0001. This application is a continuation of U.S. patent “connected” is not limited to a physical connection but can application Ser. No. 1 1/256,472, entitled “Method and refer to any means of communicatively or operatively cou Device for Band Translation, filed on Oct. 20, 2005, now pling two devices. U.S. Pat. No. 7,792.486; which is a continuation of U.S. 0011. As another general matter, the disclosure uses the patent application Ser. No. 1 1/140,330, entitled “Method and terms “television converter,” “receiver.” “set-top-box,” “tele Device for Band Translation.” filed on May 27, 2005, now vision receiving device.” “television receiver,” “television U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,587; which application claims the benefit recording device.” “satellite set-top-box,” “satellite receiver.” under 35 U.S.C. S 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Applica “cable set-top-box,” “cable receiver, and “television tuner' tion No. 60/575,579, entitled “Band Translation Switch.” to refer interchangeably to a converter device or electronic filed on May 28, 2004; all of which are hereby incorporated equipment that has the capacity to acquire, process and dis by reference herein in their entireties. tribute one or more television signals transmitted by broad cast, cable, telephone or satellite distributors. DVR and “per BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS sonal video recorder (PVR) refer interchangeably to devices that can record and play back television signals and that may 0002 FIG. 1 illustrates a subscription satellite system in implement trick functions including, but not limited to, fast accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. forward, rewind and pause. As set forth in this specification 0003 FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the logical and the figures pertaining thereto, DVR and PVR functional elements of a television converter device in accordance with ity or devices may be combined with a television converter. an embodiment of the present invention. The signals transmitted by these broadcast, cable, telephone 0004 FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a multi-satellite sub or satellite distributors may include, individually or in any Scription television system in accordance with an embodi combination, internet, radio, television or telephonic data or ment of the present invention. information. One skilled in the art will recognize that a tele 0005 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a multiple-satellite vision converter device may be implemented as an external system employing single and double tuner television con self-enclosed unit, a plurality of external self-enclosed units verter devices in accordance with an embodiment of the orasan internal unithoused withinatelevision. One skilled in present invention. the art will recognize that the present invention can apply to 0006 FIG.5 is a block diagram of a multiple-satellite band analog and digital satellite set-top-boxes. translating system connected to a dual-tuner television con 0012. As yet another general matter, it will be understood verter device in accordance with an embodiment of the by one skilled in the art that the term “television” refers to a present invention. television set or video display that may contain an integrated 0007 FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a multiple-satellite band television converter device (e.g., an internal cable-ready tele translating system connected to a multiple-tuner television vision tuner housed inside a television) or, alternatively, that converter device in accordance with an embodiment of the is connected to an external television converter device (e.g., present invention. an external set-top-box connected via cabling to a television). 0008 FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a low noise block A further example of an external television converter device is converter embodiment employing the band translating sys the EchoStar Dish PVR 721, Part Number 106525, combina tem in accordance with an embodiment of the present inven tion satellite set-top-box and DVR. tion. 0013 As a general matter, it should also be understood that satellite television signals may be very different from broad DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION cast television or other types of signals. Satellite signals may 0009. In this specification, embodiments of the present include multiplexed, packetized, and modulated digital sig invention will be described using methods and systems nals. Once multiplexed, packetized and modulated, one ana related to subscriber satellite television service. This detailed log satellite transmission may carry digital data representing description is not limited to any specific embodiment several television stations or service providers. Some described herein. The present invention may also be appli examples of service providers include HBOR, CSPANR), cable to cable television systems, broadcast television sys ABCR, CBS(R), or ESPNR) tems or other television systems. The present invention is also 0014 Finally, the term “channel.” as used in this descrip described in terms of digital video recorder (DVR) devices. tion, carries a different meaning from its normal connotation. The present invention may also be applicable to digital-ver The term “channel’ is used herein to denote a particular satile-disc (DVD) recording devices or other television carrier frequency or “sub-band' which can be tuned to by an recording devices. One skilled in the art will recognize that appropriate tuner. In particular, note that “channel' does not embodiments of the present invention can apply elsewhere. refer to a single program/content service (e.g., CNNR, While the invention has been particularly shown and HBOR, CSPANR). Similarly, “tuning herein refers to described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be receiving a channel (as previously defined) having multiple understood by those skilled in the art that various other services thereon. A single satellite will typically have mul changes in the form and details may be made therein without tiple transponders (e.g., 32 transponders) each one broadcast departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. ing a channel or band of approximately 24 to 27 MHz (0.024 0010. As a general matter, the disclosure uses the term 0.027 GHz) in a broader frequency “band' of approximately “signal.” One skilled in the art will recognize that the signal 500 MHz. Thus a band of 0.5 GHZ, may contain numerous US 2011/0059690 A1 Mar. 10, 2011 sub-bands or channels of roughly 24-27 MHz and each chan devices. Television converter device 4 may also interact with nel in turn may carry a combined stream of digital data com a call collector 15 via a modem, for example to report pay prising a number of content services. per-view purchases, and may also interact with remote con 0015 FIG. 1 illustrates a subscription satellite system in trol 9 via UHF or IR signals 19. As explained below, televi accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The sion converter device 4 may perform other functions and be uplink center 1 of this embodiment transmits a combined connected to fewer or more devices. One skilled in the art will stream of audio/video/data (herein more simply termed the recognize that many embodiments of television converter “video stream”) on the uplink channel 10 to satellite 2. It device 4 are possible and within the scope of this invention. should be noted that video streams for a plurality of services 0020 FIG. 2 provides a high level block diagram for the (e.g., CNNR), HBOR, CSPANR) may be multiplexed onto a satellite television converter device 4, 200 with DVR func single uplink channel 10.