694results about "Satellite broadcast receiving" patented technology

An airborne cell phone in-flight entertainment (IFE) system uses a cell phone for calls and IFE requests by dialing appropriate numbers. A pico cell receives the calls and the IFE requests. A soft switch switches the calls and IFE requests according to the telephone number. A transceiver receives the calls from the soft switch and sends them to a ground station that directs them to a telephone system. A media server receives IFE requests and provides IFE to the cell phone. A direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver on the aircraft receives DBS signals. A transcoder converts the received DBS signals from one compressed video format to another. A broad-to-connection protocol conversion process receives converted format DBS signals and converts them to video content blocks, stores the video content blocks to a continuously updated buffer and presents them to the media server and then to the cell phone.

In conventionally receiving satellite broadcasting (BS, CS) and terrestrial broadcasting (VHF, UHF) services, transmitting the services to a plurality of TV receivers in an individual house results in complicated wiring and a community house is also limited in the number of installed TV receivers due to previously setting a distributor and thus requires an additional distributor to be installed when a TV receiver is additionally installed. The milliwave receiving and transmitting system of the present invention allows a broadcast signal to be transmitted and received indoors via indoor, wireless milliwave transmission without using any indoor wiring.

In a satellite receiving system, program channels are selected from one or more broadband signals and combined with other selected channels and transmitted from a first unit, for example an outdoor unit, to a second unit, for example a gateway, server, or set-top box, using a single cable. Channels can be selected by digitizing the broadband signal then digitally filtering to isolate the desired channels. The outputs of several LNBs can be selected and combined into one signal. Multiple set-top boxes can receive independent signals over a single cable from the outdoor unit.

A satellite communication system including an interface device for distributing satellite signals received from an outdoor unit (ODU) to a plurality of indoor units (IDUs) connected to a local area network (LAN), at a particular site. Only two cables, a power cable and a cable connected to the LAN, must be installed between the interface device and the site containing the IDUs. Accordingly, the installation of IDUs at a site is simplified and has the flexibility of allowing future satellite based services to be added without requiring the installation of new cables between the ODU and the IDUs. The satellite communication system also permit flexibility among connected devices, including to which other devices they are connected, how they are connected to other devices and what types of connections are used.

A digital residential entertainment system is disclosed recording video data of an event. The apparatuses include a processor communicating with memory. The memory stores video data of the event captured by a camera, and the video data includes a series of picture frames of the event. A loop buffer also stores video data of the event captured by the camera. A rule-based engine stored in the memory uses a set of rules to store the contents of the loop buffer in the memory. The apparatus utilizes the loop buffer to provide video data prior to occurrence of the event.

A TV broadcasting system comprises: an outward broadcast link to reach each of a plurality of user receiver installations via satellite or via a terrestrial channel, and a return link from each of said plurality of users, said return channel being a terrestrial channel via a wide area network, typically a WAN, of which WAN said user receiver installations form a node. The WAN may also support an uplink. A satellite or terrestrial receiver installation is modified with an extra terrestrial antenna for the WAN and a splitter combiner allows the already installed cable link to the TV receiver to be retained. A residential gateway allows a household LAN and communication enabled devices to be supported via the TV/WAN infrastructure.

A method and apparatus are provided for generating a personalized radio channel playlist by time division multiplexing songs from multiple received channels from one or more broadcast source streams in a queue. Users can specify favorite channels for building their personal playlists, or multiple default playlist channels can be provided by genre. Navigation tools permit users to see upcoming songs in their playlist queue and skip ahead and backward. Thumbs up/down buttons on the radio receiver permit entering a song or artist being played back into a favorites list that is used to search all channels for matches or a banned list used to block songs from future playlists. If matches are found, the channel carrying the favorite is extracted and added to the playlist. Channel searching for matches involves monitoring real-time song and artist labels for all channels carried in a separate data channel (e.g., Broadcast Information Channel (BIC)). Segments on the playlist are dynamically truncated to reduce the average time each segment is played to facilitate preview of playlist segments. Preview times can vary depending on the size of the playlist or number of channels used. During a preview of a segment, users can opt to listen to the full song or back up in the playlist to listen to a previous song. Connectivity options and web interfaces are provided to facilitate transfer and sharing of customization parameters for personalized radio configuration.

A Multi-carrier Switch Converter (“MCSC”) for multiplexing a plurality of input signals received at the MCSC into a single MCSC output signal is disclosed. The MCSC may include a Multi-port Selector Switch, wherein the Multi-port Selector Switch receives the plurality of input signals and produces a Multi-port Selector Switch output, wherein the Multi-port Selector Switch output includes a plurality of switched output signals and a frequency translation block in signal communication with the Multi-port Selector Switch, wherein the frequency translation block receives the Multi-port Selector Switch output and frequency translates each switched output signal of the plurality of switched output signals to plurality of translated signals, wherein each translated signal has a fixed carrier frequency. Additionally, the MCSC may include a combiner in signal communication with frequency translation block, wherein the combiner receives the plurality of frequency translated signals and combines them to produce the single MCSC signal.

Infrastructure for interactive broadcasting is provided using a wide area network for bi-directional transmission between a plurality of user nodes and a central source node, at least some of the user nodes comprising rooftop video broadcast receiving installations modified with a terrestrial bi-directional antenna and network transmission support electronics.

Satellite downstream porting interface API. A novel solution is presented to support various integrated and non-integrated functional blocks within the front-end of a satellite receiver STB (Set Top Box) system. Embedded software, running on an integrated microprocessor within a single chip STB device, is implemented to govern various devices within the satellite STB system. The embedded software may control operational parameters of an external LNB (Low Noise Block) on a satellite dish employed by a user; this may include controlling the polarization of the LNB as well as the associated voltages levels employed by the LNB. The embedded software may also direct the tuning frequency and cut-off frequency of 1 or more SDSs (integrated downstream satellite receivers) receiving output from the satellite dish. The embedded software may also direct many of the various operational parameters of 1 or more SDSs including modulation, code rate, and/or symbol rate of received signals.

Systems and methods for combining a satellite broadcast system with a wireless system are described. The system comprises a satellite receive antenna and a wireless system device coupled thereto, the wireless system device comprising a wireless network antenna, a wireless radio system coupled to the antenna, a networking bridge coupled to the radio system, and a coaxial networking bridge for coupling a satellite signal on the satellite broadcast system with a wireless signal on the wireless network, wherein the coaxial network bridge enables a device to receive the satellite signal and the wireless signal.

A portable satellite receiver includes a tuner, an antenna, and an amplifier. The portable satellite receiver has a protective housing enclosing the tuner, antenna, and amplifier. The portable satellite receiver is configured to interface with an accessory device through a communication link such that the accessory device receives audio signals from the portable satellite receiver over the communication link.

A head end installation for multi-channel video feed broadcasting to a plurality of user TV receiver installations, comprises: a transmitter for transmitting said multi-channel video feed to said user installations, and a router for receiving a return link from a core IP network and regional terrestrial networks, said user TV receiver installations forming nodes of said terrestrial networks, said return link allowing user interactions to be received by said installation and thereby supported.

A system and method for time-shifting a live broadcast, and facilitating the purchase of live or time-shifted broadcast content. The device records broadcast content being listened to by user, which gives the user the option to replay content. The device and method also provides a preview service that allows the user to experience fresh media content on a regular basis, even where a live signal is not available. The broadcast source broadcasts new content on a regular basis to avoid providing users with stale content. The user identifies content using the device and data is stored that corresponds to the identified content. The broadcast source or a third-party content provider uses the corresponding data to provide the identified content to the user. In addition to audio content, the device also provides and facilitates the acquisition of video, graphics, text or any other media content.

An electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises a main unit which stops operation when receiving an apparatus control signal S1 specifying a standby state while in a normal state, and then outputs an operating state signal S2 indicating that the main unit is in the standby state; and begins operation when receiving an apparatus control signal S1 for selecting the normal state while in the standby state, and then outputs an operating state signal S2 indicating that the main unit is in the normal state; and a sub-unit which stops operation when, while operating, receiving an IC card detection signal S3 indicating that the reading of an IC card 4 is possible and also receiving the operating state signal S2 indicating that the main unit is in the standby state from the main unit, and brings part of its functional blocks into operation when, while not operating, receiving the operating state signal S2 indicating that the main unit is in the normal state from the main unit.

An apparatus, program product and method for recalling a previous program channel of interest from a current program channel, where the channel of interest is determined by the amount of time a user has previously spent on the channel. The amount of elapsed time a user spends on a program channel is monitored. If the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the program channel is identified as a channel of interest. As the user switches from the channel of interest to subsequent broadcast channels (i.e., “surfs”), the channel of interest is retained in memory as long as the amount of time spent on any subsequent channel is less than the predetermined time threshold. If the amount of time spent on a subsequent channel is greater than the predetermined time threshold, the subsequent channel is identified and stored as the new channel of interest. At any time, the user may select a selective view function to return to the channel of interest from the currently selected channel.

One receiver is configured in the main state and the other receivers are configured in the secondary state. The receivers are communicatively coupled to each other via a local communications link and the main receiver determines the co-location state of the secondary states, and transmits authorization information to the secondary receivers in response to the determination. The secondary receivers are enabled to process program signals and provide output signals in response to the authorization information.