Spot Beam Replacement for Satellite Local Channel Cost Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-dwelling units face high costs due to fees for retransmitting local channels via satellite, as existing systems rely on satellite spot beam signals for local programming, which can be expensive compared to receiving local channels over-the-air for free.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that replaces satellite spot beam signals with local over-the-air television signals, using a spot-beam-replacement-and-signal-distribution system to generate a replacement spot beam from locally received signals, thereby avoiding satellite retransmission of local content and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If satellite spot beam signals are used to provide local programming content, then content can be distributed to multiple locations, but high retransmission fees are charged by local channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the local programming content from the satellite spot beam signal and replaces it with locally received over-the-air signals. The system receives both the satellite orbital signal and local over-the-air signals, then generates a replacement spot beam signal that substitutes the expensive satellite retransmission of local channels with free local signals, thereby eliminating the retransmission fee while maintaining content distribution capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the spot beam signal structure but fills it with different content. Instead of using the original satellite spot beam content for local channels, the system copies the spot beam format and populates it with locally received over-the-air signals, achieving cost savings while preserving the distribution framework
2Area of stationary object
If satellite spot beam signals are used for local channels, then coverage is provided to geographical area, but retransmission fees increase operational cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the local channel content from the satellite spot beam and replaces it with locally received signals. By taking out the expensive satellite retransmission component and substituting it with free over-the-air local signals, the system maintains geographical coverage capability while eliminating the operational cost burden
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that receives both satellite orbital signals and local over-the-air signals, processes them, and generates replacement spot beam signals. This intermediary approach allows the system to maintain coverage functionality while using cost-effective local signals instead of expensive satellite retransmissions
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are directed toward locally generating a replacement spot beam signal to be combined with other orbital television signals, where the replacement spot beam signal is generated from locally received over-the-air television signals. Over-the-air television signals are received at a user's premises via an over-the-air antenna and orbital signals are received at the user's premises via a satellite antenna. The orbital signals include a spot beam signal and other orbital signals. The spot beam signal is specifically generated for the geographical area associated with the over-the-air television signals. One or more available local channels are extracted from the over-the-air television signals and are converted into the replacement spot beam signal that is a satellite-compatible signal. The replacement spot beam, instead of the original spot beam signal, is then combined with the other orbital signals and provided to a content receiver.