Wideband direct-to-home broadcasting satellite communications system and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to one- or two-way Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite communications systems which broadcast high bit rate wideband television and multimedia content to user terminals located within a desired coverage area and, more specifically, a single or multi-transponder Direct-To-Home satellite communications system in which a high bit rate wideband data stream is comprised of real-time, statistically multiplexed information and non-real-time information that is transmitted to a subscriber media gateway device for storage and later use. The user terminal contains a specially designed receiving system and may contain a transmitter for transmission of a return data channel to the Broadcast Center.

1 . A direct-to-home satellite communications system comprising:
 a plurality of encoders for encoding a plurality of programming content into digital signals of at least one digital format;   a wideband multiplexer for multiplexing the encoded signals for satellite communications in a wideband format having a bandwidth greater than 27 MHz;   a space segment for satellite transmission of the multiplexed signals in the wideband format; and   a plurality of receiving systems for receiving the multiplexed signals in the wideband format, the receiving systems including a wideband demultiplexer for demultiplexing the multiplexed signals and a decoder for decoding the demultiplexed digital signals.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein multiplexed signals are communicated over a wideband transponder having a bandwidth greater than 27 MHz. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein multiplexed signals arc communicated over a wideband transponder having a bandwidth off at least 100 MHz. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a contribution network for receiving a plurality of real-time programming content and non-real-time programming content and inputting programming content to the encoders for transmission to the receiving systems. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising a scheduler for scheduling the transmission of non-real-time programming content along with real-time programming content to minimize unused bandwidth in the wideband format. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a bandwidth manager for dynamically allocating available bandwidth for transmission of non-real-time programming content according to a capacity required for transmission of real-time programming. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising file storage capacity for storing encoded non-real-time programming content prior to transmission. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a wideband statistical multiplexer, wherein both real-time programming content and non-real-time programming content are encoded for transmission, and real-time programming content is statistically multiplexed in the wideband statistical multiplexer prior to being re-multiplexed in the wideband multiplexer with non-real-time programming content. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the statistically multiplexed real-time programming signals is additionally multiplexed with both non-real-time programming signals and control signals. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the control signals include programming guide information for single transmission in a wideband format. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one digital encoding format is MPEG-7. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein satellite communication of the multiplexed signals is transmitted along the Ka hand. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the satellite communication is modulated at a frequency between 20 and 30 GHz. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a plurality of broadcast networks, wherein each broadcast network includes a plurality of encoders, a wideband multiplexer, and an uplink to a space segment; and   a contribution network for receiving local programming content and national programming content, the local programming content corresponding to one or more designated market areas in the continental United States,   wherein national programming content is distributed to a national broadcast network for transmission along a CONUS beam to receiving systems across the continental United States, and   local programming content is distributed to respective regional broadcast networks for transmission along a spot beam to receiving systems located in designated market areas corresponding to the respective local programming content.   
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein real-time programming content and non-real-time programming content are transmitted to the receiving systems, a plurality of the receiving systems further comprises programming content storage for storing non-real-time programming content for later playback. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving systems further comprises at least one audio/video device for playback of decoded programming content. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the receiving systems further comprises a home gateway interface for supplying decoded programming content to a plurality of audio/video devices, wherein different audio/video devices can simultaneously play back different programming content that were decoded in a single digital tuner. 
   
   
       18 . A method for transmitting programming content in a direct-to-home satellite communications system, comprising:
 receiving and encoding a plurality of signals of programming content;   multiplexing a plurality of the encoded signals in a wideband format having a bandwidth greater than 27 MHz; and   uplinking the multiplexed encoded signals,   whereby the plurality of encoded signals are transmitted in a wideband transponder.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the wideband transponder has a bandwidth greater than 27 MHz. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the wideband transponder has a bandwidth of at least 100 MHz. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of signals of programming content include real-time and non-real time content, and the amount of non-real time content that is scheduled for transmission is dependent at least upon the amount of bandwidth required for transmission of real-time content. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the non-real time content is delivered asynchronously. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of signals are transmitted in a single wideband transponder. 
   
   
       24 . A method for transmitting programming content over a direct-to-home satellite communications system, comprising:
 feeding pre-scheduled real-time content into a wideband multiplexer, wherein the real-time content requires a portion of total bandwidth that is available for satellite communications, the wideband multiplexer having a bandwidth greater than 27 MHz;   determining the amount of bandwidth remaining for satellite communications for concurrent transmission with real-time content;   feeding non-real-time content into the wideband multiplexer, wherein the amount of non-real-time content is selected to minimize the available bandwidth.   
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the non-real-time content includes at least one of a linear carousel, a non-linear carousel, and files. 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 24 , further comprising the step of feeding control signals into the wideband multiplexer, wherein the amount of bandwidth remaining for satellite communications is the difference between the total allocated bandwidth, less the sum of the bandwidth necessary for the pre-scheduled real-time content and the control signals. 
   
   
       27 . A direct-to-home satellite broadcasting system, comprising:
 a contribution network;   a broadcast center that prepares satellite broadcast signals in a wideband format, the satellite signals having a bandwidth greater than 27 MHz;   an uplink facility;   a space segment; and   consumer equipment that receives satellite broadcast signals in the wideband format.   
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the contribution network receives both real-time and non-real time content for concurrent transmission as a MPTS in the broadcast center. 
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising a plurality of broadcast centers and respective uplink facilities, wherein the contribution network receives both national content and regional content, and wherein national content is broadcast via a national broadcast center, and regional content is broadcast via a regional broadcast center. 
   
   
       30 . An uplink system for transmitting television programming or other multimedia content over a direct-to-home satellite communications system, comprising:
 first and second uplink facilities for uplinking encoded signals to a space segment, wherein the facilities are at different geographical locations; and   a switch for directing encoded signals to the first or second uplink facility depending upon weather conditions at the uplink facilities.   
   
   
       31 . The uplink system according to  claim 30 , wherein the satellite communications system transmits signals over the Ka band. 
   
   
       32 . The uplink system according to  claim 31 , whereby rain fading is minimized. 
   
   
       33 . Consumer equipment for a direct-to-home satellite communications system, comprising:
 a tuner/demodulator; and   a wideband demultiplexer receiving signals from the tuner/demodulator, the wideband demultiplexer having a bandwidth greater than 27 MHz,   wherein different demultiplexed signals can be fed simultaneously into different playback devices from the wideband demultiplexer.   
   
   
       34 . The consumer equipment according to  claim 33 , wherein the playback devices include at least one of televisions, computers, and game stations. 
   
   
       35 . The consumer equipment according to  claim 33 , further comprising a mass storage device, wherein demultiplexed signals can be directed to the mass storage device simultaneously as different demultiplexed signals are directed to at least one playback device. 
   
   
       36 . The consumer equipment according to  claim 35 , wherein non-real-time content is asynchronously stored in the mass storage device for later playback on the at least one playback device. 
   
   
       37 . The consumer equipment according to  claim 33 , wherein more than 10 television programs are simultaneously fed into the tuner/demodulator. 
   
   
       38 . The consumer equipment according to  claim 33 , wherein at least 100 television programs are simultaneously fed into the tuner/demodulator. 
   
   
       39 . The consumer equipment according to  claim 33 , further comprising a plurality of tuner/demodulators, wherein each tuner/demodulator can simultaneously tune/demodulate an incoming signal from a different satellite beam. 
   
   
       40 . The consumer equipment according to  claim 39 , wherein a tuner/demodulator tunes a signal from a CONUS beam, and a second tuner/demodulator tunes a signal from a spot beam. 
   
   
       41 . The consumer equipment according to  claim 33 , farther comprising a local transmitter for providing a return channel. 
   
   
       42 . A method for scheduling transmission of real-time and non-real time content in a communications system, comprising:
 allocating a start time for transmitting a plurality of real-time content, each having a respective bit rate;   determining a remaining bandwidth available for satellite communications after deducting transmission of the real-time content and system information; and   scheduling non-real time content according to file size for concurrent transmission with real-time content,   whereby instantaneous remaining capacity is minimized,   wherein non-real time content includes a-linear carousel content divided into a plurality of segments, and wherein the scheduling non-real time content comprises scheduling the non-real time content such that each segment of the non-real time content is scheduled to be received in consumer receiver systems before the conclusion of playback of the previous segment.   
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein segments are transmitted asynchronously at a rate that is faster than real-time. 
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein segments are transmitted asynchronously at a rate that is slower than real-time. 
   
   
       45 . A satellite broadcasting system, comprising:
 a broadcast center for encoding program content for transmission in a transport stream, wherein the broadcast center includes software-based encoders; and   a transponder for transmission of program content from the broadcast center,   wherein the software-based encoders enable generation of signals with different encoding standards within the transport stream.   
   
   
       46 . The satellite broadcasting system of  claim 45 , wherein the encoders additionally insert information in the transport stream by which decoders can identify and switch decoding algorithms on a per program basis. 
   
   
       47 . The satellite broadcasting system of  claim 46 , wherein the decoders are software-based for decoding and decompressing programs in a multiplicity of compression standards. 
   
   
       48 . The satellite broadcasting system of  claim 47 , wherein the decoders read transmitted system information that identifies which encoding standard was used to compress the content and selects an appropriate decoding algorithm to use. 
   
   
       49 . The satellite broadcasting system of  claim 45 , wherein the content is transmitted over a wideband transponder over the Ka band. 
   
   
       50 . A receiver for receiving signals communicated over a satellite broadcasting system, comprising at least one decoder for receiving transmitted program content for playback, wherein the decoder enables reception of signals with different encoding standards within a transport stream on a per program basis. 
   
   
       51 . The receiver according to  claim 50 , wherein the decoder reads transmitted system information that identifies which encoding standard was used to compress the content and selects an appropriate decoding algorithm to use. 
   
   
       52 . A direct-to-home satellite broadcasting system, comprising:
 a broadcast center that prepares satellite broadcast signals in a wideband format, the satellite signals having a bandwidth greater than 27 MHz;   an uplink facility;   a space segment; and   consumer equipment that receives satellite broadcast signals in the wideband format, wherein the consumer equipment includes a transmitter for providing a return channel.   
   
   
       53 . The system according to  claim 52 , wherein the uplink facility transmits content over the Ka hand.