Method and system for full spectrum capture for terrestrial applications

Abstract

A satellite television system comprises a satellite dish, a terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish, and an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box. The satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box receive satellite television signals via the satellite dish and receive processed terrestrial television signals from the terrestrial television receiver integrated within the satellite dish. The satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box generate output satellite television channel content from the received satellite television signals and output terrestrial television channel content from the processed terrestrial television signals. The terrestrial television receiver may comprise a plurality of integrated demodulators and the terrestrial television receiver capture, utilizing a plurality of integrated demodulators, a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels. The plurality of integrated demodulators may be operable to generate the processed terrestrial television signals from the captured corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for communication, the method comprising:
 in a satellite television system at a premises:
 receiving satellite television signals via a satellite dish at said premises; 
 receiving processed terrestrial television signals from a terrestrial television receiver integrated within said satellite dish; and 
 generating output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals and output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 capturing, by said terrestrial television receiver utilizing a plurality of integrated demodulators, a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels; and   generating, by said terrestrial television receiver, said processed terrestrial television signals from said captured corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , comprising:
 diversity combining, by said terrestrial television receiver, said captured plurality of terrestrial television channels.   communicating, by said terrestrial television receiver, said diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels to an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box within said premise, wherein:
 said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to handle said generation of said output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals and said generation of said output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals; and 
 said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to generate said output terrestrial television channel content from said diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , comprising controlling operation of said terrestrial television receiver by said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box utilizing one or more communication protocols that are utilized by said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box to communicate with said satellite dish. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said one or more communication protocols comprise digital satellite equipment control (DiSeqC) protocol and frequency shift keying. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , comprising utilizing said one or more communication protocols to control which of said corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels to capture. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2 , comprising combining, by said terrestrial television receiver, said captured plurality of terrestrial television channels utilizing sub-band-wise combining. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 generating said output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals for a particular satellite channel; and   generating corresponding output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals for a corresponding terrestrial television channel that corresponds to said particular satellite channel.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , comprising determining which one of said particular satellite channel and said corresponding terrestrial television channel comprises greater channel quality. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , comprising:
 selecting said generated said output satellite television channel content for output to a display device if said determination results in said channel quality for said particular satellite channel being greater than said channel quality for said corresponding terrestrial television channel; and   selecting said generated corresponding output terrestrial television channel content for output to said display device if said determination results in said channel quality for said corresponding terrestrial television channel being greater than channel quality for said particular satellite channel.   
     
     
         11 . A system for communication, the system comprising:
 a satellite television system at a premises, said satellite television system comprising a satellite dish, a terrestrial television receiver integrated within said satellite dish, and an integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box, said satellite dish integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box being operable to:
 receive satellite television signals via said satellite dish; 
 receive processed terrestrial television signals from said terrestrial television receiver integrated within said satellite dish; and 
 generate output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals and output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said terrestrial television receiver comprises a plurality of integrated demodulators, said terrestrial television receiver being operable to:
 capture, utilizing said plurality of integrated demodulators, a corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels; and   generate, utilizing said plurality of integrated demodulators, said processed terrestrial television signals from said captured corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels.   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said terrestrial television receiver is operable to:
 diversity combine said captured plurality of terrestrial television channels; and   communicate said diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels to said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box within said premises, wherein:
 said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to handle said generation of said output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals and said generation of said output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals; and 
 said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to generate said output terrestrial television channel content from said diversity combined plurality of terrestrial television channels. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to control operation of said terrestrial television receiver by utilizing one or more communication protocols that are utilized by said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box to communicate with said satellite dish. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein said one or more communication protocols comprise digital satellite equipment control (DiSeqC) protocol and frequency shift keying. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to utilize said one or more communication protocols to control which of said corresponding plurality of terrestrial television channels to capture. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein said terrestrial television receiver is operable to combine said captured plurality of terrestrial television channels utilizing sub-band-wise combining. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to:
 generate said output satellite television channel content from said received satellite television signals for a particular satellite channel; and   generate corresponding output terrestrial television channel content from said processed terrestrial television signals for a corresponding terrestrial television channel that corresponds to said particular satellite channel.   
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18 , wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to determine which one of said particular satellite channel and said corresponding terrestrial television channel comprises greater channel quality. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said integrated satellite and terrestrial TV set-top box is operable to:
 select said generated said output satellite television channel content for output to a display device if said determination results in said channel quality for said particular satellite channel being greater than said channel quality for said corresponding terrestrial television channel; and   select said generated corresponding output terrestrial television channel content for output to said display device if said determination results in said channel quality for said corresponding terrestrial television channel being greater than channel quality for said particular satellite channel.