The invention to which this application relates is to improvements in the distribution of data from at least one receiving location to one or more users, for example, users at different room locations in the same premises or users in different households in a Multiple Dweller Unit such as a block of apartments. In particular, but not necessarily exclusively, the invention relates to a system for the reception of data signals at a location which can then be processed and distributed to one or more user locations, at each of which a broadcast data receiver is located in order to process the data to allow the data signals to be used to generate video and/ or audio in the form, typically, of a television or radio programme.

It is commonly the case that data is transmitted from one or a number of broadcaster locations and the data is provided to allow programmes carried on a number of television and/or radio channels to be made available for selection by the users at the respective user locations. The data can be broadcast via cable, internet or satellite communication systems to a number of receiving locations and at each of the receiving locations there can then be a requirement to allow the data to be distributed to a number of user locations which are served by the apparatus at the same, common, receiving location.

The distribution systems which are conventionally used utilise either coaxial or fibre optic cables to allow the data to be carried along the same from the receiving location to the user locations. While the optical fibre cable system has a greater capacity to allow a greater number of users to be provided with the data from the distribution system, both of the conventional systems allow all of the received data to be distributed to all of the connected user locations and the subsequent independent user selection of a particular channel and a particular programme can be performed at each of the user locations via the broadcast data receiver which is provided at that user location. In the known coaxial cable distribution systems there is a need for a large number of switching units to be provided and there are problems with the bandwidth capacity and data carrying capacity of the cables. As a result of the large amount of data which is required to be carried to provide all of the data for all of the, ever increasing, number of television and radio channels which are required to be distributed, so the scope and capacity of this type of distribution system is limited and/or expensive to implement.

In each of the known systems switch apparatus is typically required to be used in order to split and distribute the data signals from the receiving location to the multiple user locations from a single antenna and Low Noise Block (LNB) apparatus which is provided at the receiving location. Furthermore, each broadcast data receiver at the user locations will typically include more than one feed, i.e. a feed for data for a channel; which is to be viewed or listened to at that time and at least one further feed for data for a channel so that the same can be simultaneously stored on storage media provided as part of or integral with the broadcast data receiver for subsequent retrieval. This means that with a broadcast data receiver provided at each of a number of user locations, and each broadcast data receiver including a plurality of feeds, the amount of data which may be required to be provided and distributed from the single receiving location is significant and in peak demand times, can be greater than the available capacity of the distribution system.

Furthermore, typically each broadcast data receiver has one cable per tuner connected to either a port on an LNB connected to the receiving antenna at the receiving location or to an electrical multi-switch unit located in the distribution system intermediate the LNB and broadcast data receiver. As the number of broadcast data receivers required to be serviced from the apparatus at the receiving location and the number of tuners per broadcast data receiver increases, this leads to more connecting cables being required, typically more operator on-site visits to install the same and also can lead to unacceptable and/ or unsupportable levels of cable routing having to be used and installed in order to aim to achieve the desired level of service to the user.

The aim of the present invention is to achieve in a manageable and cost effective manner the meeting of the increasing demand for larger capacity systems which allows data signals for a larger number of channels to be available simultaneously to user locations connected to a common receiving location.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a data distribution system in which at least one data feed of data signals for a plurality of television and/or radio channels received by apparatus at a receiving location is selectively made available via a connection and distribution network to apparatus at a plurality of user locations, said apparatus at each of said user locations including a means for the user to view and/ or listen and/ or store video and/or audio for a selected television and/or radio channel, means to allow the user to select the particular television and/or radio channel and generate a signal indicative of the selection which has been made to retrieve the data signals for the selected television and/or radio channel, said system including data processing means having at least one data feed input, said data processing means translating the data signals into a plurality of predetermined bandwidths and into a digital format and wherein there are provided one or more outputs from the data processing means via which the data signals for a subset of the said plurality of television and/or radio channels, up to a predetermined capacity, is made available for onward transmission to the appropriate user locations in response to a user selection being made.

In one embodiment the predetermined number of channels is a subset of those channels for which data signals are received at the receiving location. In one embodiment the selection of those channels to be included in the subset of channels is made dependent upon the user channel selections which ate and/ or have been previously made.

In one embodiment the said data processing means includes a first processing component connected to a second processing component.

In one embodiment there are provided four outputs from the first processing component which are connected to inputs of the second processing component and the second processing component is provided with two outputs.

In one embodiment said data signals are provided in an optical format for at least part of the distribution network path between the receiving location and said user locations.

Typically the input to the first processing component are data signals carried on four bandwidths in an optical format and within a relatively wide optical frequency bandwidth.

In one embodiment the first processing component destacks the data signals into different frequency bands and translates the received data signals into four "legacy" bands at predetermined frequencies which are known to be able to be processed by the second processing component.

In one embodiment the second processing component translates the data into the digital format and makes the same available with data signals for a plurality of channels, in one embodiment up to 16 channels, available from each of the outputs. This therefore provides data for up to 32 channels available to be selected by the apparatus at the user locations connected to the outputs of the second processing component and therefore allows up to 32 tuners of the combined apparatus at the user locations to be simultaneously provided with data for the respective subset of channels. Typically the said second processing component is a digital channel stacking integrated circuit.

Typically, the particular channel requested and received by each of the tuners will be dependent upon the user selection made at the user location at which the apparatus in which the particular tuner is located.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, rather than sending data signals for all of the channels received at the receiving location to each tuner, the present invention allows the determination of a subset of channels which have been requested from the broadcast data receivers for use by the tuners therein and for a request to be generated from the data processing means for the data signals from just the receiving location transponders containing the data signals for those channels to be provided. This is achieved by processing the data signals using the data processing means, which may be located at the LNB itself or at a location intermediate the LNB and the user locations.

Typically the conventional bundle of coaxial cables which would have to be used in order to provide the capacity to provide and carry the data signals for all of the channels can be replaced by a single optical fibre with sufficient bandwidth for the data signals for the subset of channels and so the problem of cable proliferation is avoided.

In one embodiment the received satellite data signal content is carried from the data processing means along an optical fibre distribution network, and the outputs from the same are passed to the broadcast data receivers. In a Multiple Dweller Unit environment this offers the capability of providing a fibre optic distribution network in the building cable supply conduits or riser and, by converting and distributing only the selected data for the selected subset of channels in accordance with the invention, this means that only a single cable, which may alternatively be a coaxial cable, is required to be provided from the fibre optic distribution network to the broadcast data receivers at the respective user locations. In one embodiment the apparatus to distribute the data signals includes an optical detector to detect the optical signals from the fibre optic distribution network, a digital channel-stacking switch module and multiple output ports for connection to cables to send the signals in a form expected to be received by the broadcast data receivers at the respective user locations. In one embodiment this said apparatus is incorporated in a single base unit.

In one embodiment content from additional transmitters such as additional satellites can be made available by connecting cascade base units in a modular manner.

In one embodiment the apparatus includes an optical LNB that takes the four bands of data received from a satellite and stacks them so that they occupy a band from 950MHz to 5.45GHz which is then modulated onto a laser to allow optical fibre distribution of the received signals. Typically, following fibre transmission and passive splitting of the optical format data, the optical signal is reformatted back into the electrical domain then de- stacked by the first data processing component so that in a first mode of operation the four bands are in the form expected to be received by a conventional broadcast data receiver and/or in a selectable second or alternative mode of operation using the second data processing component the output of data signals represents only the subset of channels selected from the incoming four bands of data in accordance with the invention. In this mode only the data signals from the particular transponders required for the channels selected by the users via the downstream broadcast data receivers are sent to the broadcast data receivers.

In one embodiment one or more fibre optic multi switches are provided which extend the capability of the distribution network by providing an enlarged range of data outputs. Furthermore, the same can be provided in a modular format so that it is possible to add content from additional satellites by adding what are referred to as Cascade Multi-Switches and, by using a command signal system such as DiSEqC, a broadcast data receiver can demand channels from any one of the four satellites.

In one embodiment the selection of the channels in the subset of channels is made dependent upon the user channel selections which are made including historical channel selections.

In one embodiment the input to the second processing component is from a first processing component in the form of an adaptor which allows the output from a Quattro LNB to be adapted to be input into the second processing component at VL, VH, HL and HH predetermined frequencies.

In one embodiment the second processing component translates the data into the digital format and makes the same available with data for up to 16 channels available from each of the outputs. This therefore provides data signals for up to 32 channels to be obtained by and hence selected at the user locations connected to the outputs of the second processing component and therefore allows up to 32 tuners to be simultaneously provided with data for a user selected channel.

Typically the said second processing component is a digital channel stacking integrated circuit.

In one embodiment the system includes an optical detector to detect the optical signals from a fibre optic distribution network, data processing means including a first data processing component to destack the said detected data signals and a second data processing component to stack the data signals for the channels in a digital format, at least one switch module and multiple output ports for connection to cables to onwardly transmit the data signals for selected channels in a form compatible with the apparatus at respective user locations.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, rather than sending data signals for all of the channels received at the receiving location to each tuner (which is an inefficient way to get one channel from one of the twenty of so transponders in the band), the present invention allows the determination of a subset of channels which have been requested from the broadcast data receivers for use by the tuners therein and requests to receive data from just the transponders containing data for these channels. This is achieved by processing the signal using the first and second processing components of the data processing means and adaptor processing means which may be located at the Quattro LNB itself or at an intermediate location between the LNB and the user locations.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of distribution of data for a plurality of television and/ or radio channels, said method comprising the steps of; receiving at a receiving location data signals for a range of said television and/or radio channels, selectively distributing said data signals via a distribution network to a plurality of user locations connected thereto, allowing a user at each of the user locations to independently select to receive at one or more tuners provided at the user location, data signals for one or more channels and characterised by translating the data using data processing means from at least one data feed into a plurality of predetermined bandwidths and into a digital, channel stacked, format to provide one or more outputs to which the apparatus at the user locations are connected and making available at the said one or more outputs data signals for a subset of the said television and/or radio channels received at the receiving location.

In one embodiment said subset of channels is selected on the basis of user selections received from the user location.

In one embodiment said subset of channels is generated via first and second components of data processing means. Typically the data processing means are located intermediate the receiving location and the user locations which are connected via one or more cables along which the data signals are transmitted. In one embodiment at least part of the data signal distribution is in an optical format.

In one embodiment the said subset of channels is defined by the capacity of the second data processing component to digitally stack the data signals for the channels.

In one embodiment said method includes the steps of receiving at a receiving location via a Quattro LNB, data for the range of said television and/or radio channels, distributing said data via a distribution network to a plurality of user locations connected thereto, allowing a user at each of the user locations to independently select to receive data for one or more channels at their location and characterised by translating the data from at least one Quattro LNB via an adaptor to provide a plurality of predetermined bandwidths and into a digital channel stacked format such that there are provided one or more outputs to which the apparatus at the user locations are connected to receive data for a subset of said television and/or radio channels, with said subset selected on the basis of the received user selections of channels up to a predetermined channel capacity and which are available for onward transmission to the appropriate user location.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings; wherein

Figures l a illustrates in a schematic manner a conventional data receiving and distribution system;

Figure lb and c illustrate in a schematic manner a data receiving system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figures 2-5 illustrate parts of the data processing means in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate an embodiment of the invention where there are multiple satellite feeds;

Figure 8 illustrates in a schematic manner an adaptor for use with the apparatus of Figures l c-7; and

Figures 9a-d illustrate further system architecture variations to that shown in Figure 5

Referring now to Figure l a there is illustrated a distribution network system of a conventional form, and in Figures lb and c a distribution network system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Both systems are provided in this example in a premises in the form of a family home 3 and include, in this embodiment, a receiving location 2, at which there is provided a conventional satellite antenna 4 and at least one LNB 5 which is provided to receive data broadcast from a remote location via a satellite broadcast system and there are provided two user locations, 7, 9, each having a broadcast data receivers 10,12 with each including at least two tuners 6 to allow a television or radio channel to be generated and viewed and/or listened to and another channel to be simultaneously stored in a storage means provided with the broadcast data receivers 10, 12.

In the conventional system shown in Figure l a each tuner 6 is connected directly to the satellite antenna by a separate coaxial cable 8 and therefore additional cabling must be provided in situations where an additional broadcast data receiver or multi- tuner broadcast data receiver (e.g., simultaneous watch and record) are added, or services are extended to numerous user locations in the same building. Installing additional cabling has many drawbacks, including additional site visits and/or ugly cabling, to the end-user and the service provider, who is interested to increase service and therefore its revenue potential per user at the lowest possible cost.

In accordance with the system of the invention as shown in Figure lb, in the single family home 3, a single cable 14 from the satellite antenna 4 and LNB 5 can serve each user location 7,9 and the broadcast data receiver 10,12 and each tuner 6 at the user locations, with a subset of the received television or radio channels, thus eliminating the need for multiple cables. The broadcast data receivers 10,12 independently communicate with the distribution system to request data signals for specific channels and the request is made as a result of a user using selection means such as a remote control device to interact with the broadcast data receiver at their particular location. A command signal representative of the channel is then transmitted from each of the user locations to data processing means provided as part of the system. The system frequency translates the data signals for each particular channel which has been selected and passes this through a dedicated filter and the selected channels from the user locations and destined for specific tuners 6 are then combined by stacking the same and transmitted along the cable 14 to the user locations.

The system of Figure lb will typically be provided with a conventional or legacy output to the digital stacked output of a subset of channels in accordance with the invention. The broadcast data receivers 10, 12 can request the digital stacked output of the subset of channels via the command signal which, in one embodiment is generated using DiSEqC protocol and the request is routed to a switch to allow the appropriate digital stacked output signal to be provided to that broadcast data receiver 10, 12 via the cable 14. In Figure l c there is shown a high level illustration of the system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention which shows a second component of the data processing means in the form of a digital stacking integrated circuit 16 integrated as part of the system which also includes a conventional or legacy base unit 18.

The tuners 6 in each broadcast data receiver are typically provided so that, simultaneously, one of the tuners receives data signals for a selected channel which is to be stored in memory means for subsequent use and the other of the tuners is provided to receive data signals to allow a user selected channel to be viewed and/or listened to at that time via a display screen and speakers connected to the broadcast data receiver.

Turning now to Figures 2 and 3 there are illustrated first and second parts of a first component of the data processing means in accordance with the system of the invention. The parts are typically provided in the form of integrated circuits and, in one embodiment are as described in the applicant's co pending application GB 2517906, the contents of which are incorporated herein. In Figure 2 there is shown the first part 20 which includes an amplifier 22 intended to be located at the front end of the data processing means. In one embodiment the data signals may be carried in an optical format to the data processing means and therefore the amplifier 22 is located downstream of a fibre optic photo-detector which receives the data in an optical mode. The integrated circuit 20 has a good noise figure and a wide dynamic range without introducing distortion and this is assisted by the provision of a gain 24 which can be switched between high and low values to produce balanced outputs 26,28.

Figure 3 illustrates the second part 30 of the first processing component and is provided in the form of an integrated circuit 32 which provides the rest of the required RF processing of the signals received from the outputs 26,28 of the first component and the balance of the outputs 26,28 is retained until the outputs 37 therefrom. An auxiliary balanced output can be provided from the input amplifier 22 which can be used to output signals which do not require frequency shifting, such as terrestrial services.

The integrated circuit 32 of Figure 3 also performs the functions of level control and RF level detectors at the inputs 26,28, outputs 37 and at a point 34 of each IF chain 35 which leads to the outputs 37. It also has a reference oscillator, temperature sensor and all the divider circuitry required for the phase-locked loops.

Control of the integrated circuit 32 of Figure 3 can be achieved via an I2C bus with external loop filter components and a crystal for its reference frequency generator. The integrated circuit 32 also includes amplifiers 40, mixers 36,38, oscillators 42 and filters 44 to de-stack the received data signal frequency bands and present them at the outputs 37 at a frequency and power which would be expected to be received by the broadcast data receiver at the particular geographical area of use. The circuit uses a zero-IF architecture, so the first mixer stage 36 in each path will have a different local oscillator depending on the band but the second mixer stage 38 will have the same frequency for most cases.

Figure 4 illustrates a suitable integrated circuit 46 for the second processing component of the data processing means. This second component performs the digital channel stacking process. This integrated circuit 46 changes the incoming signals received from the outputs 37 of the integrated circuit 30 into a digital format, and selects and stacks the channels. The selection of the channels to form the subset of channels is made in accordance with the selection signals received from the broadcast data receivers 10,12 at the user location. The output from the second component can then be converted back to an analogue format 48 so that when the data signals for the subset of channels is output therefrom it is compatible with the broadcast data receiver requirements for further processing to store the same and/or generate video and/or audio. The integrated circuit 46 therefore acts as the stacker 16 of Figure lc and the legacy option 18 is also shown. The integrated circuit 46 in this embodiment is capable of generating up to 24 channels which can either be sent to both output ports 48 or they can be divided between the two ports as required.

An example of the use of the data processing means in the data distribution system in accordance with the invention is shown in Figure 5. An incoming optical fibre cable 14 carrying the data signals from a receiving location from a single satellite plus DTT, DAB and FM, or a subset of these services, is converted into the electrical domain by a photo-detector 52 then amplified by the integrated circuit first processing component part 20 of Figure 2 and converted to balanced format outputs 26,28. Each output from the integrated circuit of Figure 2 feeds the second part of the first component part in the form of an integrated circuit 30 of the type of Figure 3 which is programmed to generate the four satellite bands - VL, VH, HL and HH - at the output ports 37 and which are passed to the input to the second processing component in the form of integrated circuit 46 of Figure 4 via splitters 82. Any terrestrial signal input can be sent to a level-controlled amplifier. The signals are then diplexed 54 before being output to the connected broadcast data receivers.

If there are provided multi satellite data signal sources these can be selectively processed and a switch 86 is provided to allow the selection of the content from a different satellite, which can be made available from a separate cascade unit 58. The equivalent cascade units 58, 58', 58" to allow selective processing of four satellite feeds SAT 2, SAT 3 and SAT 4, in addition to SAT 1 via the base unit 60 shown in Figure 5, are shown in Figure 6 and a fully connected four-satellite arrangement to allow data signals from all of the satellite data feeds is shown in Figure 7.

The cascade units 58 are similar to the base unit 60 but may have less functionality, for example they will not need to deal with terrestrial signals as these are added just once, in the base unit 60. Hence the cascade units may have no diplexers or level controlled amplifier for terrestrial services. It is also likely that the output amplifiers can be located in the base unit 60 downstream of the switch 56, hence the same output amplifiers can be used whichever satellite feed. Thus the data processing means can be provided in the base unit 60.

The distribution system in accordance with the invention can be prepared to accept a frequency-stacked set of bands which are suitable for the geographical location at which the apparatus is to be installed and used. For example, for the European geographical region the frequency stacked set of bandwidths lie in the range 950 - 5450 MHz and are split into:

Band Frequencies (MHz)

Vertical Low 950 - 1950

Vertical High 1950 - 3000

Horizontal Low 3400 - 4400

Horizontal High 4400 - 5450

This allows the system to be compatible with existing LNB and related receiving products in the satellite and optical fibre distribution environment. For other geographical areas with different band structures, the apparatus can be adapted to operate to suit those requirements for most typically, the same overall frequency range.

The output frequencies from the integrated circuit of Figure 4 will typically be compatible with existing, broadcast data receivers which are to receive the data signals and, for example, for use in Europe the bands are as follows:

Band Frequencies (MHz)

Vertical Low 950 - 1950

Vertical High 1100 - 2150

Horizontal Low 950 - 1950

Horizontal High 1100 - 2150

Typically the output level will remain consistent within + l dB across any 30MHz transponder bandwidth and within ±2.5dB across any satellite band and the output level across all four quadrants is consistent to within ±3.5dB.

Figure 8 illustrates an adaptor which can be used to adapt the output from a Quattro LNB into a format to to be utilised by the second data processing component in the form of digital stacking processing means 46. The Quattro LNB provides four outputs VL, VH, HL, HH, each with a single band/polarization specific to that output and which is typically fixes at the time of manufacture. The quattro LNB is normally used to feed a relatively large distribution system such as many tens of user locations and control signals for the content provided to each user location can be sent up the cable by the receiver at each user location as illustrated by paths 72-78 in the direction of arrows 70. The outputs from the Quattro LNB are passed through filters 62-68 respectively and then enter the processing means 46. The outputs 79, 81 pass through filters 80, 82 and any terrestrial data can be added from terrestrial source 84 before passing to output sources 86, 88. Control means 90 can be provided to selectively adapt and update the processing means 46. Thus, the system can be used to adapt a Digital Satellite channel router which receives data signals from an optical network or PON, and which also supports terrestrial and/or radio signals and to allow the received data to be stacked in the second processing means provided as a part of a gateway termination unit (GTU) connected to the PON and selected data then made available from the GTU via output connections therefrom and made available to a hub broadcast data receiver from which selected data can be made available to other devices within the wireless broadcast range of the hub broadcast data receiver.

Further examples of embodiments of the architecture of a data distribution system in accordance with the invention are shown in Figures 9a-d and similar reference numerals are used as appropriate for the same components as shown in Figure 5. An incoming optical fibre cable 14 carrying the data signals received at the receiving location from a satellite, SAT 1, or numerous satellites "n" are shown in Figures 9a and c and are initially provided in an optical format which is converted into the electrical domain by a photo-detector 52 then amplified by the first part of the first processing component including integrated circuit processing means 20, into balanced outputs 26,28 and passed to the second processing component in the form of integrated circuits 46 to be digitally stacked so that data for a subset of channels can be passed to respective broadcast data receivers or hubs 56. In Figures 9a and 9b it is shown how an output 100,102, 104, 106 from the second part of the first processing component 30 can be directed to an input of each of the second processing components 46, 46' and then used to create further data feeds for a subset of channels to broadcast data receivers 56 as part of a slave system.

In Figure 9d a similar architecture is shown but in this case the original data signals are provided from one or more cascade units rather than a base unit.

In each case the data processing means can be integrated into a Gateway Termination Unit (GTU) or modular units intermediate the receiving location and user locations so as to allow the subsequent distribution to the user locations within the premises and in the required format.

The system in accordance with the invention therefore allows service providers to support traditional satellite signals and their new DCSS signals on the same fibre system. Without this solution a service provider wishing to implement DCSS would need to implement a parallel satellite TV i frastructure in multi- dwellings if the residents wanted to receive any other content from a different satellite which is increasingly commonplace. The system herein described will allow the same fibre and coaxial infrastructure to be used by implementing a channel- stacking scheme to allow multiple channels to be transmitted on a single coax cable based on the detected requests from multiple broadcast data receivers and tuners connected to that cable.