U.S. patent application number 15/594936 was filed with the patent office on 2017-11-02 for method and apparatus for content protection and billing for mobile delivery of satellite content.
The applicant listed for this patent is MaxLinear, Inc.. Invention is credited to Brenndon Lee, Curtis Ling, Prithvi Thomas.
Application Number | 20170317743 15/594936 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48902817 |
Filed Date | 2017-11-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170317743 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ling; Curtis ; et
al. |
November 2, 2017 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTENT PROTECTION AND BILLING FOR MOBILE
DELIVERY OF SATELLITE CONTENT
Abstract
A satellite dish assembly may comprise a reflector, feed horn,
receive module, and wireless module. The reflector and feed horn
may be operable to receive satellite signals. The receive module
may be operable to recover content from the received satellite
signals. The wireless module may be operable to communicate the
content directly to a mobile device via a wireless connection
between the mobile device and the system. The wireless module may
be operable to communicate directly with a service provider network
via a wireless connection between the satellite dish assembly and
the service provider network. The communications with the service
provider network may be to obtain security information for
descrambling and/or decrypting the content and/or for providing
billing information.
Inventors: |
Ling; Curtis; (Carlsbad,
CA) ; Lee; Brenndon; (San Diego, CA) ; Thomas;
Prithvi; (San Diego, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MaxLinear, Inc. |
Carlsbad |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48902817 |
Appl. No.: |
15/594936 |
Filed: |
May 15, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14589019 |
Jan 5, 2015 |
9654204 |
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15594936 |
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13585930 |
Aug 15, 2012 |
8929278 |
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14589019 |
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61595654 |
Feb 6, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 65/4076 20130101;
H04L 61/2007 20130101; H04B 7/18526 20130101; H04H 60/21 20130101;
H04N 21/4627 20130101; H04W 84/10 20130101; H04H 20/08 20130101;
H04L 45/74 20130101; H04N 21/6193 20130101; H04N 21/4126 20130101;
H04B 7/185 20130101; H04B 7/18517 20130101; H04H 60/23 20130101;
H04B 7/18523 20130101; H04W 4/023 20130101; H04W 84/12 20130101;
H04N 21/64322 20130101; G01S 19/42 20130101; H04H 40/90 20130101;
H04N 21/4408 20130101; H04W 88/08 20130101; H04W 84/042 20130101;
H04N 21/441 20130101; H04W 88/16 20130101; H04N 21/4405 20130101;
H04N 21/4343 20130101; H04N 21/4524 20130101; H04N 21/4382
20130101; H04B 7/18515 20130101; H04N 21/61 20130101; H04N 21/6143
20130101; H04W 76/20 20180201; H04N 21/43637 20130101; H04J 4/00
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04B 7/185 20060101
H04B007/185; G01S 19/42 20100101 G01S019/42; H04W 88/08 20090101
H04W088/08; H04B 7/185 20060101 H04B007/185; H04B 7/185 20060101
H04B007/185; H04W 84/10 20090101 H04W084/10; H04W 84/04 20090101
H04W084/04; H04W 76/04 20090101 H04W076/04; H04W 4/02 20090101
H04W004/02; H04N 21/643 20110101 H04N021/643; H04N 21/61 20110101
H04N021/61; H04N 21/61 20110101 H04N021/61; H04N 21/61 20110101
H04N021/61; H04N 21/4627 20110101 H04N021/4627; H04N 21/45 20110101
H04N021/45; H04N 21/441 20110101 H04N021/441; H04N 21/4408 20110101
H04N021/4408; H04N 21/4405 20110101 H04N021/4405; H04N 21/438
20110101 H04N021/438; H04N 21/4363 20110101 H04N021/4363; H04N
21/434 20110101 H04N021/434; H04N 21/41 20110101 H04N021/41; H04L
29/06 20060101 H04L029/06; H04L 29/12 20060101 H04L029/12; H04L
12/741 20130101 H04L012/741; H04J 4/00 20060101 H04J004/00; H04H
40/90 20080101 H04H040/90; H04H 20/08 20080101 H04H020/08; H04B
7/185 20060101 H04B007/185; H04B 7/185 20060101 H04B007/185; H04W
88/16 20090101 H04W088/16 |
Claims
1. A system comprising: a reflector and feed horn operable to
receive satellite signals; a satellite receive module operable to
recover content from said received satellite signals; and a
wireless module operable to: communicate directly with a service
provider network via a wireless connection between said system and
said service provider network; and communicate said content
directly to a mobile device via a wireless connection between said
mobile device and said system.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein: said reflector, said feed horn,
said receive module, and said wireless module are attached to a
common support structure; said feed horn, said receive module, and
said wireless module are attached to a boom of said common support
structure.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless module is operable
to communicate with said service provider network to obtain
security information for descrambling and/or decrypting said
content.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless module is operable
to communicate with said service provider network to provide
billing information about said mobile device.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless module is
configured to accept IP traffic from a cellular backhaul network
and from said satellite receive module.
6. Circuitry for use in a satellite dish assembly, the circuitry
being operable to: receive a satellite signal and process said
satellite signal to recover media content carried in said satellite
signal; receive, from a wireless communication device, a request
for said media content; communicate with a service provider network
to determine whether said wireless communication device is
authorized to receive said media content; and communicate said
media content to said wireless communication device via a first
wireless connection.
7. The circuitry of claim 6, wherein said circuitry is operable to
communicate with said service provider network via a second
wireless connection.
8. The circuitry of claim 7, wherein said circuitry supports higher
bandwidth than said second wireless connection.
9. The circuitry of claim 6, wherein: said satellite dish assembly
is connected to a gateway that routes traffic between said
satellite dish assembly and a wide area network connection
terminated at said gateway; and communications between said
circuitry and said service provider network do not traverse said
network connection terminated at said gateway.
10. The circuitry of claim 6, wherein: said satellite dish assembly
is connected to a gateway that routes traffic between said
satellite dish assembly and a wide area network connection
terminated at said gateway; and said media content does not
traverse said network connection terminated at said gateway in
traveling from said circuitry to said wireless communication
device.
11. The circuitry of claim 6, wherein said circuitry is operable to
communicate with said service provider network to provide
information about said wireless communication device, information
about content requested by said wireless communication device,
and/or information about content consumed by said wireless
communication device.
12. The circuitry of claim 11, wherein said service provider
network utilizes said information about said wireless communication
device, said information about content requested by said wireless
communication device, and/or said information about content
consumed by said wireless communication device for managing a
billing account associated with said wireless communication
device.
13. The circuitry of claim 6, wherein said circuitry is operable
to: receive, from said service provider network, security keys
associated with said media content; and communicate said security
keys to said wireless communication device.
14. A method performed by a satellite dish assembly, the method
comprising: receiving a satellite signal and processing said
satellite signal to recover media content carried in said satellite
signal; receiving, from a wireless communication device, a request
for said media content; communicating with a service provider
network to determine whether said wireless communication device is
authorized to receive said media content; and communicating said
media content to said wireless communication device via a first
wireless connection.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said communicating with said
service provider network is via a second wireless connection.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first wireless connection
supports higher bandwidth than said second wireless connection.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein: said satellite dish assembly
is connected to a gateway that routes traffic between said
satellite dish assembly and a wide area network connection
terminated at said gateway; and communications between said
satellite dish assembly and said service provider network do not
traverse said network connection terminated at said gateway.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein: said satellite dish assembly
is connected to a gateway that routes traffic between said
satellite dish assembly and a wide area network connection
terminated at said gateway; and said media content does not
traverse said network connection terminated at said gateway in
traveling from said satellite dish assembly to said wireless
communication device.
19. The method of claim 14, comprising communicating with said
service provider network to provide said service provider network
with information about said wireless communication device,
information about content requested by said wireless communication
device, and/or information about content consumed by said wireless
communication device.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said service provider network
utilizes said information about said wireless communication device,
said information about content requested by said wireless
communication device, and/or said information about content
consumed by said wireless communication device for managing a
billing account associated with said wireless communication device.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/589,019, filed Jan. 5, 2015, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/585,930, filed
Aug. 15, 2012, now patented as U.S. Pat. No. 8,929,278, which in
turn makes reference to, claims priority to and claims benefit from
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/595,654 entitled
"Method and System for an Internet Protocol LNB (IP LNB)" filed
Feb. 6, 2012.
[0002] Each of the above-identified applications is hereby
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0003] This patent application also makes reference to:
U.S. Pat. No. 8,466,850 titled "Method and System for Multi-Service
Reception" and filed on Jul. 11, 2012; U.S. patent application
Publication Ser. No. 2012/0297414 titled "Method and System for
Conditional Access in an In-Home Network Based on Multi-Network
Communication," and filed on Dec. 12, 2011; U.S. Patent Application
Publication Ser. No. 2012/0297427 titled "System and Method in a
Broadband Receiver for Efficiently Receiving and Processing
Signals" and filed on Dec. 14, 2011; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,700,449
titled "Targeted Advertisement in the Digital Television
Environment" and filed on Oct. 30, 2007.
[0004] Each of the above-identified documents is hereby
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0005] Aspects of the present application relate to electronic
communications. More specifically, to a method and apparatus for
content protection and billing for mobile delivery of satellite
content.
BACKGROUND
[0006] Existing methods and systems for delivering terrestrial
and/or satellite broadcast content to mobile devices can be
inefficient. Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional
and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in
the art, through comparison of such approaches with some aspects of
the present method and apparatus set forth in the remainder of this
disclosure with reference to the drawings.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0007] A method and/or apparatus is provided for content protection
and billing for mobile delivery of satellite content, substantially
as illustrated by and/or described in connection with at least one
of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a system that is operable to
wirelessly deliver satellite data to mobile devices.
[0009] FIG. 2 depicts an example implementation of the system of
FIG. 1 in which the system comprises a small-cell basestation.
[0010] FIG. 3 depicts an example implementation of the system of
FIG. 1 in which the system comprises a macrocell basestation.
[0011] FIG. 4 depicts another example implementation of the system
of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating example steps for billing
and content security in a system that delivers satellite content to
mobile devices.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating example steps for billing
and content security in a system that delivers satellite content to
mobile devices.
[0014] FIG. 7A depicts an example implementation in which
mobile-formatted content is transmitted on one or more dedicated
satellite channels using softCAS.
[0015] FIG. 7B depicts an example implementation in which satellite
content transmitted using hardCAS is transcoded for mobile delivery
by the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] As utilized herein the terms "circuits" and "circuitry"
refer to physical electronic components (i.e. hardware) and any
software and/or firmware ("code") which may configure the hardware,
be executed by the hardware, and or otherwise be associated with
the hardware. As utilized herein, "and/or" means any one or more of
the items in the list joined by "and/or". As an example, "x and/or
y" means any element of the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}.
As another example, "x, y, and/or z" means any element of the
seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y,
z)}. As utilized herein, the terms "block" and "module" refer to
functions than can be performed by one or more circuits. As
utilized herein, the term "example" means serving as a non-limiting
example, instance, or illustration. As utilized herein, the term
"e.g.," introduces a list of one or more non-limiting examples,
instances, or illustrations.
[0017] FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a system that is operable to
wirelessly deliver satellite data to mobile devices. Referring to
FIG. 1A, the system 100 comprises a broadcast receive module 104, a
wireless input/output (I/O) module 106, a wired I/O module 108, and
a routing module 124. Also shown is a service provider network 131,
a mobile device 110, a module 112, a client device 122, and a wide
area network (WAN) 120.
[0018] The satellite 102 may transmit content in accordance with a
broadcast standard such as, for example, DVB-S. In an example
implementation, some of the bandwidth of the satellite 102 may be
utilized for transmitting mobile content. For example, the content
of one or more television networks may be concurrently broadcast in
a first format (e.g., high-definition, low-compression ratio video
and surround-sound audio) a second format (e.g., standard
definition, high-compression ration video and stereo audio). The
first format may be encrypted and/or scrambled utilizing a first
content protection scheme (e.g., a first set of security algorithms
and/or a first set of keys and/or certificates) and the second
format may be encrypted and/or scrambled utilizing a second content
protection scheme (e.g., a first set of security algorithms and/or
a first set of keys and/or certificates). For example, content
protected with the first scheme may be recoverable only by devices
(e.g., gateways) that have built-in hardware-based conditional
access systems ("hardCAS"), whereas content protected with the
second scheme may be recoverable utilizing keys obtained through
two-way exchanges ("softCAS"). An example implementation in which
mobile-formatted content is transmitted on one or more dedicated
satellite channels using softCAS is described below with reference
to FIG. 7A. An example implementation in which satellite content
transmitted using hardCAS is transcoded for mobile delivery is
described below with reference to FIG. 7B.
[0019] The network 131 represents the network(s) of one or more
service providers. For example, the network 131 may comprise a
network of a cellular service provider, a network of a satellite
service provider, and/or a network of a billing service provider
that performs billing functions for other service providers. The
security and/or billing server 130 may manage billing accounts for
subscribers of one or more service providers. For example, the
server 130 may maintain a database of users and/or mobile devices
which are subscribed to content transmitted by the satellite 102,
and may track consumption of the satellite content by those
users/devices. This information may be provided to a satellite
service provider so that the satellite provider can bill the
users/devices for the content. Similarly, the server 130 may
maintain a database of users and/or mobile devices which are
subscribed to wireless (e.g., cellular) services associated with
the wireless module 106 and may track usage of the module 106's
bandwidth. This information may be provided to a cellular service
provider so that the cellular provider can bill the user/devices
for the bandwidth usage.
[0020] Additionally or alternatively, the security and/or billing
server 130 may manage certificates, keys, and/or other security
information for accessing content transmitted by the satellite 102.
For example, the server 130 may maintain a database of content
currently being transmitted by the satellite 102 and keys and/or
other security information associated with that content. In the
example implementation shown in FIG. 1A, the system 100
communicates with the server 130 via the WAN 120. In the
implementation shown in FIG. 1B, on the other hand, the server 130
is reachable wirelessly, via wireless I/O module 132, such that the
system 100 can communicate with the server 130 via a connection 134
without use of the WAN 120 or broadband connection 126.
[0021] The mobile device 110 may be operable to communicate
wirelessly in accordance with one or more wireless communication
protocols. For example, the device 110 may be a cellular handset
operable to communicate in accordance with cellular (e.g., LTE)
and/or IEEE 802.11 protocols.
[0022] The various components of the system 100 and the module 112
may be collocated on, for example, a cellular tower as shown in
FIG. 3 or a satellite subscriber premises (e.g., a house,
multi-dwelling unit, or business) as shown in FIG. 2. The system
100 may comprise one or more printed circuit boards and/or on one
or more integrated circuits (e.g., one or more silicon die).
[0023] The system 100 and the module 112 may be part of a local
area network (LAN) and may be interconnected via a LAN technology
such as Ethernet (e.g., Ethernet frames communicated over an
Ethernet physical layer such as 10/100/1G/10G/40GBASE-T). In an
example implementation, each port of the system 100 and the port of
module 112 that connects to system 100 may share a common subnet
address that is not shared with the port of the module 112 that
connects to the WAN 120.
[0024] The module 112 may interface the LAN to a wide area network
(WAN) 120 over broadband connection 126 utilizing, for example,
DOCSIS, DSL, Carrier Ethernet, ATM, Frame Relay, ISDN, x.25, and/or
other suitable WAN technology. The WAN 120 may, for example,
backhaul traffic between wireless I/O module 106 and a cellular
core network.
[0025] The broadcast (e.g., satellite broadcast) receive module 104
may be operable to receive broadcast signals and process the
received broadcast signals to recover data (e.g., audio, video
content, and/or auxiliary data related to audio and/or video
content) carried therein. Although this disclosure focuses on
satellite radio and satellite television broadcast signals, the
present invention is not so limited. Rather, other types of signals
such as terrestrial broadcast television signals are contemplated.
Accordingly, various implementations of the system 100 may comprise
features described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/546,704,
which is incorporated herein by reference as set forth above. In an
example implementation, the receive module 104 may perform
channelization such that specific channels, streams, programs, etc.
from the receive module 104 can be selectively conveyed to the
routing module 124. In an example implementation, the receive
module 104 may output data in the form of MPEG transport stream(s)
to the routing module 124. In an example implementation, the
receive module 104 may encapsulate received data utilizing one or
more protocols (e.g., Internet Protocol) for output to the routing
module 124.
[0026] The wireless module 106 may be operable to communicate
wirelessly in accordance with one or more wireless communication
protocols. For example, the wireless module 106 may be operable to
communicate in accordance with cellular (e.g., LTE) and/or IEEE
802.11 protocols. In various example implementations, the wireless
module 106 may transmit and/or receive utilizing frequency spectrum
owned and/or licensed by a cellular provider, utilizing unlicensed
frequency spectrum (e.g., in an Industrial, Scientific, and Medical
(ISM) band) and/or utilizing dedicated frequency spectrum owned
and/or licensed by the satellite provider affiliated with the
satellite 102. In an example implementation, data may be
communicated between the wireless module 106 and the routing module
124 in the form of MPEG transport stream (TS) packets. In an
example implementation, data may be communicated between the
wireless module 106 and the routing module 124 in the form of
Internet Protocol (IP) packets.
[0027] The wired module 108 may be operable to communicate data,
via one or more cables 114, with module 112. The module 112 (e.g.,
a media gateway and/or edge router) may, in turn, route traffic
between the system 100 and one or more other devices (e.g., client
devices connected to the gateway and/or interior network nodes
connected to the gateway). In an example implementation, the wired
I/O module 108 may be operable to output, onto the cable(s) 114,
L-band signals received from the receive module 104. Such signals
may be output in instances that the module 112 is a legacy gateway.
Additionally or alternatively, the wired module 108 may be operable
to communicate over the cable(s) 114 utilizing Ethernet, Multimedia
over Coax Alliance (MoCA), and/or any other suitable protocol(s).
Such communications may be used, for example, when the module 112
is a gateway that is compatible with an IP-LNB as described in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/326,125, which is incorporated by
reference herein as set forth above.
[0028] In another example implementation, the module 112 may
support a wireless connection and the functionality of the wired
module 108 may be subsumed by the wireless module 106 and/or by a
second wireless module.
[0029] The routing module 124 may be operable to selectively route
data and/or signals between the modules 104, 106, and 108. The
routing may be based, for example, on IP addresses, TCP/UDP port
numbers, packet identifiers (PIDs), stream identifiers, and/or any
other suitable field or information. For example, packets
comprising a first PID (e.g., packets carrying mobile-formatted
content) may be sent to the wireless module 106 and packets
comprising a second PID (e.g., packets carrying high-definition
content) may be sent to the wired module 108. In an example
implementation, the routing module 124 may be a digital and/or
analog crossbar. In an example implementation, the routing module
124 may perform an OSI layer-3 packet-routing function and/or an
OSI layer-2 packet-switching function. The routing module 124 may
be configured via one or more control signals (not shown) which
may, in turn, be based on input (e.g., utilizing a protocol such as
DiSEqC) from the module 112 and/or client devices such as the
client device 122 and client device 110.
[0030] In operation of an example implementation, the broadcast
receive module 104 may receive a satellite signal and perform block
down conversion to generate an L-band signal. The L-band signal may
be conveyed to the wired module 108 for support of legacy gateways.
The receive module 104 may also demodulate the L-band signal to
recover one or more MPEG transport streams, channelize the
transport stream(s) to recover one or more programs, and
encapsulate the transport stream(s) and/or program(s) into one or
more packet streams (e.g., utilizing IP or some other suitable
protocol(s)). In some instances, the receive module 104 may be
operable to decrypt, encrypt, descramble, and/or scramble recovered
transport stream(s)/program(s) as described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/316,796, which is incorporated by reference
herein as set forth above. The one or more packet streams may be
conveyed, via routing module 124, to the wireless module 106 and/or
the wired module 108.
[0031] The wired module 108 may decapsulate, encode, modulate,
encrypt, and/or otherwise process the transport stream(s) to
generate signals suitable for transmission via the cable(s) 114.
The wired module 108 may transmit the generated signals via the
cable(s) 114.
[0032] The wireless module 106 may encode, modulate, and/or
otherwise process the packet stream(s) received from the routing
module 124 to generate signals suitable for transmission via the
connection(s) 116. The wireless module 106 may then transmit the
generated signals via the connection(s) 116. Thus, the system 100
may enable delivering satellite data to the mobile device 110
without the data having to traverse the WAN 120 or the broadband
connection 126. The wireless module 106 may also convey information
about the mobile device 110, and information about the satellite
content consumed by the mobile device 110, to the server 130 for
purposes of billing and/or usage tracking.
[0033] In an example implementation, content received via receive
module 104 and transmitted via wireless module 106 may remain
encrypted and/or scrambled from the satellite 102 to the mobile
device 110. The mobile device 110 may decrypt and/or descramble the
content using security keys and/or other information received from
the server 130. The mobile device 110 may get the key(s) and/or
other information from the server 130 via a connection to the
system 100 that is out-of-band with the connection 116.
Additionally or alternatively, the system 100 may relay the keys
from the server 130 to the mobile device 110 via the connection
116. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile device 110 may get
the key(s) and/or other information directly from the service
provider network 131 via a connection 136.
[0034] In another example implementation, content from the
satellite 102 to the receive module 104 may be encrypted and/or
scrambled using a first one or more algorithms and/or keys, and
content from the system 100 to the mobile device 110 may be
encrypted and/or scrambled using a second one or more algorithms
and/or keys. The receive module 104 may descramble and/or decrypt
the content using (e.g., using information obtained from the server
130 and/or contained in secure hardware of the system 100). The
system 100 may then encrypt and/or scramble the content using a
second one or more algorithms and/or keys prior to transmitting the
content to the mobile device 110. The mobile device 110 may decrypt
and/or descramble the content using keys received from the server
130. The mobile device 110 may get the key(s) and/or other
information from the server 130 via a connection that is
out-of-band with the connection 116. Additionally or alternatively,
the system 100 may relay the keys from the server 130 to the mobile
device 110 via the connection 116.
[0035] FIG. 2 depicts an example implementation of the system of
FIG. 1 in which the system comprises a basestation, such as, for
example, a small-cell (e.g., femtocell or picocell) base station.
In FIG. 2, the system 100 comprises a satellite dish assembly 202,
and a gateway 214. The subassembly 204 comprises a feed horn 212,
an IP-LNB module 224, a cellular basestation module 226, a routing
module 230, an Ethernet transceiver module 228, and a wireless
transceiver 232. The various modules of the subassembly 204 may
reside in one or more housings, on one or more printed circuit
boards, and/or one or more integrated circuits (e.g., one or more
silicon dice).
[0036] In the example implementation depicted, the satellite dish
assembly 202 comprises a parabolic reflector 206 and a subassembly
204 mounted (e.g., bolted or welded) to a support structure 208
which, in turn, comprises a boom 220 and attaches (e.g., via bolts)
to the premises 210 (e.g., to the roof). In another example
implementation, all or a portion of the modules 224, 226, 228, 230,
and 232 may be mounted to the premises separate from the satellite
dish (e.g., connected via wired and/or wireless connections), but
may still be part of the "outdoor unit." In another example
implementation, all or a portion of the modules 224, 226, 228, 230,
and 232 may be part of the gateway 214 (or "indoor unit").
[0037] The IP-LNB module 224 may be an implementation of the
receive module 104 described above and may be as described in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/326,125, which is incorporated
herein by reference, as set forth above. The nomenclature "IP-LNB"
indicates that the module 224 possesses capabilities beyond the
block downconversion of received satellite signals that is
performed by conventional LNBs. Functions performed by the IP-LNB
module 224 may comprise, for example, downconverting received
satellite signals, demodulating received satellite signals,
channelizing received satellite signals, and/or encapsulating data
recovered from received satellite signals into IP packets.
[0038] The routing module 230 may be an implementation of the
routing module 124 described above. Functions performed by the
routing module 230 may comprise routing of data between the IP-LNB
module 224, the cellular basestation module 226, and the Ethernet
transceiver module 228. Although an implementation in which the
routing module supports IP-based routing is described herein, any
suitable protocols (e.g., Ethernet, PCIe, USB, etc.) can be
utilized for communication of data between modules 224, 226, 228,
230, and 232.
[0039] The Ethernet transceiver module 228 may be an implementation
of the wired module 108 described above. Functions performed by the
module 228 may comprise encapsulation of data from the routing
module 230 into Ethernet frames and transmission of the Ethernet
frames onto the cable(s) 114 in accordance with Ethernet protocols.
Additionally or alternatively, functions performed by the module
228 may comprise reception of Ethernet frames via the cable(s) 114,
processing of the Ethernet frames to recover data carried therein
(e.g., IP packets), and conveyance of the recovered data to the
routing module 230.
[0040] The combination of the small-cell basestation module 226 and
the wireless module 232 may be an implementation of the wireless
module 106 described above. Functions performed by the basestation
module 226 may comprise communication with cellular-enabled
user-equipment (e.g., handsets, tablets, and/or laptops) that are
within communication range of the basestation 226. The basestation
module 226 may be operable to receive data via one or more cellular
connections 116, process the received data, and output the data to
the routing module 230 in the form of one or more IP packets.
Similarly, the small-cell basestation 226 may be operable to
receive IP packets from the routing module 230, process the IP
packets, and transmit signals carrying the IP packets (or their
contents) via one or more connections 116.
[0041] Functions performed by the wireless module 232 may comprise
accessing the security and/or billing server 130 via the wireless
connection 134 between the wireless module 106 of the system 100
and the wireless module 132 which provides wireless connectivity to
the server 130. The amount of bandwidth needed for communicating
billing and/or security information over the connection 134 may be
small relative to the amount of bandwidth needed for communicating
content over the connection(s) 116. Accordingly, in an example
implementation, the module 226 may utilize, for example, 4.sup.th
generation protocols such as LTE whereas the wireless module 232
may utilize, for example, 2.5 or 3.sup.rd generation protocols such
as EDGE, HSPA, or EVDO.
[0042] The gateway 214 may be an implementation of module 112
described above. Functions performed by the gateway 214 may
comprise reception, processing, and transmission of data. The
gateway 214 may transmit and/or receive data to and/or from the
system 100 (via cable(s) 114), the WAN 120 (via WAN connection
126), and/or one or more client devices 122 (via one or more
connections 234). For data from the module 228 to a client device
122, the gateway 214 may recover the data from Ethernet frames
received over the cable(s) 114 and output the data to the client
device 122. For data from the client device 122 and/or gateway 114
to the module 228, the gateway 214 may encapsulate the data in one
or more Ethernet frames and output the frames onto the cable(s)
114. For data between the WAN 120 and the module 228, the gateway
214 may perform OSI layer-2 switching and/or OSI layer-3 routing.
Although the implementation shown in FIG. 2 uses wired connections
between the gateway 214 and module 228, and between the gateway 214
and WAN 120, other may utilize wireless connections. Although the
gateway 214 is depicted as separate from the system 100, in other
implementations at least a portion of the system 100 may reside in
and/or be implemented by the gateway 214.
[0043] In operation, the mobile device 110 within the coverage area
of the basestation module 226 may connect to the basestation module
226 and request satellite content. In response to the request for
content, the system 100 may communicate with the server 130 to
verify that the mobile device 110 is authorized to receive the
requested content, and to provide information to the server 130 so
that that an account associated with the mobile device 110 can be
billed for the requested content and/or for the bandwidth utilized
in receiving the content. The system 100 may communicate with the
server 130 via the wireless module 232, the connection 134, and the
wireless module 132. Additionally or alternatively, the system 100
may communicate with the server 130 via the module 228, cable 114,
gateway 214, and WAN 120.
[0044] Upon receiving an indication from the server 130 that the
mobile device 110 is authorized to receive the content that it is
requesting, the module 224 may tune to the portion of the satellite
spectrum carrying the requested content, and process the received
satellite signal to output the requested content to the routing
module 230 which may convey it to the module 226. The content may
be output, for example, in the form of an MPEG transport stream
encapsulated in an IP packet stream. The basestation module 226 may
then further process the IP packet stream as necessary and transmit
it to the device 110.
[0045] In this manner, content may be delivered to the mobile
device 110 without the content having to traverse the WAN 120 or
the connection 126. Thus, in instances that the system 100
communicates with the server 130 via connection 126 and WAN 120,
content may be delivered to the mobile device 110 while only adding
a small amount of billing and/or security traffic to the WAN 120.
Moreover, in instances that the system 100 communicates with the
server 130 via connection 134, media content may be delivered to
mobile device 110 without putting any load on the connection 126 or
WAN 120, thus enabling delivery of the content even when the
broadband connection 126 and/or WAN 120 are unavailable.
Scrambling, descrambling, encrypting, and/or decrypting of the
content for delivery to the mobile device 110 may be as described
below with respect to one or both of FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0046] In an exemplary embodiment, the mobile device 110 may belong
to a first satellite subscriber and the satellite dish assembly 302
may be installed at the home of a second satellite subscriber.
Thus, aspects of the present disclosure may enable the first
subscriber to receive satellite content to which he has subscribed
via another subscriber's satellite dish assembly.
[0047] FIG. 3 depicts an example implementation of the system of
FIG. 1 in which the system comprises a basestation such as, for
example, a macrocell basestation. In FIG. 3, the system 100
includes a basestation 306 and a satellite dish assembly 302 that,
in turn, comprises a subassembly 304. In the example implementation
shown in FIG. 3, the combination of the wireless module 232 and the
basestation 306 may be an implementation of the wireless module 106
described above. Similarly, the routing module 330 may be an
implementation of the routing module 124 described above, the
wireless transceiver 232 may be as described above, the module 228
may be as described above, and the module 112 may be as described
above. The routing module 330 may be operable to selectively route
data and/or signals between the modules 224, 232, 228, and the
basestation 306.
[0048] In operation, the mobile device 110 within the coverage area
of the basestation 306 may connect to the basestation 306 and
request content that is broadcast by the satellite 102. The
basestation 306 may send the request to the subassembly 304, which
may then communicate with a billing and/or security server (via
connection 134 and/or via WAN 120) to enable verification that the
mobile device 110 is authorized to receive the requested content,
and to provide information to the server 130 so that that an
account associated with the mobile device 110 can be billed for the
requested content.
[0049] Upon receiving an indication from the server 130 that the
mobile device 110 is authorized to receive the content that it is
requesting, the module 224 may tune to the portion of the satellite
spectrum carrying the requested content, and process the received
satellite signal to output the requested content to the routing
module 230 which may convey it to the basestation 306. The content
may be output, for example, in the form of an MPEG transport stream
encapsulated in an IP packet stream. The basestation 306 may then
further process the IP packet stream as necessary and transmit it
to the mobile device 110.
[0050] In this manner, content may be delivered to the mobile
device 110 without the content having to traverse the WAN 120 or
the connection 126. Thus, in instances that the system 100
communicates with the server 130 via connection 126 and WAN 120,
content may be delivered to the mobile device 110 while only adding
a small amount of billing and/or security traffic to the WAN 120.
Moreover, in instances that the system 100 communicates with the
server 130 via connection 134, media content may be delivered to
mobile device 110 without putting any load on the connection 126 or
WAN 120, thus enabling deliver of the content even when the
broadband connection 26 and/or WAN 120 are unavailable. Scrambling,
descrambling, encrypting, and/or decrypting of the content for
delivery to the mobile device 110 may be as described below with
respect to one or both of FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0051] FIG. 4 depicts another example implementation of the system
of FIG. 1. Shown in FIG. 4 are the routing module 240, the IP-LNB
module 224, and the gateway 214 described above. Also shown are: a
headend 410 and cellular core network 412 which are part of the WAN
120; and example components of the wireless module 232 which may
be, for example, a macrocell or small-cell basestation, and which
includes an analog front end (AFE) 406, packet processing module
404, port filtering module 402, and controller 408.
[0052] The controller 408 may be operable to control operation of
the wireless module 232. This may comprise, for example, executing
an operating system and generating signals which may control
operation of various modules of the wireless module 232.
[0053] The packet processing module 404 may be operable to
encapsulate, decapsulate, encode, decode, and/or otherwise process
packets in accordance with communication protocols being used for
communicating with the routing module 240 and in accordance with
communication protocols being used for communicating via the
connection(s) 116. In this manner, data received from the routing
module 240 may be made suitable for communication via the
connection(s) 116 and data received via the connection(s) 116 may
be made suitable for communication to the routing module 240.
[0054] The AFE 204 may perform upconversion, modulation,
amplification, digital-to-analog conversion, and/or any other
suitable processing functions for receiving digital data from the
packet processing module 404 and generating RF signals to
communicate the data wirelessly. Similarly, the AFE 204 may perform
downconversion, demodulation, amplification, analog-to-digital
conversion, and/or any other suitable processing functions for
recovering data from received RF signals and conveying the data to
the packet processing module 404.
[0055] The traffic filtering module 402 may be operable to inspect
traffic input to the wireless module 232 from the routing module
240 to determine whether the traffic is approved for communication
via the cellular connection(s) 116. The filtering module 402 may,
for example, comprise a table of authorized IP addresses, TCP/UDP
ports, and/or some other identifiers for determining which traffic
is authorized. In an example implementation, an identifier of the
IP-LNB module 224 may be programmed into the filtering module 402
after authenticating the IP-LNB module 224. Thereafter, the
filtering module 402 may accept traffic from the IP-LNB module 224
as well as traffic from the cellular core network 412 (received via
the headend 410 and gateway 214). Traffic not identified as coming
from either of these sources may be dropped.
[0056] The traffic filtering module 402 may also be operable to
keep track of traffic traversing the wireless module 232. This
information may be provided to the server 130 for billing accounts
for consumed satellite content and/or for billing cellular accounts
for use of the basestations 226's bandwidth.
[0057] The headend 410 may be operable to provide the gateway 214
with access to the WAN 120 (and thus the cellular core network
412). In an implementation, the headend 410 may be operable to
detect and log traffic communicated over the WAN connection 414.
For example, the headend 410 may keep track of the amount of
traffic identified as being associated with the IP-LNB module 224,
the basestation 226, and/or the cellular core network 412. Such
information may be, for example, provided to the server 130 for
billing cellular customers, cellular providers, satellite
customers, and/or satellite providers for use of the connection
414.
[0058] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating example steps for billing
and content protection in a system that delivers satellite content
to mobile devices. The steps begin with step 502 in which the
mobile device 110 wirelessly connects to system 100 and requests
content which is broadcast by the satellite 102. In step 504, the
system 100 authenticates the device 100. Authentication may
comprise, for example, the mobile device 110 providing billing
information such as a password, a certificate, a unique identifier,
an account number, etc. and the system 100 relaying this
information to the server 130. In step 506, the system 100 connects
to the server 130 (e.g., via WAN 120 and/or wireless connection 134
that bypasses the WAN 120) and provides info about the mobile
device 110 and/or the requested content to the server 130. In step
508, the system 100 communicates with the server 130 to determine
whether the mobile device 110 is authorized to receive the
requested content. If not, then in step 510, the request for
content is denied.
[0059] Returning to step 508, if the mobile device 110 is
authorized to receive the requested content, then the steps proceed
to step 512. In step 512, the system 100 retrieves security info
from the server 130. In this regard, the satellite 102 may transmit
the requested content in the form of a scrambled and/or encrypted
transport stream. The security info retrieved in step 512 may
comprise keys and/or certificates for decrypting and/or
descrambling the transport stream.
[0060] In step 514, the system 100 securely transmits the security
info retrieved in step 512 to the mobile device 110. In step 516,
the system 100 processes received satellite signals to recover the
scrambled and/or encrypted transport stream carrying the requested
content. In step 518, the system 100 transmits the transport stream
to the mobile device 110. In step 520, an account associated with
the mobile device 110 is updated to reflect the delivery of the
requested content to the device 110. In step 522, the mobile device
110 uses the security info received in step 514 to decrypt and/or
descramble the transport stream, such that the mobile device 110
can then further process the transport stream and present the
content (e.g., via a display and/or speakers).
[0061] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating example steps for billing
and content security in a system that delivers satellite content to
mobile devices. The steps begin with step 602 in which the mobile
device 110 wirelessly connects to system 100 and requests content
which is broadcast by the satellite 102. In step 604, the system
100 authenticates the device 100. Authentication may comprise, for
example, the mobile device 110 providing billing information such
as a password, a certificate, a unique identifier, an account
number, etc., and the server 130 determining (e.g., using
information received via system 100) that the device 110 is
associated with a cellular and/or satellite account such that it is
authorized to receive content via the module 232. In step 606, the
system 100 connects to the server 130 (e.g., via WAN 120 and/or
wireless connection 134 that bypasses the WAN 120) and provides
info about the mobile device 110 and/or the requested content to
the server 130. In step 608 the system 100 communicates with the
server 130 to determine whether the mobile device 110 is authorized
to receive the requested content. If not, then in step 610, the
request for content is denied.
[0062] Returning to step 608, if the mobile device 110 is
authorized to receive the requested content, then the steps proceed
to step 612. In step 612, the system 100 processes received
satellite signals to recover the transport stream(s) carrying the
requested content. The processing may include decrypting and/or
descrambling the transport stream(s). In an exemplary
implementation, such decrypting and/or descrambling may be
performed via a hardware-based conditional access subsystem in the
system 100.
[0063] In step 614, the system may perform a key exchange with the
mobile device 110. In step 618, the system 100 transmits the
encrypted and/or scrambled transport stream to the device 110. In
step 620, an account associated with the mobile device 110 is
updated to reflect the delivery of the requested content to the
mobile device 110. In step 622, the mobile device 110 decrypts
and/or descrambles the transport stream using keys determined in
step 614.
[0064] FIG. 7A depicts an example implementation in which
mobile-formatted content is transmitted on one or more dedicated
satellite channels using softCAS. Referring to FIG. 7A, there is a
shown satellite 702 transmitting a signal 704, a satellite dish
706, an IP-LNB 708, a wireless module 710, wireless connection 712,
a mobile device 714, a wireless connection 716, backhaul network
718, residential gateway 722, and a cache 726 connected to the
gateway via connection 724.
[0065] The satellite dish 706 may comprise, for example, a
parabolic reflector and feed horn. The IP-LNB 708 may be an
implementation of the module 104 described above and may be similar
to the ILNB 224 described above. The wireless module 710 may be an
implementation of the module 106 described above and may be similar
to the modules 226, 232, and/or 306 described above. The mobile
device 714 may be similar to the device 110 described above. The
backhaul network 718 may be similar to the WAN 120 described above.
The residential gateway 722 may be an implementation of the module
112 described above and may be similar to the gateway 214 described
above. The residential gateway 722 may typically, but not
necessarily, reside inside the satellite customers premises (e.g.,
home or office).
[0066] The cache 726 may comprise, for example, a digital video
recorder, file server, and/or other computing device operable to
store and playback media content. In an example implementation,
regular and/or mobile formatted content received from the satellite
702 and/or from the backhaul network 718 may be stored in the cache
726. In response to a request for cached content from the mobile
device 714, the gateway 722 may be read content out of the cache
726 and convey content to the wireless module 710 which may, in
turn, transmit the content to the mobile device 714.
[0067] In operation, the satellite dish 706 may receive the signal
704 from the satellite 702 and convey the signal to the IP-LNB 708
for processing. The signal 704 may comprise one or more channels
that are dedicated for carrying mobile-formatted content. For
example, a selected one or more television networks or programs may
be transcoded and encrypted using softCAS techniques prior to being
transmitted by the satellite 702. In an example implementation,
because the mobile-formatted content may have a lower bitrate than
the conventionally formatted content, multiple streams of
mobile-formatted content (e.g., multiple television networks or
programs) may be multiplexed onto a single satellite channel which
would conventionally carry only a single stream of content (e.g., a
single television network or program).
[0068] A stream of mobile-formatted content may be output by the
IP-LNB module 708 to the wireless module 710. The wireless module
710 may, in turn, transmit the content to the mobile device 714 via
the connection 712. The mobile device may utilize softCAS keys to
decrypt the content and display it to its user.
[0069] In one example implementation ("option 1"), the mobile
device 714 may get the softCAS keys from the wireless module 710
which, in turn, gets them from the backhaul network via the gateway
722. In such an implementation, validation of the mobile device 714
(i.e., determining that the mobile device 714 is permitted to
access the mobile-formatted content), may be performed via the
wireless module 710 and gateway 722.
[0070] In another example implementation ("option 2"), the mobile
device 714 may get the softCAS keys, and be validated, via a
cellular connection to the network 718 that does not include the
wireless module 710 and/or the gateway 722.
[0071] FIG. 7B depicts an example implementation in which satellite
content transmitted using hardCAS is transcoded for mobile delivery
by the system of FIG. 1. Each of the satellite 702, the satellite
dish 706, the IP-LNB 708, the wireless module 710, the mobile
device 714, the network 718, and the cache 726 may be as described
above with reference to FIG. 7A.
[0072] The gateway 732 may be similar to the gateway 722 described
with reference to FIG. 7A but may additionally perform functions of
terminating hardCAS and/or transcoding of received content to
generate a mobile-formatted version of the content.
[0073] In operation, a signal 734 carrying content protected with a
hardCAS system may be received via the dish 706 and conveyed to the
IP-LNB 708. The IP-LNB may, in turn, forward the content to the
gateway 732 where the hardCAS may be terminated. Optionally, after
terminating the hardCAS, the gateway 732 may transcode the content
to generate mobile-formatted content. Also optionally, the content
may be re-encrypted and/or otherwise protected using key and/or
certificate based digital rights management (DRM) protection. The
content, which may be transcoded and/or DRM protected, may then be
conveyed to the wireless module 710 which may, in turn, transmit
the content to the mobile device 714 via connection 712. If the
content is DRM protected, the keys may be communicated to the
device via connection 712 after validating the device. The
validation of the device 714 may be via the gateway 732 and
wireless module 710. The connection 716 may be utilized for
conventional cellular communications with the mobile device 714. In
an example implementation, the connections 712 and 716 may coexist
such that the mobile device 714 can, for example, receive media
content via the connection 712 while concurrently communicating
with a cellular basestation that is not the module 710.
[0074] Other implementations may provide a non-transitory computer
readable medium and/or storage medium, and/or a non-transitory
machine readable medium and/or storage medium, having stored
thereon, a machine code and/or a computer program having at least
one code section executable by a machine and/or a computer, thereby
causing the machine and/or computer to perform the steps as
described herein for content protection and billing for mobile
delivery of satellite content.
[0075] Accordingly, the present method and/or apparatus may be
realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and
software. The present method and/or apparatus may be realized in a
centralized fashion in at least one computing system, or in a
distributed fashion where different elements are spread across
several interconnected computing systems. Any kind of computing
system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods
described herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware and
software may be a general-purpose computing system with a program
or other code that, when being loaded and executed, controls the
computing system such that it carries out the methods described
herein. Another typical implementation may comprise an application
specific integrated circuit or chip.
[0076] The present method and/or apparatus may also be embedded in
a computer program product, which comprises all the features
enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and
which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these
methods. Computer program in the present context means any
expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of
instructions intended to cause a system having an information
processing capability to perform a particular function either
directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion to
another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different
material form.
[0077] While the present method and/or apparatus has been described
with reference to certain implementations, it will be understood by
those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and
equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of
the present method and/or apparatus. In addition, many
modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or
material to the teachings of the present disclosure without
departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the
present method and/or apparatus not be limited to the particular
implementations disclosed, but that the present method and/or
apparatus will include all implementations falling within the scope
of the appended claims.
* * * * *