ADVANCED WIRELESS IPTV SET TOP BOX
An advanced wireless IP STB is provided with multiple built-in antennas capable of capturing plural downstream transmissions simultaneously on dedicated receivers using different modem technologies without the use of wires to the home. The proposed solution facilitates the advanced wireless IP STB being able to receive multiply sourced data traffic, including, for example, IPTV, digital TV, web TV, radio web, internet chat: written, voice and video, GPS tracking locator signals, media player web support, web based video gaming, You Tube and the like video streaming, TV surveillance, video intercom surveillance, and much more. The advanced wireless IP STB is configured to be able to establish a broadband (internet) session through previously assigned or negotiated channel assignments between one or more modems and plural remote wireless infrastructures widely deployed in a municipality, such as WIMAX. LTE, WCDMA, CDMA 1×, TDSCMA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, 5G or the like.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of antennas;
a plurality of modems, wherein each modem is communicatively coupled to a corresponding antenna, and wherein each modem is configured to:
receive radio frequency (RF) signals from the corresponding antenna; and
process the received RF signals according to a different respective wireless communication standard; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the modems, wherein the processor is configured to:
establish, using the antennas and modems, a plurality of wireless network links between the apparatus and at least one wireless data network;
obtain, through at least some of the wireless network links, data from at least one internet television (IPTV) provider communicatively coupled to at least one of the wireless data networks;
determine IPTV signals based on the data obtained from the IPTV providers; and
transmit output signals corresponding to the IPTV signals to a device communicatively coupled to the apparatus;
wherein the apparatus is a set top box.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a wireless transmitter communicatively coupled to the processor; and
wherein the processor is configured to transmit, using the wireless transmitter, the output signals to the device.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network links are established over a plurality of cellular radio channels.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication standards include at least one of LTE, WiMAX, CMDA 1×, TDSCMA, GSM, DPRS, and EDGE.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication standards include at least one of 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, and 5G.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
obtain, through at least some of the wireless network links, additional data from at least one content provider communicatively coupled to at least one of the wireless data networks, wherein the content providers are different than the IPTV providers; and
determine content data based on the data obtained from the content providers.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a wireless transmitter communicatively coupled to the processor; and
wherein the processor is configured to transmit, using the wireless transmitter, second output signals corresponding to the content data to a second device communicatively coupled to the apparatus.
8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the content data comprises at least one of a webpage, an e-mail message, video conferencing data, and voice over internet protocol (VOIP) data.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network links include at least one of a broadcast link, a unicast link, and a multicast link.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to establish the plurality of wireless network links between the apparatus and the wireless data networks based on a quality of service requirement.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to establish the plurality of wireless network links between the apparatus the wireless data networks based on data traffic.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the processor is configured to establish a plurality of wireless network links between the apparatus and at least two wireless data networks, wherein the wireless data networks are operated by at least two different network carriers.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the device is a computer or a television.
14 . A method of using a set top box having a plurality of modems and a plurality of antennas, wherein each modem is configured to receive radio frequency (RF) signals from a corresponding antenna and process the received RF signals according to a different respective wireless communication standard, the method comprising:
establishing, using the modems and antennas, a plurality of wireless network links between the set top box and at least one wireless data network;
obtaining, through at least some of the wireless network links, data from at least one internet television (IPTV) provider communicatively coupled to at least one of the wireless data networks;
determining IPTV signals based on the data obtained from the IPTV providers; and
transmitting output signals corresponding to the IPTV signals to a device communicatively coupled to the set top box.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein transmitting the output signals to the device comprises transmitting the output signals to the device using a wireless transmitter.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the wireless network links are established over a plurality of cellular radio channels.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the wireless communication standards include at least one of LTE, WiMAX, CMDA 1×, TDSCMA, GSM, DPRS, and EDGE.
18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the wireless communication standards include at least one of 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, and 5G.
19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
obtaining, through at least some of the wireless network links, additional data from at least one content provider communicatively coupled to at least one of the wireless data networks, wherein the content providers are different than the IPTV providers; and
determining content data based on the data obtained from the content providers.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising;
transmitting second output signals corresponding to the content data to a second device communicatively coupled to the set top box.
21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the content data comprises at least one of a webpage, an e-mail message, video conferencing data, and voice over internet protocol (VOIP) data.
22 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the wireless network links include at least one of a broadcast link, a unicast link, and a multicast link.
23 . The method of claim 14 , wherein establishing the plurality of wireless network links between the set top box and the wireless data networks comprises establishing the plurality of wireless network links between the set top box and the wireless data networks based on a quality of service requirement.
24 . The method of claim 14 , wherein establishing the plurality of wireless network links between the set top box and the wireless data networks comprises establishing the plurality of wireless network links between the set top box and the wireless data networks based on data traffic.
25 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
establishing a plurality of wireless network links between the set top box and at least two wireless data networks, wherein the wireless data networks are operated by at least two different network carriers.
26 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the device is a computer or a television.