Method and apparatus for an energy-efficient receiver
View Patent ↗One or more circuits may comprise at least one first-type analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and at least one second-type ADC. The circuit(s) may be operable to receive a plurality of signals, each of which may comprise a plurality of channels. The circuit(s) may be operable to digitize a selected one or more of the channels. Which, if any, of the selected channels are digitized via the at least one first-type ADC and which, if any, of the selected channels are digitized via the at least one second-type ADC, may be based on which of the plurality of channels are the selected channels and/or based on power consumption of the circuit(s). A bandwidth of each first-type ADC may be on the order of the bandwidth of one of the received signals. A bandwidth of each second-type ADC may be on the order of the bandwidth of one of the plurality of channels.
1. A system comprising:
a satellite television receiver comprising a first amplifier, a plurality of signal processing paths, and a path selection circuitry, wherein:
said first amplifier is operable to amplify a band of frequencies of a signal from a first satellite television low-noise-block downconverter (LNB);
said band frequencies encompasses all satellite television channels which may be requested by one or more client devices served by said satellite television receiver;
a first one or more of said plurality of signal processing paths are operable to process only a portion of said band of frequencies;
a second one or more of said plurality of signal processing paths are operable to process all of said band of frequencies; and
said path selection circuitry is operable to select whether an output of said first amplifier is routed to said first one or more of said plurality of signal paths or to said second one or more of said plurality of signal paths.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said selection is based on how many of said satellite television channels are requested by said one or more client devices.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
said path selection circuitry is operable to select said first one or more paths when less than a threshold number of said satellite television channels are requested by said one or more client devices; and
said path selection circuitry is operable to select said second one or more paths when greater than said threshold number of said satellite television channels are requested by said one or more client devices.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
each of said first one or more of said plurality of processing paths comprises a narrowband analog-to-digital converter; and
each of said second one or more of said plurality of signal processing paths comprises a wideband analog-to-digital converter.
5. The system of claim 1 , comprising a wideband mixer, and a plurality of narrowband mixers.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
said output of said amplifier is downconverted by one or more of said narrowband mixers when said first one or more signal processing paths are selected; and
said output of said amplifier is downconverted by said wideband mixer when said second one or more signal processing paths are selected.
7. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
said wideband mixer is part of said second one or more signal processing paths; and
said plurality of narrowband mixers are part of said first one or more signal processing paths.
8. The system of claim 5 , wherein outputs of said wideband mixer and said plurality of narrowband mixers are inputs to said path selection circuitry.
9. The system of claim 1 , comprising a second amplifier operable to amplify said band of frequencies of a signal from a second satellite LNB, wherein said path selection circuitry is operable to select whether an output of said second amplifier is routed to said first one or more of said plurality of signal paths or to said second one or more of said plurality of signal paths.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said band of frequencies spans from 950 MHz to 2150 MHz.
11. A method comprising:
in a satellite television receiver comprising a first amplifier, a plurality of signal processing paths, and a path selection circuitry:
amplifying, by said first amplifier, a band of frequencies of a signal from a first satellite television low-noise-block downconverter (LNB), wherein:
said band frequencies encompasses all satellite television channels which may be requested by one or more client devices served by said satellite television receiver;
a first one or more of said plurality of signal processing paths are operable to process only a portion of said band of frequencies; and
a second one or more of said plurality of signal processing paths are operable to process all of said band of frequencies;
selecting, by said path selection circuitry, whether an output of said first amplifier is routed to said first one or more of said plurality of signal paths or to said second one or more of said plurality of signal paths.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said selecting is based on how many of said satellite television channels are requested by said one or more client devices.
13. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
selecting, by said path selection circuitry, said first one or more paths when less than a threshold number of said satellite television channels are requested by said one or more client devices, and said second one or more paths when greater than said threshold number of said satellite television channels are requested by said one or more client devices.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
each of said first one or more of said plurality of processing paths comprises a narrowband analog-to-digital converter; and
each of said second one or more of said plurality of signal processing paths comprises a wideband analog-to-digital converter.
15. The method of claim 11 , comprising a wideband mixer, and a plurality of narrowband mixers.
16. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
downconverting said output of said amplifier using one or more of said narrowband mixers when said first one or more signal processing paths are selected; and
downconverting said output of said amplifier using said wideband mixer when said second one or more signal processing paths are selected.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
said wideband mixer is part of said second one or more signal processing paths; and
said plurality of narrowband mixers are part of said first one or more signal processing paths.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein outputs of said wideband mixer and said plurality of narrowband mixers are input to said path selection circuitry.
19. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
amplifying, by a second amplifier, said band of frequencies of a signal from a second satellite LNB; and
selecting, by said path selection circuitry, whether an output of said second amplifier is routed to said first one or more of said plurality of signal paths or to said second one or more of said plurality of signal paths.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein said band of frequencies spans from 950 MHz to 2150 MHz.