Mobile ATSC 3.0 receiver as remote antenna
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for improving signal quality in a relatively fixed ATSC 3.0 device are described including accepting a channel selection, establishing communication with all ATSC 3.0 devices in a premises, polling each portable ATSC 3.0 device to obtain signal quality information, selecting one or more of the portable ATSC 3.0 devices to receive a signal, receiving IP packetized data related to a program on the selected channel from the one or more selected portable ATSC 3.0 devices to improve signal quality at the relatively fixed ATSC 3.0 device and combining the received IP packetized data received from the one or more selected portable ATSC 3.0 devices with a signal of the relatively fixed ATSC 3.0 device to form a combined signal for rendering a program on the selected channel.
1. A method, said method comprising:
accepting, at a receiving device, a channel selection from a user;
transmitting, from said receiving device, a request to establish communications with a mobile device;
establishing communications with said mobile device;
transmitting, from said receiving device, a request to said mobile device for signal quality information, said signal quality information associated with said selected channel;
receiving first program data at said receiving device on said selected channel;
receiving second program data at said receiving device from said mobile device, said second program data including data related to first program data received on said selected channel; and
combining said second program data received from said mobile device with said first program data received by said receiving device on said selected channel to form a combined signal for rendering a program on said receiving device;
wherein said second program data received from said mobile device is determined based on said channel selection.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining a database, the database comprising a list of all mobile devices in a premises and an indication, for each mobile device, whether said mobile devices are unused;
establishing communications with all mobile devices in said premises;
polling each mobile device in said premises to obtain signal quality information for said selected channel; and
selecting, based on said indication whether said mobile devices are unused, at least one of said mobile devices from which to receive said second program data.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said receiving device is a TV.
4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said mobile device is one of a cell phone or a tablet.
5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said communications are established over a WiFi communications channel.
6. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
first determining if the receiving device has better signal quality, based on said signal quality information, than said mobile devices;
receiving said first program data from said receiving device responsive to said first determination;
second determining if said receiving device is a master device responsive to said first determination;
selecting at least one mobile device to receive second program data responsive to said second determination;
requesting said second program data;
receiving said second program data from said at least one selected mobile device to improve said signal quality at said receiving device;
combining said first program data from said receiving device with said second program data received from said at least one selected mobile device to form a combined signal for rendering on said receiving device;
further selecting a mobile device to receive said second program data;
third determining if said further selected mobile device has better signal quality than said receiving device;
responsive to said third determination, requesting said second program data from said further selected mobile device to improve said signal quality at said receiving device responsive to said third determination;
receiving said second program data; and
combining said second program data received from said further selected mobile device with said first program data received from said receiving device to form a combined signal for rendering on said receiving device.
7. A receiving device, comprising:
a user interface, said user interface configured to accept a channel selection at said receiving device;
a communications interface, said communications interface configured to: transmit a request to establish communications with a mobile device, establish communications with said mobile device, transmit a request to said mobile device for signal quality information, receive first program data on said selected channel, and receive second program data at said receiving device from said mobile device, wherein said second program data includes data related to said first program data received on said selected channel, and wherein said signal quality information is associated with said selected channel; and
a combination module, said combination module configured to combine said second program data received from said mobile device with said first program data received by said receiving device on said selected channel to form a combined signal for rendering a program on said receiving device,
wherein said second program data received from said mobile device is determined based on said channel selection.
8. The receiving device of claim 7 , wherein:
said receiving device maintains a database comprising a list of all mobile devices in a premises and an indication, for each mobile device, whether said mobile devices are unused;
said communications interface establishes communications with all mobile devices in said database, said communications interface in bi-directional communications with said user interface;
wherein said communications interface polls each mobile device in said premises to obtain signal quality information for said selected channel; and
wherein a mobile device selection module selects, based on said indication whether said mobile devices are unused, at least one of said mobile devices from which to receive said second program data.
9. The receiving device according to claim 8 , wherein said receiving device is a TV.
10. The receiving device according to claim 8 , wherein said mobile device is one of a cell phone or a tablet.
11. The receiving device according to claim 8 , wherein said communications are established over a WiFi communications channel.
12. The receiving device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
said communications interface first determining if the receiving device has better signal quality, based on said signal quality information, than said mobile devices;
said communications interface receiving said first program data from said receiving device responsive to said first determination;
said mobile device selection module second determining if said receiving device is a master device responsive to said first determination;
said mobile device selection module selecting at least one mobile device to receive said second program data responsive to said second determination;
said mobile device selection module requesting said second program data;
said communications interface, receiving said second program data from said at least one selected mobile device to improve said signal quality at said receiving device;
a combination module, said combination module combining said first program data from said receiving device with said second program data received from said at least one selected mobile device to form a combined signal for rendering on said receiving device;
said mobile device selection module further selecting a mobile device to receive said second program data;
said mobile device selection module third determining if said further selected mobile device has better signal quality than said receiving device;
said communications interface requesting said second program data from said further selected mobile device to improve said signal quality at said receiving device responsive to said third determination;
said communications interface receiving said second program data; and
said combination module combining said second program data received from said further selected mobile device with said first program data received from said receiving device to form a combined signal for rendering on said receiving device.