Patent ID: 6574338
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: H04B,H04H

Abstract:
A system for transmitting and receiving broadcast programs, comprising:at least one terrestrial broadcast station for transmitting a plurality of different low-bandwidth broadcast programs and at least one high-bandwidth broadcast program; at least one satellite for receiving and retransmitting said low-bandwidth broadcast programs and said at least one high-bandwidth broadcast program, said retransmission occurring on at least one downlink signal in which different ones of said low-bandwidth broadcast programs are transmitted on different time-division multiplex (TDM) channels at the same carrier frequency of less than about 3000 MHz; and a broadcast receiver for receiving and reproducing said retransmitted low-bandwidth broadcast programs and said at least one retransmitted high-bandwidth broadcast program, said broadcast receiver including at least one demodulator for demodulating said downlink signal and a demultiplexer coupled to said demodulator for demultiplexing said TDM channels to reproduce said plurality of low-bandwidth broadcast programs; wherein said at least one downlink signal comprises a spot beam.