Active Antenna System for Distributing Over the Air Content

A method for distributing over the air (OTA) content over a network, comprising:

• receiving, at a network access point, a media signal associated with media content from an OTA antenna system via a removable connection, the OTA antenna system capable of being tuned to a plurality of channels, the OTA antenna system comprising a modal antenna configurable in a plurality of antenna modes, each antenna mode associated with a distinct radiation pattern;
• determining a selected channel of the plurality of channels;
• determining a selected mode of the plurality of antenna modes based at least in a part on a weighting factor associated with the selected channel and with the selected mode of the modal antenna;
• communicating a control signal from the network access point to the OTA antenna system via the removable connection to configure the modal antenna in the selected mode of the plurality of antenna modes;
• and
• communicating, by the network access point, media content associated with the OTA signal to a client device via a network communication link.

An antenna system for use in distributing over the air (OTA) content, the antenna system comprising:

• a modal antenna configurable in a plurality of antenna modes, each antenna mode associated with a distinct radiation pattern, the modal antenna configured to receive an OTA signal associated with media content;
• a control circuit configured to tune the antenna system to one of a plurality of channels;
• a connector configured to form a removable connection and receive and transmit signals through the removable connection;
• and
• one or more non-transitory memory devices storing computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by one or more processors of a network access point to which the antenna system is connected by the removable connection, cause the antenna system to perform operations comprising:
• communicating, to the network access point, data indicative of computer-readable instructions comprising:
• detecting connection of the antenna system to the network access point via the removable connection;
• establishing a database of weighting factors respective to each of the plurality of antenna modes and each of the plurality of channels;
• communicating a control signal from the network access point to the OTA antenna system via the removable connection to configure the modal antenna in a selected mode of the plurality of antenna modes for a selected channel of the plurality of channels, the selected mode determined based at least in part on the database of weighting factors and the selected channel;
• receiving a signal associated with media content of the selected channel from the OTA antenna system via the removable connection;
• and
• communicating the media content of the selected channel via a network communication link to one or more client devices;
• subsequent to communicating the data indicative of instructions, receiving, from the network access point, the control signal, the control signal comprising data indicative of the selected mode and the selected channel;
• configuring the modal antenna in the selected mode;
• tuning the antenna system to the selected channel;
• and
• communicating the signal associated with media content of the selected channel to the network access point via the removable connection.