Remote monitoring and control method and apparatus for an information distribution system

• US 20020100054A1
• Filed: 12/11/2000
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gordon, Donald F., Bayrakeri, Sadik, Gershtein, Eugene, Son, Yong Ho, Feinberg, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,225,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

Techniques to remotely monitor and control operations performed by one or more head-ends (or servers) in an information distribution system. In one implementation, a monitor and control unit communicates with various elements (e.g., an IPG service manager and a session manager) within each head-end to receive information relating to the operations of the head-end. This information may include status and/or indications of possible error conditions relating to (1) various operations (e.g., encoding, multiplexing, and so on) performed by the head-end, and (2) the transport streams being transmitted from the head-end. The received information may then be forwarded to one or more remote devices (e.g., pagers, cellular phones, PDAs) designated to receive the information. Response messages may also be received from the remote devices and forwarded to the appropriate head-end, which may adjust its operation as indicated by commands included in the messages.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring, from a remote location, operation of a head-end in an information distribution system, the method comprising:

receiving status relating to one or more operations performed at the head-end; and

forwarding at least a subset of the received status to one or more remote devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving indications of possible error conditions relating to the one or more operations; and

forwarding one or more alert messages to the one or more remote devices in response to receiving the indications.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

polling the head-end for status relating to the one or more operations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving identities of the one or more remote devices designated to receive status.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an indication of capabilities of each remote device designated to receive status, and

wherein status are forwarded to each of the one or more remote devices in conformance with the indicated capabilities.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the indicated capabilities for each remote device is indicated as text, graphics, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a particular reporting level for each remote device designated to receive status, and

wherein status are forwarded to each of the one or more remote devices in conformance with the indicated reporting level.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response message from a particular remote device; and

forwarding the response message to the head-end.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the received message from the particular remote device includes a command to adjust at least one parameter of a particular operation performed at the head-end.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received status include status relating to encoding operations performed at the head-end.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the status relating to the encoding operations include status for one or more buffers used to stored encoded data at the head-end.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the received status include status relating to multiplexing operations performed at the head-end.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the received status include status relating to a particular transport stream transmitted from the head-end.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the received status include bit rates for a plurality of types of data being provided from the head-end.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more remote devices is a pager.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more remote devices is a cellular telephone.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more remote devices is a wireless device.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the status and messages are forwarded via a standard messaging protocol.

19. A method for monitoring, from a remote location, operation of a head-end in an information distribution system, the method comprising:

receiving information relating to one or more operations performed at the head-end, wherein the received information includes status and indications of possible error conditions relating to the one or more operations;

receiving identities of one or more remote devices designated to receive the information relating to the one or more operations; and

forwarding at least a subset of the received information to the one or more remote devices.

20. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling operation of a head-end in an information distribution system, comprising:

providing to one or more remote devices status relating to one or more operations performed at the head-end;

receiving from a particular remote device one or more response messages; and

adjusting at least one parameter of a particular operation performed at the head-end in accordance with the one or more response messages.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing to the one or more remote devices indications of possible error conditions relating to the one or more operations performed at the head-end.