Dynamic disaster recovery

• US 20070230902A1
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Masstech Group Inc (Telestream Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Masstech Group Inc (Telestream Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Shen, Sudy, Ewing, David
• Application Number:
  US11/731,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230902A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6371 directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6473 Monitoring network processes errors for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64761 directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a system and method for recovery of a broadcast source. Television data is received from the source and encoded. The encoded television data is stored by either (1) appending the encoded television data to programs on a data storage or (2) overwriting an oldest program with the encoded television data if the data storage does not have capacity to append. The source is monitored for a broadcast failure. As long as the broadcast source is operational, television data is received, encoded, and stored. Once a broadcast failure is detected, selected programs on the data storage are decoded and broadcast. This decoding and broadcasting continues until the broadcast failure at the broadcast source is repaired.

Claims

1. A method for recovery of a broadcast source, the method comprising:

receiving television data from the broadcast source;

encoding the television data to create an encoded television data;

storing the encoded television data on a data storage, wherein the step of storing the encoded television includes appending the encoded television data to programs on the data storage if the data storage includes capacity to store the encoded television data, or overwriting an oldest program with the encoded television data if the data storage does not have capacity to append the encoded television data;

monitoring the broadcast source for a broadcasting failure;

continuing receiving television data, encoding the television data, and storing the encoded television data until the broadcasting failure is detected;

decoding a selected program on the data storage and broadcasting the selected program; and

continuing decoding and broadcasting selected programs on the data storage until the broadcasting failure at the broadcast source is repaired.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the received television data is directly routed for encoding.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein encoding compresses the television data into one of files or segments for storing.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein encoding includes encoding in a public standard format.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the format meets selected requirements for speed, image quality, and data compactness.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the encoding includes simultaneous encoding a plurality of television data from multiple television data streams.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the plurality of television data includes television data from four television channels.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing is performed at times during the encoding.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the decoding is performed at times exclusive of the encoding.

10. The method of claim 1 and further comprising receiving metadata corresponding to the television data, wherein the metadata is used to determine oldest program and the selected program.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising storing the metadata in a data structure exclusive of the data storage.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast failure is detected automatically.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein broadcasting the decoded program includes providing the decoded program to a transmitter.

14. A system suitable for recovery of a broadcast source, the system comprising:

a data storage device;

an encoder/decoder module including encoder and decoder circuit boards and operably coupled to the data storage device, wherein the encoder/decoder module selectively receives and encodes television data into a selected format to create an encoded television data, and presents the encoded television data to the data storage device;

an interface for receiving selected inputs provided to the system including information related to the broadcast source regarding a broadcast failure;

a system controller operably coupled to the encoder/decoder module, the data storage device, and the interface, wherein the system controller monitors data flow through encoder/decoder module, organizes the storage of data within the storage device, and receives input from the interface;

wherein upon the broadcast failure the system controller effects a system mode change such that selected encoded television data on the storage device is decoded in the encoder/decoder for broadcast until the broadcast failure is repaired.

15. The system of claim 14 and further comprising an input/output module coupled to the encoder/decoder module for receiving the television data and outputting the decoded encoded television data.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the system controller comprises a central control module operably, and the system controller further comprises a configuration module operably coupled to the central control module, a monitoring and switching module operably coupled to the encoder/decoder module and the central control module, a record management module operably coupled to the central control module, and a playout control module operably coupled to the data storage and the central control module.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the interface provides an automatic signal to the system controller indicating a broadcast failure.

18. A system for use with recovering a broadcast source, the system comprising:

means for selectively receiving television data;

means for creating an encoded television data from the television data;

means for storing the encoded television data in a selected procedure;

means for detecting a broadcast failure of the broadcast source; and

means for outputting selected decoded television data until the failure of the broadcast failure is repaired.