Method and System for Switching to an Engineering Signal Processing System from a Production Signal Processing System

• US 20090067365A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mika, Jeanet C., Pham, Hoang D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,072,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for transitioning to a back-up or engineering signal processing system includes a remote facility having multiplexers and a primary signal processing system generating a first output signal, an IP network, and a plurality of local collection facilities generating a plurality of channel signals through a plurality of receiving circuit modules having respective encoders encoding the plurality of channel signals into a plurality of encoded signals. The plurality of local collection facilities communicating the plurality of encoded signals to the remote facility having a first signal processing system through the network. A first compression system controller is associated with the remote facility storing first configuration data for monitoring and controlling the plurality of receiving circuit modules and the multiplexers. An engineering compression system controller has an engineering signal processing system. The first compression system controller communicates the first configuration data to the engineering compression system controller. The engineering compression system controller configures the engineering signal processing system with the first configuration data. A router associated with the plurality of receiving circuit modules routing the plurality of encoded signals to the engineering signal processing system. The engineering signal processing system generates a second output signal from the plurality encoded signal. The first signal processing system discontinues generating the first output signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a plurality of channel signals at a plurality of local collection facilities through a plurality of receiving circuit modules;

encoding the plurality of channel signals into a plurality of encoded signals at the plurality of receiving circuit modules;

communicating the plurality of encoded signals to a remote facility having a first signal processing system through a network, said remote facility having a multiplexers;

storing first configuration data stored for monitoring and controlling the plurality of receiving circuit modules and the multiplexers in a first compression system controller associated with the remote facility;

generating a first output signal from the primary signal processing system;

providing an engineering signal processing system an engineering compression system controller;

communicating the first configuration data from the first compression system controller to the engineering compression system controller;

configuring the engineering signal processing system with the first configuration data;

routing the plurality of encoded signals to the engineering signal processing system;

generating a second output signal at the engineering signal processing system from the plurality encoded signals; and

discontinuing generating the first output signal.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating a first uplink signal from the first output signal and thereafter a second uplink signal from the second output signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising uplinking the second uplink signal to a satellite.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the second uplink signal comprises digital television signals.

5. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the second uplink signal comprises a high-definition digital television signals.

6. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the second uplink signal comprises a high-definition digital television signals and standard definition television signals.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first signal processing system comprises a first primary signal processing circuit generating a first primary output signal, a first secondary signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal and a first switch coupling the first primary signal processing circuit and the first secondary signal processing circuit.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the first primary signal processing circuit comprises a first primary multiplexer, a first primary transport processor and a first primary modulator and the first secondary signal processing circuit comprises a first secondary multiplexer, a first secondary transport processor and a first secondary modulator.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the first primary multiplexer comprises a first statistical multiplexer and the first secondary multiplexer comprises a second statistical multiplexer.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the engineering uplink processing circuit comprises a second primary signal processing circuit generating a second primary output signal, a second secondary signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal and a second switch coupling the second primary signal processing circuit and the second secondary signal processing circuit.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the second primary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a second primary multiplexer, a second primary transport processor and a second primary modulator and the second secondary uplink signal processing comprises a second secondary multiplexer, a second secondary transport processor and a second secondary modulator.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising changing a multicast address of the receiving circuit modules, the first primary multiplexer, the first secondary multiplexer, the second primary multiplexer and the second secondary multiplexer prior to or during discontinuing generating the first output signal.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein encoding comprises IP encoding the plurality of channel signals.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the plurality of encoded signals comprises communicating the plurality of encoded signals through an IP network.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising previewing the second output signal prior to discontinuing the first output signal.

16. A system comprising:

a remote facility having multiplexers and a primary signal processing system generating a first output signal;

an IP network;

a plurality of local collection facilities generating a plurality of channel signals through a plurality of receiving circuit modules having respective encoders encoding the plurality of channel signals into a plurality of encoded signals, said plurality of local collection facilities communicating the plurality of encoded signals to the remote facility having a first signal processing system through the network;

a first compression system controller associated with the remote facility storing first configuration data for monitoring and controlling the plurality of receiving circuit modules and the multiplexers;

an engineering compression system controller having an engineering signal processing system;

the first compression system controller communicating the first configuration data to the engineering compression system controller;

said engineering compression system controller configuring the engineering signal processing system with the first configuration data;

a router associated with the plurality of receiving circuit modules routing the plurality of encoded signals to the engineering signal processing system;

the engineering signal processing system generating a second output signal from the plurality encoded signals; and

the first signal processing system discontinuing generating the first output signal.

17. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising an uplink RF system generating a first uplink signal from the first output signal and thereafter a second uplink signal from the second output signal.

18. A system as recited in claim 17 further comprising a satellite, said uplink RF system uplinking the second uplink signal to the satellite.

19. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the second uplink signal comprises digital television signals.

20. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the uplink signal comprises a high-definition digital television signals.

21. A system as recite in claim 17 wherein the uplink signal comprises a high-definition digital television signals and standard definition television signals.

22. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the first signal processing system comprises a first primary signal processing circuit generating a first primary output signal, a first secondary signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal and a first switch coupling the first primary signal processing circuit and the first secondary signal processing circuit.

23. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the first primary signal processing circuit comprises a first primary multiplexer, a first primary transport processor and a first primary modulator and the first secondary signal processing circuit comprises a first secondary multiplexer, a first secondary transport processor and a first secondary modulator.

24. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the first primary multiplexer comprises a first statistical multiplexer and the first secondary multiplexer comprises a second statistical multiplexer.

25. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the engineering uplink processing circuit comprises a second primary signal processing circuit generating a second primary output signal, a second secondary signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal and a second switch coupling the second primary signal processing circuit and the second secondary signal processing circuit.