Method and System for Monitoring and Displaying Signals Corresponding to a Transponder of a Satellite in a Satellite Communication System

• US 20090068941A1
• 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: Barroso, Eduardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,875,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/4183 providing its own processing capabilities, e.g. external module for video decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42653 for processing graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6193 involving transmission via a satellite arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session in a satellite broadcast system H04B7/18526
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring signals corresponding to a satellite having a first transponder generating a first plurality of channel signals, a plurality of integrated receiver decoders receiving the first plurality of signals and generating a first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first plurality of channel signals and a monitoring system displaying all of the first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first transponder.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

uplinking a first plurality of channel signals to a first transponder of a satellite;

communicating the first plurality of signals to a plurality of integrated receiver decoders;

generating a first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first plurality of channel signals; and

simultaneously displaying all of the first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first transponder.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising uplinking a second plurality of channel signals to a second transponder of the satellite;

communicating the second plurality of signals to a plurality of integrated receiver decoders;

generating a second plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the second plurality of channel signals; and

simultaneously displaying all of the first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first transponder and the second plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the second transponder.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating tuning commands for the plurality of integrated receiver decoders.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to generating tuning commands retrieving tuning information from a database.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the channel signals comprise digital television channels.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the channel signals comprise high definition digital television channels.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first plurality of channel signals comprise digital television channels.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first plurality of channel signals comprise high definition digital television channels.

7. A method comprising:

selecting a satellite in orbital slot at a monitoring system;

selecting a transponder from the orbital slot;

tuning a plurality of integrated receiver decoders to receive channel signals from the transponder;

simultaneously displaying at least a plurality of the channel signals.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising displaying every channel signal corresponding to a transponder.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the channel signals comprise digital television channels.

10. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the channel signals comprise high definition digital television channels.

11. A system comprising:

a satellite having a first transponder generating a first plurality of channel signals;

a plurality of integrated receiver decoders receiving the first plurality of signals and generating a first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first plurality of channel signals; and

a monitoring system displaying all of the first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first transponder.

12. A system as recited in claim 11 wherein the satellite has a second transponder generating a second plurality of channel signals;

a second plurality of integrated receiver decoders receiving the second plurality of signals and generating a second plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the second plurality of channel signals; and

a monitoring system simultaneously displaying all of the first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first transponder and the second plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the second transponder.

13. A system as recited in claim 11 further comprising a second satellite having a second transponder generating a second plurality of channel signals;

a second plurality of integrated receiver decoders receiving the second plurality of signals and generating a second plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the second plurality of channel signals; and

a monitoring system simultaneously displaying all of the first plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the first transponder and the second plurality of received channel signals corresponding to the second transponder.

14. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the monitoring system generates tuning commands for the plurality of integrated receiver decoders.

15. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the monitoring system retrieves tuning information from a database prior to generating tuning commands.