METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MONITORING AND ENCODING SIGNALS IN A LOCAL FACILITY AND COMMUNICATING THE SIGNALS BETWEEN A LOCAL COLLECTION FACILITY AND A REMOTE FACILITY USING AN IP NETWORK

• US 20090109883A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miner, Daniel M., Boltz, David T., St. Laurent, Darren M., Wasden, Mitchell B., Arya, Vishal
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error

Abstract

A system and method for collecting signals includes an IP network, a remote facility and a local collection facility in communication with the local collection facility through the IP network. The local collection facility receives channel signals, encoding the channel signals into respective IP signals, communicating the respective IP signals through an IP network to the remote facility. The remote facility controls an antenna switch at the local collection facility to communicate a first channel signal of the channel signals to a monitoring receiver circuit module. The local collection facility generates a monitoring signal at the monitoring receiver circuit module and communicates the monitoring signal through to a remote facility through the IP network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving channel signals at a local collection facility;

encoding the channel signals into respective IP signals;

communicating the respective IP signals through an IP network to a remote facility;

controlling an antenna switch at the local collection facility to communicate a first channel signal of the channel signals to a monitoring receiver circuit module;

generating a monitoring signal at the monitoring receiver circuit module; and

communicating the monitoring signal through to a remote facility through an IP network.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein controlling an antenna switch comprises controlling an antenna switch from a remote facility.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein controlling an antenna switch comprises controlling an antenna switch from a remote facility through the IP network.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving a downlink signal at a monitoring integrated receiver decoder at the local collection facility.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 further comprising encoding the downlink signal into a downlink monitor IP signal.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising communicating the downlink monitor signal to the remote facility.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising controlling a backup receiving circuit module in response to the downlink monitor signal from the remote facility.

8. A method as recited in claim 4 further comprising tuning the monitoring integrated receiver decoder from the remote facility.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising controlling a backup receiving circuit module in response to the monitoring signal.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the respective IP signals comprises video-over-IP signals.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising multiplexing the respective IP signals to form a multiplexed signal;

forming a transport stream signal from the multiplexed signal;

modulating the transport stream signal to form a modulated signal;

forming uplink signals from the modulated signals; and

uplinking the uplink signals to a satellite from the remote facility.

12. A method comprising:

receiving channel signals at a local collection facility;

encoding the channel signals into respective IP signals;

communicating the respective IP signals through an IP network to a remote facility;

controlling an antenna switch at the local collection facility from the remote facility through the IP network to communicate a first channel signal of the channel signals to a monitoring receiver circuit module;

generating a first monitoring signal at the monitoring receiver circuit module; and

communicating the first monitoring signal through to a remote facility through an IP network;

receiving a downlink signal at a monitoring integrated receiver decoder at the local collection facility;

communicating the downlink signal to the monitoring receiver receiving circuit module;

encoding the downlink signal into a downlink monitor IP signal;

communicating the downlink monitor signal to the remote facility though the IP network.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising controlling a backup receiving circuit module in response to the downlink monitor signal from the remote facility.

14. A system comprising:

an IP network;

a remote facility; and

a local collection facility in communication with the remote facility through the IP network, said local collection facility receiving channel signals, encoding the channel signals into respective IP signals, communicating the respective IP signals through an IP network to the remote facility,

said remote facility controlling an antenna switch at the local collection facility to communicate a first channel signal of the channel signals to a monitoring receiver circuit module;

said local collection facility generating a monitoring signal at the monitoring receiver circuit module and communicating the monitoring signal through to a remote facility through the IP network.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the remote facility controls an antenna switch through the IP network.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the local collection facility receives a downlink signal at a monitoring integrated receiver decoder at the local collection facility encodes the downlink signal into a downlink monitor IP signal and communicates the downlink monitor signal to the remote facility.

17. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the remote facility controls a backup receiving circuit module in response to the downlink monitor signal.

18. A system as recited in claim 17 further comprising tuning the monitoring integrated receiver decoder from the remote facility.

19. A system as recited in claim 14 further comprising a backup receiving circuit module in the local facility said remote facility controlling the backup receiving circuit module in response to the monitoring signal.

20. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the remote facility comprises a multiplexer multiplexing the respective IP signals to form a multiplexed signal;

a transport module forming a transport stream signal from the multiplexed signal;

a modulator modulating the transport stream signal to form a modulated signal;

an uplink system forming uplink signals from the modulated signals and uplinking the uplink signals to a satellite from the remote facility.

21. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the IP signals comprise video-over-IP signals.

22. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the local channel signals comprise terrestrial over-the air channel signals received through an antenna.

23. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the local channel signals comprise standard definition terrestrial over-the air channel signals received through an antenna.

24. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the local channel signals comprise high definition terrestrial over-the air channel signals received through an antenna.

25. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the local collection facility comprises a plurality of local collection facilities.