Comprehensive network monitoring at broadcast satellite sites located outside of the broadcast service area

• US 6,965,755 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barrett, Ronald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US10/291,165
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.02, 455/12.1, 455/427, 455/98, 455/13.2, 455/13.1, 348/144, 379/22, 725/48, 725/49
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring the quality of signals transmitted to a remote service area that is located outside of the broadcast area of a main broadcast site. The present invention converts and combines the signals that are to be broadcast from the main broadcast site to a satellite for redistribution to the remote service areas. The converted and combined signals are looped back to a network monitoring operations located at the main broadcast site before being transmitted to the satellite. In another embodiment, the remote broadcast sites send signal strength measurements to the network monitoring operations to provide an indication of satellite transmission problems not related to the quality of the signal being broadcast from the main broadcast site.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring signal quality of signals to be broadcast to a satellite and broadcast in spot beams to a service area outside of a broadcast area comprising:

a broadcast site within a predefined broadcast area, the broadcast site transmits the signals to the satellite and the satellite transmits the signals to the service area foreign to the broadcast;

a network monitoring operations located at the broadcast site for monitoring signal quality of the signals before the signals are transmitted to the satellite;

at least one remote site in the service area that receives the signals broadcast by the satellite;

wherein said at least one remote site in the foreign service area further comprises a signal strength meter for measuring a strength of the signals, the signal strength measurement being used to detect problems with the satellite transmission to the foreign service area;

wherein the network monitoring operations further comprises a computer for monitoring the signal strength measurements;

wherein said computer has software for analyzing the signal strength measurements and raising an alarm upon loss or degradation of the signals;

means for avoiding alarms for signal degradation that is a result of rain fade;

a database for storing signal strength measurements from said at least one remote site thereby providing a history of satellite transponder performance;

database being used to support long term trend analysis of the satellite transponder;

wherein said signal strength meter measures the signal strength of the CONUS transponder carrier signals.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a downconverter to convert each transmitted signal into a frequency that the signal will occupy in a spectrum received in the foreign service area.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a combiner to combine the signals into groups that simulate thc multiple sizes a customer will receive in the foreign service area.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a CONUS transponder for each group of signals to access a master program guide at the broadcast site.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the groups are combined in a superbeam having a plurality of non-conflicting spot beams from said satellite to reduce the number of groups.

6. A method for monitoring a quality of signals broadcast to remote broadcast service areas located outside of a main broadcast area, the main broadcast area having a broadcast site having a network monitoring operations, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an RF multiplexed output of broadcasting signals from the main broadcast site to a main broadcast area and to a satellite,

converting the broadcast signals into predetermined frequencies;

looping the converted broadcast signals to the network monitoring operations,

monitoring a quality of the looped signals at the network monitoring operations to determine if modifications to the signal quality are necessary;

making necessary modifications to the broadcast site to improve the signal quality;

broadcasting a high quality signal to the satellite for spot beam transmission to the remote broadcast service areas after completing the step of making necessary modifications to improve the signal quality;

wherein said remote broadcast service area further comprises a signal strength meter and said method further comprises the step of sending a signal strength measurement to the network monitoring operations;

the step of determining the existence of a satellite transmission problem from said signal strength measurements received at the network monitoring operations;

the step of logging signal strength measurements into a database at the network monitoring operations;

the step of raising an alarm indicating degradation or loss of the signals;

the step of determining signal degradation that is a result of rain fade to avoid raising false alarms.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the step of combining signals into a group consisting of similar frequencies.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising the step of combining groups into a superbeam having a plurality of spot beams to be transmitted from said satellite to the remote broadcast service areas.

9. A system for monitoring signal quality of signals transmitted by spot beam from a satellite, the signals being received by at least one service area outside of a predefined broadcast area, the system comprising:

a broadcast site within the predefined broadcast area, the broadcast site transmits the signals to the satellite and the satellite transmits the signals by spot beam to the at least one service area outside of the predefined broadcast area;

a network monitoring operations located at the broadcast site for monitoring and modifying the quality of the signals before the signals are transmitted to the satellite;

at least one remote site outside of the predefined broadcast area, said at least one remote site receives the signals by spot beam from the satellite;

a signal strength meter at the at least one remote site for measuring a strength of the signals received by spot beam, the signal strength measurements being sent to the network monitoring operations;

a computer at the network monitoring operations for using the signal strength measurements sent from the at least one remote site to detect problems with the satellite spot beam transmission;

means for determining signal degradation that is a result of rain fade.