Method of using feedback from consumer terminals to adaptively control a satellite system

• US 7,532,860 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Loner, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hai V
• Application Number:
  US10/947,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 455/12.1
• US Class Current: 455/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18543 for adaptation of transmission parameters, e.g. power control for detecting or preventing errors in the information received H04L1/00
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A system and a methodology uses data provided from consumer terminals in a satellite system to reconfigure a satellite to thereby optimize the strength of signals transmitted by the satellite. The data from the consumer terminals may be used to provide diagnostic information about the reception of signals at various points in an area covered by a satellite broadcasting system and to compensate for attenuation of signals transmitted by the satellite due to weather storms, or other atmospheric conditions. Such use of consumer terminals eliminates the need to place expensive monitoring stations throughout an area covered by a satellite broadcasting system, resulting in substantial reduction in overall system cost. Additionally, given the widespread distribution of consumer terminals, greater monitoring coverage is achieved than with a limited number of monitoring stations.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a satellite comprising:

broadcasting a satellite signal;

receiving the satellite signal at a number of user terminals;

detecting the signal strength of the satellite signal at each of the user terminals;

transmitting a second signal from each of the number of user terminals to a satellite control station, the second signal corresponding to the signal strength of the satellite signal received at each of the number of user terminals; and

adjusting an operative characteristic of the satellite in response to one or more of the second signals, comprising the steps of;

acquiring the second signals from each of the number of user terminals;

mapping each of the second signals to a grid;

converting the second signals to link margin values on the grid;

applying a pattern recognition to the link margin values on the grid to detect signal degradation values;

predicting weather;

predicting link margin values on the grid from the signal degradation values and the predicted weather; and

adjusting the operative characteristic of the satellite using the predicted future link margin values.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the second signals is transmitted using a telephone communication network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the operative characteristic of the satellite adjusted in response to one or more of the second signals is whether or not to use a backup transponder.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the operative characteristic of the satellite adjusted in response to one or more of the second signals is a transponder gain setting.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the operative characteristic of the satellite adjusted in response to one or more of the second signals is a directional setting of the satellite.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the operative characteristic of the satellite adjusted in response to one or more of the second signals is a downlink antenna gain pattern.

7. The method of claim 1 further including analyzing one or more of the second signals to predict a storm movement.

8. The method of claim 1 further including authorizing one of the user terminals to begin receiving a satellite service in response to the second signal transmitted by the one of the user terminals.

9. A satellite control system comprising:

a satellite having a transmitter adapted to broadcast a satellite signal;

a number of user terminals each having a receiver adapted to receive the satellite signal, and a transmitter adapted to transmit a second signal corresponding to the signal strength of the satellite signal received by the receiver to a satellite control station; and

a satellite control station having a receiver adapted to receive the second signals and a controller adapted to adjust an operative characteristic of the satellite in response to one or more of the second signals wherein the controller comprises;

means for mapping each of the second signals to a grid;

means for converting the second signals to link margin values on the grid;

means for applying a pattern recognition to the link margin values on the grid to detect signal degradation values;

means for predicting weather;

means for predicting link margin values on the grid from the signal degradation values and the predicted weather; and

means for adjusting the operative characteristic of the satellite using the predicted link margin values.

10. The satellite control system of claim 9 wherein at least one of the user terminals is further adapted to transmit the second signal using a telephone communication network.

11. The satellite control system of claim 9 wherein the operative characteristic of the satellite adjusted in response to one or more of the second signals is whether to use a backup transponder.

12. The satellite control system of claim 9 wherein the operative characteristic of the satellite adjusted in response to one or more of the second signals is a transponder gain setting.

13. The satellite control system of claim 9 wherein the operative characteristic of the satellite adjusted in response to one or more of the second signals is a directional setting of the satellite.

14. The satellite control system of claim 9 wherein the operative characteristic of the satellite adjusted in response to one or more of the second signals is a downlink antenna gain pattern.

15. The satellite control system of claim 9 wherein the satellite control station is further adapted to analyze one or more of the second signals to predict a storm movement.

16. The satellite control system of claim 9 wherein the satellite control station is further adapted to authorize one of the user terminals to begin receiving a satellite service in response to the second signal transmitted by the one of the user terminals.