Automatic reporting of antenna installation

• US 8,112,779 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Donnell, Laura J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koenig, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro, Alfonso
• Application Number:
  US10/827,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20050235325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,849 Days
• Field of Search: 725 64- 72, 725/107, 455/3.05, 455/63.4, 455/67.7, 455/67.13, 455/67.14, 455/12.1, 455/13.3, 455/24, 455/25, 455/3.02, 455/62, 455/161.3, 455/241, 455/252, 455/277.2, 455/423, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/453, 455/457
• US Class Current: 725/72
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1257 using the received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• 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 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method for validating antenna installation to a broadcast provider to ensure proper alignment of the antenna with the broadcast provider'"'"'s satellite system. The feedback provided by the customer, the installer, and signal strength and quality information communicated from the receiver to the broadcast provider are used to confirm proper installation. Upon confirmation of proper installation, the data can be used to troubleshoot equipment, or issue payment to the installer.

Claims

1. A method of confirming alignment of an antenna with at least one satellite, comprising:

securing an antenna on a mounting surface;

distributing signals from the antenna to a receiver/decoder medium;

physically moving the antenna without removing the antenna from the mounting surface until an indicator signals that the antenna is aligned with the at least one satellite by a measured signal strength;

storing the measured signal strength on the receiver/decoder medium;

communicating the measured signal strength measured at the receiver/decoder medium to a data processing facility at a broadcast provider via a communications link other than the satellite when the alignment is performed; and

using the communicated signal strength to confirm proper alignment of the antenna with the at least one satellite by comparing, at the data processing facility, the measured signal strength with an expected calculated signal strength at the location of the antenna, wherein the expected calculated signal strength is calculated through averaging signal strength information over time and historical trending of the signal strength information, the expected calculated signal strength being stored at the broadcast provider.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

providing data from the receiver/decoder medium input by a customer site to the data processing facility;

providing data from an installer to the data processing facility; and

wherein said step of using the communicated signal strength further comprises using the data provided by the customer and the installer to confirm proper alignment of the antenna with the at least one satellite.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

issuing payment to the installer upon confirmation of proper alignment of the antenna with the at least one satellite.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising using the data provided by the customer, data provided by the installer, or the communicated signal strength to troubleshoot problems with the antenna.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of using the communicated signal strength further comprises:

comparing the communicated signal strength with an expected calculated signal strength;

diagnosing failures between the antenna and the receiver/decoder medium.

6. A method of confirming an installation configuration, including for reception of signals from at least one satellite, comprising:

securing an antenna to a mounting surface;

distributing signals from the antenna to a receiver/decoder medium;

physically moving the antenna without removing the antenna from the mounting surface until an indicator signals the antenna is aligned with the at least one satellite by measuring a signal strength received at the antenna;

storing an installation configuration on the receiver/decoder medium upon signal from the indicator, the installation configuration including at least the measured signal strength;

communicating the installation configuration from the receiver/decoder medium to a data processing facility at a broadcast provider via a communications link other than the satellite when the installation configuration is installed; and

using the communication installation configuration to confirm proper antenna installation, wherein an expected calculated signal strength at the location of the antenna is calculated through averaging signal strength information over time and historical trending of the signal strength information, the expected calculated signal strength being stored at the broadcast provider and compared at the data processing facility to the measured signal strength received at the antenna.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

providing data from an installer to the data processing facility; and

wherein the step of using the communicated installation configuration further comprises using the data provided by the customer and the installer to confirm proper installation configuration and alignment of the antenna with the at least one satellite.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising issuing payment to the installer upon confirmation of proper installation configuration and proper alignment of the antenna with the at least one satellite.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising using data provided by the customer, data provided by the installer, the communicated signal strength, and the installation configuration to troubleshoot installation problems.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising diagnosing failures within the receiver/decoder medium, antenna, or other distribution components.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of diagnosing failures further comprises:

comparing a communicated signal strength with an expected signal strength; and

comparing the installation configuration with an expected installation configuration.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein comparing a communicated signal strength with an expected signal strength further comprises developing an expected signal strength by averaging the communicated signal strength over time.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein comparing a communicated signal strength with an expected signal strength further comprises developing an expected signal strength by using historical trending of communicated signal strength by the data processing facility.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein diagnosing failures further comprises:

comparing a communicated signal strength with a signal strength reported at the time of installation; and

comparing an installation configuration with an installation configuration reported at the time of installation.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein comparing a communicated signal strength with a signal strength reported at the time of installation further comprises the reporting the signal strength at the time of installation by the installer.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein comparing a communicated signal strength with a signal strength reported at the time of installation further comprises reporting the signal strength at the time of installation by the receiver/decoder medium.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein comparing the installation configuration with an installation configuration reported at the time of installation further comprises reporting the installation configuration by the installer.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein comparing the installation configuration with an installation configuration reported at the time of installation further comprises reporting the installation configuration by the receiver/decoder medium.