Method and system for monitoring and switching between primary and back-up uplink signal processing circuits in a satellite communication system

• US 8,165,060 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, DUC CHI
• Application Number:
  US11/853,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18515 Transmission equipment in satellites or space-based relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A system and method includes a first uplink signal processing circuit, a second uplink signal processing circuit and an IP network communicating the plurality of channel signals to the first uplink signal processing circuit to form a first output signal. A monitoring system monitors the first uplink signal processing circuit and generates a monitoring signal. The monitoring system redirects the channel signals to the second uplink signal processing circuit to form a second plurality of output signal signals.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a plurality of channel signals;

communicating the plurality of channel signals through an IP network to a first uplink signal processing signal circuit to form a first output signal;

monitoring the first uplink signal processing circuit and generating a monitoring signal; and

redirecting the channel signals to a second uplink signal processing circuit to form a second plurality of output signals in response to the monitoring signal.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the second plurality of output signals to an uplink RF system to form an uplink signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the uplink signal comprises a Ka band uplink signal.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the uplink signal to a satellite.

5. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the uplink signal comprises a digital television signal.

6. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the uplink signal comprises a high-definition digital television signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first uplink signal processing circuit comprises a first primary uplink signal processing circuit generating a first primary output signal, a first secondary uplink signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal and a switch coupling the first primary signal processing circuit and the first secondary signal processing circuit.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the first primary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a first primary multiplexer, a first primary transport processor and a first primary modulator and the first secondary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a first secondary multiplexer, a first secondary transport processor and a first secondary modulator.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the second uplink signal processing circuit comprises a second primary uplink signal processing circuit generating a second primary output signal, a second secondary uplink signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal and a switch coupling the second primary signal processing circuit and the second secondary signal processing circuit.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the second primary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a second primary multiplexer, a second primary transport processor and a second primary modulator and the second secondary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a second secondary multiplexer, a second secondary transport processor and a second secondary modulator.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating plurality of channel signals comprises generating a plurality of channel signals for a first transponder of a satellite.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to communicating the plurality of channel signals, receiving a plurality of formatted signals having a first format;

and

encoding the plurality of formatted signals into a plurality of transport signals.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the plurality of channel signals comprises communicating the plurality of channel signals through an IP network.

14. A method comprising:

at a first uplink signal processing circuit,

generating a first primary multiplexer signal at a first primary multiplexer from a plurality of channel signals;

generating a first primary transport processor signal at a first primary transport processor from the first primary multiplexer signal;

generating a first primary modulator signal at a first primary modulator from the first primary transport processor signal;

generating a first secondary multiplexer signal at a first secondary multiplexer;

generating a first secondary transport processor signal at a first secondary transport processor from the first secondary multiplexer signal;

generating a first secondary modulator signal at a first secondary modulator from the first secondary transport processor signal; and

coupling the first primary modulator signal and the first secondary modulator signal to a first switch to form a first output signal;

monitoring at least one of the first primary multiplexer, the first primary transport processor, the first primary modulator, the first switch, the first secondary multiplexer, the first secondary transport processor, the first secondary modulator and the first switch to form a monitoring signal;

communicating the plurality of channel signals to a second uplink signal processing circuit in response to the monitoring signal; and

at the second uplink signal processing circuit,

generating a second primary multiplexer signal at a second primary multiplexer from the plurality of channel signals;

generating a second primary transport processor signal at a second primary transport processor from the second primary multiplexer signal;

generating a second primary modulator signal at a second primary modulator from the second primary transport processor signal;

generating a second secondary multiplexer signal at a second secondary multiplexer;

generating a second secondary transport processor signal at a second secondary transport processor from the second secondary multiplexer signal;

generating a second secondary modulator signal at a second secondary modulator from the secondary transport processor signal;

coupling the second primary modulator signal and the second secondary modulator signal to a second switch; and

forming a second output signal at the second switch in response to communicating the plurality of signals to a second uplink signal processing circuit.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising uplinking the second output signal not the first output signal to a satellite.

16. A system comprising:

a first uplink signal processing circuit;

a second uplink signal processing circuit;

an IP network communicating a plurality of channel signals to the first uplink signal processing circuit to form a first output signal;

a monitoring system monitoring the first uplink signal processing circuit and generating a monitoring signal, said monitoring system redirecting the plurality of channel signals to the second uplink signal processing circuit to form a second plurality of output signals in response to the monitoring signal.

17. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising an uplink RF system, said second uplink signal processing circuit communicating the second plurality of output signals to the uplink RF system to form an uplink signal.

18. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein said uplink RF system communicates the uplink signal to a satellite.

19. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the uplink signal comprises a digital television signal.

20. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the uplink signal comprises a high-definition digital television signal.

21. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the first uplink signal processing circuit comprises a first primary uplink signal processing circuit generating a first primary output signal, a first secondary uplink signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal and a first switch coupling the first primary signal processing circuit and the first secondary signal processing circuit.

22. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the first primary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a first primary multiplexer, a first primary transport processor and a first primary modulator and the first secondary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a first secondary multiplexer, a first secondary transport processor and a first secondary modulator.

23. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the plurality of channel signals corresponds to a first transponder of a satellite.

24. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the second uplink signal processing circuit comprises a second primary uplink signal processing circuit generating a second primary output signal, a second secondary uplink signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal and a switch coupling the second primary signal processing circuit and the second secondary signal processing circuit.

25. A system as recited in claim 24 wherein the second primary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a second primary multiplexer, a second primary transport processor and a second primary modulator and the second secondary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a second secondary multiplexer, a second secondary transport processor and a second secondary modulator.