Method and system for monitoring and switching between a primary encoder and a back-up encoder in a communication system

• US 8,424,044 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• 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): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): IDOWU, OLUGBENGA O
• Application Number:
  US11/853,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 725/63, 725/67
• US Class Current: 725/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416

Abstract

A system and method for switching to a back-up encoder includes a first encoder processing a first channel signal to form a first encoded signal, a second encoder an uplink signal processing system generating a first uplink signal from the first encoded signal. A monitoring system previews the first channel signal encoded through the second encoder while the uplink signal processing system generates the first broadcast signal using the first channel signal encoded through the first encoder. The monitoring system redirects the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal. The uplink signal processing system generates a second broadcast signal with the first channel signal through the second encoder.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing a first channel signal with a first encoder;

selecting a second encoder;

visually previewing a display of the first channel signal encoded through the second encoder while generating a first broadcast signal using the first channel signal encoded through the first encoder;

redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal; and

generating a second broadcast signal with the first channel signal through the second encoder.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating the first broadcast signal comprises generating a first uplink signal and uplinking the first uplink signal to a satellite and wherein generating the second broadcast signal comprises generating a second uplink signal and uplinking the second uplink signal to the satellite.

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

4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the first channel signal corresponds to a single program transport signal.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first encoder and the second encoder comprise an IP encoder.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein after redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal, communicating the second encoded signal through a local area network.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein after redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal, communicating the second encoded signal through a local area network to an uplink signal processing system.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein after redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal, communicating the second encoded signal through a local area network to a multiplexer of an uplink signal processing system.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein after redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal, communicating the second encoded signal through a local area network to a primary multiplexer and a secondary multiplexer of an uplink signal processing system.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal comprises routing the first channel signal to the second encoder using a router.

11. A method comprising:

processing a first channel signal with a first encoder, said channel signal having a channel service profile;

selecting a second encoder;

copying the channel service profile to a monitoring service profile of a monitoring system;

visually previewing a display of the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal while generating a first broadcast signal using the first channel signal through the first encoder;

redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder; and

generating a second broadcast signal with the first channel signal through the first encoder.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein generating the first broadcast signal comprises generating a first uplink signal and uplinking the first uplink signal to a satellite and wherein generating the second broadcast signal comprises generating a second uplink signal and uplinking the second uplink signal to the satellite.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the first uplink and the second uplink signal comprise a high-definition digital television signal.

14. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the first channel signal corresponds to a single program transponder signal.

15. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the first encoder and the second encoder comprise an IP encoder.

16. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein after redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder, communicating the second encoded signal through a local area network to an uplink signal processing system.

17. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein after redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder, communicating the second encoded signal through a local area network to a multiplexer of an uplink signal processing system.

18. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder comprises routing the first channel signal to the second encoder using a router.

19. A system comprising:

a first encoder processing a first channel signal to form a first encoded signal;

a second encoder;

an uplink signal processing system generating a first uplink signal from the first encoded signal;

a monitoring system visually previewing a display of the first channel signal encoded through the second encoder while the uplink signal processing system generates a first broadcast signal using the first channel signal encoded through the first encoder, said monitoring system redirecting the first channel signal through the second encoder to form a second encoded signal; and

said uplink signal processing signal generating a second broadcast signal with the first channel signal through the second encoder.

20. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a satellite and wherein first broadcast signal comprises a first uplink signal and the second broadcast signal comprises a second uplink signal.

21. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first uplink signal and the second uplink signal comprise a digital television signal.

22. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the first channel signal corresponds to a single program transport signal.

23. A system as recited in claim 19 wherein the first encoder and the second encoder comprise an IP encoder.

24. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a local area network communicating the second encoded signal to the uplink signal processing system.

25. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a router, said monitoring system redirecting the first channel signal to the second encoder through the router.