Method and system for operating a monitoring system for a satellite communication system

• US 9,473,751 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• 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): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US11/853,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,325 Days
• Field of Search: 725/63, 725/91, 725/64, 725/105, 725/114, 725/118, 725/119, 725/138, 370/63, 370/91, 370/110, 370/389
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 of monitoring a signals include an occasional router generating a first output signal, a first service access processing system generating a second output signal and a second service access processing system generating a third output signal. A secondary service access processing system router receives the first output signal, the second output signal and the third output signal. A monitoring system selects at least one of the first output signal, the second output signal and the third output signal for monitoring and generates a video output signal. A monitoring display displays the output signal on a first display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating a first signal corresponding to a first content to a transfer switch through primary modules;

communicating a second signal corresponding to the first content to the transfer switch through back-up modules;

selecting a transfer switch on line signal corresponding to the first signal being communicated to an output of a head end or a transfer switch offline signal corresponding to the second signal being generated at the head end but not being communicated to the output of the head end to form a source signal;

identifying a service access router input of a service access router corresponding to the source signal;

identifying a service access router output that feeds a monitor router at a monitoring system;

generating a first command signal for controlling the service access router to route the source signal from the service access router input to the service access router output;

routing the source signal from the service access router input to the service access router output in response to the first command signal;

communicating the source signal from the service access router output to the monitor router at the monitoring system;

generating a second command signal for controlling a monitor router to route the source signal to a first display though the monitor router; and

displaying the source signal on the first display associated with a monitoring console in communication with the monitor router at the monitoring system.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising selecting an integrated receiver decoder generating an IRD signal corresponding to the source signal.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising displaying the IRD signal on a second display.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the second display is adjacent to the first display.

5. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the IRD signal comprises a satellite downlink signal.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising wherein the on line signal or the offline signal comprises a video signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising routing an audio signal to an audio scope.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising monitoring the audio signal through the audio scope.

9. A system comprising:

an occasional router generating a first output signal;

a first service access processing system generating a second output signal corresponding to a first signal being communicated to an output of a head end;

a second service access processing system generating a third output signal corresponding to a second signal being generated at the head end but not being communicated to the output of the head end;

a secondary service access processing system router receiving the first output signal, the second output signal and the third output signal;

a monitor router;

a monitoring system generating a first command signal for controlling the secondary service access processing router for selecting at least one of the first output signal, the second output signal and the third output signal to form a source signal, communicating the first command signal to the secondary service access processing system router and generating a second command signal for controlling the monitoring router to route the source signal from the monitor router for monitoring and generating a video output signal; and

a monitoring display displaying the video output signal on a first display.

10. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein the second output signal and the third output signal are generated at a transfer switch.

11. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein the second output signal corresponds to an online transfer switch signal.

12. A system as recited in claim 11 wherein the third output signal corresponds to an offline transfer switch signal.

13. A system as recited in claim 9 further comprising an integrated receiver decoder generating an IRD signal corresponding to at least one of the first output signal, the second output signal and the third output signal.

14. A system as recited in claim 13 further comprising a second display displaying the IRD signal.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the second display is adjacent to the first display.

16. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the IRD signal comprises a satellite downlink signal.

17. A system as recited in claim 9 further comprising wherein the first, second and third output signals comprise a video signal.

18. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the monitor router routes an audio signal to an audio scope for monitoring.

19. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein the video output signal corresponds to a digital television signal.