Method and system for communicating between a local collection facility and a remote facility

• US 9,756,290 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pham, Hoang D., Mika, Jeanet C., Miner, Daniel M., Ribordy, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KURIEN, CHRISTEN A
• Application Number:
  US11/853,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,647 Days
• Field of Search: 725105, 725 11, 725114, 725118, 725 98, 725148, 725 66
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A system and method for operating the same includes an IP network, a remote facility and a local collection facility in communication with the local collection facility through the IP network. The local collection facility receives local channel signals at a local collection facility and encodes the local channel signals into respective IP signals. The local collection facility includes a router routing the respective IP signals through an IP network to a remote facility.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first plurality of over-the-air broadcast television channel signals through a first antenna and a first over-the-air receiving circuit module at a first local collection facility in a first designated marketing area;

receiving a second plurality of over-the-air broadcast television channel signals through a second antenna and a second over-the-air receiving circuit module at a second local collection facility in a second designated marketing area outside the first designated marketing area;

encoding the first over-the-air broadcast television channel signals into first respective IP signals at the first local collection facility;

encoding the second over-the-air broadcast television channel signals into second respective IP signals at the second local collection facility;

routing the first respective IP signals and the second respective IP signals through a terrestrial IP network to a statistical multiplexer of a remote uplink facility;

multiplexing a first IP signal of the first respective IP signals corresponding to a first channel and a second IP signal of the second respective IP signals corresponding to a second channel to form a multiplexed signal;

forming a transport stream signal from the multiplexed signal;

modulating the transport stream signal to form a modulated signal;

forming uplink signals from the modulated signal; and

uplinking the uplink signals to a satellite using the remote uplink facility outside the first designated marketing area.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the IP signals comprises video-over-IP signals.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein uplinking comprises uplinking the uplink signals from a diverse site associated with the remote facility.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising monitoring and controlling the local collection facility remotely through the terrestrial IP network.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising monitoring and controlling the local collection facility remotely through the terrestrial IP network at a network operations center.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a first plurality of channel signals at a respective one of a first plurality of over-the-air receivers at a first local collection facility in a first designated marketing area;

receiving a second plurality of channel signals at a respective one of a second plurality of over-the-air receivers at a second local collection facility spaced apart from the first local collection facility in a second designated marketing area outside the first designated marketing area;

encoding the first plurality of channel signals into a first plurality of IP channel signals;

encoding the second plurality of channels into a second plurality of IP channel signals;

routing the first IP signals through an IP network to a remote facility outside the first designated marketing area and the second designated marketing area;

routing the second IP signals through the IP network to the remote facility;

allocating at least a first channel signal of the first plurality of IP signals and a second channel signal of the second plurality of IP channel signals to a statistical multiplexer based on parameters of the first channel signal and the second channel signal to form a multiplexed signal;

uplinking the multiplexed signal to a satellite from the remote facility.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising monitoring and controlling the first local collection facility and the second local collection facility remotely through the IP network.

8. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein the IP signals comprises video-over-IP signals.

9. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising monitoring and controlling the first local collection facility and the second local collection facility remotely through the IP network from the remote facility.

10. A method of forming an output signal comprising:

receiving a first plurality of channel signals at a first local collection facility in a first designated marketing area;

receiving a second plurality of channel signals at a second local collection facility spaced apart from the first local collection facility in a second designated marketing area;

receiving a third plurality of channel signals at a third local collection facility in a third designated marketing area outside the first designated marketing area and the second designated marketing area;

receiving a fourth plurality of channel signals at a fourth local collection facility in a fourth designated marketing area spaced apart from the first local collection facility;

encoding the first plurality of channel signals into a first plurality of IP signals having a first IP channel signal;

encoding the second plurality of channel signals into a second plurality of IP signals having a second IP channel signal;

encoding the third plurality of channel signals into a third plurality of IP signals having a third IP channel signal;

encoding the fourth plurality of channel signals into a fourth plurality of IP signals having a fourth IP channel signal;

routing the first plurality of IP signals and the second plurality of IP signals through an IP network to a first remote facility outside the first designated marketing area and the second designated marketing area;

forming a first multiplexed signal from the first IP channel signal and the second IP channel signal;

forming a second multiplexed signal from the third IP channel signal and the fourth IP channel signal;

routing the third plurality of IP signals and the fourth plurality of IP signals through the IP network to a second remote facility outside the third designated marketing area and the fourth designated marketing area;

uplinking the first multiplexed signal to a satellite from the first remote facility;

uplinking the second multiplexed signal to the satellite from the second remote facility; and

monitoring and controlling the first local collection facility, the second local collection facility, the third local collection facility and the fourth local collection facility at a monitoring system through the IP network.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein monitoring comprises monitoring the first local collection facility, the second local collection facility, the third local collection facility and the fourth local collection facility through an IP network.

12. A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising controlling the first local collection facility, the second local collection facility, the third local collection facility and the fourth local collection facility at a monitoring system.

13. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein controlling comprises controlling the first local collection facility, the second local collection facility, the third local collection facility and the fourth local collection facility through an IP network.

14. A system comprising:

an IP network;

a remote uplink facility having a statistical multiplexer; and

a first local collection facility in a first designated marketing area spaced apart from and in communication with the remote facility located outside the first designated marketing area through the IP network, said first local collection facility receiving first over-the-air local television channel signals through a first antenna and a first over-the-air receiving circuit module and encoding the local channel signals into first respective IP signals having a first IP channel signal, said local first collection facility including a first router routing the first respective IP signals through an IP network to the remote facility;

a second local collection facility in a second designated marketing area spaced apart from and in communication with the remote facility located outside the second designated marketing area through the IP network, said second local collection facility receiving second over-the-air local television channel signals through a second antenna and a second over-the-air receiving circuit module and encoding the local channel signals into second respective IP signals having a second IP channel signal, said second local collection facility including a second router routing the second respective IP signals through an IP network to the remote facility;

said statistical multiplexer multiplexing the first IP channel signal and the second IP channel signal to form a multiplexed signal;

said remote uplink facility uplinking the multiplexed signal to a satellite.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the router comprises a primary router and a secondary router.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the first over-the-air local channel signals comprise standard definition terrestrial over-the air channel signals received through an antenna.

17. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the first over-the-air local television channel signals comprise high definition terrestrial over-the air channel signals received through an antenna.

18. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the first over-the-air local channel signals comprise channel signals received through wired or optical connection.

19. A system as recited in claim 14 further comprising a monitoring and controlling system in communication with the first local collection facility and the second local collection facility through the IP network, said monitoring and controlling system monitoring and controlling the first local collection facility and the second local collection facility through the IP network.