Method and system for operating a communication system encoded into multiple independently communicated encoding formats

• US 9,831,971 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2011
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miner, Daniel M., Ribordy, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr., Howard D
• Application Number:
  US13/080,551
• Time in Patent Office: 2,429 Days
• Field of Search: 375240
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/02 Details electronic switching or gating H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/24 Systems for the transmission of television signals using pulse code modulation H04N21/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for operating the same includes a receiving circuit module having a housing having an input for a first signal, a first encoder disposed within the housing encoding the first signal to form a first encoded signal and a second encoder disposed within the housing encoding the first signal to form a second encoded signal having a different format than the first signal. A first multiplexer receives the first encoded signal. A second multiplexer different than the first multiplexer receives the second encoded signal.

Claims

1. A method of operating a receiving circuit module comprising:

receiving a first television signal at the receiving circuit module in a first local collection facility;

encoding the first television signal within the receiving circuit module to form a first encoded signal;

encoding the first television signal within the receiving circuit module to form a second encoded signal encoded differently than the first encoded signal;

communicating the first encoded signal to a first multiplexer at a first remote facility through a terrestrial network, said first remote facility spaced apart from the first local collection facility; and

communicating, through the terrestrial network, the second encoded signal to a second multiplexer different than the first multiplexer at the first remote facility or a second remote facility.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving a first television signal at the receiving circuit module comprises receiving the first television signal at the local collection facility spaced apart from a first remote uplink facility and a second remote uplink facility.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein communicating the first encoded signal comprises communicating the first encoded signal to the first multiplexer at a first remote uplink facility;

and

wherein communicating the second encoded signal comprises communicating the second encoded signal to the second multiplexer at the second remote uplink facility.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first encoded signal and communicating the second encoded signal comprises communicating the first encoded signal through an Internet Protocol network and communicating the second encoded signal through the Internet Protocol network.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving the first television signal comprises receiving an over-the-air television signal.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein receiving the first television signal comprises decoding the over-the-air television signal.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein receiving comprises receiving the over-the-air television signal and tuning, demodulating and decoding the over-the-air television signal to form the first signal.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein encoding the first television signal within the receiving circuit module to form a first encoded signal comprises encoding the first television signal within the receiving circuit module to form an MPEG-2 encoded signal and wherein encoding the first television signal within the receiving circuit module to form a second encoded signal comprises encoding the first television signal within the receiving circuit module to form an MPEG-4 encoded signal.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein receiving a first television signal at the receiving circuit module comprises receiving the first signal at the first local collection facility spaced apart from a first remote uplink facility and further comprising receiving a second television signal at a second receiving circuit module at a second local collection facility wherein communicating the second encoded signal comprises communicating the second encoded signal to the second multiplexer from the second local collection facility.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first output signal and generating a second output signal comprises simultaneously generating the first output signal and the second output signal at the receiving circuit module.

4. A method of operating a receiving circuit module comprising:

receiving a first signal at the receiving circuit module in a local collection facility spaced apart from a first remote facility and a second remote facility;

encoding the first signal within the receiving circuit module to form a first encoded signal;

encoding the first signal within the receiving circuit module to form a second encoded signal encoded differently than the first encoded signal;

generating a first output signal at the receiving circuit module corresponding to the first encoded signal from a first address until a change signal is received, thereafter encoding the first output signal with a backup encoder having the first address to form a backup encoded signal and communicating the backup encoded signal to the first remote facility;

generating a second output signal at the receiving circuit module corresponding to the second encoded signal;

communicating the first encoded signal to a first multiplexer; and

communicating the second encoded signal to a second multiplexer different than the first multiplexer.

6. A method as recited in claim 4 further comprising monitoring the backup encoded signal.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising discontinuing communicating the first encoded signal to a first multiplexer after monitoring the backup encoded signal.

14. A system comprising:

a first local collection facility comprising a receiving circuit module having;

a housing having an input for a first television signal;

a first encoder disposed within the housing encoding the first television signal to form a first encoded signal; and

a second encoder disposed within the housing encoding the first television signal to form a second encoded signal having a different format than the first television signal;

a first remote facility spaced apart from the first local collection facility, said first remote facility comprising a first multiplexer receiving the first encoded signal through a terrestrial network; and

a second multiplexer different than the first multiplexer receiving the second encoded signal.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the receiving circuit module comprises a decoder decoding the first signal.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the first encoded signal comprises an MPEG-2 encoded signal and the second encoded signal comprises an MPEG-4 encoded signal.

17. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the first multiplexer and second multiplexer are disposed within a first remote uplink facility.

18. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the first remote uplink facility comprises a monitoring decoder.

19. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the first multiplexer is disposed in a first remote uplink facility and the second multiplexer is disposed in a second uplink facility.

20. A system as recited in claim 14 further comprising an IP network disposed between the first multiplexer, the second multiplexer, the first encoder, and the second encoder.