Method and System for Monitoring and Switching Between a First Uplink Signal Processing Circuit and a Second Uplink Signal Processing Circuit

• US 20090069021A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barroso, Eduardo
• Granted Patent: US 8,804,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/51 specially adapted for satellite broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 5/38 Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

An uplink signal processing system and method of operating the same includes a primary signal processing circuit generating a primary output signal and a secondary signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal. The uplink signal processing system includes a switch communicating with the primary signal processing circuit and the secondary signal processing circuit. A monitoring and control system monitors the primary signal processing circuit and the secondary signal processing circuit and generates a monitoring signal and controlling the switch to switch from the primary signal processing circuit to the secondary signal processing circuit in response to the monitoring signal. The switch forms an output signal in response to switching.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a primary signal processing circuit generating a primary output signal;

providing a secondary signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal;

coupling the primary signal processing circuit and the secondary signal processing circuit to a switch;

monitoring the primary signal processing circuit and the secondary signal processing circuit and generating a monitoring signal;

controlling the switch to switch from the primary signal processing circuit to the secondary signal processing circuit in response to the monitoring signal; and

forming an output signal in response to switching.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising forming an uplink signal from the output signal and uplinking the uplink signal to a satellite.

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

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary and secondary uplink signal processing circuit correspond to a single transponder on a satellite

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first signal processing circuit has a first configuration and further comprising configuring components of the secondary signal processing circuit with the first configuration.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to coupling the primary uplink signal processing circuit, receiving a plurality of formatted signals having a first format;

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

after encoding, routing the plurality of transport signals through a local area network to the first uplink processing circuit.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein routing the plurality of transport signals comprises routing the plurality of transport signals to the first uplink signal processing circuit and the second uplink signal processing circuit.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a primary multiplexer, a primary transport processor and a primary modulator.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the secondary uplink signal processing circuit comprises a secondary multiplexer, a secondary transport processor and a secondary modulator.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein monitoring the primary signal processing circuit and the secondary signal processing circuit and controlling the switch is performed with a broadcast management system.

11. A method comprising:

generating a primary multiplexer signal at a primary multiplexer;

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

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

generating a secondary multiplexer signal at a secondary multiplexer;

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

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

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

monitoring at least one of the primary multiplexer, the primary transport processor, and the primary modulator;

controlling the switch to switch from the primary modulator signal to the secondary modulator signal in response to the monitoring signal; and

forming an output signal in response to switching.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein generating a primary multiplexer signal at a primary multiplexer comprises generating the primary multiplexer signal from a plurality of single program transport signals.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein generating a primary multiplexer signal at a primary multiplexer comprises generating the primary multiplexer signal from a plurality of single program transport signals coupled to the primary multiplexer from a local area network.

14. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising forming an uplink signal from the output signal and uplinking the uplink signal to a satellite.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein the uplink signal comprises a digital television signal.

16. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the output signal corresponds to a single transponder on a satellite

17. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising switching from the primary multiplexer to the secondary multiplexer in response to the monitoring signal.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein switching from the primary multiplexer to the secondary multiplexer comprises controlling the switching from the primary multiplexer to the secondary multiplexer with a compression control system.

19. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising switching from the primary transport processing system to the secondary transport processing system in response to the monitoring signal.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein switching from the primary transport processing system to the secondary transport processing system and controlling the switch comprises controlling the switching from the primary transport processing system to the secondary transport processing system and controlling the switch with a broadcast management system.

21. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein controlling the switch comprises controlling the switch through the primary modulator or secondary modulator.

22. A system comprising:

an uplink signal processing system comprising a primary uplink signal processing circuit generating a primary output signal and a secondary uplink signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal;

a switch communicating with the primary signal processing circuit and the secondary signal processing circuit; and

a monitoring and control system monitoring the primary signal processing circuit and the secondary signal processing circuit and generating a monitoring signal and controlling the switch to switch from the primary signal processing circuit to the secondary uplink signal processing circuit in response to the monitoring signal;

said switch forming an output signal in response to switching.

23. A system as recited in claim 22 further comprising an amplifier forming an uplink signal from the output signal and uplinking the uplink signal to a satellite.

24. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the uplink signal comprises a digital television signal.

25. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the primary and secondary uplink signal processing circuit correspond to a single transponder on a satellite