APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING THE SATELLITE TRANSPONDER USAGE

• US 20120278843A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Carmichael, Leslie
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/67
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/33 by plural channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to receive media content transport channels from multiple transponders. An exemplary embodiment receives a first transport channel, wherein the first transport channel comprises a first portion of a media content event of interest multiplexed together with a first plurality of media content events; receives a second transport channel, wherein the second transport channel comprises a second portion of the media content event of interest multiplexed together with a second plurality of media content events; demultiplexes the first portion of the media content event of interest from the first transport channel; and demultiplexes the second portion of the media content event of interest from the second transport channel.

Claims

1. A method in a media device that receives media content transport channels from multiple transponders, comprising:

receiving a first transport channel, wherein the first transport channel comprises a first portion of a media content event of interest multiplexed together with a first plurality of media content events;

receiving a second transport channel, wherein the second transport channel comprises a second portion of the media content event of interest multiplexed together with a second plurality of media content events;

demultiplexing the first portion of the media content event of interest from the first transport channel; and

demultiplexing the second portion of the media content event of interest from the second transport channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transport channel is communicated from a first satellite.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second transport channel is communicated from a second satellite.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the demultiplexed first portion of the media content event of interest;

storing the demultiplexed second portion of the media content event of interest;

combining the demultiplexed first portion of the media content event of interest and the demultiplexed second portion of the media content event of interest to generate a combined media content event of interest; and

communicating the combined media content event of interest to a presentation device.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

communicating the combined media content event of interest to the presentation device when a program buffer contains a sufficient amount of the media content event of interest to enable continuous playback on the presentation device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

tuning to a first frequency to receive the first portion of the media content event of interest, wherein a first transponder currently transmitting the first transport channel transmits on the first frequency; and

concurrently tuning to a second frequency to receive the second portion of the media content event of interest, wherein a second transponder currently transmitting the second transport channel transmits on the second frequency.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a notification from a transport channel generation system indicating a first transponder frequency currently transmitting the first portion of the media content event of interest on the first transport channel;

receiving a notification from the transport channel generation system indicating a second transponder frequency currently transmitting the second portion of the media content event of interest on the second transport channel; and

activating a first tuner to receive the first transport channel comprising the first portion of the of the media content event of interest on the indicated first transponder frequency; and

activating a second tuner to receive the second transport channel comprising the second portion of the of the media content event of interest on the indicated second transponder frequency.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving a notification from the transport channel generation system indicating a third transponder frequency currently transmitting a third portion of the media content event of interest on a third transport channel; and

activating a third tuner to receive the third transport channel comprising the third portion of the of the media content event of interest on the indicated third transponder frequency.

9. A media device that receives media content transport channels from multiple transponders, comprising:

a first tuner operable to receive a first transport channel;

a second tuner operable to receive a second transport channel; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the first tuner and the second tuner, wherein the processor system is configured to;

process the received first transport channel, wherein the first transport channel comprises a first portion of a media content event of interest multiplexed together with a first plurality of media content events;

process the received second transport channel, wherein the second transport channel comprises a second portion of the media content event of interest multiplexed together with a second plurality of media content events;

demultiplex the first portion of the media content event of interest from the first transport channel; and

demultiplex the second portion of the media content event of interest from the second transport channel.

10. The media device of claim 9 wherein the first transport channel is communicated from a first satellite and the second transport channel is communicated from a second satellite.

11. The media device of claim 9 further comprising:

a memory medium communicatively coupled to the at least one tuner and the processor system, wherein the memory medium is configured to;

store the demultiplexed first portion of the media content event of interest; and

store the demultiplexed second portion of the media content event of interest; and

wherein the processor system is further configured to combine the demultiplexed first portion of the first media content event of interest and the demultiplexed second portion of the media content event of interest to generate the media content event of interest; and

a presentation device interface communicatively coupled to the memory medium and the processor system, wherein the presentation device interface is configured to communicate the combined media content event of interest to a presentation device.

12. The media device of claim 9 wherein the at least one tuner is further configured to:

tune to a first frequency to receive the first portion of the media content event of interest, wherein the first frequency corresponds to a first transponder currently transmitting the first transport channel at the first frequency; and

concurrently tune to a second frequency to receive the second portion of the media content event of interest, wherein the second frequency corresponds to a second transponder currently transmitting the second transport channel at the second frequency.

13. The media device of claim 9 further comprising:

a communications network interface configured to;

receive a notification from a transport channel generation system indicating a first transponder frequency currently transmitting the first portion of the media content event of interest on the first transport channel;

receive a notification from the transport channel generation system indicating a second transponder frequency currently transmitting the second portion of the media content event of interest on the second transport channel; and

wherein the processor system is further configured to;

activate a first tuner to receive the first transport channel comprising the first portion of the of the media content event of interest on the indicated first transponder frequency; and

activate a second tuner to receive the second transport channel comprising the second portion of the of the media content event of interest on the indicated second transponder frequency.

14. The media device of claim 13 wherein the communications interface is further configured to:

process a received notification from a transport channel generation system indicating a third transponder frequency currently transmitting the third portion of the media content event of interest on the third transport channel; and

wherein the processor system is further configured to a third tuner to receive the third transport channel comprising the third portion of the of the media content event of interest on the indicated third transponder frequency.

15. A media content event broadcasting method, comprising:

generating a first transport channel, wherein the first transport channel comprises a first portion of a media content event of interest multiplexed together with a first plurality of media content events;

generating a second transport channel, wherein the second transport channel comprises a second portion of the media content event of interest multiplexed together with a second plurality of media content events;

transmitting the first transport channel to a first transponder of a first satellite; and

concurrently transmitting the second transport channel to a second transponder on a second satellite.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprises:

calculating a residual bandwidth of the first transponder; and

multiplexing a portion of the media content event of interest with a plurality of media content events into a currently transmitting transport channel, wherein the portion of the media content event of interest is less than the calculated residual bandwidth available on the first transponder.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprises:

calculating a residual bandwidth of the first transponder currently transmitting a transport channel; and

dynamically generating an additional transport channel when the calculated residual bandwidth of the first transponder is substantially equal to the bandwidth capacity of the first transponder, wherein the additional transport channel includes a portion of the media content event of interest transmitting on the transport channel.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprises:

calculating a residual bandwidth of the first transponder; and

dynamically multiplexing the first portion of the media content event of interest with the second portion of the media content event of interest and the plurality of media content events onto the second transport channel when the calculated residual bandwidth of the first transponder is greater than the bandwidth utilization of the second transport channel, wherein the first transport channel is no longer transmitting the media content event of interest.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprises:

calculating a residual bandwidth of the second transponder; and

dynamically multiplexing the second portion of the media content event of interest with the first portion of the media content event of interest and the plurality of media content events onto the first transport channel when the calculated residual bandwidth of the second transponder is greater than the bandwidth utilization of the first transport channel, wherein the second transport channel is no longer transmitting the media content event of interest.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprises generating a notification to a media device, wherein the notification indicates one or more transponder frequencies currently transmitting a portion of the media content event of interest.