Method and system for monitoring and switching between a first uplink signal processing circuit and a secondary uplink signal processing circuit

• US 8,804,499 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• 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: Barroso, Eduardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAO, WEI PO ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/853,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20090069021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,527 Days
• Field of Search: 370216-228, 370/241, 370/242, 455 7- 10, 455/12.1, 455 231- 134
• US Class Current: 370/225
• 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 for broadcasting television signals using a ground segment system comprising:

communicating a first group of television signals comprising a plurality of single program transport stream (SPTS) signals to a primary signal processing circuit and a secondary signal processing circuit;

generating a primary modulated multiplexed transport output signal for the first group of television signals at the primary signal processing circuit;

generating a secondary modulated multiplexed transport output signal for the first group of television signals at the secondary signal processing circuit;

coupling the primary modulated multiplexed transport output signal and the secondary modulated multiplexed transport output signal to a switch having a switch output signal;

communicating signals from at least one component of the primary signal processing circuit and at least one component of the secondary signal processing circuit to a monitoring-and-control module;

generating, by the monitoring-and-control module, a display comprising the primary modulated multiplexed transport output signal and the secondary modulated multiplexed transport output signal;

monitoring, at the monitoring-and-control module, at least one component of the primary signal processing circuit and the secondary signal processing circuit by determining whether the at least one of the components of the primary signal processing circuit has been corrupted and generating a monitoring signal when at least one of the components of the primary signal processing circuit has been corrupted;

switching, using the monitoring-and-control module, the switch output signal from the primary modulated multiplexed transport output signal to the secondary modulated multiplexed transport output signal in response to the monitoring signal; and

broadcasting the switch output signal to a plurality of user devices.

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

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

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary signal processing circuit and secondary 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 output signal, 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 signal 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 signal processing circuit and the second signal processing circuit.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary 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 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 for broadcasting television signals using a ground segment system comprising:

generating a primary multiplexer signal at a primary multiplexer, said primary multiplexer signal comprising a first plurality of television signals;

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, said secondary multiplexer signal comprising a second plurality of television signals;

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;

communicating at least one of the primary multiplexer signal, the primary transport processor signal and the primary modulator signal and at least one of at least one of the secondary multiplexer signal, the secondary transport processor signal and the secondary modulator signal to a monitoring-and-control circuit

generating, by the monitoring-and-control module, a display comprising at least one of the primary multiplexer signal, the primary transport processor signal and the primary modulator signal and at least one of at least one of the secondary multiplexer signal, the secondary transport processor signal and the secondary modulator signal;

monitoring, at the monitoring-and-control module, at least one of the primary multiplexer, the primary transport processor, and the primary modulator to determine if one of the primary multiplexer signal, the primary transport processor signal, and the primary modulator signal has been corrupted;

controlling the switch to form an output signal corresponding to either the primary modulator signal or the secondary modulator signal in response to monitoring; and

broadcasting the output signal to a plurality of user devices.

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 monitoring.

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 processor to the secondary transport processor in response to monitoring.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein switching from the primary transport processor to the secondary transport processor and controlling the switch comprises controlling the switching from the primary transport processor to the secondary transport processor 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 for broadcasting television signals using a ground segment comprising:

an uplink signal processing system comprising a primary uplink signal processing circuit generating a primary output signal from a first input television signal and a secondary uplink signal processing circuit generating a secondary output signal from the first input television signal;

a switch receiving the primary output signal and the secondary output signal;

a monitoring and control system monitoring the primary output signal and the secondary output signal, generating a monitoring signal by monitoring at least one component of the primary uplink signal processing circuit and the secondary uplink signal processing circuit determining whether the at least one component has been corrupted and controlling the switch to form a switch output signal corresponding to the secondary output signal in response to the monitoring signal; and

a broadcasting circuit for broadcasting the switch output signal to a plurality of user devices.

23. A system as recited in claim 22 further comprising an amplifier forming an uplink signal from the switch 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.