The Directv Group, Inc.

Darren M St Laurent

Mitchell B Wasden

Daniel M Miner

David T Boltz

Vishal Arya

Carl D Ostrom

Charles S Tellez

A system and method suitable for collecting local television signals includes a local collection facility having a plurality of primary receiver circuit modules with a first receiver circuit module and a back-up receiver module. The local collection facility includes the first receiver circuit module receiving and demodulating the first channel signal and forming a first IP signal. The first receiver has a first multicast group. The back-up receiver circuit module receives and demodulates the first channel signal and forming a second signal. The back-up receiver has a second multicast group. A remote facility is spaced apart from the local collection facility and communicates with the local collection facility through an IP backhaul. A primary decoder within the remote facility is communication with the IP backhaul and forms a decoded signal from the first IP signal. The primary decoder belongs to the first multi-cast group. A primary encoder within the remote facility communicates with the primary decoder and forms a first encoded signal from the decoded signal. A multiplexer multiplexes the first encoded signal into a multiplexed signal. A monitoring system includes commanding the primary decoder to join the second multicast group and discontinue the first multicast group. The primary decoder forms the decoded signal from the second IP signal.

Method and system for monitoring and controlling a back-up receiver in local collection facility from a remote facility using an IP network

A system and method for collecting signals 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 channel signals, encoding the channel signals into respective IP signals, communicating the respective IP signals through an IP network to the remote facility. The remote facility controls an antenna switch at the local collection facility to communicate a first channel signal of the channel signals to a monitoring receiver circuit module. The local collection facility generates a monitoring signal at the monitoring receiver circuit module and communicates the monitoring signal through to a remote facility through the IP network.

Method and system for monitoring and encoding signals in a local facility and communicating the signals between a local collection facility and a remote facility using an IP network

A method and system of collecting local television signals includes a local collection facility a plurality of primary receiver circuit modules comprising a first receiver circuit module. The first receiver circuit module receives and demodulates the first channel signal and forms an IP signal. A remote facility is spaced apart from the local collection facility and communicates with the local collection facility through an IP backhaul. A primary decoder within the remote facility is in communication with the IP backhaul and forms a decoded signal from the IP signal. A primary encoder within the remote facility in communication with the primary decoder forms a first encoded signal from the decoded signal. A multiplexer in the remote facility multiplexes the first encoded signal into a multiplexed signal. The multiplexed signal may provide an output signal used for uplinking or other type of distribution.

Method and system for monitoring and controlling a local collection facility from a remote facility through an IP network

A system and method suitable for processing television signals includes a remote facility and a local collection facility in communication with the remote facility. The local facility has a plurality of receivers receiving a plurality of channel signals and a plurality of encoders generating a plurality of encoded signals from the plurality of channel signals. The local collection facility includes a primary multiplexer multiplexing the plurality of encoded signals to form a first multiplexed signal and communicates the first multiplexed signal to the remote facility. A monitoring system at a remote facility commanding switching to a back-up multiplexer at the local collection facility. The back-up multiplexer multiplexing the plurality of encoded signals to form a second multiplexed signal and communicating the second multiplexed signal to the remote facility. The remote facility generating an output signal in response to the second multiplexed signal.

Method and system for controlling a back-up multiplexer in a local collection facility from a remote facility

A system and method for monitoring a plurality of local channel signals that includes a monitoring system for receiving the plurality of local channel signals and for converting channel signals into RF signals. The system also includes a combiner for combining the RF signals with national signals to form a combined signal and an integrated receiver decoder and a router communicating at least one of the combined signals to an input of the integrated receiver decoder. A display associated with the integrated receiver decoder displays at least one of one of the RF signals.

Method and system for testing an integrated receiver decoder with signals from outside the local market area

A system and method suitable for processing television signals includes a local collection facility that has a plurality of receivers receiving a plurality of channel signals, a plurality of encoders generating a first plurality of encoded signals from the plurality of channel signals, a multiplexer multiplexing the first plurality of encoded signals at a multiplexer to form first multiplexed signals, an ATM switch forming a primary ATM circuit between the local collection facility and the remote facility, and an ATM network adapter forming first ATM cells from the multiplexed signals and communicating the first ATM cells to a remote facility through the primary ATM circuit and the ATM switch. The system also includes a remote facility that includes a monitoring system generating control signals to tear down the primary ATM circuit and communicating the control signal to tear down the primary ATM circuit to the local collection facility.

Method and system for controlling a back-up network adapter in a local collection facility from a remote facility

A system of local television signals includes a plurality of local collection facilities. Each a local collection facilities includes a plurality of primary receiver decoder circuit modules comprising a first receiver decoder circuit module. The first receiver decoder circuit module receives a first channel signal and forms a first decoded signal. The local collection facility also includes an encoder in communication with the first receiver decoder circuit module forming an encoded signal. A multiplexer multiplexing the first encoded signal into a multiplexed signal and a network switch communicating the multiplexed signal through a network. Collectively, the plurality of local collection facilities communicates a plurality of multiplexed signals through the network. The system also includes a remote collection facility in communication with the plurality of local collection facilities that generate an output signal in response to the plurality of multiplexed signals. The multiplexed signal may be formed into ATM signals before communication through the network.

Method and system for monitoring and controlling a local collection facility from a remote facility using an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network

A remote facility and method for operating the same includes a signal processing system including a primary multiplexer multiplexing IP signals to form a multiplexed signal, a primary modulator a primary transport processing system forming a transport stream signal from the multiplexed signal, a primary modulator modulating the transport stream signal to form a modulated signal, a backup multiplexer multiplexing IP signals to form the multiplexed signal, a backup modulator a primary transport processing system forming a transport stream signal from the multiplexed signal, a backup modulator modulating the transport stream signal to form a modulated signal. The remote facility includes a controller in communication with the primary multiplexer, the primary transport processing system, the primary modulator, the backup multiplexer, the backup transport processing system and the backup modulator, said controller forming an output signal using at least one of the primary multiplexer, the primary transport processing system, and the primary modulator and at least one of the backup multiplexer, the backup transport processing system and the backup modulator. The remote facility may be part of a television signal collection system that includes an IP network and a local collection facility in communication with the remote collection facility through the IP network.

Method and system for controlling redundancy of individual components of a remote facility system

A system and method suitable for processing television signals includes a local collection facility that has a primary receiver and a primary encoder forming a broadcast signal in response to a first channel signal received at the receiver. The system also includes a remote facility having a monitoring system monitoring the local collection facility at the remote facility. A back-up receiver at the local facility tuning to the first channel, generating a back-up receiver signal for the first channel and communicating the back-up receiver signal to the remote facility from the local collection facility. The monitoring system displays the back-up receiver signal. The remote facility switches the broadcast signal to correspond to the back-up receiver signal.

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Stevenson Ranch, CA, United States of America

Darren M St Laurent