Method and apparatus for determining obstructions based on satellite receive signals
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsNicholas Nicas, Todd Andrew Fryer, Douglas Medina
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Abstract
A satellite digital broadcast systems transmits signals from a geosynchronous satellite to a plurality of geographically dispersed receivers. Each receiver measures a receive signal level and transmits a value representing the level to a data center. The data center analyses data received from a plurality of receivers in order to determine a size, shape, and velocity of propagation of an obstruction. The data center then predicts which receivers will experience signal disruptions based on the obstruction and the velocity of propagation of the obstruction. The data center transmits instructions to receivers that will be affected by the obstruction.
Claims20
A method of operating a data center, the method comprising:
- receiving data from a plurality of receivers;
- determining, based on the data, an obstruction causing disruption of signals from a transmitter to be received by a first subset of the plurality of receivers via an original path, the signals comprising particular content from a content provider;
- identifying the obstruction as a moving broadcast device based on obstruction data;
- identifying a particular receiver that will be affected by the disruption of the signals caused by the moving broadcast device;
- determining a time at which the particular receiver will be affected by the moving broadcast device;
- and
- transmitting alternate path data to the particular receiver, the alternate path data indicating an alternate signal path to obtain an alternate signal and a time at which the particular receiver obtains the alternate signal using the alternate signal path.
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory to store computer program instructions, wherein the computer program instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving data from a plurality of receivers;
- determining, based on the data, an obstruction causing disruption of signals from a transmitter to be received by a first subset of the plurality of receivers via an original path, the signals comprising particular content from a content provider;
- identifying the obstruction as a moving broadcast device based on obstruction data;
- identifying a particular receiver that will be affected by the disruption of the signals caused by the moving broadcast device;
- determining a time at which the particular receiver will be affected by the moving broadcast device;
- and
- transmitting alternate path data to the particular receiver, the alternate path data indicating an alternate signal path to obtain an alternate signal and a time at which the particular receiver obtains the alternate signal using the alternate signal path.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instruction, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving data from a plurality of receivers;
- determining, based on the data, an obstruction causing disruption of signals from a transmitter to be received by a first subset of the plurality of receivers via an original path, the signals comprising particular content from a content provider;
- identifying the obstruction as a moving broadcast device based on obstruction data;
- identifying a particular receiver that will be affected by the disruption of the signals caused by the moving broadcast device;
- determining a time at which the particular receiver will be affected by the moving broadcast device;
- and
- transmitting alternate path data to the particular receiver, the alternate path data indicating an alternate signal path to obtain an alternate signal and a time at which the particular receiver obtains the alternate signal using the alternate signal path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.