Patent ID: 8988986
Filing Date: 2015-03-24
Classification: H04H,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving a first plurality of channel signals at a first local collection facility located within a first designated marketing area; receiving a second plurality of channel signals at a second local collection facility located within a second designated marketing area; generating a first plurality of encoded signals from the first plurality of channel signals at the first local collection facility outside the first designated marketing area; generating a second plurality of encoded signals from the second plurality of channel signals at the second local collection facility outside the second designated marketing area; multiplexing the first plurality of encoded signals at a first primary multiplexer to form a first multiplexed signal; multiplexing the second plurality of encoded signals at a second primary multiplexer to form a second multiplexed signal; communicating the first multiplexed signal and the second multiplexed signal to a remote uplink facility located outside the first designated marketing area and the second designated marketing area; monitoring the first local collection facility and the second local collection facility at the remote uplink facility; commanding switching to a first back-up multiplexer at the first local collection facility and a second back-up multiplexer at the second local collection facility from the remote uplink facility in response to monitoring; after commanding, multiplexing the first plurality of encoded signals at the first back-up multiplexer to form a third multiplexed signal; after commanding, multiplexing the second plurality of encoded signals at the second back-up multiplexer to form a fourth multiplexed signal; communicating the third multiplexed signal to the remote facility; communicating the fourth multiplexed signal to the remote facility; generating an uplink signal for use by a user device at the remote uplink facility in response to the third multiplexed signal and the fourth multiplexed signal; and communicating the uplink signal to a satellite.