Patent ID: 8411571

Claim:
A network access unit of a load balancing communications network configured to communicate with a plurality of data terminals adapted to receive transmissions over a satellite link, the network access unit comprising: a source data receiver module adapted to receive a plurality of first source data, each first source data representing respective video content, and second source data representing broadband data content; a network control module adapted to receive link condition data about data terminals in the plurality of data terminals and configuration data about the plurality of first source data and the second source data, calculate priority data for the plurality of first source data and the second source data based on the link condition data and the configuration data, use the priority data to generate a master schedule including program data indicating that some but not all of the plurality of first source data are to be transmitted, and transmit the master schedule to other components of the network access unit; a pre-coder module adapted to determine, for each first source data of the plurality of first source data, if the program data of the master schedule indicates that the respective first source data is to be transmitted, and if the program data is determined to indicate that the respective first source data is to be transmitted, to pre-code the respective first source data using a respective first pre-coding scheme to generate a respective first set of representation data decodable independently to provide a set of first-level playback data representing the respective first source data, and to pre-code the respective first source data using a respective second pre-coding scheme to generate a respective second set of representation data decodable in combination with the respective first set of representation data to provide a set of second-level playback data representing the respective first source data; and an adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) module adapted to associate, for each first source data indicated for transmission, the respective first set of representation data with a respective first coding and modulation scheme, and associate the respective second set of representation data with a respective second coding and modulation scheme, wherein the respective second coding and modulation scheme is of a higher order than the respective first coding and modulation scheme.