Robert J Schroeder

US Patent:

6556828, Apr 29, 2003

Filed:

Aug 31, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/386268

Inventors:

James W. Carlin - Holmdel NJ
Robert A. Hedinger - Red Bank NJ
Robert E. Schroeder - Branchburg NJ

Assignee:

Loral SpaceCom Corp. - New York NY

International Classification:

H04Q 722

US Classification:

455427, 455 121, 370319

Abstract:

Communications network architectures integrate communications using a geosynchronous satellite communications system including a geosynchronous communications satellite operating in the fixed satellite service (FSS) band and a low earth orbit satellite communications system including a plurality of low earth orbit communications satellites. A low earth orbit gateway having a terminal is used to communicate with the low earth orbit communications satellites using multiple access communication channels, and is used to communicate with a public switch telephone network. A geosynchronous gateway having a terminal is used to communicate with the geosynchronous communications satellite by overlaying multiple access communication channels onto fixed channel assignments and transmitting the overlayed channel assignments. The terminal in the geosynchronous gateway is also used to communicate with the public switch telephone network. A fixed terminal having a handset is used to selectively communicate with the low earth orbit communications satellite using the multiple access communication channels, and with the geosynchronous communications satellite by extracting the multiple access communication channels from the fixed channel assignments.

US Patent:

20030074668, Apr 17, 2003

Filed:

Oct 17, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/978808

Inventors:

James Carlin - Holmdel NJ, US
Jurgen Dannwolf - Bricktown NJ, US
Robert Schroeder - Branchburg NJ, US
Robert Seiwell - Coopersburg NJ, US

International Classification:

H04N007/16

US Classification:

725/095000

Abstract:

A system and method for providing quality of service and transponder utilization billing for use with a data broadcasting system. The data broadcast system includes a plurality of receivers coupled to a plurality of channel encoders, a multiplexer for multiplexing encoded channels, and a transmitter for transmitting the channels. A video system controller is coupled to the multiplexer and channel encoders. A content access management system schedules, tracks, and reports customer content, and a transponder management system outputs billing reports. In accordance with the present invention, the multiplexer generates statistical feedback to the encoders to control encoding quantization rates to achieve optimum channelized video throughput. The video system controller generates quality parametrics comprising average channel quantization rates that are indicative of the quality of each channel of the data broadcasting system. A quality of service and transponder utilization billing system generates schedule and utilization data for each channel of the data broadcasting system, matches average channel quantization rates are to preassigned class bins that represent pre-agreed quality of service levels for respective customers, periodically aligns the class bins to a customer's product schedule, and generates product and class utilization summary. The transponder management system processes the product and class utilization summary to track transponder usage and match each customer to a rate identifier table to periodically render an integrated customer bill reflecting quality of service delivered with content over time.