Method and apparatus for automated signal analysis and reporting among rf receiver devices

Abstract

A receiver control is configured to receive signal receive level data from a plurality of signal receivers. The receiver control determines if a signal receive level is lower than expected. In response to determining that the signal receive level is lower than expected, it is determined if an alternate signal is available via an alternate signal path. In response to determining that an alternate signal is available, an instruction is transmitted to one of the plurality of signal receivers with an indication that the alternate signal is to be received via the alternate signal path. The receiver control transmits the alternate signal via the alternate signal path to the one of the plurality of signal receivers experiencing lower than expected signal receive levels in one embodiment. The receiver can resume utilizing an original signal via an original signal path when the signal receive level of the original signal returns.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a receiver server comprising a processor, respective signal receive levels from signal receivers, wherein the respective signal receive levels are associated with a broadcast signal comprising content, and at least some of the respective signal receive levels are based on different signal ranges associated with the signal receivers;   converting, by the receiver server, the respective signal receive levels into respective normalized signal receive level values that are normalized according to a defined scale; and   in response to determining that a respective normalized signal receive level value associated with a signal receiver of the signal receivers does not satisfy at least a minimum signal receive level value, transmitting, by the receiver server, an instruction to the signal receiver that instructs the signal receiver to receive the content via an alternate signal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the minimum signal receive level value corresponds to a defined acceptable amount of audio distortion of the content. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the minimum signal receive level value corresponds to a defined acceptable amount of pixelation of the content. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction further instructs the signal receiver to receive the content via the alternate signal for a specified period of time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the specified period of time is based on an amount of time over which a prior signal disruption occurred. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the broadcast signal is a radio frequency signal transmitted from a satellite. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the alternate signal is transmitted via out-of-band communications. 
     
     
         8 . A system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 receiving respective signal receive levels from signal receivers, wherein the respective signal receive levels are associated with an original signal comprising content, and at least some of the respective signal receive levels are based on different signal ranges associated with the signal receivers; 
 transforming the respective signal receive levels into respective normalized signal receive level values that are normalized according to a defined scale; and 
 in response to determining that a respective normalized signal receive level value associated with a signal receiver of the signal receivers is not at least a minimum signal receive level value, sending an instruction to the signal receiver to receive the content via an alternate signal. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the minimum signal receive level value corresponds to an acceptable amount of audio distortion of the content. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the minimum signal receive level value is based upon the respective signal receive levels. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the instruction further specifies a defined period of time that the signal receiver is to receive the content via the alternate signal. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the defined period of time is based on an amount of time over which a prior signal disruption occurred. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the original signal is a radio frequency signal transmitted from a satellite. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the alternate signal is transmitted via out-of-band communications. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 obtaining respective signal receive levels from signal receivers, wherein the respective signal receive levels are associated with an original signal comprising content, and at least some of the respective signal receive levels are based on different signal ranges associated with the signal receivers;   converting the respective signal receive levels into respective normalized signal receive level values that are normalized according to a defined scale; and   in response to determining that a respective normalized signal receive level value associated with a signal receiver of the signal receivers does not meet a minimum signal receive level value, communicating an instruction to the signal receiver to receive the content via an alternate signal.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the minimum signal receive level value corresponds to an acceptable amount of audio distortion of the content. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the minimum signal receive level value corresponds to an acceptable amount of pixelation of the content. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the minimum signal receive level value corresponds to an acceptable amount of audio distortion of the content. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the original signal is a radio frequency signal transmitted from a satellite. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the alternate signal is transmitted via out-of-band communications.