Remote transmission system
A virtual broadband transmitting unit includes a stream generator to generate a multiplicity of data streams from an incoming media datastream, and a transmission manager to control the upload of the multiplicity of data streams along a multiplicity of transmission channels to at least one wireless communication network. A virtual broadband receiver includes means to receive a multiplicity of media data streams from a multiplicity of data connections, and an assembly engine to assemble the data streams into a single media stream.
1. A virtual broadband transmitting unit comprising:
a stream generator to generate a multiplicity of data streams from an incoming live media transmission at a remote reporting location;
a multiplicity of modems, each associated with one of at least one wireless communication network; and
a transmission manager to control the upload of said multiplicity of data streams through a selected set of said modems associated with those of said at least one wireless communication network accessible from said remote reporting location.
2. The unit according to claim 1 and wherein said incoming live media transmission comprises at least one of video and audio data.
3. The unit according to claim 1 and also comprising a video encoder to encode said live media transmission.
4. The unit according to claim 1 and where said at least one wireless network is at least one of the following: a mobile cellular network, a WiFi network, a WiMax network and a satellite network.
5. The unit according to claim 1 and wherein said stream generator comprises a data packet generator comprising at least one of:
a forward error correction (FEC) processor to provide FEC codes to each said data stream;
a packet encapsulator to generate numbered data packets from each said data stream; and
an interleaver to shuffle said data packets.
6. The unit according to claim 5 and wherein said stream generator also comprises a queue buffer to receive said data packets from said packet generator and a retransmission queue to store copies of said packets for retransmission.
7. The unit according to claim 5 and wherein said stream generator comprises said multiplicity of modems to transmit said multiplicity of data streams.
8. The unit according to claim 7 wherein each said modem comprises an associated modem manager and wherein each said associated modem manager comprise means to pull a next said data packet from said data packet generator for transmission via said modem.
9. The unit according to claim 1 and also comprising a back channel for receiving feedback regarding at least one of the timeliness and quality of said multiplicity of data streams.
10. The unit according to claim 9 and wherein said feedback comprises at least one of missing data packets, reconstructed data packets, serial numbers and time stamps of packets received, and requests for retransmission of data.
11. The unit according to claim 10 and wherein said transmission manager comprises means to search a retransmission queue to locate a copy of at least one of said missing data packets and to forward a found copy for retransmission.
12. The unit according to claim 9 and wherein said transmission manager comprises a traffic analyzer to analyze said feedback and adjust settings for components of said stream generator in response to said analysis.
13. The unit according to claim 11 and wherein said components comprise at least one of a video encoder, a FEC processor, a packet encapsulator, an interleaver, a queue buffer, and a modem manager.
14. A method for remote reporting comprising:
organizing video data of a live media transmission generated at a remote reporting location into data packets;
having a multiplicity of modems, each associated with one of at least one wireless communication network; and
uploading said data packets through a selected set of said modems associated with those of said at least one wireless network accessible from said remote reporting location to a broadcasting station.
15. The method according to claim 14 and wherein said at least one wireless network is at least one of the following: a cellular network, WIFI, WIMAX or satellite.
16. The method according to claim 14 and wherein said at least one wireless network is at least two separate cellular networks.
17. The method according to claim 16 and wherein said at least two separate cellular networks use at least two different mobile telephone technologies.
18. The method according to claim 14 and also comprising:
receiving feedback regarding the success of said uploading;
analyzing said feedback; and
adjusting operational settings for said organizing and said multiplicity of modems in response to results of said analyzing.
19. The method according to claim 14 and also comprising generating packets with FEC codes.
20. The method according to claim 14 and also comprising interleaving the order of said packets prior to said uploading.
21. The method according to claim 14 and also comprising:
receiving retransmission requests for at least one improperly received said data packet; and
retransmitting said at least one improperly received data packet.