System, method and apparatus for reducing blockage losses on information distribution networks

1. A method for transmitting packets over first and second channels, comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) packets corresponding to an original stream of packets;

transmitting the original stream of packets over the first channel; and

transmitting the plurality of FEC packets over the second channel,

wherein the transmitting the original stream of packets and the transmitting the plurality of FEC packets occur simultaneously.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second channels are on the same network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second channels are on independent networks.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the independent networks are selected from the group consisting of a satellite network and a terrestrial wireless network.

5. A method for transmitting packets over first and second channels, comprising the steps of:

calculating a forward error correction (FEC) contribution of each packet of an original stream of packets;

generating a plurality of FEC packets in accordance with the FEC contribution of each packet of the original stream of packets;

transmitting a block of the original stream of packets over the first channel; and

transmitting the plurality of FEC packets over the second channel,

wherein the transmitting the block of the original stream of packets and the transmitting the plurality of FEC packets occur simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second channels are on the same network.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second channels are on independent networks.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a block of the original stream of packets during a first time window; and

transmitting the plurality of FEC packets during a second time window.

9. A method for receiving packets from first and second channels, comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of packets over the first channel;

receiving a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) packets corresponding to the stream of packets over the second channel,

wherein the receiving the stream of packets and the receiving the plurality of FEC packets occur simultaneously;

using information stored in the plurality of FEC packets to determine a correspondence between the plurality of FEC packets and the stream of packets; and

recovering one or more lost packets of the stream of packets using the plurality of FEC packets.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second channels are on the same network.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second channels are on independent networks.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the independent networks are selected from the group consisting of a satellite network and a terrestrial wireless network.

13. A transmitter for transmitting packets over first and second channels, comprising:

an FEC encoder operable to generate a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) packets corresponding to an original stream of packets; and

a packet transmitter operable to transmit the original stream of packets over the first channel and to transmit the plurality of FEC packets over the second channel,

wherein the packet transmitter is operable to simultaneously transmit the original stream of packets and the plurality of FEC packets.

14. The transmitter of claim 13 , wherein the first and second channels are on the same network.

15. The transmitter of claim 13 , wherein the first and second channels are on independent networks.

16. The transmitter of claim 15 , wherein the independent networks are selected from the group consisting of a satellite network and a terrestrial wireless network.

17. A transmitter for transmitting packets over first and second channels, comprising:

an FEC encoder operable to calculate a forward error correction (FEC) contribution of each packet of an original stream of packets, and to generate a plurality of FEC packets in accordance with the FEC contribution of each packet of the original stream of packets; and

a packet transmitter operable to transmit a block of the original stream of packets over the first channel, and to transmit the plurality of FEC packets over the second channel,

wherein the packet transmitter is operable to simultaneously transmit the block of the original stream of packets and the plurality of FEC packets.

18. The transmitter of claim 17 , wherein the first and second channels are on the same network.

19. The transmitter of claim 17 , wherein the first and second channels are on independent networks.

20. The transmitter of claim 17 , wherein the transmitter is further operable to transmit a block of the original stream of packets during a first time window, and to transmit the plurality of FEC packets during a second time window.

21. A receiver for receiving packets from first and second channels, comprising:

a packet receiver operable to receive a stream of packets over the first channel, and to receive a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) packets corresponding to the stream of packets over the second channel,

wherein the packet receiver is operable to simultaneously receive the stream of packets and the plurality of FEC packets; and

an FEC decoder operable to use information stored in the plurality of FEC packets to determine a correspondence between the plurality of FEC packets and the stream of packets, and to recover one or more lost packets of the stream of packets using the plurality of FEC packets.

22. The receiver of claim 21 wherein the first and second channels are on the same network.

23. The receiver of claim 21 , wherein the first and second channels are on independent networks.

24. The receiver of claim 23 , wherein the independent networks are selected from the group consisting of a satellite network and a terrestrial wireless network.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to transmit packets over first and second channels, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to calculate a forward error correction (FEC) contribution of each packet of an original stream of packets;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to generate a plurality of FEC packets in accordance with the FEC contribution of each packet of the original stream of packets;

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transmit a block of the original stream of packets over the first channel; and

fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transmit the plurality of FEC packets over the second channel,

wherein the block of the original stream of packets and the plurality of FEC packets are transmitted simultaneously.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 , further comprising:

fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transmit a block of the original stream of packets during a first time window; and

sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transmit the plurality of FEC packets during a second time window.

27. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to receive packets from first and second channels, said control logic comprising:

first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a stream of packets over the first channel;

second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) packets corresponding to the stream of packets over the second channel,

wherein the stream of packets and the plurality of FEC packets are received simultaneously;

third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to use information stored in the plurality of FEC packets to determine a correspondence between the plurality of FEC packets and the stream of packets; and

fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to recover one or more lost packets of the stream of packets using the plurality of FEC packets.

28. A system for transmitting and receiving packets over first and second channels, comprising:

an FEC encoder operable to generate a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) packets corresponding to an original stream of packets;

a packet transmitter operable to transmit the original stream of packets over the first channel and to transmit the plurality of FEC packets over the second channel,

wherein the transmitting the original stream of packets and the transmitting the plurality of FEC packets occur simultaneously;

a packet receiver operable to receive the original stream of packets over the first channel, and to receive the plurality of FEC packets over the second channel; and

an FEC decoder operable to use information stored in the plurality of FEC packets to determine a correspondence between the plurality of FEC packets and the original stream of packets, and to recover one or more lost packets of the original stream of packets using the plurality of FEC packets.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the first and second channels are on the same network.

30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the first and second channels are on independent networks.

31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the independent networks are selected from the group consisting of a satellite network and a terrestrial wireless network.