Abstract: In accordance with various aspects of the invention, there is being provided a method and apparatus for transmitting, and a method and apparatus for receiving a digital broadcast signal including a hierarchical modulation having a high priority stream and a low priority stream. The content to be received or transmitted in encoded into two stream so that a first stream is configured to be transmitted or received with the high priority stream, and a second stream to be transmitted/received with the low priority stream is configured to contain additional information for increasing the bitrate of the first stream.

Abstract: A network includes a service provider, a plurality of transmitters and a receiving device. The receiving device identifies the frequencies at which broadcast services are provided by a transmitter local to the receiving device. A search is carried out until a signal is received by the receiving device (S4.1). Then, the receiving device looks-up the transmitter (step S4.2). This involves searching the table 29 and identifying the row 30 that includes data corresponding to the frequency of the found signal. Optionally, it is determined whether or not there is only one candidate transmitter (step S4.3), by determining how many rows 30 in the table 29 include data corresponding to the frequency of the found signal. If there is more than one row, then the transmitter is disambiguated (step S4.4.).

Abstract: A system and method is provided for ensuring that time for tuning to another RF channel between two TF frames in TF slicing exists while reception with a single hopping-tuner is enabled, and reception for terminals can be guaranteed when transmitting and receiving common services. An additional time for tuning is introduced for TF-sliced services, where the time for tuning can be inserted either before of after the P1 & P2 symbols, and the symbols allocated for the tuning time can also be used for transmission of low-bit rate services. Alternatively, additional padding bits and a guard period can be added in the event that slots or slot fragments exceed a cyclic transfer border upon time shifting. Alternatively still, the tuning time is represented by a complete TF frame, where the complete TF frame carries services other than those in the first TF frame, so that a service is transmitted in every second TF frame and a receiver can perform tuning during the TF frames which do not carry the service.

Abstract: The invention is directed to efficient transfer of low bit rate services in a communication system. A synchronization symbol which has known characteristics may be included as a first symbol of digital broadcast frames. The synchronization symbol, which can be decoded without having to resort to trial and error methods, contains parameters for the rest of the signal. Low bit rate services are allocated to time slots following the pilot symbol used for synchronization allowing for fast access times with maximum power saving capabilities. A user terminal wakes up just before the synchronization symbol and received the data allocated for the low bit rate services. The user terminal may power off for the remaining time slots which are allocated for higher bit services to conserve power.

Abstract: In accordance with at least one embodiment, fixed TDM slot/frame structure and statistical multiplexing are combined. A TDM slot, which is fixed (in size and position) is reserved for a variable bit rate service such that the bit rate of the TDM slot/channel is below the average rate of the service. Such a reserved TDM slot may be referred to as a service specific slot. Since the service specific slot is reserved with a bit rate below the average rate of the service, additional capacity is reserved from a rate matching slot, which may be common for multiple services. In this rate matching slot, the capacity may be shared between services according to any suitable strategy for allotting services to portions of the rate matching slot, including, but not limited to, a statistical multiplexing algorithm.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to service and channel discovery in a digital broadcast network. A pilot synchronization symbol, which has known characteristics, is included as a first symbol of digital broadcast frames. The pilot symbol, which can be decoded without having to resort to trial and error methods, contains parameters for the rest of the signal. In another aspect of the invention, at least two pilot symbols may be defined and used at the beginning of each frame. The at least two pilot symbols P1 and P2 may enable fast channel search and service discovery within the frame. Signaling may be realized as a combination of L1 and L2 signaling.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention are directed to service and channel discovery in a digital broadcast network. A pilot synchronization symbol, which has known characteristics, is included as a first symbol of digital broadcast frames. The pilot symbol, which can be decoded without having to resort to trial and error methods, contains parameters for the rest of the signal. So, the rest of the signal can be decoded without trial and error methods after the pilot symbol (and any additional synchronization symbols) is decoded. Channels containing digital video broadcast services can be efficiently detected using the known part of the signal. If the fixed known part is not found from the examined signal, then the signal will be considered a non-digital-video-broadcast signal or an empty channel, and the receiver can promptly proceed to a next channel/frequency. In this way, detecting non-digital-video-broadcast and empty channels becomes relatively fast.

Abstract: In a DVB-T network, a single channel is shared between transmitters associated with adjacent cells on a time-division basis. Timing allocation information signals are received at each transmitter, where it is determined therefrom and from a common time reference, such as a GPS receiver or atomic clock, when transmission is and is not allowed. Each of the transmitters then transmits on the channel at different times. The channel may carry Internet Protocol Data Cast Services. The timing allocation may be varied so that transmitters have unequal shares. The allocation may be dynamically controllable depending on demand. Using the invention, a saving of frequency spectrum is obtained without requiring channel rasterisation.

Abstract: A terrestrial digital video broadcast (DVB-T) network includes a content provider and first to third transmitters. Each transmitter may transmit more than one signal, different signals having different frequencies, multiplexes and the like and relating to different network types. An integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) is mobile in the area around transmitters. As well as transmitting service information as part of a network information table on a data layer, the transmitters provide in their output signals transmitter parameter information as TPS data on a physical layer. This TPS information includes one bit identifying the type of the network to which the signal relates and information identifying whether or not the signal contains time-sliced data streams. This information is used by the IRD both in signal scan, or initialising the IRD with parameters needed for OSI layers service discovery, and for deselecting signals as handover candidates.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods in a digital broadcast transmission system for receiving, processing and rendering transmitted content. A digital receiver capable of receiving and rendering both DVB-H and DVB-T signals may include a coupling means for connecting to another terminal for receiving program data or parameters. The digital receiver may reconfigure one or more components in order to handle the differing signal types. Such a receiver system allows a user to move seamlessly from a mobile device to a stationary device without significant effort and time. The receiver may further use transmission streams of varying priority to enhance and otherwise modify the displayed content according to a user's selection. Users with small display screens or poor eyesight may benefit from such enhancements features.

Abstract: Systems and methods applicable, for instance, in wireless communications. For example, a wireless node and/or other computer may act to create a candidate signal list and/or may act to measure strength for one or more candidate list signals. As another example, the wireless node and/or other computer may act to calculate average difference between the strength of the strongest signal of the candidate list and the strength of a currently-received signal. As yet another example, the wireless node and/or other computer may act to perform one or more operations to employ the strongest signal of the candidate list in place of the currently-received signal.

Abstract: A method of defining Time Division Multiplex access slots in an IP address is disclosed. The method comprises steps including the encoding of a schedule of delivery time slots as a mask in said IP address.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to a method and an arrangement (600) for reducing power consumption and an RF transmission arrangement and RF receiver. Particularly the invention relates to controlling and reducing power consumption in a radio receiver. The essential idea of the invention is to insert information to at least one symbol, which symbol is transferred in at least one transport stream packet. According to the invention the transport stream packets are sent to the receiver in predetermined order, and the order is informed to the receiver, whereupon the receiver can control power consumption with a transport stream packet level resolution. The receiver is advantageously arranged so that at least part of the receiver is turned off for a period during the time between receiving at least two transport stream packets.

Abstract: In a DVB-T network, a single channel is shared between transmitters associated with adjacent cells on a time-division basis. Timing allocation information signals are received at each transmitter, where it is determined therefrom and from a common time reference, such as a GPS receiver or atomic clock, when transmission is and is not allowed. Each of the transmitters then transmits on the channel at different times. The channel may carry Internet Protocol Data Cast Services. The timing allocation may be varied so that transmitters have unequal shares. The allocation may be dynamically controllable depending on demand. Using the invention, a saving of frequency spectrum is obtained without requiring channel rasterisation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to receivers such as multi-carrier receivers. An orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) receiver in a terrestrial digital video broadcast (DVB-T) network is required to operate in a complex channel environment, wherein high power analogue television signals may co-exist. The mix of high power analogue television signals and lower power digital signals results primarily from the concurrent existence of both analogue and digital television services. The present invention provides a receiver having improved power efficiency.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for monitoring the quality of a transmission channel in a digital system, wherein a signal is received from a transmission network (12), various data related to the operation of the transmission channel are measured from the received signal, said data are stored in the memory (25) of the receiver unit (20) and the data stored in the memory (25) are transferred through a return channel (27) to a transmission center. In addition, the invention pertains to a digital receiver (20) comprising means (21, 22) for measuring data related to the operation of a transmission channel from a received signal and means (24) for storing the data related to the operation of a transmission channel in a memory (25) and transferring the data stored in the memory (25) through a return channel (27) to a transmission center (11).

Abstract: A bus construction (20) for connecting a circuit (14) controlled via a separate control port (26c) to a bus controlled by addressing, in which the signal paths (24a, 24b) connected to the I/O ports (26a, 26b) of the circuit (14) with a separate control port are connected to the corresponding signal paths (23a, 23b) of the bus controlled by addressing by means of switches (22a, 22b).

Abstract: A digital broadcast network (1) operating in a hierarchical mode is described. The network (1) includes means (35) for classifying the data types making up the content to be broadcast. In accordance with the classification, the network (1) transmits the data types in an appropriate mode. In addition, there is described a method of defining a set of profiles in accordance with which content of a particular data type is assigned to a particular mode for transmission.

Abstract: A system and method for distributing digital content on-demand in a common carrier environment, such as an airplane, are disclosed. The present invention employs a combination of low power RF (e.g., WLAN/Bluetooth) and digital data broadcast (e.g., DVB-T) technology to distribute digital content to passengers in an airplane cabin. In an advantageous embodiment, a mobile multimedia terminal (or, alternatively, a fixed seat-back terminal), with a WLAN or Bluetooth link to a content server aboard the plane is used by a passenger to request digital content such as movies, music, games, etc. In response, the server transmits the requested content to the passenger's device via a DVB-T connection. The elimination of a wired connection for each of, for example, 400+ passengers in a Boeing 747, decreases the overall weight of the system and thus reduces fuel costs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting through a single gateway terminal (100) the services required by a plurality of separate multimedia terminals (106). The gateway terminal receives the transmissions (103) coming from several different sources, descrambles and deinterleaves them, if necessary, and re-transmits at an ISM frequency the services required by the multimedia terminals. The service transmitted may be sound, pictures, video, data or system monitoring information. In addition, there is a two-way wireless link from an individual multimedia terminal to the gateway terminal, by means of which link an individual terminal can control the services included by the gateway terminal in its transmission (108).