Abstract: A method and apparatus for transmitting and accessing announcement information identifying available services. Services are provided on the network over a plurality of communication channels, such that each channel is associated with at least one service. At least one of the plurality of communication channels is dedicated as an all-announcement channel, which includes a service announcement for each one of the services available on the plurality of communication channels. Redirection information is also present on the plurality of communication channels and is used to redirect the mobile terminal to the all-announcement channel to obtain information concerning the available services.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing zapping data for one or more programs transmitted using timeslicing are disclosed herein. Zapping data may be provided by a zapping data provider or server, or may be created at the mobile terminal based on received program information. Zapping data may be provided to mobile terminals via a wireless multicast network, such as a DVB-H network, using a variety of timeslicing techniques, including providing a separate zapping data stream, providing zapping data as part of the source stream, or allowing mobile terminals to derive zapping data from the source content's broadcast stream. Zapping images may be selected from I-frames of video transmissions. An IP encapsulator may synchronize broadcast streams such that I-frames are transmitted concurrently, and at the beginning of timeslice bursts.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to resource delivery over digital communication systems.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to broadcast roaming, i.e., providing service/content to a terminal from a visited service provider. An embodiment is directed to sending a roaming rule request to a service provider, receiving a roaming rule response from the service provider, acquiring service guide fragments from the service provider and processing the service guide fragments in accordance with the received roaming rule response, sending to a selected service provider a service provisioning request for a purchase item, receiving from the selected service provider a service provisioning response regarding the purchase item, and accessing service and/or content related to the purchase item, wherein the service and/or content is provided by the visited service provider. Embodiments are directed to exchanging between a visiting service provider and a home service provider of the terminal a roaming authorization request regarding a purchase item and a roaming authorization response regarding the purchase item.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing and distributing legal text information allow content providers to distribute legal text to terminals receiving broadcast content. The legal text may include terms and conditions associated with content that a user may want to purchase or subscribe. Upon receiving a content selection that a user wishes to purchase, a terminal may determine whether the content is associated with legal text information. If so, the legal text may be obtained and rendered for the user. The terminal may further determine whether user consent is required and if so, prompt the user with a consent agreement. Legal text information may be obtained in a variety of manners including from a service provisioning system, from a local cache in the terminal and/or from a file delivery server. Communication of legal text information may further be conducted using messages storing legal text attributes and elements.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods for signaling and identifying platforms that carry services or channels over multiple bearers. The bearers of a platform may be one or more different technologies. The services within one bearer may be carried over another bearer belonging to the same virtual platform. Provider bound services may be identified by a terminal over a range of different technologies.

Abstract: A terminal 13 for selectively receiving broadcast data in a transport stream 7 over a first network, the broadcast data including a series of bursts of associated data packets (B1), comprises a controller 16 and a receiver 19. The controller 16 is configured to extract information identifying a group of data packets from the data packets within a first burst, e.g. Packet Identifier (PID) PID1, PID2, calculate a burst length and burst interval for the series on the basis of the times at which data packets are received by the receiver and to calculate one or more instances of time ts at which one or more subsequent bursts in the series will be received based on the calculated burst length ts3 and/or burst interval t1. The receiver 19 is operated to selectively receiving the transport stream 7, e.g. by switching the receiver 19 between its on and off states, the receiver 19 being switched on at time is for a period equal to the burst length in order to receive subsequent data bursts in the series.

Abstract: In receiving a file delivery session in which field descriptor tables (FDTs) identify Transport Objects (TOs) transmitted along with the FDTs, a receiver determines whether the files of the session have been received using a number of timers. A fragment wait timer t1 is started for each new TO declared in an FTD when that FDT is received. Each timer is cancelled when at least a fragment of the corresponding TO is received. Alternatively, a single timer is cancelled when at least a fragment of all the TOs have been received. A new object wait timer t3 is started when all the TOs declared in an FDT are received, and is cancelled when a new FDT is received. One of a number of table wait timers t2 is started whenever a TO which is not declared in any received FDT is received, and is cancelled when an FDT declaring that object is received. The file delivery session is left if any timer expires.

Abstract: A method of transmitting a service to several subscribers in a packet data network capable of individual and group transmissions. The method includes collecting requests for the service from the several subscribers, evaluating the popularity of the service, forming a group of the subscribers that have requested the service, and transmitting the service over a group transmission if the popularity of the service at least equals or is likely to equal a predetermined threshold level. The mobile node subscribers may be reached via several different access networks, in which case an optimal access network can be selected. The method is preferably implemented by a group forming unit which can be integrated or co-located with a gateway which connects the service provider's network with the Internet.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods for delivering service guide information to a mobile terminal via a presence server. In one example, a presence server receives information including service guide information corresponding to a program or service from a program source and store the received information under a presence identifier. The stored information may be delivered to a mobile terminal subscribing to a corresponding presence service. Alternatively, service guide information may be provided by another channel or backchannel.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system and method for transmitting files over a datacast network while maintaining meta-data associated with the files. The system employs devices programmed to operate according to a protocol that preserves a file's properties such as, for example, its name, type, length, and hierarchical relationship, i.e. the file's absolute or relative location.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a system and method for transmitting files over a datacast network while maintaining meta-data associated with the files. The system employs devices programmed to operate according to a protocol that preserves a file's properties such as, for example, its name, type, length, and hierarchical relationship, i.e. the file's absolute or relative location.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods in a digital broadcast transmission system for transmitting terminal provisioning as a service or as an access of a service. Terminal provisioning may provide a terminal with, for example, configuration parameters, data, or applications to a terminal or group of terminals. Transmission of terminal provisioning may be accomplished in an ESG fragment which may include, for example, a service fragment, an access fragment or a content fragment. In one example, a parameter may be included in the service fragment of an ESG fragment that may identify a type of service fragment. The type of service fragment may be indicated as terminal provisioning services. In another example, a parameter may be included in an access fragment of an ESG fragment for indicating terminal provisioning as a service or access of a service. Also, a content fragment may include terminal provisioning messages as files.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods in a digital broadcast transmission system for transmitting information on a type of service or program and/or interactivity or interaction information for the service or program. In one example, a parameter or attribute is provided in an ESG fragment for indicating the type of program or service and the type of interaction associated with the program or service. In another example, a first parameter is provided for indicating the type of program or service and a second parameter is provided for indicating the type of interaction associated with the program or service. The parameter or attribute may be included in metadata of the ESG fragment.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods in a digital broadcast transmission system for identifying a desired ESG fragment in a list of ESG fragments. The list of ESG fragments or bootstrap ESG may be created by a designated service provider, operator or other apparatus or system. The bootstrap ESG may contain information on, or refer to, secondary ESG fragments. In addition, the secondary ESG fragments may contain information on, or refer to, other ESG fragments in a hierarchical arrangement. A mobile terminal may identify a desired ESG fragment from the bootstrap ESG by identifying criteria within the bootstrap ESG corresponding to a secondary ESG, for example.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods in a digital broadcast transmission system for transmitting a notification from a transmitter to a receiver or subscriber station. The notification may inform the user or subscriber of information regarding upcoming events, programs or services, changes to existing events, programs or services, advertisements, emergency announcements, and the like. In one example, a parameter is included in the ESG fragment transmitted to a receiver for indicating that the service associated with the ESG fragment is a notification. In another example, the ESG fragment is an access fragment containing a type parameter for indicating that the notification associated with the access fragment is a component of the corresponding service.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods for transmitting and receiving ESG fragments associated with an event or program. The event or program may have an interaction service component in which a subscriber can interact with the program in real-time. The program content information, such as audio and video data associated with the program may be transmitted to a subscriber in an ESG fragment. The ESG fragment may have associated metadata in which information, pertaining to the interaction service component of the event or program, such as a pointer associated with a previously-defined template used for the service, may be mapped. The subscriber terminal or receiver can parse the ESG fragment data to determine attributes for displaying a message template associated with the interaction service component of the event or program. Subscriber interaction with the program can be provided through the message template.

Abstract: Service component files are received at an input (11) from one or more service operators. An encapsulation and multiplexing system (12) organises service components (20-23, see FIG. 2) relating to a service sequentially in a burst. In a burst, the service components include content data of different data types. A timing data subsystem (14) produces data from which a receiver can determine the times of datacast of the service components within a burst. Metadata dependent on the data type of each service component is organised, separately from the content data, by a component analyser (15). The metadata can identify a class of receiver having the capability to decode the corresponding service component, or can identify the data type of the corresponding service component, or it identifies the corresponding service component using a unique identifier. The service components, the metadata and the timing data is datacast by a transmitter station (13) for reception by receiver terminals.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses and methods in a digital broadcast transmission system for deducing the contents or topology of an ESG fragment, transport object, container or session. In one example, descriptors may be transmitted on a first channel that may correspond to ESG fragments transmitted on a second channel. The first and second channel can be received at a subscriber terminal. The subscriber terminal may thus be apprised of the topology of the ESG fragments to minimize the amount of information the subscriber terminal needs to receive. This provides an optimized overall retrieval of the ESG fragments.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to transmitting and receiving electronic service guide (“ESG”) fragments. In the transmission of ESG fragments, the identifier (“ID”), version, and/or uniform resource identifier (“URI”) values associated with the ESG fragments for transmission are processed and compared. The ESG fragments are encapsulated in a service guide delivery unit (“SGDU”) based on the processing and comparison of the values. Likewise, an SGDU can be received at a receiver, data pertaining to the ID, version, and/or URI values of the SGDU and associated ESG fragments may be extracted and compared to previously stored values. The SGDU and ESG fragments may then be processed in accordance with the comparison results.