158results about "Digital audio broadcasting" patented technology

Identification information is extracted from a current broadcast of a piece or music or other type of information of interest to a user, and stored in a memory or other storage device, in response to a user command. The identification information includes sufficient information to identify at least one deliverable information item associated with the current broadcast, e.g., a CD or MP3 file which contains the particular piece of music. When the user later has access to a wired or wireless network connection, the extracted identification information is delivered over a network connection to a server which processes the delivered information to identify the deliverable information item associated with the broadcast. The user can then purchase the deliverable information item by appropriate interaction with the server. The extracted identification information may be stored in a removable memory device associated with a receiver which receives the broadcast. In this case, the removable memory device is subsequently removed from the receiver and inserted into another device which establishes the network connection for delivery of the identification information to the server.

A radio station (1) transmits a radio programme using a VHF-FM singal which is received by a WAP-enabled mobile commnicaitons device (3). The signal includes radio datea service (RDS) data which includes the URL of a web-site associated with the radio station. The user accesses the web-page and participates in an opinion poll by casting a vote. The server logs the vote. The radio station counts the votes and announces the votes while the radio programme is still on air.

The user receives a digital radio transmission through a digital receiver and transmits a request to download selected content from this transmission to a content agent, an entity responsible for authorizing the authorized downloading of the digital content. If the content is not free of charge, the user also transmits sufficient information to allow for payment for the digital. The user then receives a transmission authorizing the downloading of the digital content from the content agent upon acceptance of the payment by the content agent. The user then downloads the content to a storage device which is coupled to the receiver.

An OFDM subcarrier method and apparatus effectively reassigns subcarriers with respect to a data stream from a plurality of Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) services or programs to reduce selective effects (e.g., selective channel fading) of the transmission channel (e.g., an FM station) on some of the DAB services or programs but not on others. In one embodiment, a symbol reassignment encoder at the transmitter shuffles the data or symbols in the data stream from the DAB services to effectively reassign the subcarriers used by each of the DAB services. The reassignment spreads the selective effects of the transmission channel, e.g., channel fading, over a larger group of DAB services, to improve the robustness and quality of the overall transmission channel.

A method is proposed that is used for terrestrial transmission of at least one digital signal, in particular a digital radio and / or TV broadcasting signal. In this method, the at least one digital signal, reduced in its data quantity by coding, is modulated, preferably by the OFDM method, and converted into the frequency position of at least one channel, adjacent to at least one occupied or unoccupied channel (30, 32) for transmitting an analog TV broadcasting signal, and is broadcast in this frequency position. The dynamic scope and the amplitude of the spectrum (41) of the at least one digital signal must undershoot a respectively predetermined value that is markedly less than the dynamic scope or amplitude of the video carrier of the spectrum (35, 36) of the analog TV broadcasting signal, so that there will be only slight intermodulation and cross modulation with other digital signals or with analog signals of other channels. The spectrum (41) of the at least one digital signal is transmitted, separated from at least one adjacent channel (30, 31) by a protective frequency margin (45). When a plurality of digital signals are transmitted in the at least one channel (31), the frequency ranges of at least two digital signals are transmitted, separated from one another by a protective frequency margin (50).

Provided are a method and apparatus for providing an Internet Protocol Datacasting (IPDC) service. The IPDC service providing apparatus includes a data input unit generating an IP packet and signaling information of the IP packet; a packet generation control unit determining a type of an Internet Protocol Data Group (IPDG) packet that is to be generated by encapsulating the IP packet, on the basis of characteristics of the IPDC service; an IPDG packet generation unit generating an IPDG packet according to a data type of the IP packet, and generating an IPDG packet for the signaling information of the IP packet; a transfer stream packet generation unit generating the IPDG packet as a transfer stream packet; and a transfer unit transmitting the transfer stream packet. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an IPDC service while efficiently using a bandwidth, in a Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) system.

A digital audio broadcast channel is used in accordance with the principles of the present invention to broadcast local content information signals included with an associated geographically identifying code (e.g., a zip code) for reception only by those receivers associated with the geographically identifying code. Preferably, local content broadcasts containing audible information are preferably compressed for transmission to increase the capacity of the channel. A disclosed receiver monitors received signals for active local broadcasting relating to that particular locality, and switches to the reception of that local content information signal instead of the normal mode of reception of a general broadcast information signal for the duration of the local content information signal. Preferably, the unique local broadcast identifier code is contained in a header of the transmitted data packets. General broadcast content information and local content information can be received substantially simultaneously such that the audio signals relating to the general broadcast content and the local content are superimposed on one another, or reception of the local information may preempt reception of general broadcast information.

A method and system are provided for the transmission and reception of an In-band On-channel (IBOC) FM-band digital audio broadcast (DAB) signal. The IBOC DAB signal is generated in the transmitter to substantially occupy the upper and lower sideband frequency regions in the RF emission mask for the conventional broadcast analog FM-band. Redundant source bit information is transmitted in both the upper and lower sidebands so that the loss of information in either one but not both sidebands due to large amounts of interference or distortion, caused by, for example, first-adjacent interference, does not deleteriously affect the IBOC DAB receiver performance. The system exhibits both frequency-diversity and time-diversity. The receiver determines which codeword bit estimate, corresponding to either upper or lower sideband signals, is less likely to be erroneous. The receiver system selects between decoded estimates for each pair of demodulated ECC codewords or combines both ECC codeword estimates prior to decoding in certain embodiments.

Provided are a method of transmitting digital broadcasts, a method and apparatus for controlling the display of digital broadcasting, and a computer-readable recording medium on which a program executing the controlling method is recorded. The method of controlling the display of digital broadcasting includes receiving an ensemble comprising at least one advertising channel and controlling so that advertisements transmitted via at least one of the advertising channels included in the received ensemble are compulsorily displayed. In this method, since digital broadcasting makes it possible to display a plurality of services, an advertising service can be displayed compulsorily, thereby delivering maximum advertising effects to a broadcasting service provider and providing digital broadcasting services to viewers at lower prices.

Systems and methods for providing a low power receiver device using fine grained time division are provided. In one embodiment, the receiver device comprises a tuner, a demodulator configured to demodulate at least one sampled signal, a payload processor configured to process at least one demodulated signal into an output format, and a time division control logic configured to generate a control signal to switch at least one component within the receiver device between modes to conserve power. The at least one component may be switched between an active mode, a standby mode, a power off mode, and a low power mode. In further embodiments, the at least one component may be switched between staggered modes.

An apparatus and method for servicing both a wide area broadcasting and a local area broadcasting in a digital multimedia broadcasting system. The apparatus includes a means for transmitting program association tables and program map tables in a form of transport stream packets, wherein each of the program association tables includes packet identifications of program map tables corresponding to at least one wide area broadcasting program and at least one local area broadcasting program, and each of the program map tables includes detailed information about corresponding local area broadcastings.

A digital broadcasting receiving apparatus has a fixed unit and a portable unit removably attached to the fixed unit. The fixed unit includes a tuner portion, a first memory, an audio decoder portion, an audio amplification / control portion and a first radio IF. The tuner portion receives digital broadcasting including encoded information. The first memory stores information included in the digital broadcasting. The audio decoder portion decodes audio information included in the digital broadcasting. The audio amplification / control portion outputs the audio information to a speaker. The first radio IF transmits information to the portable unit. The portable unit has a second radio IF, a second memory, a second CPU and a display / operation portion. The second radio IF receives information from the fixed unit. The second memory stores information. The second CPU decodes information. The display / operation portion displays the decoded information.

A data distribution system is provided which generates outputs attribute data about multimedia data in advance and broadcasts the output attribute data together with the multimedia data so that the receiving terminal can grasp the outlines of the entire multimedia data and improve the visibility. A data broadcasting device (1) generates output attribute data about multimedia data in a data analyzing portion (13). The output attribute data exists alone or is embedded in the multimedia data. The multimedia data and the output attribute data are encoded in a protocol encoder (14) and broadcast from a transmitter (15). A receiving terminal device (2) receives the broadcast data in a tuner (21) and obtains the multimedia data and output attribute data in a tuner (21). When a data display portion (26) displays the obtained multimedia data, the output attribute data is referred to and information related to the multimedia data is displayed together with the multimedia data. A data analyzing portion (24) analyzes the multimedia data and extracts the output attribute data embedded therein.

There are provided a method and apparatus for providing and receiving a video service in digital audio broadcasting (DAB). The video service providing method includes: storing information related to encoding of a provided video service stream and information related to packetization of the video service stream in a channel different from a service data channel; and multiplexing the information related to encoding of the video service stream and the information related to packetization of the video service stream to create a DAB transmission frame, and transmitting the DAB transmission frame. Therefore, by allowing different types of DAB receivers to uniformly process video services, it is possible to achieve high efficiency in video service processing and controlling.

The present invention provides a method for transmitting data via a radio transmitter, the data including at least one Internet address; a method for receiving data broadcast by a radio transmitter, the data including at least one Internet address; a radio receiver having a recognition circuit for the isolation of Internet addresses from received data transmitted by radio; and a method for controlling a radio receiver, or a device connected to the radio receiver, by data received by the radio receiver, the data including at least one Internet address, the at least one Internet address being formulated as a query for specific data made available by a provider, and the radio receiver or the device connected to the radio receiver being controlled as a function of data queried via a communication interface in accordance with the at least one received Internet address. The present invention makes possible the transmission, to a radio receiver according to the present invention or a device connected thereto, of displayable data or of data usable for controlling the receiver, with a particularly high data rate and data security, by using existing radio transmission systems such as RDS, and utilizing additional transmission capacities of the Internet.

A transmitter for transmitting data in a digital audio broadcasting system includes a signal generator for providing a plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed sub-carriers, with the sub-carriers including data sub-carriers and reference sub-carriers, and a modulator for modulating the data sub-carriers with a digital signal representative of information to be transmitted. The reference sub-carriers are modulated with a sequence of timing bits, wherein the sequence of timing bits includes an unambiguous block synchronization word, and the number of bits comprising the block synchronization word is less than one half of the number of bits in said timing sequence. The orthogonal frequency division multiplexed sub-carriers are transmitted to receivers that differentially detect the block synchronization word and use the block synchronization word to coherently detect the digital signal representative of information to be transmitted are also included.

Audio or other information is delivered to a user via a multi-stream digital broadcasting system in a partially-encrypted form. The information is encoded and separated into multiple bitstreams, at least a subset of which are left unencrypted. Both the encrypted and unencrypted bitstreams are received and stored by the user. A user is able, for at least a limited period of time, to access the information at a first quality level, e.g., an FM-quality level for audio information, without having the corresponding decryption key, by utilizing only the unencrypted bitstreams. The user can then access an electronic-commerce web site to purchase the decryption key. The key may be downloaded from the site to an information processing device of the user, and may be utilized to decrypt the partially-encrypted format, such that the user is provided with access to the information at a second quality level higher than the first quality level, e.g., a CD-quality level for audio information. The multiple bitstreams may correspond, e.g., to subbands of at least first and second digital sidebands of a host carrier signal in an FM in-band on-channel (FM-IBOC) digital audio broadcasting system.

A hybrid satellite / terrestrial wireless network having a plurality of terrestrial cells and satellite coverage areas is disclosed. A multiplex transmitted in a terrestrial cell may include signaling information for neighboring terrestrial cells and neighboring satellite coverage areas. The signaling information may include indicators identifying different profiles for the hybrid satellite / terrestrial network, and include other information enabling handover from the terrestrial cell multiplex to one of the neighboring terrestrial or satellite multiplexes.

A method for processing a composite digital audio broadcasting signal including an analog modulated portion in a central frequency band and digitally modulated portions in upper and lower sidebands with respect to the central frequency band, the method comprises the steps of wideband filtering the composite digital audio broadcasting signal to produce a first intermediate frequency signal, narrowband filtering the composite digital audio broadcasting signal to produce a second intermediate frequency signal, simultaneously processing the first intermediate frequency signal to retrieve a digitally modulated version of program material from the first intermediate frequency signal, and processing the second intermediate frequency signal to retrieve an analog modulated version of the program material from the second intermediate frequency signal, making a determination of the quality of the digitally modulated version of the program material, and using the quality determination to select the analog modulated version of the program material, the digitally modulated version of the program material, or a combination of the analog modulated version of the program material and the digitally modulated version of the program material as an output signal. Receivers that process a digital audio broadcasting signal using the method are also disclosed.

A method for detecting the digital quality of a radio signal includes: receiving a radio signal including a digital portion modulated by a series of symbols each including a plurality of samples; computing correlation points between endpoint samples in cyclic prefix regions of adjacent symbols; and using the correlation points to produce a digital signal quality metric. Receivers that implement the method are also provided.

A method of receiving an FM digital audio broadcasting signal including a first plurality of subcarriers in an upper sideband of a radio channel and a second plurality of subcarriers in a lower sideband of the radio channel comprises the steps of mixing the digital audio broadcasting signal with a local oscillator signal to produce an intermediate frequency signal, passing the intermediate frequency signal through a bandpass filter to produce a filtered signal, determining if one of the upper and lower sidebands of the digital audio broadcasting signal is corrupted, and adjusting the local frequency oscillator signal to change the frequency of the intermediate frequency signal such that the bandpass filter removes the subcarriers in the upper or lower sideband that has been corrupted. A receiver that processes a digital audio broadcasting signal in accordance with the method is also provided.

In a method for error correction of packet data, in particular DAB (digital audio broadcasting) data packets, code words being used over multiple data packets, redundancy information for error correction is added while maintaining the original packet data structure, at the cost of a free data field or a useful data field. The cycle of the error protection is selected as a multiple of a minimum size for a packet length.

A system for radio communication with mobile stations, the system being of the type enabling one or more network operators to manage respective distinct networks. Each network is constituted by geographical cells and has mobile stations travelling therethrough. Each cell of a given network is associated with a base station through which those mobile stations that are located in the cell and that are subscribers with the operator managing the given network can communicate. In its own network, each operator transmits a pilot data channel supplying each mobile station with pilot data enabling it specifically to log-on to the network. According to the invention, the system further comprises a super-network made up of geographical super-cells each associated with a super-basestation. Each super-basestation transmits a data signal carrying the pilot data channel of the, or each, operator. In addition, each mobile station receives and processes said data signal so as to extract therefrom the pilot data channel of the operator with which it is a subscriber.

A broadband multi-frequency-block Extended Digital Audio Broadcasting X-DAB) transmission method for the interference-free transmission of value-added services at a high data rate to mobile receivers within an analog television channel. At least two simultaneously-broadcast adjacent X-DAB frequency blocks in a single-frequency network are provided. A digital input data stream is multiplexed onto the frequency blocks, with the input data steam being source-coded according to the service content of the input data stream. The input data stream is separated into a plurality of individual dens streams, with the individual data steams each having a respective quality of service importance and being distributed according to the respective quality of service importance among the at least two frequency blocks. The method offers a high degree of flexibility with regard to error protection profiles and thus data rates, and permits the implementation of non-constant-ratio error protection profiles, as well as hierarchical transmission.

A method and apparatus for receiving information regarding the displaying of a service in a digital audio broadcasting (DAB) receiver via a fast information channel and for controlling the displaying of the service on the DAB receiver are provided. The method includes receiving a digital audio broadcasting transmission frame and parsing information regarding a sub channel and a service component related to a service selected by a user, and obtaining information required to display the selected service by parsing information from a channel that is differentiated from a data service channel. Accordingly, it is possible to display various types of services regardless of the DAB receiver used, thereby allowing effective use of a user interface.

A method for weighting orthogonal frequency division multiplexed soft symbols is provided, including the steps of receiving a plurality of sub-carriers modulated by digital information and filtering the sub-carriers to produce complex soft decision outputs. The magnitudes of the soft decision outputs are used to creating a first sequence of data. The differences between successive samples in the first sequence are used to create a second sequence of data. The first and second sequences are used to determine a plurality of weights and the weights are applied to the complex soft decision outputs. A receiver which incorporates the method is also disclosed.

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. Since the transmission parameter information is transmitted more frequently and in a lower OSI layer than the network information table, the IRD can more efficiently make decisions as to whether or not a signal is suitable for handover, or is otherwise a signal of interest.

A mobile broadcast receiver and method of decoding broadcast services are disclosed. If the transmission frame includes a synchronization channel, a fast information channel (FIC), and a main service channel (MSC), and group structure information, individual service structure information, and related service element information are transmitted through the FIC, the mobile broadcast receiver receives the above information. If the service desired by the user is selected, the FIC decoder selects from the fields "FIG type 0 of extension 1" to "FIG type 0 of extension 4" in the fast information block (FIB) included in the FIC in the received stream, Only the information related to the service selected by the user is decoded, only the desired service element is filtered from the Fast Information Data Channel (FIDC) and MSC, and the filtered result is transmitted to the corresponding process block. Therefore, the mobile broadcast receiver does not have to decode all information related to a group consisting of a plurality of services, and can decode only services desired by the user.

A method, medium, and apparatus for storing and displaying slide show data in response to a user command input via user interface. The method includes receiving the slide show data according to a predetermined protocol, parsing display screen construction information contained in the received slide show data and storing the slide show data according to the display screen construction information, and when a user command is given, searching for the stored slide show data and executing the user command. Accordingly, it is possible to review or store slide show data that was displayed via user interface, thereby enabling an interaction with a user.