US20010000457A1 - Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US20010000457A1
US20010000457A1 US09/729,040 US72904000A US2001000457A1 US 20010000457 A1 US20010000457 A1 US 20010000457A1 US 72904000 A US72904000 A US 72904000A US 2001000457 A1 US2001000457 A1 US 2001000457A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
slots
audio
service
video
data
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US09/729,040
Inventor
Larry Hinderks
Laurence Fish
Ian Lerner
Roswell Roberts
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to US09/729,040 priority Critical patent/US20010000457A1/en
Publication of US20010000457A1 publication Critical patent/US20010000457A1/en
Assigned to CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, THE reassignment CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, THE SECURITY INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: COOLCAST, INC., CORPORATE COMPUTER SYSTEMS CONSULTANTS, INC., CORPORATE COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC., DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS OF NEW YORK, INC., DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS, INC., MUSICAM EXPRESS, INC., STARCOM MEDIATECH, INC., STARGUIDE DIGITAL NETWORKS, INC., TELMAC SYSTEMS, INC.
Assigned to CORPORATED COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC., TELMAC SYSTEMS, INC., MUSICAM EXPRESS, L.L.C., STARGUIDE DIGITAL NETWORKS, INC., DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS OF NEW YORK, INC., STARCOM MEDIATECH, INC., CORPORATE COMPUTER SYSTEMS CONSULTANTS, IJNC., DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS, INC., COOLCAST, INC. reassignment CORPORATED COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC. RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Assignors: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
Assigned to JP MORGAN CHASE BANK reassignment JP MORGAN CHASE BANK SECURITY INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: CORPORATE COMAPUTER SYSTEMS, INC., CORPORATE COMPUTER SYSTEMS CONSULTANTS, INC., DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS OF NEW YORK, INC., DIGITAL GENERATIONS SYSTEMS, INC., MUSICAM EXPRESS, L.L.C., STARCOM MEDIATECH, INC., STARGUIDE DIGITAL NETWORKS, INC.
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04LTRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L27/00Modulated-carrier systems
    • H04L27/26Systems using multi-frequency codes
    • H04L27/2601Multicarrier modulation systems
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04JMULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION
    • H04J3/00Time-division multiplex systems
    • H04J3/16Time-division multiplex systems in which the time allocation to individual channels within a transmission cycle is variable, e.g. to accommodate varying complexity of signals, to vary number of channels transmitted
    • H04J3/1682Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04LTRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L5/00Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
    • H04L5/02Channels characterised by the type of signal
    • H04L5/023Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/23Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
    • H04N21/236Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream
    • H04N21/2368Multiplexing of audio and video streams
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/23Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
    • H04N21/238Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams
    • H04N21/2385Channel allocation; Bandwidth allocation
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04QSELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13332Broadband, CATV, dynamic bandwidth allocation

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for dynamically allocating transmission bandwidth resources. Utilization of available bandwidth is maximized by a using a multiple channel, multiple carrier (MCMC) transmission scheme.
  • the transmission rate capability of each carrier is parsed down into smaller slots which can be dynamically allocated and multiplexed to facilitate any sized user, from one slot to multiple slots.
  • Multiple carriers are used to transmit the allocated data slots on available portions of the transmission spectrum. At least one slot of information on each carrier will be used for control information so that channels or services can be located on that particular carrier. Additionally, a separate service might be used to provide system-wide mapping or administrative functions. As a result, a user can find any service even if a channel or service location has changed.
  • This transmission scheme allows for wide user flexibility, while also maximizing use of available transmission spectrum.
  • the present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting at least one digitally encoded video signal with at least two digitally encoded audio signals related thereto.
  • the video and audio digital signals are combined through time division multiplexing to produce an aggregate audio/video bitstream containing data packets transmitted along at least two channels of fixed bandwidth, thereby maintaining a known fixed delay between packets of data in a given channel.
  • Modulators convert base band signals from binary into the frequency spectrum through a variety of modulation techniques.
  • Common modulation techniques include binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quadraphase shift keying (QPSK).
  • BPSK has a conversion rate of approximately 1 kilohertz (KHZ) per 1 kilobit (KB).
  • QPSK has a conversion rate of approximately 0.5 KHZ per 1 KB. Accordingly, QPSK is more efficient in that nearly twice as many bits of information can be transmitted over a similar frequency bandwidth.
  • noise tradeoffs exist as data conversion rates increase. This limits the effectiveness of increasing bandwidth usage through modulation techniques with even higher data conversion rates.
  • SCPC systems generate a separate RF carrier signal 13 , 15 for each base band input signal 14 , 16 .
  • FIG. 3 shows a plot of power versus frequency for the carrier signals 13 , 15 wherein each signal occupies a separate center frequency 17 , 19 with a separate bandwidth 21 , 23 . Since each channel—with a separate carrier—occupies different space on the frequency spectrum, such SCPC systems are inherently inefficient for multi-channeled systems.
  • the space 25 between each carrier signal must be minimized.
  • the edges, or “skirts” 27 of the carrier signals overlap and interfere with each other. This can lead to erroneous and noisy demodulation of the RF signal.
  • the skirts 27 can be truncated via filtering, but then part of the original carrier signal has been excluded. This again could appear as errors or noise upon demodulation.
  • Current technology also includes multiple channel per carrier (MCPC) systems as shown in FIG. 7.
  • MCPC multiple channel per carrier
  • FIG. 7 With this system, multiple binary base band signals (or channels) 31 , 33 are multiplexed via a multiplexor 35 and then fed into a modulator 37 .
  • the transmitted RF signal is then demodulated (via 39 ) and demultiplexed (via 41 ) into its component base band signals 43 , 45 .
  • FIGS. 8 ( a ) and 8 ( b ) separate carriers— that might be produced by signals 31 , 33 in an SCPC system—would have the potentially noisy skirt overlap 49 , and a collective bandwidth 47 .
  • FIG. 9( a ) an SCPC system 56 is shown with the resulting plot of carrier signal 57 .
  • FIG. 9( b ) shows an MCPC system 58 which multiplexes the signal 57 with the backhauled signal 55 to produce the resulting MCPC carrier signal 59 .
  • FIG. 9( a ) shows an SCPC system 56 which multiplexes the signal 57 with the backhauled signal 55 to produce the resulting MCPC carrier signal 59 .
  • MCMC multiple channel multiple carrier system
  • FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary audio/video transmission system including an audio/video encoder 400 which communicates with a statistical remultiplexor 402 which in turn communicates with a modulator 404 .
  • the encoder 400 receives audio and video signals along input lines 401 and 403 and outputs encoded packets of audio and video data along lines 406 and 408 , respectively.
  • the statistical remultiplexor 402 combines the audio and video data packets (according to the format illustrated in FIG. 25) and outputs same as an aggregate bitstream along line 412 .
  • the aggregate bitstream is transmitted to a remote destination via antenna 418 by the modulator 404 .
  • Feedback lines 410 and 414 are provided to maintain a desired timing relation between the data transmission rates of the encoder 400 , remultiplexor 402 and transmit module 404 .
  • the transmitted bitstream is received by a demodulator and the audio and video data packets are demultiplexed and decoded into separate audio and video data streams. These decoded data streams are processed and displayed to end viewers.
  • One such demultiplexor and decoding system has been proposed LSI Logic Corporation of California (Model No. L64007 MPEG-2 Transport Demultiplexor).
  • the system proposed by LSI Logic complies with the international standard ISO/IEC 13818-1 MPEG-2 systems specification.
  • the aggregate bitstream 450 is composed of plurality of data packets 452 , each of which includes a data section 454 and a “presentation time stamp” 456 (explained below in more detail). As shown in FIG.
  • the statistical multiplexor 402 (FIG. 23) intersperses the audio and video packets in a non-uniform manner.
  • a single audio packet 458 may be followed by two video packets 460 and 462 , which are followed by alternating audio and video packets 464 - 472 .
  • the statistical remultiplexor 402 controls the order in which the audio and video packets 458 - 472 are combined.
  • the presentation time stamps 456 are provided within each data packet 452 by the encoder 400 to enable synchronization and realignment, at the downstream end, between the audio and video signals.
  • Each time stamp 456 represents a timing offset, with respect to a reference time Tr, at which corresponding audio or video packet is to be played/displayed.
  • FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary aggregate bitstream produced by a statistical remultiplexor which receives input signals from multiple audio and video encoders.
  • a statistical remultiplexor which receives input signals from multiple audio and video encoders.
  • encoders A, B and C three audio and video encoders are utilized, denoted encoders A, B and C.
  • the statistical remultiplexor combines audio and video packets from these multiple encoders A-C in a statistical fashion (as shown in FIG. 26).
  • packets pertaining to a particular video encoder or a particular audio encoder may be separated by several packets from different encoders.
  • Time stamps generated by a single encoder represent an offset which is reset to a new reference time at time intervals of a duration only sufficient to account for the maximum delay between audio and video data packets for a single encoder.
  • packets statistically multiplexed from two or more encoders exceed the time interval between reference times. Accordingly, the statistical remultiplexor must adjust each presentation time stamp to account for the increased delay due to the use of multiple encoders.
  • These modified time stamps are denoted by reference numerals 480 - 494 .
  • each carrier contains header information which can provide access to all services on the series of carriers.
  • each carrier contains header information which can provide access to all services on the series of carriers, and wherein additional service space is allocated for such tasks as information transfer, service identification, and service control.
  • the disclosed invention overcomes the aforementioned inefficiencies of prior transmission systems by providing a transmission system that is flexible and efficient.
  • the present invention provides a multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission system with dynamically allocable slots (or channels) that can be combined to form any sized service. Slots could be allocated sequentially or nonsequentially.
  • the data rate of each slot is relatively small compared to the data rate of the whole system. This allows each user to purchase and use only the necessary number of bits for a particular application.
  • the slots can be dynamically reallocated without affecting the efficiency of the system, the ease of use by the user without affecting other slots used by different users.
  • Each carrier signal contains reserved header data regarding all other carriers associated with the transmission system. This allows all services (e.g. allocated combinations of slots) to be located regardless of which carrier signal contains that service to be located. Accordingly, a plurality of services— each consisting of one or many slots—can be spread out over a plurality of carrier signals and so transmitted. When operating with a plurality of carriers, each carrier signal can be dynamically tuned to fill available spaces in the transmission frequency spectrum, thus maximizing use of all available transmission bandwidth.
  • a method and apparatus are provided for digitally encoding and transmitting at least one video signal and at least two related audio signals.
  • a video encoder is provided along with at least two audio encoders.
  • the audio and video encoders generate corresponding audio and video bitstreams, each of which comprises a plurality of packets containing data sections.
  • the audio and video bitstreams are delivered to a multiplexor which effects time division multiplexing upon to combine the audio and video bitstreams into an aggregate audio/video bitstream.
  • the aggregate audio/video bitstream contains at least two independent channels of fixed bandwidth for separately transmitting designated ones of the video and audio bitstreams.
  • a modulator transmits the aggregate audio/video bitstream.
  • fixed delays are maintained between packets within a single channel, thereby avoiding the need to adjust any presentation time stamps which may be generated by the encoders.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a single channel per carrier (SCPC) transmission scheme.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the generation of two separate carrier signals from two separate SCPC transmission schemes.
  • FIG. 3 is a plot of power versus frequency for the two carrier signals of FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 4 is a plot of power versus frequency for two example carrier signals showing the desire to minimize the frequency spacing between the two signals.
  • FIG. 5 is a plot of power versus frequency for two example carrier signals wherein the frequency spacing has been minimized to the point that the carrier signal skirts overlap.
  • FIG. 6 is a plot of power versus frequency for an example carrier signal wherein the skirts have been filtered off.
  • FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a multiple channel per carrier transmission scheme.
  • FIG. 8( a ) is a plot of power versus frequency for two example carrier signals showing skirt overlap for a given bandwidth.
  • FIG. 8( b ) is a plot of power versus frequency for the two example carrier signals of FIG. 8( a ) which have been multiplexed before modulation.
  • FIG. 9( a ) shows a block diagram of an SCPC system and a resulting plot of power versus frequency for a carrier signal with a given bandwidth.
  • FIG. 9( b ) shows a block diagram of an MCPC system, along with an SCPC system for backhauling, and a resulting plot of power versus frequency for the MCPC generated signal.
  • FIG. 10 is a plot of power versus frequency for the MCPC signal and the SCPC signal of FIG. 9( b ).
  • FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of an MCPC system with a plurality of input and output channels.
  • FIG. 12 shows a block diagram of the multiplexor and demultiplexor sections of the MCPC system of FIG. 11, with different channels allocated for different services.
  • FIG. 13 a block diagram of the multiplexor and demultiplexor sections of the MCPC system of FIG. 11, with yet other channels allocated for other services.
  • FIG. 14 is a table showing the type of information which allows a user to locate and use a particular service on a system-wide basis.
  • FIG. 15 is a plot of power versus frequency for a carrier signal, with a given center frequency and bandwidth, which contains the services of FIGS. 13 and 14.
  • FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an MCPC system with four slots and secondary multiplexors for services spanning more than one slot.
  • FIG. 17 is a table showing the bitstream patterns of the MCPC system of FIG. 16, and the resulting multi-slot service bitstream.
  • FIG. 18 is a plot of power versus frequency showing two unaccessible bandwidth areas and three carrier signals oriented in the available spaces between the unaccessible areas.
  • FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission scheme, with multiple services, corresponding to the carrier signals of FIG. 18.
  • FIG. 20 is a table showing the type of information which allows a user to locate and use a particular service on the MCMC system of FIGS. 18 and 19.
  • FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a multiplexor configuration as used in an embodiment of the MCMC system.
  • FIG. 22 is a block diagram of a receiver configuration as used in an embodiment of the MCMC system.
  • FIG. 23 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary conventional audio/video encoding and transmitting system.
  • FIG. 24 illustrates a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of an audio/video encoding system according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 25 illustrates a portion of an aggregate audio/video bitstream transmitted by the conventional system of FIG. 23.
  • FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary aggregate audio/video bitstream generated according to the system of FIG. 23 for multiple audio and video encoders.
  • FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary aggregate audio/video bitstream generated by the system of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 24 of the present invention.
  • FIG. 28 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary decoder for use in connection with the alternative embodiment of FIG. 24 of the present invention.
  • an MCPC system 60 is shown with a plurality of input channels 61 and a plurality of output channels 63 .
  • a multiplexor 65 combines the various channels into a single bitstream which enters the modulator 67 .
  • the modulator 67 converts the bitstream into an RF signal 69 which enters the demodulator 71 and is converted back into a binary signal.
  • the binary signal enters the demultiplexor 73 which separates the signal back into its component channels 63 .
  • each channel of an MCPC system 60 might handle a variety of data rates from large to small, the preferred embodiment uses a relatively small, fixed data rate for each channel.
  • FIG. 12 the multiplexor and demultiplexor portion of the MCPC system 60 is shown is more detail.
  • each channel (or slot) operates at 8 kilobits per second (KBS). This allows for services 75 to be tailored to each user's size and data rate needs.
  • KBS kilobits per second
  • Service 1 utilizes four slots to give the user a 32 KBS capability.
  • Service 2 utilizes only 1 slot for a 8 KBS capability.
  • Service 3 utilizes only 1 slot for a 8 KBS capability.
  • Service N 81 spans slot 1 ( 83 ), slot 2 ( 85 ), slot 4 ( 89 ), and slot 6 ( 93 ) thus creating a service with a 32 KBS data rate capability.
  • Service W 97 spans slot 3 ( 87 ) and slot 5 ( 91 ) thus creating a service with a 16 KBS data rate capability.
  • the slot data then enters multiplexor 99 and is modulated into an RF signal and demodulated back to binary (not shown).
  • the demodulated binary signal then enters demultiplexor 101 for separation back into the appropriate slot and service data.
  • FIG. 15 shows the resulting carrier signal 110 which is generated and transmitted by the MCPC system of FIG. 13.
  • Signal 110 is centered about frequency f c 111 and has a bandwidth (bw) indicated by 113 .
  • Carrier signal 110 contains all of the multiplexed slot information which can be extracted if the location of the services is known.
  • FIG. 14 shows a table of the type of information that would allow a user to locate and use a particular service on a system-wide basis (e.g. a slot allocation table, along with carrier center frequencies and bandwidths). It is preferable that the center frequency and bandwidth of a particular carrier be known to receive and demodulate the carrier signal. It is also preferable that the total number of multiplexed slots (for that particular carrier) be known to facilitate decoding of the demodulated bitstream. Optionally, the center frequency, bandwidth and/or the total number of multiplexed slots may be computed using related information, such as bandwidth and the like. For each service, the total number of slots used for that particular service should be known, as well as the particular slot numbers used. As FIG.
  • Service N can be located and demodulated at center frequency f c with a bandwidth bw.
  • the total number of slots in this MCPC system is eight.
  • Service N uses 4 total slots with slot numbers 1, 2, 4 and 6, for a 32 KBS data rate capability.
  • Service W can be located and demodulated at center frequency f c with a bandwidth bw. Again, the total number of slots in this MCPC system is eight.
  • Service W uses 2 total slots with slot numbers 3 and 5 for a data rate capability of 16 KBS.
  • the user can locate and use the services transmitted on a particular carrier signal.
  • the slots used for each service on a particular carrier are transmitted as auxiliary header information on a designated, hardwired slot. While this designated slot might be any of the total number of slots for each MCPC system, the preferred embodiment hardwires the zeroth slot 103 as a convenient location for such slot allocation information.
  • the user upon demodulating any carrier signal as configured above, the user can demultiplex the slot data and get a “map” of all services within that particular carrier by looking at the zeroth slot data. With this “map” then all the services on that carrier can be digitally reconstructed and retrieved.
  • a secondary set of multiplexors is used to partition the signal down to the data rate for each of the particular slots.
  • the MCPC system 120 has four slots, each with a 8 KBS data rate.
  • the zeroth slot 123 , 143 ? is served for slot allocation data.
  • the input base ba signal 121 (or service) has a 16 KBS data rate and use nonsequential slots 127 and 128 on the primary multiplexor 130 .
  • the secondary multiplexor 132 is used to tition the 16 KBS signal down into two bitstreams c KBS as applied to slots 124 , 126 .
  • the secondary multiplexor acts like a comparative switch 134 .
  • the 16 KBS bitstream is headed into two 8 KBS bitstreams by alternatingly dividing the incoming bits into two different directions.
  • Larger systems might have an even larger multiple of input lines into the multiplexor and demultiplexor devices.
  • the commutative s hing must occur between a large number of input l and be programmably alterable as the allocations or e services are altered or updated.
  • Such selective, co tative switching between the multiple input lines could easily be achieved by a device such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or Programmable Logic Array (PLA) that has been configured for such a task.
  • FPGA Field Programmable Gate Array
  • PLA Programmable Logic Array
  • the primary multiplexor 130 also acts like a c mutative switch 136 . Multiplexor 130 switches down across each of the slots 123 , 124 , 125 , and 126 , and thus combines the four 8 KBS bitstreams into a 32 KBS bitstream 138 .
  • Bitstream 138 is modulated, transmitted as an RF signal, and then demodulated (not shown) back into a 32 KBS signal 139 .
  • the resulting demodulated 32 KBS signal 139 is fed into the primary demultiplexor 140 which similarly acts as a commutative switch 147 to divide the 32 KBS signal into four slots 143 , 144 , 145 , and 146 of 8 KBS each.
  • the secondary demultiplexor 150 is connected across slots 144 and 146 .
  • Demultiplexor 150 also acts as a commutative switch 152 to alternate between the 8 KBS bitstreams of slots 144 , 146 and combine them into a resulting 16 KBS signal 154 .
  • FIG. 17 demonstrates, in tabular form, the commutative switching effect of the primary and second multiplexors and demultiplexors.
  • the demodulated 32 KBS signal 139 is comprised of a sequence of bits as indicated by row 161 .
  • This sequence 161 is repeatedly divided across the four slots (numbered 0 through 3), by the commutative action of the demultiplexor 140 , as indicated by row 163 .
  • the bitstreams are ultimately comprised of service bits which are labeled as S b s , as shown by 160 .
  • the superscript b represents the ongoing number of times the series of slots (0 through 3) is sampled on the primary multiplexor.
  • b also represents the ongoing bit number emerging from each slot.
  • the subscript s represents the particular slot number.
  • each bit of the incoming bitstream 139 is sequentially, and repeatedly, assigned to each slot.
  • Slot 1 (element 144 ), for example, will have the bitstream S 0 1 , S 1 1 , S 2 1 . . . and so on. (see element 156 ).
  • the bits of available data emerging across the four available slots would be S 0 0 , S 0 1 , S 0 2 , S 0 3 , S 1 0 , S 1 1 , S 1 2 , S 1 3 , S 2 0 , S 2 1 , S 2 2 , S 2 3 , . . . and so on.
  • the two 8 KBS bitstreams can be combined into the 16 KBS service bitstream 154 by the commutative action 152 of the demultiplexor 150 .
  • this resulting bitstream would include S 0 1 , S 0 3 , S 1 1 , S 1 3 , S 2 1 , S 2 3 , . . . and so on.
  • a multi-channel, multi-carrier (MCMC) transmission system is even more efficient at utilizing available bandwidth.
  • MCMC multi-channel, multi-carrier
  • a plurality of services could be allocated across a plurality of MCPC systems.
  • FIG. 19 an example MCMC system is shown.
  • three MCPC systems 170 , 172 , 174 are shown which generate RF carrier frequencies 171 , 173 , 175 .
  • Each MCPC system has, for purposes of example, four slots per multiplexor/demultiplexor.
  • Service 1 utilizes slots 1 and 2 (elements 191 and 192 ) of the primary multiplexor 220 of MCPC system 170 .
  • a secondary multiplexor 222 is used to divide Sv 1 between the two slots.
  • Sv 2 utilizes slot 3 (element 193 ) of the primary multiplexor 220 of MCPC system 170 .
  • Sv 3 utilizes slot 1 (element 195 ) of the primary multiplexor 230 of MCPC system 172 .
  • Sv 4 utilizes slots 2 and 3 (elements 196 and 197 ) of the primary multiplexor 230 of MCPC system 172 .
  • a secondary multiplexor 232 is used to divide Sv 4 between the two slots.
  • Sv 5 utilizes slots 1 , 2 , and 3 (elements 199 , 200 , and 201 ) of the primary multiplexor 240 of the MCPC system 174 .
  • a secondary multiplexor 242 is used to divide Sv 5 between the three slots.
  • the outputs of the primary multiplexors 220 , 230 , and 240 are modulated into three separate carrier signals 171 , 173 , and 175 .
  • carrier signal 171 has been tuned to have a center frequency f 1 (element 191 ) and a bandwidth bw 1 (element 192 ) so that signal 171 fits on the transmission spectrum before signal portion 300 .
  • Carrier signal 173 has been tuned to have a center frequency f 2 (element 193 ) and a bandwidth bw 2 (element 194 ) so that signal 173 fits on the transmission spectrum between signals 300 and 302 .
  • Carrier signal 175 has been tuned to have a center frequency f 3 (element 195 ) and a bandwidth bw 3 (element 196 ) so that signal 175 fits on the transmission spectrum after signal 302 .
  • the Carrier signals 171 , 173 , and 175 are then demodulated by their respective demodulators 226 , 236 , and 246 .
  • the demodulated base band signals are then fed into their respective primary demultiplexors 228 , 238 , and 248 .
  • the service bits on the output slots 250 through 261 are multiplexed by secondary multiplexors 229 , 239 , and 249 to reconstruct the bitstreams for services 1 through 5 (Sv 1 through Sv 5 — 180 , 182 , 184 , 186 , and 188 ).
  • the preferred embodiment also utilizes one complete service—exemplified here as service 1 —for a variety of administrative or “housekeeping” tasks.
  • service 1 for a variety of administrative or “housekeeping” tasks.
  • the number of slots allocated for this administrative service could vary depending upon the needs of the particular MCMC system in question.
  • the bits in this service might be used, among other things, to perform the following functions: downloading (or uploading) software to (or from) a particular customer as needed; alphanumeric identification of services or carriers within the MCMC system or community; turning on or off various services within the MCMC system as required; and/or providing a revision number for the slot allocation table as contained in zeroth slot data.
  • the MCMC network host might provide its service subscribers with periodic upgrades of software used to interact with the MCMC system. By allocating separate bits for this task, the service subscribers would be minimally affected by such upgrades. This would promote continual development of related software by the host and would likely result in more optimal system performance and bandwidth savings.
  • the service 1 data might provide alphanumeric names for the various services within the MCMC network. Often this is much more useful to a user or service subscriber than a service number or other minimal identification means.
  • the service 1 data might provide such individualized control over the various services within the MCMC network.
  • the zeroth slot With its slot allocation table—will always be found in the same place on any particular demodulated and demultiplexed carrier signal, thereby acting as a “beacon” for the user to learn about that particular carrier signal.
  • the remaining slots which comprise the various MCMC services can be dynamically altered and reallocated as the needs of the many users change.
  • the slot allocation table will be revised and carry with it a new revision number.
  • the administrative service e.g. service 1
  • the zeroth slot can be decoded to provide updated slot allocation information on an as needed basis.
  • the zeroth slots are used for slot allocation data information which will allow the user to locate, demodulate and reconstruct the various services within each particular carrier.
  • the Service 1 data a full “map” of the MCMC system can be quickly derived by the user.
  • the disclosed device will internally switch back and forth between slot zero and Service 1 data as needed and carry the data on am In-Band carrier channel (See FIGS. 21 and 22) for processing.
  • Service 1 data can provide a system-wide “map” of the MCMC system, and/or it can provide the other aforementioned Service 1 functions. However, if the revision number of the slot allocation table changes, the system will automatically switch back to read slot zero data until a new and updated slot allocation table is acquired. As a result, Service 1 is the “steady state” condition for the data on the In-Band Carrier Channel. Only when a new carrier is acquired or when the slot allocation table changes does the In-Band Carrier Channel carry slot zero again data for processing.
  • FIG. 20 an example table is shown with the type of slot zero data and/or Service 1 data necessary to locate and reconstruct all service data on all the MCMC carrier signals for this particular system.
  • the zeroth slot will carry the slot allocation data for each particular carrier.
  • the Service 1 data will provide such system-wide data as the center carrier frequencies and the carrier bandwidths for all carriers in the MCMC system.
  • a complete set of system-wide information (as shown in FIG. 20) can be collected and maintained more efficiently than placing all such data on only one data path.
  • any service can be dynamically allocated and reallocated without affecting a users ability to find all of the services within a particular MCMC transmission system.
  • the MCMC transmission system of the present invention provides an efficient and versatile way to transmit data across available bandwidth on the transmission spectrum.
  • the present invention utilizes the benefits of multiplexing multiple channels of information before modulating and transmitting the information as a carrier signal. Additionally, the present invention allows for users of all sizes to utilize only the particular amount of data transfer capability that they need. Hence, individual services can range in size from the basic rate of one slot (e.g. 8 KBS) on up to the entire capability of the entire MCMC transmission system.
  • the present MCMC system utilizes multiple carrier signals to transmit the allocated data services.
  • a slot of header data is reserved in each carrier signal which provides the location of all services within that carrier.
  • a separate service (e.g. one or many slots) might also be allocated for system administration and/or system-wide mapping.
  • FIG. 21 a block diagram of the multiplexor configuration is shown as used in the preferred embodiment of the disclosed MCMC system.
  • a microprocessor 300 is used to control the flow of the incoming service data.
  • Accompanying hardware to the microprocessor 300 includes a flash memory 318 for program storage, a ram 320 for storage of variables and processor operation, and NV memory 322 for parameter storage. While any microprocessor might adequately perform such control, the preferred embodiment uses a Motorola 68302 and was chosen because of its preferred instruction set, data handling capabilities, reasonable cost and development toolset available.
  • the microprocessor 300 writes information relating to the aforementioned slot allocation table into a dual port RAM 318 .
  • the slot allocation table contains information regarding the various carrier center frequencies, the carrier bandwidths, and the slots used for each service (e.g. “format information”).
  • format information might enter the microprocessor from a variety of sources.
  • the preferred embodiment uses a separate computer system, known as a Network Management System (NMS) 316 , to solicit and manage this format information.
  • NMS 316 uses a Windows application program to query and accept format information from an operator.
  • the format information is then fed into the microprocessor 300 via a serial RS232 data link 317 .
  • Ports A through XX represent input ports for individual services (henceforth service ports) which are composed of one or more data slots (e.g. 8 KBS slots as discussed above). Since each service port might consist of one or more data slots, each service port has its own clock rate based upon the number of data slots designated for that particular service on that particular service port. For instance, a service port using five 8 KBS slots would have a higher clock rate (e.g. 40 kilohertz) than a service port using only one 8 KBS slot. As with other synchronous systems, this embodiment utilizes one clock cycle per bit. Such control data is maintained and transmitted via an In-Band Control Channel 324 which carries information gleaned from the zeroth slot and the administrative service (previously exemplified as Service 1 ).
  • the service ports 301 - 306 are queued into a multiplexor control device 308 via a series of FIFO (first in, first out) buffers 307 - 312 .
  • the FIFO outputs enter the multiplexor control device 308 through a bus 313 in the order requested by the multiplexor control.
  • the multiplexor request sequence is a function of the information format for the MCMC system. As mentioned above, such multiplexor control and processing is achieved through a programmable device such as an FPGA.
  • the FIFO'ed service port data is then multiplexed via multiplexor control 308 into an aggregate data stream 314 which is output to a modulator (not shown) for modulation and transmission to a respective receiver.
  • FIG. 22 a block diagram of the receiver configuration is shown as used in the preferred embodiment of the disclosed MCMC system.
  • a demodulator 350 converts the transmitted carrier signal (not shown) into an aggregate data stream 352 which enters a demultiplexor control block 354 .
  • demultiplexor control is also achieved via an FPGA device.
  • the demodulator 350 is controlled via a microprocessor 356 .
  • a microprocessor 356 As with the multiplexor configuration, accompanying hardware to this separate microprocessor 356 includes a flash memory 358 for program storage, a ram 360 for storage of variables and processor operation, and NV memory 362 for parameter storage.
  • a Motorola 68302 was used for similar reasons and advantages as stated above.
  • the microprocessor 356 gleans format information data (e.g. slot zero and administrative Service 1 information) from an In-Band Control Channel 364 as fed from demultiplexor control 354 . Such format information is written into a Dual Port RAM 366 in the form of a Slot Allocation Table. The demultiplexor control 354 then reads this Slot Allocation Table data from the Dual Port RAM 366 and uses this data in order to properly demultiplex the demodulated bitstream 352 into the various services. Once properly demultiplexed, the services are output as the various service Ports A-F (elements 368 - 373 ).
  • format information data e.g. slot zero and administrative Service 1 information
  • each service port might consist of one or more data slots, with each service port having its own clock rate based upon the number of data slots designated for that particular service on that particular service port.
  • FIG. 24 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
  • a system 500 is provided for digitally encoding and transmitting multiple audio and video signals related to one another.
  • the system 500 includes a plurality of encoders 502 - 508 which receive corresponding input signals along lines 510 - 516 .
  • the input signals at lines 510 - 516 may be analog or digital. If the input signals represent digital signals, the encoders 502 - 580 may include A/D converters to provide digital input signals.
  • the input signals at lines 510 - 516 may represent any combination of audio and video signals.
  • the input signal at line 510 may represent a video signal, while the remaining input signals at lines 512 - 516 represent audio signals.
  • the audio signals at lines 512 - 516 may relate to the video signal at line 510 .
  • each of lines 512 - 516 may carry the speech portion of a television show, sports event and the like in separate languages.
  • line 510 may carry the video signal for a movie, while line 512 carries the audio signal for the movie in English, line 514 carries the audio signal for the movie in French and line 516 carries the audio signal for the movie in German.
  • the input lines 510 - 516 may carry any desired combination of audio and video signals, such as one audio signal with three video signals, one video signal with four audio signals, two video signals with six audio signals and the like.
  • the alternative embodiment contemplates using a single video signal at line 510 with multiple related audio signals at lines 512 - 516 carrying audio signals of different languages.
  • the encoders 502 - 508 output encoded audio and video signals along lines 518 - 524 as packetized bit streams which are formatted, as explained above.
  • the individual streams of packetized data are supplied to a multiplexor 526 which combines the input signals to form an aggregate bitstream output along line 532 .
  • the multiplexor 526 combines the data packets from lines 518 - 524 in a time division multiplexed manner to form the aggregate bit stream 550 (FIG. 27).
  • the aggregate bitstream is supplied to a modulator 528 which outputs same via link 530 .
  • the encoders, multiplexor and modulator may include internal memory and buffers to temporarily store data. Data is transmitted to and read from this temporary storage in a first-in-first-out manner.
  • Control lines 534 - 542 are provided as feedback to control the transmission rate at which packets of data are transmitted from the encoders 502 - 508 to the multiplexor 526 and from the multiplexor 526 to the modulator 528 .
  • the transmission rates and timing of the encoders, multiplexor and modulator may be controlled from a remote processor (not shown).
  • FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary aggregate bitstream 550 generated by the multiplexor 526 based on a time division multiplexing technique.
  • the aggregate bitstream 550 includes a plurality of data sets 555 , each of which includes a single slot or channel 554 assigned to each encoder 502 - 508 .
  • each of packets 556 - 562 includes a presentation time stamp 564 - 570 .
  • the presentation time stamps 564 - 570 represent offsets with respect to internal reference timers of corresponding encoders 502 - 508 as explained.
  • the multiplexor 526 generates a next data set 572 of packets 574 - 580 . This process may be continually repeated throughout operation.
  • Each data set 555 , 572 of data slots 554 will be modified to include one slot per encoder.
  • FIG. 28 generally illustrates a decoding system 600 according to the present invention.
  • the decoding system 600 includes a demultiplexor 602 which receives the aggregate bitstream 604 as its input.
  • the demultiplexor 602 separates each data set 555 (FIG. 27) of data packets 556 - 562 .
  • the demultiplexor 602 and transmits a data packet from a single slot 554 in the set 555 along a corresponding output line 606 and 608 .
  • decoder demultiplexor 602 includes one output port 610 - 616 for each slot 554 of an incoming data set 555 .
  • the demultiplexor 602 delivers the data packet from slot #1 to the first port (e.g., 610 ), the data packet from slot #2 to the second port (e.g., port 612 ), and the like.
  • the decoding system 600 may connect decoders 618 and 620 to predetermined output ports of the demultiplexor 602 through switches 609 and 611 . The connected output ports correspond to slots 554 in the aggregate bitstream which contain desired data.
  • decoders 618 and 620 are connected at switches 609 and 611 along lines 606 and 608 to output ports 610 and 614 , respectively.
  • decoder 618 decodes all packets 556 within the first slot of each data set 555 .
  • Decoder 620 decodes all packets 560 received within the third slot 553 .
  • the decoders 618 and 620 may output analog signals corresponding to the decoded bitstreams along lines 622 and 624 , respectively.
  • the analog signals are supplied to a display 626 which presents corresponding audio and video information to a viewer.
  • decoder 618 may decode the video signal, while decoder 620 decodes an associated audio signal for a desired language (e.g., English, French, German and the like).
  • a desired language e.g., English, French, German and the like.
  • the display 626 may play a movie with a French soundtrack.
  • the decoder 620 may output the audio track in a different language.
  • the preferred embodiment of the present invention enables multiple audio signals to be transmitted in different languages with a single related video signal. Hence, the need is avoided for transmitting separate video signals for each audio signal.

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for dynamically allocated multiple slots within a multi-channel multi-carrier transmission system. The slots may be allocated sequentially or non-sequentially. The data transmission rate for each slot remains constant, while multiple slots may be allocated to a single user service. Each carrier signal contains header data regarding all other carriers associated with the transmission system to identify the allocation of slots to user services. In an alternative embodiment, an encoding and transmitting system is provided for transmitting one or more video and audio encoded signals in a time division multiplexed manner along separate channels having fixed bandwidths. Multiple audio channels may be transmitted simultaneously with a related single video channel, and vice versa. The time division multiplexed audio/video signals may be transmitted over a single carrier or over multiple carriers.

Description

    RELATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION
  • 1. The present application relates to, and claims priority from, provisional application Ser. No. 60/002,445, filed Aug. 16, 1995.
  • FIELD OF THE INVENTION
  • 2. The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for dynamically allocating transmission bandwidth resources. Utilization of available bandwidth is maximized by a using a multiple channel, multiple carrier (MCMC) transmission scheme. The transmission rate capability of each carrier is parsed down into smaller slots which can be dynamically allocated and multiplexed to facilitate any sized user, from one slot to multiple slots. Multiple carriers are used to transmit the allocated data slots on available portions of the transmission spectrum. At least one slot of information on each carrier will be used for control information so that channels or services can be located on that particular carrier. Additionally, a separate service might be used to provide system-wide mapping or administrative functions. As a result, a user can find any service even if a channel or service location has changed. This transmission scheme allows for wide user flexibility, while also maximizing use of available transmission spectrum.
  • 3. In an alternative embodiment, the present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting at least one digitally encoded video signal with at least two digitally encoded audio signals related thereto. According to this alternative embodiment, the video and audio digital signals are combined through time division multiplexing to produce an aggregate audio/video bitstream containing data packets transmitted along at least two channels of fixed bandwidth, thereby maintaining a known fixed delay between packets of data in a given channel.
  • BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • 4. Available bandwidth on transmission systems is a valuable commodity whose value continues to increase as more and more users and applications crowd the spectrum. As a result, maximizing the use of available bandwidth is an important concern for the industry. To date, systems have not adequately provided for user flexibility in conjunction with maximum use of available bandwidth.
  • 5. Current technology permits modulation of a binary base band signal into a radio frequency (RF) signal for transmission and demodulation back into base band. As shown in FIG. 1, the base band signal 1 enters the modulator 3 and is converted into RF for transmission and receipt over antennas 5, 7. Demodulator 9 converts the received signal back into a base band signal 11. This transmission scheme is known as single channel per carrier (SCPC).
  • 6. Modulators convert base band signals from binary into the frequency spectrum through a variety of modulation techniques. Common modulation techniques include binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quadraphase shift keying (QPSK). BPSK has a conversion rate of approximately 1 kilohertz (KHZ) per 1 kilobit (KB). QPSK has a conversion rate of approximately 0.5 KHZ per 1 KB. Accordingly, QPSK is more efficient in that nearly twice as many bits of information can be transmitted over a similar frequency bandwidth. However, noise tradeoffs exist as data conversion rates increase. This limits the effectiveness of increasing bandwidth usage through modulation techniques with even higher data conversion rates.
  • 7. As shown in FIG. 2, SCPC systems generate a separate RF carrier signal 13, 15 for each base band input signal 14, 16. FIG. 3 shows a plot of power versus frequency for the carrier signals 13, 15 wherein each signal occupies a separate center frequency 17, 19 with a separate bandwidth 21, 23. Since each channel—with a separate carrier—occupies different space on the frequency spectrum, such SCPC systems are inherently inefficient for multi-channeled systems.
  • 8. Referring to FIG. 4, to maximize efficiency, the space 25 between each carrier signal must be minimized. However, as shown in FIG. 5, if this space is minimized too much, then the edges, or “skirts” 27, of the carrier signals overlap and interfere with each other. This can lead to erroneous and noisy demodulation of the RF signal. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the skirts 27 can be truncated via filtering, but then part of the original carrier signal has been excluded. This again could appear as errors or noise upon demodulation.
  • 9. Current technology also includes multiple channel per carrier (MCPC) systems as shown in FIG. 7. With this system, multiple binary base band signals (or channels) 31, 33 are multiplexed via a multiplexor 35 and then fed into a modulator 37. The transmitted RF signal is then demodulated (via 39) and demultiplexed (via 41) into its component base band signals 43, 45. As shown by FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), separate carriers— that might be produced by signals 31, 33 in an SCPC system—would have the potentially noisy skirt overlap 49, and a collective bandwidth 47. By multiplexing the signals together, the resulting RF signal shown in FIG. 8(b) would have a comparable bandwidth 51 and yet carry more information (e.g. up to 20% more bits), with less noise, due to more efficient use of the carrier signal across the corresponding bandwidth 51. Accordingly, MCPC systems are inherently more efficient than SCPC systems.
  • 10. While MCPC systems might be more efficient, they are often used in very inefficient ways due to the inflexibility of existing transmission systems. For instance, to gain the benefits of multiplexing two (or more) signals together, information must often be transported or transmitted back to the facility where the MCPC multiplexing and transmission ultimately occurs. This practice is known as “backhauling” information. Referring to FIG. 9(a), an SCPC system 56 is shown with the resulting plot of carrier signal 57. FIG. 9(b) shows an MCPC system 58 which multiplexes the signal 57 with the backhauled signal 55 to produce the resulting MCPC carrier signal 59. FIG. 10 demonstrates the relative inefficiency of backhauling; not only is the bandwidth of signal 59 being used on the frequency spectrum, the bandwidth of signal 55 is also being used. Hence, the use of multiple carriers to create an MCPC signal is relatively inefficient, particularly when backhauling is employed, because more frequency bandwidth is ultimately used than with the MCPC system alone.
  • 11. The applicant has recognized the need for a multiple channel multiple carrier system (MCMC) which is more flexible and allows users of all sizes to access the system. Multiple carriers, each carrying multiple channels, can be spread out over the available frequency spectrum, thus maximizing bandwidth usage. Each carrier will carry control header information which will allow location and access to all possible channels spread out over all possible carriers.
  • 12. Existing transmission systems transport audio and video data in satellite and cable TV applications. FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary audio/video transmission system including an audio/video encoder 400 which communicates with a statistical remultiplexor 402 which in turn communicates with a modulator 404. The encoder 400 receives audio and video signals along input lines 401 and 403 and outputs encoded packets of audio and video data along lines 406 and 408, respectively. The statistical remultiplexor 402 combines the audio and video data packets (according to the format illustrated in FIG. 25) and outputs same as an aggregate bitstream along line 412. The aggregate bitstream is transmitted to a remote destination via antenna 418 by the modulator 404. Feedback lines 410 and 414 are provided to maintain a desired timing relation between the data transmission rates of the encoder 400, remultiplexor 402 and transmit module 404.
  • 13. The transmitted bitstream is received by a demodulator and the audio and video data packets are demultiplexed and decoded into separate audio and video data streams. These decoded data streams are processed and displayed to end viewers. One such demultiplexor and decoding system has been proposed LSI Logic Corporation of California (Model No. L64007 MPEG-2 Transport Demultiplexor). The system proposed by LSI Logic complies with the international standard ISO/IEC 13818-1 MPEG-2 systems specification. As shown in FIG. 25, the aggregate bitstream 450 is composed of plurality of data packets 452, each of which includes a data section 454 and a “presentation time stamp” 456 (explained below in more detail). As shown in FIG. 25, the statistical multiplexor 402 (FIG. 23) intersperses the audio and video packets in a non-uniform manner. By way of example, a single audio packet 458 may be followed by two video packets 460 and 462, which are followed by alternating audio and video packets 464-472. The statistical remultiplexor 402 controls the order in which the audio and video packets 458-472 are combined.
  • 14. The presentation time stamps 456 are provided within each data packet 452 by the encoder 400 to enable synchronization and realignment, at the downstream end, between the audio and video signals. Each time stamp 456 represents a timing offset, with respect to a reference time Tr, at which corresponding audio or video packet is to be played/displayed.
  • 15. However, conventional audio/video encoding and decoding have met with limited success. These existing systems have been unable to combine multiple audio and video signals into a single aggregate bitstream in an optimal manner. As explained above, conventional systems utilize statistical remultiplexors 402 to combine audio and video packets.
  • 16.FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary aggregate bitstream produced by a statistical remultiplexor which receives input signals from multiple audio and video encoders. In the example of FIG. 26, it is assumed that three audio and video encoders are utilized, denoted encoders A, B and C. According to the conventional technique, the statistical remultiplexor combines audio and video packets from these multiple encoders A-C in a statistical fashion (as shown in FIG. 26). Thus, packets pertaining to a particular video encoder or a particular audio encoder may be separated by several packets from different encoders. Time stamps generated by a single encoder represent an offset which is reset to a new reference time at time intervals of a duration only sufficient to account for the maximum delay between audio and video data packets for a single encoder. Hence, packets statistically multiplexed from two or more encoders exceed the time interval between reference times. Accordingly, the statistical remultiplexor must adjust each presentation time stamp to account for the increased delay due to the use of multiple encoders. These modified time stamps are denoted by reference numerals 480-494.
  • 17. However, the foregoing statistical multiplexing process is excessively complex, slow and undesirable.
  • OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
  • 18. The present invention has various embodiments that achieve one or more of the following features or objects:
  • 19. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission system with dynamically allocable base band signal slots (or channels) to accommodate any sized service.
  • 20. It is another object of the present invention to provide a multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission system wherein each carrier can by dynamically located to maximize bandwidth usage on the frequency spectrum.
  • 21. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission system wherein each carrier contains header information which can provide access to all services on the series of carriers.
  • 22. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission system wherein each carrier contains header information which can provide access to all services on the series of carriers, and wherein additional service space is allocated for such tasks as information transfer, service identification, and service control.
  • 23. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a system for digitally encoding and transmitting at least one digital video signal along with multiple digital audio signals.
  • 24. It is a corollary object of the present invention to provide an audio/video encoding and transmitting system which transmits multiple audio signals related to a single video signal in a time division multiplexed manner.
  • 25. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a digital encoding and transmitting system which avoids the need to adjust presentation time stamps generated within each encoder by maintaining a fixed delay between data packets from different encoders.
  • 26. It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a digital encoding and transmitting system which assigns fixed bandwidths to each audio and video signal to be transmitted.
  • SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
  • 27. The disclosed invention overcomes the aforementioned inefficiencies of prior transmission systems by providing a transmission system that is flexible and efficient. The present invention provides a multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission system with dynamically allocable slots (or channels) that can be combined to form any sized service. Slots could be allocated sequentially or nonsequentially. The data rate of each slot is relatively small compared to the data rate of the whole system. This allows each user to purchase and use only the necessary number of bits for a particular application. As user needs change, the slots can be dynamically reallocated without affecting the efficiency of the system, the ease of use by the user without affecting other slots used by different users.
  • 28. Each carrier signal contains reserved header data regarding all other carriers associated with the transmission system. This allows all services (e.g. allocated combinations of slots) to be located regardless of which carrier signal contains that service to be located. Accordingly, a plurality of services— each consisting of one or many slots—can be spread out over a plurality of carrier signals and so transmitted. When operating with a plurality of carriers, each carrier signal can be dynamically tuned to fill available spaces in the transmission frequency spectrum, thus maximizing use of all available transmission bandwidth.
  • 29. In an alternative embodiment, a method and apparatus are provided for digitally encoding and transmitting at least one video signal and at least two related audio signals. According to this alternative embodiment, a video encoder is provided along with at least two audio encoders. The audio and video encoders generate corresponding audio and video bitstreams, each of which comprises a plurality of packets containing data sections. The audio and video bitstreams are delivered to a multiplexor which effects time division multiplexing upon to combine the audio and video bitstreams into an aggregate audio/video bitstream. The aggregate audio/video bitstream contains at least two independent channels of fixed bandwidth for separately transmitting designated ones of the video and audio bitstreams. A modulator transmits the aggregate audio/video bitstream. According to the above described alternative embodiment, fixed delays are maintained between packets within a single channel, thereby avoiding the need to adjust any presentation time stamps which may be generated by the encoders.
  • 30. Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the present invention.
  • BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
  • 31.FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a single channel per carrier (SCPC) transmission scheme.
  • 32.FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the generation of two separate carrier signals from two separate SCPC transmission schemes.
  • 33.FIG. 3 is a plot of power versus frequency for the two carrier signals of FIG. 2.
  • 34.FIG. 4 is a plot of power versus frequency for two example carrier signals showing the desire to minimize the frequency spacing between the two signals.
  • 35.FIG. 5 is a plot of power versus frequency for two example carrier signals wherein the frequency spacing has been minimized to the point that the carrier signal skirts overlap.
  • 36.FIG. 6 is a plot of power versus frequency for an example carrier signal wherein the skirts have been filtered off.
  • 37.FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a multiple channel per carrier transmission scheme.
  • 38.FIG. 8(a) is a plot of power versus frequency for two example carrier signals showing skirt overlap for a given bandwidth.
  • 39.FIG. 8(b) is a plot of power versus frequency for the two example carrier signals of FIG. 8(a) which have been multiplexed before modulation.
  • 40.FIG. 9(a) shows a block diagram of an SCPC system and a resulting plot of power versus frequency for a carrier signal with a given bandwidth.
  • 41.FIG. 9(b) shows a block diagram of an MCPC system, along with an SCPC system for backhauling, and a resulting plot of power versus frequency for the MCPC generated signal.
  • 42.FIG. 10 is a plot of power versus frequency for the MCPC signal and the SCPC signal of FIG. 9(b).
  • 43.FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of an MCPC system with a plurality of input and output channels.
  • 44.FIG. 12 shows a block diagram of the multiplexor and demultiplexor sections of the MCPC system of FIG. 11, with different channels allocated for different services.
  • 45.FIG. 13 a block diagram of the multiplexor and demultiplexor sections of the MCPC system of FIG. 11, with yet other channels allocated for other services.
  • 46.FIG. 14 is a table showing the type of information which allows a user to locate and use a particular service on a system-wide basis.
  • 47.FIG. 15 is a plot of power versus frequency for a carrier signal, with a given center frequency and bandwidth, which contains the services of FIGS. 13 and 14.
  • 48.FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an MCPC system with four slots and secondary multiplexors for services spanning more than one slot.
  • 49.FIG. 17 is a table showing the bitstream patterns of the MCPC system of FIG. 16, and the resulting multi-slot service bitstream.
  • 50.FIG. 18 is a plot of power versus frequency showing two unaccessible bandwidth areas and three carrier signals oriented in the available spaces between the unaccessible areas.
  • 51.FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission scheme, with multiple services, corresponding to the carrier signals of FIG. 18.
  • 52.FIG. 20 is a table showing the type of information which allows a user to locate and use a particular service on the MCMC system of FIGS. 18 and 19.
  • 53.FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a multiplexor configuration as used in an embodiment of the MCMC system.
  • 54.FIG. 22 is a block diagram of a receiver configuration as used in an embodiment of the MCMC system.
  • 55.FIG. 23 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary conventional audio/video encoding and transmitting system.
  • 56.FIG. 24 illustrates a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of an audio/video encoding system according to the present invention.
  • 57.FIG. 25 illustrates a portion of an aggregate audio/video bitstream transmitted by the conventional system of FIG. 23.
  • 58.FIG. 26 illustrates an exemplary aggregate audio/video bitstream generated according to the system of FIG. 23 for multiple audio and video encoders.
  • 59.FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary aggregate audio/video bitstream generated by the system of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 24 of the present invention.
  • 60.FIG. 28 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary decoder for use in connection with the alternative embodiment of FIG. 24 of the present invention.
  • DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
  • 61. Referring now to FIG. 11, an MCPC system 60 is shown with a plurality of input channels 61 and a plurality of output channels 63. As with other MCPC systems a multiplexor 65 combines the various channels into a single bitstream which enters the modulator 67. The modulator 67 converts the bitstream into an RF signal 69 which enters the demodulator 71 and is converted back into a binary signal. The binary signal enters the demultiplexor 73 which separates the signal back into its component channels 63.
  • 62. While each channel of an MCPC system 60 might handle a variety of data rates from large to small, the preferred embodiment uses a relatively small, fixed data rate for each channel. Referring to FIG. 12 the multiplexor and demultiplexor portion of the MCPC system 60 is shown is more detail. As shown for purposes of example, for the plurality of channels 61 (numbered 0 through N), each channel (or slot) operates at 8 kilobits per second (KBS). This allows for services 75 to be tailored to each user's size and data rate needs. For example, Service1 utilizes four slots to give the user a 32 KBS capability. Service2 utilizes only 1 slot for a 8 KBS capability. Similarly, Service3 utilizes only 1 slot for a 8 KBS capability.
  • 63. The allocation of slots for services does not have to be sequential. As shown in FIG. 13, Service N 81 spans slot 1 (83), slot 2 (85), slot 4 (89), and slot 6 (93) thus creating a service with a 32 KBS data rate capability. Service W 97 spans slot 3 (87) and slot 5 (91) thus creating a service with a 16 KBS data rate capability. The slot data then enters multiplexor 99 and is modulated into an RF signal and demodulated back to binary (not shown). The demodulated binary signal then enters demultiplexor 101 for separation back into the appropriate slot and service data.
  • 64.FIG. 15 shows the resulting carrier signal 110 which is generated and transmitted by the MCPC system of FIG. 13. Signal 110 is centered about frequency f c 111 and has a bandwidth (bw) indicated by 113. Carrier signal 110 contains all of the multiplexed slot information which can be extracted if the location of the services is known.
  • 65.FIG. 14 shows a table of the type of information that would allow a user to locate and use a particular service on a system-wide basis (e.g. a slot allocation table, along with carrier center frequencies and bandwidths). It is preferable that the center frequency and bandwidth of a particular carrier be known to receive and demodulate the carrier signal. It is also preferable that the total number of multiplexed slots (for that particular carrier) be known to facilitate decoding of the demodulated bitstream. Optionally, the center frequency, bandwidth and/or the total number of multiplexed slots may be computed using related information, such as bandwidth and the like. For each service, the total number of slots used for that particular service should be known, as well as the particular slot numbers used. As FIG. 14 shows, ServiceN can be located and demodulated at center frequency fc with a bandwidth bw. The total number of slots in this MCPC system is eight. ServiceN uses 4 total slots with slot numbers 1, 2, 4 and 6, for a 32 KBS data rate capability. Similarly, and as part of the same carrier, ServiceW can be located and demodulated at center frequency fc with a bandwidth bw. Again, the total number of slots in this MCPC system is eight. ServiceW uses 2 total slots with slot numbers 3 and 5 for a data rate capability of 16 KBS.
  • 66. With this table of information, the user can locate and use the services transmitted on a particular carrier signal. In the preferred embodiment, the slots used for each service on a particular carrier are transmitted as auxiliary header information on a designated, hardwired slot. While this designated slot might be any of the total number of slots for each MCPC system, the preferred embodiment hardwires the zeroth slot 103 as a convenient location for such slot allocation information. Hence, upon demodulating any carrier signal as configured above, the user can demultiplex the slot data and get a “map” of all services within that particular carrier by looking at the zeroth slot data. With this “map” then all the services on that carrier can be digitally reconstructed and retrieved.
  • 67. Referring now to FIG. 16, in order for any particular service to use more than one slot (albeit sequential or nonsequential), a secondary set of multiplexors is used to partition the signal down to the data rate for each of the particular slots. In this example embodiment, the MCPC system 120 has four slots, each with a 8 KBS data rate. The zeroth slot 123, 143 ?is served for slot allocation data. The input base ba signal 121 (or service) has a 16 KBS data rate and use nonsequential slots 127 and 128 on the primary multiplexor 130. The secondary multiplexor 132 is used to tition the 16 KBS signal down into two bitstreams c KBS as applied to slots 124, 126.
  • 68. In essence, the secondary multiplexor acts like a comparative switch 134. By switching back and forth between the two slots 124, 126, the 16 KBS bitstream is headed into two 8 KBS bitstreams by alternatingly dividing the incoming bits into two different directions. Larger systems (not shown) might have an even larger multiple of input lines into the multiplexor and demultiplexor devices. Hence, the commutative s hing must occur between a large number of input l and be programmably alterable as the allocations or e services are altered or updated. Such selective, co tative switching between the multiple input lines could easily be achieved by a device such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or Programmable Logic Array (PLA) that has been configured for such a task.
  • 69. The primary multiplexor 130 also acts like a c mutative switch 136. Multiplexor 130 switches down across each of the slots 123, 124, 125, and 126, and thus combines the four 8 KBS bitstreams into a 32 KBS bitstream 138. Bitstream 138 is modulated, transmitted as an RF signal, and then demodulated (not shown) back into a 32 KBS signal 139. The resulting demodulated 32 KBS signal 139 is fed into the primary demultiplexor 140 which similarly acts as a commutative switch 147 to divide the 32 KBS signal into four slots 143, 144, 145, and 146 of 8 KBS each. The secondary demultiplexor 150 is connected across slots 144 and 146. Demultiplexor 150 also acts as a commutative switch 152 to alternate between the 8 KBS bitstreams of slots 144, 146 and combine them into a resulting 16 KBS signal 154.
  • 70.FIG. 17 demonstrates, in tabular form, the commutative switching effect of the primary and second multiplexors and demultiplexors. Referring also to FIG. 16, the demodulated 32 KBS signal 139 is comprised of a sequence of bits as indicated by row 161. This sequence 161 is repeatedly divided across the four slots (numbered 0 through 3), by the commutative action of the demultiplexor 140, as indicated by row 163. The bitstreams are ultimately comprised of service bits which are labeled as Sb s, as shown by 160. According to this notation, the superscript b represents the ongoing number of times the series of slots (0 through 3) is sampled on the primary multiplexor. Hence b also represents the ongoing bit number emerging from each slot. The subscript s represents the particular slot number.
  • 71. Using this notation the assignment of the bits of the transmitted bitstream 139 to each slot 0 through 3 (elements 143-146) is shown by row 165. As the commutative action of the multiplexor 140 progresses, each bit of the incoming bitstream 139 is sequentially, and repeatedly, assigned to each slot. Slot 1 (element 144), for example, will have the bitstream S0 1, S1 1, S2 1 . . . and so on. (see element 156). Accordingly, the bits of available data emerging across the four available slots would be S0 0, S0 1, S0 2, S0 3, S1 0, S1 1, S1 2, S1 3, S2 0, S2 1, S2 2, S2 3, . . . and so on. By adding the secondary demultiplexor 150 across slots 1 and 3 (elements 144, 146), the two 8 KBS bitstreams can be combined into the 16 KBS service bitstream 154 by the commutative action 152 of the demultiplexor 150. As shown by row 167, this resulting bitstream would include S0 1, S0 3, S1 1, S1 3, S2 1, S2 3, . . . and so on.
  • 72. Using the principles described above, a multi-channel, multi-carrier (MCMC) transmission system is even more efficient at utilizing available bandwidth. With such an MCMC system, a plurality of services could be allocated across a plurality of MCPC systems. Referring now to FIG. 19, an example MCMC system is shown. In this example, three MCPC systems 170, 172, 174 are shown which generate RF carrier frequencies 171, 173, 175. Each MCPC system has, for purposes of example, four slots per multiplexor/demultiplexor.
  • 73. Service1 (Sv1) utilizes slots 1 and 2 (elements 191 and 192) of the primary multiplexor 220 of MCPC system 170. Hence a secondary multiplexor 222 is used to divide Sv1 between the two slots. Sv2 utilizes slot 3 (element 193) of the primary multiplexor 220 of MCPC system 170. Sv3 utilizes slot 1 (element 195) of the primary multiplexor 230 of MCPC system 172. Sv4 utilizes slots 2 and 3 (elements 196 and 197) of the primary multiplexor 230 of MCPC system 172. Hence a secondary multiplexor 232 is used to divide Sv4 between the two slots. Sv5 utilizes slots 1, 2, and 3 ( elements 199, 200, and 201) of the primary multiplexor 240 of the MCPC system 174. Hence a secondary multiplexor 242 is used to divide Sv5 between the three slots.
  • 74. Referring also to FIG. 18, the outputs of the primary multiplexors 220, 230, and 240 are modulated into three separate carrier signals 171, 173, and 175. In FIG. 18, two areas of unusable (or already used) bandwidth 300 and 302 are shown. As a result, carrier signal 171 has been tuned to have a center frequency f1 (element 191) and a bandwidth bw1 (element 192) so that signal 171 fits on the transmission spectrum before signal portion 300. Carrier signal 173 has been tuned to have a center frequency f2 (element 193) and a bandwidth bw2 (element 194) so that signal 173 fits on the transmission spectrum between signals 300 and 302. Carrier signal 175 has been tuned to have a center frequency f3 (element 195) and a bandwidth bw3 (element 196) so that signal 175 fits on the transmission spectrum after signal 302.
  • 75. By tuning each carrier frequency used by the MCMC system to fit within the available transmission bandwidth on the frequency spectrum, usage of the spectrum is maximized. The Carrier signals 171, 173, and 175 are then demodulated by their respective demodulators 226, 236, and 246. The demodulated base band signals are then fed into their respective primary demultiplexors 228, 238, and 248. As described above, the service bits on the output slots 250 through 261 are multiplexed by secondary multiplexors 229, 239, and 249 to reconstruct the bitstreams for services 1 through 5 (Sv1 through Sv5180, 182, 184, 186, and 188).
  • 76. The preferred embodiment also utilizes one complete service—exemplified here as service1—for a variety of administrative or “housekeeping” tasks. The number of slots allocated for this administrative service could vary depending upon the needs of the particular MCMC system in question. The bits in this service might be used, among other things, to perform the following functions: downloading (or uploading) software to (or from) a particular customer as needed; alphanumeric identification of services or carriers within the MCMC system or community; turning on or off various services within the MCMC system as required; and/or providing a revision number for the slot allocation table as contained in zeroth slot data.
  • 77. As for transferring software, the MCMC network host might provide its service subscribers with periodic upgrades of software used to interact with the MCMC system. By allocating separate bits for this task, the service subscribers would be minimally affected by such upgrades. This would promote continual development of related software by the host and would likely result in more optimal system performance and bandwidth savings.
  • 78. Similarly, the service1 data might provide alphanumeric names for the various services within the MCMC network. Often this is much more useful to a user or service subscriber than a service number or other minimal identification means.
  • 79. Occasionally, entire services might need to be turned on or off for maintenance and/or billing purposes. The service1 data might provide such individualized control over the various services within the MCMC network.
  • 80. As for the slot allocation table revision number, the zeroth slot—with its slot allocation table—will always be found in the same place on any particular demodulated and demultiplexed carrier signal, thereby acting as a “beacon” for the user to learn about that particular carrier signal. However, the remaining slots which comprise the various MCMC services can be dynamically altered and reallocated as the needs of the many users change. As a result, the slot allocation table will be revised and carry with it a new revision number. As indicated above, the administrative service (e.g. service1) will show the most recent revision number. If a user is operating with an outdated version of the slot allocation table, the zeroth slot can be decoded to provide updated slot allocation information on an as needed basis.
  • 81. As detailed above, the zeroth slots (input slots 190, 194, 198 and output slots 250, 254, 258) are used for slot allocation data information which will allow the user to locate, demodulate and reconstruct the various services within each particular carrier. As combined with the Service1 data, a full “map” of the MCMC system can be quickly derived by the user. In operation, the disclosed device will internally switch back and forth between slot zero and Service1 data as needed and carry the data on am In-Band carrier channel (See FIGS. 21 and 22) for processing.
  • 82. For instance, upon startup of the system, a designated carrier is acquired and the slot zero data is processed via the In-Band Carrier channel. Once the Slot Allocation Table for the carrier is acquired, the system automatically switches over to process Service1 data. Service1 data can provide a system-wide “map” of the MCMC system, and/or it can provide the other aforementioned Service1 functions. However, if the revision number of the slot allocation table changes, the system will automatically switch back to read slot zero data until a new and updated slot allocation table is acquired. As a result, Service1 is the “steady state” condition for the data on the In-Band Carrier Channel. Only when a new carrier is acquired or when the slot allocation table changes does the In-Band Carrier Channel carry slot zero again data for processing.
  • 83. Referring to FIG. 20, an example table is shown with the type of slot zero data and/or Service1 data necessary to locate and reconstruct all service data on all the MCMC carrier signals for this particular system. The zeroth slot will carry the slot allocation data for each particular carrier. The Service1 data will provide such system-wide data as the center carrier frequencies and the carrier bandwidths for all carriers in the MCMC system. By internally switching, as necessary, between these two data sources, a complete set of system-wide information (as shown in FIG. 20) can be collected and maintained more efficiently than placing all such data on only one data path. By providing this full “map” to the system, any service can be dynamically allocated and reallocated without affecting a users ability to find all of the services within a particular MCMC transmission system.
  • 84. Accordingly, the MCMC transmission system of the present invention provides an efficient and versatile way to transmit data across available bandwidth on the transmission spectrum. The present invention utilizes the benefits of multiplexing multiple channels of information before modulating and transmitting the information as a carrier signal. Additionally, the present invention allows for users of all sizes to utilize only the particular amount of data transfer capability that they need. Hence, individual services can range in size from the basic rate of one slot (e.g. 8 KBS) on up to the entire capability of the entire MCMC transmission system. Moreover, the present MCMC system utilizes multiple carrier signals to transmit the allocated data services. A slot of header data is reserved in each carrier signal which provides the location of all services within that carrier. A separate service (e.g. one or many slots) might also be allocated for system administration and/or system-wide mapping.
  • 85. Referring now to FIG. 21, a block diagram of the multiplexor configuration is shown as used in the preferred embodiment of the disclosed MCMC system. A microprocessor 300 is used to control the flow of the incoming service data. Accompanying hardware to the microprocessor 300 includes a flash memory 318 for program storage, a ram 320 for storage of variables and processor operation, and NV memory 322 for parameter storage. While any microprocessor might adequately perform such control, the preferred embodiment uses a Motorola 68302 and was chosen because of its preferred instruction set, data handling capabilities, reasonable cost and development toolset available.
  • 86. The microprocessor 300 writes information relating to the aforementioned slot allocation table into a dual port RAM 318. As detailed above, the slot allocation table contains information regarding the various carrier center frequencies, the carrier bandwidths, and the slots used for each service (e.g. “format information”). Such format information might enter the microprocessor from a variety of sources. The preferred embodiment uses a separate computer system, known as a Network Management System (NMS) 316, to solicit and manage this format information. The NMS 316 uses a Windows application program to query and accept format information from an operator. The format information is then fed into the microprocessor 300 via a serial RS232 data link 317.
  • 87. As shown in this embodiment, Ports A through XX (elements 301 through 306) represent input ports for individual services (henceforth service ports) which are composed of one or more data slots (e.g. 8 KBS slots as discussed above). Since each service port might consist of one or more data slots, each service port has its own clock rate based upon the number of data slots designated for that particular service on that particular service port. For instance, a service port using five 8 KBS slots would have a higher clock rate (e.g. 40 kilohertz) than a service port using only one 8 KBS slot. As with other synchronous systems, this embodiment utilizes one clock cycle per bit. Such control data is maintained and transmitted via an In-Band Control Channel 324 which carries information gleaned from the zeroth slot and the administrative service (previously exemplified as Service1).
  • 88. The service ports 301-306 are queued into a multiplexor control device 308 via a series of FIFO (first in, first out) buffers 307-312. The FIFO outputs enter the multiplexor control device 308 through a bus 313 in the order requested by the multiplexor control. The multiplexor request sequence is a function of the information format for the MCMC system. As mentioned above, such multiplexor control and processing is achieved through a programmable device such as an FPGA. The FIFO'ed service port data is then multiplexed via multiplexor control 308 into an aggregate data stream 314 which is output to a modulator (not shown) for modulation and transmission to a respective receiver.
  • 89. Referring now to FIG. 22, a block diagram of the receiver configuration is shown as used in the preferred embodiment of the disclosed MCMC system. In this configuration, a demodulator 350 converts the transmitted carrier signal (not shown) into an aggregate data stream 352 which enters a demultiplexor control block 354. As with the multiplexor before, demultiplexor control is also achieved via an FPGA device.
  • 90. The demodulator 350 is controlled via a microprocessor 356. As with the multiplexor configuration, accompanying hardware to this separate microprocessor 356 includes a flash memory 358 for program storage, a ram 360 for storage of variables and processor operation, and NV memory 362 for parameter storage. Again, a Motorola 68302 was used for similar reasons and advantages as stated above.
  • 91. The microprocessor 356 gleans format information data (e.g. slot zero and administrative Service1 information) from an In-Band Control Channel 364 as fed from demultiplexor control 354. Such format information is written into a Dual Port RAM 366 in the form of a Slot Allocation Table. The demultiplexor control 354 then reads this Slot Allocation Table data from the Dual Port RAM 366 and uses this data in order to properly demultiplex the demodulated bitstream 352 into the various services. Once properly demultiplexed, the services are output as the various service Ports A-F (elements 368-373). As comparable to the multiplexor configuration, each service port might consist of one or more data slots, with each service port having its own clock rate based upon the number of data slots designated for that particular service on that particular service port. Having now been received and decoded, the MCMC services of this particular system can now accessed via the service ports 368-373.
  • 92.FIG. 24 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 24, a system 500 is provided for digitally encoding and transmitting multiple audio and video signals related to one another. The system 500 includes a plurality of encoders 502-508 which receive corresponding input signals along lines 510-516. The input signals at lines 510-516 may be analog or digital. If the input signals represent digital signals, the encoders 502-580 may include A/D converters to provide digital input signals. The input signals at lines 510-516 may represent any combination of audio and video signals.
  • 93. By way of example, the input signal at line 510 may represent a video signal, while the remaining input signals at lines 512-516 represent audio signals. Optionally, the audio signals at lines 512-516 may relate to the video signal at line 510. For instance, each of lines 512-516 may carry the speech portion of a television show, sports event and the like in separate languages. Hence, line 510 may carry the video signal for a movie, while line 512 carries the audio signal for the movie in English, line 514 carries the audio signal for the movie in French and line 516 carries the audio signal for the movie in German.
  • 94. Optionally, the input lines 510-516 may carry any desired combination of audio and video signals, such as one audio signal with three video signals, one video signal with four audio signals, two video signals with six audio signals and the like.
  • 95. For purposes of explanation, the alternative embodiment contemplates using a single video signal at line 510 with multiple related audio signals at lines 512-516 carrying audio signals of different languages.
  • 96. The encoders 502-508 output encoded audio and video signals along lines 518-524 as packetized bit streams which are formatted, as explained above. The individual streams of packetized data are supplied to a multiplexor 526 which combines the input signals to form an aggregate bitstream output along line 532. The multiplexor 526 combines the data packets from lines 518-524 in a time division multiplexed manner to form the aggregate bit stream 550 (FIG. 27). The aggregate bitstream is supplied to a modulator 528 which outputs same via link 530. Optionally, the encoders, multiplexor and modulator may include internal memory and buffers to temporarily store data. Data is transmitted to and read from this temporary storage in a first-in-first-out manner.
  • 97. Control lines 534-542 are provided as feedback to control the transmission rate at which packets of data are transmitted from the encoders 502-508 to the multiplexor 526 and from the multiplexor 526 to the modulator 528. Optionally, the transmission rates and timing of the encoders, multiplexor and modulator may be controlled from a remote processor (not shown).
  • 98. Next, the discussion turns to FIG. 27 which illustrates an exemplary aggregate bitstream 550 generated by the multiplexor 526 based on a time division multiplexing technique. The aggregate bitstream 550 includes a plurality of data sets 555, each of which includes a single slot or channel 554 assigned to each encoder 502-508.
  • 99. During operation, the multiplexor 526 accesses the multiplexer's internal memory/buffers for each of lines 518-524 to obtain a set of data packets containing a single data packet associated with each input line 518-524. The multiplexor 526 combines this set of data packets as illustrated in FIG. 27 in a time division multiplexed manner. Consecutive slots 554 receive a corresponding data packet from the assigned input line 518-524. Thus, each slot 554 of a data set 555 includes a single data packet 556-562 for each encoder 502-508. Optionally, each of packets 556-562 includes a presentation time stamp 564-570. The presentation time stamps 564-570 represent offsets with respect to internal reference timers of corresponding encoders 502-508 as explained.
  • 100. Once the data set 555 is formed in the multiplexor 526, the set 556 is transmitted to the modulator 528. Thereafter, the multiplexor 526 generates a next data set 572 of packets 574-580. This process may be continually repeated throughout operation.
  • 101. While the preferred embodiment of FIG. 24 illustrates far encoders, it is understood that any number of encoders may be utilized. Each data set 555, 572 of data slots 554 will be modified to include one slot per encoder.
  • 102.FIG. 28 generally illustrates a decoding system 600 according to the present invention. The decoding system 600 includes a demultiplexor 602 which receives the aggregate bitstream 604 as its input. The demultiplexor 602 separates each data set 555 (FIG. 27) of data packets 556-562. The demultiplexor 602 and transmits a data packet from a single slot 554 in the set 555 along a corresponding output line 606 and 608.
  • 103. More specifically, decoder demultiplexor 602 includes one output port 610-616 for each slot 554 of an incoming data set 555. For a given data set 555, the demultiplexor 602 delivers the data packet from slot #1 to the first port (e.g., 610), the data packet from slot #2 to the second port (e.g., port 612), and the like. The decoding system 600 may connect decoders 618 and 620 to predetermined output ports of the demultiplexor 602 through switches 609 and 611. The connected output ports correspond to slots 554 in the aggregate bitstream which contain desired data.
  • 104. In the example of FIG. 28, it is desirable to decode the data streams from the first and third encoders (502 and 506 in FIG. 24). Hence, decoders 618 and 620 are connected at switches 609 and 611 along lines 606 and 608 to output ports 610 and 614, respectively.
  • 105. With reference to FIG. 27, decoder 618 decodes all packets 556 within the first slot of each data set 555. Decoder 620 decodes all packets 560 received within the third slot 553. The decoders 618 and 620 may output analog signals corresponding to the decoded bitstreams along lines 622 and 624, respectively. The analog signals are supplied to a display 626 which presents corresponding audio and video information to a viewer.
  • 106. By way of example, when the aggregate bitstream 604 includes a single video signal (such as corresponding to a movie) and a plurality of audio signals (such as corresponding to the soundtrack for the movie recorded in multiple languages), decoder 618 may decode the video signal, while decoder 620 decodes an associated audio signal for a desired language (e.g., English, French, German and the like). Thus, the display 626 may play a movie with a French soundtrack. Alternatively, by connecting the decoder 620 to one of ports 612 and 616, the display 626 may output the audio track in a different language.
  • 107. According to the example explained above, the preferred embodiment of the present invention enables multiple audio signals to be transmitted in different languages with a single related video signal. Hence, the need is avoided for transmitting separate video signals for each audio signal.
  • 108. While several alternative embodiments, of the invention have been described hereinabove, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the embodiments may be modified and altered without departing from the central spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the embodiments described hereinabove are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing descriptions, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced herein.

Claims (25)

What is claimed is:
1. A method for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources, said method comprising the steps of:
receiving data from user services having predefined data service transmission rates;
defining a plurality of slots within the transmission bandwidth resources, each of said slots representing a channel having a predefined data channel transmission rate;
dynamically allocating said slots to user services based on said data service transmission rates and said data channel transmission rates; and
transmitting data received from said user services in said slots according to said dynamic allocation step.
2. A method according to
claim 1
, further comprising the step of utilizing one of said slots to carry slot mapping information identifying allocation of said slots among said services.
3. A method according to
claim 1
, further comprising the step of transmitting as auxiliary header information, an allocation map defining a relationship between each service and one or more associated slots.
4. A method according to
claim 1
, wherein said defining step includes defining dynamically said channels with differing data channel transmission rates.
5. A method according to
claim 1
, wherein said defining step includes defining said channels with a fixed common data channel transmission rate.
6. A method according to
claim 1
, wherein said allocating step includes allocating at least a first service to a single first slot and at least a second service to at least second and third slots.
7. A method according to
claim 1
, wherein said allocating step allocates said slots sequentially.
8. A method according to
claim 1
, wherein said allocating step allocates said slots non-sequentially.
9. A method according to
claim 1
, wherein a first user service has a service transmission rate and is allocated first and second slots which separately have slot transmission rates of approximately one-half of said service transmission rate.
10. A method according to
claim 1
, further comprising the step of:
dividing data received from at least one of said user services into at least two bitstreams which are allocated to different slots; and
combining bitstreams from all user services into allocated slots of an aggregate bitstream, said dividing and combining steps being performed based on said dynamic allocation step.
11. A method according to
claim 1
, further comprising the step of maintaining a slot allocation table mapping a relation between services and slots.
12. A method according to
claim 1
, further comprising the step of updating and reallocating slots between services when a service transmission rate of at least one user service changes.
13. A multiple channel, multiple carrier transmission system for transmitting data from a plurality of user services over dynamically allocated transmission bandwidth resources, said system comprising:
a plurality of input channels for carrying data for user services at predefined service data rates;
a multiplexor for combining service data from said input channels into an aggregate bitstream comprising data slots, each of said slots representing an output channel having a predefined data channel transmission rate;
a modulator for converting said aggregate bitstream into an RF signal; and
a slot allocator, communicating with said input channels, for dynamically allocating input channels and associated slots to said user services based on transmission rates of said user services and of said slots.
14. A system according to
claim 1
, wherein said slot allocation includes at least one switch for dividing data from at least one user service between at least two of said input channels.
15. A system according to
claim 13
, wherein said slot allocator generates a map defining a relation between user service and channels.
16. A system according to
claim 13
, further comprising a slot allocation table for storing a mapping relation between each user service and slots allocated thereto.
17. A system according to
claim 13
, further comprising a switch for dividing data from a first user service among multiple input channels, said slot allocator connecting a second user service to a single input channel.
18. A system according to
claim 13
, wherein said slot allocator allocates said input channels sequentially to use services.
19. A system according to
claim 13
, wherein said slot allocation allocates said input channels non-sequentially to user services.
20. A system according to
claim 13
, wherein said slot allocation updates and reallocates slots between user services when a service transmission rate of at least one user service changes.
21. A system for digitally encoding and transmitting digital video signals and related digital audio signals, said system comprising:
at least one video encoder for receiving and encoding digital signals to provide encoded video bitstreams;
at least a first audio encoder for receiving and encoding at least one audio bitstream, said audio bitstream relating to said video bitstream;
a multiplexor for time division multiplexing said video bitstream and said audio bitstream received along at least two separate input channels to produce an aggregate audio/video bitstream containing at least two channels of fixed band width; and
a modulator for transmitting said aggregate audio/video bitstream.
22. A system according to
claim 21
wherein said audio and video encoders separately packetized each of said audio and video bitstreams in audio and video packets, which contain presentation time stamps with respect to differing audio and video reference times generated independent of the time division multiplexing operation, said multiplexor multiplexing said audio and video packets without changing said presentation time stamps.
23. A system according to
claim 21
, wherein said multiplexor outputs said video bitstream upon at least a first video channel and outputs first and second audio bitstreams upon at least first and second audio channels, said first video channel and said first and second audio channels being non-overlapping with and mutually exclusive from one another.
24. A system according to
claim 21
, wherein said modulator transmits said aggregate bitstream containing all of said audio and video channels over a single carrier signal.
25. A system according to
claim 21
, wherein said modulator transmits said aggregate bitstream over multiple carrier signals.
US09/729,040 1995-08-16 2000-12-04 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal Abandoned US20010000457A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09/729,040 US20010000457A1 (en) 1995-08-16 2000-12-04 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US244595P 1995-08-16 1995-08-16
US09/347,103 US6212201B1 (en) 1995-08-16 1999-07-02 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal
US09/729,040 US20010000457A1 (en) 1995-08-16 2000-12-04 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09/347,103 Continuation US6212201B1 (en) 1995-08-16 1999-07-02 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20010000457A1 true US20010000457A1 (en) 2001-04-26

Family

ID=21700802

Family Applications (3)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US08/698,956 Expired - Lifetime US6049551A (en) 1995-08-16 1996-08-16 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal
US09/347,103 Expired - Lifetime US6212201B1 (en) 1995-08-16 1999-07-02 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal
US09/729,040 Abandoned US20010000457A1 (en) 1995-08-16 2000-12-04 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal

Family Applications Before (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US08/698,956 Expired - Lifetime US6049551A (en) 1995-08-16 1996-08-16 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal
US09/347,103 Expired - Lifetime US6212201B1 (en) 1995-08-16 1999-07-02 Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (3) US6049551A (en)
EP (1) EP0845176A4 (en)
JP (1) JPH11511313A (en)
CN (1) CN1195437A (en)
AU (1) AU697851B2 (en)
BR (1) BR9610270A (en)
CA (1) CA2229578C (en)
WO (1) WO1997007606A1 (en)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020194364A1 (en) * 1996-10-09 2002-12-19 Timothy Chase Aggregate information production and display system
US20030100269A1 (en) * 2000-05-12 2003-05-29 Otto-Aleksanteri Lehtinen Power control in radio system
US20030110025A1 (en) * 1991-04-06 2003-06-12 Detlev Wiese Error concealment in digital transmissions
US6778649B2 (en) 1995-04-10 2004-08-17 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Method and apparatus for transmitting coded audio signals through a transmission channel with limited bandwidth
US20050099969A1 (en) * 1998-04-03 2005-05-12 Roberts Roswell Iii Satellite receiver/router, system, and method of use
WO2006075042A1 (en) * 2005-01-11 2006-07-20 Nokia Corporation Method for indicating and detecting transmission resource allocations in a multi-user communication system
US20070202800A1 (en) * 1998-04-03 2007-08-30 Roswell Roberts Ethernet digital storage (eds) card and satellite transmission system
US20070239609A1 (en) * 1998-03-06 2007-10-11 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Method and apparatus for push and pull distribution of multimedia
US20240031306A1 (en) * 2022-07-25 2024-01-25 Rovi Guides, Inc. Method and system for allocating computation resources for latency sensitive services over a communication network

Families Citing this family (57)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6101180A (en) 1996-11-12 2000-08-08 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. High bandwidth broadcast system having localized multicast access to broadcast content
JPH10191431A (en) * 1996-12-26 1998-07-21 Sony Corp Communication method base station and terminal equipment
US6542518B1 (en) * 1997-03-25 2003-04-01 Sony Corporation Transport stream generating device and method, and program transmission device
JP3438223B2 (en) * 1997-03-28 2003-08-18 ソニー株式会社 Multiplexing device and multiplexing method, and transmission device and transmission method
US6075792A (en) 1997-06-16 2000-06-13 Interdigital Technology Corporation CDMA communication system which selectively allocates bandwidth upon demand
US6351471B1 (en) * 1998-01-14 2002-02-26 Skystream Networks Inc. Brandwidth optimization of video program bearing transport streams
US6292490B1 (en) 1998-01-14 2001-09-18 Skystream Corporation Receipts and dispatch timing of transport packets in a video program bearing stream remultiplexer
US6246701B1 (en) 1998-01-14 2001-06-12 Skystream Corporation Reference time clock locking in a remultiplexer for video program bearing transport streams
US6195368B1 (en) 1998-01-14 2001-02-27 Skystream Corporation Re-timing of video program bearing streams transmitted by an asynchronous communication link
US6351474B1 (en) * 1998-01-14 2002-02-26 Skystream Networks Inc. Network distributed remultiplexer for video program bearing transport streams
US7051360B1 (en) * 1998-11-30 2006-05-23 United Video Properties, Inc. Interactive television program guide with selectable languages
US6388717B1 (en) * 1999-01-20 2002-05-14 Harris Corporation Digital television transmitting system having data and clock recovering circuit
US6925068B1 (en) * 1999-05-21 2005-08-02 Wi-Lan, Inc. Method and apparatus for allocating bandwidth in a wireless communication system
US20090219879A1 (en) 1999-05-21 2009-09-03 Wi-Lan, Inc. Method and apparatus for bandwidth request/grant protocols in a wireless communication system
US7006530B2 (en) * 2000-12-22 2006-02-28 Wi-Lan, Inc. Method and system for adaptively obtaining bandwidth allocation requests
US8462810B2 (en) 1999-05-21 2013-06-11 Wi-Lan, Inc. Method and system for adaptively obtaining bandwidth allocation requests
KR100721272B1 (en) * 1999-05-26 2007-05-25 코닌클리케 필립스 일렉트로닉스 엔.브이. Digital video signals coding method and corresponding coding or transcoding system
US6477182B2 (en) * 1999-06-08 2002-11-05 Diva Systems Corporation Data transmission method and apparatus
US6965998B1 (en) * 1999-12-10 2005-11-15 International Business Machines Corporation Time stamping method using time-based signature key
US7493644B1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2009-02-17 Nokia Corporation Method, apparatus, and system for video fast forward functionality in a mobile phone
US7441014B1 (en) * 2000-02-09 2008-10-21 Tvworks, Llc Broadcast distribution using low-level objects and locator tables
US6912576B1 (en) * 2000-05-04 2005-06-28 Broadcom Corporation System and method of processing data flow in multi-channel, multi-service environment by dynamically allocating a socket
US7085824B2 (en) 2001-02-23 2006-08-01 Power Measurement Ltd. Systems for in the field configuration of intelligent electronic devices
US6853978B2 (en) * 2001-02-23 2005-02-08 Power Measurement Ltd. System and method for manufacturing and configuring intelligent electronic devices to order
NL1017506C2 (en) * 2001-03-06 2002-09-09 Axon Digital Design B V Audio in video embedding system converts analog video and analog audio signals and uses modular circuits to combine them digitally before reconverting combined signal to analog form
US20020172231A1 (en) * 2001-04-12 2002-11-21 Claxton Shimen K. Time-multiplexed multi-carrier transmitter
US7577100B2 (en) * 2001-07-27 2009-08-18 Stephen Pollmann System and method for measuring signal to noise values in an adaptive wireless communication system
FR2828367B1 (en) * 2001-08-01 2003-12-05 Thomson Licensing Sa METHOD AND DEVICE FOR INSTALLING BROADCASTING PROGRAMS
US7027520B2 (en) * 2001-08-30 2006-04-11 Thomson Licensing Method and apparatus for simultaneously retrieving portions of a data stream from different channels
US8880709B2 (en) * 2001-09-12 2014-11-04 Ericsson Television Inc. Method and system for scheduled streaming of best effort data
US7174179B2 (en) * 2001-09-20 2007-02-06 Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. Methods and apparatus for mitigating rain fading over SATCOM links via information throughput adaptation
US7453843B2 (en) * 2001-12-11 2008-11-18 Texas Instruments Incorporated Wireless bandwidth aggregator
US7088398B1 (en) 2001-12-24 2006-08-08 Silicon Image, Inc. Method and apparatus for regenerating a clock for auxiliary data transmitted over a serial link with video data
US7068610B2 (en) 2002-02-26 2006-06-27 Unruh Lincoln J System and method for reliable communications over multiple packet RF networks
US8046792B2 (en) * 2002-03-20 2011-10-25 Tvworks, Llc Multi-channel audio enhancement for television
US7283566B2 (en) * 2002-06-14 2007-10-16 Silicon Image, Inc. Method and circuit for generating time stamp data from an embedded-clock audio data stream and a video clock
US7177275B2 (en) * 2002-07-26 2007-02-13 Kenneth Stanwood Scheduling method and system for communication systems that offer multiple classes of service
WO2004047444A1 (en) * 2002-11-15 2004-06-03 Thomson Licensing S.A. Method and system for staggered statistical multiplexing
KR100461542B1 (en) * 2002-12-26 2004-12-17 한국전자통신연구원 Apparatus and Method for Digital Broadcasting Service using Multiple Frequency Bands
US7693222B2 (en) * 2003-08-13 2010-04-06 Ericsson Television Inc. Method and system for re-multiplexing of content-modified MPEG-2 transport streams using PCR interpolation
JP2005084907A (en) * 2003-09-08 2005-03-31 Sony Corp Memory band control unit
US7412203B2 (en) * 2004-01-20 2008-08-12 Excelsior Radio Networks, Llc Systems, methods and apparatus for operating a broadcast network
US7782789B2 (en) 2004-09-23 2010-08-24 Harris Corporation Adaptive bandwidth utilization for telemetered data
US8789119B2 (en) * 2004-09-30 2014-07-22 Cisco Technology, Inc. Statistical remultiplexer performance for video on demand applications by use of metadata
US7620068B2 (en) * 2004-11-08 2009-11-17 Harris Corporation Adaptive bandwidth utilization for telemetered data
US7271996B2 (en) 2004-12-03 2007-09-18 Electro Industries/Gauge Tech Current inputs interface for an electrical device
JP4648093B2 (en) * 2005-05-31 2011-03-09 株式会社日立製作所 Optical transmission device and integrated circuit device
US7860448B2 (en) * 2005-10-05 2010-12-28 Excelsior Radio Networks, Llc Methods and computer programs for localizing broadcast content
JP4684194B2 (en) * 2006-09-19 2011-05-18 富士通株式会社 Transmitter and receiver using multicarrier transmission system
US8316558B2 (en) * 2008-12-16 2012-11-27 Skechers U.S.A., Inc. Ii Shoe
US8265022B2 (en) * 2009-02-10 2012-09-11 Apple Inc. Apparatus and methods for transmission of emergency call data over wireless networks
TW201105383A (en) * 2009-08-13 2011-02-16 Johnson Health Tech Co Ltd Foldable elliptical exercise machine
GB2473258A (en) 2009-09-08 2011-03-09 Nds Ltd Dynamically multiplexing a broadcast stream with metadata-based event inclusion decisions and priority assignment in case of conflict
CN101778241A (en) * 2009-12-23 2010-07-14 中兴通讯股份有限公司 Radio phone terminal and method for adjusting communication effect of radio phone
JP2013062687A (en) * 2011-09-13 2013-04-04 Hitachi Ltd Data multiplex transmission system, multiplex transmission signal receiver, multiplex transmission signal reception module, and multiplex transmission signal transmitter
US9900408B2 (en) 2012-11-08 2018-02-20 At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. Delivery of media content to a media device via multiple data packet streams
JP5951893B2 (en) * 2014-03-24 2016-07-13 株式会社東芝 Multiplexer, receiver, multiplexing method, and delay adjustment method

Citations (93)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3626295A (en) * 1968-12-10 1971-12-07 Nippon Electric Co Time division multiplex communication system
US3859458A (en) * 1972-09-04 1975-01-07 Hitachi Ltd Receiver for receiving a still picture broadcasting signal
US3988528A (en) * 1972-09-04 1976-10-26 Nippon Hoso Kyokai Signal transmission system for transmitting a plurality of information signals through a plurality of transmission channels
US4494238A (en) * 1982-06-30 1985-01-15 Motorola, Inc. Multiple channel data link system
US4541008A (en) * 1982-12-27 1985-09-10 Jones Futura Foundation, Ltd. Television signal bandwidth reduction using variable rate transmission
US4544950A (en) * 1984-01-03 1985-10-01 At&T Bell Laboratories Technique for the transmission of video and audio signals over a digital transmission system
USRE32124E (en) * 1980-04-08 1986-04-22 At&T Bell Laboratories Predictive signal coding with partitioned quantization
US4624012A (en) * 1982-05-06 1986-11-18 Texas Instruments Incorporated Method and apparatus for converting voice characteristics of synthesized speech
US4821260A (en) * 1986-12-17 1989-04-11 Deutsche Thomson-Brandt Gmbh Transmission system
US4831624A (en) * 1987-06-04 1989-05-16 Motorola, Inc. Error detection method for sub-band coding
US4907277A (en) * 1983-10-28 1990-03-06 International Business Machines Corp. Method of reconstructing lost data in a digital voice transmission system and transmission system using said method
US4972484A (en) * 1986-11-21 1990-11-20 Bayerische Rundfunkwerbung Gmbh Method of transmitting or storing masked sub-band coded audio signals
US5138440A (en) * 1990-10-29 1992-08-11 General Instrument Corporation Method and apparatus for communicating a plurality of asynchronous signals over a digital communication path
US5144431A (en) * 1988-04-04 1992-09-01 Zenith Electronics Corporation Television signal transmission system with temporal processing
US5151998A (en) * 1988-12-30 1992-09-29 Macromedia, Inc. sound editing system using control line for altering specified characteristic of adjacent segment of the stored waveform
US5161210A (en) * 1988-11-10 1992-11-03 U.S. Philips Corporation Coder for incorporating an auxiliary information signal in a digital audio signal, decoder for recovering such signals from the combined signal, and record carrier having such combined signal recorded thereon
US5231492A (en) * 1989-03-16 1993-07-27 Fujitsu Limited Video and audio multiplex transmission system
US5289272A (en) * 1992-02-18 1994-02-22 Hughes Aircraft Company Combined data, audio and video distribution system in passenger aircraft
US5305440A (en) * 1989-05-15 1994-04-19 International Business Machines Corporation File extension by clients in a distributed data processing system
US5319707A (en) * 1992-11-02 1994-06-07 Scientific Atlanta System and method for multiplexing a plurality of digital program services for transmission to remote locations
US5325423A (en) * 1992-11-13 1994-06-28 Multimedia Systems Corporation Interactive multimedia communication system
US5349699A (en) * 1991-02-01 1994-09-20 Blaupunkt-Werke Gmbh Radio receiver with masking of switchover noise
US5375068A (en) * 1992-06-03 1994-12-20 Digital Equipment Corporation Video teleconferencing for networked workstations
US5389965A (en) * 1993-04-01 1995-02-14 At&T Corp. Video telephone station having variable image clarity
US5394561A (en) * 1990-03-06 1995-02-28 Motorola, Inc. Networked satellite and terrestrial cellular radiotelephone systems
US5404567A (en) * 1993-07-16 1995-04-04 Creative Engineering Unlimited, Inc. Method of distributing audio programming to passenger entertainment systems, and apparatus
US5403639A (en) * 1992-09-02 1995-04-04 Storage Technology Corporation File server having snapshot application data groups
US5414773A (en) * 1993-08-19 1995-05-09 News Datacom Ltd. CATV systems
US5440336A (en) * 1993-07-23 1995-08-08 Electronic Data Systems Corporation System and method for storing and forwarding audio and/or visual information on demand
US5493339A (en) * 1993-01-21 1996-02-20 Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. System and method for transmitting a plurality of digital services including compressed imaging services and associated ancillary data services
US5493647A (en) * 1993-06-01 1996-02-20 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Digital signal recording apparatus and a digital signal reproducing apparatus
US5508949A (en) * 1993-12-29 1996-04-16 Hewlett-Packard Company Fast subband filtering in digital signal coding
US5515107A (en) * 1994-03-30 1996-05-07 Sigma Designs, Incorporated Method of encoding a stream of motion picture data
US5530655A (en) * 1989-06-02 1996-06-25 U.S. Philips Corporation Digital sub-band transmission system with transmission of an additional signal
US5534913A (en) * 1994-03-31 1996-07-09 At&T Corp. Apparatus and method for integrating downstream data transfer over a cable television channel with upstream data carrier by other media
US5534941A (en) * 1994-05-20 1996-07-09 Encore Media Corporation System for dynamic real-time television channel expansion
US5537409A (en) * 1993-07-16 1996-07-16 Pioneer Electronic Corporation Synchronizing system for time-divided video and audio signals
US5557724A (en) * 1993-10-12 1996-09-17 Intel Corporation User interface, method, and apparatus selecting and playing channels having video, audio, and/or text streams
US5566209A (en) * 1994-02-10 1996-10-15 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson Transceiver algorithms of antenna arrays
US5583962A (en) * 1991-01-08 1996-12-10 Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation Encoder/decoder for multidimensional sound fields
US5588024A (en) * 1994-09-26 1996-12-24 Nec Corporation Frequency subband encoding apparatus
US5594490A (en) * 1994-05-23 1997-01-14 Cable Services Technologies, Inc. System for distributing video/audio files from central location to a plurality of cable headends
US5608446A (en) * 1994-03-31 1997-03-04 Lucent Technologies Inc. Apparatus and method for combining high bandwidth and low bandwidth data transfer
US5631693A (en) * 1993-10-25 1997-05-20 Antec Corporation Method and apparatus for providing on demand services in a subscriber system
US5659615A (en) * 1994-11-14 1997-08-19 Hughes Electronics Secure satellite receive-only local area network with address filter
US5694490A (en) * 1995-11-27 1997-12-02 Sun Microsystems, Inc. System and method for a simultaneous multi-band block-stop filter
US5694546A (en) * 1994-05-31 1997-12-02 Reisman; Richard R. System for automatic unattended electronic information transport between a server and a client by a vendor provided transport software with a manifest list
US5694334A (en) * 1994-09-08 1997-12-02 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Method and apparatus for electronic distribution of digital multi-media information
US5706335A (en) * 1995-04-10 1998-01-06 Corporate Computer Systems Method and appartus for transmitting coded audio signals through a transmission channel with limited bandwidth
US5727002A (en) * 1995-01-19 1998-03-10 Starburst Communications Corporation Methods for transmitting data
US5732216A (en) * 1996-10-02 1998-03-24 Internet Angles, Inc. Audio message exchange system
US5732078A (en) * 1996-01-16 1998-03-24 Bell Communications Research, Inc. On-demand guaranteed bandwidth service for internet access points using supplemental user-allocatable bandwidth network
US5737739A (en) * 1995-12-19 1998-04-07 Xerox Corporation System that accesses a knowledge base by markup language tags
US5778187A (en) * 1996-05-09 1998-07-07 Netcast Communications Corp. Multicasting method and apparatus
US5778372A (en) * 1996-04-18 1998-07-07 Microsoft Corporation Remote retrieval and display management of electronic document with incorporated images
US5781909A (en) * 1996-02-13 1998-07-14 Microtouch Systems, Inc. Supervised satellite kiosk management system with combined local and remote data storage
US5809145A (en) * 1996-06-28 1998-09-15 Paradata Systems Inc. System for distributing digital information
US5818441A (en) * 1995-06-15 1998-10-06 Intel Corporation System and method for simulating two-way connectivity for one way data streams
US5828839A (en) * 1996-11-14 1998-10-27 Interactive Broadcaster Services Corp. Computer network chat room based on channel broadcast in real time
US5835726A (en) * 1993-12-15 1998-11-10 Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. System for securing the flow of and selectively modifying packets in a computer network
US5838906A (en) * 1994-10-17 1998-11-17 The Regents Of The University Of California Distributed hypermedia method for automatically invoking external application providing interaction and display of embedded objects within a hypermedia document
US5841979A (en) * 1995-05-25 1998-11-24 Information Highway Media Corp. Enhanced delivery of audio data
US5848386A (en) * 1996-05-28 1998-12-08 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Method and system for translating documents using different translation resources for different portions of the documents
US5852721A (en) * 1994-06-08 1998-12-22 Hughes Electronics Corporation Method and apparatus for selectively retrieving information from a source computer using a terrestrial or satellite interface
US5862325A (en) * 1996-02-29 1999-01-19 Intermind Corporation Computer-based communication system and method using metadata defining a control structure
US5874997A (en) * 1994-08-29 1999-02-23 Futuretel, Inc. Measuring and regulating synchronization of merged video and audio data
US5881131A (en) * 1993-11-16 1999-03-09 Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. Analysis and validation system for provisioning network related facilities
US5893091A (en) * 1997-04-11 1999-04-06 Immediata Corporation Multicasting with key words
US5894554A (en) * 1996-04-23 1999-04-13 Infospinner, Inc. System for managing dynamic web page generation requests by intercepting request at web server and routing to page server thereby releasing web server to process other requests
US5956483A (en) * 1996-06-28 1999-09-21 Microsoft Corporation System and method for making function calls from a web browser to a local application
US5987480A (en) * 1996-07-25 1999-11-16 Donohue; Michael Method and system for delivering documents customized for a particular user over the internet using imbedded dynamic content
US5991292A (en) * 1997-03-06 1999-11-23 Nortel Networks Corporation Network access in multi-service environment
US5991596A (en) * 1996-10-24 1999-11-23 Stanford Telecommunications, Inc. Wireless request channel for use with information broadcast system
US5991306A (en) * 1996-08-26 1999-11-23 Microsoft Corporation Pull based, intelligent caching system and method for delivering data over a network
US6006173A (en) * 1991-04-06 1999-12-21 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Method of transmitting and storing digitized audio signals over interference affected channels
US6018764A (en) * 1996-12-10 2000-01-25 General Instrument Corporation Mapping uniform resource locators to broadcast addresses in a television signal
US6021307A (en) * 1994-04-07 2000-02-01 Chan; Hark C. Information distribution and processing system
US6023345A (en) * 1996-10-15 2000-02-08 E-Mate Enterprises, Llc Facsimile to E-mail communication system with local interface
US6034689A (en) * 1996-06-03 2000-03-07 Webtv Networks, Inc. Web browser allowing navigation between hypertext objects using remote control
US6038594A (en) * 1998-02-02 2000-03-14 Loral Cyberstar, Inc. Internet communication system and method with asymmetric terrestrial and satellite links
US6041295A (en) * 1995-04-10 2000-03-21 Corporate Computer Systems Comparing CODEC input/output to adjust psycho-acoustic parameters
US6041359A (en) * 1997-06-09 2000-03-21 Microsoft Corporation Data delivery system and method for delivering computer data over a broadcast network
US6078961A (en) * 1998-01-15 2000-06-20 International Business Machines Corporation Method for real-time delivery of multimedia information requiring a very high bandwidth path over the internet
US6085235A (en) * 1997-09-16 2000-07-04 International Business Machines Corporation System for parsing multimedia data into separate channels by network server in according to type of data and filtering out unwanted packets by client
US6094671A (en) * 1996-10-09 2000-07-25 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Aggregate information production and display system
US6094427A (en) * 1998-07-07 2000-07-25 Lg Information And Communications, Ltd. Communications system handoff operation combining turbo coding and soft handoff techniques
US6101180A (en) * 1996-11-12 2000-08-08 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. High bandwidth broadcast system having localized multicast access to broadcast content
US6118689A (en) * 1999-10-27 2000-09-12 Kuo; James B. Two-port 6T CMOS SRAM cell structure for low-voltage VLSI SRAM with single-bit-line simultaneous read-and-write access (SBLSRWA) capability
US6160797A (en) * 1998-04-03 2000-12-12 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Satellite receiver/router, system, and method of use
US6205473B1 (en) * 1997-10-03 2001-03-20 Helius Development Corporation Method and system for asymmetric satellite communications for local area networks
US6310893B1 (en) * 1998-06-17 2001-10-30 Genuity Inc. Method and system for connectionless communication in a cell relay satellite network
US6351727B1 (en) * 1991-04-05 2002-02-26 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Error concealment in digital transmissions
US6359882B1 (en) * 1997-04-01 2002-03-19 Yipes Communications, Inc. Method and apparatus for transmitting data

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5226850B2 (en) * 1972-08-23 1977-07-16
DE3313841A1 (en) * 1983-04-16 1984-10-18 Standard Elektrik Lorenz Ag, 7000 Stuttgart Data transmission system with time division multiple access (TDMA) with locally controlled capacity allocation
FR2582175A1 (en) * 1985-05-20 1986-11-21 Alcatel Espace TIME DIVISION MULTIPLE ACCESS SATELLITE TELECOMMUNICATIONS METHOD AND DEVICE
DE3580481D1 (en) * 1985-08-13 1990-12-13 Ibm MECHANISM FOR THE DYNAMIC ASSIGNMENT OF BANDWIDTH BETWEEN SWITCHING CHANNELS AND PACKET BIT CURRENT IN A MESSAGE NETWORK.
US5111292A (en) * 1991-02-27 1992-05-05 General Electric Company Priority selection apparatus as for a video signal processor
US5282202A (en) * 1991-03-28 1994-01-25 Sprint International Communications Corp. Composite frame reconfiguration in integrated services networks
JP3226945B2 (en) * 1991-10-02 2001-11-12 キヤノン株式会社 Multimedia communication equipment
US5396497A (en) * 1993-02-26 1995-03-07 Sony Corporation Synchronization of audio/video information
US5479447A (en) * 1993-05-03 1995-12-26 The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford, Junior University Method and apparatus for adaptive, variable bandwidth, high-speed data transmission of a multicarrier signal over digital subscriber lines
IT1270938B (en) * 1993-05-14 1997-05-16 Cselt Centro Studi Lab Telecom PROCEDURE FOR THE CONTROL OF THE TRANSMISSION ON A SAME CHANNEL OF INFORMATION FLOWS AT VARIABLE SPEED IN COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS BETWEEN MOBILE VEHICLES, AND A SYSTEM USING SUCH PROCEDURE
US5461619A (en) * 1993-07-06 1995-10-24 Zenith Electronics Corp. System for multiplexed transmission of compressed video and auxiliary data
JPH0955935A (en) * 1995-08-15 1997-02-25 Nippon Steel Corp Picture and sound encoding device

Patent Citations (97)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3626295A (en) * 1968-12-10 1971-12-07 Nippon Electric Co Time division multiplex communication system
US3859458A (en) * 1972-09-04 1975-01-07 Hitachi Ltd Receiver for receiving a still picture broadcasting signal
US3988528A (en) * 1972-09-04 1976-10-26 Nippon Hoso Kyokai Signal transmission system for transmitting a plurality of information signals through a plurality of transmission channels
USRE32124E (en) * 1980-04-08 1986-04-22 At&T Bell Laboratories Predictive signal coding with partitioned quantization
US4624012A (en) * 1982-05-06 1986-11-18 Texas Instruments Incorporated Method and apparatus for converting voice characteristics of synthesized speech
US4494238A (en) * 1982-06-30 1985-01-15 Motorola, Inc. Multiple channel data link system
US4541008A (en) * 1982-12-27 1985-09-10 Jones Futura Foundation, Ltd. Television signal bandwidth reduction using variable rate transmission
US4907277A (en) * 1983-10-28 1990-03-06 International Business Machines Corp. Method of reconstructing lost data in a digital voice transmission system and transmission system using said method
US4544950A (en) * 1984-01-03 1985-10-01 At&T Bell Laboratories Technique for the transmission of video and audio signals over a digital transmission system
US4972484A (en) * 1986-11-21 1990-11-20 Bayerische Rundfunkwerbung Gmbh Method of transmitting or storing masked sub-band coded audio signals
US4821260A (en) * 1986-12-17 1989-04-11 Deutsche Thomson-Brandt Gmbh Transmission system
US4831624A (en) * 1987-06-04 1989-05-16 Motorola, Inc. Error detection method for sub-band coding
US5144431A (en) * 1988-04-04 1992-09-01 Zenith Electronics Corporation Television signal transmission system with temporal processing
US5161210A (en) * 1988-11-10 1992-11-03 U.S. Philips Corporation Coder for incorporating an auxiliary information signal in a digital audio signal, decoder for recovering such signals from the combined signal, and record carrier having such combined signal recorded thereon
US5151998A (en) * 1988-12-30 1992-09-29 Macromedia, Inc. sound editing system using control line for altering specified characteristic of adjacent segment of the stored waveform
US5231492A (en) * 1989-03-16 1993-07-27 Fujitsu Limited Video and audio multiplex transmission system
US5305440A (en) * 1989-05-15 1994-04-19 International Business Machines Corporation File extension by clients in a distributed data processing system
US5530655A (en) * 1989-06-02 1996-06-25 U.S. Philips Corporation Digital sub-band transmission system with transmission of an additional signal
US5394561A (en) * 1990-03-06 1995-02-28 Motorola, Inc. Networked satellite and terrestrial cellular radiotelephone systems
US5138440A (en) * 1990-10-29 1992-08-11 General Instrument Corporation Method and apparatus for communicating a plurality of asynchronous signals over a digital communication path
US5583962A (en) * 1991-01-08 1996-12-10 Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation Encoder/decoder for multidimensional sound fields
US5349699A (en) * 1991-02-01 1994-09-20 Blaupunkt-Werke Gmbh Radio receiver with masking of switchover noise
US6351727B1 (en) * 1991-04-05 2002-02-26 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Error concealment in digital transmissions
US6006173A (en) * 1991-04-06 1999-12-21 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Method of transmitting and storing digitized audio signals over interference affected channels
US5289272A (en) * 1992-02-18 1994-02-22 Hughes Aircraft Company Combined data, audio and video distribution system in passenger aircraft
US5375068A (en) * 1992-06-03 1994-12-20 Digital Equipment Corporation Video teleconferencing for networked workstations
US5403639A (en) * 1992-09-02 1995-04-04 Storage Technology Corporation File server having snapshot application data groups
US5319707A (en) * 1992-11-02 1994-06-07 Scientific Atlanta System and method for multiplexing a plurality of digital program services for transmission to remote locations
US5325423A (en) * 1992-11-13 1994-06-28 Multimedia Systems Corporation Interactive multimedia communication system
US5493339A (en) * 1993-01-21 1996-02-20 Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. System and method for transmitting a plurality of digital services including compressed imaging services and associated ancillary data services
US5389965A (en) * 1993-04-01 1995-02-14 At&T Corp. Video telephone station having variable image clarity
US5493647A (en) * 1993-06-01 1996-02-20 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Digital signal recording apparatus and a digital signal reproducing apparatus
US5537409A (en) * 1993-07-16 1996-07-16 Pioneer Electronic Corporation Synchronizing system for time-divided video and audio signals
US5404567A (en) * 1993-07-16 1995-04-04 Creative Engineering Unlimited, Inc. Method of distributing audio programming to passenger entertainment systems, and apparatus
US5440336A (en) * 1993-07-23 1995-08-08 Electronic Data Systems Corporation System and method for storing and forwarding audio and/or visual information on demand
US5414773A (en) * 1993-08-19 1995-05-09 News Datacom Ltd. CATV systems
US5557724A (en) * 1993-10-12 1996-09-17 Intel Corporation User interface, method, and apparatus selecting and playing channels having video, audio, and/or text streams
US5631693A (en) * 1993-10-25 1997-05-20 Antec Corporation Method and apparatus for providing on demand services in a subscriber system
US5881131A (en) * 1993-11-16 1999-03-09 Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. Analysis and validation system for provisioning network related facilities
US5835726A (en) * 1993-12-15 1998-11-10 Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. System for securing the flow of and selectively modifying packets in a computer network
US5508949A (en) * 1993-12-29 1996-04-16 Hewlett-Packard Company Fast subband filtering in digital signal coding
US5566209A (en) * 1994-02-10 1996-10-15 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson Transceiver algorithms of antenna arrays
US5515107A (en) * 1994-03-30 1996-05-07 Sigma Designs, Incorporated Method of encoding a stream of motion picture data
US5534913A (en) * 1994-03-31 1996-07-09 At&T Corp. Apparatus and method for integrating downstream data transfer over a cable television channel with upstream data carrier by other media
US5608446A (en) * 1994-03-31 1997-03-04 Lucent Technologies Inc. Apparatus and method for combining high bandwidth and low bandwidth data transfer
US6021307A (en) * 1994-04-07 2000-02-01 Chan; Hark C. Information distribution and processing system
US5534941A (en) * 1994-05-20 1996-07-09 Encore Media Corporation System for dynamic real-time television channel expansion
US5594490A (en) * 1994-05-23 1997-01-14 Cable Services Technologies, Inc. System for distributing video/audio files from central location to a plurality of cable headends
US5694546A (en) * 1994-05-31 1997-12-02 Reisman; Richard R. System for automatic unattended electronic information transport between a server and a client by a vendor provided transport software with a manifest list
US6115750A (en) * 1994-06-08 2000-09-05 Hughes Electronics Corporation Method and apparatus for selectively retrieving information from a source computer using a terrestrial or satellite interface
US5995726A (en) * 1994-06-08 1999-11-30 Hughes Electronics Corporation Method and apparatus for requesting and retrieving information from a source computer using terrestrial and satellite interfaces
US5852721A (en) * 1994-06-08 1998-12-22 Hughes Electronics Corporation Method and apparatus for selectively retrieving information from a source computer using a terrestrial or satellite interface
US5874997A (en) * 1994-08-29 1999-02-23 Futuretel, Inc. Measuring and regulating synchronization of merged video and audio data
US5694334A (en) * 1994-09-08 1997-12-02 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Method and apparatus for electronic distribution of digital multi-media information
US5588024A (en) * 1994-09-26 1996-12-24 Nec Corporation Frequency subband encoding apparatus
US5838906A (en) * 1994-10-17 1998-11-17 The Regents Of The University Of California Distributed hypermedia method for automatically invoking external application providing interaction and display of embedded objects within a hypermedia document
US5659615A (en) * 1994-11-14 1997-08-19 Hughes Electronics Secure satellite receive-only local area network with address filter
US5727002A (en) * 1995-01-19 1998-03-10 Starburst Communications Corporation Methods for transmitting data
US6128374A (en) * 1995-04-10 2000-10-03 Corporate Computer Systems Method and apparatus for transmitting coded audio signals through a transmission channel with limited bandwidth
US5706335A (en) * 1995-04-10 1998-01-06 Corporate Computer Systems Method and appartus for transmitting coded audio signals through a transmission channel with limited bandwidth
US6041295A (en) * 1995-04-10 2000-03-21 Corporate Computer Systems Comparing CODEC input/output to adjust psycho-acoustic parameters
US6373927B1 (en) * 1995-04-10 2002-04-16 Corporate Computer Systems Method and apparatus for transmitting coded audio signals through a transmission channel with limited bandwidth
US5841979A (en) * 1995-05-25 1998-11-24 Information Highway Media Corp. Enhanced delivery of audio data
US5818441A (en) * 1995-06-15 1998-10-06 Intel Corporation System and method for simulating two-way connectivity for one way data streams
US5694490A (en) * 1995-11-27 1997-12-02 Sun Microsystems, Inc. System and method for a simultaneous multi-band block-stop filter
US5737739A (en) * 1995-12-19 1998-04-07 Xerox Corporation System that accesses a knowledge base by markup language tags
US5732078A (en) * 1996-01-16 1998-03-24 Bell Communications Research, Inc. On-demand guaranteed bandwidth service for internet access points using supplemental user-allocatable bandwidth network
US5781909A (en) * 1996-02-13 1998-07-14 Microtouch Systems, Inc. Supervised satellite kiosk management system with combined local and remote data storage
US5862325A (en) * 1996-02-29 1999-01-19 Intermind Corporation Computer-based communication system and method using metadata defining a control structure
US5778372A (en) * 1996-04-18 1998-07-07 Microsoft Corporation Remote retrieval and display management of electronic document with incorporated images
US5894554A (en) * 1996-04-23 1999-04-13 Infospinner, Inc. System for managing dynamic web page generation requests by intercepting request at web server and routing to page server thereby releasing web server to process other requests
US5778187A (en) * 1996-05-09 1998-07-07 Netcast Communications Corp. Multicasting method and apparatus
US5848386A (en) * 1996-05-28 1998-12-08 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Method and system for translating documents using different translation resources for different portions of the documents
US6034689A (en) * 1996-06-03 2000-03-07 Webtv Networks, Inc. Web browser allowing navigation between hypertext objects using remote control
US5956483A (en) * 1996-06-28 1999-09-21 Microsoft Corporation System and method for making function calls from a web browser to a local application
US5809145A (en) * 1996-06-28 1998-09-15 Paradata Systems Inc. System for distributing digital information
US5987480A (en) * 1996-07-25 1999-11-16 Donohue; Michael Method and system for delivering documents customized for a particular user over the internet using imbedded dynamic content
US5991306A (en) * 1996-08-26 1999-11-23 Microsoft Corporation Pull based, intelligent caching system and method for delivering data over a network
US5732216A (en) * 1996-10-02 1998-03-24 Internet Angles, Inc. Audio message exchange system
US6094671A (en) * 1996-10-09 2000-07-25 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Aggregate information production and display system
US6023345A (en) * 1996-10-15 2000-02-08 E-Mate Enterprises, Llc Facsimile to E-mail communication system with local interface
US5991596A (en) * 1996-10-24 1999-11-23 Stanford Telecommunications, Inc. Wireless request channel for use with information broadcast system
US6101180A (en) * 1996-11-12 2000-08-08 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. High bandwidth broadcast system having localized multicast access to broadcast content
US5828839A (en) * 1996-11-14 1998-10-27 Interactive Broadcaster Services Corp. Computer network chat room based on channel broadcast in real time
US6018764A (en) * 1996-12-10 2000-01-25 General Instrument Corporation Mapping uniform resource locators to broadcast addresses in a television signal
US5991292A (en) * 1997-03-06 1999-11-23 Nortel Networks Corporation Network access in multi-service environment
US6359882B1 (en) * 1997-04-01 2002-03-19 Yipes Communications, Inc. Method and apparatus for transmitting data
US5893091A (en) * 1997-04-11 1999-04-06 Immediata Corporation Multicasting with key words
US6041359A (en) * 1997-06-09 2000-03-21 Microsoft Corporation Data delivery system and method for delivering computer data over a broadcast network
US6085235A (en) * 1997-09-16 2000-07-04 International Business Machines Corporation System for parsing multimedia data into separate channels by network server in according to type of data and filtering out unwanted packets by client
US6205473B1 (en) * 1997-10-03 2001-03-20 Helius Development Corporation Method and system for asymmetric satellite communications for local area networks
US6078961A (en) * 1998-01-15 2000-06-20 International Business Machines Corporation Method for real-time delivery of multimedia information requiring a very high bandwidth path over the internet
US6038594A (en) * 1998-02-02 2000-03-14 Loral Cyberstar, Inc. Internet communication system and method with asymmetric terrestrial and satellite links
US6160797A (en) * 1998-04-03 2000-12-12 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Satellite receiver/router, system, and method of use
US6310893B1 (en) * 1998-06-17 2001-10-30 Genuity Inc. Method and system for connectionless communication in a cell relay satellite network
US6094427A (en) * 1998-07-07 2000-07-25 Lg Information And Communications, Ltd. Communications system handoff operation combining turbo coding and soft handoff techniques
US6118689A (en) * 1999-10-27 2000-09-12 Kuo; James B. Two-port 6T CMOS SRAM cell structure for low-voltage VLSI SRAM with single-bit-line simultaneous read-and-write access (SBLSRWA) capability

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20030110025A1 (en) * 1991-04-06 2003-06-12 Detlev Wiese Error concealment in digital transmissions
US20030115043A1 (en) * 1991-04-06 2003-06-19 Detlev Wiese Error concealment in digital transmissions
US6778649B2 (en) 1995-04-10 2004-08-17 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Method and apparatus for transmitting coded audio signals through a transmission channel with limited bandwidth
US20020194364A1 (en) * 1996-10-09 2002-12-19 Timothy Chase Aggregate information production and display system
US20070239609A1 (en) * 1998-03-06 2007-10-11 Starguide Digital Networks, Inc. Method and apparatus for push and pull distribution of multimedia
US7650620B2 (en) 1998-03-06 2010-01-19 Laurence A Fish Method and apparatus for push and pull distribution of multimedia
US8284774B2 (en) 1998-04-03 2012-10-09 Megawave Audio Llc Ethernet digital storage (EDS) card and satellite transmission system
US20050099969A1 (en) * 1998-04-03 2005-05-12 Roberts Roswell Iii Satellite receiver/router, system, and method of use
US20070202800A1 (en) * 1998-04-03 2007-08-30 Roswell Roberts Ethernet digital storage (eds) card and satellite transmission system
US8774082B2 (en) 1998-04-03 2014-07-08 Megawave Audio Llc Ethernet digital storage (EDS) card and satellite transmission system
US7792068B2 (en) 1998-04-03 2010-09-07 Robert Iii Roswell Satellite receiver/router, system, and method of use
US20030100269A1 (en) * 2000-05-12 2003-05-29 Otto-Aleksanteri Lehtinen Power control in radio system
WO2006075042A1 (en) * 2005-01-11 2006-07-20 Nokia Corporation Method for indicating and detecting transmission resource allocations in a multi-user communication system
US20070258404A1 (en) * 2005-01-11 2007-11-08 Nokia Corporation Method for indicating and detecting transmission resource allocations in a multi-user communication system
US20240031306A1 (en) * 2022-07-25 2024-01-25 Rovi Guides, Inc. Method and system for allocating computation resources for latency sensitive services over a communication network

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN1195437A (en) 1998-10-07
BR9610270A (en) 1999-07-06
US6049551A (en) 2000-04-11
EP0845176A4 (en) 2001-09-12
AU6778696A (en) 1997-03-12
EP0845176A1 (en) 1998-06-03
AU697851B2 (en) 1998-10-15
CA2229578C (en) 2003-02-11
JPH11511313A (en) 1999-09-28
WO1997007606A1 (en) 1997-02-27
CA2229578A1 (en) 1997-02-27
US6212201B1 (en) 2001-04-03

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6212201B1 (en) Method and apparatus for dynamic allocation of transmission bandwidth resources and for transmission of multiple audio signals with a video signal
US5864546A (en) System for formatting broadcast data for satellite transmission and radio reception
US5867490A (en) Direct radio broadcast receiver for providing frame synchronization and correlation for time division multiplexed transmissions
KR101058819B1 (en) Multi-Channel Broadband Content Distribution System
US6115366A (en) System for managing space segment usage among broadcast service providers
KR20010024618A (en) Signaling protocol for satellite direct radio broadcast system
JPH10191315A (en) Dynamic mapping for broadcast resource
JP2001523916A (en) Signaling protocol for satellite direct radio broadcasting system
US5870390A (en) Statellite direct radio broadcast receiver for extracting a broadcast channel and service control header from time division multiplexed transmissions
JP2008541572A (en) Apparatus and method for recombining signals
US6333922B1 (en) Satellite payload processing system for switching uplink signals to time division multiplexed downlink signals
AP1125A (en) Direct satellite direct broadcast system.
JP4480910B2 (en) How to retransmit digital broadcast signals
KR102283414B1 (en) Method and system for transmitting satellite signals and receiver thereof
US6108319A (en) Satellite payload processing system providing on-board rate alignment
CA2390976A1 (en) Dynamic allocation of bandwidth for transmission of audio signals and a video signal
JP4359987B2 (en) Digital CATV retransmission device
TW380337B (en) Satellite direct radio broadcast system with formatting of broadcast data and processing thereof by satellite payload and reception by remote radio receivers
JP2004201235A (en) Transmitting device of digital data
AU7241600A (en) Direct satellite direct broadcast system
MXPA99004159A (en) Direct satellite direct broadcast system

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, THE, TEXAS

Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS, INC.;DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS OF NEW YORK, INC.;STARGUIDE DIGITAL NETWORKS, INC.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:011944/0087

Effective date: 20010601

AS Assignment

Owner name: STARCOM MEDIATECH, INC., ILLINOIS

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: STARGUIDE DIGITAL NETWORKS, INC., NEVADA

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: TELMAC SYSTEMS, INC., NEW JERSEY

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: COOLCAST, INC., NEW JERSEY

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: CORPORATE COMPUTER SYSTEMS CONSULTANTS, IJNC., NEW

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: CORPORATED COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC., NEW JERSEY

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS OF NEW YORK, INC., NEW

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS, INC., CALIFORNIA

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, TEXAS

Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:DIGITAL GENERATIONS SYSTEMS, INC.;DIGITAL GENERATION SYSTEMS OF NEW YORK, INC.;STARGUIDE DIGITAL NETWORKS, INC.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:014027/0695

Effective date: 20030505

Owner name: MUSICAM EXPRESS, L.L.C., NEW JERSEY

Free format text: RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:JPMORGAN CHASE BANK F/K/A THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK;REEL/FRAME:014027/0731

Effective date: 20030505

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION