Broadcast program capture and playback enhancement signal structure, receiver, and method

• US 20020184038A1
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Albert W. Wegener, Edward J. Costello, Serge Swerdlow, Thomas M. Linden
• Inventors: Wegener, Albert W., Costello, Edward J., Linden, Thomas M., Swerdlow, Serge
• Granted Patent: US 6,609,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information

Abstract

In a local storage and playback broadcast system, multiple copies of one or more processing parameters used in individual receivers for the local storage and playback are broadcast. In some embodiments each processing parameter is associated with each packet in the program so that a copy of each parameter is broadcast with each packet. In some embodiments the program is divided into segments, each segment having a header, and a copy of the parameter is broadcast in each segment header.

Claims

1. A wireless broadcast signal comprising:

audio program information broadcast for local storage and playback in a receiver, wherein the program information is divided into a plurality of fixed length data units; and

multiple copies of a processing parameter, wherein the processing parameter is defined for use by the receiver during local storage or playback of the program information, and at least one copy of the processing parameter is associated with each data unit in the plurality of data units.

2. The signal of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of frames, wherein each frame includes a unique frame header and one or more of the data units, and wherein each frame header includes the processing parameter associated with each data unit in each frame.

3. The signal of claim 1 wherein the processing parameter is an identifier associated with the program information.

4. The signal of claim 1 wherein the processing parameter is the content compression type of the program information.

5. The signal of claim 1 wherein the processing parameter is the edition time of the program information.

6. The signal of claim 1 wherein the processing parameter is the number of data units into which the program information is divided.

7. The signal of claim 1 wherein the processing parameter is the number of Bytes in the program information.

8. The signal of claim 1 wherein an information segment is defined in the program information, and the processing parameter is further defined for use by the receiver during local storage or playback of the information segment.

9. The signal of claim 8 wherein the processing parameter is the information segment sequence number in the program information.

10. The signal of claim 8 wherein the processing parameter is the number of data units associated with the segment information.

11. The signal of claim 8 wherein the processing parameter is a number of information segments in the program information.

12. The signal of claim 1 wherein an information segment is defined in the program information, wherein the signal further comprises a segment header associated with the information segment, and wherein the segment header includes the processing parameter.

13. The signal of claim 12 wherein the processing parameter is selected from the group consisting of a program identifier, a segment sequence number of the information segment in the program information, a content compression type, an edition number of the program information, a number of information segments in the program information, and a number of bytes in the program information.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

defining a plurality of frames, each frame including a unique frame header and one or more of the data units; and

including one copy of the processing parameter in each unique frame header for each data unit in each frame.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the processing parameter is an identifier associated with the program information.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the processing parameter is the content compression type of the program information.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the processing parameter is the edition time of the program information.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the processing parameter is the number of data units into which the program information is divided.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the processing parameter is the number of Bytes in the program information.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

defining an information segment in the program information; and

further defining the processing parameter for use by the receiver during local storage or playback of the information segment.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the processing parameter is the information segment sequence number in the program information.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the processing parameter is the number of data units associated with the segment information.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the processing parameter is a number of information segments in the program information.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining an information segment in the program information;

defining a segment header associated with the information segment; and

including the processing parameter in the segment header.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the processing parameter is selected from the group consisting of a program identifier, a segment sequence number of the information segment in the program information, a content compression type, an edition number of the program information, a number of information segments in the program information, and a number of bytes in the program information.

27. A receiver comprising:

a logic unit;

a memory electrically coupled to the logic unit;

a receiver unit electrically coupled to the logic unit; and

an output unit electrically coupled to the logic unit;

wherein the receiver unit is configured to receive a wireless signal that includes program information divided into a plurality of fixed length data units and that further includes at least one copy of a particular processing parameter associated with each data unit in the plurality of data units; and

wherein the logic unit is configured to use the processing parameter during subsequent local storage in the memory or playback of the program information. The receiver of claim 27, wherein the signal further includes a plurality of frames, wherein each frame includes a unique frame header and one or more of the data units, and wherein each frame header includes at least one copy of the processing parameter associated with each data unit in each frame.

29. The receiver of claim 27 wherein the processing parameter is an identifier associated with the program information.

30. The receiver of claim 27 wherein the processing parameter is the content compression type of the program information.

31. The receiver of claim 27 wherein the processing parameter is the edition time of the program information.

32. The receiver of claim 27 wherein the processing parameter is the number of data units into which the program information is divided.

33. The receiver of claim 27 wherein the processing parameter is the number of Bytes in the program information.

34. The receiver of claim 27 wherein an information segment is defined in the program information, and wherein the logic unit is configured to use the processing parameter during local storage or playback of the information segment.

35. The receiver of claim 34 wherein the processing parameter is selected from the group consisting of a program identifier, a segment sequence number of the information segment in the program information, a content compression type, an edition number of the program information, a number of information segments in the program information, and a number of bytes in the program information.

14. A method of transmitting information comprising:

defining program information for transmission to a receiver;

dividing the program information into a plurality of fixed length data units;

defining a processing parameter for use by the receiver during subsequent local storage or playback of the program information by the receiver;

associating the processing parameter with each data unit in the plurality of data units; and

broadcasting to the receiver a wireless signal containing each fixed length data unit and the processing parameter associated with each data unit, such that one copy of the processing parameter is broadcast for each data unit broadcast.