Burst Transmission in a Digital Broadcasting Network

• US 20070277077A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vesma, Jussi, Pekonen, Harri
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/755
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2707 Simple row-column interleaver, i.e. pure block interleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/356 Unequal error protection [UEP]
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/6362 by puncturing
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/6541 DVB-H and DVB-M
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/95 characterised by a specific format, e.g. an encoded audio stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0068 by puncturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0075 Transmission of coding parameters to receiver H04L1/0023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64315 DVB-H

Abstract

A multiprotocol encapsulation forward error correction (MPE-FEC) frame comprising datagrams and FEC data is shown wherein an MPE encapsulator places datagrams in MPE sections and FEC data in MPE-FEC sections. A time slicing block forms a sequence of bursts and dividing the MPE-FEC frame between bursts, such that MPE sections are sent in at least two bursts. The time slicing block adds a burst number parameter to headers of the MPE and MPE-FEC sections to enable a terminal to determine whether to expect further bursts carrying data from the MPE-FEC frame.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting bursts in a digital broadcasting network, the method comprising:

providing a first data frame, the data frame comprising a first set of data and a corresponding first set of forward error correction (FEC) data;

forming a sequence of bursts; and

dividing the first data frame between said bursts, the first set of data being divided between at least two bursts.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one burst does not include FEC data.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second data frame, the second data frame comprising a second set of data and a corresponding second set of FEC data; and

dividing the second data and the second set of FEC data in the second data frame between the plurality of bursts.

4. A method according to claim 3, comprising:

dividing the first data frame into a first set of data frame blocks;

dividing the second data frame into a second set of data frame blocks;

interleaving the first and second sets of data frame blocks; and

sequentially placing the interleaved data frame blocks into the plurality of bursts.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing each data frame with a respective label for identifying an origin of the data.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing each data frame with a respective label for locating the data frame in a sequence of data frames.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing each burst with a respective label for identifying the burst within the plurality of bursts.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the first data frame comprises:

providing a first array comprising first and second portions;

filling at least a part of the first array-portion with the first set of data;

determining the first set of FEC data in dependence upon data in the first array-portion; and

placing said first set of FEC data in the second array-portion.

9. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

encapsulating the first set of data into a first set of multiprotocol encapsulation (MPE) sections; and

encapsulating said corresponding FEC data into a second set of MPE sections.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein forming said plurality of bursts comprises:

arranging said first and second sets of MPE sections temporally-offset groups.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first data frame is a multiprotocol encapsulation-forward error correction (MPE-FEC) frame.

12. A method according claim 1, wherein said digital broadcasting network is a digital video broadcasting network.

13. A method of transmitting bursts in a digital broadcasting network, the method comprising:

providing a first data frame, said first data frame comprising a first set of data and a corresponding first set of forward error correction (FEC) data;

providing a second data frame, said second data frame comprising a second set of data and a corresponding second set of FEC data; and

forming a burst comprising said first and second data frames.

14. A method of operating a terminal for receiving bursts from a digital broadcasting network, the method comprising:

receiving a first burst, said burst including data for a data frame;

placing said data in a data frame;

extracting, from said first burst, an indication that a second burst in a sequence of bursts which includes said first burst follow;

receiving said second burst, said second burst including further data for said data frame; and

placing said further data in said data frame.

15. A method of operating a terminal for receiving bursts from a digital broadcasting network, the method comprising:

receiving a burst, said burst including data for a plurality of data frames;

extracting sets of data from said burst together with indications to which data frame said sets of data belong; and

placing each set of data in a corresponding data frame.

16. A computer program comprising instructions for causing data processing apparatus:

to provide a first data frame, the data frame comprising a first set of data and a corresponding first set of forward error correction (FEC) data,

to form a sequence of bursts; and

to divide the first data frame between said bursts, the first set of data being divided between at least two bursts.

17. A computer program comprising instructions for causing data processing apparatus:

to provide a first data frame, said first data frame comprising a first set of data and a corresponding first set of forward error correction (FEC) data;

to provide a second data frame, said second data frame comprising a second set of data and a corresponding second set of FEC data; and

to form a burst comprising said first and second data frames.

18. A computer program comprising instructions for causing data processing apparatus to:

to receive a first burst, said burst including data for a data frame;

to place said data in a data frame;

to extract, from said first burst, an indication that a second burst in a sequence of bursts which includes said first burst will follow;

to receive said second burst, said second burst including further data for said data frame; and

to place said further data in said data frame.

19. A computer program comprising instructions for causing data processing apparatus:

to receive a burst, said burst including data for a plurality of data frames;

to extract sets of data from said burst together with indications to which data frame said sets of data belong; and

to place each set of data in a corresponding data frame

20. A computer program according to claim 19 stored on a data carrier.

21. A system for transmitting bursts in a digital broadcasting network comprising:

providing a first data frame, the data frame comprising a first set of data and a corresponding first set of forward error correction (FEC) data;

forming a sequence of bursts; and

dividing the first data frame between said bursts, the first set of data being divided between at least two bursts.

22. A system for transmitting bursts in a digital broadcasting network comprising:

providing a first data frame, said first data frame comprising a first set of data and a corresponding first set of forward error correction (FEC) data;

providing a second data frame, said second data frame comprising a second set of data and a corresponding second set of FEC data; and

forming a burst comprising said first and second data frames.

23. A network element configured:

to provide a first data frame, the data frame comprising a first set of data and a corresponding first set of forward error correction (FEC) data;

to form a sequence of bursts; and

to divide the first data frame between said bursts, the first set of data being divided between at least two bursts.

25. A network element according to claim 23, which is a multiprotocol encapsulation (MPE) encapsulator.

24. A network element configured:

to provide a first data frame, said first data frame comprising a first set of data and a corresponding first set of forward error correction (FEC) data;

to provide a second data frame, said second data frame comprising a second set of data and a corresponding second set of FEC data; and

to form a burst comprising said first and second data frames.

26. A terminal for receiving bursts from a digital broadcasting network, the terminal configured:

to receive a first burst, said burst including data for a data frame;

to place said data in a data frame;

to extract, from said first burst, an indication that a second burst in a sequence of bursts which includes said first burst will follow;

to receive said second burst, said second burst including further data for said data frame; and

to place said further data in said data frame.

27. A terminal for receiving bursts from a digital broadcasting network, the terminal configured:

to receive a burst, said burst including data for a plurality of data frames;

to extract sets of data from said burst together with indications to which data frame said sets of data belong; and

to place said data in a corresponding data frame.