Transmission of Pre-Set Channel Allocation Information

• US 20080216133A1
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Top Victory Investments Limited (TPV Technology Co., Ltd. (f/k/a Nanjing Huadong Electronics Information & Technology))
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Vergoossen, Theodorus Anna Petrus Gertrudis
• Granted Patent: US 9,027,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

The present application provides transferring channel allocation tables for receiving radio frequency services. Automatic updating channel allocation tables is provided by storing within at least one central database at least one channel allocation table, storing within each of a plurality of distributed consumer electronic devices at channel allocation table for receiving the radio frequency services, and transferring the channel allocation tables between the central database, and the distributed consumer electronic device via a bidirectional communication link.

Claims

1. Method for transferring channel allocation tables for receiving radio frequency services with

storing within at least one central database at least one channel allocation table, and

storing within at least two distributed consumer electronic devices a channel allocation table for receiving the radio frequency services, wherein

the channel allocation tables are transferred between the central database and the distributed consumer electronic devices via a bidirectional communication link.

2. Method of claim 1, wherein transferring the channel allocation table via the bidirectional communication link comprises forwarding a channel allocation table from the consumer electronic device to the central database.

3. Method of claim 1, wherein transferring the channel allocation table via the bidirectional communication link comprises receiving within the consumer electronic device a channel allocation table from the central database.

4. Method of claim 1, wherein transferring the channel allocation table via the bidirectional communication link comprises forwarding a channel allocation table from the central database to the consumer electronic device.

5. Method of claim 1, wherein transferring the channel allocation table via the bidirectional communication link comprises receiving within the central database a channel allocation table from the consumer electronic device.

6. Method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a region identifier with each channel allocation table.

7. Method of claim 6, further comprising transferring a region identifier between the central database and the consumer electronic device and transferring the channel allocation table assigned to the corresponding region identifier.

8. Method of claim 6, further comprising increasing region granularity with increasing number of channel allocation tables stored on the central database with different region identifiers.

9. Method of claim 1, further comprising updating the channel allocation table stored on the central database with the channel allocation table received from the consumer electronic devices.

10. Method of claim 9, wherein updating channel allocation tables stored on the central database comprises at least one of:

A) automatically retrieving channel allocation tables from consumer electronic devices when connecting to the central database;

B) scanning consumer electronic devices in communication with the central database for channel allocation tables;

C) uploading channel allocation tables from the consumer electronic device to the central database upon user request; and

D) executing an update agent that automatically checks channel allocation tables stored on the consumer electronic device and forwards found channel allocation tables to the central database.

11. Method of claim 1, further comprising updating a channel allocation table stored on the consumer electronic device with a channel allocation table from the central database.

12. Method of claim 11, wherein updating the channel allocation table stored on the consumer electronic device comprises at least one of:

A) automatically retrieving channel allocation tables from the central database when connecting to the central database;

B) scanning the central database in communication with the consumer electronic device for channel allocation tables;

C) downloading channel allocation tables from the central database to the consumer electronic device upon user request; and

D) executing an update agent that automatically checks channel allocation tables stored on the central database and forwards found channel allocation tables to the consumer electronic device.

13. Method of claim 1, further comprising a user interface at the central database and enabling users to select channel allocation tables for updating the consumer electronic device via the user interface.

14. Method of claim 1, further comprising assigning an update identifier to a channel allocation table stored on the central database and/or the consumer electronic device.

15. Method of claim 14, further comprising comparing the update identifier of the stored channel allocation table with an update identifier of a received channel allocation table received to be used for updating.

16. Method of claim 15, further comprising feeding back user evaluation results enabling users and system operators to judge the quality of the available channel allocation tables.

17. Consumer electronic device comprising:

a tuner for receiving radio frequency services on a plurality of radio channels,

a memory for storing a channel allocation table, and

a bidirectional interface for transferring the channel allocation table stored in the memory to and from a central database bidirectionally.

19. System comprising at least one central database station comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of channel allocation tables, and

a bidirectional interface for transferring the channel allocation tables stored in the memory to and from distributed consumer electronic devices bidirectionally, at least two consumer electronic devices of claim 17, and a communication network for bidirectional communication between the central database and the consumer electronic devices.

18. Central database station comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of channel allocation tables, and

a bidirectional interface for transferring the channel allocation tables stored in the memory to and from distributed consumer electronic devices bidirectionally.