Using a Global Positioning System for Transmitter Identification in Mobile Television

• US 20090310030A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Litwin, Louis Robert, Rao, Padmanabha R., Dorsey, Eric Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/922,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20090310030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/731
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A mobile digital TV (DTV) comprises a DTV receiver, a processor, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and a memory for storing a data base of transmitter frequencies and transmitter locations for particular channels. The GPS receiver provides a location for the mobile DTV to the processor. The processor monitors distances between the location of the mobile DTV and at least two of the transmitter locations for a currently selected channel. Upon detecting that the mobile DTV is closer to a particular transmitting location than the other, the processor re-tunes the mobile DTV to the transmitter frequency of the closest transmitting for the currently selected channel.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in a device, which is capable of being tuned to receive information, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for providing information for use in determining a location of the device; and

a processor for initiating re-tuning of the device as a function of distance between the location of the device and a location associated with a transmitter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver for providing information is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a digital television (DTV) receiver for tuning to one of a number of frequencies for receiving at least one program on a selected channel;

wherein the processor re-tunes the device by tuning the DTV receiver to one of the number of frequencies for the selected channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing transmitter information for a number of transmitters, wherein for each transmitter the memory stores at least an associated location and an associated transmitting frequency for use by the processor in re-tuning the device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance is an actual distance.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance is an effective distance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location associated with a transmitter is a coverage area.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location associated with a transmitter is a switching location.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the distance periodically.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor re-tunes the device by determining tuning information for the DTV receiver and then waiting for a received signal to fade.

11. A method for use in a device, the method comprising:

receiving location information for the device; and

initiating re-tuning of the device as a function of distance between the location of the device and a location associated with a transmitter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving step receives information from a global positioning system (GPS).

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

tuning a digital television (DTV) receiver to one of a number of frequencies for receiving at least one program on a selected channel; and

wherein the initiating step re-tunes the device by tuning the DTV receiver to one of the number of frequencies for the selected channel.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing transmitter information for a number of transmitters, wherein for each transmitter the memory stores at least a transmitter location and an associated transmitting frequency for use in re-tuning the device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance is an actual distance.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the distance is an effective distance.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the location associated with a transmitter is a coverage area.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the location associated with a transmitter is a switching location.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the initiating step determines the distance periodically.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the initiating step includes:

determining tuning information for the DTV receiver; and

waiting for a received signal to fade before re-tuning the device.

21. A method for use in a device, the method comprising:

receiving location information for the device;

receiving a program on a selected channel;

storing transmitter information, which comprises at least transmitter locations and transmitter frequencies associated with the selected channel; and

re-tuning the device for receiving the program by monitoring distances between the device and transmitter locations stored in the memory.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the receiving location information step receives information from a global positioning system (GPS).

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the distance is an actual distance.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the distance is an effective distance.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the location associated with a transmitter is a coverage area.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the location associated with a transmitter is a switching location.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the re-tuning step determines the distance periodically.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the re-tuning step includes the steps of:

selecting that transmitter location that is closest in distance to the device; and

re-tuning the device to the associated transmitter frequency for the selected channel.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the re-tuning step includes:

determining tuning information for the DTV receiver; and

waiting for a received signal to fade before re-tuning the device.