System and method for effectively transmitting content bursts to electronic devices

• US 20100027562A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Georgis, Nikolaos, Carpio, Fredrik
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets

Abstract

A system for supporting a burst transmission procedure includes a burst manager that divides a selected content item into individual content segments. A transmitter then transmits the content segments in a substantially concurrent manner over different corresponding transmission channels. One or more electronic devices receives and stores the transmitted content segments. A content manager of the electronic device performs a reassembly procedure to convert the content segments into the originally-transmitted content item for utilization by a device user.

Claims

1. A system for supporting a burst transmission procedure, comprising:

a burst manager that divides a content item into content segments;

a transmitter that transmits said content segments in a substantially concurrent manner;

an electronic device that receives said content segments; and

a content manager that performs a reassembly procedure to convert said content segments back into said content item.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic device is implemented as a portable wireless device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said content items comprise time-depending data including movies, television programming, music, and audio/video data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter is implemented as a radio-frequency broadcasting transmitter.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said burst transmission procedure utilizes substantially all available transmission capacity of said transmitter when transmitting said content segments.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic device is able to enter a power-saving mode after receiving said content segments through said burst transmission procedure.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter is able to perform other tasks after transmitting said content segments in said burst transmission procedure.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter utilizes a plurality of transmission channels to transmit respective corresponding ones of said content segments during said burst transmission procedure.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a total number of said content segments equals a total number of said transmission channels.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said transmission channels include a primary transmission channel that include transmission control information for said burst transmission procedure.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronic device includes a receiver that determines which of said transmission channels are utilized to send said content segments.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said receiver analyzes transmission control information on a primary transmission channel to identify currently-utilized ones of said transmission channels.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said burst manager identifies said content item according to predetermined selection criteria.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said predetermined selection criteria include a content programming schedule.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said burst manager determines currently available ones of said transmission channels for performing said burst transmission procedure, said burst manager then dividing said content item into a number of said content segments that equals said available ones of said transmission channels.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said burst manager attaches a separate segment header to each of said content segments, said transmitter then transmitting said content segments.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein a receiver of said electronic device detects said burst transmission procedure, said receiver identifying active ones of said transmission channels by analyzing control information on a primary one of said transmission channels, said receiver then receiving and locally storing said content segments.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein a content manager of said electronic device performs a content reassembly procedure by utilizing segment information from said segment headers to convert said content segments back into said content item.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said receiver detects a channel change event for said burst transmission procedure by analyzing said control information on said primary one of said transmission channels.

20. A method for supporting a burst transmission procedure, comprising:

dividing a content item into content segments with a burst manager;

utilizing a transmitter to transmit said content segments in a substantially concurrent manner;

receiving said content segments with an electronic device; and

performing a reassembly procedure with a content manager to convert said content segments back into said content item.