MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION PATHS FOR HIERARCHICAL LAYERS

• US 20100260254A1
• Filed: 04/16/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaSat Incorporated
• Inventors: Fuerst, Russell, Vanderaar, Mark, Mo, Fan, Kimmich, Kevin, Harel, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0014 by adapting the source coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0046 Code rate detection or code type detection H04L1/0038 takes precedence; detection of the data rate H04L25/0262; for packet format H04L1/0091
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0098 Unequal error protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/156 Availability of hardware or computational resources, e.g. encoding based on power-saving criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/39 involving multiple description coding [MDC], i.e. with separate layers being structured as independently decodable descriptions of input picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/66 involving data partitioning, i.e. separation of data into packets or partitions according to importance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/89 involving methods or arrangements for detection of transmission errors at the decoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/631 Multimode Transmission, e.g. transmitting basic layers and enhancement layers of the content over different transmission paths or transmitting with different error corrections, different keys or with different transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 : Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16

Abstract

A method for hierarchical communication of a set of source data includes: receiving source data representing content to be communicated to a data terminal; pre-coding at least some of the source data using pre-coding schemes to generate sets of representation data; associating the sets of representation data with coding and modulation schemes; generating transmissions by applying the coding and modulation schemes to the sets of representation data; transmitting a first transmission to the data terminal on a first communication link; and transmitting a second transmission to the data terminal on a second communication link, wherein the second communication link differs from the first communication link.

Claims

1. A method for hierarchical communication of a set of source data, the method comprising:

receiving source data representing content to be communicated to a data terminal;

pre-coding at least some of the source data using a first pre-coding scheme to generate a first set of representation data, decodable independently to provide a set of first-level playback data representing the source data;

pre-coding at least some of the source data using a second pre-coding scheme to generate a second set of representation data, decodable in combination with the first set of representation data to provide a set of second-level playback data representing the source data;

associating the first set of representation data with a first coding and modulation scheme;

associating the second set of representation data with a second coding and modulation scheme, wherein the second coding and modulation scheme is of a higher order than the first coding and modulation scheme;

generating a first transmission by applying the first coding and modulation scheme to the first set of representation data;

generating a second transmission by applying the second coding and modulation scheme to the second set of representation data;

transmitting the first transmission to the data terminal on a first communication link; and

transmitting the second transmission to the data terminal on a second communication link, wherein the second communication link differs from the first communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first pre-coding scheme and the second pre-coding scheme comprises a data partitioning scheme using scalable video coding.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining each of the first communication link and the second communication link to be one of a satellite link, a broadband Internet link, and a cellular data network link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first communication link and the second communication link are determined to be satellite links on two separate frequency bands.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the first communication link is determined to be a satellite link on a K_u band; and

the second communication link is determined to be a satellite link on a K_a band.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first communication link is determined to be a broadband Internet link; and

the second communication link is determined to be a satellite link.

7. A method for hierarchical communication of a set of source data, the method comprising:

receiving source data representing content to be communicated to a data terminal, the source data having a given bit rate;

receiving bit rate data indicating a first bit rate and a second bit rate, a sum of the first bit rate and the second bit rate equaling the given bit rate of the source data;

pre-coding at least some of the source data using a first pre-coding scheme to generate a first set of representation data, decodable independently to provide a set of first-level playback data representing the source data, the first set of representation data generated in part based on the first bit rate;

pre-coding at least some of the source data using a second pre-coding scheme to generate a second set of representation data, decodable in combination with the first set of representation data to provide a set of second-level playback data representing the source data, the second set of representation data generated in part based on the second bit rate;

associating the first set of representation data with a first coding and modulation scheme;

associating the second set of representation data with a second coding and modulation scheme, wherein the second coding and modulation scheme is of a higher order than the first coding and modulation scheme;

generating a first transmission by applying the first coding and modulation scheme to the first set of representation data;

generating a second transmission by applying the second coding and modulation scheme to the second set of representation data; and

transmitting the first transmission and the second transmission to the data terminal.

8. A communications network configured for hierarchical communication of a set of source data, the network comprising:

a data terminal adapted to receive transmissions over a first communication link and a second communication link, wherein the second communication link differs from the first communication link;

a gateway in communication with the data terminal and comprising;

a source data receiver module adapted to receive source data representing content to be communicated to the data terminal;

a pre-coder module adapted to pre-code at least some of the source data using a first pre-coding scheme to generate a first set of representation data decodable independently to provide a set of first-level playback data representing the source data, and pre-code at least some of the source data using a second pre-coding scheme to generate a second set of representation data decodable in combination with the first set of representation data to provide a set of second-level playback data representing the source data; and

an ACM module adapted to associate the first set of representation data with a first coding and modulation scheme, and associate the second set of representation data with a second coding and modulation scheme, wherein the second coding and modulation scheme is of a higher order than the first coding and modulation scheme; and

a transceiver module adapted to generate a first transmission by applying the first coding and modulation scheme to the first set of representation data, generate a second transmission by applying the second coding and modulation scheme to the second set of representation data, transmitting the first transmission to the data terminal on the first communication link, and transmitting the second transmission to the data terminal on the second communication link.

9. The network of claim 8, wherein each of the first pre-coding scheme and the second pre-coding scheme comprises a data partitioning scheme using scalable video coding.

10. The network of claim 8, wherein the gateway further comprises:

a network control module adapted to determine each of the first communication link and the second communication link to be one of a satellite link, a broadband Internet link, and a cellular data network link.

11. The network of claim 10, wherein the first communication link and the second communication link are determined to be satellite links on two separate frequency bands.

12. The network of claim 11, wherein:

the first communication link is determined to be a satellite link on a K_u band; and

the second communication link is determined to be a satellite link on a K_a band.

13. The network of claim 10, wherein:

the first communication link is determined to be a broadband Internet link; and

the second communication link is determined to be a satellite link.

14. A communications network configured for hierarchical communication of a set of source data, the network comprising:

a data terminal adapted to receive transmissions over a communication link;

a gateway in communication with the data terminal and comprising;

a source data receiver module adapted to receive source data representing content to be communicated to the data terminal, the source data having a given bit rate;

a pre-coder module adapted to receive bit rate data indicating a first bit rate and a second bit rate, a sum of the first bit rate and the second bit rate equaling the given bit rate of the source data, pre-code at least some of the source data using a first pre-coding scheme to generate a first set of representation data decodable independently to provide a set of first-level playback data representing the source data, the first set of representation data generated in part based on the first bit rate, and pre-code at least some of the source data using a second pre-coding scheme to generate a second set of representation data decodable in combination with the first set of representation data to provide a set of second-level playback data representing the source data, the second set of representation data generated in part based on the second bit rate; and

an ACM module adapted to associate the first set of representation data with a first coding and modulation scheme, and associate the second set of representation data with a second coding and modulation scheme, wherein the second coding and modulation scheme is of a higher order than the first coding and modulation scheme; and

a transceiver module adapted to generate a first transmission by applying the first coding and modulation scheme to the first set of representation data, generate a second transmission by applying the second coding and modulation scheme to the second set of representation data, and transmitting the first transmission and the second transmission to the data terminal.

15. A network access unit of a communications network configured to communicate with a data terminal adapted to receive transmissions over a first communication link and a second communication link, wherein the second communication link differs from the first communication link, the network access unit comprising:

a source data receiver module adapted to receive source data representing content to be communicated to the data terminal;

a pre-coder module adapted to pre-code at least some of the source data using a first pre-coding scheme to generate a first set of representation data decodable independently to provide a set of first-level playback data representing the source data, and pre-code at least some of the source data using a second pre-coding scheme to generate a second set of representation data decodable in combination with the first set of representation data to provide a set of second-level playback data representing the source data; and

an ACM module adapted to associate the first set of representation data with a first coding and modulation scheme, and associate the second set of representation data with a second coding and modulation scheme, wherein the second coding and modulation scheme is of a higher order than the first coding and modulation scheme; and

a transceiver module adapted to generate a first transmission by applying the first coding and modulation scheme to the first set of representation data, generate a second transmission by applying the second coding and modulation scheme to the second set of representation data, transmitting the first transmission to the data terminal on the first communication link, and transmitting the second transmission to the data terminal on the second communication link.

16. The network access unit of claim 15, wherein each of the first pre-coding scheme and the second pre-coding scheme comprises a data partitioning scheme using scalable video coding.

17. The network access unit of claim 15, further comprising:

a network control module adapted to determine each of the first communication link and the second communication link to be one of a satellite link, a broadband Internet link, and a cellular data network link.

18. The network access unit of claim 17, wherein the first communication link and the second communication link are determined to be satellite links on two separate frequency bands.

19. The network access unit of claim 18, wherein:

the first communication link is determined to be a satellite link on a K_u band; and

the second communication link is determined to be a satellite link on a K_a band.

20. The network access unit of claim 17, wherein:

the first communication link is determined to be a broadband Internet link; and

the second communication link is determined to be a satellite link.

21. A network access unit of a communications network configured to communicate with a data terminal adapted to receive transmissions over a communication link, the network access unit comprising:

a source data receiver module adapted to receive source data representing content to be communicated to the data terminal, the source data having a given bit rate;

a pre-coder module adapted to receive bit rate data indicating a first bit rate and a second bit rate, a sum of the first bit rate and the second bit rate equaling the given bit rate of the source data, pre-code at least some of the source data using a first pre-coding scheme to generate a first set of representation data decodable independently to provide a set of first-level playback data representing the source data, the first set of representation data generated in part based on the first bit rate, and pre-code at least some of the source data using a second pre-coding scheme to generate a second set of representation data decodable in combination with the first set of representation data to provide a set of second-level playback data representing the source data, the second set of representation data generated in part based on the second bit rate; and

an ACM module adapted to associate the first set of representation data with a first coding and modulation scheme, and associate the second set of representation data with a second coding and modulation scheme, wherein the second coding and modulation scheme is of a higher order than the first coding and modulation scheme; and

a transceiver module adapted to generate a first transmission by applying the first coding and modulation scheme to the first set of representation data, generate a second transmission by applying the second coding and modulation scheme to the second set of representation data, and transmitting the first transmission and the second transmission to the data terminal.