IN-BAND ON-CHANNEL BROADCASTING VIA MESH NETWORK
First Claim
1. An in-band on-channel (IBOC) broadcasting system comprising:
- a plurality of mesh transceivers positioned over a geographic area and communicatively coupled to each other in a mesh configuration to form a mesh network;
an analog broadcast transmitter configured to transmit an analog broadcast signal on a broadcast channel at a first power level;
a content distributor configured to transmit content to the mesh network for digital IBOC broadcast; and
individual mesh transceivers included in the mesh network configured to broadcast the content digitally in a sideband on the broadcast channel.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Digital content can be broadcast in a sideband of an analog broadcast channel using multiple digital in-band on-channel (IBOC) transceivers connected in a mesh configuration to form an IBOC mesh network. The digital IBOC transceivers are positioned at various geographic locations, so that unlike traditional “HD” radio broadcasts, the IBOC broadcast transmission is spread out over a wide area, using multiple low power digital IBOC transceivers rather than being broadcast from the same location as the analog signal. IBOC transmission power can be limited to a desired portion of the power used to broadcast the analog signal, based on measurements taken at the geographically distributed digital IBOC transceivers. The IBOC mesh network provides bi-directional communication between a mesh transceiver and a user device, and delivers user feedback received at one mesh transceiver to a feedback server by moving the user feedback through the IBOC mesh network.
7 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An in-band on-channel (IBOC) broadcasting system comprising:
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a plurality of mesh transceivers positioned over a geographic area and communicatively coupled to each other in a mesh configuration to form a mesh network; an analog broadcast transmitter configured to transmit an analog broadcast signal on a broadcast channel at a first power level; a content distributor configured to transmit content to the mesh network for digital IBOC broadcast; and individual mesh transceivers included in the mesh network configured to broadcast the content digitally in a sideband on the broadcast channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An in-band on-channel (IBOC) broadcasting system comprising:
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a plurality of digital IBOC transmitters positioned at a plurality of geographic locations over a geographic area and communicatively coupled to each other in a mesh configuration to form a mesh network; the plurality of digital IBOC transmitters configured to digitally broadcast first content in a sideband of an analog broadcast channel; and individual digital IBOC transmitters of the plurality of digital IBOC transmitters further configured to digitally broadcast the first content at IBOC power levels set based, at least in part, on a target ratio of an IBOC power level of an individual IBOC transmitter to a power level of an analog signal broadcast on the analog broadcast channel. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An in-band on-channel (IBOC) broadcasting system comprising:
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a plurality of IBOC transmitters positioned at a plurality of geographic locations over a geographic area and communicatively coupled to each other in a mesh configuration to form a mesh network; the plurality of IBOC transmitters configured to digitally broadcast first content in a sideband of an analog broadcast channel; at least one of the plurality of IBOC transmitters further configured to receive, from a user device receiving the digitally broadcast first content, feedback related to the digitally broadcast first content; and the at least one of the plurality of IBOC transmitters further configured to forward the feedback, via the mesh network, to an edge transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification