Method of upgrading the program transport capacity of an RF broadcast channel
First Claim
1. A method of upgrading program transport capacity of a wireless broadcast channel, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) acquiring access to a wireless broadcast channel carrying a program service from a provider, in analog form;
b) digitizing and compressing information for the analog program service into a first packet stream;
c) producing a second packet stream containing digitized and compressed information for a new program service;
d) multiplexing the first packet stream and the second packet stream into a digital transport stream;
e) broadcasting the digital transport stream over the wireless broadcast channel, said broadcasting step comprising;
(1) supplying the digital transport stream to a plurality of separately located broadcast transmitters and (2) simultaneously broadcasting the digital transport stream over the wireless broadcast channel into a service area;
f) receiving the wireless broadcast channel at a receiving site within the service area and serviced by the provider and processing the first packet stream to present the information for the program service from the provider; and
g) receiving the wireless broadcast channel at a receiving site within the service area and not serviced by the provider and processing the second packet stream to present the information for the new program service.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The program transport capacity of an RF broadcast channel is upgraded by replacing analog services with digitally multiplexed services. RF channels can be obtained from one or more parties, e.g. parties holding MDS, MMDS and ITFS licenses for microwave video channels in the high end of the UHF frequency range. Once rights to use the channel have been acquired, a digital multiplexing system is deployed for broadcasting a digital transport stream over each available RF broadcast channel. For license holders who offered an analog service over one channel, the digital transport stream for one channel will include compressed digital data representing information from that program service. The provider therefore can use this transport capacity to continue to offer the existing service. The broadcast transport stream for that channel also includes compressed digital data representing one or more new program services. In operation, users of the existing service will obtain a digital receiver; and through that receiver, they will continue to receive the existing service, essentially as an equivalent to the service offered through the analog broadcast on the channel. These users may also receive one or more of the new program services. The new services transported on the digital broadcast system and possibly the existing service may now be offered to new users.
55 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of upgrading program transport capacity of a wireless broadcast channel, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) acquiring access to a wireless broadcast channel carrying a program service from a provider, in analog form; b) digitizing and compressing information for the analog program service into a first packet stream; c) producing a second packet stream containing digitized and compressed information for a new program service; d) multiplexing the first packet stream and the second packet stream into a digital transport stream; e) broadcasting the digital transport stream over the wireless broadcast channel, said broadcasting step comprising;
(1) supplying the digital transport stream to a plurality of separately located broadcast transmitters and (2) simultaneously broadcasting the digital transport stream over the wireless broadcast channel into a service area;f) receiving the wireless broadcast channel at a receiving site within the service area and serviced by the provider and processing the first packet stream to present the information for the program service from the provider; and g) receiving the wireless broadcast channel at a receiving site within the service area and not serviced by the provider and processing the second packet stream to present the information for the new program service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of upgrading program transport capacity of an wireless broadcast channel, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) acquiring access to an wireless broadcast channel carrying a program service from a provider, in analog form; b) deploying a digital multiplexing system for generating a digital transport stream having a first portion of compressed digital data carrying information from the program service and a second portion of compressed digital data carrying information from a new program service; and c) simultaneously and in synchronism broadcasting from a plurality of spaced apart transmitter sites the digital transport stream over the wireless broadcast channel. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 18, 19, 20)
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11. A method of upgrading program transport capacity of video broadcast service, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) acquiring access to a plurality of wireless broadcast channels at least one of which has been carrying an analog video program service from a provider; b) digitizing and compressing information for the video program service from the provider into a first packet stream; c) producing a second packet stream containing digitized and compressed information for a new video program service; d) multiplexing the first packet stream and the second packet stream into a first digital transport stream; e) modulating the first transport stream into a first channel signal at a first of the wireless broadcast channels; f) producing a second digital transport stream containing multiplexed packet streams each of which contains digitized and compressed information for a new video program service; g) modulating the second transport stream into a second channel signal at a second of the wireless broadcast channels; h) combining the first channel signal and the second channel signal; and i) simultaneously broadcasting the combined first and second channel signals from a plurality of separate sites to a service area encompassing a plurality of receiving sites. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification