Terminal for receiving simulcast digital video programs
First Claim
1. In a reception area having overlapping radio frequency propagation areas generated by corresponding transmitting sites each simulcast transmitting a signal including multiplexed channels of compressed digital broadband data, a method comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a signal containing a plurality of time offset counterparts of said transmitted simulcast signal at a receiving site within said reception area;
(b) processing said time offset counterparts of the received signal to acquire a single copy of a signal corresponding to a selected one of the multiplexed channels; and
(c) presenting a selected portion of the compressed digital broadband data contained in the acquired single copy;
wherein the transmitted signal is a spread spectrum signal, the processing step comprising the step of spread spectrum processing the received signal in accordance with a selected spread spectrum code to develop a composite signal as said single copy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An arrangement (apparatus and method) for obtaining a single copy of a received signal from a simulcast broadcast area. Within a desired service area, multiple transmitters at separately located sites simultaneously broadcast the same multi-channel, multi-program signal. Broadcast waves from the transmitters propagate throughout substantially overlapping portions of the service area. Each such channel carries a multiplexed digital data stream containing packets of information for a plurality of programs, e.g. television programs. A receiver system comprises an antenna adapted to receive direct transmissions from two or more of the transmitters as well as multipath signals from two or more of the transmitters. To compensate for the potentially interfering signal receptions, the terminal device includes a delay processor, such as an adaptive delay equalizer or a rake receiver. The maximum delay processing window of the delay processor is at least as long as the difference in propagation time to the receiver from two of the transmitters and preferably exceeds that time by some amount chosen to permit processing of multipath delay signals from the more distant transmitter.
70 Citations
19 Claims
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1. In a reception area having overlapping radio frequency propagation areas generated by corresponding transmitting sites each simulcast transmitting a signal including multiplexed channels of compressed digital broadband data, a method comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a signal containing a plurality of time offset counterparts of said transmitted simulcast signal at a receiving site within said reception area; (b) processing said time offset counterparts of the received signal to acquire a single copy of a signal corresponding to a selected one of the multiplexed channels; and (c) presenting a selected portion of the compressed digital broadband data contained in the acquired single copy; wherein the transmitted signal is a spread spectrum signal, the processing step comprising the step of spread spectrum processing the received signal in accordance with a selected spread spectrum code to develop a composite signal as said single copy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A receiver system for receiving a simulcast transmitted signal including multiplexed channels of compressed digital broadband data, comprising:
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an antenna receiving a plurality of time offset counterparts of the transmitted signal; a delay processor for processing said time offset counterparts of the received signal to acquire a single copy of a signal corresponding to a selected one of the multiplexed channels; and a processor presenting a selected portion of the compressed digital broadband data contained in the acquired signal; wherein the transmitted signal is a spread spectrum-processed signal, the delay processor comprising a spread spectrum processor for despreading a received signal, comprising the time delayed copies of the transmitted signal, in accordance with a despreading code. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A receiver system comprising:
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an antenna receiving multiple time displaced copies of a signal including multiplexed channels from a plurality of spaced apart transmitters which provide overlapping broadcasts of the signal including multiplexed channels, each multiplexed channel containing digitized and compressed broadband information relating to a plurality of programs; a delay signal processing circuit responsive to signals received by the antenna for processing said multiple time displaced copies within a predetermined delay processing window of signals in a selected one of the multiplexed channels, to acquire a single copy of a signal corresponding to the selected one of the multiplexed channels; and a digital processor responsive to selected digitized and compressed broadband information contained in at least a portion of the acquired single copy to present a selected program; wherein the predetermined delay processing window of the delay signal processing circuit has a value equal to or greater than the difference in propagation time to the antenna from two of the spaced apart transmitters. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification