Spread-spectrum data publishing system

• US 6,118,824 A
• Filed: 04/20/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omnipoint Corp. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Smith, Douglas G., Dixon, Robert C., Vanderpool, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLUCK, JEFFREY WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US09/063,639
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 375/200, 375/201, 375/202, 375/206, 375/219, 375/316, 375/259, 370/270, 370/335, 370/342, 370/441, 370/479, 370/337, 370/347, 370/442, 370/498, 370/432, 455/12.1, 455/73, 455/1.32, 455/422, 455/426, 455/503
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2637 for logical channel control
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/90 Wireless transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A system for publishing data on shared broadcast channels using spread-spectrum techniques, which may comprise a spread-spectrum encoder capable of receiving data and placing it in a spread-spectrum signal format and a transmitter operating on a shared communication channel or frequency band, such as might be allocated to terrestrial point-to-point or broadcast communications. The shared communication channel may comprise a cellular system, in which data may be transmitted using spread-spectrum techniques using the transmitters and repeaters of the cellular system simultaneously with voice and other transmissions associated with the cellular system. A subscriber station may be capable of receiving using a plurality of different communication channels or frequency bands, such as a first receiver capable of cellular reception and a second receiver capable of satellite reception, at least one of which uses spread-spectrum techniques. The subscriber station may also comprise a transmitter using at least one communication channel or frequency band, so that the subscriber station may receive data or other transmissions using one channel and may request further data or other transmissions using a second channel.

Claims

1. A method for broadcasting, comprising the steps of:

receiving information to be broadcast;

formatting said information to be broadcast into a broadcast signal;

transmitting said broadcast signal to a receiver via a first transmission protocol, said first transmission protocol comprising one of a plurality of transmission protocols, said plurality of transmission protocols comprising frequency band transmission protocols, mode transmission protocols and multiple access methodology protocols, said frequency band transmission protocols comprising a transmission protocol for a first set of frequency bands and a transmission protocol for a second set of frequency bands, said mode transmission protocols comprising a transmission protocol for a narrowband signal transmission and a protocol for a spread spectrum signal transmission, said multiple access methodology protocols comprising a code division multiple access transmission protocol, a frequency division multiple access transmission protocol, and a time division multiple access transmission protocol; and

receiving said broadcast signal with a dual mode receiver contemporaneously with transmitting a signal via a second transmission protocol, wherein said first transmission protocol and said second transmission protocol comprise separate transmission protocols, said dual mode receiver comprising a mode controller, a first transmission protocol receiver, and a second transmission protocol receiver, said mode controller capable of selecting said first transmission protocol receiver or said second transmission protocol receiver.

2. The method for broadcasting of claim 1, wherein one of said first transmission protocol and said second transmission protocol is a protocol for cellular transmission and the other of said first transmission protocol and said second transmission protocol is a protocol for satellite transmission.

3. The method for broadcasting of claim 1, wherein one of said first transmission protocol and said second transmission protocol is a protocol for transmitting a narrowband signal and the other of said first transmission protocol and said second transmission protocol is a protocol for transmitting a spread-spectrum signal.

4. The method for broadcasting of claim 1, wherein said broadcast signal is transmitted via said first transmission protocol and, further, via a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol, and said first transmission protocol receiver further comprises circuitry for decoding a TDMA transmitted broadcast signal.

5. The method for broadcasting of claim 1, wherein said information to be broadcast comprises one or more signals from a group comprising control signals, data, graphics, digitized voice, digitized images and moving video, and mixed media comprising any combination of control signals, data, graphics, digitized voice, digitized images or moving video.

6. A broadcast system comprising a subsystem and at least one subscriber station;

said subsystem comprising circuitry for formatting information to be broadcast via a first transmission protocol, wherein said first transmission protocol is one of a plurality of transmission protocols, said plurality of transmission protocols comprising frequency band transmission protocols, mode transmission protocols and multiple access methodology protocols, said frequency band transmission protocols comprising a transmission protocol for a first set of frequency bands and a transmission protocol for a second set of frequency bands, said mode transmission protocols comprising a transmission protocol for a narrowband signal transmission and a protocol for a spread spectrum signal transmission, said multiple access methodology protocols comprising a code division multiple access transmission protocol, a frequency division multiple access transmission protocol, and a time division multiple access transmission protocol,

said subsystem further comprising a transmitter, said subsystem transmitter comprising an input comprising said formatted information to be broadcast,

said subsystem transmitter comprising an output comprising a broadcast signal to be broadcast to said at least one subscriber station,

said subsystem further comprising an antenna for use in transmitting said broadcast signal in accordance with one of said plurality of transmission protocols; and

said subscriber station comprising a subscriber station transmitter and a subscriber station receiver,

said subscriber station receiver comprising an antenna, said subscriber station receiver antenna capable of receiving a signal transmitted via said first transmission protocol and of receiving a signal transmitted via a second transmission protocol, wherein said second transmission protocol is one of said plurality of transmission protocols and is different from said first transmission protocol,

said subscriber station receiver further comprising a mode controller, first transmission protocol receiver circuitry and second transmission protocol receiver circuitry, said mode controller capable of selecting first transmission protocol receiver circuitry or said second transmission protocol receiver circuitry, said first transmission protocol receiver circuitry comprising demodulating circuitry for demodulating a signal transmitted via said first transmission protocol, and said second transmission protocol receiver circuitry comprising demodulating circuitry for demodulating a signal transmitted via said second transmission protocol.

7. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein said subscriber station first transmission protocol receiver circuitry is capable of receiving contemporaneously with said subscriber station transmitter transmitting a signal via said second transmission protocol.

8. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein said first transmission protocol is a spread spectrum signal transmission protocol and said second transmission protocol is a narrowband signal transmission protocol.

9. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein one of said subscriber station first transmission protocol receiver circuitry demodulating circuitry and said subscriber station second transmission protocol receiver circuitry demodulating circuitry comprises circuitry for satellite technology reception.

10. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein said subsystem further comprises error correction circuitry, said error correction circuitry comprising an output comprising error detection and correction encoded information, said error detection and correction encoded information comprising an input to said subsystem transmitter.

11. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein said subsystem further comprises message packing circuitry, said message packing circuitry comprising an output comprising packetized data, said packetized data comprising an input to said subsystem transmitter.

12. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein said subsystem further comprises compression circuitry, said compression circuitry comprising an output comprising an encoded signal, said encoded signal comprising an input to said subsystem transmitter.

13. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein said information to be broadcast comprises one or more signals from a group comprising control signals, data, graphics, digitized voice, digitized images and moving video, and mixed media comprising any combination of control signals, data, graphics, digitized voice, digitized images or moving video.

14. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein said broadcast signal is transmitted by said subsystem transmitter via said first transmission protocol and, further, via time division multiple access (TDMA), and said subscriber station first transmission protocol receiver circuitry further comprises circuitry for decoding a TDMA transmitted broadcast signal.

15. The broadcast system of claim 6, wherein said subscriber station transmitter comprises an output comprising a signal, wherein said subscriber station transmitter output signal comprises a request for said subsystem transmitter output to be broadcast to said subscriber station.

16. A broadcast system comprising a subsystem and a plurality of subscriber stations;

said subsystem comprising circuitry for formatting information to be broadcast via a first transmission protocol, wherein said first transmission protocol is a hybrid protocol comprising a time division multiple access (TDMA) technique and at least one other technique,

said subsystem further comprising a transmitter, said subsystem transmitter comprising an input comprising said formatted information to be broadcast,

said subsystem transmitter comprising on output comprising a broadcast signal to be broadcast to two or more of said plurality of subscriber stations, said broadcast signal transmitted via said first transmission protocol; and

each of said plurality of subscriber stations comprising a subscriber station transmitter and a subscriber station receiver,

said subscriber station receiver of each of said plurality of subscriber stations comprising an antenna for receiving a signal transmitted via said first transmission protocol and for receiving a signal transmitted via a second transmission protocol, wherein said second transmission protocol is one of a plurality of transmission protocols,

said subscriber station receiver of each of said plurality of subscriber stations further comprising a mode selector, a first transmission protocol receiver and a second transmission protocol receiver, said mode selector connected to said first transmission protocol receiver for outputting a signal transmitted via said first transmission protocol to said first transmission protocol receiver, said mode selector further connected to said second transmission protocol receiver for outputting a signal transmitted via said second transmission protocol to said second transmission protocol receiver, said first transmission protocol receiver comprising demodulating circuitry for demodulating a signal transmitted said first transmission protocol, and said second transmission protocol receiver comprising demodulating circuitry for demodulating a signal transmitted via said second transmission protocol.

17. The broadcast system of claim 16, wherein a subscriber station of said plurality of subscriber stations receives with said subscriber station first transmission protocol receiver contemporaneously with said subscriber station transmitter transmitting a signal via said second transmission protocol.

18. The broadcast system of claim 17, wherein said first transmission protocol is a spread spectrum transmission protocol.

19. The broadcast system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of transmission protocols comprises frequency band transmission protocols, said frequency band transmission protocols comprising a transmission protocol for a first set of frequency bands and a transmission protocol for a second set of frequency bands, mode transmission protocols, said mode transmission protocols comprising a transmission protocol for a narrowband signal transmission and a protocol for a spread spectrum signal transmission, and multiple access methodology protocols, said multiple access methodology protocols comprising a code division multiple access transmission protocol and a frequency division multiple access transmission protocol.

20. The broadcast system of claim 16, wherein one of said first transmission protocol and said second transmission protocol comprises a protocol for cellular transmission and the other of said first transmission protocol and said second transmission protocol comprises a protocol for satellite transmission.