Alternative frequency service verification

• US 6,522,866 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Zumkeller, Markus, Wildhagen, Jens, Merkle, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, LANA N
• Application Number:
  US09/608,387
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 455/59, 455/277.1, 455/277.2, 375/343
• US Class Current: 455/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/22 Arrangements for broadcast of identical information via plural broadcast systems

Abstract

An alternative frequency of e. g. a digital shortwave signal like a DRM signal can easily and satisfactorily be checked whether or not the same service is transmitted before a fast seamless switching to this alternative frequency can be performed. The inventive method to perform such a checking is characterized by a respective correlation of at least two sets of samples taken from the signal transmitted on the alternative frequency having a predetermined time relationship (Δt_corr) and a comparison of said respective correlation results, i.e. comparison of the time (t₁) of occurance of a correlation peak included in a first correlation result with the time (t₂) of occurance of a correlation peak included in a respective further correlation result, to verify that both services are the same when the time relationship (|t_{2 l -t1}|) between said correlation peaks is the same as said predetermined time relationship (Δt_corr) of the at least two sets of samples.

Claims

1. Method to verify that a service transmitted on an alternative frequency to a currently received frequency is the same as a service transmitted on said currently received frequency, wherein a first correlation result of a first set of samples taken from a signal representing said service transmitted in the alternative frequency at a first point of time with a reference signal indicates whether or not both signals are the same, said method comprising the steps of:

calculating a respective further correlation result of at least one further set of samples taken from the signal transmitted on the alternative frequency at a further point of time that has a respective predetermined time relationship (Δ

t_corr) to the first point of time with said reference signal, and

comparing said first correlation result with said respective fiber correlation result, wherein the comparing result verifies whether or not both services are the same.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of comparing includes a time comparison of the time (t₁) of occurrence of a correlation peak included in the first correlation result with the time (t₂) of occurrence of a correlation peak included in the respective further correlation result to check whether the time relationship (|t₂-t₁|) between said correlation peaks is the sane as said predetermined time relationship (Δ

t_corr) of the respective further point of time to the first point of time.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein said reference signal is a copy of the signal received on the first frequency for which an indicator shows when it will be repeated.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein said reference signal is a signal which is rebuild in the tine domain on basis of the information carried by the service received on the first frequency for which an indicator shows when it will be repeated.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein a signal representing a service is a digital short-, medium-, or longwave signal.