Broadband communication system using point and shoot approach

• US 7,020,103 B1
• Filed: 03/26/1998
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Refai, Wail M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US09/048,686
• Time in Patent Office: 2,924 Days
• Field of Search: 370312-317, 370/319, 370/321, 370/326, 370/522, 370/524, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/51, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/3.1, 348/6.17, 725/120, 725/119, 725/127, 725/129, 725/149, 725/100, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0019 Multicast/broadcast capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0037 Satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A broadband communication network uses a point and shoot approach for data transmission. A broadband information signal is transmitted from a transmitting station to a receiving station. The information signal is divided into a series of data packets, each including addressing information and data intended for a particular receiver. The information signal is parsed to extract addressing information. The addressing information parsed from the information signal is used to construct a narrow band index signal. The narrow band index signal is transmitted, along with the broadband information signal, to a plurality of receiving stations. Each receiving station demodulates and decodes the narrow band index signal. The address information contained in the index field includes pointers to data packets in the information signal. Using the addressing information and pointers in the index signal, each receiving station can locate and extract data packets from the broadband information signal which are intended for that particular receiver. The data packets from the information signal are buffered to permit demodulation and decoding the particular packet(s) belong to that particular receiver at the same rate of the information signals.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data in a digital communication system including a transmitting station, a relay station, and a plurality of receivers, said method comprising:

transmitting from said transmitting station to said relay station a primary data signal containing a plurality of primary data packets, each said primary data packet intended for a specific one of said receivers;

transmitting from said relay station said primary data signal over a broadband channel to said plurality of receivers;

transmitting an index signal over a narrow band channel from said relay station to said plurality of receivers, wherein said index signal comprises a plurality of index data packets, each said index data packet corresponding to a respective one of said primary data packets and containing address information addressing a specific one of said receivers, said index signal extracted from said primary data signal;

receiving and decoding said index signal at said plurality of receivers;

determining and selecting, at each said receiver, those primary data packets in said primary data signal that are intended for said receiver based on address information in said index data signal; and

extracting and decoding the selected primary data packets in said primary data signal at said plurality of receivers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the index signal is transmitted at the same rate as the primary data signal.

3. The method of claim 1 where each receiver demodulates and decodes the index data signal in real-time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary data signal is temporarily buffered by a receiver for later demodulation and decoding.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the index signal includes a plurality of packets, each packet in said index signal including an identification field containing information for identifying a particular receiver and a packet identification field for identifying corresponding packets in said primary data signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the packets in the index signal correspond to the packets in the primary data signal.

7. A method of transmitting data in a digital communication system between a transmitting station and a plurality of receivers, said transmitting method comprising:

transmitting a primary data signal from said transmitting station to a relay station, wherein said primary data signal contains a plurality of primary data packets, each said primary data packet intended for a specific one of said receivers;

extracting a plurality of index data packets from said primary data signal at said relay station, wherein each said index data packet corresponds to a respective one of said primary data packets and contains address information addressing a specific one of said receivers;

re-transmitting said primary data signal from said relay station to said plurality of receivers over a broadband channel;

transmitting an index signal from said relay station to said plurality of receivers over a narrow band channel, wherein said index signal contains said plurality of index data packets extracted from said primary data signal for selecting said primary data packets in said primary data signal;

receiving and decoding said index signal at said plurality of receivers;

determining and selecting, at each said receiver, those primary data packets in said primary data signal that are intended for said receiver based on address information in said index data signal;

extracting and decoding the selected primary data packets in said primary data signal at said plurality of receivers.

8. The method of claim 7 where the primary data signal is transmitted at a rate of variable bit rates from 2 Mbps to 64 Mbps.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the index signal is transmitted at the same rate as the primary data signal.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving and decoding said index signal at said plurality of receivers is done in real-time.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of temporarily buffering the primary data signal prior to its demodulation and decoding.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the index signal includes a plurality of packets, each packet in said index signal including an identification field containing information for identifying a particular receiver and a packet identification field for identifying corresponding packet(s) start time in said primary data signal.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the packets in the index signal correspond to the packets in the primary data signal.

14. A broadband communications system comprising:

a relay station including;

receiving means for receiving a broadband primary data signal;

first transmitting means for transmitting said broadband primary data signal to a plurality of receivers, wherein said broadband signal includes a plurality of data packets each addressed to a selected receiver; and

a second transmitting means for transmitting a narrow band index signal extracted from said primary data signal, said index signal including addressing information for identifying the location of data packets in said broadband signal intended for a selected receiver and the start time of those packet(s); and

the plurality of receivers for receiving said primary data signal and said index signal, each receiver including;

a first signal processing means for demodulating and decoding said index signal to extract said addressing information;

a second signal processing means for demodulating and decoding said primary data signal; and

control means for selectively activating said second signal processing means based on addressing information in said index signal.

15. The communication system of claim 14 wherein each said receiver further includes an input buffer for temporarily storing said received primary data signal before demodulating and decoding portions of said primary data signal.

16. A receiver for a broadband communication system comprising:

a continuously operative input stream operative to demodulate and decode a received narrow band index signal;

a second input stream selectively operative to demodulate and decode portions of a received broadband primary data signal; and

a controller in said first input stream operative to monitor said narrow band index signal and, upon detection of addressing information that matches a predetermined address associated with said receiver, to enable said second input stream to capture and extract data associated with said addressing information from said broadband primary data signal, without tuning said second input stream to a different frequency.

17. The receiver of claim 16 further comprising an input buffer in said second input stream operative to temporarily store a portion of said received broadband primary data signal before demodulating and decoding portions of said received broadband primary data signal in response to said controller.

19. The receiver of claim 17 wherein said controller accesses packet start time information in said received narrow band index signal, and enables said buffer via said packet start time information to capture said data.

21. The receiver of claim 19 wherein said data packet header information in said narrowband index data signal additionally comprises packet start time information, and wherein said controller uses said packet start time to enable the second input stream to buffer said portion of said broadband primary data signal.

23. The receiver of claim 21 wherein the first 13 bits of said data packet header information contains the address of a receiver and the next 8 bits contain the packet start time for the corresponding data packed in said broadband primary data signal.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising extracting packet start time information from said data packet header information in said narrowband index signal, and using said start time information to enable said second receiver path at a time effective to capture said complete data packet.

18. A relay station, interposed between a broadcast service provider and a subscriber, said relay station extracting an index signal from a primary broadband signal, said index signal containing an address and program time related information for the subscriber, and said relay station relaying said index signal to the subscriber on a narrow band signal, and transmitting primary information to the subscriber on a broadband channel.

20. A ground-based receiver for a satellite communication system, comprising:

a first input stream operative to receive from a satellite, and demodulate and decode, a narrowband index data signal comprising only data packet header information including packet addresses, and to match addresses in said header information with a predetermined address unique to said receiver;

a second input stream operative to receive from the satellite, and buffer, demodulate and decode selective portions of, a broadband primary data signal comprising complete data packets addressed to a plurality of receivers; and

a controller in said first input stream operative to enable the second input stream to buffer a portion of said broadband primary data signal upon matching said receiver'"'"'s unique address to a data packet address in said narrowband index signal.

22. The receiver of claim 20 wherein said data packet header information in said narrowband index data signal comprises 21 bits.

24. A method of receiving packet data addressed to a particular receiver, comprising:

receiving and continuously demodulating and decoding in a first receiver path a narrowband index signal comprising only data packet header information including target receiver addresses, and comparing said addresses to a predetermined address unique to said particular receiver;

intermittently receiving, buffering, demodulating and decoding in a second receiver path portions of a broadband primary data signal comprising complete data packets addressed to a plurality of receivers; and

in response to matching a target receiver address in said narrowband index signal with said predetermined address unique to said particular receiver, enabling said second receiver path to obtain a complete data packet corresponding to the matched target receiver address, without retuning said second receiver path.

26. A method of receiving data packets addressed to a particular receiver, comprising:

monitoring a narrowband broadcast signal containing only packet addresses and packet start times;

detecting a match between a packet address and a unique receiver address; and

after detecting said address match, using an associated start time to transiently receive a portion of a broadband broadcast signal containing complete data packets, for only a duration sufficient to capture the data packet having the matching packet address.