System and method for transmitting audio or video data using multiple levels of protection

• US 7,043,671 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SQUARE 1 BANK
• Original Assignee: Aviom
• Inventors: Bader, Carl V., Metcalf, Thomas D., Clemens, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Britt, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US10/341,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20030167425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 714/701, 714/746, 714/776, 714/799, 714/800, 714/801, 714/807, 714/809, 714/810, 714/712, 370/465, 370/538, 375/240, 382/253
• US Class Current: 714/701
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/30 by a single channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/11 Arrangements for counter-measures when a portion of broadcast information is unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/007 Unequal error protection for format H04L1/0078; for codes per se H03M13/35
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/203 Details of error rate determination, e.g. BER, FER or WER
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1854 with non-centralised forwarding system, e.g. chaincast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation

Abstract

A data transmission and distribution system that includes a series of payloads, where each of the payloads is formed from bits of audio or video information, and where different levels of protection are applied to different sets of bits in each payload. The system divides the bits associated with each payload into high priority bits and low priority bits and forms a group of check bits for each payload by applying an error correction algorithm to the high priority bits in the payload. The system also forms each payload from a first set of the high priority bits, the check bits, the low priority bits and a redundant set of the high priority bits and the check bits and transmits the payloads formed from the first set of the high priority bits, the check bits, the low priority bits and the redundant set of the high priority bits and the check bits.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a series of payloads each of which is formed from bits of audio or video information, wherein different levels of protection are applied to different sets of bits in each payload, comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing the bits associated with each payload into high priority bits and low priority bits;

(b) forming a group of check bits for each payload by applying an error correction algorithm only to bits from the high priority bits in the payload;

(c) forming each payload from a first set of bits from the high priority bits, the check bits, a redundant set of bits from the high priority bits and the check bits, and only a single set of bits from the low priority bits, wherein the check bits formed in step (b) are the only check bits included in the payload; and

(d) transmitting the payloads formed in step (c).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the error correction algorithm is a forward error correction algorithm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein data information is included in the high priority section and the redundant section.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b) forming a group of check bits for each payload by applying an error correction algorithm only to a subset of the high priority bits in the payload.

5. A method for transmitting a series of payloads each of which is formed from bits of audio or video information, wherein different levels of protection are applied to different sets of bits in each payload, comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing the bits associated with each payload into high priority bits and low priority bits;

(b) forming a group of check bits for each payload by applying an error correction algorithm to the high priority bits in the payload;

(c) forming each payload from a first set of the high priority bits, the check bits, the low priority bits and a redundant set of the high priority bits and the check bits; and

(d) transmitting the payloads formed in step (c);

wherein each payload is divided into a high priority section, a redundant section, and a center section positioned between the high priority section and the redundant section; and

wherein the first set of high priority bits and the check bits are placed in the high priority section, the low priority bits are placed in the center section, and the redundant set of high priority bits are placed in the redundant section of the payload.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the check bits are also placed in the redundant section.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the center section of each payload includes multiple data frames.

8. A method for transmitting a series of payloads each of which is formed from bits of audio or video information, wherein different levels of protection are applied to different sets of bits in each payload, comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing the bits associated with each payload into high priority bits and low priority bits;

(b) forming a group of check bits for each payload by applying an error correction algorithm to the high priority bits in the payload;

(c) forming each payload from a first set of the high priority bits, the check bits, the low priority bits and a redundant set of the high priority bits and the check bits; and

(d) transmitting the payloads formed in step (c);

wherein step (b) further comprises dynamically scaling the size of each payload in response to errors detected at a receiver.

9. A data transmission and distribution system comprising:

a series of payloads, each of the payloads formed from bits of audio or video information, wherein different levels of protection are applied to different sets of bits in each payload;

wherein the data transmission and distribution system divides the bits associated with each payload into high priority bits and low priority bits, forms a group of check bits for each payload by applying an error correction algorithm only to bits from the high priority bits in the payload, forms each payload from a first set of bits from the high priority bits, the check bits, a redundant set of bits from the high priority bits and the check bits, and only a single set of bits from the low priority bits, wherein the check bits formed by applying the error correction algorithm only to bits from the high priority bits are the only check bits included in the payload; and

transmits the payloads formed from the first set of the high priority bits, the check bits, the low priority bits and the redundant set of the high priority bits and the check bits.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the data transmission and distribution system forms the group of check bits for each payload by applying an error correction algorithm only to a subset of the high priority bits in the payload.

11. A data transmission and distribution system having a series of payloads each of which is formed from bits of audio or video information, wherein different levels of protection are applied to different sets of bits in each payload, comprising:

means for dividing the bits associated with each payload into high priority bits and low priority bits;

means for forming a group of check bits for each payload by applying an error correction algorithm only to bits from the high priority bits in the payload;

means for forming each payload from a first set of bits from the high priority bits, the check bits, a redundant set of the high priority bits and the check bits, and only a single set of bits from the low priority bits, wherein the check bits formed by applying the error correction algorithm only to bits from the high priority bits are the only check bits included in the payload; and

means for transmitting the payloads formed from the first set of the high priority bits, the check bits, the low priority bits, and the redundant set of the high priority bits and the check bits.