Media distribution system

• US 7,573,847 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rogers, Christopher B., Schiffer, Jeffrey, Waltho, Alan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Frank
• Application Number:
  US11/167,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system, apparatus, method and article to distribute media information are described. The apparatus may include a transceiver to receive digital information representing media information. The apparatus may further include a processor to couple to the transceiver, the processor to select a modulation technique based on a receiver type and an ultra-high frequency channel using a cognitive algorithm. The transceiver may transmit the media information over the channel using the modulation technique. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver to receive analog or digital information representing media information;

a receiver detection module to determine a receiver type to receive the media information;

a modulation selection module to select a one-way broadcast analog modulation technique based on a detected analog receiver type or a one-way or two-way broadcast digital modulation technique based on a detected digital receiver type; and

a cognitive radio manager module to select an ultra-high frequency channel using a cognitive algorithm, said transceiver to transmit said media information over said channel using said selected analog or digital modulation technique.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said channel comprising an unused or vacant channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor selects the unused or vacant channel dynamically based on selection rules.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor selects the unused or vacant channel dynamically based on measured characteristics for each unused or vacant channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor compares parameters of the selected vacant or unused channel with parameters of a plurality of remaining unused channels to determine if a new unused or vacant channel should be selected.

6. A system, comprising:

an antenna;

a transceiver to couple to said antenna, said transceiver to receive analog or digital information representing media information;

a receiver detection module to determine a receiver type to receive the media information;

a modulation selection module to select a one-way broadcast analog modulation technique based on a detected analog receiver type or a one-way or two-way broadcast digital modulation technique based on a detected digital receiver type; and

a cognitive radio manager module to select an ultra-high frequency channel using a cognitive algorithm, said transceiver to transmit said media information over said channel using said selected analog or digital modulation technique.

7. The system of claim 6, said channel comprising an unused or vacant channel.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor selects the unused or vacant channel dynamically based on selection rules.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor selects the unused or vacant channel dynamically based on measured characteristics for each unused or vacant channel.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor compares parameters of the selected vacant or unused channel with parameters of a plurality of remaining unused channels to determine if a new unused or vacant channel should be selected.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving analog or digital information representing media information;

selecting a one-way broadcast analog modulation technique based on a detected analog receiver type or a one-way or two-way broadcast digital modulation technique based on a detected digital receiver type;

selecting an ultra-high frequency channel using a cognitive algorithm; and

transmitting said media information over said channel using said selected analog or digital modulation technique.

12. The method of claim 11, said channel comprising an unused or vacant channel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the processor selects the unused or vacant channel dynamically based on selection rules.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting the unused or vacant channel dynamically based on measured characteristics for each unused or vacant channel.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

comparing parameters of the selected vacant or unused channel with parameters of a plurality of remaining unused channels to determine if a new unused or vacant channel should be selected.

16. An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to receive analog or digital information representing media information, select a one-way broadcast analog modulation technique based on a detected analog receiver type or a one-way or two-way broadcast digital modulation technique based on a detected digital receiver type, select an ultra-high frequency channel using a cognitive algorithm, and transmit said media information over said channel using said selected analog or digital modulation technique.

17. The article of claim 16, said channel comprising an unused or vacant channel.

18. The article of claim 17, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to select the unused or vacant channel dynamically based on selection rules.

19. The article of claim 17 further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to select the unused or vacant channel dynamically based on measured characteristics for each unused or vacant channel.

20. The article of claim 17, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to compare parameters of the selected vacant or unused channel with parameters of a plurality of remaining unused channels to determine if a new unused or vacant channel should be selected.