Method and system to increase available bandwidth in a time division multiplexing system

• US 7,697,886 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dibiaso, Eric A., Walker, Glenn A., Bolduc, Timothy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gesesse; Tilahun
• Application Number:
  US11/132,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 455/427, 455/428, 455/429, 455/431, 370/311, 370/318, 370/320
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/31 combining coding for error detection or correction and efficient use of the spectrum without error detection or correction H03M5/14 , H03M5/145
• 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: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving

Abstract

The present invention involves a method for transmitting data within a specified band of allocated spectrum in a satellite digital transmission system. First a data stream is encoded according to a first encoding scheme, then a second data stream is generated according to a second encoding scheme. The second encoding scheme is incompatible with the first encoding scheme. The first and second data streams are transmitted at predetermined locations within the specified band, such as time slices within a time division multiplexing transmission system. The second data stream is generated by using a more efficient FEC algorithm, including turbo-convolutional, turbo-product, low density parity check, or repeat-accumulate encoders. The inventive receiver has an antenna for receiving RF signals and a demodulator coupled to the antenna for downconverting received RF signals into a data stream. A splitter then separates the data stream into first and second component data streams. A first detector is coupled to the splitter, and is adapted to detect data in the first format. A second detector is coupled to the splitter, and is adapted to detect data in the second format.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data within a specified band in a satellite digital transmission system comprising the steps of:

generating a first data stream according to a legacy encoding scheme;

generating a second data stream according to a new encoding scheme, the new encoding scheme being incompatible with the legacy encoding scheme; and

transmitting the first data stream and the second data stream at predetermined locations using a time division multiplex (TDM) structure in single carrier or multi-carrier modulation, such that a predetermined portion of the transmission that was previously allocated for the legacy encoding scheme is allocated for the new encoding scheme, for increasing the total amount of data content transmitted in the system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second data stream generating step includes using a forward error correction (FEC) encoder which is more efficient than the encoder used in the first data stream generating step.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second data stream generating step includes using one of a turbo-convolutional, turbo-product, low density parity check, and repeat-accumulate FEC encoders.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step includes allocating the first data stream time slices of a time division multiplexing transmission to a portion of the specified band.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the transmitting step includes allocating the second data stream time slices of a time division multiplexing transmission that are not allocated to the first data stream.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the step of interleaving the first and second data streams.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of receiving the transmitted first and second data streams.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the receiving step includes de-interleaving the first and second data streams.

9. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of demodulating the first and second data streams, performing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, and transmitting an OFDM signal including the first and second data streams.

10. A receiver for receiving data within a time division multiplex (TDM) structure in a satellite digital transmission system, the data being transmitted having first and second encoding formats that are operationally incompatible comprising:

an antenna for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals;

a demodulator coupled to said antenna for downconverting received RF signals into a data stream where a predetermined portion of the data stream that was previously allocated for a first format includes data allocated in a second format for increasing the total amount of data content transmitted in the system;

a splitter for separating the data stream into the first and second component TDM data streams;

a first detector coupled to said splitter, said first detector having a first output, and said first detector being adapted to detect data in the first format and provide data on said first output;

a second detector coupled to said splitter, said second detector having a second output, and said second detector being adapted to detect data in the second format and provide data on said second output; and

wherein the second component TDM data stream has less forward error correction (FEC) than the first data stream for enabling the receipt of additional data content.

11. The receiver of claim 10 wherein said antenna is adapted to receive satellite broadcast signals.

12. The receiver of claim 10 wherein said second detector is configured to perform a forward error correction (FEC) decoding algorithm which is more efficient than the decoding algorithm used in the first detector.

13. The receiver of claim 10 wherein said second detector is configured to perform one of a turbo-convolutional, turbo-product, low density parity check, and repeat-accumulate forward error correction (FEC) decoding algorithm.

14. The receiver of claim 10 wherein said demodulator is adapted to demodulate time division multiplexing transmissions.

15. The receiver of claim 10 wherein said splitter includes a de-interleaver.

16. The receiver of claim 10 wherein said splitter includes a de-mapper.

17. The receiver of claim 10 wherein said demodulator is capable of demodulating an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal.

18. The receiver of claim 17 further comprising a second antenna adapted to receive OFDM signals.

19. A transmitter for transmitting satellite digital audio radio signals comprising:

a legacy encoder configured to encode a first data stream;

a new encoder configured to encode a second data stream, the new encoder being incompatible with the legacy encoder;

a modulator coupled to said legacy and new encoders, said modulator configured to transmit the first data stream and the second data stream at predetermined locations using a time division multiplex (TDM) structure in single carrier or multi-carrier modulation;

a transmitter coupled to said modulator configured to transmit said modulated output; and

wherein a predetermined portion of the first data stream that was previously allocated for the first data stream is allocated for the second data stream for increasing the total amount of data content transmitted in the digital audio radio signal.

20. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein said second encoder includes an FEC encoder which is more efficient than said first forward error correction (FEC) encoder.

21. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein said second encoder includes one of a turbo-convolutional, turbo-product, low density parity check, and repeat-accumulate forward error correction (FEC) encoders.

22. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein said modulator includes a mapper.

23. The transmitter of claim 22 wherein said modulator further includes an interleaver.

24. The transmitter of claim 19 wherein said modulator performs orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, for transmitting an OFDM signal including the first and second data streams.