Methods and device for fast acquisition of digital video signals

• US 8,238,436 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Shun-An
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gregory, Shaun
• Application Number:
  US11/731,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 375/240.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0065 Serial concatenated codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0071 Use of interleaving interleaving per se H03M13/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0072 Error control for data other than payload data, e.g. control data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup

Abstract

Methods and systems for receiving, processing and/or decoding digital video transmissions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a method of processing a digital video signal includes the steps of applying an initial set of video transmission parameter values to one or more digital video signal processes, decoding video transmission parameter information from the digital video signal, and updating the initial set of video transmission parameter values with the decoded video transmission parameter information. Embodiments of the present invention can advantageously demodulate and decode a digital video signal before transmission parameters embedded in the signal are completely decoded. Thus, the time to acquire and/or scan a digital video channel is improved.

Claims

1. A method of processing a digital video signal, comprising:

prior to decoding video transmission parameter information from the digital video signal, applying an initial set of video transmission parameter values to one or more digital video signal processes;

decoding said video transmission parameter information from the digital video signal; and

updating the initial set of video transmission parameter values with the decoded video transmission parameter information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said video transmission parameter information comprises a plurality of transmission parameter signaling (TPS) bits.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial set of video transmission parameter values comprises values for an interleaving type, a hierarchy, a constellation, and a code rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial set of video transmission parameter values comprises values for at least one of a guard interval, a transmission mode, a frame number, and a cell identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the digital video signal from a first channel, wherein said initial set of video transmission parameter values comprises a previous set of video transmission parameter values.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said previous set of video transmission parameter values include values from a previous digital video signal transmission on a different channel.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said previous set of video transmission parameter values include values from a previous digital video signal transmission on the first channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital video signal processes include de-interleaving said digital video signal, demapping the de-interleaved digital video signal, and decoding the demapped digital video signal.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of transmission parameter signaling (TPS) bits comprises positive synchronization bits and negative synchronization bits, each one of said negative synchronization bits having a respective opposite positive synchronization bit.

10. A method of processing a digital video signal, comprising:

prior to obtaining raw parameter data from the digital video signal, applying an initial set of video transmission parameter values to one or more digital video signal processes;

demodulating video transmission parameter information to obtain said raw parameter data; and

updating the initial set of video transmission parameter values with the raw parameter data to provide an intermediate set of video transmission parameter values.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising decoding and error-checking the video transmission parameter information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating the intermediate set of video transmission parameter values with the decoded and error-checked video transmission parameter information to provide a final set of video transmission parameter values.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising decoding the digital video signal before all of the video transmission parameter information is decoded and error-checked.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said video transmission parameter information comprises a plurality of transmission parameter signaling (TPS) bits.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said initial set of video transmission parameter values comprises values for an interleaving type, a hierarchy, a constellation, and a code rate.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the digital video signal from a first channel, wherein said initial set of video transmission parameter values consists of a previous set of video transmission parameter values.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said previous set of video transmission parameter values include values from a previous digital video signal transmission on a different channel.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said previous set of video transmission parameter values include values from a previous digital video signal transmission on the first channel.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein said digital video signal processes include de-interleaving said digital video signal, demapping the de-interleaved digital video signal, and decoding the demapped digital video signal.

20. A digital video receiver, comprising:

a demapper configured to demodulate a digital video signal;

one or more decoder blocks configured to determine values of the demodulated digital video signal and/or lock a decoded digital video bitstream to a reference signal; and

a memory adapted to store an initial set of video transmission parameter values, wherein the demapper and/or the decoder block(s) apply the initial set of video transmission parameter values to the digital video signal and/or demodulated digital video signal prior to decoding video transmission parameter information from the digital video signal.

21. The digital video receiver of claim 20, wherein said memory comprises a register configured to (i) provide said initial set of video transmission parameter values to said demapper and/or decoder block(s) and (ii) receive and store updated video transmission parameter values.

22. The digital video receiver of claim 21, wherein said updated video transmission parameter values are derived from an output of said one or more decoder blocks.

23. The digital video receiver of claim 20, wherein said initial set of video transmission parameter values comprises values for an interleaving type, a hierarchy, a constellation, and a code rate.

24. The digital video receiver of claim 23, wherein said initial set of video transmission parameter values further comprises values for one or more of a guard interval, a transmission mode, a frame number, and a cell identifier.

25. The digital video receiver of claim 20, wherein said one or more decoder blocks comprise:

a convolutional decoder configured to determine values of the demodulated digital video signal and generate the decoded digital video bitstream; and

a block decoder configured to enable correction of errors in the decoded digital video bitstream and locking of the decoded digital video bitstream to a reference signal.

26. The digital video receiver of claim 25, wherein said block decoder comprises a BCH decoder.

27. The digital video receiver of claim 26, wherein said BCH decoder comprises a Reed-Solomon decoder.

28. The digital video receiver of claim 20, further comprising a de-interleaver configured to de-interleave the digital video signal.

29. The digital video receiver of claim 28, wherein said de-interleaver comprises:

a symbol de-interleaver configured to de-interleave the digital video signal; and

a bit de-interleaver configured to de-interleave the demodulated digital video signal.

30. The digital video receiver of claim 29, further comprising an outer de-interleaver configured to de-interleave the decoded digital video bitstream.

31. The digital video receiver of claim 20, further comprising a synchronizer configured to synchronize the digital video signal to a predetermined location, a predetermined frequency, or a predetermined time reference.

32. The digital video receiver of claim 31, wherein the synchronizer is further configured to perform a fast Fourier transform on the digital video signal.

33. The digital video receiver of claim 31, further comprising an equalizer between the synchronizer and the demapper, configured to amplify and/or filter the digital video signal.

34. The digital video receiver of claim 31, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an analog video signal to the digital video signal.

35. The digital video receiver of claim 21, wherein said updated video transmission parameter values are derived from an output of a demodulator for said TPS information prior to processing the digital video signal through said decoder blocks.