Method and apparatus for improving reception of wireless signals using spartial redundancy
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A wireless transmitting system comprising:
- a fountain coder for fountain encoding a data stream;
a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the fountain encoded data stream into N different portions, where N>
1; and
N transmitters, each transmitter for wirelessly broadcasting a respective digital multiplex, each respective digital multiplex including a primary channel and an auxiliary channel, the auxiliary channel including a respective one of the N different portions of the fountain encoded data stream, the primary channel including one or more non-fountain coded data streams,wherein;
the N transmitters are geographically separated, andthe fountain encoded data stream can be recovered using M different portions of the fountain encoded data stream to enable reception of a service, where M<
N.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Data for one, or more, services is encoded using a scalable channel code and divided for transmission over N transmitters such that reception by a receiver of at least M of the transmitted signals, where M<N, enables recovery of the data by the receiver. In other words, even if reception for any one particular transmitted signal in a defined geographical region is not guaranteed, reception of at least M of the other transmitted signals enables reception of the service(s). Thus, one, or more, services can be offered across an entire geographical area notwithstanding the existence of areas of poor, or no, reception.
12 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A wireless transmitting system comprising:
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a fountain coder for fountain encoding a data stream; a demultiplexer for demultiplexing the fountain encoded data stream into N different portions, where N>
1; andN transmitters, each transmitter for wirelessly broadcasting a respective digital multiplex, each respective digital multiplex including a primary channel and an auxiliary channel, the auxiliary channel including a respective one of the N different portions of the fountain encoded data stream, the primary channel including one or more non-fountain coded data streams, wherein; the N transmitters are geographically separated, and the fountain encoded data stream can be recovered using M different portions of the fountain encoded data stream to enable reception of a service, where M<
N. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A wireless receiver comprising:
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M tuners for use in wirelessly receiving M of N respective different transport streams, each of the N respective different transport streams including a primary channel and an auxiliary channel, being transmitted from one of N geographically separated transmitters, and providing a respective one of N different portions of a fountain encoded data stream representing the auxiliary channel and one or more non-fountain coded data streams representing the primary channel, where N>
M>
1;a fountain decoder for use in decoding M of N different portions of the fountain encoded data stream to provide a decoded data stream enabling reception of a service; and a controller for tuning at least one of the M tuners for recovery of the one or more non-fountain coded data streams representing the primary channel. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for use in a wireless transmitting system comprising:
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fountain encoding a data stream; demultiplexing the fountain encoded data stream into N different portions, where N>
1, andwirelessly broadcasting from each of N transmitters a respective different digital multiplex, each respective different digital multiplex including a primary channel and an auxiliary channel, the auxiliary channel including a respective one of the N different portions of the fountain encoded data stream, the primary channel including one or more non-fountain coded data streams, wherein; the N transmitters are geographically separated, and the fountain encoded data stream can be recovered using M different portions of the fountain encoded data stream to enable reception of a service, where M<
N. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method for use in a wireless receiver, the method comprising:
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for wirelessly receiving a primary channel, tuning one of M tuners for providing a non-fountain coded data stream representing the primary channel; for wirelessly receiving an auxiliary channel, tuning M tuners to receive M of N respective different transport streams, each of the N respective different transport streams including the primary channel and the auxiliary channel, being transmitted from one of N geographically separated transmitters, and providing a respective one of N different portions of a fountain encoded data stream representing the auxiliary channel, where N>
M>
1; andfountain decoding the M of N different portions of the fountain encoded data stream to provide a decoded data stream enabling reception of a service. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification