Abstract:
Improved error screening techniques for use in processing digital audio or other types of information received in a digital communication system. Control information associated with a given packet of the received information is identified and compared with a decoding requirement of the packet, in order to control the generation of an error indicator for the packet. More particularly, the error indicator may be generated in response to an inconsistency between the control information and the decoding requirement. For example, the control information may include an indication of packet length that can be compared to a number of bits required to decode the corresponding packet, with any inconsistency between the packet length indication and the number of required bits leading to the generation of an error flag for the packet. The invention is particularly well-suited for use in the processing of encoded digital audio information received in a hybrid in-band on-channel (HIBOC) digital audio broadcasting (DAB) system, but is also applicable to other types of information and other types of communication systems.
Abstract:
In a communications system implementing, e.g., an in-band on channel AM (IBOC-AM) (also known as "hybrid IBOC-AM") scheme, multiple bit streams are used to represent an audio signal to be transmitted over one or more frequency bands including, e.g., parts of an AM frequency band for radio broadcast. These bit streams contain various and/or equivalent amounts of audio information. In an illustrative embodiment, at least one of the bit streams is a core bit stream containing core audio information. The remaining bit streams are enhancement bit streams containing enhancement audio information. The core bit stream is necessary for recovering the audio signal with minimal acceptable quality. Such quality is enhanced when the core bit stream, together with one or more of the enhancement bit streams, is used to recover the audio signal. In accordance with the invention, the AM frequency band is divided into subbands. Each of the core and enhancement bit streams is assigned to a respective one of the subbands for transmission. The assignment is conducive to an effective treatment of interference affecting the IBOC-AM system. Other embodiments may include, e.g., communications of the multiple bit streams in accordance with the invention in an IBOC-FM system, a satellite broadcasting system, etc.
Abstract:
The invention provides methods and apparatus for processing information, e.g., audio, video or image information, for transmission in a communication system. In an illustrative embodiment, a multiple program coder encodes a bitstream associated each of the programs, in accordance with a specified bit allocation. An outer code encoder receives the encoded bitstreams from the multiple program coder, and jointly applies an outer code, e.g., a CRC code, RS code, BCH code or other type of linear block code, to subblocks of a subset of the resulting encoded bitstreams. The outer code is applied such that subblocks of each of the encoded bitstreams in the subset of the encoded bitstreams are associated with a single outer code block. The number of subblocks associated with a given outer code block may be an integer or non-integer number of code blocks. The invention allows a designated number of program subblocks to share a given outer code block, such that outer code error flags can be generated for smaller groups of bits per program than would otherwise be possible. An inner code encoder may be used to apply an inner code, e.g., a convolutional code, turbo code or trellis coded modulation, to the resulting outer code blocks.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for processing information, e.g., audio, speech, video or image information, for transmission in a communication system. In an illustrative embodiment, a set of bit streams are generated from an audio information signal. The set of bit streams may be, e.g., a total of four bit streams generated by separating each of two multiple description bit streams, corresponding to separate representations of the audio information signal, into first and second class bit streams. The first and second class bit streams associated with the first multiple description bit stream may then be transmitted in respective first and second subbands of a first sideband of an FM host carrier, while the first and second class bit streams associated with the second multiple description bit stream are transmitted in respective first and second subbands of a second sideband of the FM host carrier. The first class bit streams may be provided with a different level of error protection than the second class bit streams, e.g., by utilizing different portions of a non-uniform power profile for the corresponding subbands, or by placement of the bit streams in subbands having different susceptibility to interference. Delay may be introduced between at least a subset of the bit streams in order to provide improved performance, e.g., in the presence of fading.
Abstract:
The invention provides methods and apparatus for decoding multiple program information, e.g., audio, video or image information, in a communication system. In an illustrative embodiment, a multiple program decoder includes a deinterleaver for deinterleaving information corresponding to a set of frames, using a specified deinterleaving length. A given one of the frames includes information from each of at least a subset of the programs, and the frames are encoded using an outer code, e.g., a CRC code, RS code, BCH code or other type of linear block code, and an inner code, e.g., a convolutional code, turbo code or trellis coded modulation. The multiple program decoder includes an inner code decoder for decoding the inner code over one or more of the programs, and an outer code decoder for decoding the outer code for a selected one of the programs. The deinterleaving length of the deinterleaver and operating rate of the inner code decoder can be configured such that the multiple program decoder provides substantially instantaneous tuning within a given cluster of programs, or within a set of clusters each including multiple programs. The programs may, but need not, include jointly-coded audio programs. The invention may be implemented in numerous applications, such as simultaneous multiple program listening and/or recording, simultaneous delivery of audio and data, etc.