Abstract:
A universal interactive control system for the downloading and playback of information and entertainment services from one or more network distribution centers, said one or more network distribution centers providing information and entertainment signals selected from video and audio programs, video catalogs, and data files, said universal interactive control system. The interactive control system includes: a controller circuit, a data distribution circuit controlled by the controller circuit, a data processor circuit controlled by the controller circuit, and a first plurality of interface connector circuits, with a first of the interface connector circuits for connecting the distribution circuit to a display device under control of the controller, and a second of the interface connector circuits for connecting the data distribution circuit to a storage device under control of the controller circuit.
Abstract:
A method is provided for enhancing a legacy satellite digital radio audio service (SDARS) by overlaying a hierarchically modulated data stream on a base layer (legacy) data stream to increase the amount of data transmitted in the SDARS system. Using improved (next generation) receiver designs, additional services can be provided to users while existing legacy receivers can continue to receive the services broadcast on the base layer modulated data stream in the legacy system.
Abstract:
A method is provided for enhancing a legacy satellite digital radio audio service (SDARS) by overlaying a hierarchically modulated data stream on a base layer (legacy) data stream and improving the synchronization of the received signal in which an overlay layer frame is synchronized to a base layer frame. The base layer frame includes additional data that is used to synchronize the receivers to demodulate and decode the overlay layer and the base layer. The additional data is modulated using a technique that aids the receiver in synchronizing the received signal that is different from the overlay layer.
Abstract:
A system (10) for converting streaming digital data to frequency modulated data includes a digital decoder (12) providing content and associated data, a system controller (14) for formatting the associated data into frequency modulated sub-carrier data, and a frequency modulator (20) for modulating (24) the content and combining (25) the modulated content with a buffered version of the frequency modulated sub-carrier data. The streaming digital data can come from a satellite digital audio radio system receiver and the associated data can include at least one among a channel name, a channel number, an artist name, a song title, and traffic information. The system controller can format the associated data into an RDS Message format. The frequency modulator can include an RDS physical layer (32) and an RDS data link layer (30) that can generate a checksum. The frequency modulator can also include a register or buffer (28).
Abstract:
A system (100) for combining satellite and terrestrial signals from spatially diverse antennas (102 and 104) includes a tuner (101) and at least first and second analog to digital converters (103, 105) for converting at least two among the plurality of satellite signals and the terrestrial signal to a first digital stream and a second digital stream. A switch arrangement (106, 102 126) selectively switches among the first digital stream and the second digital stream before demodulating the digital streams using a plurality of algorithms (112, 122, 130) that selectively uses respectively demodulated signals of the first digital stream and the second digital stream to control (114, 124, 132) the switch arrangement to provide a plurality of multiplexed signals (161, 162, 163) that are combined (134) to form a combined signal (170). The combined signal can then be forward error corrected (136).
Abstract:
Apparatus and method of achieving diversity in reception of plural digital broadcast signals. A stream of a complete set of code bits is generated from one or more sources of data bits. A first Critical Subset of code bits is chosen or selected for a first channel (e.g. a specified puncturing pattern is applied to the stream of a complete set of code sets). A second (e.g. alternative) Critical Subset of code bits is chosen or selected for a second channel (e.g. a second or alternative puncturing pattern is chosen for the second channel). Further alternative Critical Subsets may be chosen for any additional channels. All the channels are transmitters, some can incorporate time delay to achieve temporal diversity. Moreover, the order of transmitting the code bits on each channel can be different (for example, the interleaving depths can be different). At the receiver, the stream of Critical Subsets of code bits for all of the channels are simultaneously received and a reconstruction of a complete set of code bits accomplished and the reconstructed code and may be inserted into a single Viterbi decoder. Various weighting functions and reconstruction algorithms are disclosed.