Flexible broadcast system and method
AssigneeNBCUniversal Media, LLC
InventorsGlenn A. Reitmeier, Rajan Mehta, Harold Douglas Lung, Sheau Ng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Broadcasts over designated bands of the radiofrequency spectrum allow for flexible use of the spectrum as well as for the receipt of return signals from receivers. To obtain return signals, information indicating one or more return channels and/or one or more return time windows may be sent with the broadcast transmission. The broadcast transmission may be made over UHF bands, with the return signals being made over VHF bands. Spectrum may be utilized more efficiently by transmitting one or more beacon signals that define parameters for the broadcast transmission. Receivers may be adapted to decode the data of the beacon signals and rapidly tune to the broadcast transmission.
Claims24
A broadcast method comprising:
- transmitting, via one or more broadcast transmitters, a broadcast signal over a desired radiofrequency (“RF”) band, wherein the broadcast signal comprises encoded broadcast media content and encoded return channel information;
- transmitting, via the one or more broadcast transmitters, a beacon signal to a receiver, and the beacon signal identifies one or more modifications to a center frequency, a bandwidth, or a modulation type of the broadcast signal transmission that will be subsequently implemented in a modified broadcast signal;
- transmitting, via the one or more broadcast transmitters, the modified broadcast signal over the desired RF band, wherein the modified broadcast signal is in accordance with the one or more modifications;
- transmitting, via the broadcast signal and the one or more broadcast transmitters, the encoded return channel information, wherein the encoded return channel information indicates a return channel;
- transmitting a return channel window, a portion of a spectrum, or both, via the one or more broadcast transmitters, to be used by the receiver for the return channel for interaction with the broadcast media content, wherein the portion of the spectrum is based at least in part upon the beacon signal, and wherein the return channel window is spaced apart from another return channel window by a delay;
- and
- receiving a return signal via the return channel during the return channel window, over the portion of the spectrum, or both.
A broadcast method comprising:
- receiving, from one or more broadcast transmitters, a broadcast signal over a desired radiofrequency (“RF”) band, wherein the broadcast signal comprises encoded broadcast media content and encoded return channel information;
- receiving, from the one or more broadcast transmitters, a beacon signal at one or more receivers, wherein the beacon signal identifies one or more modifications to a center frequency, a bandwidth, or a modulation type of the broadcast signal that will be subsequently implemented in a modified broadcast signal;
- tuning the one or more receivers based on the one or more modifications to receive the modified broadcast signal over a desired radiofrequency band;
- receiving, via the broadcast signal and from the one or more broadcast transmitters, the encoded return channel information comprising one or more return channels;
- receiving one or more return channel windows, one or more portions of a spectrum, or both, from the one or more broadcast transmitters, wherein each return channel of the one or more return channels is used by a particular receiver of the one or more receivers during a particular return channel window of the one or more return channel windows for interaction with the broadcast media content, wherein the one or more portions of the spectrum are based at least in part upon the beacon signal, and wherein each return channel window of the one or more return channel windows is spaced apart from another return channel window by a delay;
- and
- transmitting one or more return signals via the one or more return channels during the one or more return channel windows, over the one or more portions of the spectrum, or both.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.