ATSC signal receiver for processing dispatch messages

A method for processing an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) broadcast signal by an ATSC receiver comprising a controller with embedded instructions for executing the method, the method comprising:

• receiving an ATSC broadcast signal, the ATSC broadcast signal including signaling characterizing content of a plurality of channels, wherein a subset of the plurality of channels includes encoded video and audio data and a dispatch channel of the plurality of channels includes dispatch messages, wherein the dispatch channel is a dedicated physical layer pipe (PLP) for the dispatch messages and wherein the dispatch channel has a different bitrate than the subset of the plurality of channels;
• analyzing a low level signaling (LLS) table for the dispatch channel to determine whether a dispatch message has been added to the ATSC broadcast signal;
• selecting a mode of operation of a set of modes of operation based on the analyzing, the set of modes of operation comprising:
• a sleep mode of operation if a version of the LLS table for the dispatch channel has not changed from a previous version;
• and
• a dispatch mode of operation in response to detecting a change in the version of the LLS table for the dispatch channel, wherein in the dispatch mode of operation, dispatch messages not destined for the ATSC receiver are ignored and an emergency operation is actuated in response determining that a particular dispatch message of the dispatch messages is destined for the ATSC receiver;
• and
• executing, by the ATSC receiver, in response to the selecting, the selected mode of operation.