Methods and apparatus for efficient digital broadcast signaling in a wireless communications system

A communications system comprising:

• at least one set of stored program segments corresponding to a first program;
• a first base station transmitter to transmit program segments corresponding to the first program;
• a second base station transmitter, located adjacent said first base station transmitter, for transmitting at least some of the program segments of the first program transmitted by said first base station;
• and
• a transmission time control module for controlling at least the second base station transmitter to transmit program segments at times which are different from the times at which program segments having the same information content are transmitted by said first base station transmitter.

A method operating a wireless terminal, comprising:

• receiving a first broadcast signal corresponding to a first program on a first carrier;
• performing a first decoding operation on the first received broadcast signal;
• determining if said first decoding operation was unsuccessful;
• and
• if it is determined that said decoding operation was unsuccessful, tuning to a second carrier which is different from said first carrier.

A wireless terminal, comprising:

• a receiver for receiving broadcast signals transmitted on first and second carriers at different times;
• a decoder coupled to said receiver for performing decoding operations on the received broadcast signals;
• an decoding operation evaluation module for determining if decoding of a broadcast signal was unsuccessful;
• and
• a control module for controlling said receiver to switch between said first and second carriers in response to said decoding operation evaluation module determining that a decoding operation was unsuccessful.

A wireless terminal, comprising:

• receiver means for receiving broadcast signals transmitted on first and second carriers at different times;
• decoder means coupled to said receiver for performing decoding operations on the received broadcast signals;
• decoding operation evaluation means for determining if decoding of a broadcast signal was unsuccessful;
• and
• control means for controlling said receiver to switch between said first and second carriers in response to said decoding operation evaluation module determining that a decoding operation was unsuccessful.

A communications system comprising:

• a first base station including a first transmitter for transmitting information;
• a second base station, located adjacent said first base station, including second transmitter for transmitting the same information transmitted by said first base station;
• and
• a transmission time control module for controlling at least the second base transmitter to transmit the same information transmitted by said first base station transmitter but with a time difference from transmission by said first transmitter so that portions of said same information which have the same content are transmitted by said first and second transmitters at different times.

A computer readable medium embodying instructions for performing a method of operating a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

• receiving a first broadcast signal corresponding to a first program on a first carrier;
• performing a first decoding operation on the first received broadcast signal;
• determining if said first decoding operation was unsuccessful;
• and
• if it is determined that said decoding operation was unsuccessful, tuning to a second carrier which is different from said first carrier.