Reception of ancillary 8VSB signals controlled responsive to information signaling version of broadcast standard being used

Receiver apparatus for receiving digital data in 8VSB signal form, at least part of which digital data comprises M/H data coded for transmission in robust form for reception by mobile receivers or other portable receivers, said M/H data as so coded encapsulated within payload portions of MPEG-2-compliant packets referred to as MHE packets that are Reed-Solomon coded and convolutionally byte interleaved before being ⅔ trellis coded, each M/H Group in each M/H Frame including respective amounts of said coded M/H data accompanied by respective sequences of training signal and by a respective sequence of parallelly concatenated convolutionally coded (PCCC'd) Transmission Parameter Channel (TPC) signal and by a respective sequence of parallelly concatenated convolutionally coded (PCCC'd) Fast Information Channel (FIC) signal, the respective said sequence of TPC signal in each said M/H Group containing bits indicative of the TPC protocol -used in the version of the M/H broadcast standard used in transmitting that said sequence of TPC signal, said receiver apparatus comprising:

• a PCCC signaling decoder arranged for decoding said sequences of PCCC'd TPC signal to generate respective sequences of decoded TPC signal, said PCCC signaling decoder further arranged for decoding and de-interleaving said PCCC'd and block-interleaved FIC signal to generate successive FIC-Chunks;
• a TPC protocol version selector for selecting from each said sequence of decoded TPC signal the bits indicative of the TPC protocol version used in transmitting said M/H Group including that said sequence of TPC signal and the others of said M/H Group included in the same M/H Parade;
• a TPC protocol version decoder connected for signaling its determination of when said bits selected by said TPC protocol version selector are of a value outside an acceptable range for continuing decoding operations within said receiver apparatus respective to the coded M/H data in the respective M/H Parade to which the current said sequence of decoded TPC signal pertains;
• and
• a decoding control unit connected for responding to the bits selected by said TPC protocol version selector, said decoding control unit selectively directing cessation of said decoding operations within said receiver apparatus but otherwise interpreting in accordance with the TPC protocol version specified by the bits selected by said TPC protocol version selector from a currently received one of said sequences of TPC signal the commands contained in the other bits of said currently received one of said sequences of TPC signal to control the decoding operations of said receiver apparatus according to said commands as so interpreted, said decoding control unit connected for directing cessation of said decoding operations within said receiver apparatus responsive to said TPC protocol version decoder signaling its determination that said bits selected by said TPC protocol version selector are of a value outside an acceptable range for continuing decoding operations within said receiver apparatus respective to the coded M/H data in the respective M/H Parade to which the current said sequence of decoded TPC signal pertains.

The combination comprising:

• receiver apparatus for receiving digital data in 8VSB signal form, at least part of which digital data comprises M/H data coded for transmission in robust form for reception by mobile receivers or other portable receivers, said coded M/H data encapsulated within payload portions of MPEG-2-compliant packets referred to as MHE packets that are Reed-Solomon coded and convolutionally byte interleaved before being ⅔ trellis coded, each M/H Group in each M/H Frame including respective amounts of said coded M/H data accompanied by sequences of training signal and a sequence of coded Transmission Parameter Channel signal and a sequence of coded Fast Information Channel signal, prescribed portions of said coded M/H data being internet protocol (IP) packets the respective headers of which contain version information indicative of the version of M/H broadcast standard used for transmitting those IP packets, said receiver apparatus decoding at least selected ones of said sequences of said coded Transmission Parameter Channel signal to generate corresponding sequences of decoded Transmission Parameter Channel signal, said receiver apparatus decoding at least selected portions of said coded Fast Information Channel signal to generate respective Chunks of decoded Fast Information Channel signal, said receiver apparatus decoding said coded M/H data from selected ones of said M/H Groups in each of a succession of M/H Frames, such decoding of said coded M/H data being done in accordance with instructions contained within said sequences of said decoded Transmission Parameter Channel signal, and such decoding culminating in the reproduction of at least some of said IP packets as reproduced IP packets;
• and
• further receiver apparatus including a micro-processor connected for receiving said reproduced IP packets from the aforesaid receiver apparatus, said micro-processor determining from the respective headers of said reproduced IP packets whether they are one of the types that can be usefully further processed within said micro-processor in accordance with the programming of said micro-processor, said microprocessor continuing to process fully only those of said reproduced IP packets that are one of the types that can be usefully further processed within said micro-processor.