# US 2014/0157347 A1 · Flexible broadcast system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0157347 A1 - Document ID: US20140157347A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/692,547 - Filed: 2012-12-03 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: NBCUniversal Media, LLC - Applicants: Nbcuniversal Media, LLC - Inventors: Glenn A. Reitmeier; Rajan Mehta; Harold Douglas Lung; Sheau Ng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157347A1 ## CPC - H04N 21/2385: Channel allocation (H04N21/266 takes precedence); Bandwidth allocation (H04N21/24 takes precedence {; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16}) - H04N 21/2393: {involving handling client requests (scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60)} - H04N 21/262: Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists {(scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A broadcast method comprising: transmitting a broadcast signal over a desired radiofrequency band, the broadcast signal comprising data indicative of one or more radiofrequency return channels; and receiving from a receiver a return signal over the one or more return channels. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast signal encodes content in accordance with a pre-defined broadcast schedule. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the data identifies a group of return channels that are associated with that particular broadcast signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the return channels transmit the return signals in accordance with a data communication network channel sharing technology. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast signal is transmitted over a UHF frequency. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the return signal is transmitted over a different frequency. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast signal identifies one or more time windows for transmission of the return signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting a beacon signal that identifies one or more parameters of the broadcast signal transmission. ### Claim 9 A broadcast method comprising: transmitting a broadcast signal over a desired UHF radiofrequency band; and receiving from a receiver a return signal over a different radiofrequency band. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the broadcast signal comprises data indicative of one or more return channels, and wherein the return signal is received over the one or more return channels. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the broadcast signal encodes content in accordance with a pre-defined broadcast schedule. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the broadcast signal identifies one or more time windows for transmission of the return signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, comprising transmitting a beacon signal that identifies one or more parameters of the broadcast signal transmission. ### Claim 14 A broadcast method comprising: transmitting a broadcast signal over a desired radiofrequency band, the broadcast signal comprising data indicative of one or more time windows for transmission of the return signal; and receiving from a receiver a return signal transmitted in the one or more time windows over a radiofrequency band. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the time windows are spaced from one another by a delay. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the delay is pseudorandom. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the broadcast signal comprises data indicative of one or more return channels, and the return signal is received over the one or more return channels. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the broadcast signal encodes content in accordance with a pre-defined broadcast schedule. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the broadcast signal is transmitted over a UHF frequency. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the return signal is transmitted over a different frequency. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising transmitting a beacon signal that identifies one or more parameters of the broadcast signal transmission. ### Claim 22 A broadcast method comprising: transmitting a broadcast signal over a desired radiofrequency band; and transmitting a beacon signal that identifies one or more parameters of the broadcast signal transmission. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the beacon signal identifies at least one of a center frequency, a bandwidth, a modulation type, and a source identification of the broadcast signal. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the beacon signal comprises a 100 khz digital signal is broadcast using QPSK modulation and a ⅞ error correcting code. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the beacon signal comprises data organized into a one-way digital communication protocol. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the beacon signal comprises data organized into UDP/IP packets. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the beacon signal comprises an RF spectrum metadata file comprising a set of descriptors that specify a center frequency, a bandwidth, and a modulation type. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the metadata file comprises an XML file. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the modulation type comprises BPSK, QPSK, 16- 32- 62- 128- and 256-QAM, 8-VSB, or COFDM. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the bandwidth comprises a multiple of 10 kHz or 180 kHz resource blocks. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein the bandwidth comprises at least one of 6, 7 and 8 MHz channelizations and the 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 MHz channelizations. ### Claim 32 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the beacon signal aggregates metadata for broadcast signals of a plurality of broadcasters. ### Claim 33 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, comprising transmitting data indicative of one or more return channels for transmission of the return signal, and receiving from a receiver a return signal transmitted in the one or more channels. ### Claim 34 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the broadcast signal encodes content in accordance with a pre-defined broadcast schedule. ### Claim 35 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the broadcast signal is transmitted over a UHF frequency. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The method of claim 35, comprising receiving a return signal from a receiver transmitted over a different frequency.