US 5,886,995 A · Dynamic mapping of broadcast resources

Abstract

In a data communication system such as a high capacity DBS system, dynamic mapping of broadcast resources is provided to exploit occasional redundancy in the program content of two or more input data streams, freeing at least one broadcast resource to carry alternate bitstreams, such as additional programs or existing programs at higher quality. Transmission maps defining the correspondence between input data streams and broadcast resources, and reception maps defining the correspondence between broadcast resources and output data streams, are updated as needed to dynamically modify broadcast resource mapping to increase effective utilization of available bandwidth. Beneficial n:n-y:m mapping in a high capacity consumer DBS entertainment system is provided. Apparatus and methods for efficiently generating, maintaining and updating allocation maps with reduced overhead requirements, are disclosed.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A data transmission system having a transmission processor for accepting input data streams and transmitting them over a plurality of broadcast resources, and a reception processor for receiving broadcast resources and generating output data streams therefrom, comprising:

at least a first input data stream and a second input data stream, wherein said second input data stream has a degree of identity to said first input data stream during at least a first time period;
a first output data stream intended to correspond to said first input data stream,
a second output data stream intended to correspond to said second input data stream, and
a local map at said reception processor for selectively associating selected broadcast resources to said output data streams;
wherein said broadcast resources carry only one of said first and second input data streams during at least a portion of said first time period, by means of a selected broadcast resource;
and
the local map associates both said first and second output data streams to said selected broadcast resource during said at least a portion of said first time period.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dynamic mapping of broadcast resources

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Dynamic mapping of broadcast resources

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16