Quality of service method and apparatus for received programs

A receiver in a wireless broadcast system, comprising:

• a receiver unit comprising an antenna and an output terminal, wherein the receiver unit is configured to receive a wireless signal containing a digitally encoded program, wherein at least one segment is defined in the program, and wherein a plurality of data units are defined in a particular segment;
• a memory;
• and
• a logic unit electrically coupled to the output terminal and to the memory, wherein the logic unit is configured to store in the memory a received first and second copy of the particular segment, to compare corresponding data units in the first and second stored copies of the particular segment and thereafter to identify a most usable data unit for each of the corresponding data units, to assemble a corrected segment including the most usable data unit for each of the corresponding data units, to determine a characteristic associated with the information content quality of the assembled segment, to evaluate the characteristic against a predetermined standard, and to designate the assembled segment as usable if the characteristic meets the standard.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is usable if a particular minimum fraction of packets in the particular stored segment are usable;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter identifies the particular minimum fraction of packets;
• using the received parameter to determine if the particular stored segment is usable or unusable;
• and
• making the program available for output on demand by the user if a particular minimum fraction of stored segments are designated usable.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is usable if a particular minimum fraction of packets in the particular stored segment are usable;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter identifies the particular minimum fraction of stored segments to make the program available for output;
• using the received parameter to determine if the program is available for output;
• and
• making the program available for output on demand by the user if a particular minimum fraction of stored segments are designated usable.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is unusable if a particular packet in the particular stored segment is unusable, wherein the particular packet is a packet in a string of consecutive unusable packets, and wherein the total number of consecutive unusable packets in the string exceeds a predetermined number;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter identifies the predetermined number of unusable packets in the string;
• using the received parameter to determine if the particular stored segment is usable or unusable;
• and
• making the program available for output on demand by the user if a particular minimum fraction of stored segments are designated usable.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is unusable if a particular packet in the particular stored segment is unusable;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter identifies the particular packet;
• using the received parameter to determine if the particular stored segment is usable or unusable;
• and
• making the program available for output on demand by the user if a particular minimum fraction of stored segments are designated usable.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is unusable if a particular packet in the particular stored segment is unusable;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter identifies a particular minimum fraction of segments;
• using the received parameter to determine if the program is available for output;
• and
• making the program available for output on demand by the user if the particular minimum fraction of stored segments are designated usable.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is usable if a particular minimum fraction of packets in the particular stored segment are usable;
• and
• preventing the program from being available for output on demand by the user if the particular stored segment is designated unusable, wherein the particular stored segment is a segment in a string of consecutive unusable segments, and the total number of consecutive unusable segments in the string exceeds a predetermined number.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is usable if a particular minimum fraction of packets in the particular stored segment are usable;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter identifies the particular minimum fraction of packets;
• using the received parameter to determine if the particular stored segment is usable or unusable;
• and
• preventing the program from being available for output on demand by the user if the particular stored segment is designated unusable.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is usable if a particular minimum fraction of packets in the particular stored segment are usable;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter identifies the particular segment;
• using the received parameter to determine if the program is available for output;
• and
• preventing the program from being available for output on demand by the user if the particular stored segment is designated unusable.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is unusable if a particular packet in the particular stored segment is unusable;
• and
• preventing the program from being available for output on demand by the user if the particular stored segment is designated unusable, wherein the particular stored segment is a segment in a string of consecutive unusable segments, and the total number of consecutive unusable segments in the string exceeds a predetermined number.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is unusable if a particular packet in the particular stored segment is unusable;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter identifies the particular packet;
• using the received parameter to determine if a particular stored segment is usable or unusable;
• and
• preventing the program from being available for output on demand by the user if the particular stored segment is designated unusable.

A method for determining if a program is of sufficient quality to be output to a user, comprising the acts of:

• receiving a wireless signal carrying one or more segments defined in the program, wherein the or each segment comprises a plurality of packets;
• storing at least a portion of the or each segment in a portable receiver;
• designating the or each stored segment as either usable or unusable, wherein a particular stored segment is unusable if a particular packet in the particular stored segment is unusable;
• receiving in the receiver a parameter carried by the wireless signal, wherein the parameter corresponds to the particular segment;
• using the received parameter to determine if the program is available for output;
• and
• preventing the program from being available for output on demand by the user if the particular stored segment is designated unusable.