Backwards compatible real-time program guide capacity increase

In a single content provider system comprising one or more satellites for transmitting a plurality of programs to a plurality of subscribers via satellite transmission, the single content provider system having a first transmitter broadcasting a first signal having a first set of programs and not a second set of programs to a plurality of subscribers according to a channel sharing scheme having a plurality of service channels distinguished by service channel identifiers, and a second transmitter broadcasting a second signal having the second set of programs according to the same channel sharing scheme, a method of receiving second program guide information describing the second set of programs, comprising the steps of:

• receiving the first signal having a first service channel from the system in a first geographical area, the first service channel of the first signal comprising first program guide information describing the first set of programs and not including the second program guide information describing the second set of programs ;
• and
• receiving the second signal having the first service channel from the system by a subset of the plurality of subscribers located in a region within the first geographical area, the subset of the plurality of subscribers comprising fewer than all of the plurality of subscribers, the first service channel of the second signal comprising second program guide information describing the second set of programs;
• wherein a fundamental signal characteristic of the second signal differs from the fundamental signal characteristic of the first signal, allowing receivers associated with the subset of subscribers to distinguishably receive both the first signal and the second signal, and the first signal and the second signal are broadcast at the same time.

In a single content provider system comprising one or more satellites for transmitting a plurality of programs to a plurality of subscribers via satellite transmission, the single content provider system having a first transmitter broadcasting a first signal having a first set of programs and not a second set of programs to a plurality of subscribers according to a channel sharing scheme having a plurality of service channels distinguished by service channel identifiers, and a second transmitter broadcasting a second signal having the second set of programs according to the same channel sharing scheme to a subset of the subscribers comprising fewer than all of the plurality of subscribers, a receiver for receiving second program guide information describing the second set of programs, comprising:

• a user interface for accepting subscriber commands;
• a tuner selectably configurable to receive:
• the first signal transmitted from the first transmitter to a first geographical area, the first signal having a first service channel comprising first program guide information describing the first set of programs and not including the second program guide information describing the second set of programs;
• and
• the second signal transmitted from the second transmitter to a region within the first geographical area to the subset of the plurality of subscribers, the second signal transmitted at the same time as the first signal and having the first service channel, the first service channel of the second signal comprising second program guide information describing the second set of programs;
• wherein a fundamental signal characteristic of the second signal differs from the fundamental signal characteristic of the first signal, allowing the receiver to distinguishably receive both the first signal and second signal;
• and
• a processor, communicatively coupled to the user interface and the tuner, for retrieving the first program information and the second program information for providing the first and second program information to a presentation device, and for accepting subscriber commands from the user interface.

A single content provider system, comprising one or more satellites for transmitting a plurality of programs to a plurality of subscribers via satellite transmission, comprising:

• a compiler, configured to segment the plurality of programs into a first set of programs and a second set of programs, and to generate first program guide information describing the first set of programs and second program guide information describing the second set of programs;
• a first transmitter, communicatively coupled to the compiler, for transmitting a first signal having the first set of programs and not the second set of programs to the plurality of subscribers in a first geographical area according to a channel sharing scheme having a plurality of service channels distinguished by service channel identifiers, the first signal further comprising a first service channel comprising first program guide information describing the first set of programs and not including second program guide information describing the second set of programs;
• and
• a second transmitter, communicatively coupled to the compiler, for transmitting a second signal at the same time as the first signal to a subset of the plurality of subscribers located in a region within the first geographical area, the subset of the plurality of subscribers comprising fewer than all of the plurality of subscribers, the second signal having the first service channel comprising the second program guide information describing the second set of programs;
• wherein a fundamental signal characteristic of the second signal differs from the fundamental signal characteristic of the first signal, allowing receivers associated with the subset of subscribers to distinguishably receive both the first signal and the second signal.

In a single content provider system comprising one or more satellites for transmitting a plurality of programs to a plurality of subscribers via satellite transmission, the single content provider system having a first transmitter transmitting a first signal having a first set of programs and not a second set of programs, each of the programs in the first set of programs transmitted on an associated one of a plurality of service channels distinguished by service channel identifiers as defined according to a channel sharing scheme, to a plurality of subscribers and a second transmitter transmitting a second signal having the second set of programs according to the same channel sharing scheme, a method of providing program guide information describing the second set of programs, comprising:

• broadcasting the first signal having a first signal channel from the system to a first geographical area, the first service channel of the first signal comprising first program guide information describing the first set of programs and not including second program guide information describing the second set of programs to the plurality of subscribers;
• and
• broadcasting, at the same time as the first signal, the second signal having the first service channel from the system to a subset of the plurality of subscribers located in a region within the first geographical area, the subset of the plurality of subscribers comprising fewer than all of the plurality of subscribers, the first service channel of the second signal comprising second program guide information describing the second set of programs;
• wherein a fundamental signal characteristic of the second signal differs from the fundamental signal characteristic of the first signal, allowing receivers associated with the subset of subscribers to distinguishably receive both the first signal and the second signal.