HK1117303A - Method of improving control information acquisition latency by transmitting control information in individually decode-able packets - Google Patents

Description

Method for improving control information acquisition latency by transmitting control information in separately decodable packets

Background

Priority requirements under 35 U.S.C. § 119

This patent application claims priority from provisional application No.60/660,866, filed 3/10/2005 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention and hereby expressly incorporated by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to transmission efficiency in a communication network. More particularly, the present invention relates to shortening acquisition times in wireless communication networks.

Background

FLO is a technology designed primarily for efficient and economical simultaneous distribution of the same multimedia content to millions of wireless users. The goal of FLO technology is to reduce the costs associated with delivering such content and to allow users to browse content channels on mobile handsets that are typically used for traditional cellular voice and data services. Such multimedia content is also referred to as services. A service is a collection of one or more individual data elements. Each individual data component of a service is called a flow.

Services are divided into two types based on their coverage: wide area traffic and local area traffic. Local area traffic is multicast available for reception within a metropolitan area, in contrast to wide area traffic which is multicast in one or more metropolitan areas.

FLO traffic is carried in what is called MediaFLO^TMLogical channels or one or more logical channels of the MLC. One MLC may be divided into up to three logical subchannels. These logical subchannels are referred to as streamers. Each flow is carried in a single flow path.

Processing of MLCs in a FLO network is controlled based on control protocol information. Control protocol information is wirelessly transmitted by the network in units called Physical Layer Packets (PLPs). An erroneous physical layer packet received at a FLO device that carries a segment of this control protocol information would require the device to try again to receive this control protocol information in its entirety. This can result in an extended duration of time required for the device to begin receiving traffic.

Therefore, there is a need for a method and system that enables FLO devices to independently decode and process control information embedded within a single PLP.

Brief summary

Consistent with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention includes a method of improving acquisition latency in a communication network. The method includes identifying control information associated with the transmitted information and segmenting the identified control information. Each piece of control information is then associated with a respective transmission unit of the transmitted information.

In one aspect, an apparatus for improving acquisition latency in a communication network is provided. The apparatus includes means for identifying control information associated with the transmitted information and means for segmenting the control information. Means are provided for associating each piece of control information with a respective transmission unit of transmitted information.

In another aspect, a computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for execution by one or more processors performs a method of improving acquisition latency in a communication network. The instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of identifying control information associated with the transmitted information. The steps of segmenting the control information and associating each segment of control information with a respective transmission unit of the transmitted information are also performed.

In yet another aspect, a processor is configured to improve acquisition latency in a communication network. The processor includes identification logic to identify control information associated with the transmitted information. The processor also includes segmentation logic for segmenting the control information and association logic for associating each segment of control information with a corresponding transmission unit of the transmitted information.

The transmission unit of the control protocol information is called a Control Protocol Packet (CPP). When wireless transmission is required, the CPP is made substantially the same size as the PLP. The control protocol messages carrying this control information are segmented such that each segment is contained within one CPP. Header information is added to each CPP to convey the total number of packets spanned by the control information to the receiver. Carrying the CPP identifier is to make the device aware of the CPP received thus far. In the present invention, control protocol messages are designed to allow a single CPP to contain one meaningful logical segment of a control protocol message.

The construction and operation of the various embodiments of the invention, as well as other features and advantages of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network including one embodiment of a content delivery system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a content provider suitable for use in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a content server suitable for use in one embodiment of the content delivery system;

fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a representative superframe of signals transmitted within a network;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between flows, flow paths and MLCs according to the principles of these embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary service ID message constructed in accordance with the present embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an example flow description message constructed in accordance with the present embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary technique for resolving acquisition latency in accordance with the embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a more detailed schematic diagram of the structure of the Control Protocol Packet (CPP) shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of practicing the embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary system according to this embodiment.

Detailed description of the invention

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings that illustrate exemplary embodiments consistent with this invention. Other embodiments are possible, and modifications can be made to the embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not intended to limit the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

This specification discloses one or more embodiments that incorporate the features of this invention. The disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention. The scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The invention is defined by the appended claims.

References in the described embodiments, and specification to "one embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention, as described below, can be implemented in many different embodiments of hardware, software, firmware, and/or the entities illustrated in the figures. Any actual software code or specialized controlled hardware used to implement the present invention is not limiting of the present invention. Thus, the operation and behavior of the present invention will be described with the understanding that, given the level of detail presented herein, various modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible.

Fig. 1 shows a communication network 100 that includes a transmission system that operates to create and transmit multimedia content streams across multiple data networks. For example, the transmission system is compatible with the principles of the FLO system mentioned above and is suitable for use when delivering content clips from a content provider network to a wireless access network for broadcast distribution.

Network 100 includes Content Provider (CP)102, content provider network 104, optimized broadcast network 106, and wireless access network 108. Network 100 also includes devices 110, devices 110 including mobile telephone 112, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)114, and notebook computer 116). Device 110 illustrates only some of the devices suitable for use with the transmission system. It should be noted that although three devices are shown in fig. 1, virtually any number of analog devices or device types are suitable for use in the transmission system, as will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art.

The content provider 102 operates to provide content to be distributed to users in the network 100. Content includes video, audio, multimedia content, clips, real-time and non-real-time content, scripts, programs, data, or any other type of suitable content. The content provider 102 provides the content to the content provider network 104 for distribution. For example, the content provider 102 communicates with the content provider network 104 via a communication link 118 that includes any suitable type of wired and/or wireless communication link.

The content provider network 104 comprises any combination of wired and wireless networks that operate to distribute content to be delivered to users. Content provider network 104 communicates with optimized broadcast network 106 via link 120. Link 120 includes any suitable type of wired and/or wireless communication link. Optimized broadcast network 106 includes any combination of wired and wireless networks designed to broadcast high quality content. For example, optimized broadcast network 106 may be a specialized private network that has been optimized to deliver high quality content to selected devices over multiple optimized communication channels.

The transmission system operates to deliver content from a content provider 102 for distribution to a Content Server (CS)122 at a content provider network 104, the content provider network 104 operating to communicate with a Broadcast Base Station (BBS)124 at a wireless access network. The CS122 and BBS124 communicate using one or more embodiments of the transport interface 126 that allow the content provider network 104 to deliver content in the form of content streams to the wireless access network 108 for broadcast/multicast to the devices 110. Transport interface 126 includes a control interface 128 and a bearer channel 130. The control interface 128 operates to allow the CS122 to add, change, cancel, or modify content flows from the content provider network 104 to the wireless access network 108. The bearer channel 130 operates to transport these content streams from the content provider network 104 to the wireless access network 108.

The CS122 uses the transport interface 126 to schedule content streams to be delivered to the BBS124 for broadcast/multicast over the wireless access network 108. For example, the content stream may include a non-real-time content clip that is provided by the content provider 102 for distribution using the content provider network 104. The CS122 operates to negotiate with the BBS124 to determine one or more parameters associated with the content clip. Once the BBS124 receives the content clip, it broadcasts/multicasts the content clip over the wireless access network 108 for reception by one or more devices 110. Any of the devices 110 may be authorized to receive the content clip and cache it for later viewing by the device user.

In the above example, the device 110 includes a client program 132 that operates to provide a Program Guide (PG) that displays a listing of content scheduled for broadcast on the wireless access network 108. The device user may then choose to receive any particular content for rendering in real time or for storage in cache 134 for later viewing. For example, a content clip may be scheduled to be broadcast during the evening hours, and the device 112 operates to receive the broadcast and cache the content clip in the cache 134 so that the device user can view the clip the next day. Typically, the content is broadcast as part of a subscription service, and a receiving device may need to provide a key or authenticate itself to receive the broadcast.

The transmission system allows the CS122 to receive program guide records, program content, and other related information from the content provider 102. The CS122 updates and/or creates content to be delivered to the device 110.

Fig. 2 shows a content provider server 200 suitable for use in a content delivery system. For example, server 200 may be used as server 102 in FIG. 1. The server 200 includes processing logic 202, resources and interfaces 204, and transceiver logic 210, all coupled to an internal data bus 212. The server 200 also includes activation logic 214, PG 206, and PG records logic 208, which are also coupled to the data bus 212.

The processing logic 202 comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU), processor, gate array, hardware logic, memory units, virtual machine, software, and/or any combination of hardware and software. Thus, the processing logic 202 generally comprises logic to execute machine-readable instructions and control one or more other functional units of the server 200 via the internal data bus 212.

The resources and interfaces 204 comprise hardware and/or software that allow the server 200 to communicate with internal and external systems. For example, the internal systems may include mass storage systems, memory, display drivers, modems, or other internal device resources. The external systems may include user interface devices, printers, disk drives, or other local devices or systems.

Transceiver logic 210 comprises hardware logic and/or software that operates to allow server 200 to send and receive data and/or other information with remote devices or systems using communication channel 216. For example, communication channel 216 comprises any suitable type of communication link that allows server 200 to communicate with a data network.

The activation logic 214 comprises a CPU, processor, gate array, hardware logic, memory units, virtual machine, software, and/or any combination of hardware and software. The activation logic 214 operates to activate the CS and/or the device to allow the CS and/or the device to select and receive content and/or services described in the PG 206. The activation logic 214 sends the client program 220 to the CS and/or device during the activation process. A client program 220 runs on the CS and/or the device to receive the PG 206 and display information about the content or services available to the device user. Thus, the activation logic 214 operates to authenticate the CS and/or device, download the client 220, and download the PG 206 for the client 220 to draw on the device.

The PG 206 comprises information that describes content and/or services available for reception by devices in any suitable format. For example, the PG 206 may be stored in a local memory of the server 200 and may include information such as content or service identifiers, scheduling information, pricing, and/or any other type of relevant information. The PG 206 comprises one or more identifiable segments that are updated by the processing logic 202 when changes are made to available content or services.

The PG records 208 comprise hardware and/or software that operate to generate notification messages that identify and/or describe changes to the PG 206. For example, when the processing logic 202 updates the PG 206, the recording logic 208 is notified of these changes. The PG records logic 208 then generates one or more notification messages to be sent to CSs that have been activated with the server 200, so that these CSs are promptly notified of the changes to the PG 206.

As part of the content placement notification message, a broadcast indicator is provided that indicates when a section of the PG identified in the message is to be broadcast. For example, the broadcast indicator may include a bit to indicate that the segment is to be broadcast and a time indicator to indicate when the broadcast is to occur. Thus, those CSs and/or devices that wish to update their local copy of the PG records may listen for broadcasts at a specified time to receive updated segments of the PG records.

In one embodiment, the content placement notification system includes program instructions stored on a computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, such as processing logic 202, provide the functionality of server 200 as described herein. For example, the program instructions may be loaded into server 200 from a computer-readable medium, such as a floppy disk, a CDROM, a memory card, a flash memory device, a RAM, a ROM, or any other type of memory device or computer-readable medium that interfaces with server 200 through resources 204. In another embodiment, the instructions may be downloaded into server 200 through transceiver logic 210 from an external device or network resource that interfaces with server 200. These program instructions, when executed by the processing logic 202, provide a guideline state notification system as described herein.

Fig. 3 shows a Content Server (CS) or device 300 suitable for use in a content delivery system. For example, the CS300 may be the CS122 or the device 110 shown in fig. 1. The CS300 includes processing logic 302, resources and interfaces 304, and transceiver logic 306, all coupled to a data bus 308. The CS300 also includes a client 310, a program logic section 314, and a PG logic section 312, which are also coupled to the data bus 308.

The processing logic 302 comprises a CPU, processor, gate array, hardware logic, memory units, virtual machine, software, and/or any combination of hardware and software. Thus, the processing logic 302 generally comprises logic configured to execute machine-readable instructions and control one or more other functional units of the CS300 via the internal data bus 308.

The resources and interfaces 304 comprise hardware and/or software that allow the CS300 to communicate with internal and external systems. For example, the internal systems may include mass storage systems, memory, display drivers, modems, or other internal device resources. The external systems may include user interface devices, printers, disk drives, or other local devices or systems.

The transceiver logic 306 comprises hardware and/or software that operates to allow the CS300 to transmit and receive data and/or other information with external devices or systems over the communication channel 314. For example, the communication channel 314 may comprise a network communication link, a wireless communication link, or any other type of communication link.

During operation, the CS300 is activated so that it can receive content or services available over the data network. For example, the CS300 identifies itself to a content provider server during the activation process. As part of this activation process, the CS300 receives and stores PG records for the PG logic 312. The PG 312 contains information that identifies content or services available for reception by the CS 300. The client 310 operates to draw information in the PG logic 312 on the CS and/or the device 300 using the resources and interfaces 304. For example, the client 310 draws the information in the PG logic 312 on a display screen that is part of the device. Client 310 also receives user input through resources and interfaces so that a device user can select content or services.

The CS300 receives the notification message through the transceiver logic 306. For example, these messages may be broadcast or unicast to the CS300 and received by the transceiver logic 306. The PG notification messages identify updates to PG records at the PG logic section 312. In one embodiment, the client 310 processes the PG notification messages to determine whether the local copy at the PG logic 312 needs to be updated. For example, in one embodiment, the notification message includes a segment identifier, a start time, an end time, and a version number.

The CS300 operates to compare the information in the PG notification messages to locally stored information at the existing PG logic 312. If the CS300 determines from the PG notification messages that one or more segments of the local copy at the PG logic 312 need to be updated, the CS300 operates to receive the updated segments of the PG in one of several ways. For example, the updated segments of the PG may be broadcast at the times indicated in the PG notification messages, such that the transceiver logic 306 may receive the broadcast and pass the updated segments to the CS300, which in turn updates the local copy at the PG logic 312.

The CS300 determines which segments of the PG need to be updated based on the received PG update notification messages and sends a request to the CP server to obtain the desired updated portions of the PG. For example, the request may be formatted using any suitable format and include information such as a request CS identifier, a segment identifier, a version number, and/or any other suitable information.

The CS300 performs one or more of the following functions in one or more embodiments of the PG notification system. It should be noted that the following functions may be changed, rearranged, modified, added to, deleted, or adjusted within the scope of the present invention.

The CS is activated to operate with a content provider system to receive content or services. As part of the activation process, the client and PG are sent to the CS.

2. One or more PG notification messages are received by the CS and used to determine whether one or more segments of the locally stored PG need to be updated.

3. In one embodiment, if the CS determines that one or more segments of the locally stored PG need to be updated, the CS listens for broadcasts from the distribution system to obtain the updated segments of the PG that it needs to update its local copy.

4. In another embodiment, the CS sends one or more request messages to the CP to obtain the PG updated segments it needs.

5. In response to the request, the CP sends the updated portion of the PG to the CS.

The CS updates its local copy of PG with the received PG updated segments.

The content delivery system includes program instructions, which may be stored on a computer-readable medium, that when executed by a processor, such as processing logic 302, provide the functionality of the content delivery notification system as described herein. For example, instructions may be loaded into the CS300 from a computer-readable medium, such as a floppy disk, CDROM, memory card, flash memory device, RAM, ROM, or any other type of memory device or computer-readable medium that interfaces with the CS300 through the resources and interfaces 304. In another embodiment, the instructions may be downloaded into the CS300 from a network resource that interfaces with the CS300 through the transceiver logic 306. The instructions, when executed by the processing logic 302, provide a content delivery system as described herein.

It should be noted that the CS300 represents only one implementation and that other implementations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a representative superframe 400 of signals transmitted within the network 100. For ease of illustration, signaling throughout network 100 may occur in accordance with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) principles. Signals transmitted in the network 100 are organized into superframes, which are units of data transmission in the physical layer of the network 100. The network physical layer provides the channel structure, frequency, power output, modulation, and coding specifications for the forward link of the network, as is well understood by those skilled in the art.

As described above, FLO based network 100 multicasts several services as a set of one or more independent data components. Each individual data component is called a stream and may comprise a video component, an audio component, a text or a signaling component of a service. FLO traffic is carried on one or more logical channels in the MLC.

In the exemplary illustration of fig. 4, a representative superframe 400 includes an overhead portion 402 and a data portion 404. The data portion 404 is further subdivided to include data frames F1-F4. At the physical layer of the network 100, MLCs are transmitted within the data portion 404. In practice, a single MLC will be partitioned across data frames F1-F4. In the exemplary data portion 404 of FIG. 4, two MLCs (10 and 20) are divided across data frames F1-F4. Namely: one quarter of the content of each of these MLCs (10 and 20) is carried in each of frames F1-F4, respectively.

For example, the MLC with Identification (ID)10 is divided into portions 406a-406d that each correspond to one of frames F1-F4. In addition to corresponding to portion 406a of MLC10, frame F1 also includes MLC portion 408 corresponding to MLC 20.

Moreover, in the data portion 404, each of the frames F1-F4 of the superframe 400 also includes a respective control channel 410a-410d, which control channels 410a-410d carry important information about the transmission characteristics of the respective portions of the MLCs (e.g., MLCs 10 and 20) included within the respective frame.

The header portion 402 of the super-frame 400 includes an Overhead Information Symbol (OIS) channel 412. The OIS channel 412 informs the device 112 of the location of the MLC10 in the super-frame 400, and so on. Thus, when the device 112 initially requests traffic, it must first decode the OIS channel 412 in the super-frame 400 to know the precise location and other characteristics associated with the MLC10 before the data in the MLC10 can be unpacked and used.

In another aspect, an MLC is a logical part packet at the physical layer configured to carry unique data. At the application layer, data (also called streams) is carried in entities called streamlets. It is possible for the application layer to provide services for an application to ensure efficient communication with another application in the network. The flow path is in turn carried in the MLC. For example, a single MLC may carry up to three flow paths (i.e., up to three different flows of different application level data). Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between flows, flow paths and MLCs according to the principles of the present invention.

In fig. 5, an exemplary streaming arrangement 500 may include information downloaded to the device 112 from a mobile video service 501 provided by, for example, a Cable News Network (CNN). This CNN broadcast may include application layer data in the form of a video stream 502, an audio stream 504, and a text stream 506. Thus, each of the streams 502, 504, and 506 carrying unique data will be transmitted within the uniquely identifiable MLC10 in the physical layer of the network 100.

In fig. 5, a video stream 502 is associated with a unique stream ID of 100.0 and transmitted in MLC 10. The audio stream 504 is associated with the stream ID 100.1 and transmitted in the MLC 20. Accordingly, the text flow 506 is associated with the flow ID 100.2, but is not shown as being associated with a particular MLC. Similarly, the mobile video service 501 representing CNN is associated with a unique service ID 100.

Also in fig. 5, a second exemplary flow arrangement 510 may include a service 512 provided by, for example, ESPN. For ease of illustration, ESPN service 512 is associated with service ID 200. ESPN service 512 includes video stream 512 with a stream ID of 200.0 and audio stream 516 with a stream ID of 200.1.

In practice, the device 112 will first request to download information from, for example, the CNN mobile service 501. Before the device 112 can begin receiving either the video stream 502 or the audio stream 504, the device 112 will first need to map the requested streams (502 and 504) to their associated MLCs (MLCs 10 and 20, respectively), and then receive the MLCs 10 and 20 at the physical layer of the network 100. Information to accomplish this is contained within the control channel 410 a.

As a review, the OIS channel 412 includes information about the location of the MLCs 10 and 20 within the super-frame 400. In addition, the OIS channel 412 includes information (within each of frames F1-F4) to assist the device 112 in correctly decoding and receiving the control channel 410 a.

The control channel 410a includes essential information about the flow-MLC mapping. The control channel 410a also includes information about the transmission characteristics of particular MLCs, such as MLCs 10 and 20, so that once the device 112 determines the flow map, the device 122 can physically tune to the MLCs and receive them. For example, a portion of this physical tuning may include instructions from the device to the physical layer of the network 100 regarding how to wirelessly transmit and receive associated data bits associated with a selected one of the streams (e.g., the video stream 502 and/or the audio stream 504).

The OIS channel 412, on the other hand, has its own fixed transmission mode. As an example, the fixed transmission mode associated with the superframe 400 includes Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) at one-fifth rate. Once activated, the device 112 is immediately aware of the transmit mode of the OIS channel 412 and can immediately tune to that channel. Once tuned to the OIS channel 412, the device 112 reads the OIS channel 412 to receive further instructions on how to receive and decode the control channel 410 a.

The OIS channel 412 is constructed to tell the device 112 that the device 112 must transmit according to certain transmission parameters, for example, in order to see the control channel 410 a. By transmitting according to these specific parameters, the device 112 can receive the control channel 410a and the control protocol information therein and read the stream-to-MLC mapping. The control channel 410a of fig. 4 will include a flow description message that describes how particular flows, such as the video flow 502 (flow ID of 100.0) and the audio flow 504 (flow ID of 100.1), map to particular MLCs, for example.

In the example of the superframe 400 of fig. 4, the video stream 502 (stream ID of 100.0) and the audio stream 504 (stream ID of 100.1) are mapped to the MLC10 and MLC 20, respectively. Once the device 112 has completely received the control protocol information, including the flow description message, it can decode and unpack the MLCs 10 and 20 and provide the service to the user.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary service ID message 600 arranged in accordance with the present invention. Within network 100, both the service ID and stream ID shown in fig. 5 are packaged into a 20-bit wide message having a service ID portion 602 and a stream ID portion 604. Thus, in this example of the flow description message 600, a single service ID, such as the service ID 100 representing CNN, can accommodate up to 16 unique flows. The service ID message 600 is embedded within the flow description message to be forwarded to the device 110.

Fig. 7 is a diagram of an exemplary flow description message 700 in accordance with the present invention. As shown in fig. 7, the flow description message 700 may be associated with the CNN service ID 100 of fig. 5. Thus, when one of the devices 110, such as device 112, receives the flow description message 700, it will first receive the flow ID 100.0. The stream ID 100.0 (i.e., video) is mapped to the MLC 10.

Since the device 112 knows that the service it requests is included in the MLC10, it also knows that in order to receive the service it must be configured for a transmission mode including, for example, one-third rate QPSK modulation or the like. Other transmission parameters are included in the information related to the transmission mode, such as the coding scheme.

Next, the device 112 will receive the stream ID 100.1 (i.e., audio) and its mapping to the MLCs 20. As a result, device 112 will receive a transmit message indicating that device 112 must operate using Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) at one-half the rate, for example, in order to receive MLC 20. After the device 112 begins operating according to this information, it may begin downloading the requested service information.

The control protocol information for the control channel 410a must be completely received before any of the devices 110 can begin receiving and decoding any particular MLC. In conventional systems, control data may accumulate and may span several superframes due to acquisition latency. Therefore, it will take several seconds for the device to download all the control information and start transmitting traffic. This time span of seconds increases the probability that the control information is corrupted or incomplete. If the control information is corrupted or incomplete in any way, the device cannot use the control information. Instead, the device must wait for the subsequent superframe to resume the process of receiving OIS and control channels, resulting in traffic delay for the user.

The flow description message 700 is transmitted at the physical layer of the network 100. The network physical layer provides the channel structure, frequency, power output, modulation, and coding specifications for the forward link of the network, as is well understood by those skilled in the art. Within the network 100, this physical layer assumes the responsibility of acquiring MLCs and transmitting them wirelessly.

In conventional networks, MLCs are transmitted wirelessly in PLPs. Data from an MLC corresponding to a particular super-frame may be broken into, for example, three packets. Each of these three packets is then separately wirelessly transmitted. On the receive side, once each of the three packets is received, they are accumulated and associated with that particular MLC. However, the problem is that if any of these packets is interrupted during transmission (e.g., due to a transmission anomaly), the entire MLC will not be used.

Thus, there is a high probability that the MLC will be corrupted or interrupted during the entire one-second period (a reasonable time span for a typical superframe). Assume, for example, that a single MLC may span 12 PLPs during a wireless transmission. Then if any of the 12 PLPs is corrupted, the MLC information chain will be lost and the device will need to wait for the next super frame to repeat the process. That is, a single PLP of a conventional network will not have valuable information away from the rest of the PLPs in the sequence. The present invention provides a remedy to this embarrassment as illustrated in the exemplary schematic of fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary technique 800 that addresses challenges associated with acquisition latency encountered in conventional networks. In fig. 8, the MLC 802 contains traffic information requested by a device, such as device 112. Data within the MLC 802 is segmented into 12 PLPs 804 for wireless transmission. Each of the 12 PLPs is labeled with specific sequence (fragment) information 805 so that, if any one of the PLPs 804 is lost during transmission, the lost one of the PLPs 804 can be easily identified at the receiving side. Any lost PLP can be recovered later during a delivery retry. Also, the receiver within the device 112 knows the total number of PLPs needed to form a complete segment.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8, MLC 802 is segmented into a separate logical part entity referred to as a CPP, such as CPP 806. Because CPP 806 is a logical partial entity of itself, it includes readily available information separate or independent from any other CPP. Similarly, subsequent portions of the MLC 802 are segmented to form a CPP810 that is also usable alone.

CPP 808 and CPP810 may be independently transmitted and received from each other. That is, portions of MLC 802 that are segmented to form CPP 808 may be lost during a transfer sequence. However, if the CPP810 is not lost and received at the receiving side, the portion of the MLC represented by the CPP 808 will be usable. Since each of CPPs 806 and 810, as well as any other CPPs within a sequence, are separate logical part entities and may be used independently, acquisition latency may be reduced.

Acquisition latency is reduced because, although some of the PLPs may be lost during transmission, those PLPs that are actually received may still be used. For example, if PLPs 3/12 and 4/12 of PLP 804 were corrupted during transmission, but the remaining ones of PLPs 804 were received, device 112 may still receive the requested service. In this example, during subsequent superframes, device 112 need only request the missing PLPs 3/12 and 4/12.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, CPPs 806 and 810 are substantially equal in length for each of the PLPs. Within network 100, the CPP is carried on the physical layer of the network and is configured to be compatible with PLP boundaries.

FIG. 9 is a more detailed schematic of the structure of CPP 806. As shown in FIG. 9, CPP 806 includes a control protocol packet header 900 and a control protocol message 902. Header 900 carries information about which segment (e.g., 1/12, 2/12, 5/12, etc.) CPP 806 carries and what specific data or information CPP 806 includes. CPP 806 also includes a data link padding portion 904. Appearance of the filling part 904 explains: in an effort to configure CPP 806 as a logical part entity, last filler 904 may not be available for use in packing valid data.

Fig. 10 is a flow chart of an exemplary method 1000 of practicing an embodiment of the invention. In fig. 8, to improve acquisition latency in a communication network, the receiver would desirably identify control information associated with the information being transmitted, as shown in step 1002. Next, the control information will be segmented as shown in step 1004, and each segment will be associated with a respective transmission unit of transmitted information, as shown in step 1006.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary system 1100 according to this embodiment. In fig. 11, means for identifying 1102 identifies control information associated with the communicated information. The means for segmenting 1104 segments the identified control information. The means for associating 1106 associates each segment with a respective transmission unit of the transmitted information.

The present invention enables FLO devices to independently process control information embedded in a single PLP. These PLPs are also independently usable and decodable. This independent processing and decoding capability facilitates shortening acquisition times of FLO devices within a FLO based communication network.

The invention has been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the execution of specific functions and relationships thereof. For ease of description, the boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.

Accordingly, any such alternate boundaries are within the scope and spirit of the claimed invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that: these functional building blocks may be implemented by analog and/or digital circuits, discrete components, application specific integrated circuits, firmware, processors executing suitable software, etc., or any combination thereof. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art (including the references cited herein), readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without undue experimentation and without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art.

The detailed description is to be used primarily for interpreting the claims. The summary and abstract sections may set forth one or more example embodiments, but are not intended to be exhaustive of all example embodiments of the invention as contemplated by the inventors and are therefore not intended to limit the claims.

It is to be understood that the detailed description section is intended to be used to interpret the claims, and the summary and abstract sections are not. The summary and abstract sections may set forth one or more exemplary embodiments, but are not intended to be exhaustive of all exemplary embodiments of the invention as contemplated by the inventors, and are therefore not intended to limit the invention and the appended claims in any way.

Claims (20)

1. A method of improving acquisition latency in a communication network, comprising:

identifying control information associated with the transmitted information;

segmenting the control information; and

each piece of control information is associated with a respective transmission unit of the transmitted information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective transmission unit is a Physical Layer Packet (PLP) of a superframe.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the control information is associated with a Mediaflo Logical Channel (MLC).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the control information comprises flo to MLC mapping data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein wireless information is transmitted over the network according to orthogonal frequency division principles.

6. A method of improving acquisition latency in a communication network, comprising:

receiving the transmitted information and associated control information, wherein the control information comprises a plurality of segments; and

each unit of transmitted information that has been received is recovered based on a corresponding control information segment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitted information and associated control information are received wirelessly.

8. A method of segmenting control information, comprising:

identifying information to be transmitted; and

the information is logically divided into control information segments such that each segment is usable by the receiver to recover usable control information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identified information is configured to be wirelessly transmitted.

10. An apparatus for improving acquisition latency in a communication network, comprising:

means for identifying control information associated with the transmitted information;

means for segmenting the control information; and

means for associating each piece of control information with a respective transmission unit of the transmitted information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the respective transmission unit is a Physical Layer Packet (PLP) of a superframe.

12. An apparatus for improving acquisition latency in a communication network, comprising:

means for receiving the transmitted information and associated control information, wherein the control information comprises a plurality of segments; and

means for recovering each unit of the transmitted information that has been received based on a corresponding control information segment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitted information and associated control information are received wirelessly.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the control information is associated with a Mediaflo Logical Channel (MLC).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the control information comprises flo to MLC mapping data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein wireless information is transmitted over the network according to orthogonal frequency division principles.

17. An apparatus for segmenting control information, comprising:

means for identifying information to be transferred; and

means for logically dividing the information into meaningful segments of control information such that each segment can be used by a receiver to recover usable control information.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the identified information is configured to be wirelessly transmitted.

19. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for execution by one or more processors for performing a method of improving acquisition latency in a communication network, the instructions when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

identifying control information associated with the transmitted information;

segmenting the control information; and

each piece of control information is associated with a respective transmission unit of the transmitted information.

20. A processor configured to improve acquisition latency in a communication network, comprising:

an identification logic portion for identifying control information associated with the communicated information;

a segmentation logic for segmenting the control information; and

an association logic for associating each piece of control information with a respective transmission unit of transmitted information.