ATSC Boundary Conditions Fallover to the Internet

Abstract

Techniques are described that extend and / or improve the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 television protocol in reliably delivering next-generation broadcast television services, such as when a receiver (300) is moving through a boundary region (302) between two broadcast stations (304) to automatically switch from presenting the service on a first frequency (306) to a second frequency (308) to obtain the service temporarily using a satellite link or a 5G wireless phone or other over-the-top (OTT) source (310) until the OTA link meets quality requirements.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application relates to technological advances directed to digital television, which are necessarily rooted in computer technology, and in particular to Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0. [Background technology]

[0002] The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 family of standards, set forth in A / 300, is a set of numerous industry technical standards for delivering the next generation of broadcast television. ATSC 3.0 supports the delivery of a wide range of television services, including televised video, interactive services, non-real-time data delivery, and tailored advertising to a multitude of receiving devices, from ultra-high definition televisions to wireless telephones. ATSC 3.0 also coordinates the coordination between broadcast content (called "Over the Air" or OTA) and related broadband-delivered content and services (called "Over the Top" or OTT). ATSC 3.0 is designed to be flexible so that as technology evolves, advancements can be easily incorporated without the need to overhaul any of the relevant technical standards.

[0003] As understood herein, an ATSC 3.0 receiver scans for services, including within a coverage area that includes two or more frequencies carrying the same service, such as may occur in boundary areas where broadcast signals from two local ATSC 3.0 broadcast stations overlap. These boundary areas exist within a multi-frequency network (MFN). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application No. 2017 / 494,804 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Application No. 2017 / 489,732 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As will be further understood herein, in a multi-frequency network, an ATSC 3.0 receiver may not be able to fall back to a second broadcast frequency service due to quality metrics not being met. The service on the second frequency may be inferior to the currently tuned service and may be subject to degradation. When a mobile receiver moves out of range or is momentarily obstructed by terrain such as mountainsides, trees, buildings or other structures, degradation of the service broadcast on one frequency may cause problems with reception in boundary conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Thus, in a digital television (DTV) where at least one receiver is capable of receiving a broadcast signal, a method includes tuning to a first DTV service broadcast over the air (OTA) from at least a first OTA transmitter. The method also includes presenting the primary DTV service on at least one display. Additionally, the method includes scanning for a copy of the primary DTV service from at least a second OTA transmitter and presenting the copy of the primary DTV service in response to at least one condition related to the primary DTV service. The method further includes obtaining a copy of the primary DTV service from a wireless transceiver in response to the at least one condition related to the copy of the primary DTV service and presenting the copy of the primary DTV service on the display. The method includes presenting the DTV service from the OTA transmitter in a quality that satisfies the at least one condition in response to obtaining the primary DTV service from the OTA transmitter in a quality that satisfies the at least one condition.

[0007] Optionally, the method may include terminating a link between the receiver and the transceiver in response to obtaining the primary DTV service from the OTA transmitter with a quality that satisfies the at least one condition.

[0008] In an example implementation, the transceiver may include at least one wireless telephone transceiver, such as at least one 5G base station, and / or at least one satellite, and / or at least one Wi-Fi transceiver.

[0009] The conditions for the primary DTV service may include at least one quality metric.

[0010] In another aspect, a digital television (DTV) device includes at least one digital television (DTV) receiver and at least one processor programmed with instructions that configure the processor to present on at least one display DTV services received from at least one over-the-air DTV transmitter. The instructions are executable to obtain DTV services from a wireless transceiver and present on the display upon OTA signal degradation when the receiver can no longer present DTV services from any OTA DTV transmitter at a first quality. The instructions are executable to switch from presenting the DTV services obtained from the transceiver to presenting services obtained from the OTA transmitter with the first quality in response to obtaining the DTV services having the first quality from any OTA transmitter.

[0011] In another aspect, an apparatus includes at least one non-transient signal computer storage device containing instructions executable by at least one processor to present digital television (DTV) service from at least one over-the-air (OTA) DTV transmitter until the DTV service is not received from any OTA DTV transmitter at a first signal quality, after which the instructions are executable to switch to presenting the DTV service from a wireless telephone or satellite transmitter, and switch back to presenting the DTV service from the OTA transmitter once the DTV service is available OTA at the first signal quality.

[0012] The details of the present application, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are designated with like reference numerals and in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates components of the device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a specific system example. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates example logic in example flow chart form in accordance with present principles. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates example logic in example flow chart form in accordance with present principles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present disclosure relates to technological advances in digital television, such as Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 televisions. An example system herein may include an ATSC 3.0 source component and a client component connected via broadcast and / or network to exchange data with each other. The client components may include one or more computing devices, such as portable televisions (e.g., smart TVs, Internet-enabled TVs), portable computers, such as laptops and tablet computers, and smartphones and other mobile devices, including further examples described below. These client devices may operate in a variety of operating environments. For example, some of the client computers may employ operating systems such as Microsoft's operating system, or Unix operating system, or Android® manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. or Google, Inc., as examples. These operating environments may be used to execute one or more browsing programs, such as browsers created by Microsoft, Google, or Mozilla, or other browsing programs that can access websites hosted by Internet servers, as described below.

[0015] The ATSC 3.0 source components may include broadcast transmission components, and servers and / or gateways that may include one or more processors executing instructions that configure the source components to broadcast and / or transmit data over a network such as the Internet. Examples of client components and / or local ATSC 3.0 source components include gaming consoles such as Sony PlayStation®, personal computers, and the like.

[0016] Information may be exchanged between the client and the server over a network. For this purpose and for security, the server and / or the client may include firewalls, load balancers, temporary storage, and proxies, as well as other network infrastructure that enhances authenticity and security.

[0017] As used herein, instructions refer to computer-implemented steps for processing information within a system. Instructions may be implemented in software, firmware, or hardware and may include any type of program steps undertaken by components of the system.

[0018] The processor can be a single-chip or multi-chip processor capable of implementing logic through various lines, such as address lines, data lines and control lines, as well as registers and shift registers.

[0019] The software modules illustrated by the flowcharts and user interfaces herein may include various subroutines, procedures, etc. Without limiting the disclosure, logic disclosed as being performed by a particular module may also be redistributed among other software modules and / or combined into a single module and / or utilized within a shareable library. Although a flowchart format may be used, it is understood that the software may also be implemented as a state machine or other logical method.

[0020] The principles described herein may be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof, and thus, example components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described in terms of their functionality.

[0021] In addition to those suggested above, the logic blocks, modules and circuits may be implemented or performed using general purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A processor may be implemented by a combination of a controller, a state machine, or a computing device.

[0022] The functions and methods described below, when implemented in software, may be written in any suitable language, such as, but not limited to, HyperText Markup Language (HTML)-5, Java / Javascript, C#, C++, and may be stored on or transmitted through a computer-readable storage medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, such as a digital versatile disk (DVD), magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, including removable universal serial bus (USB) thumb drives, and the like. A connection may constitute the computer-readable medium. Such connections may include wired cables, including, by way of example, optical fiber, coaxial cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), and twisted pair cable.

[0023] Components included in one embodiment may be used in other embodiments in any suitable combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and / or illustrated in the figures may be combined, substituted, or excluded from other embodiments.

[0024] A reference to "having at least one of A, B, and C (and similarly, "having at least one of A, B, or C" and "having at least one of A, B, C") includes A only, B only, C only, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C, and / or all of A, B, and C, etc.

[0025] The present principles may employ a variety of machine learning models, including deep learning models. Machine learning models according to the present principles may use a variety of algorithms trained in ways including supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, reinforcement learning, feature learning, self-learning, and other forms of learning. Examples of such algorithms that may be implemented by computer circuitry include one or more neural networks, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and a type of RNN known as a long short-term memory (LSTM) network. Support vector machines (SVMs) and Bayesian networks may also be considered examples of machine learning models.

[0026] Thus, as understood herein, performing machine learning can involve training a model on the training data after accessing the training data so that the model can process further data and make inferences. Thus, an artificial neural network / artificial intelligence model trained through machine learning can include an input layer, an output layer, and multiple hidden layers therebetween that are configured and weighted to make inferences regarding the appropriate output.

[0027] 1, an example of an ATSC 3.0 source component, designated as a "broadcast station facility" 10, may include an over-the-air (OTA) facility 12 that broadcasts television data wirelessly, typically via orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) in a one-to-many relationship, to multiple receivers 14, such as ATSC 3.0 televisions. The one or more receivers 14 may communicate with one or more companion devices 16, such as remote control devices, tablet computers, and mobile phones, via a short-range link 18, which is typically wireless and may be implemented by Bluetooth, low-energy Bluetooth, other near-field communication (NFC) protocols, infrared (IR), and the like.

[0028] One or more of the receivers 14 may also communicate with an over-the-top (OTT) facility 22 of the broadcast facility 10 via a wired and / or wireless network link 20, such as the Internet, typically in a one-to-one relationship. The OTA facility 12 may be co-located with the OTT facility 22, or both facilities 12, 22 of the broadcast facility 10 may be remote from each other and communicate with each other through suitable means. In any case, the receiver 14 may receive ATSC 3.0 television signals OTA via a tuned ATSC 3.0 television channel, or may receive related content including television OTT (broadband). As will be further described below, this OTT or secondary content may be received, for example, from a satellite or wireless telephone network. It should be noted that the computer devices described in all figures herein may include some or all of the components shown for the various devices in Figures 1 and 2.

[0029] Referring now to Figure 2, details of example components shown in Figure 1 can be seen. Figure 2 shows an example protocol stack that can be implemented by a combination of hardware and software. A broadcaster can transmit a hybrid service distribution that distributes one or more program elements over a computer network (referred to herein as "broadband" and "over the top" (OTT)) and over the air (referred to herein as "broadcast" and "over the air" (OTA)) using the ATSC 3.0 protocol stack, appropriately modified for the broadcaster side shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 also shows an example stack including hardware that can be embodied by a receiver.

[0030] Disclosing FIG. 2 from the perspective of a broadcast station facility 10, one or more processors 200 accessing one or more computer storage media 202, such as any memory or storage described herein, can be implemented to provide one or more software applications at a top application layer 204. The application layer 204 can include one or more software applications written in, for example, HTML5 / Javascript, that operate in a runtime environment. Applications in the application stack 204 can include, but are not limited to, linear TV applications, interactive service applications, companion screen applications, personalization applications, emergency alert applications, and usage reporting applications. Typically, applications are embodied in software that represents elements of the viewer experience, including video coding, audio coding, and runtime environment. As an example, applications can be provided that allow the user to control dialogue, use alternative audio tracks, and control audio parameters such as normalization and dynamic range.

[0031] Below the application layer 204 is the presentation layer 206. The presentation layer 206 includes a broadcast audio-video playback device on the over-the-air (OTA) side called a media processing unit (MPU) 208 that, when implemented in a receiver, decodes the over-the-air broadcasted audio-video content and plays it on one or more displays and speakers. The MPU 208 is configured to present the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Base Media File Format (BMFF) data representation 210, and video in High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), with audio in, for example, Dolby Audio Compression (AC)-4 format. The ISO BMFF is a generic file structure for time-based media files that are divided into "segments" and presentation metadata. Essentially, each file is a set of nested objects, each with its own type and length. The MPU 208 can access a broadcast-side encrypted media extension (EME) / common encryption (CENC) module 212 to facilitate decryption.

[0032] 2 further illustrates that on the broadcast side, the presentation layer 206 can include signaling modules, including either a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) Media Transport Protocol (MMTP) signaling module 214 or a real-time object delivery over unidirectional transport (ROUTE) signaling module 216, to deliver non-real-time (NRT) content 218 accessible to the application layer 204. NRT content can include, but is not limited to, stored alternative advertisements.

[0033] On the broadband (OTT or computer network) side, if implemented by a receiver, the presentation layer 206 can include one or more Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) (DASH) players / decoders 220 to decode and play audio-video content from the Internet. To this end, the DASH players 220 can access an EME / CENC module 222 on the broadband side. The DASH content can be provided as DASH segments 224 in ISO / BMFF format.

[0034] The broadband side of the presentation layer 206, like the broadcast side, can include NRT content in files 226 as well as signaling objects 228 that provide playback signaling.

[0035] Below the presentation layer 206 in the protocol stack is the session layer 230. On the broadcast side, the session layer 230 includes either the MMTP protocol 232 or the ROUTE protocol 234. Note that the ATSC standard provides the option of using MPEG MMT for transmission, but this is not shown here.

[0036] The session layer 230 includes an HTTP protocol 236 that can be implemented on the broadband side as HTTP-secure (HTTP(S)). The broadband side of the session layer 230 can also employ an HTTP proxy module 238 and a service list table (SLT) 240. The SLT 240 includes a table of signaling information used to build a basic service list and provide bootstrap discovery of broadcast content. The "ROUTE signaling" table includes Media Presentation Descriptions (MPDs) that are delivered over User Datagram Protocol (UDP) by the ROUTE transport protocol.

[0037] Below the session layer 230 in the protocol stack is the transport layer 242 for establishing low-latency and loss-tolerating connections, which uses UDP 244 on the broadcast side and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) 246 on the broadband side.

[0038] 2 also includes a network layer 248 below the transport layer 242. The network layer 248 uses the Internet Protocol (IP) on both sides for IP packet communication, with multicast delivery being typical on the broadcast side and unicast on the broadband side.

[0039] Below the network layer 248 is the physical layer 250, which includes broadcast transmission / reception equipment 252 and computer network interface(s) 254 for communicating on the respective physical media associated with both sides. The physical layer 250 converts Internet Protocol (IP) packets for transmission on the associated media and may include modulation and demodulation modules to incorporate modulation and demodulation functions, as well as adding forward error correction to allow for error correction at the receiver. The physical layer 250 converts bits into symbols for long distance transmission and improved bandwidth efficiency. The physical layer 250 typically includes a wireless broadcast transmitter on the OTA side that broadcasts data over the air using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and a computer transmission component on the OTT side that transmits data over the Internet.

[0040] On the broadband side, the DASH Industry Forum (DASH-IF) profile can be used, transmitted over various protocols in the protocol stack (HTTP / TCP / IP). Media files in the DASH-IF profile, which is based on ISO BMFF, can be used as a distribution, media encapsulation and synchronization format for both broadcast and broadband distribution.

[0041] Typically, each receiver 14 includes a protocol stack that is complementary to the protocol stack of the broadcast station equipment.

[0042] Receiver 14 of FIG. 1 may include an Internet-enabled TV having one or more ATSC 3.0 TV tuners 256 (equivalent to a set-top box that controls a TV), as shown in FIG. 2. Receiver 14 may be an Android®-based system. Alternatively, receiver 14 may be implemented by a computerized Internet-enabled ("smart") phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a wearable computing device, an automobile, and the like. Nevertheless, it should be understood that receiver 14 and / or other computers described herein are configured to implement the present principles (e.g., to communicate with other devices to implement the present principles, to execute logic described herein, and to perform any other functions and / or operations described herein).

[0043] Accordingly, the receiver 14 may be constructed with some or all of the components shown in FIG. 1 to implement such principles. For example, the receiver 14 may include one or more displays 258, which may or may not be touch-enabled, implemented with a high definition or ultra-high definition "4K" or higher flat screen to receive user input signals via touch on the display. The receiver 14 may also include one or more speakers 260 for outputting audio in accordance with the present principles, and at least one additional input device 262, e.g., an audio receiver / microphone, for inputting audible commands to the receiver 14, e.g., to control the receiver 14. The example receiver 14 may further include one or more network interfaces 264 for communicating over at least one network, such as the Internet, a WAN, a LAN, a PAN, etc., under the control of one or more processors 266. Thus, the interface 264 may be a Wi-Fi transceiver, which is an example of a wireless computer network interface, such as, but not limited to, a mesh network transceiver. The interface 264 can be, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth transceiver, a Zigbee transceiver, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) transceiver, a wireless USB transceiver, a wired USB, a wired LAN, a power line, or a Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA). It is understood that the processor 266 controls the receiver 14 to implement the present principles, including other elements of the receiver 14 described herein, such as controlling the display 258 to present images and receive inputs. Additionally, the network interface 264 can be, for example, a wired or wireless modem or router, or other suitable interface, such as a wireless telephone transceiver or a Wi-Fi transceiver as described above.

[0044] In addition to the above, receiver 14 may also include one or more input ports 268, such as a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port or a USB port, for physically connecting (using a wired connection) to another CE device, and / or a headphone port for connecting headphones to receiver 14 to present audio from receiver 14 to a user through the headphones. For example, input port 268 may connect via wire or wireless to a cable or satellite source of audio-video content. Thus, the source may be a separate or integrated set-top box or satellite receiver. Alternatively, the source may be a game console or disc player.

[0045] Receiver 14 may further include one or more computer memories 270, such as non-transitory, disk-based or solid-state storage, embodied in some cases as a stand-alone device within the receiver chassis, as a personal video recorder (PVR) or video disk player for playing audio-video (AV) programs, or as a removable storage medium, inside or outside the receiver chassis. In some embodiments, receiver 14 may also include a position or location receiver 272, such as, but not limited to, a cellular telephone receiver, a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver, and / or an altimeter, configured to receive geographic location information, for example, from at least one satellite or cellular telephone tower and provide this information to processor 266 and / or determine an altitude at which receiver 14 is located with processor 266. However, it should be understood that another suitable position receiver other than a cellular telephone receiver, a GPS receiver, and / or an altimeter may be used in accordance with the present principles, for example to determine the location of receiver 14 in all three dimensions.

[0046] Continuing with the description of receiver 14, in some embodiments receiver 14 may include one or more cameras 274, which may include one or more of a thermal imaging camera, a digital camera such as a webcam, and / or a camera integrated into receiver 14 and controllable by processor 266, to collect pictures / images and / or videos in accordance with the present principles. Receiver 14 may also include a Bluetooth transceiver 276 or other near field communication (NFC) element for communicating with other devices using Bluetooth and / or NFC technology, respectively. An example NFC element may be a radio frequency identification (RFID) element.

[0047] Additionally, receiver 14 may also include one or more auxiliary sensors 278 (e.g., motion sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, cyclometers, or magnetic sensors and combinations thereof) that provide input to processor 266, infrared (IR) sensors for receiving IR commands from a remote control device, optical sensors, speed and / or cadence sensors, gesture sensors (for detecting gesture commands), etc. An IR sensor 280 may also be provided for receiving commands from a wireless remote control. A battery (not shown) may also be provided for powering receiver 14.

[0048] Companion device 16 may include some or all of the elements illustrated in connection with receiver 14 above.

[0049] The methods described herein may be implemented as software instructions executed by a processor, a suitably configured application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or field programmable gate array (FPGA) module, or any other convenient manner as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The software instructions, if employed, may be embodied in a non-transitory device such as a CD ROM or flash drive. Alternatively, the software code instructions may be embodied in a transitory configuration such as a radio or optical signal, or through downloading over the Internet.

[0050] Next, referring to FIG. 3, a simplified digital TV system such as an ATSC 3.0 system is shown. In FIG. 3, a mobile or fixed digital TV receiver such as an ATSC 3.0 receiver 300, which may include some or all of the relevant components described above in connection with FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, is placed in a boundary area 302 between a first and a second ATSC 3.0 broadcast station or assembly 304, and signals from both broadcast stations 304 are picked up by the receiver 300 in the area 302. The first broadcast station 304 broadcasts a first ATSC 3.0 service ("Service A") on a first frequency 306, while the second broadcast station 304 broadcasts the same Service A on a second frequency 308 different from the first frequency 306. The receiver 300 picks up both frequencies, i.e., the receiver 300 picks up signals from both broadcast stations 304.

[0051] In the area shown in FIG. 3, one or more OTT sources 310 may be available. The sources 310 may be, for example, 5G access points, or satellite transceivers such as Starlink transponders, or Wi-Fi transceivers, capable of providing ATSC 3.0 services. Content aggregators (which provide Internet services to broadcasters) may also have content repositories. Such data services may be costly to use for such consistently high bandwidth video content, which may induce the receiver to switch back to the service when it becomes available on the OTA frequencies. Thus, the receiver may monitor the OTA frequencies while connected to the Internet to see if the service is available, and if so, may switch over.

[0052] The receiver may have multiple tuner / demodulator pairs such as those described in the assignee's US patent application Ser. Nos. 17 / 494,804 and 17 / 489,732, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0053] This is shown in Figure 4. Starting at block 400, an ATSC receiver, such as a mobile ATSC 3.0 receiver crossing the boundary region shown in Figure 3, acquires a primary digital TV service. This service is presented on a display.

[0054] State 402 indicates that as the receiver moves, the signal quality of the primary service, as measured, for example, by any one or more of the quality metrics described below, may degrade below one or more thresholds deemed acceptable. These thresholds may be established to remain static or may be dynamically changed as the receiver moves, depending, for example, on the particular combination of quality metrics used, the location and direction of movement of the receiver, the locations of nearby transmitters, and the terrain surrounding the receiver. Machine learning may be used to establish dynamic thresholds. ML models may be trained on ground truth parameters such as quality metric values ​​correlated to example ground truth thresholds, transmitter locations, receiver course / speed / location, and terrain.

[0055] The primary service may be presented as long as the primary service is of acceptable quality. However, if the decision block 402 results in the primary service being degraded relative to a threshold(s), the logic may proceed to state 404 to determine whether an alternative version of the service is available, for example on another frequency from a different OTA transmitter. Note that the receiver may not seek a version of the service from a different OTA transmitter, but may instead try to obtain it directly from an OTT source as described above. In some geographic locations, an OTT source, such as a 5G base station, may be more available than an OTA broadcast station. A link for the OTT source may be signaled as a secondary service within the primary service. The logic may then proceed from decision block 402 to state 410, although not shown.

[0056] "Secondary Service" means a substitute OTA service. Alternatively, "Secondary Service" means a substitute for any currently tuned "Primary Service," whether delivered OTA or OTT.

[0057] In the case where the receiver seeks a secondary OTA service, if the secondary service is indicated as available, for example by a secondary tuner different from the primary tuner obtaining the primary service scanning the spectrum, the logic may proceed to state 406 to determine whether the signal quality of the secondary service, as measured, for example, by any one or more of the quality metrics described below, is likely to fall below one or more thresholds deemed acceptable. These thresholds may be established to remain static as the receiver moves, or may be dynamically changed, depending, for example, on the particular combination of quality metrics used, the location and direction of movement of the receiver, the locations of nearby transmitters, and the terrain surrounding the receiver. Machine learning may be used to establish dynamic thresholds. ML models may be trained on ground truth parameters such as quality metric values ​​correlated to example ground truth thresholds, transmitter locations, course / speed / location of the receiver, and terrain.

[0058] In response to a secondary or alternative service being available and of acceptable quality, the logic proceeds to state 408 to tune to the secondary service in place of the (degraded) primary service and play the secondary service on the display. The secondary tuner can be used for this purpose while the primary tuner scans for additional services, or the primary tuner can tune to an OTA signal carrying the secondary service and present the service using the primary tuner, with the secondary tuner resuming its scanning duties.

[0059] On the other hand, if the secondary service is not available OTA at state 404, or if the secondary service does not have sufficient quality at state 406, the logic proceeds to state 410 to acquire the secondary service from a wireless telephone transceiver, such as a 5G base station, or a Wi-Fi transceiver, or a wireless transmitter, such as a satellite in the Starlink satellite network, via a satellite transponder, etc. The service acquired OTT is then displayed on a display associated with the receiver.

[0060] However, recognizing that such OTT unicast links may be relatively expensive, the logic continues to monitor for an acceptable OTA link, either the primary in state 402 or, failing that, the secondary in state 404, and as soon as an acceptable OTA signal is available, switches to the OTA service offering and terminates the wireless OTT link.

[0061] Thus, a receiver according to the principles herein can receive broadcast digital TV over-the-air from one or more DTV broadcast transmitters. Typically, such transmitters broadcast a TV signal that any DTV receiver can pick up without exchanging identification or authentication information with the transmitter, although in some cases digital rights management (DRM) may be used to protect the OTA service if desired, and some content delivered over-the-air may be subscription content. Content received over-the-air is input into the receiver's OTA stack, which is very similar to the transmitter's OTA stack shown in FIG. 2.

[0062] A receiver according to the present principles may further include a secondary receiving device, such as, but not limited to, a wireless telephone receiver as described above with reference to network interface 264 shown in Figure 2, and / or a satellite receiver as described above with reference to input 268 shown in Figure 2. Wi-Fi may also be used. Typically, content received via the secondary receiving device is input to an OTT stack in the receiver, much like the OTT stack in the transmitter shown in Figure 2.

[0063] Typically, content received via a secondary receiving device is not broadcast in a form that any receiver can receive and use. Rather, content distributed over a wireless telephone data network or the like is typically point-to-point from a wireless telephone transceiver to a telephone number associated with the secondary receiving device. Content distributed over a wireless path, such as from a satellite network, is typically sent to a specific network address associated with the secondary receiving device.

[0064] A further technique is illustrated in Figure 5. Beginning at block 500, an ATSC receiver, such as a mobile ATSC 3.0 receiver crossing the boundary region shown in Figure 3, acquires a primary digital TV service. This service is presented on a display.

[0065] State 502 indicates that as the receiver moves, the signal quality of the primary service, as measured, for example, by any one or more of the quality metrics described below, may degrade below one or more thresholds deemed acceptable. These thresholds may be established to remain static or may be dynamically changed as the receiver moves, depending, for example, on the particular combination of quality metrics used, the location and direction of movement of the receiver, the locations of nearby transmitters, and the terrain surrounding the receiver. Machine learning may be used to establish dynamic thresholds. ML models may be trained on ground truth parameters such as quality metric values ​​correlated to example ground truth thresholds, transmitter locations, receiver course / speed / location, and terrain.

[0066] The primary service may be offered so long as the primary service is of acceptable quality. However, if decision block 502 results in the primary service being degraded relative to a threshold(s), the logic may proceed to state 504 to determine whether an alternative version of the service is available over a wireless link other than an ATSC 3.0 OTA link, such as an over-the-air OTT link from a satellite or from a wireless telephone network such as a 5G base station that has been signaled as a secondary service within the primary service.

[0067] If an alternative service is available at state 506, the logic proceeds to block 506 to obtain the alternative service in place of the (degraded) primary service. On the other hand, if an alternative service is not available at state 504, the logic can return to block 500 and attempt to regenerate the primary service.

[0068] From block 506, the logic can proceed to state 508 to determine whether the primary service is again available OTA with acceptable quality. If so, the logic returns to block 500. If not, the logic continues in block 510 to play the alternative service received OTT as described above.

[0069] Quality metrics of RF frequencies are described herein and such quality metrics can be identified and stored. Quality metrics can include, for example, signal to noise ratio (SNR) and error rate, which can be represented by packet error count (PEN). Quality metrics can include, for example, resolution, such as whether the service is high definition (HD) or standard definition (SD). Quality metrics can also include bit rate and form factor, recognizing that not all HD is the same. Quality metrics can include content attributes, such as whether the service supports foreign languages, accessibility signaling (e.g., where the sign is), voice portrayal, and other content aspects. Quality metrics can include locality preferences (e.g., a first region's channel is strong, but a duplicate service from a second region can be granted preference over the first region because all the ads are for the first region and not the second region the user desires). Quality metrics can include the quality of the user interface featured in the service.

[0070] In a non-limiting example, the SNR can be determined during a scan by looking at both the received signal strength at each receive frequency and any associated noise at that frequency and taking the quotient of the two. The error rate can be determined, for example, by determining the percentage of packets that are lost (by looking at the packet numbers that are lost) and / or by determining the percentage of received packets that contain errors as determined by an error correction algorithm.

[0071] While the present principles have been described with reference to certain example embodiments, it will be understood that these embodiments are not intended to be limiting and that the subject matter claimed herein may be implemented using a variety of alternative configurations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10 Broadcasting Station Equipment 12 Over the air side 14 Receiver 16 Companion Devices 22 Over-the-top side

Claims

1. In a digital television (DTV) system in which at least one receiver is capable of receiving a broadcast signal, tuning to a primary DTV service broadcast over the air (OTA) from at least a first OTA transmitter; presenting the primary DTV service on at least one display; scanning for copies of the primary DTV service from at least a second OTA transmitter; presenting the copy of the primary DTV service in response to at least one condition related to the primary DTV service; obtaining a copy of the primary DTV service from a wireless transceiver in response to at least one condition regarding the copy of the primary DTV service; displaying the copy of the primary DTV service on the display; in response to obtaining the primary DTV service from an OTA transmitter with a quality that satisfies at least one condition, presenting the DTV service from the OTA transmitter with the quality that satisfies at least one condition; The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

2. terminating a link between the receiver and the transceiver in response to obtaining the primary DTV service from an OTA transmitter with a quality that satisfies at least one condition. The method of claim 1.

3. the transceiver includes at least one radiotelephone transceiver; The method of claim 1.

4. The transceiver includes at least one 5G base station. The method according to claim 3.

5. the transceiver includes at least one satellite transponder; The method of claim 1.

6. the transceiver includes at least one Wi-Fi transceiver; The method of claim 1.

7. the at least one condition regarding the primary DTV service includes at least one quality metric; The method of claim 1.

8. the receiver comprises an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 receiver; The method of claim 1.

9. 1. A digital television (DTV) device, comprising: at least one digital television (DTV) receiver; at least one processor programmed with instructions; the instructions causing the processor to: presenting on at least one display DTV services received from at least one over-the-air (OTA) DTV transmitter; obtaining the DTV service from a wireless transceiver upon OTA signal degradation when the receiver can no longer present the DTV service from an OTA DTV transmitter at a first quality; presenting the DTV services obtained from the transceiver on the display; in response to obtaining the DTV service having the first quality from an OTA transmitter, switching from presenting the DTV service obtained from the transceiver to presenting the service having the first quality obtained from the OTA transmitter. Configure it as follows: A DTV device comprising:

10. the instructions are executable to terminate a link between the receiver and the transceiver in response to obtaining the DTV service having the first quality from any OTA transmitter.

10. The DTV device of claim 9.

11. the transceiver includes at least one wireless telephone transceiver, and the DTV device establishes a two-way session with a remote server to continue streaming the DTV service.

10. The DTV device of claim 9.

12. the transceiver includes at least one 5G base station, and the DTV device establishes a bidirectional session with a remote server to continue streaming the DTV service.

10. The DTV device of claim 9.

13. the transceiver includes at least one satellite transponder, and the DTV device establishes a two-way session with a remote server to continue streaming the DTV service.

10. The DTV device of claim 9.

14. the transceiver includes at least one Wi-Fi transceiver, and the DTV device establishes a bidirectional session with a remote server to continue streaming the DTV service.

10. The DTV device of claim 9.

15. the first condition includes at least one quality metric; 10. The DTV device of claim 9.

16. the receiver includes at least one Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 receiver; 10. The apparatus of claim 9.

17. An apparatus comprising at least one computer storage device, the computer storage device being a non-transitory signal, the instructions being executed by at least one processor to: presenting a digital television (DTV) service from at least one over-the-air (OTA) DTV transmitter until the DTV service is not received at a first signal quality from any OTA DTV transmitter, and thereafter switching to presenting said DTV service from a radiotelephone transceiver or a satellite transponder; switching to presenting the DTV service from an OTA transmitter as soon as the DTV service is available over-the-air in the first signal quality; It is feasible to An apparatus comprising:

18. the first signal quality is based on at least one quality metric.

20. The apparatus of claim 17.

19. the instructions are executable to switch to presenting the DTV service from a satellite transponder.

20. The apparatus of claim 17.

20. the instructions are executable to switch to presenting the DTV service from a wireless telephone transceiver.

20. The apparatus of claim 17.

Images