Physical Layer Signalling Type Indicators for Digital Broadcast Flexibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing digital broadcast standards, particularly DVB-T2, lack sufficient flexibility and information in physical layer signalling to support new features and settings, leading to inefficient encapsulation and processing of input streams.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves enhancing physical layer signalling by introducing a type indicator for each physical layer pipe, which specifies the format of the input stream (e.g., transport stream, generic stream, IP stream) and indicates whether header or content compression is applied, thereby improving flexibility and efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If existing physical layer signalling in DVB-T2 is used, then backward compatibility is maintained, but flexibility and information for supporting new features are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexibility for new featuresVSAvoidsignalling information
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The input stream is segmented into user packets with distinct headers, and the signalling is segmented into type indicators that specifically identify stream formats and compression methods. This segmentation allows the system to handle different stream types (transport stream, generic stream, IP stream) individually with appropriate compression techniques, thereby increasing flexibility while maintaining clear signalling information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention introduces new parameters (type indicators) that specify input stream format and compression method. By adding these parameters to the physical layer signalling, the system can adapt to new stream formats and compression techniques without changing the fundamental DVB-T2 structure, thus improving versatility while preserving backward compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If header compression is applied to user packets, then transmission efficiency is improved, but complexity of processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission efficiencyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces compression type indicators as parameters that specify which compression method is applied to user packet headers. By explicitly signalling the compression method used, the receiver can efficiently process compressed data without needing to detect or guess the compression type, thereby improving transmission efficiency while keeping processing complexity manageable through parameter-based control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple stream formats are supported, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestream format supportVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the signalling approach by introducing specific type indicators for different stream formats (transport stream, generic stream, IP stream). This segmentation allows the system to support multiple formats by identifying them individually through type indicators, rather than requiring a single complex processing path for all formats, thus improving versatility while managing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3432576B1Physical layer signalling for digital broadcast system
Publication Date: 2025.02.12 SUN PATENT TRUST
  • EP3432576B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3432576B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3432576B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The present invention relates to a physical layer signalling in a digital broadcast network. In particular, for a digital broadcast network supporting a configuration with a plurality of physical layer pipes, a type indicator is signalled on physical layer for a pipe, the type indicator indicates the format of the input stream which may specify a transport stream, a generic stream or an IP stream. In addition, per physical layer pipe application of header and/or content compression to the user packet headers of the input stream is signalled. Another physical layer parameters are advantageously provided or extended in order to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the layer 1 signalling.