Pilot Synchronization Symbols for Fast Digital Broadcast Service Discovery
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital video broadcast networks face inefficiencies in service discovery and channel search due to insufficient PSI or SI signaling, leading to sub-optimal user experience and high bandwidth costs, especially in systems like DVB-H, where blind service discovery is slow and requires trial-and-error methods, consuming significant time.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a pilot synchronization symbol with known characteristics at the beginning of digital broadcast frames, allowing for efficient detection of digital video broadcast channels without trial-and-error methods, and using multiple pilot symbols for fast channel search and service discovery, including L1 and L2 signaling within these symbols to carry essential information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If blind service discovery is performed using conventional PSI or SI signaling, then service information can be obtained, but the process is slow and requires trial-and-error methods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by inserting known pilot symbols at predetermined positions in the broadcast signal before transmission. These pilot symbols serve as synchronization markers that enable the receiver to quickly identify and lock onto the signal without performing slow trial-and-error blind searches. The receiver can detect these known patterns immediately, significantly reducing the time required for service discovery while maintaining accurate detection.
2Loss of information
If PSI or SI tables are used to carry service information, then service data can be transmitted, but bandwidth consumption increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the synchronization and service discovery function from the bulky PSI/SI tables and implements it through compact pilot symbols embedded in the signal structure. These pilot symbols contain essential synchronization information in a highly compressed form, allowing the receiver to acquire service information without processing large amounts of bandwidth-consuming PSI/SI data, thus reducing overall bandwidth requirements while maintaining information delivery.
3Reliability
If trial-and-error methods are used to decode the signal, then digital video broadcast channels can be detected, but the process consumes significant time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by transmitting known pilot symbol patterns that the receiver already has stored locally. Instead of requiring the receiver to guess and test multiple decoding parameters through trial-and-error, it directly searches for and copies these known patterns in the received signal. This approach maintains reliable detection by using the exact same pilot patterns that were transmitted, while dramatically improving productivity by eliminating iterative decoding attempts.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the invention are directed to service and channel discovery in a digital broadcast network. A pilot synchronization symbol, which has known characteristics, is included as a first symbol of digital broadcast frames. The pilot symbol, which can be decoded without having to resort to trial and error methods, contains parameters for the rest of the signal. In another aspect of the invention, at least two pilot symbols may be defined and used at the beginning of each frame. The at least two pilot symbols P1 and P2 may enable fast channel search and service discovery within the frame. Signaling may be realized as a combination of L1 and L2 signaling.