TDM Mobile TV Receiver Visual Program Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile TV devices face challenges in user-friendly channel selection and power consumption due to channel switching delays and high power requirements in managing multiple channels in TDM systems like DVB-H, where receivers need to decode and buffer multiple channels simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A TDM mobile TV receiver design that includes an antenna, RF front end, A/D converter, demodulator, and video decoder capable of decoding and scaling all TV channels simultaneously, with features like parsing video frames, lowering visual resolution, and discarding non-reference frames to reduce power consumption and memory usage, enabling the creation of a visual program guide with a consolidated view of multiple channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the video decoder decodes and buffers multiple channels simultaneously to enable fast channel switching, then channel switching delay is reduced, but power consumption and memory requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system decodes only a subset of channels simultaneously (partial action) rather than all channels, balancing fast switching capability with acceptable power consumption. The visual program guide displays thumbnails for all channels but only decodes a limited number of active channels in parallel, avoiding the excessive power drain of decoding every channel at full resolution simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Different channels are treated differently based on their decoding status. Channels that are actively decoded receive full processing resources, while other channels are represented only by thumbnail previews or lower-resolution buffers. This local differentiation allows fast channel switching perception while conserving power on non-active channels.
2Loss of time
If the video decoder decodes and buffers multiple channels simultaneously to enable fast channel switching, then channel switching delay is reduced, but memory requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system buffers video data for only a limited number of channels simultaneously rather than all channels, reducing memory requirements while maintaining fast channel switching for the buffered channels. The visual program guide compensates by providing thumbnail previews for channels that aren't fully buffered.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and buffers only the essential reference frames (I-frames) for multiple channels in the visual program guide, rather than buffering complete video sequences. This extraction of critical reference data enables fast channel switching to any channel in the guide while minimizing memory usage by storing only the minimum necessary data.
3Manufacturing precision
If the video decoder decodes multiple channels simultaneously at full resolution, then video quality is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Full-resolution decoding is applied only to the currently active channel and a limited number of channels in the visual program guide. Other channels are displayed at lower resolutions or as thumbnails. This local quality differentiation maintains high video quality where needed while reducing overall power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the number of channels decoded at full resolution based on user behavior patterns. If the user frequently switches between certain channels, those channels are kept in the active decoding set. If channels are rarely accessed, they are downgraded to thumbnail-only representation, optimizing power consumption based on actual usage dynamics.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of creating a visual program guide for use on a TDM mobile TV receiver comprises receiving a RF signal associated with a TV channel; demodulating all of the received RF signals associated with the TV channels; decoding all of the demodulated received RF signals corresponding to all the TV channels simultaneously; and creating the visual program guide as a consolidated view of each of the decoded TV channels, wherein the simultaneous decoding of the demodulated received RF signals significantly reduces a power consumption level and a memory utilization level in the receiver.