Method and apparatus for seamlessly switching reception between multimedia streams in a wireless communication system

摘要

Techniques to seamlessly switch reception between multimedia programs are described. For “continued decoding”, a wireless device continues to receive, decode, decompress, and (optionally) display a current program until overhead information needed to decode the new program is received. For “early decoding”, the wireless device receives a user input and identifies a program with potential for user selection. The wireless device initiates decoding of the identified program, prior to its selection, so that the program can be decompressed and displayed earlier if it is subsequently selected. For time-compensated transmission, a base station transmits video and audio for a program in a manner to account for the difference between audio processing delay and video processing delay at the wireless device. This allows the wireless device to present the audio earlier during a program change, since its processing delay is shorter, and thus provide a faster response to the program change.

主权项

1. A method of switching reception between multimedia programs in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
decoding at least one portion of a first program obtained from a first data frame; receiving user selection for a second program, the second program being different from the first program; obtaining from the first data frame overhead information associated with decoding the second program from a second data frame, wherein the overhead information includes at least time-frequency location of the second program within the second data frame; continuing the decoding of the at least one portion of the first program after receiving the user selection for the second program at least until the overhead information for the second program is obtained; and decoding at least one portion of the second program after obtaining the overhead information for the second program.