Backwards compatible real-time program guide capacity increase

摘要

A system and method for transmitting program guide information describing a second set of programs to subscribers is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is implemented in a network broadcasting a first signal having a first set of programs and a second signal having a second set of programs. The method comprises the steps of broadcasting first program guide information describing the first set of programs to the subscribers on a first service channel on a first signal and broadcasting second program guide information describing the second set of programs to a subset of the subscribers on the first service channel on a second signal, wherein a fundamental signal characteristic of the second signal differs from the fundamental signal characteristic of the first signal. In another embodiment, the method comprises the steps of receiving first program guide information describing the first set of programs on a first service channel on a first signal; and receiving second program guide information describing the second set of programs on the first service channel on a second signal, wherein a fundamental signal characteristic of the second signal differs from the fundamental signal characteristic of the first signal.

主权项

1. In a single content provider system comprising one or more satellites for transmitting a plurality of programs to a plurality of subscribers via satellite transmission, the single content provider system having a first transmitter broadcasting a first signal having a first set of programs and not a second set of programs to a the plurality of subscribers according to a channel sharing scheme having a plurality of service channels distinguished by service channel identifiers, and a second transmitter broadcasting a second signal having the second set of programs according to the same channel sharing scheme, a method of providing second program guide information describing the second set of programs, comprising:
broadcasting the first signal having a first service channel from the system to a first geographical area, the first service channel of the first signal comprising first program guide information describing the first set of programs and not including the second program guide information describing the second set of programs; and broadcasting, at the same time as the first signal, the second signal having the first service channel from the system to a subset of the plurality of subscribers located in a region within the first geographical area, the subset of the plurality of subscribers comprising fewer than all of the plurality of subscribers, the first service channel of the second signal comprising second program guide information describing the second set of programs; wherein a fundamental signal characteristic of the second signal differs from the fundamental signal characteristic of the first signal, allowing receivers associated with the subset of subscribers to distinguishably receive both the first signal and the second signal.