Robust mode staggercasting fast channel change

Abstract

A method and apparatus for staggercasting a plurality of content representative signals includes encoding a first and a corresponding second signal representing each of the plurality of content representative signals. A composite signal is generated comprising the plurality of first and second encoded signals. In the composite signal, each respective second encoded signal is delayed with respect to the corresponding first encoded signal. The first and second encoded signal representing a selected one of the content representative signals is extracted to reproduce the selected content representative signal. The extracted first encoded signal is decoded if an error is detected in the extracted second encoded signal, otherwise the extracted second encoded signal is decoded. When a different content representative signal is newly selected, the first extracted encoded signal is decoded until the delayed second extracted encoded signal is available.

1 . A method for staggercasting a plurality of content representative signals, comprising the steps of:
 for each of the plurality of content representative signals:
 encoding a first signal representing the content; and 
 encoding a second signal corresponding to the first encoded signal; 
   generating a composite signal comprising the plurality of first and second encoded signals wherein each respective second encoded signal is delayed with respect to the corresponding first encoded signal;   extracting the first and second encoded signal representing a selected one of the content representative signals to reproduce the selected content representative signal;   decoding the extracted first encoded signal if an error is detected in the extracted second encoded signal, otherwise decoding the extracted second encoded signal; and   when a different content representative signal is newly selected, decoding the first extracted encoded signal until the delayed second extracted encoded signal is available.   
     
     
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         8 . A staggercasting receiver, for receiving a composite signal comprising a plurality of first and corresponding second encoded signals representing a corresponding plurality of content representative signals, wherein each respective second encoded signal is delayed with respect to the corresponding first encoded signal, comprising:
 a demultiplexer, responsive to the composite signal, for extracting the first and second encoded signals representing a selected one of the plurality of content representative signal and generating an error signal representing an error in the first and second encoded signals;   a decoder, coupled to the demodulator, for:
 decoding the extracted first encoded signal if an error is detected in the extracted second encoded signal, otherwise decoding the extracted second encoded signal; and 
 when a different content representative signal is newly selected, decoding the first extracted encoded signal until the delayed second extracted encoded signal is available. 
   
     
     
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         14 . A method for processing a received staggercasted signal represented by a composite signal comprising a plurality of first and corresponding second encoded signals representing a corresponding plurality of content representative signals, wherein each respective second encoded signal is delayed with respect to the corresponding first encoded signal, comprising the steps of:
 extracting the first and second encoded signals representing a selected one of the plurality of content representative signal and generating an error signal representing an error in the first and second encoded signals;   decoding the extracted first encoded signal if an error is detected in the extracted second encoded signal, otherwise decoding the extracted second encoded signal; and   when a different content representative signal is newly selected, decoding the first extracted encoded signal until the delayed second extracted encoded signal is available.   
     
     
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