Devices and methods for dynamic broadcast

Abstract

A dynamic broadcast system as well as a terminal and a control device for use in such a dynamic broadcast system are presented. Transmission parameters, transmission times and transmission paths used for broadcasting and providing content, either via a broadcast network or a broadband network to terminals used in the dynamic broadcast system are dynamically controlled. Further, a decision logic is provided that dynamically decides transmission parameters, transmission times and transmission paths used for broadcasting and providing content based on monitoring data carrying information on user specific content usage and/or transmission quality data carrying information on the quality of a transmission link between a broadband server and a terminal and/or of a reception of content broadcast by a broadcast transmitter.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 : A receiver comprising:
 over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry   a broadband interface configured to receive Internet protocol packets, and circuitry configured to:
 analyse received signaling data and determine therefrom whether an event is to be received via broadcast receiver circuitry or via the broadband interface 
 decode the event 
 transmit reports comprising event usage information. 
   
     
     
         3 : The receiver according to  claim 2 , wherein the signaling data has been set according to information in other transmitted reports. 
     
     
         4 : The receiver according to  claim 3  wherein the other transmitted reports determine a measure of event popularity. 
     
     
         5 : The receiver according to  claim 2  wherein the circuitry is configured to transmit the reports comprising event usage information periodically. 
     
     
         6 : The receiver according to  claim 2  wherein the reports comprising event usage information are transmitted via the broadband interface. 
     
     
         7 : The receiver according to  claim 2  wherein the Internet protocol packets are included in an encapsulated transport stream. 
     
     
         8 : The receiver according to  claim 2  wherein the circuitry is configured to use parameters in the signaling data to configure the broadcast receiver circuitry when the event is received via the broadcast receiver. 
     
     
         9 : The receiver according to  claim 2 , further comprising a storage medium and the signaling data indicates that an event comprises non-real-time content for storage in the storage medium. 
     
     
         10 : The receiver according to  claim 9 , wherein the signaling data indicates that the non-real-time content is not for output until a signalled presentation time. 
     
     
         11 : The receiver according to  claim 2 , wherein the signaling data includes data indicating that an event is to change from being received by one of the over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry or the broadband interface to the other of the over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry or the broadband interface. 
     
     
         12 : The receiver according to  claim 10 , wherein the circuitry is configured to synchronize decoding of the event by aligning broadcast packets received via the over-the-air broadcast receiver with Internet protocol packets received via the broadband interface. 
     
     
         13 : The receiver according to  claim 2  wherein the signaling data indicates that an event is to be received in a white space in the transmission spectrum and the receiver is configured to align itself to receive the event from the said white space in the transmission spectrum. 
     
     
         14 : The receiver according to  claim 2  wherein when the event is received via the broadband interface, the over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry is placed in a standby mode. 
     
     
         15 : The receiver according to  claim 2 , wherein the signaling information is received as a message via the broadband interface. 
     
     
         16 : A home gateway comprising the receiver according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         17 : A method comprising:
 analysing received signaling data and determining therefrom whether an event is to be received via an over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry or via a broadband interface as Internet protocol packets   decoding the event   transmitting reports comprising event usage information.   
     
     
         18 : The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the signaling data has been set according to information in other transmitted reports. 
     
     
         19 : The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the other transmitted reports determine a measure of event popularity. 
     
     
         20 : The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising changing whether an event is received via one of the over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry or via the broadband interface as Internet protocol packets to the other of the over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry or via the broadband interface. 
     
     
         21 : The method according to  claim 20 , further comprising changing receiving the by either of the over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry or the broadband interface to the other over-the-air broadcast receiver circuitry or the broadband interface of the once decoding of the event has commenced.