JP2001516994A - System for selectively downloading information from the Internet to user terminals using a satellite broadcast system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] A direct satellite digital broadcasting system is provided that broadcasts selected Internet information such as news reports, weather forecasts, and stock market rates along with radio programs. The broadcast channel includes a service control header that identifies the Internet information and the type of Internet information contained therein. A user terminal (22) having a radio broadcast receiver (2) for receiving a program broadcast via a satellite (20) is provided. Audio programs are played on speakers connected to the radio broadcast receiver. The user terminal (22) includes a multimedia device such as a personal computer (29) connected to the receiver. The multimedia device is programmed to generate a computer display that prompts a user to select a topic of Internet information. The multimedia device stores the received packets, selectively retrieves the packets, and uses these packets corresponding to a user-selected topic of information to generate an indication, such as a web page.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a system for providing broadcast Internet information to a remote user terminal without requiring a return link from the terminal to an Internet service provider.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the worldwide expansion of the use of personal computing devices, telecommunications devices, and the Internet, the world economy is now experiencing an information revolution that seems to be as important as the 19th century industrial revolution. I have. However, most people generally do not have their own telecommunications options,
Also, their disappointment has limited their ability to participate in this information revolution at this time. The population of these people is currently mainly due to the poor sound quality of shortwave radio broadcasts, or amplification and modulation (AM) bands and frequency modulation (FM)
Present in Africa, Latin America and Asia, where telecommunications services are characterized by the service area limitations of the band's terrestrial radio broadcast system.

[0003] Satellite-based direct radio broadcast systems have been proposed for transmitting data signals, including audio and images, to low cost consumer receivers in almost every region of the world. Satellite-based direct radio broadcast systems offer a number of advantages over existing satellite systems, such as the ability to provide portable services. Many existing satellite systems cannot provide portable services due to the need for large satellite antennas to access such systems. While many other existing satellite systems can provide portable or mobile communication services, these systems transmit information from the Internet and from the World Wide Web (WWW) to many different users. Does not provide adequate channel capacity to provide the high outbound data rates required to do so.

[0004] Satellite-based direct radio broadcast systems, however, are limited in that the reception is one-way and the user cannot transmit voice or other information.
As a result, users of these services cannot communicate bi-directionally via a satellite-based direct radio broadcast system and therefore do not have access to the Internet. In many conventional Internet access systems, a user connects to an Internet access provider using a communication link, such as a computer and a public switched telephone network. A series of screens are generated on the user's computer monitor that prompt the user to select the type of information they want from the Internet. For example, to access documents on the World Wide Web portion of the Internet, use Netscape Communi in Mountain View, California.
You can choose to use the Netscape Navigator (R) software available from cations Corporation (R). For example, to obtain information about a selected topic, Netscape Navigator® software allows a user to enter a keyword associated with the selected topic and send it to a web search engine. Existing radio broadcast receivers are not configured with a communication link between a user and an Internet access provider to interactively select and download information from the Internet.

[0005] However, a significant amount of information on the Internet provides the same information to different users at different times and on different communication channels to many populations in response to individual users' requests, thus requiring bandwidth and other resources. Resulting in inefficient use of satellite communication system resources. Thus, users can use satellite-based direct radio broadcasting systems (eg,
There is a need for low cost user terminals that provide the user with the advantages of large geographical coverage, good sound quality, high outbound data rates and low cost) and the ability to receive selected broadcast information from the Internet. You.

[0006]

Summary of the Invention

In view of the above drawbacks and limitations, it is an object of the present invention to provide a direct satellite digital broadcasting system that can broadcast selected Internet information to low cost user terminals. The selected Internet information may be any type of information, for example, weather forecasts, news reports, stock market rates, consumer catalogs, among other information.

It is a further object of the present invention to broadcast selected types of Internet information as packets on a broadcast channel. Internet packets flow over the broadcast channels of the satellite direct digital broadcast system. Broadcast channels include news,
One or more types of Internet information, such as weather, stock reports, etc., may be carried. The Internet packet includes information necessary to select a specific page (for example, a category of Internet information) using a browser.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a low cost user terminal with a radio broadcast receiver adapted to connect to a multimedia device such as a personal computer. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a user terminal with a user interface for selecting the type of broadcast Internet information stored for display on the user terminal. The user terminal examines the stored packets using the selection entered via the user interface and searches for a packet corresponding to the Internet information type selected by the user. The packets are displayed (or played back in the case of audio) using a multimedia device.

[0009] These and other objects of the present invention are directed, in part, to users at remote locations.
Providing a user terminal that incorporates both a broadcast receiver that receives satellite direct radio broadcasts and a multimedia device that stores and displays selected information broadcasted via a satellite direct radio broadcast system from an Internet service provider Is achieved by doing The user terminal converts the user information selection indicating the type of Internet information desired by the user into a control signal that instructs the multimedia device to extract a received packet corresponding to the user information selection for display or playback purposes. Be programmed.

[0010] Thus, in one aspect, an Internet service provider has a gateway configured to route selected multimedia data from the Internet / WWW to a broadcast station. The broadcast station formats the Internet packet data into a broadcast program including the packet, and transmits the broadcast program to a satellite in a direct satellite broadcasting system. The service provider supplies additional information to identify packets corresponding to different types of Internet information in the broadcast program (eg, news, consumer catalogs, educational programs, etc.).

In another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of providing a low-cost, global, and portable user terminal having at least limited access to information services available via the Internet. And The method includes generating a screen prompt on a multimedia device (eg, a personal computer) connected to the radio broadcast receiver. The screen prompts allow the user to select among different types of Internet information to be broadcast via the satellite direct digital broadcasting system. The receiver demultiplexes and decodes the data received from the satellite direct radio broadcast system to obtain a broadcast channel. The user's response to the screen prompt is processed by the computer and configures the computer to extract selected packets in the broadcast channels that make up the broadcast program including Internet information. The multimedia device first stores the packet from the broadcast channel in a mass storage device such as a disk drive for later access by a user.

[0012] Various objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, like reference numbers will be understood to refer to like parts and components.

[0013]

[Detailed description of preferred embodiments]

The satellite communication system 10 of the present invention will now be described according to the following rough outline. I. Overview of system operation II. Broadcasting station III. Satellite IV. User terminal I. Overview of System Operation Referring to FIG. 1, a system 10 is provided. The system 10 allows a remote user to receive high quality sound, data and images using a low cost receiver, and to download it to a computer connected to a receiver according to the present invention. Allow one or more broadcast channels containing Internet information to be selected. System 10 is preferably implemented using a satellite direct digital broadcast system. The direct digital broadcast system preferably comprises three geostationary satellites (one of which is shown at 20 in FIG. 1), a low cost radio receiver or user terminal, and an associated terrestrial network. For illustrative purposes, a single user terminal 22 with a handheld radio receiver 21 connected to a multimedia device such as a computer 29 is shown.

The broadcast program is transmitted to the satellite 20 via one or more broadcast stations 26. As described in further detail below, broadcast station 26 performs encoding, multiplexing, and other signal processing on programs that include audio, data, or both to create a broadcast channel (BCS), Transmitted to satellite 20 on uplink 28. Uplink 28 is preferably a frequency division multiplexed carrier that carries the BCS for a prime rate channel (PRC). Each PRC provides a 16 kbps prime rate increment (PRI) in baseband. BC is 1
It is preferred to include ~ 8 PRCs. For each PRC, the BC is assigned 224 bits every 432 milliseconds for the service control header (SCH). The BCS carries packets, some of which make up programs originating from the Internet. According to the invention, the type of Internet information is SC
H. Satellite 20 performs baseband processing on uplink 28 and
C PRC is transmitted to the user terminal 22 on at least one of the three time division multiplexed downlinks 30.

Still referring to FIG. Broadcast station 26 may be provided with multimedia information (eg, sound bytes, video, and web pages) from Internet 25 via system gateway 23 and hub 27. System gateway 23 is operable as an Internet service provider and performs common operations with two or more Internet service providers, indicated generally at 31 and coupled at hub 27.

According to one aspect of the present invention, news reports, weather forecasts, stock market rates, educational programs, consumer catalogs, and other information accessible via the Internet are provided to broadcast stations 26 in system 10. You. System 10 determines the type of Internet information to be broadcast and when to broadcast it. System 10 includes a regional broadcast control facility (RBCF) 39, which can be used to assign channels on uplink 28 to different broadcast stations 26. For example, a channel on the uplink 28 can be assigned to one or more broadcast stations 26 to continuously broadcast news 24 hours a day. One of the broadcasters 26 can be controlled to provide stock market data during a particular market uptime. At all other times, the broadcaster can be configured to alternately broadcast stock market news commentary and regional news at 30 minute intervals. Further, the broadcaster can be configured to broadcast the weather forecast continuously on one broadcast channel while simultaneously broadcasting the educational program and the consumer catalog on another broadcast channel at a specific time of day. . The broadcast program and its corresponding broadcast time and channel schedule are delivered to the user. Thus, the user can determine when and which TDM downlink 30 the receiver is tuned to receive a particular program, including programs including Internet information.

In addition, browser pages for different consumer broadcast packages may be assembled at a particular location (eg, service provider 31 a), and may include one or more broadcast stations 26.
Can be provided. The Consumer Broadcast Package browser page can provide current news highlights and stock quotes for the day, while
Another consumer broadcast page provides a browser page dedicated to sports highlights. The program material can be obtained from the Internet and its Internet address is placed in a packet to provide a base for selectively downloading and displaying on a multimedia device connected to the receiver.

According to the present invention, each user terminal 22 is configured to receive a satellite direct radio broadcast program via a radio receiver 21. As described above, the receiver 21 can be tuned to receive a broadcast program from a selected one of the three downlinks 30. The receiver 21 is configured to demultiplex and decode the selected downlink 30 to obtain a broadcast channel transmitted from the broadcast station 26 and provided to the downlink 30 by the satellite 20. Computer 2 connected to receiver 22
9 processes the demultiplexed, decoded and stored data to extract packets corresponding to the selected category or type of Internet information requested by the user. The computer 29 stores the information and then informs, ie, displays the information on a computer monitor, or plays the audio portion of the selected Internet information on a loudspeaker connected to the computer.

Using the multimedia device, the user requests to view, listen, or store a particular type of information from the broadcast channel 100 (FIG. 3) that has been demultiplexed, decoded, and stored. Can be. An input device (eg, mouse or keyboard) can be used to respond to screen prompts generated by computer 29. Screen prompts are available for different information types (eg, news, weather,
Preferably, it is one or more screens having a menu listing educational programs, consumer products, stock market reports, etc.) and corresponding icons. The user
For example, you can use a mouse to click an icon. Computer 29 processes the mouse input to determine which menu item has been selected, and stores the stored Internet information corresponding to the user selection, as described in further detail below with respect to FIGS. The computer 29 is configured to notify.

The system 10 is advantageous because it can use satellite direct radio broadcasts to efficiently and cost effectively download relatively large amounts of information from one or more Internet service providers, for example, to user terminals 22. It is. Since different types of information, such as news and weather forecasts, are desired by large numbers of people, broadcasting the information to all user terminals 22 for selective reception requires that the data be stored in space segments each time the user requests it. It is more cost effective than offering.
In addition to saving space segments, broadcast popular Internet information and provide the user terminal with a means for selecting from among broadcast Internet information, thereby communicating user requests to obtain Internet information. , There is no need to modify the broadcast system to include the return link used to respond to the Internet service provider.

II. Broadcasting stations Direct radio broadcasting systems utilize digital audio coding techniques. Each satellite 20 distributes digital radio audio signals of the same nature as AM monaural, FM monaural, FM stereo, and CD stereo over its respective service area, and ancillary data such as paging, video and text as well as user terminal 22 Send directly to. The system can also be used to download multimedia databases to personal computers (PCs) for business use, maps and prints for travelers, and color images to augment audio programs for advertising and entertainment. Service delivery is also possible.

Next, the digital data stream from one or more broadcast stations 26 is
Signal processing for converting to a parallel stream for transmission to 0 will be described with reference to FIG. For illustrative purposes, four sources of program information 60, 64, 68,
And 72 are shown. The two sources 60 and 64 or 68 and 72 are encoded and transmitted together as part of a single broadcast program or service. The encoding of a program including the combination of sources 60 and 64 will now be described. The signal processing for programs containing information from sources 68 and 72 is identical.

The broadcast station 26 assembles information from one or more sources 60 and 64 of a particular program into a broadcast channel characterized by an increment of preferably 16 kbps. These increments are called prime rate increments or PRIs. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the bit rate carried on the broadcast channel 100 is n × 16 kbps, where n is the number of PRI bits used by that particular broadcast service provider. In addition, each 16 kbps PR
I can be further divided into two 8 kbps segments 101 and 103 (FIG. 3), which are either routed together through system 10 or
Or it can be switched. Segments 101 and 103 provide a mechanism for carrying two different service items with the same PRI, such as a data stream with low bit rate speech signals, or two low bit rate speech channels in two respective languages. Preferably, the number of PRIs is predetermined, that is, set according to the program code. However, the number n is
It is not a physical limitation on the system 10. The value of n is typically set based on commercial interests, such as the cost of one broadcast channel and the willingness of the service provider to spend.

For purposes of explanation, n for the first broadcast channel 59 of sources 60 and 64 is equal to four. N for broadcast channels 67 of sources 68 and 72
Is set to 6 in the illustrated embodiment. As mentioned above, the value of n can be changed. For example, if one of the sources 60, 64, 68, or 72 is a source of broadcast Internet information, particularly where the information includes a video component, multiple PRIs are required.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, one or more broadcast service providers may have access to one broadcast station 26. For example, a first service provider can create a broadcast channel 59, while a second service provider can create a broadcast channel 67. The signal processing according to the invention described herein allows digital data streams from several broadcast service providers to be broadcast to satellites in parallel streams. This parallel stream reduces service provider broadcast costs and maximizes the use of space segments. By maximizing the efficiency of space segment usage, broadcaster 26 can be implemented less expensively using less power consuming components. For example, the antenna of broadcast station 26 may be a microsatellite communication earth station (VSAT) antenna. The satellite payload requires less memory, less processing power, and therefore fewer power supplies, thus reducing the weight of the payload.

As shown in FIG. 3, broadcast channel 59 or 67 features a frame 100 having a period duration of 432 milliseconds. This cycle duration is determined by the MPE described later.
Although selected to facilitate the use of a G source coder, the frame period in system 10 can be set to different predetermined values. If the cycle duration is 432 milliseconds, each 16 kbps PRI is 16,000 per frame.
0 × 0.432 seconds = 6912 bits are required. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
The broadcast channels are those 16 carried in frames 100 as a group.
It consists of the value n of the kbps PRI. As described below, these bits are scrambled to increase the demodulation at the radio receiver 29. The scrambling operation also provides a mechanism for encrypting the service as a service provider option. Each frame 100 has a service control header (SCH) 1
02 is assigned to nx 224 bits, so that n
× 7136 bits, and the bit rate becomes n × (16,518 + 14/27) bits / sec. The purpose of the SCH 102 is, among other features, to control the reception mode of various multimedia services, display data and images, send information important for decoding, and address a particular receiver. To send data to each radio receiver 29 tuned to receive the broadcast channel 59 or 67. The service control header 102 can provide information necessary for selecting Internet information and decoding pay-per-use type Internet information.

As shown in FIG. 2, sources 60 and 64 are, for example, MPEG 2.5 layer 3
Encoded using coder 62 and 66, respectively. The two sources are then
After being combined via combiner 76, it is processed using a processor at broadcast station 26, and as shown by processing module 78 in FIG.
It provides an encoded signal of 2 ms, ie, n × 7136 bits (including SCH) per frame. Further, the information type identification data may be provided on the BC SCH.

The blocks shown at broadcast station 26 in FIG. 2 correspond to programmed modules performed by a processor and associated hardware, such as a digital memory and an encoding circuit. The bits in frame 100 are then converted using digital signal processing (DSP) software, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and custom large scale integrated circuit (LSI) chips for two linked encoding methods, Encoded for FEC protection. First, a Reed-Solomon coder 80a is provided to generate 255 bits for every 223 bits entering the coder.
The bits in frame 100 are then reordered according to a known interleaving scheme, as indicated by reference numeral 80b. Since the interleaved coding method spreads corrupted bits over several channels, this method provides additional protection against error bursts encountered during transmission. Continue processing module 8
0, a known convolutional coding method with a constraint length of 7 is a Viterbi coder 80c
Applied using. Viterbi coder 83c generates 16320 FEC encoded bits / frame for each 6912 bit increment per frame applied in broadcast channel 59 to generate two output bits for each input bit. Thus, the original 16 kbps broadcast PRI is no longer identified because each FEC coded broadcast channel (eg, channel 59 or 67) contains nx16320 bits of information that has been encoded, reordered, and re-encoded. Impossible. However, the FEC encoded bits are organized in the original 432 ms frame structure. The total coding rate for error protection is (255/223) × 2 = 2
+64/223.

Still referring to FIG. The n × 16320-bit FEC coded broadcast channel frame is then channeled using channel distributor 82 to carry n 320 parallel prime rate channels (PRC), each carrying 16320 bits for a set of 8160 2-bit symbols. Are decomposed or demultiplexed. This process is further illustrated in FIG. A broadcast channel 59 featuring a 432 millisecond frame 100 with an SCH 102 is shown. The remaining part 104 of the frame consists of n PRs each.
I consists of n 16 kbps PRIs corresponding to 6912 bits per frame. The FEC coded broadcast channel 106 is obtained by subsequent concatenated Reed-Solomon 255/223, interleaving and FEC 1/2 convolutional coding described above in connection with module 80.

As described above, the FEC encoded broadcast channel frame 106 includes n × 16320 bits, with each symbol corresponding to 8160 sets of 2-bit symbols indicated by reference numeral 108. According to the present invention, symbols are allocated across PRCs 110, as shown in FIG. Therefore, symbols are spread based on time and frequency, so that errors in the radio receiver 21 due to interference at the time of transmission are further reduced. The service provider for broadcast channel 59 has purchased four PRCs for illustrative purposes, while the service provider for broadcast channel 67 has purchased six PRCs for illustrative purposes. FIG. 3 shows the first broadcast channel 59 and the assignment of symbols 114 over n = 4 PRCs 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, respectively. To recover each two-bit symbol 114 set at the receiver, a PRC synchronization header or preamble 112
Each of a, 112b, 112c, and 112d is placed at the head of each PRC. P
The RC synchronization header (hereinafter generally referred to using reference numeral 112) includes 48 symbols. The PRC sync header 112 is placed at the beginning of each group of 8160 symbols, thereby reducing the number of symbols per 432 ms frame to 82
Increase to 08 symbols. Therefore, the symbol rate is 8208 / 0.43
2 for each PRC 110, which is 19,000 kilosymbols per second (
ksym / s). The PRC preamble 112, which includes forty-eight symbols, essentially synchronizes the radio receiver PRC clock with the downlink satellite transmission 27.
Used to recover symbols from In the on-board processor 116, the PRC preamble is used to absorb the timing difference in signal speed of the incoming uplink signal, and used on-board to switch the signal;
Assemble the downlink TDM stream. This means that in each of the rate alignment processes used onboard the satellite 20, each of the 48 symbols PRC
By adding a zero to or taking a zero from it, or by not performing both of these operations. Therefore, the P carried on the TDM downlink
The RC preamble is determined by the rate alignment process 47,
It has 48 or 49 symbols. As shown in FIG.
Symbol 114 is assigned to PRC 110b, symbol 3 is assigned to PRC 110c, symbol 4 is assigned to PRC 110d, symbol 5 is assigned to PRC 110a, and so on, symbol 114 is assigned to consecutive PRCs in a round-robin fashion. Can be This PRC demultiplexing process is performed by a processor at the broadcast station 26 and is shown in FIG. 2 as a channel assignment (DEMUX) module 82.

The PRC channel preamble is generated using a preamble module 84 and an adder module 85, using a PRC frame 110 a for broadcast channel 59,
Assigned to mark the start of 110b, 110c, 110d. The n PRCs are then differentially coded and then QPSK modulated to an IF carrier frequency using a single column QPSK modulator 86 as shown in FIG. Four of the QPSK modulators, 86a, 86b, 86c, 86b,
a, 110b, 110c, 110d. Therefore,
The four PRC IF carrier frequencies make up the broadcast channel 59. For transmission to the satellite 20, the four carrier frequencies are each upconverted using an upconverter 88 and assigned frequencies in the X band. The upconverted PRC is then transmitted via amplifier 90 to antennas (eg, VSATs) 92a and 92b.

The SCH 102 containing the control word is inserted into each coded PRC to identify the program channel to which it belongs and carry the instructions, thereby recombining the coded prime rate channel at the receiver and encoding The program channel can be reconstructed. An exemplary 80-bit control word is as follows: # Bit Indication 2 Amount of Relevant Ensemble (00 = No Relevance, Maximum Relevant Ensemble Number 4) 2 Ensemble Identification Number (00 = Ensemble # 1, 11 = Ensemble) 4) 4 ensemble type (0000 = audio, 0001 = video, 0010 = data, other type or spare) 3 16 kbps prime rate channel amount in ensemble (000 = 1 channel, 001 = 2 channels,..., 111) = 8 channels) 3 Prime rate channel identification number (000 = channel 1, ..., 111 = channel 8) 3 Sub-ensemble amount (000 = 1, ..., 111 = 8) 3 Within sub-ensemble 16 kbps prime rate channel amount (000 = 1,. , 111 = 8) 2 sub-ensemble identification number (000 = ensemble # 1,..., 111 = ensemble 8) 3 ensemble / sub-ensemble rejection (000 = no rejection, 001 = type 1 rejection,. 111 = Block type 7) 11 Reserved 40 CRC.

A control word entry for the amount of the associated ensemble allows for the creation of a relationship between the various groups of the ensemble. For example, a broadcaster may want to provide data services, such as electronic newspapers, with associated audio, video, and audio text, and supplemental information. The ensemble identification number identifies the number of ensembles of which the channel is a part. The amount of 16 kbps prime rate channels in the ensemble defines the number of prime rate channels in the ensemble. The use of four prime rate channels for the "left stereo" signal and four different prime rate channels for the "right stereo" signal in a CD quality stereo ensemble, depending on the amount of sub-ensemble and the amount of 16 kbps prime rate channel in the sub-ensemble Is defined in the ensemble. As an alternative, it is possible to associate the music with the announcer's multiple audio signals, each audio signal being in a different language. 1 in the sub-ensemble
The amount of 6 kbps prime rate channels defines the number of prime rate channels in the sub-ensemble. The sub-ensemble identification number identifies the sub-ensemble of which the channel is a part.

The ensemble / sub-ensemble reject bit enables broadcast information to be cooperatively rejected. For example, some countries prohibit the advertisement of alcoholic beverages. Preset a code or load the code differently on a user terminal produced for that country so that the user terminal responds to the blocking signal and blocks certain information It is possible. Blocking features can also be used to limit the distribution of confidential information (such as military or government information) or to limit revenue-related broadcast services to certain users.

As mentioned above, each encoded program source is divided into individual prime rate channels. By way of example, the audio source consists of four prime rate channels and represents an FM quality stereo signal. Alternatively, the audio source is composed of six prime rate channels and is a "near CD" quality stereo signal or an FM quality stereo signal linked to a 32-bit data channel (eg, a radio receiver liquid crystal display (LCD)) (For transmitting a signal to be displayed on the LCD). As a further alternative, the six prime rate channels can be utilized as a 96 kbps broadcast data channel. An image source can include only 16 kbps channels or several channels. As described in more detail below, the user terminal 22 relies on the TDM frames and the ensemble information included in each prime rate channel to generate the digital audio program or other digital service program selected by the user. Preferably, the prime rate channel is automatically selected.

According to the present invention, the transmission method employed at broadcast station 26 incorporates a single channel, frequency division multiple access (SCPC / FDMA) carrier for every n carriers into uplink 28. These SCPC / FDMA carriers are spaced on a center frequency grid and are preferably 38,000 Hertz (Hz) from each other.
Separated and organized into groups of 48 consecutive center frequencies or carrier channels. The grouping of these 48 transport channels is useful in preparing for the demultiplexing and demodulation processes performed onboard at satellite 20. The various groups of the 48 transport channels need not be contiguous with each other. A specific broadcast channel (
That is, the carriers associated with channels 59 or 67) need not be continuous within the 48 carrier channels and need not be assigned to the same group of 48 carrier channels. Thus, the transmission method described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3 is flexible in selecting frequency locations, optimizes the ability to fill the available frequency spectrum, and shares the same radio frequency spectrum Interference with other users who are doing this is prevented.

FIG. 1 illustrates the general operation of a system 10 for broadcasting Internet information as well as other broadcast programs, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the case of a satellite processing payload, the uplink signal 28 is transmitted via a separate frequency division multiple access (FDMA) channel from a broadcast station 26 anywhere the satellite 20 can be viewed from the ground at elevations greater than 10 °. It is emitted from a broadcasting station. Each broadcaster has the ability to directly uplink from one of its facilities to one of the satellites 20 by placing one or more 16 kbps prime rate channels on the FDMA carrier. Alternatively, broadcast stations that do not have direct access to satellite 20 can access via a hub station. For example, system gateway 23 may broadcast web pages directly to radio broadcast satellite 20 or indirectly via hub 27. The use of FDMA for the uplink 28 provides the highest possible flexibility between a number of separate broadcast stations.

III. Satellites Preferred satellites 20 of the direct radio broadcast system 10 cover the African-Arab, Asian, and Caribbean and Latin-America regions from the following geostationary orbits:-East 21 serving Africa and the Middle East. Orbital position 95 ° west to serve Latin America 105 ° westward position to serve Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim Services in other areas such as North America and Europe may require additional Can be provided by satellite.

The direct radio broadcasting system uses a broadcasting satellite service (BBS) in WARC92.
) Assigned to Direct Audio Broadcasting (DAB)
It is preferable to use the frequency band of z. This is based on ITU resolutions 33 and 528. Broadcasting station 26 utilizes a feeder-type uplink in the X band from 7050 to 7075 MHz. Each satellite 20 has a beam width of about 6 °
It is preferable to provide three downlink spot beams. At about 14 million km ² covered by each beam, the power falling from the beam center is within 4 dB, and at 28 million km ² , the power falling from the beam center is within 8 dB. The beam center margin can be 14 dB based on the receiver's gain-to-temperature ratio of -13 dB / K.

Each satellite 20 carries two types of payloads. One is a "processing" payload that regenerates the uplink signal 28 and assembles three TDM downlink carriers, and the other is a "transparent" payload that repeats the uplink signal on three TDM downlink carriers 30.
The TDM signals 30 from the two payloads are each transmitted in three beams, and the processed and transparent signals in each beam are of opposite circular polarization (LHCP and RHCP).
HCP). Each TDM downlink signal 30 carries 96 prime rate channels in assigned time slots. For the user terminal 22, all TDM downlink signals 30 other than the carrier frequency appear the same. The total capacity per satellite is 2 × 3 × 96 = 576 prime rate channels.

In the direct radio broadcast system shown in FIG. 1, an FDMA uplink signal 28 and a multiple channel time division multiple carrier (MCPC / T) per downlink carrier
The conversion to and from the DM) signal 30 is performed on the satellite 20 by an on-board processor. At satellite 20, each prime rate channel transmitted by broadcast station 26 is demultiplexed and demodulated into a 16 kbps individual baseband signal. Each channel is a single TDM signal and is routed through a switch to one or more downlink beams 30. With this baseband processing,
A high level of channel control is provided for uplink frequency allocation and channel allocation between uplink and downlink. The uplink signal is received at the satellite in the X band and converted to the L band by an on-board processor. In the downlink 30 to the user terminal 22, MCPC / TDM
A carrier is used. One such carrier is used in each of the three beams of each satellite 20. The manner in which a direct radio broadcast system formats the FDMA uplink and performs the payload processing to generate a TDM downlink includes, among other benefits, a high-quality sound audio program using a low-cost receiver. Receiving a considerable amount of data.

In the case of a transparent payload, the TDM signal is assembled at the broadcast station and appears in exactly the same structure as assembled on the satellite 20 by the processing payload. The TDM signal is sent to the satellite in the X band and is repeated in the L band in one of the three downlink beams. The power level is the same as the downlink TDM signal generated by the processing payload. Accordingly, the techniques described herein for digitally delivering all information services (eg, voice, music, data, images, and multimedia information obtained from the Internet) according to the present invention include on-board processing and transparent payloads. It is applicable to any of the above. When a transparent payload is used, processing such as route designation performed in the satellite 20 can also be performed by a ground station.

FIG. 4 shows on-board reassignment of a prime rate channel from an uplink frequency division multiple access channel to a downlink MCPC / TDM channel in the processing payload of satellite 20 of FIG. I have. The total uplink capacity is preferably 288-384 minutes for each 16.519 kbps prime rate uplink channel 116. 96 prime rate channels 11
8 are selected for transmission on each downlink beam 30, multiplexed, and 12
As indicated by 0, the signal is time-division multiplexed into a carrier having a bandwidth of about 2.5 MHz. Each channel of the uplink may be routed to all, some, or none of the downlink beams. The order and arrangement of the prime rate channels in the downlink beam is shown in FIG.
Alignment and control (TRC) device 38 is fully selectable via a command link.

Preferably, software is provided at the broadcast station 26 or, if one or more broadcast stations 26 are present in the system 10, the regional broadcast control facility (RBCF)
) 39 to allocate the space segment channel in the uplink beam 28 to the satellite 20. RBCF 39 is preferably connected to TRC facility 38 via a communication link. The software optimizes uplink spectrum utilization by allocating PRC carriers whenever space is available in the 48 channel groups. The carriers associated with a particular broadcast channel need not be contiguous within a group of 48 carrier channels and need not be assigned to the same group of 48 carrier channels.

Since the carrier frequency is different for each downlink beam 30, the separation between the beams is enhanced. Each TDM downlink channel operates within the satellite's payload when saturated, resulting in the highest possible power efficiency with respect to link performance. Utilizing one carrier per transponder provides the most efficient operation of the satellite communication payload with respect to the conversion of solar energy to radio frequency power. This is much more efficient than techniques that require simultaneous amplification of multiple FDM carriers. According to this system, a high reception margin suitable for stationary reception and mobile reception indoors and outdoors can be obtained.

The system 10 performs MPEG 2.5, Layer 3 audio source encoding that provides the stated quality at bit rates of 16, 32, 64, and 128 kbps, respectively, and at 8 kbps. The ability to perform encoding is also included. Image encoding is performed using the JPEG standard. The error rate in the present system is less than 10 ^-10 and is therefore suitable for high quality digital image and data transmission for multimedia services. According to MPEG 2.5, Layer 3 coding, conventional MPEG 1, Layer 2 (Musicam) or MPEG for the same audio quality
Bit transfer efficiency is better than the two standards. For audio broadcasting, the source bit rate encoded in digital format is: 8 kbps for utility monaural audio, 16 kbps for non-utility monaural audio, 32 kbps for monaural music close to FM, 64 kbps for stereo music of quality close to FM, 128 kbps for stereo music of quality close to CD.

In a preferred implementation of the satellite direct radio broadcast system, each satellite 20 has a capacity to transmit a total of 3072 kbps per beam, which can be any combination of the above audio services (processing and transparent payload). Each with two TDM carriers). This corresponds to the capacity per beam described below. 192 monaural audio channels, or 96 mono music channels, or 48 stereo music channels, or 24 CD stereo music channels, or any combination of the above signal qualities.

To provide a digital channel directly to the digital distribution of broadcast services, system 10 uses satellite 20 for any type of data, images, video, and information, voice, music, etc. obtained from the Internet and multimedia sources. Other multimedia data can be broadcast. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, system 10 transmits push Internet information, i.e., Internet information transmitted via satellite 20 without user approval, to user terminal 2.
2 can be delivered.

The satellite directly across radio broadcast system 10 ^-4 or less of bit error rate (B
The digital signal is distributed in ER) and various defined service qualities are obtained. For each L-band download beam 30 transmitted by satellite 20, the edge of the service area EIRP of the TDM carrier is 49.5 dBW.
It is. This EIRP, combined with specific forward error correction, assures a minimum margin of 9 dB for 10 ^-4 BER using a baseline radio receiver antenna. This margin helps fight signal loss due to impairments in the path between the satellite 20 and the receiver of the user terminal 22 and allows for high quality reception within the intended service area.

The user terminal 22 located in a disadvantageous place is connected to an antenna having a large gain.
Alternatively, it is possible to connect to an antenna located in an unobstructed place.
For example, for reception within a large building, a joint with indoor retransmission for the entire building
A roof antenna or a separate receiving antenna near the window is required. Power is
In a service area of a 4 dB drop area, the estimated margin of the channel is 10 ^-Four 10 dB for the power density required for distribution with a bit error rate of
. The estimated value of this margin at the beam center is 14 dB.

The operating margin of the direct radio broadcast system does not change even if the bit transfer rate increases. In areas where the power drop is 4 dB, most user terminals will see the satellite 20 in view at elevation angles higher than 60 °, and the interference from the structure will be almost zero. For some beams, where the power drop is 8 dB, the elevation angle with respect to the satellite 20 will be higher than 50 °, but sometimes it will suffer from reflections or blockages from the structure. For some beams pointing to the horizon, small elevation angles (10 °
(.About.50.degree.) Is always possible with a small 8 dBi gain antenna in the line of sight.

As described above, the direct radio broadcast system includes the baseband processing payload on the satellite 20. In baseband processing, system performance can be improved with respect to uplink and downlink budgets, broadcast station management, and downlink signal control. FIG. 5 illustrates satellite signal processing in a preferred direct radio broadcast system. The uplink coded prime rate carrier is received at X-band receiver 122. The multi-stage demultiplexer and demodulator 124 receives the 288 individual FDMA signals in six groups, one group of 48, and generates six analog signals in which the data of the 288 signals is split into six time multiplexed streams. Then, serial data is demodulated in each stream. The routing switches and modulators 126 may selectively route individual channel serial data to all, some, or none of the three downlink signals. Yes, each carries 96 channels and further modulates them into three downlink L-band TDM signals. The power of the three downlink signals is boosted by traveling wave tube amplifier 128 and radiated to the ground by L-band transmit antenna 130. The transparent payload also includes a demultiplexer / downconverter 132, and an uplink TDM /
Also included is an amplifier group 134 configured to provide a conventional "vent pipe" signal path for frequency converting the MCPC signal.

The satellite 20 is operated by a terrestrial control segment (eg, software available at the RBCF 39 serving one broadcast station 26 or multiple broadcast stations 26) and during the orbital life, the mission control segment Managed based on traffic requirements. In any given beam, it is possible to meet the demand for service by mixing the bit rate and consequently the quality of service. The bit rate / quality aspect of the service can easily be changed by ground commands and can change with time of day. In a preferred embodiment, the channel assignment can be changed hourly based on a program schedule preset for 24 hours. However, it will be appreciated that the channel assignment can be changed with some frequency.

Referring to FIG. 2, within each QPSK modulation block 86, a separate QPSK modulator modulates each prime rate channel to an intermediate frequency. Upconverter 8
8 transfers a separate prime rate channel to the FDMA uplink band, and the upconverted channel is transmitted via amplifier 90 and antenna 91. The broadcast uplink station preferably uses the VSAT signal for transmitting the basic channel (16 kbps) using a small antenna (2-3 m in diameter).

[0055] The prime rate uplink channel is transmitted to satellite 20 on a separate FDMA carrier. As described above, up to 288 uplink prime rate carriers can be transmitted to satellite 20 in the global uplink beam. A terrestrial terminal equipped with a 2.4 m diameter parabolic X-band antenna and a 25 watt power amplifier of a small broadcaster could transmit a program channel (128 kbps) at 128 kilobits per second.
(Including one prime rate channel) from the location in the country from which the program originated. Alternatively, the program channel can be
A shared uplink terrestrial terminal may be connected via the STN terrestrial link. The system has sufficient uplink performance so that any country within its global service area has its own satellite radio broadcast channel.

IV. User Terminal A block diagram of one of the user terminals 22 of FIG. 1 is provided in FIG. The user terminal 22 receives the L-band signal from the satellite 20, demultiplexes the TDM stream, extracts useful audio, data, or image signals therefrom and reproduces desired audio data or image information. The user terminal has about 4-6
A small and compact patch antenna 136 having a gain of dBi and requiring little directivity may be provided. The user terminal 22 automatically tunes to the selected channel.

As described above, a time division multiple carrier (MCPC) of a plurality of channels per carrier is used.
/ TDM) is used for downlink transmission to the user terminal 22. Each of the prime rate channels occupies its own time slot in the time division stream. These prime rate channels are combined to provide 16-12
It carries program channels in the range of 8 kilobits. The use of digital technology enables low-rate video, paging, mailing, faxing, the use of flat display screens, or ancillary services for radios, including serial data interfaces. This data and information can be multiplexed within the audio digital signal channel. In addition, the prime rate channel is a program channel that is primarily a screen (eg, a home page from the WWW) displayed on a user terminal with or without audio programs and downloaded data for storage and / or printing. Can be transported.

Each user terminal 22 is capable of tuning to one of the TDM carriers transmitted in one of the beam service areas. As shown in FIG. 6, the user terminal 22 includes a digital broadcast receiver 21, an antenna 136, and a computer 29. The receiver 21 can be connected to a serial port of the computer 29, for example.
Internet service providers such as the system gateway 23 in FIG.
Operable in one, two, or all of the beam coverage of one satellite 20. The system 10 modifies the FDM uplink 28 assigned to the Internet service provider and the way information is routed from the on-board satellite 20 to one or more downlink beams 30 via software and telemetry systems. be able to.

In digital broadcast receiver 21, low noise amplifier 138 boosts the satellite signal, and the boosted signal is received by RF front end and QPSK modulator 140. The output of the RF front end and QPSK modulator 140 is a first time division demultiplexer 142 that recovers the audio prime rate channel (PRC) and a second time division demultiplexer that recovers the prime rate channel carrying data containing the image. It can be connected to a multiplexer 144.

After the n PRCs of the received broadcast channel have been reordered, the symbols of each PRC are multiplexed back into the FEC coded broadcast channel using blocks 142 and 144. The output of block 142 is a baseband digital signal that carries audio information, and the output of block 144 is a baseband digital signal that carries data.

The recombined coded program channel thus recovered is decoded and deinterleaved to recover the original baseband prime rate bit stream entering the system at the broadcaster's ground station 26. In the case of audio data, the recovered bitstream is converted back to an analog audio signal by audio decoder 146 and digital / analog converter 148. The analog signal is boosted by amplifier 150 and reproduced by loudspeaker 152. The user terminal can reproduce various audio qualities ranging from AM monaural to CD stereo according to the program channel bit rate. In the case of data, the recovered bit stream is a data / image decoder 154.
Can be converted to a displayable format. In addition to being displayed, the received data can be stored in a storage device or printed.

The instructions necessary for the user terminal 22 to control the recombination of the coded prime rate channel into the coded program channel include the control word embedded in each coded prime rate channel and the original baseband prime. Rate bitstream (
For example, it is preferably included in the SCH or PRC preamble. Receiver 21 is programmed to process the instructions in the control word.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, an SCH 102 is provided for each BC. Data from the data decoder 154, including the broadcast channel and SCH, is provided to the computer 29 via a broadcast channel input / output (BCIO) port. Computer 29 stores the data in disk drive 176 (FIG. 6). The computer processes the data and inspects the packet. The packet information is compared to user selections made using a keyboard 170, mouse 174, or other input device connected to the computer 29, and which of the stored packets is used for output purposes. To determine. Information identification data may be provided as part of a service control header 102 that identifies packets originating from the same Internet source.

The main components of the computer 29 include a microprocessor 156 having appropriate amounts of random access memory (RAM) 160 and read-only memory (ROM) 162, a real-time clock 164, and a display controller 166.
And are included. Display controller 166 controls the formatting of image data (eg, web page data) for display 168. The microprocessor 156 includes a keyboard 170, a printer / plotter 172, a mouse 17
4, and preferably also connected to the disk drive 176. Microprocessor input / output (I / O) interface 158
Are shown as representative of the serial port and parallel part. As shown in FIG. 6, data decoded by the receiver 21 can be provided to the computer 29 via a serial port connection. The keypad 170 and the mouse 172 are used to select broadcast programs, control sound levels, execute menu selection,
Used for and similar functions. The menus and screens are displayed on the display 1 according to the program code of the microprocessor 156 or the received web page.
68. Printer / plotter 172 allows a user to view data on display 168 as well as receive a hardcopy output of any received data (including images). Finally, the disk drive 176 allows data or programs to be loaded into the computer 29 and allows received data (eg, web pages) to be stored for later viewing, listening, and printing. Another possible feature of the disk drive 176 is, for example, that the computer 29 can combine images or other data being received in real time by the digital broadcast receiver 21 with existing data stored on a magnetic disk. Become. This is useful, for example, because it is possible to update existing images or other data by transmitting only new or changed information without having to retransmit them.

The components of FIG. 6 can be incorporated into a single unit designed for portable or mobile use. Alternatively, as shown in FIG.
It may be a portable device connected to a separate computer 29. The power is
It may be provided by a battery, a solar cell, or a generator driven by a spring motor or hand crank. When the user terminal 22 is mounted on a vehicle such as a boat, aircraft, or automobile, power can be provided by a vehicle power supply. Instead of accommodating all of the components of the user terminal 22 in a single case, the user terminal 22 may be comprised of a system or network of separate components interconnected by appropriate cables.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart summarizing a basic series of operations performed by the user terminal 22 of FIG. 5 when receiving an audio and data program. It will be appreciated that because the downlink channel 30 is in TDM format, the user terminal 22 can receive and play audio programs and data simultaneously. Thus, the user does not need to stop listening to audio programs to receive images or other types of data. As a result, for example, a user who wishes to obtain selected data from the Internet can do so while listening to an audio program on an audio program channel.

Next, with particular reference to the logic sequence shown in FIG. 7, the first step in the program is to power on and initialize the receiver 21 and the computer 29 (block 180). Receiver 21 is tuned to receive one of the three TDM downlinks 30 (block 182). The receiver demultiplexes and decodes the received prime rate channel from downlink 30 to provide a SC
These are demultiplexed again into broadcast channels including H102. Broadcast channels can include real-time audio and video programs. The user terminal begins playing the audio program on speaker 152 and displaying the video program on display 168 (block 184). The broadcast channel may also include Internet information stored on disk drive 176 for non-real-time use. The computer 29 displays the screen 220 shown in FIG.
8 (block 186). The screen 220 is a browser initial screen and provides the user with a list of different topics of information obtained from the Internet broadcasting station.

Screen 220 includes news reports, weather, stock market rates, consumer catalogs,
Icons and corresponding names for information topics such as geographic maps can be provided. The user can select one of the topics using the keypad 170, mouse 174, or other input device (block 188). According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, stored data obtained from the SCH 102 identifying the type of packet data is processed by the computer 29 to select and display Internet information of the type selected by the user (block 19).
0 and 192). As indicated by the positive branches of decision block 194 and block 196, the computer extracts the packets that match the user's selection,
A screen is generated on the display 168 according to the packet (block 198).
). For example, a packet could be a web page or text but graphics,
It may include data to create a simple computer screen without video data. Further, some packets may include sound bytes that may be provided to an auxiliary speaker 178 connected directly to the computer. When the selected data is accompanied by a sound byte, the reproduction of the audio program via the speaker 152 can be performed simultaneously with the reproduction of the sound byte. Computer 29 ignores packets whose information identification data does not correspond to a user selection on screen 220 (block 196).

The topic of the information stored in the disk drive 176 at that time is displayed on the screen 220. In doing so, the disk drive 176 may re-populate the currently received new set of Internet information for later viewing by the user.
It can be stored. Thus, the disk drive stores new Internet information while allowing the user to search and browse information already stored. The computer may also store the information for later use in real-time applications such as broadcast education.

The system 10 of the present invention advantageously provides a digital distribution channel for broadcasting different types of data, such as audio, music, images, and moving images, and multimedia information to remote user terminals. It is. Therefore, a user terminal that does not have access to the Internet can receive push Internet information, that is, broadcast Internet information that does not require approval from a remote user. According to another aspect of the invention, the user terminal may be provided with a terrestrial link, for example a public switched telephone network (PSTN) link, to communicate with the information provider.
For example, the user may receive voice, text,
And a broadcast educational program including image data. The user can send a response to the educational program to the broadcast education center or another location via the PSTN link. This configuration is advantageous when the PSTN link does not have enough bandwidth to carry the audio, text, and image data of the program.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred and preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various alternatives and modifications suggested in the above description will occur to those skilled in the art. All such alternatives and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating how Internet information is provided to a user via a satellite direct radio broadcast system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an operation of the broadcasting station illustrated in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating how a broadcast channel is formatted by a broadcast station into a prime rate channel for transmission to the satellite shown in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates how on-board satellite signal processing can be performed in a satellite direct radio broadcast system of the type shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the onboard processing components of the satellite shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a structure of a user terminal incorporating both a digital broadcast receiver and a multimedia device such as a personal computer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a flowchart summarizing a series of operations performed by the user terminal of FIG. 5 when downloading a selected packet of received broadcast Internet information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary computer screen generated by a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A system for providing a user terminal with information from at least one telecommunications network, comprising: a receiver; and a broadcast channel having a packet containing the information, wherein the broadcast channel is provided. A satellite operable to transmit to the receiver, wherein the information relates to at least one of a plurality of topics, and wherein the broadcast channel indicates which of the packets corresponds to which of the plurality of topics. And a processing device connected to the receiver; a user input device connected to the processing device; and a display device connected to the processing device. Generating a screen on the display device and prompting a user to select one of the plurality of topics; Operable to provide the packet to the processing device, wherein the processing device processes an input signal generated at the user input device when a user makes a selection using the screen; Operable to examine data to determine which of the packets corresponds to the input signal, wherein the display device is controlled by the processing device to display the information corresponding to the input signal. System. 2. The apparatus further comprises a multimedia device connected to the receiver,
The information includes at least one of data, graphics, a still image, a moving image, text, audio, a web page, and a video, and the multimedia device includes the data, the graphics, the still image, the moving image, The method of claim 1, operable to perform at least one of a plurality of operations in response to the input signal, including displaying at least one of the text, the web page, and the video, and playing the audio. system. 3. At least one of an Internet service provider computer and a system gateway connected to the telecommunications network;
A broadcast station connected to at least one of the Internet service provider and a system gateway, the broadcast station receiving the information from the at least one of the Internet service provider and a system gateway; The system of claim 1, wherein the system is operable to format the information into the broadcast channel with data indicating which of the topics the packet corresponds to, and transmit the broadcast channel to the satellite. 4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a hub connecting said broadcast station to said system gateway. 5. A method of broadcasting information from an Internet service provider to a user terminal equipped with a radio receiver and a multimedia device via satellite and without a return link between the user terminal and the service provider, the method comprising: Formatting a broadcast channel for transmission to a user terminal that includes packets of Internet information relating to a plurality of topics and identification data identifying which of the plurality of topics corresponds to the packets; Transmitting the broadcast channel to the user terminals via the plurality of user terminals; generating a menu listing the plurality of topics using the multimedia device. Step, from the menu, Determining a user input device corresponding to one of the picks; using the identification data to determine which of the packets corresponds to the user input signal; using the multimedia device And outputting the packet corresponding to the user input signal. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said formatting step comprises formatting Internet information including at least one of news, weather forecasts, stock market rates, educational programs, and consumer information. 7. The method according to claim 7, wherein the generating step includes using the multimedia device to identify at least one of the news, the weather forecast, the stock market rate, the educational program, and the consumer information as menu options. 7. The method of claim 6, comprising: providing a prompt prompting a user to select one of the menu options. 8. The method of claim 5, wherein said formatting step further comprises the step of formatting program information indicating said plurality of topics and corresponding to broadcast time of reception at said user terminal. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user terminal is programmed to update the menu using the program information. 10. A satellite broadcast communication system for broadcasting Internet information, comprising: a plurality of receivers; packets of different types of Internet information; and data identifying the packets of different types of Internet information. At least one broadcast station that transmits a broadcast channel including: and a satellite that receives the broadcast channel and transmits the broadcast channel to the plurality of receivers, wherein at least one of the plurality of receivers is A receiver for receiving a broadcast channel; a storage device for storing packets obtained from the broadcast channel; an output device for prompting a user to make a selection from a plurality of different types of Internet information; An input device for performing the selection, and an input device stored in the storage device corresponding to the selection. Searches for said selected packets are provided with a multimedia device having a processor programmed to provide selected ones of said packets to said output device, system.